24 May 2011

lengthy

So, I had my good news/bad news ALL wrong.

The camera...

was actually at school. Odd, since the shopkeeper clearly remembered it...I think angels retrieved it and flew it there. Or I have early-onset Alzheimer's. (I shouldn't joke. That's actually a lingering niggling fear...)

The car, the car...

had a flat tire. You may remember that the last time I had a flat tire (also the first and only time I've had a flat tire) when it was towed I told them that I was only here x more weeks so I didn't want a new spare.

"That nice man in the orange car" came and, with the help of my friend on the other end of the phone, we had a lengthy conversation about what to do. He thought it might be too big to patch. But, he would either take it to a tire shop and see if it could be mended and then return and put it on for us *or* we could go along. It sounded long and tedious (he predicted four hours) so I opted to let him do it on his own. This is not as crazy as it might sound.

He, after talking with my friend at length hung up, told me he'd be back in a minute, and drove away. Without the tire. ???

He came back and told me to open the car. I did. I figured he'd be driving my car (he'd patched the tire already) to get it fixed. Odd, but whatever. I opened it and tried to give him the key. He told me to get in and drive, asked if I wanted him to drive, and told me again to drive.

I conveyed (apt description) that Marina said he would take the tire and take care of this. Ha, ha, ha...no. I should drive.

So I put Lexi in (she was not happy to be in the car with a stranger) and got in to drive.

It was half a block away, inside a courtyard.

Seriously. There's been a mechanic that close all this time. They patched the tire while we ate dinner at home. After dinner we walked back and picked the car up. Then, we drove the half-block home.

The next day we drove to school.

And, on the way home, it went flat again.

The mechanic doesn't have a used tire. (That was a whole 'nother series of phone calls, looking at the car, walking back and forth to and from the shop and finally finding out that he didn't have the tire he said he had. But, how much color can you take in one post? How much "color" can I take in 24 hours?) I don't want to pay $300 for a new tire. I think there is a spare at school. Or the consulate might have one.

Or the Armenian might have to pay $301 instead of $1 for the car. I wonder if he would...

These are the lengths I go to just to be able to get to the grocery store one more time and buy pet carriers. As I told my principal, Russia is going to make me fight every day right up until the end.

6 comments:

ALPAL said...

New mantra: just a few more weeks...just a few more weeks. I wondered what you were going to do with those kitties. Are they going to become Americans, too?

Maura said...

You're in countdown mode now. It does seem that Russia is making things extra difficult in these final weeks - but keep your eye on the prize!

And glad your camera is ok. Fingers crossed for a good solution for the tire.

Matt and Carla Morgan said...

How do you stand it? Seriously - you have the patience of Job.

Ohio is going to feel pretty stinking easy to you and your Lexi!!!

(And, I bet they have great soccer coaches there, too!)

Hugs to you - cm

kate said...

Jenn, one kitty IS American. ;> The other, whom I'd leave behind with no qualms, is "my kitty" (says Lexi). I figured an annoyingly over-affectionate cat is worth the lesson that families stay together.

And she might run away once we're home...

Dawn said...

So sorry that we won't make it to Ukraine in time. Looks like our departure is likely early August.

Any interesting places between Cincy and Austin?

Lea said...

It is going to be such a pleasant relief for you, once you are moved, when the tasks of every day life are no longer so tedious, complicated and require so much effort. For a while, it will be like every day is the first day of spring. Not long now.