A blog about life experience and inexperience, written by Dallea Caldwell.
I can’t remember the last time I approached my car without a sense of impending doom. A flat tire is my biggest fear. The first and only time I tried to change a tire alone, I almost lost an arm before some kindly stranger rescued and then proceeded to hit on me.
As paranoid as I am about car trouble, you’d think I would have been more cautious than to leave my laptop on the passenger side seat. But, it was the early-morning-end of a long day, an equally long drive, and my befuddled brain that caused me to throw caution to the upholstery.
I met the resulting busted window and missing bag with a sense of resignation and went through the motions of calling insurance, calling cops, and calling out of the office. The insurance company gave me a choice of driving 45 minutes for an immediate window repair or waiting until the next day for an at-home repair.
The clouds looked about ready to burst, so I worked from home and waited for next-day service.
The next day I received a call. The window repair guy said he was up the street, but there was a problem.
“You don’t have a garage, do you?”
“No. But, I’ve got an upgraded kitchen with ample counter space. What’s your point?” (Light paraphrasing)
“It’s raining. My equipment is electrical.”
I mentally reviewed my middle-school physics class on conductors. Then, the lightbulb went on. The repairmen then said that if the weather cleared up within a four-hour time frame, then he would do the job.
The weather was fine, and I’d been waiting 145 minutes when I called to check on his status. He said I’d have to wait another day or book elsewhere, because he’d already left the area. I went off.
I wasn’t that bad considering the fact that I’d been the victim of petty theft auto, it had rained all night, and my car window was still covered in plastic wrap like it was last week’s dinner.
My tone was a bit abrasive, but my baby cousin could not have cited me for even a single Swear-Jar-punishable offense at any point in the discussion. Even as I expressed my supreme dissatisfaction to the insurance company, I was grace under fire.
Could it have been because I was simultaneously submitting a Window Replacement service request at www.talklocal.com? No, not at all. I’m a saint who doesn’t have a neurotic bone in my body.
I even sounded chipper about the whole thing when I spoke to an available pro, but he saw right through my act and was extra sweet. Best part, the skies cleared up just long enough for the job to get done about 45 minutes later.
The only drawback was that I had to wait for my insurance company to reimburse me rather than merely pay the deductible. But, it was worth it getting my car back after its stint as a Reynold’s Wrapped glass sandwich.
I’m still out of a laptop and the heavy leather Coach bag I’d been storing it in. Oh well, I guess I can’t have everything.
Check out more 28 (mis)adventures here.
