So, this past weekend, the kids and I drove up to NC for my grandmother's surprise 90th birthday party. No, we didn't shout "Surprise!" But, many of her family and friends met at a restaurant, which we had decorated earlier in the day, and she was ever so surprised to see everyone and realize they were all there for her. She has a sister, who will be 98 next month and she lives in a nursing facility. Her son, my mom's cousin, said that if his mom, Aunt Helen, was having a "good" day, he would bring her, but no one knew for sure whether she would be there or not. And, she WAS! Such a sweet picture of my grandmother and her sister (who had a stroke last year) sitting together and smiling at each other and trying to talk. I'm so glad she was able to come to the party. I know that meant a lot to my grandmother to have her there. Well, that took awhile for her to get past her sister and on to other guests. Finally, she headed over to my mom and my 6'8" cousin who were standing side by side with me, my kids, and my brother (who had flown in from Texas) hiding behind them. They both said, "Happy Birthday, Mamuz" and stepped aside. She saw my kids and you could see a little bit of confusion on her face, as if she was thinking she must be confusing these kids with some other kids, but they sure look like her great grandkids. Then she saw my brother and nearly started crying. That look alone, was worth all the hassle, money, and energy it took to get us there. Finally, she saw me and gave me a great big hug. She just couldn't believe we'd all come for her birthday. So precious. The party was very nice and I think she really enjoyed seeing all her guests and visiting with them (and being the center of attention!).
The next day, we were able to spend a couple hours visiting with my grandmother, aunt, and uncle and seeing their new house. It was a pretty nice trip. I also had a good bit of time to hang out with my brother, which so rarely happens.
So, finally, on Monday morning, we left NC heading home. We made pretty good time and were well on our way when, just south of Jax, my car began overheating on I-95. Ugh. Now what?? And, it was rush hour. We pulled over and let the car cool down for about 15 mins. I started it back up and began to drive slowly. The temp went up again. Argh. So, I pulled over once again to try to decide what to do. I do have AAA, so I could have called for a tow, if I really needed it, but I just wanted to get off I-95. I used my GPS to see what was at this next exit and saw a McDonald's was very near. We started the car back up and went straight there. I figured at least we could be in a/c with access to bathrooms and food and drinks if necessary, plus the boys could play on the playground. I realized Nicky had already gone to work, so I wouldn't be able to get hold of him. I called my brother to see what he thought I should do. Of course, he said to check my fluids, but when I realized it was about 10 mins. to 5, I panicked because if I were to find a shop, would they close at 5? Then I'm stuck til tomorrow? Even before I checked my fluids, I used the GPS to find a nearby repair place and right across the street was a mall with a Sears Auto Center in it. I immediately told the kids to load up and we drove right over there. Thankfully, they didn't close until 8, so I had plenty of time.
While I dealt with the car and repair people, the girls took the boys into the mall and they walked around the mall for an hour or more. Well, hey, that's right up their alley, right?? lol I was really thankful for them doing that. That helped a lot. I told the guy what I knew about my car and then I asked him, "You're not going to take advantage of me because I'm from out of town, are you?" He said No, which of course he would say, but then he told me that as a matter of fact, he wouldn't even charge me the usual $75 fee to just look at and evaluate the car. Wow! Thanks! I told them I was travelling and couldn't get hold of my husband, etc. The manager told me that they thought it must be my fan (which I knew was broken already), but they weren't sure. If I would rather, I could take it over to the dealer about 5 miles away, because they work on these every day. I asked for their number, and while they looked at my car, I called the dealer for a rough estimate. They really didn't want to give me an estimate, but I finally got one out of him and it was over $600. Yikes. I gave him my info and thanked him. I called my brother and asked what he thought. The dealer had a hotel right next door, but it would probably cost more to have them fix it. At Sears, there were no hotels even at that exit, but it might be cheaper. I finally got an estimate from Sears for $475. Cheaper, yay. The dealer's estimate was for the fan only. Sears' estimate was for the fan plus my thermostat, which they really thought would need to be replaced. I ok'd the work, which they couldn't do until tomorrow morning after they got the part.
