And All Was Well With the World Again

Jade is home. She's all better.

But first I had to go get her. My dad called up from Maine asking which of these two options would work out best depending on my schedule: 1) they swing by here, I ride down there, bring her home myself; b) they go down there, pick her up, and bring it up here to me. Of course, there was only one option -- I was driving my baby girl home my own self. I've been itching to get her back so badly that there was no way in the world I wasn't going to be in that driver's seat.

He called this morning around 10 AM to let me know they were leaving the motel, and he expected to be here in two hours. I knew that was laughably optimistic, even though I didn't come out and say so. I mean, it's almost two hours to my sister's house in Andover, and that's pretty much all interstate, and with my behind the wheel. With my dad driving, and taking into account not only the greater distance but the obscure routes he devises to get from place to place most of the time, I figured on three hours ... minimum. Sure enough, they arrived here just shy of 2:30.

At the Honda Dealership: We picked up my little girl for the sweet price of only $8.09, the cost of a new fuse, which had also been blown. I got the keys and we went out to see her. I was *so* happy to see her. I even put my head down on her roof for a few seconds. Then when I unlocked the door I saw the steering column panels sitting in the passenger seat. That was a little confusing, and all I could manage was, "Ummmm. Shouldn't those be over here?" So we went back in.

The Honda guy explained that they were already off when the car arrived from Beckwith's, and they "weren't in the habit" of putting things back together that they don't take apart. So I was dumbstruck by that. I stood there biting my tongue, as the only thing I could think of to say was, "Are you KIDDING ME?", and that's something Colleen has over me, because she totally would have bitten on that. Luckily, my dad was there and did all the talking, and said, "Well, wouldn't you have had to take those off anyway?" And thanks to him the Honda place put the panels back where they belonged for no extra charge.

How was she? I turned the key, she started right up. Oh yeah! That's the stuff. The ignition thing had been an issue for so long that all evening I expected her to poop out here and there, but she's been great.

And that makes me happy.