Eyrie Productions, Unlimited

Printer-friendly copy     Conferences Eyrie Motors Topic #26 Reading Topic #26, reply 0

Charter Member Dec--, 00: AM (EST)   ck of time%3B let%27s just say I wouldn%27t have been able to correct my parking job if I hadn%27t done it right the first time%2C and leave it at that. It expired as I put it in Park%2C and responded to no provocation thereafter%3B the electrical system had gone completely dark. Even the dome light didn%27t come on when I opened the door.%0D%0A%0D%0AAt a loss%2C I called my mother to let her know I%27d run into a bit of a problem. I was a hundred miles from home and 200 from my destination%2C and night was falling%3B I thought I might have to stay the night at the hotel I%27d just been beached at%2C but she has a brother who lives in Portland %28which I had just passed%29%2C and his wife worked at one of the car rental places at the airport there. So Mom called them to see if she could get a rental car sent up to rescue me.%0D%0A%0D%0AMeanwhile%2C I went into the hotel to ask if they minded if I left the car there for a day or two. I assumed they would say no and I%27d have to have it towed somewhere%2C probably to the Ford garage in Freeport%2C where they wouldn%27t be able to look at it until who knew when because it was Christmas%3B but the guy said sure%2C it%27s pretty slow here this time of year%2C as long as it%27s gone by New Year%27s we%27re cool. So that was nice.%0D%0A%0D%0AA little while later my uncle drove up in his own car%3B they hadn%27t been able to arrange a rental for reasons I cannot now remember %28maybe the holiday again%29%2C so instead%2C he and Mom had worked out a thing where he%27d take me up the Interstate and she%27d come down and meet us halfway%2C at a little town called Newport. We%27d all have dinner at the Pizza Hut there and then go our separate ways.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt was kind of surreal. Mom%27s brother was my favorite uncle when I was a kid%3B he lived up in Aroostook County then%2C and we used to hang out a lot whenever I was up there. He moved to Portland when I was in middle school%2C got married and unexpectedly started a family a bit late in life%2C and we%27d seen each other maybe twice in the... oh... 12 or so years since then. The trip wasn%27t awkward at all%2C but it was an odd reason for a reunion%2C and then when we got to Newport it was raining cats and dogs and the power was out. Strange scene in the parking lot of the shut-down 24-hour Irving station%2C transferring luggage in the dark and the pouring rain. Sort of put the kibosh on the %22dinner%22 part of the plan.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe day after Christmas%2C Dad and I drove back down to Freeport to see what was wrong with the car. Dad had a spare car battery with him%2C as you do%2C and when we put it in%2C the Crown Vic fired right up like nothing was wrong with it. From this we concluded that the alternator had failed%2C so we took up a mile or so up the road to an auto parts place we%27d noticed on the way in from the Interstate.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow%2C there are two things about replacing the alternator in a car. One is that you get reamed on the price of the new one unless you have an old one to trade for it. And the other is that%2C even in a big old car with as much free space as a Crown Vic has in its engine compartment%2C it takes a while.%0D%0A%0D%0AI wish I had been able to get a picture of us at work%2C but I wasn%27t%2C because cell phones didn%27t have cameras in them back then. It%27s a shame. There would be distinct comedy value in a photo of my father%2C bundled up in his old work coat%2C removing the alternator from my old Crown Vic in a snowy parking lot%2C directly under the sign on the side of the parts store reading%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bb%5DFOR LIABILITY REASONS%0D%0ADO NOT WORK ON CARS%0D%0AIN THIS PARKING AREA%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m sure the guy working in the store knew exactly what was up when we walked in%2C all cold and red-faced%2C with a dead Ford alternator to trade it in for a fresh one%2C but I guess he was feeling some of the holiday spirit too%2C because he never said a word about it.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C OK%2C I said I regretted buying the car once%2C but on balance%2C maybe the ensuing adventure canceled out the angst of the initial failure. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AApart from that%2C I had a lovely time with the old heap%2C though by the middle of the next year it was getting decidedly creaky. Around that time%2C Dad mentioned that he knew someone who wanted to buy it as a Project Car%2C and I got a %22sorry we moved your job to Seattle%22 payout from the company that bought the place where I worked at around the same time%2C so I decided to sell out and use the money as a down payment on a newer vehicle. I can%27t remember if I made a profit on it%2C probably not%2C but what the hell.%0D%0A%0D%0AStrangely%2C although I never gave this car a name%2C I did later base a %5Blink%3Awww.eyrie-productions.com%2FForum%2Fdcboard.cgi%3Faz%3Dshow_thread%26om%3D258%26forum%3DDCForumID9%26viewmode%3Dall%236%7CTransformers OC%5D on it.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FUF%2FFI%2FTF%2FGFX%2Fkhanna.Eclipse.cc.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%2A not really%2C but%2C I mean...%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D. "" In response to message #     Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Subject	Author	Message Date	ID
[View All]		Dec--	TOP
RE: Car Adventures: Crown Vic	Nova Floresca	Apr-14-19	1
RE: Car Adventures: Crown Vic	MuninsFire	Apr-14-19	2
RE: Car Adventures: Crown Vic	Gryphon	Apr-14-19	3
RE: Car Adventures: Crown Vic	drakensis	Apr-15-19	4
RE: Car Adventures: Crown Vic	Gryphon	Apr-15-19	5
RE: Car Adventures: Crown Vic	McFortner	Apr-15-19	6

YUM

BIG ??!? RANT GNDN STORE FORUM GOTW

VAULT

version 3.3 © 2001
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited
Benjamin D. Hutchins
E P U (Colour)