Cars and me PART 2

Well, like I was saying I just have bad luck on cars. I take my car in for routine maintaines and it comes home with something broken, uggg. I have gone thru 3 summers without AC, had one person put oil in my transmission, and my car ALWAYS breaks down while Ralph is gone. This time I took my car in to just have the AC serviced before the summer began, it came back not working as well. So I just blow it off and say I will take it back in later. Well, when I did they broke my fan and tell me I have a leak. Which I did not have before I took it in, and also my heat doesn't work now. I sooooo can not wait for my new car to get here. I just don't know how much more of broken down cars I can take.

Today I drove my girlfriend to Taormina. We went there to go shopping while Seb was at school and Marcello was at CDC. On our way home my car over heats 20 km from home. I pull over at the toll areas and let my car cool down. Nothing works. I then had to make phone calls for people to get my kids for me while I arrange what I needed to do about us on the side of the road. After an hour passes, I break down and call the command to send help, the car is not cooling down, its holding water. I am told by the Italians that helped me to drive slowly to the next exit with my hazards on. While the command is trying to find someone to help me. I attempt to drive the car slowly down the autostrada trying to find the next exit. The needle is not coming down, it spikes back up and the car is smoking. I try to find a safe place to pull over again. The command advises me that they have sent someone to help me out. I feel alittle relieved, but start to panic because I feel like I am going to get hit by some crazy driver even though I am way off the road. So I move the car again so I can read road signs to know where I am. At this time another Italian pulls over and looks at my car and sees the needle has dropped enough and tells me to move my car off the autostrada. I try again and drive a few more Km and it spikes again, but I drove it slowly anyways to the next exit. I am praying the whole time I am driving, looking for a safe spot to pull over for the person to find me. I finally find a spot and it also has a shade. We sit there until help arrives. By this time its around 4 pm. I first pulled over at 1:45 pm. I start to get worried about getting someone to pick Marcello up from CDC, I have his car seat in my car with me. I finally find someone to get him. THANK GOD. That's one less thing I can worry about now. Now we need to do is get us home.

Finally help arrives, he looks at my car and finds the problem. I have a hole in one of my hoses. He walks over the the elder Italian that's tinkering in his work area and asks to borrows tools. This guy fixes my car right there on the side of the road. I can not stop thanking him, I owe him so much. My car is fixed and I am able to drive it home. I really want to command to recognized what these two guys did for me. Not only did they help an stranded pregnant wife with her husband out of the country. But come to find out it was an liberty day, the command gave everyone a 4 day weekend. They came in to help me on their day off. That my Friend is what the military community is all about. Another sailor helping someones pregnant wife and friend broken down on the side of the road even on a liberty day. I am so thankful to be an American. And I am proud of my self for remaining calm during the whole thing. I think not having the kids with me helped me remain calm. When you have them asking 1001 questions, or saying they are hot, hungry, etc, it adds to your stress level.

Well that's my story, I am thankful it didn't happen while we were driving to the north side of the island, or on another overnight trip. We had more trips planned while my girlfriend is in town. We cancelled everything and have just been hanging low and relaxing.