The kids showed back up and began asking questions.... Are we staying here over night? Where are we going to stay? How are we going to get there? When can we eat? How are we going to get back in the morning? Man, hard questions. I told them not to worry that we'd figure it all out, one thing at a time. One other question I was asking that they didn't even know about was How am I going to pay for this? I knew I didn't have that much money in the account. And, what if it came out more?? After I ok'd the work for Sears, I asked them where there were any hotels around here and they said there weren't any at this exit....of course. I again used my GPS to find hotels, while unbeknownst to me, the repair guy was on his computer finding me hotels. They finally found a couple at the next exit and then I asked if they had any idea how I could get there, since it was like 3 miles away. I knew I could walk if necessary, but I really didn't want to walk my kids along I-95 for 3 miles. Then one of the other guys told me he would take me and the kids to the hotel in his truck. Wow. I was stunned. When we finally got there, he waited to make sure I could get a room, before he left. So kind. In the meantime, I had called my mom (since I couldn't get hold of Nicky) and asked her if she could put $600 into my account for me, just in case I needed it. She could....whew! We walked across the street to Arby's for dinner and took it back to our room. In the morning, we had a full buffet breakfast which was included with our room. Thank goodness it wasn't just cereal and bagels. The kids ate a lot and the older 3 even each took a piece of fruit for the ride home.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I have a cousin and aunt who live in Jax, but I haven't talked to them for awhile. My cousin works, but my aunt is retired. So, I called my mom to get their phone number and asked my aunt if she could come get us and take us back to Sears in the morning. She could. Whew.....again. She came after rush hour, so we got back to Sears about 11. When the manager saw me, he said, "Oh, I was going to come get you." I was again stunned and told him I had been able to get hold of my aunt to bring us. I thought that was so sweet. After a few minutes, he told me that the thermostat had indeed been broken, but after further review, they didn't think the fan actually needed to be replaced. It didn't come on like it was supposed to, but they thought it was a wiring problem, which could wait til I got home. They didn't replace the fan, only the thermostat and radiator cap, which was also broken. I said, "Oh, ok. So how much did that cost?" They pulled out the paperwork and said, "$106." I couldn't believe it! $106?!?!? Amazing! I was sooo relieved. I paid and just before I walked out, I asked them what I should do if it started heating back up again. They said just pull over and wait for it to cool down....... Then I asked if I should carry a gallon of water, just in case. They guy said yes and I asked where the nearest Publix was so I could get a gallon of water. While he was telling me how to get there, the manager (a sweet old black man) brought me an old coolant container that he'd filled with water. He handed it to me and told me to keep that in my car and I didn't have to go to Publix.
They were all just amazing guys. I think they kept thinking about their own wives and kids on the road alone. Oh, and when I was in Palm Beach, I got a call from them, yes, Sears, asking how the car was doing and if I'd had any trouble. The guy asked me how much longer I had and when I told him about 2 hours, he told me to call if I had any problems. Again, stunned. Man, A++++ service! You know, I was on the south side of Jax and if I was 2 exits further, I would've been in a loooong stretch of road with no exits nor help. I would've had to call AAA and been stuck in the middle of nowhere. God let me break down right near that exit. I could've been anywhere else, but He led me there. I wouldn't have fared as well anyplace else. Those guys couldn't have been more helpful or kind and for that I am extremely grateful. The dealer would've replaced anything they could get away with and I would've had a huge bill. Plus, I can't help but think that the dealer just wouldn't have had the empathy the Sears guys had. I really believe God put me right there to take care of me and the kids. We're working on a nice card for them and I'm baking cookies to send them all. I want them to know how grateful I am for their above and beyond the call of duty kindness.
So, if you're ever in Jax and have car trouble, go to the Sears Auto Center at The Avenues mall. You can't beat the service! :-) God is good.
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