Back in May, I learned that my beloved 4Runner was not much longer for this world. But, I was told, its demise was not imminent, and it was safe to drive. It would just start running rough.Since then, I've been driving it regular-like, and it's been behaving just fine. The check engine light stays on, and occasionally, as predicted, it runs rough when I first start up, but mainly: I wouldn't have known there was any problem at all.
Until tonight. All of a sudden, while I was driving out to Carmel Valley, a trip of about ten miles, to meet up with my former book group for their Christmas party, not only did the engine start doing a very ungraceful polka while going uphill, but . . . the check engine light started flashing.
A mechanic told me once that if that happened, I should pull over immediately and call a tow truck.
Needless to say, I did not do that. Instead, I trusted my luck—and got safely to my destination. Then, safely back home. The light did its flashing act a couple, few times both going and coming, accompanied by an ungainly jitterbug, but mainly while heading uphill; once I was on a flat or downhill stretch , the flashing and stuttering stopped. Thank goodness.
But yeah: I've been living on borrowed time. I'd say it's finally time to go shopping.
This is one of my less attractive qualities: indulging in benign neglect. A.k.a. denial. I try to work on it, lord knows. And sometimes—like now—I'm simply pushed into action.
So . . . wish me luck. It looks like I'll be getting a new car for Christmas.
1 comment:
luck luck luck
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