"We should take your car because it has air-conditioning."
As we were preparing for our vacation we decided to take the car that would keep us cool in the summer heat of Central Oregon. One summer we took our Dodge van and the air-conditioning didn't work. THAT was tough with a capital $#!@*%!- tough. Didn't want to be caught in that situation again, oh no we didn't.
On our second day of vacation Rob and I decided to try our hand at tennis (or better yet “hit the ball once*run out of breath* hit the ball again*run out of breath”), so the plan was to drop the girls and I at a pool while he drove to a rec. center to rent tennis racquets. Problem was the car, of which we had just arrived at the pool in, was not turning over. * click*click*click*
After getting a jump from a friendly stranger Rob drove into town about 7 miles away, to get the car checked out. The car died blocks from an automotive shop. Rob walked the rest of the way, bought a new car battery at Napa Auto parts, and carried that thing all the way back to the dead car.
When Rob was able to get the hunk 'o tin started it barely made it to a garage where he was told the car also needed a new alternator, and… possibly a new transmission.
And so, our vacation/life-changing saga begins….