Car frustrations

Call me crazy
(since i am sure that is what most of you think anyway)

but when i get in my car to go somewhere, I actually have the belief i will get there.
Call it hope.
Call it--stupidity--
because that is how i feel about it lately.
Normally i don't mind driving our
piece o' crap car (aka POCC)
--it is cheap to run--
paid for...
not pretty to look at--
radio free which allows me to think
and until lately you could say
dependable?.

Let me go back a few months--

For the longest time the fuel gauge was off--it never showed being full so when it was on or below empty you actually had plenty of gas left---so with that in mind when i was on a quarter tank i was not worried about running out of gas--until i did one day. Unbeknownst to me the gauge starting working again and a quarter tank actually meant empty now. Thank goodness for my oldest brother who happened to be working in our neighborhood and was only a few miles from where i had run out of gas on the freeway--yes the freeway. He came out and brought me gas--let's say he brought me fuel for my car--since the reference to gas and my brother is NOT a good thing.
Then my brakes started acting up--again on the freeway--luckily i was able to get off and find a place to park. My master cylinder had gone out. My husband met me for that one and i left him waiting for the tow truck--since i had places to be--after all why should i have all the fun?

It seems that the battery always seems to be an issue. Kinda an AZ thing. If we get two years out of a battery that is a good thing--but don't plan on much more than that. My battery has been acting up lately--the other day the car died on me while i was sitting in traffic with little man. Little man did not like the fact that i jumped out of the car to push it across traffic into the circle K. I did not like it either--but what is a girl to do? Atleast it was the car that i could manage by myself and not the van. A nice guy came and helped me at the end--all i can say is thank goodness for a lightweight car and weight bearing exercises. I called my mom--she was at a baseball game--UGH. Who would be available? I went through my list of possible available people and finally came back to my brother in the hopes that he was close-and he was!! First thing he says to me "did you run out of gas again?" "NO"--He came and picked us up so little man could get to his therapy and then proceeded to take me back later and tow the car behind his truck. After that experience i decided that i do not have the stomach to be a race car driver. The going fast part was not the problem--it was driving up on someones bumper that left me white knuckled--I am not meant to be a tailgater. I like my adequate follow distance between vehicles--even when i am the passenger i find myself cringing and trying to brake....

Now I don't mind push starting this POCC--(well actually i do.) but, I have actually gotten very good at it. I just find it embarrassing when i have to do it in front of people. It is something i would rather not have people critiquing my push start abilities. And then there are certain shoes i would rather not be wearing when i have to do it--or dressed up--like i was this morning. I rarely get embarrassed--but i sat in my POCC waiting until the woman that i walked out with left. Sensing that something was wrong she drove by my car to make sure all was OK--now i had to confess. She asked if i had jumper cables--honestly jumper cables are more hastle than its worth. I told her i was going to push start it--and she told me she would wait until i got it started--wasn't that kind?! UGH i had to push start it in front of her--luckily i was able to do it right away--saved me a minor bit of embarrassment--that way i was able to drive off quickly.

I placed a frustrated call to my husband venting my irritation.
"Why am i always the one that has to have the car problems?"
He responded that he would take care of it as soon as he got home. I did arrive home safely--(although at moments i was having my doubts) and as soon as my husband got home he handed me the keys to his car for the remainder of the day--he then proceeded to fix the POCC, he said he took care of the problem...until the next time the car decides to die on me...I keep reminding myself that it is paid for and that it gets great gas mileage...