Gestalt and Battery

Oy, what a day. I got up this morning and the remote to the TV didn't work and the cable went out so I didn't have a TV or internet. So I decide to put together my passport renewal. It's been expired for over a year now but since I haven't been free to travel, I wasn't that motivated to do it. Amazingly, I found the photos I had taken six months ago on the first try. They hadn't improved with age. I still look like a dork in the photo.

So just as I'm done the remote starts working again and the TV comes back in the middle of Bush's speech. He's talking about Iraq. I'm thinking -- why isn't he talking about North Korea? Didn't they just explode a bomb or two? Anyway I get on the computer to try to sort things out. Connectivity is sporadic all day and of course, I lose track of time and end up rushing to the post office to send out the mail. They close early here.

Still all is momentarily well. My application is on its way and I remembered to spring for the expedited service in an attempt to avoid getting a RFID version. I even remembered to stop at the grocery on the way home for a couple of essential items. By the time I got out of the store it had turned into a beautiful afternoon so I decided I should wash the car.

I'm thinking it's turning out to be a rather good day after all. I finish the vaccuming part, which you have to do first there and I jump into the car feeling pretty efficient. It won't start. Nothing. Just clicking. I try a few different gears. I try holding the clutch down with both feet. Clicking. So I call AAA. I'm sure it's not the battery. All the little electrics are still working and the horn beeps. I'm sure I've been told a working horn is a sign of a working battery. I'm telling them I'm pretty sure it's the starter.

I call the family for a ride. We make elaborate plans with the dealer, and with each other, to figure out transportation for tomorrow. I'm beginning to see the sense in cell phones. We wait forever for the tow truck to arrive.

This really big guy in a really big truck finally shows up and kind of sweeps past us. He looks kind of pissed. We're trying to tell him stuff and he ignores us. He tries to start the car. Clicking. I told him he would click. He pops the hood and sticks his battery charger thingie on the engine and starts the effer right up. Then he smiled. I felt like an idiot.

I'll spare you the details of the convolutions necessary to get a new battery into the old girl at 7:00 at night. Suffice it to say, it's a complicated business when you live in the middle of nowhere to get these things done. Frankly, I don't really know how they did it. The matter was taken out of my hands. My job was to wait for it to be over. I'm rather good at that and I have a car that starts again. What's not to like? I'm beginning to see the sense in men as well.