Good morning. I think my lips are just thawing out after being outside for a grand total of three minutes..I understantdthat it's winter but puhhhleease...this is just mean! Even Betsy...that's my car...coughed and sputtered a few times before she gave in and decided to help me get to work this morning...

Speaking of Betsy..she and I had a great day at the mechanic's shop yesterday. I know that we're not accustomed to saying the words "great day" and "mechanic" in the same sentence but thanks to Ted, Betsy's doctor...the day wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I have never nor would I ever claim to have any knowledge whatsoever about cars...I know enough to get Betsy her oil changes when she needs them and if I hear any strange noises while I'm out driving around...I just turn up the radio. 

Ted, my mechanic...God Bless his sweet soul...is an honest guy and in the five years I've been going to him has never taken advantage of my status as an "easy target". He has attempted to educate me on the basics of mechanics but can only claim to have taught me to stop calling the transmission a dooflicky..

So it was with some pride that I went into the shop yesterday...fairly sure that I had diagnosed what was wrong with my car before Ted could even look under the hood...for once...I had done my homework...as I sidled up to Bonita and Ted at the front desk to drop off my keys..I was feeling pretty confident that I was about to blow them away with my vehicular knowledge.

I dropped the keys on the counter...leaned into the counter...waited until I had an audience...and announced that after ...POPPING THE HOOD...I realized that I needed a new...hehemm...NEW TIMING BELT...I stood up straight...waiting for the inevitable pat on the back and congratulations from Ted that I...Tara Dawn Winstone...had correctly diagnosed the problem....I was really quite proud of myself...

Imagine my surprise when Ted didn't bow to my superior knowledge of cars....didn't beam with pride that one of his more challenged students had finally gotten it...and didn't seem at all afraid that he might lose my business now that I was an "expert" on cars.That's when he broke it to me...

Apparently...hehe...ahem...my car doesn't actually HAVE a timing belt...APPARENTLY...the strange noise even my New Kids CD couldn't drown out...was...haha...the cap from my windshield washer fluid...errr...container...umm..dooflicky...seems I forgot to put it back on after refilling it a few days back...of course I knew that...I was only testing Ted to see if HE knew what he was doing....I know...whatever gets me throught he night:)