My Lambo

I came home to Lakeside this weekend (well, it is actually Show Low now because my dad moved. But there are trees and so I am happy).

I kept feeling like I shouldn't drive my car, but I couldn't remember why. So this morning Mel (my little sister, who had been dropped off the night previous), Luna, and I hopped in my tender little '88 Toyota Camry and started driving. Once we got out of Oro Valley it started snowing/raining. I couldn't tell if they were flakes or drops, but there was snow on the ground.

It started to get a little cold so I reached down to turn on my heater and then I remembered why I had felt like I shouldn't drive my car... My heater only works sometimes. I can't figure out what inspires it to be hot, or how that goes away... But sometimes my heater works more like a cooler.

It wasn't too bad, and I didn't have cell service so I kept driving. Once I got to Globe I called my dad and asked him what I should do. He told me to go to an auto parts store and ask them to check my radiator fluid and buy more/refill it if it was low.

I don't really like using my good looks to manipulate others, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I went to Auto Zone in Globe and walked in while Mel and Luna waited in the car. A gentleman behind the counter said hello and asked how he could help me. I told him that the heater in my Lamborghini wasn't working and asked if he would mind taking a look. Then I told him that I had lied, my car was an '88 Camry but I figured it would be easier to get someone to help me if they thought they'd be working on a nice car.

He checked my fluid for me, it was fine. I guess something is wrong with the heater valve or thermometer or something? I don't know.

I thanked the Auto Zone guy and called my dad to see what my next move was. My plan, which I happily introduced to my dad, was to go to Wal*Mart and buy one of the space heaters that I can plug into my cigarette lighter but he said that was a stupid idea (bummer).

Instead, I ghetto-rigged my car as per my dad's instructions on the phone. The conversation went something like this:

D: See the radiator?
C: I see where the tube is connected to the cap that the guy used to check my fluid. Is that connected?
D: That's the radiator.
C: That is what I thought. There was a stolen one in my car when it got stolen.
D: Okay, now you'll need a piece of cardboard.
C: I have a paper whole foods grocery bag, will that work?
D: Yeah, okay. They like recycling so it should be heavy duty. Now you need to put that in the space between the radiator and the "___" (I can't remember what he called the other thing).
C: Is this safe? I feel like that space is there for a reason.
D: Yeah, just WATCH YOUR TEMPERATURE GAUGE. YOU COULD OVERHEAT SO EASILY BECAUSE OF THIS.
C: What is this doing?
D: Blocking some air from your radiator. People have done this for years.
C: Okay. I'm going to send you a picture before I drive this. It looks sketchy. Is it going to catch on fire? Is it blocking too much air? What if it overheats? It is so cold.
D: It looks great. The air blowing past will be 20 degrees, it won't catch on fire. CHECK YOUR TEMPERATURE GAUGE RELIGIOUSLY OR YOU MIGHT DIE.

So, I did that. And I stayed just warm enough to not have frost bite. Then my dad drove my car and the heater was plenty warm for him. I don't know what happened.

And tonight I bought boots. Warm, winter, ugly boots. No regrets though. My feet were freezing.
My spring break is less springy than I would want.

I'm so happy to be with my dad though. We got Pizza Factory. And I've seen someone I know everywhere we have gone. Ha ha. (No joke, when we were at Big 5 getting the boots I heard someone say "Yeah, it is Chanda" and then go in the back. No idea who it was.)

Lakeside. Love/hate. Always.

Chanda