I don’t know if anyone remembers or if I ever said anything about it, but I bought an old Volvo for my grandson to drive around – because it is like a tank, even though it uses oil. Well, (deep breath) it was parked out front by the side hedge because I was driving it here and there last fall and early winter and then, WHOP, a lot of snow fell on it and the battery went dead and we were going to take care of it when we got rid of the first snow – but we only got more and more – and so it sat and everything froze.

Yesterday, I went out, hooked up a jump starter and she revved right up, but would only run while I was giving it gas and the battery stayed completely dead. Der Bingle went and got a new battery, figuring that the alternator just couldn’t be bad and then he drove to Jiffy Lube only he didn’t make it because, gee, two tires went flat. There was no jack in the Volvo and Der Bingle’s car was parked behind mine and I didn’t have any keys. So, we got in touch with Robert, who had taken Alison to the doctor because she either has an ulcer or pancreatitis, and he came by and got the jack out of his dad’s car (because I could get in the trunk) and took it over to him. Then Der Bingle called to say Robert was coming back for WD-40; I stood in the middle of the street in the yellow striping and handed it off as Robert drove by.

The lug nuts were on there so tight he still couldn’t get them off and another man stopped and couldn’t so someone from a nearby garage came down with a long cranking bar that he jumped up and down on and finally they got the tire off. The garage had no tires to fit the Volvo so Der Bingle is sitting out at Wal-Mart waiting for two new tires to be put on. Then he may go to Jiffy Lube . . . that is if the alternator is charging the battery.

While I was in the street for the WD-40 hand-off, the neighbor called over to ask if we wanted to sell it. You know, considering we have now put more money into it than I paid for it, I am thinking about it. I figure my grandson will have to run into a big, big tree and have the car save his life – because it is a tank – to justify this turmoil.

Probably to be continued.