{misadventures in milwaukee}

I haven't driven my car in the last 11 days and I probably won't be driving it for another 11 days... it is in need of repair. A repair that will cost us two arms and two legs in Stevens Point, but hopefully only one arm and one leg back in Chilton.

It all began (look at me, starting the story like there is actually a story to tell. Well, in all reality there is and it's more fun to tell the story now than it was to actually live through it) two Friday's ago (the day before I left for Colorado- which will get a whole post to itself). We (and by we, I mean, myself, Ayden, Jay, and Jay's friend JT) were headed off to see a Brewer's baseball game. The drive was going to take us about two and a half hours and we got started a little earlier than we had anticipate which was good. I had packed us some sandwiches, drinks, and chips to tide us over until we got to the game.

The drive was going smoothly. We had decided to take my car because it would get better gas mileage. Jay drove and JT sat up in front to navigate with him. Milwaukee is not a city that I want to have to navigate. We ran into some construction, but made our way through that and were just about 30 miles outside of Milwaukee on the interstate when I noticed that my car started to act a little funny. I asked Jay if that was the car or if it was the road and then the car really started to act funny. I found out later that he noticed it acting a little funny a few miles beforehand, but he didn't want to say anything to me to freak me out. Jay pulled over onto the side of the interstate and him and JT inspected the car. It wasn't over heating and the check engine light hadn't come on yet, but the car then wouldn't start. Ugh!

We were not that far from an exit, so we let the car cool off for a while. After about 10 minutes or so, it started back up and we slowly and safely made our way to the exit and off of the interstate. Let me tell you, being on the side of the interstate with a broken down car... NO FUN! Thankfully as we were exiting off of the interstate, JT happened to be looking out of his window and spotted a Valvoline oil center and we made our way over there. The car stayed working until the parking lot. Jay and JT went in search of a mechanic to see if he or she could help us at all. Once again, the man above was watching out for us because we came across the nicest and most helpful mechanic there was! He ran a FREE diagnostic check on the car and told us that the car needed a fuel cleaner. $80 later and we thought the car was running fine. We thought we would make it to the game just in time, maybe with just a few innings missed, but alas we were going to be on our way again. One test drive after that to make sure... and the car still wasn't working!

At this point we were pretty sure we weren't making it to the game. The mechanic and another employee stayed WELL after closing time to help us with the car and I could not have been more appreciative. They were seriously SO nice! They didn't have to stay and help at all! Everyone tried numerous things to see what might be wrong with the car, but we couldn't get it working again. Then it was time to try and think of how we were going to get it back to Chilton...

And yet again, the man above was looking out... as we were able to get ahold of Jay's parents who were able to secure a trailer for the car with little effort and they started the trek down to pick us up. In the mean time, we walked to a near by restaurant and had pizza for supper at about 9pm (remember we started this trek to Milwaukee at about 3pm). Jay's parents made it down by us without any complications and then it was another hour and a half drive back to their house for the night (where we were supposed to end up in the first place AFTER watching a great Brewer's game).

I left for Milwaukee again in the morning for Colorado and left my car in the capable hands of Jay, JT, and Jay's dad. At this point they thought it was probably the fuel filter that needed changing. I heard from Jay on Sunday afternoon saying that they changed the fuel filter and the car was running fine again. Haha, that's a joke because my car is stuck in my driveway STILL not working!

Jay and JT left with my car to head back to Stevens Point late Sunday afternoon (Ayden was spending the week with Jay's parents) and they made it almost home when the car started to act up again. Hmm... guess it wasn't the fuel filter. Jay called and let me know sometime on Monday that it still wasn't working right. They did end up getting the car to run all the way to the house, but I refuse to drive it until it is FIXED! Jay called the mechanic that we now use in Point to see if he had any ideas to try before taking it in and spending more money on something that isn't going to work and talked to the lady that we bought the car from (who happens to now work at our mechanics shop) and she said that she had this same problem when she had the car and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. Apparently when the car is 'cold' and not running for very long it works fine, but when the car is 'hot' and running for a long time (ie: driving to Milwaukee and driving from 'home' to Point) it can't keep the pressure up and the car shuts down. The crappy thing is that you can't test to see if the fuel pump is not working correctly unless the car isn't working. Jay told me that he took my car from the house to Wal-Mart and back and it ran fine and said that I should be able to drive it around town and not have to worry. Yeah, I'll get right on that because the second I get into that car and onto an even slightly busy road it will shut down on me. Not going to happen buddy!

Here's the kicker though... in order to the car fixed in Point, it is going to cost WAY more than I want to spend. We know some mechanics back in the Chilton area that can do it for us at a fraction of the price (and who a reliable) and so we need to get the car back there. Haha! That's funny, right?! Because running the car a long ways makes it STOP working! It needs to get there though and so we've decided to drive it and have people on back up in case we do need to trailer it some of the way again. It just sucks because now I am without a car for the time being. One doesn't realize how much they depend on their vehicle until they are without.

I biked to work today. I should have biked to work more often this summer because it only took me 10 minutes and it is good exercise as well.

And so there you have it... our misadventures in almost Milwaukee. Despite the fact that my car doesn't work as it should right now, I am more than thankful that it broke down while Jay and JT were with me and that I was not alone or with just myself and Ayden. I am more than thankful that we broke down so close to a station with such helpful mechanics at. I am more than thankful that Ayden was so well behaved for most of the ordeal. I am more than thankful to have THE best future in laws who gave up their Friday night (the day before the big golf outing that they were throwing) to drive down to Milwaukee and back to pick us and my car up. I am more than thankful that this situation turned out as it did and I wasn't alone and for that I am grateful. Car working or not, we are all still alive and safe and doing well. And I had a great trip to Colorado and Jay and JT had a fun time at the golf outing and Ayden had a great week at grandma and grandpa's house!

CIAO! LOVE ME!