Expired Warranty?

                My warranty must have been fulfilled.  Leave it to American engineers to make sure everything will last just until shortly after the guarantee of fixing runs out.  The past couple of days have just been rough.  First my car gets broken into, then JM and I get lost on our way to a friend’s going away party, then my breaks go out, then my battery core completely dies, then I got a flat, then I got pulled over being the designated driver to a bunch of drunk friends….I’m scared to see what happens next.

                Let me start from the beginning.  First, our, JM’s and I’s, vehicles got broken into.  Shortly before that, we almost got stranded in the middle of nowhere on our way to a friend’s going away party.  I had already hashed those out, so I won’t go into a whole lot of detail, but those were the start of things to come.  After those two wretched days, I go to start my vehicle to find that it refuses to turn over.  I hear a strange ticking sound coming from the circuit and relay box in the engine.  Being the savvy car expert I am (that was pure sarcasm), I begin to think I may need a new start relay or solenoid relay.  I call my daddy and a few places, and they assure me that it is in fact a bad battery.  I replace my car battery only to hear my breaks making an atrocious screeching noise later that same day.  I make another trip to Auto Zone, and find out that my rear break is cutting into my rotor and is in desperate need of replacing.  I set up an appointment with Midas to have them replaced, and while there I might as well get an oil change.  The morning of my appointment, I exit my house to see that I have a flat tire.  A completely flat tire; it is so flat that it is resting on its rim.  Great (sarcasm again).  I call road side assistance to, well, assist me in changing my tire.  The guy shows up late, an hour late, and begins to go to work on my car.  After a few minutes of tinkering, he stands up, and tells me that my tire is stuck.  Stuck you ask?  Yes, stuck.  Apparently some water got behind the wheel well or something and rusted the bolts or whatever they are that holds the tire in place.  He informs me that he could give it a few good kicks; HOWEVER it may bend my rim.  At this point I’m willing to give it a small shot and cross my fingers.  Luckily the tire comes off with no warping to the rim.  Finally a break!

                After finishing all that needed to be done on my vehicle, JM and I decided to go out with a few friends that were in town for a night of celebration.  I don’t drink, so I’m always the go to sober driver, which I don’t mind.  So JM and his friends proceed to get belligerent, and I did my best to keep four drunk grown men together in a crowded street of bikers (it was biker week, but we did not get the memo), which is easier said than done.  After closing down the bars and clubs around 3:00, it was time to head home which was an hour away.   One of JM’s friends refused to sit in his seat and crawled into the far back of my car for a nap.  JM’s friend being well over twice my size and not taking my “NO!” as an answer and does it anyways; not to mention I’m too exhausted to fight.  With fatigue creeping in on me, I accidentally ran a stop sign.  Without skipping a beat I see a cops flashing lights right behind me.  The officer asks me to step out of the vehicle, asks if I have been drinking, and is ready to give me a field sobriety test, but as luck would have it, he gets called out to a more urgent matter and lets me off with a warning.  These past few days have just been hard to say the least, but I am sure glad they are over!!!  Being the optimistic person I am, it can only go up from here….right?  Let's just keep crossing my fingers.

Best Part of Waking Up.....No Strike That

                Nothing quite beats waking up at the crack of dawn to discover your vehicle has been tampered with, and by tampered with I mean broken into.  UGH!  I am having a streak of bad luck, and I hope it ends sooner rather than later.  As for my vehicle, luckily nothing was damaged, and nothing of value was stolen; mainly because I don’t have anything of value in my car.  However they did nab my owner’s manual books, registration, and proof of insurance.  When I noticed my registration was gone, I jetted to the rear of my vehicle, but {WHEW!}  The thief or thieves didn’t swipe my license plate.  I wonder what this night bandit is going to use my paperwork for.  Is there anything a person can do with just a registration paper?  I called the police and filed a report.  The officer arrived about 45 minutes later, and from what he told me, it has been a busy morning with a lot of similar type calls.  The policeman stated, “These types of things come in waves.”  Hopefully this will be the last of it, and for the rest of my time in this small town will go smoothly.  I’m going to keep my fingers crossed!

K9-1-1

                I have recently wanted a way to express my creative side and have thus decided on writing a blog.  Yes, I have jumped on the blog train.  I am not the greatest of writers and yes, I do misspell words on occasion (thank goodness for spell check!), so please try not to be too hard on my grammar.  I figured by writing every day, or nearly every day, it will help improve my writing skills. 

                Anyone who already knows me would tell you, I love three things:  my family, including those who walk on all four with wet noses, my friends, and my partner in crime.  Some would even go to say that I am a bit of a canine enthusiast, or any animal for that matter.  I would like this blog to express the love I have for those three things as well as the many adventures of me, “J,” my trusty side kick “J,” (but to create less confusion I will refer to as “JM”), and our two fur companions, “J” (who will be dubbed “JD”), and “P.”  

Meet JM and J

Introducing JD.

And the P to the J^3.

I’ll talk about some of the things we do day to day, the adventures we go on, or rather the adventures that find us, and one of my newly found passions, cooking.  So with all that being said, I would like to start this off with an adventure that had happened a few weeks ago.

                JM and I went on a much needed vacation with a group of his friends to a vacation hot spot known as Cancun, Mexico.  

While we were away, my oldest brother and sister in law agreed to watch the fur babies, JD and P.  Well, JD being the quiet pup she is sat inconspicuously on her bed hidden by the L shaped couches.  My sister in law did her usual daily routine of turning off the lights and making sure her own fur child was secure in the “box” (also known as the kennel), before turning on the alarm and heading out the door.  Now keep in mind JD is not in the box.  My sister in law left for a full day of work, and was unaware of the madness occurring at her home.  JD must have gotten up at some point and set off the alarm.  With the alarm blaring and no one home to turn it off or answer the phone, the alarm company dispatched units.  Policemen, firemen, and the neighbors all stood outside her house trying to find out if anyone was in danger.  I know what you are thinking.  This is the cell phone age, why didn’t anyone call her cell?  Well to answer that, the cell phone was either turned off, or not charged.  My brother got a call from alarm company and must have come home to assure everyone that there was no pressing matter at hand, and that it was in fact, a false alarm.  Poor JD must have been terrified of all the commotion going on both inside and outside of the house.

                Now fast forward a couple of days.  JM and I have returned from our trip and were excited to pick up JD and P and head home.  As we were merging onto the interstate a police officer decided to pull us over.  After approaching our vehicle, he informed us that he had clocked us going 2 MPH over the speed limit.  I have a great respect for officers and everything that they do for their community in keeping everyone safe, but really?  2 MPH?  I suppose breaking the law is breaking the law.  I pulled over, and complied with the officer’s requests, handed over my license and insurance, and even stepped out of my vehicle for questioning.  His questions were oddly specific, and after he was satisfied with my answers he told me to send JM to his patrol car for questioning.  Then it dawned on me.  He must think we are drug runners with the dogs and luggage in the back.  After questioning JM, the officer asked for permission to search my vehicle.  I didn’t have anything to hide, so I succumbed to his request in hopes of, “if I obey maybe I will not get a speeding ticket.”  JM, JD, P, and I sat on the side of this interstate while the officer waited for back up, and then riffled through our belongings.  It’s an odd feeling you get while watching a complete stranger go through your personal belongings.  When the officer realized nothing was going to yield from his search he let us go free of any charge.  WHEW!  That was a relief.  Soon enough, we were all piled back in my car and back on track to heading home, to where a long nap awaited us.