What a Day

I am very glad today is here...all brand new. I do hope today is better than yesterday. :) I got Mike off to work like I normally do. I then settled in to do some crafting (I am working on Ellen's new gift for swap). The phone rings and it is a number that I don't recognize but this time I answer it. (I normally don't pick up the phone on numbers I don't know.) It was Mike saying that his car broke down on his way to work and he had to walk to a farm to use the phone. He had to walk and it was 17 degrees below zero...how did that happen? :(   He asked if I could come and get him?  Of course I can but it is going to take awhile as the car is frozen in the snowbank. (we have no garage so the cars sit out in the elements) I quick changed clothes and put on my many layers of winter garb. I hate layering  because when I am done I can't move let alone drive. I started the car, praying that it would hum right along. Thank you Lord, it did. Oh my, there was sooo much ice on everything. I was getting a little frantic by then as even the windshield wipers were frozen solidly to the glass. I thought where is the ice scraper?? I looked everywhere in the car and could not find it. Okay then what can I use? I went back into the house and got a wide pancake turner. Hey, I use what I have when I need to jump into action. I scraped and used the broom to try and move the frozen snow. Everything on me, even with layers is getting cold. I keep scraping the windows and my makeshift ice scraper broke off and I was left with the top portion of about 3 inches to try and scrap the rest. Well, I thought, that has to be good enough as I need to get going. I went back into the house to get my wallet  and as I turn to go out again to the car....there is Mike. I was so happy to see him. He said a neighbor gal from down the street was coming home from the next town over and seen him standing in the bitter cold and asked if he needed a ride. Of course he took her up on the offer.
Now what do we do? Mike called into work and that did not go well. So he went down to the local mechanic shop to see what he could do to help. He was busy with other cars until 4:00.  I knew that meant Mike would be pacing the floor until 4:00 arrived. Sure enough...I was right...walk around in circles. (he does not like his vehicle sitting along a lonely roadside) Finally at 3:45 he decided to see if the mechanic was done with his other jobs. They left a few minutes later with a truck and trailer to bring the car home. One hour later they are back with the car and bad news that the timing belt is shot and the cost to fix it isn't cheap. :(   Oh the joys of maintaining 2 vehicles and older ones at that. Today has to be a better day and I am going to be looking for the sun to arrive. I haven't been able to get out much to walk as it has been so icy on the sidewalks. Because of that I am starting to get "spring fever" sooner than I normally do and that is not good. I think later today, I need to post a photo of some flowers from this past year's flower bed. Come back later and visit. :)