A Day at the Fair

Speaking of the Fair, we managed to go again this year, but there was a spark missing. It wasn't just that our group was smaller- we were without Rachael and Jacob. And it wasn't just the weather- which was threatening to the point of having tornado warnings later that evening. No, the spark that was missing was the one in my car’s engine- which now sat in a parking lot a couple of towns over, having died on Jake the night before.

This, like the threatening weather, hung over me while we went to the fair. It weighed on me so much so that even the sight of the racing pigs would only lift my foul mood for a moment.

We walked the fairgrounds for a while, but the fair seemed more sparse than usual. This was partly because it was so early and partly because it was threatening to rain. It didn't help that there were vendors from past fairs that were missing- like the guy that sold rocks, who was pretty much the only vendor I would go to.

But even the displays seemed thinner than usual. We wandered through the buildings, avoiding the heating oils salesmen and the bathtub re-finishers and the “Choose Life” people and newspaper vendors- which basically means we avoided everyone. Once outside, we sat down with our usual tub of french fries. And even that felt more low key than usual.

Afterwards, we continued to wander down past the rides- and since it was still so early and it was still so sparse, many of the rides weren't running yet. Neither Sam nor Helaina seemed particularly keen to go on any rides anyway, so we stopped at the snack shacks on our way out. Sam opted for a pretzel this year, Helaina for a bag of cotton candy- a small bag.

After stopping at home, I went to get my car.

I found my car sitting in the farthest reaches of a parking lot, where Jake had left it the night before. I figured it wouldn't start, but I tried anyway and I wasn't disappointed. I turned the key and the engine cranked, but it wouldn't turn over. This is the extent of my ability to diagnose car problems, which I guess isn’t really diagnosing, it’s just describing. It is also almost verbatim what I told the AAA people when I called to get towed.

Unlike my experience earlier in the week, this tow truck outfit didn't arrive within ten minutes of my calling. This time it was close to an hour. And unlike my experience earlier in the week, this tow truck company didn't bring me straight to my mechanic. No, first this guy had to stop to get gas.

When we got to the gas station, the driver, for some reason, kept having to go in and out of the attached coffee shop several times before he was able to start pumping. I was getting the impression that his credit card wasn't clearing.

Twenty short minutes later, we- meaning Driver Dan (not his real name), the truck and my teeth, were rattling on down the road toward my mechanic’s garage- but not before we had to make yet another stop- this time at Driver Dan’s “headquarters”. It seemed his cell phone wasn't working and he needed to exchange it. Obviously this was of major importance and couldn't wait until after he dropped off both me and my car. And since it hadn't been quite two full hours since this whole adventure began, I was perfectly fine with it.

So it was another short wait- this time only ten minutes or so, then we were off once again to our final destination- my mechanic's garage- this time for real! As we pulled up, I mentioned for Driver Dan to stop, but he either didn't hear me or was ignoring me. Perhaps he was thinking about all of those texts he kept getting on his newly exchanged phone.

Driver Dan finally asked me where I wanted to leave my car and when I told him, he stopped and looked at me, slack jawed- with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. This surprised me for two reasons. First, it was exactly where I left the other car earlier in the week and the other guy had no problem with it.

But second and more importantly, I felt that after all of this time, Driver Dan and I had bonded in a some special way. Apparently I was wrong. Apparently this was one of those “one way” relationships where it’s fine for “someone” to take their sweet time to come and get me and then stop several times along the way to take care of their needs, but then when it comes to what I want, it’s some big problem. Why even ask me, Driver Dan? Why?

After what seemed like several minutes of stone cold silence, Driver Dan let out a loud sigh, which I know was supposed to be directed at me- and then he pulled what seemed like a ninety-eight point turn, which included at least one u-turn, and with several grunts, he situated the truck right in front of the garage. I wanted to point out to Driver Dan that this would have been right where we ended up if he stopped when I had told him to, but I felt that it would probably be counterproductive to mention it at this point.

Driver Dan off-loaded my car and helped me roll it in front of the garage door. Then, without so much as a goodbye, Driver Dan sped away, leaving me nothing more than a broken-down car and close to two full hours of fond memories.

That two hours, by the way, does not include the morning at the fair.