Automotive Trouble

Well, late yesterday afternoon I was heading up to visit someone in the hospital up in La Crosse. First red light I hit on the south side of La Crosse, the Aquamobile stalled. I got it running again, but at the next red light it stalled again. Sensing trouble, I got off onto a side street, where at the first stop sign it stalled yet again. And this time it wouldn't start.

Fortunately a couple of Good Samaritans came along to lend a hand. One of them, who lived in a house across the street, drove his van over and tried (and tried, and tried) to jump start the Aquamobile with jumper cables. No dice. We pushed the Aquamobile into a parking spot.

I hoofed it over a couple of blocks to a hospital, which was not the hospital I was originally headed for. The lady at the information desk put me through to the information desk at the other hospital, they put me through to the hospital room, and I learned that a couple of my parishioners were at that moment on the road to La Crosse. One call to a cell phone and ten minutes later, they swung by and picked me up, and we headed over to the hospital I'd originally been heading for. Visited, and headed back down the River. (In these parts, when we say "the River," we always mean the Mississippi.)

So this morning the Aquamobile is still sitting, parked on a side street, up in La Crosse. I've got the service at St. John's, then hitch a ride down to Mt. Hope for the service there. Then ride down with someone to visit a parishioner in the hospital in Waukon. The St. John's Youth Fellowship will be going Christmas caroling this evening, with Christmas party following. Hope it warms up some today: looking at Gkrellm on the edge of my screen I see it's 4° below zero right now.

As for the Aquamobile, my game plan is to get my local mechanic to tow it back down here, today or tomorrow. Upgrade my computer to Mandrakelinux 10.1 tomorrow? Possible, but I'm not betting on it.