Tuesday, March 8th, I tried to take Papa for a car ride into the mountains and Boone National Forest. We plotted our course and left on back roads to enjoy several hours of beautiful Kentucky countryside.
We made it to Stanton, Kentucky which is a town along the Mountain Parkway. As I pulled to a stop in this little community, I heard my car make a grinding noise. I've heard that sound in years past and it usually means the brakes are gone. Hmmm...
I told Papa I needed to find a place and check my car. We turned around and I pulled into a parking lot in front of a business with my windows down so I could hear better. Yep, that was the sound. However, my car also has a problem with the front dragging when I go over a curb or down a hill and sometimes the underside cover by the front bumper comes loose. That has happened while Papa and I were out driving once before. I got out and checked, no loose pieces anywhere on the car. This was definitely a brake issue and from the sounds it was a pretty bad brake issue.
I picked up my cellphone and called Frank Shoop, our local car dealer and where my car has always gone for service. I explained the situation and the importance of me having a car with brakes sooner rather than later. You see, we were to drive to the Cincinnati airport that night to pick up my mum-in-law and niece. Then I had a full afternoon and evening of driving to things Wednesday. Thursday we were supposed to spend the day in Louisville and then go to Bailey's play in Crestwood that night. Friday we were leaving for a weekend trip to Michigan. I needed brakes and a car that could go, go, go.
This poor fella had a full calendar of appointments for the next few days. I had already checked my calendar and told him I could come Wednesday or Thursday morning if he had the parts. He had the parts and suggested I come Thursday morning and he would 'fit me in'. Now, I have used this dealership for 11 years and I knew they know me and were doing the very best they could to even try to fit me in. I told him I would do that.
Then I turned to poor Papa and explained we couldn't finish our drive because the brakes were really bad. We couldn't be out on those narrow mountain roads with no brakes. He agreed. I got my car on the Mountain Parkway and then I-64 so I wouldn't have to use the brakes to get us back to his apartment.
On the way back I did call back to Frank Shoop and asked if coming Tuesday afternoon would be better for them at all. I would just get back to Georgetown, drop Papa off and wait till they could help me. He said they had 11 more people coming in that afternoon and couldn't really squeeze me in. But he thought he could do it Wednesday afternoon and I should be there at 1:30pm. I assured him I would do that.
I dropped Papa off and headed to Georgetown. Those brakes just sounded worse and worse. We drove my car to pick up Bonnie and Shannon at the Cincinnati airport and then back home. We all laughed at the noise coming from my poor car. Claude and I knowing that noise meant the work would cost more to put new brakes and pads on the car.
Wednesday I was at Frank Shoop at 1:20. I spoke with the man who I talked with on Tuesday. I told him I take Papa to the nursing home to provide music for the residents every Wednesday afternoon at 3:30pm. I really needed to be at his apartment at 3:00pm if at all possible. If that was not going to work, would they please let me know so I could alert the nursing home that we would not be there. In addition I was to take Papa to get his INR test and that just wasn't going to happen on Wednesday now.
I settled myself in the waiting area, changed the channels on the television so it wasn't on a soap opera, and pulled out my crocheting. I was now ready to wait as long as needed.
In a bit the man came to the waiting room and looked at me. We grinned because we both knew it was not good. I said, "Okay, how bad is it?" He said, "Well, if green was good. Your front brakes would be yellow. I can polish this one part and only have to replace the other part and they will be fine. The back brakes are below red. They are off the charts and all of them must be replaced." I asked how much. He told the big dollar amount. I said to do it. He told me he would try to be done by 3:00pm but this was really a 3 hour job. Okay, back to crocheting I went.
At 3:00pm the man showed up in the doorway. 3:00pm on the button!! He was grinning and said, "I told you I would try and we did it just like you wanted." My car was finished and ready to rumble. I paid the cost of that repair and headed to get Papa. We made it to the nursing home and had a good time with the residents.
Claude, Bonnie and Shannon came into town and joined me at Panera Bread for dinner. We had a lovely visit. As I pulled up to Panera Bread, they were already in the parking lot. I asked Claude if he could hear me coming. He said no. I said, "That's a very good thing!"
Shannon stayed with me and we went to the Church for me to teach the Institute Class. Claude and Bonnie went to run and errand and then home for the evening. Shannon and I got home to find them watching the Jazz Singer with Neil Diamond. We all finished watching that before bed.
Whew. What a Wednesday!!
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