First, it was the log lying in the fast lane, parallel to the lane markers as I drove over it. It became impaled on the undercarriage of my Prius V (the big one) as I headed home from a hike and went twenty more miles.
The Triple A guy told me that if I’d hit a pothole, I would’ve been launched into the air. He couldn’t get the log to budge.
$980 later, the log was removed, the alignment was adjusted, the bumper was painted, and everything was back to normal, except for a weird rattling behind the dashboard that sounds like squirrels dancing salsa.
The 90,000 mile tune-up, which was expensive in its own right, revealed worn struts (I’d heard about them before). I was in a good mood that day so I said, yes, put on new struts.
Then today. It was a head scratcher at first. I’d pulled out of my driveway at 8:00 a.m. to make room for the contractor’s big pick-up truck. Since it was garbage day, everyone had their three cans on the curb, two feet apart, per the waste company instructions. There was nowhere to park except right next to the sidewalk to the greenbelt/HOA park.
I came out at ll:00 to go to PT for my elbow and discovered the front passenger window was broken, all the tiny squares of safety glass hanging together. Who would want to break into my car? There was nothing of value inside.
I took the other car to PT, called the HOA company and reported what had happened. By then I had time to figure out that the three gardeners I’d passed on Pepper’s morning walk had probably launched a rock with their weed whackers or lawn mowers. The rock had broken my window.
I called Toyota service, and they directed me to a glass company a few towns away. I called, and they said to come on down. I found a note on my windshield with a phone number to call from the landscaping company.
My daughter drove there, too, and the woman running things took my info and sent us on our way to grab lunch at Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop.
Meanwhile, the landscaper called and offered to pay for the window — $300.
Later, I called to see the status of my car and got put off an hour. The car wasn’t done until 6:00, an hour after closing time. When my daughter took me back, I tried the window and it didn’t roll down. I ran back inside and said it didn’t work. The woman came out and got the window to work from the passenger side. She said a fuse must’ve blown, and that’s why the driver’s side didn’t work.
Anyway, it was too late to get the window redone, and it was free. I can’t open it from the driver’s side anymore. The next time I go in for a service at the dealer’s I’ll ask them to fix it.
My Prius baby is getting old. She’s been a trusty vehicle for ten years with no problems.
This year, not so much.
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 