Friday 13 June 2014

A fool and his money are easily parted ...

There is one thing in this life of which we can all be certain … as soon as Hubby goes away … something will go wrong.

I mean Murphy wrote a whole law about it.

No sooner had Hubby jumped on a plane and headed off out of the state than I smelt an ominous burning odour emitting alarmingly from under the hood of the car.

Whatever should I do, I wondered.  So I rang Hubby.  Cause that's what you do …. even when they happen to be a thousand kilometres away.

Now don't misunderstand me … Hubby is NO mechanic … Hubby wouldn't be able to fix the problem … heck Hubby wouldn't have the foggiest idea what the problem even was … but a) a problem shared is a problem halved and b) he can at least advise me on how to open the bonnet and c) he does an exemplary job of phoning the mechanic … no matter what state of Australia he happens to be in.


On a side note, are you one of those folk that open the hood when you are having problems with your car … and intensely inspect that enginey thingamajig inside … hoping that it's going to hold up a sign telling you what's wrong with it … cause I am.  After Hubby tells me how to open the hood that is.

But back to the matter at hand … at this point Hubby and I earnestly discussed the issue.  We decided that under no circumstances should I attempt to drive the vehicle.  Upon his return Hubby would organise to have it towed to the nearest mechanic … and we'd go from there.

So come Thursday morning Hubby was back … and it was time to get that car to the vehicular surgeon.

Feeling extraordinarily brave … and a little bit cheap … Hubby decided to take a chance and drive it
to the auto shop … given it was only a few kilometres away.  I followed behind in Hubby's car … at a safe distance of course … after all I didn't think it was fair to leave the children orphans if there happened to be a grisly explosion.  I made sure Hubby's life insurance was up to date before hand … I mean you just can't take any unnecessary risks now can you.

Thankfully we arrived without incident.

"So, did you smell it?" I queried.

But he hadn't.

We decided this was due to the car being cold … because we are very clever, mechanically minded, logical people.

So Hubby took it in and requested the works … a full and total overhaul, service and investigation.  No stone was to be left unturned … or gasket unplugged  … or filter uncarborated … or whatever.

At the end of the day we returned to pick it up.  We eagerly awaited the dramatic results.  What disaster had I narrowly escaped?  Just how many seconds had I been from certain death in a fiery carnage?

Hubby was presented with the account … the total was just shy of $400.  They had serviced and tuned, replaced filters and spark plugs.  They had rotated tyres, filled things with fluid, nipped and tucked.  I'm pretty sure she had a full facial and body massage.  But most importantly of all … they found the source of the acrid aroma.

A plastic shopping bag caught around the cat converter!


Sooo …. ummmm … better to be safe than sorry … right? … Hubby? ... right?????

22 comments:

  1. I love that family portrait. You should put it on your Chrstmas cards.

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    1. It's a couple of years old now … but it's still a goodie :0)
      xx

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  2. I agree; That family portrait is awesomesauce as my son used to say. There is no hubby to call if something goes wrong with my car. Fortunately (knocking on wood here) nothing has happend yet. My options are to call the automobile association or drive it to the service station if that is doable.
    xoxo

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    1. I think I've always had a mechanic phobia! I find it very intimidating to listen to someone telling me what I need to have done … when I don't know what I need to have done … and he knows that I don't know what I need to have done.
      xx

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  3. Love that photo, such fun! No idea about car maintenance, I can't even drive...but, ouch! x

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    1. Well I can drive … but I still have no idea about car maintenance ;0)
      xx

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  4. Bahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! You have the same mechanical mind as me. But why did the mechanic do all that other stuff when it was only a plastic bag?? Robbing buggers. Love your family photo, that is the sort that should be enlarged and hung on a wall in your house!!

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  5. Blogger seems to be playing up this morning...perhaps it needs to go and see the mechanic you went to see!

    Car mechanics have a special licence to steal and rob us blind! Glad they found the source of the problem...you never know!

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    1. They get away with it when they start using words they know nobody else understands ;0)
      xx

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  6. Hahaha! yes the car probably did have a full facial and massage, I think that's part of the service! our car is buggering up, I moved Dave out of the way so I could look at the engine (?????, really, like I even know what anything even means in there) The family portrait is brilliant btw! x x x

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  7. This post made me laugh Jo and love the photo. I needed a laugh to counteract all this exam stress I am soaking up so thank you for that xx

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    1. Oh dear … I don't like exam stress … fortunately or unfortunately depending on which way you look at it … my boys rarely bother to stress about exams ;0)
      xx

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  8. Ha ha ha! So much fun laughing at others' misfortune! We have similar conversations over the phone when Bushy is away. Nice to know we are not alone in our non-mechanicalness! We live in hope that we have bred a mechanic...any day now...
    At least you found the source!
    And I did love your Queen's Birthday Post...gotta love our Lizzie, giving us a long weegend:-)xo

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    1. I wanted a mechanic, a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter and a hairdresser in the family … shame I only had two kids ;0)
      xx

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  9. Such a funny family portrait. I hat to Google what cat converter was, that's how mechanically minded I am. Hmmm why did they go threw everything else, the buggas. Jo xx

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    1. LOL … I still don't know what a cat converter is ;0)
      xx

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  10. Funny! Oh well, disaster averted - at a price! xxx

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    1. True … I could have been overcome with toxic plastic fumes ;0)
      xx

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  11. Ouch! Excellent photo btw.

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