So You've Had a Bad Day

Ever had one of those days? I just had one of those days. Those days never come with a warning, but I guess that's what makes those days, those days.
Here's what made that day "one of those days."
I'd been wanting a new bed, but couldn't find what I wanted that was within our budget. Since my husband has been collecting tools for the past year, he decided to try and build a new headboard and footboard as his Christmas gift to me.
He didn't have time to get it done by Christmas and he also didn't have the router he needed to help complete the project.
Christmas Eve came and he decided to build a model of the bed he had in his mind. He grabbed my daughter before I got home from work and the two of them went to the craft store for supplies.
When I got home, we packed our old Suburban and headed to my mom's in Plattsburg to spend the night.
As I stuffed stockings and did some last minute wrapping, my husband and daughter went to a back room and started their project. A tiny four-poster bed, complete with comforter, pillows and a canopy was born. Other than almost super-gluing his fingers together, it turned out well.
He presented me with his creation and I was so touched by the thought alone, all I could say was, "Aww..."
It was adorable.
One of the obstacles we encountered was the lumberyard's holiday hours. They were closed on the only days we had off work.
We made plans to go the following weekend, making sure to get there before they closed at noon. (We like to sleep in on Saturdays, so we set the alarm clock. Just kidding.) We made the trip to look at wood the next Saturday. We got our estimates and told the clerk we'd be back the next weekend with our truck.
This brings me to "one of those days".
We got the kids ready, and it was cold outside, so I went out to start the Suburban. I didn't notice anything strange, but when I climbed into the seat and closed my door, the rear quarter window on the driver's side shattered all over the street. I couldn't believe it. We're talking a four-foot-long window here, no small beans.
This would definitely put a damper on the day's plan of going to the lumberyard and building our new bed. Not to mention blowing the budget, since I was pretty sure a window of this size wouldn't come cheap.
I began to call for estimates. They were just under the amount of our auto insurance's deductible, at $400 plus. And they couldn't get it done until Monday.
Luckily, my husband is from the KC area and thought of a place we could call there. Turned out, they had the glass we needed, and for only $75. Just one catch -- it wasn't the privacy tinted glass we needed to match the rest of the windows.
Still, with a cost difference like that, we decided it was worth it. After all, it was wintertime, and we could always tint it later. We loaded everyone in the truck for the trip to KC.
Maybe we could still squeeze the bed materials into the budget after all.
I thought that was the end of "one of those days", but this vehicle just won't quit -- giving me trouble, that is. I guess things happen in threes, so I should be good to go from here on out.
We came out of the video store and when we returned to the truck, it wouldn't start. We walked across the parking lot to the mall, thinking we could hit Sears up for one of their famous Die Hard batteries. But oh no, they don't carry those anymore. Wasn't Sears known for its Die Hard batteries?
We hiked back to the truck where five of our kids were waiting. Someone had offered to jump-start the truck according to my son, but he didn't have the keys to start the ignition. After waiting quite a while, we finally had an offer from two nice ladies who didn't mind giving 60 seconds of their day to jump-start us.
We drove straight to the auto parts store, and the clerk tested the battery and said it was fine, but he suspected the alternator was going bad.
The next week I continued to drive the truck back and forth 50 miles every day for work, but I had to hold my tongue just right, wink one eye and hike my left leg at a 45-degree angle to get it to start each time.
Finally, I decided it was time to go buy an alternator. I took it to a garage, but they didn't think it was the alternator. He brought it back to me within an hour or so, and said it was, in fact, the battery. Good, that's cheaper than an alternator and it's all done and overwith.
Not so fast. As I drove home that evening, I exited from the highway to go to the bank and I heard a noise. I turned the radio down, and heard a hissing sound. Oh no, did that tire with the bubble in it just blow out?
I made it the next block to the bank and had to go into the pizza place and call my husband, who wasn't home yet.
I went back to wait in the truck, and he arrived 15 minutes later. We got out the jack and the lug wrench didn't seem to fit. We ran to the friendly neighborhood auto parts store again, and then weren't sure whether we needed metric or standard, so we bought both.
Upon returning to the truck, my husband said, "I'm so stupid, there was a cover on the tire."
Have you ever tried to jack up a Suburban with a long back end? You have to jack it up by the rear axle. It was nice and wet and muddy from all the snow, so this wasn't a fun job.
At last, the tire was changed and we returned both jacks to the auto parts store, grabbed some burgers and went home to watch TV.
So, I shouldn't be due for any more problems for quite some time, I hope. Cross your fingers.