A Jen Too Many

So we wound up getting the new transmission instead of the used one, because we realized we didn't know how many miles would be on an old transmission and what was the use of getting the transmission replaced if we were just putting in something that was also going to run out of miles soon, too?

Which turns out to be a good thing.

Yesterday, driving home from church, the car gave a huge jerk / lurch. I thought I'd hit something - something big, like a log in the middle of the road. I looked in the rearview mirror to try to see what I'd just run over, but saw only the car behind me (way too close - my momentary hitch had caused them to nearly hit me.)

I drove on for a little bit, feeling that premonitory "How expensive is this going to be?" churning inside. Sure enough, when I had to slow down a few blocks later I heard strange noises as I tried to get back up to the speed limit. Which is when I started sending loving thoughts to my fantastic mechanic, who had urged us to get the new transmission with the 3 year / 100,000 miles / all parts and labor covered warranty.

Because it was the transmission. Yeah. The transmission. Not the engine. No, no, no, no, not the engine.

I made it safely home (hooray!) but when my beloved tested the car later he confirmed that I'd been lucky not to be stranded by the side of the road. The car starts, but it won't go into reverse. Or rather, it will shift into reverse, it just won't move. He didn't check to see if it would go forward - we have enough problems without crashing into the house.

All of which leaves me sitting here, waiting for 8 a.m. so that I can call our mechanic and arrange to have a tow truck come pick up my poor van.

It was two weeks to get it back last time. We have 3 1/2 weeks of summer vacation left. So much for fun day trips. I guess we'll spend a lot of time playing in the wading pool, instead.

Unscheduled time is good for kids, right? Right?