I <3 Honda

Today I took my little CR-V to the dealership because it was due for its 30,000 mile check-up and also for months I've been without the use of my driver's side window (wouldn't roll down). I had an appointment for 10am and got there about 15 minutes early but they got me right in. A surprise: the 30,000 mile diagnostics and tune-ups would take 3-4 hours...that seemed a bit much. Well, I had a good book (Restoration by Carol Berg, I'm loving the trilogy) and the iPod, and they had the always classy People magazine, so I could cope. About an hour and fifteen minutes later, Joe (the service guy I'd been dealing with) came out and told me they'd discovered my window regulator was broken and it would cost $417 to fix (my warranty is very much expired). Yikes! I was willing to pay the $500 for my service and new battery and wiper blades because it had been 15,000 miles since my car was last seen by Honda and I like peace of mind, but another $417?! Yeah, wasn't planning on spending $1,000 today... So, I said no thanks, I'll wait a while (check into other options at non-dealerships for better deals) to replace that. Joe went to check if they had the part or would need to order it, and when he came back he said that, since that part shouldn't have broken in a car this young, they would "goodwill it" ("replace for free"). I was thrilled! It was such a smart and wonderful thing for them to do - it made me very glad I'd gone ahead and had the full 30k service, and it made me think happy thoughts about Honda.

Problem solved, I thought. So when will my car be ready? Three or four in the afternoon?!?! I'll have finished my book if I'd had to wait that long. Joe offered their shuttle service, and I thought "Okay, yeah, I'll go ahead and take the shuttle. That way I won't have to eat out of the vending machines and drink Pepsi (yuck) for lunch." It was about noon by the time I got home, and I did enjoy a pleasant ham sandwich on the couch with Miss Pipes. Well, then Joe called me at 1:30 saying my car was ready. Not three or four, but one thirty. I would've stayed at the dealership if I'd know it would take so little time. Oh well, at least I had a nice private, semi-healthy meal at home. Joe told me he'd let the shuttle guy know I needed a pick-up.

Fast-forward to 3:30. I'm getting close to the end of my book...still no shuttle. I call the dealership and speak to someone who "gets me on the list" and tells me it will be about 4:00. Ten minutes later Joe calls to apologize, telling me he had gotten me on the pick-up list when we talked at 1:30 and that he and the driver "had a discussion about the situation" (this explained why, I think, that when the driver arrived at 4 he was a tad sullen). So, I make it back to the dealership and we go over what all was done, I pay, and Joe asks a co-worker "so did you go get the car I asked you to?" It seems like poor Joe was having a hard time getting people to listen to him today. He gets someone to get my car, we chat awkwardly. Finally he says "I think it's all ready" and there's a shiny silver Civic outside. "Um...I drive a CR-V." Good lord. Another person goes to try and find my car. I give up and sit down in the waiting area with a Time magazine. Ten minutes later Joe gets me and promises the ordeal is finally over. Sure enough, it is my car sitting there shiny and vacuumed. All is well (them paying for my window made everything else they did inconsequential), I bid goodbye to Joe, and drive away at 4:45.

I had an errand to run today in Snider Plaza, and since it was getting close to rush hour I avoided Central (the dealership is on Lemmon Ave west of the Tollway). I took some side streets, figuring I could pick my way north until I found something familiar, but I really don't know the area well (my car needs a compass!). After I'd found a Lemmon Ave three different times and driven on Turtle Creek Blvd for a while only to end up on Hall St, I admitted defeat. Finally I made it to Snider Plaza, stopped at Cisco to say hi to Dad and think about getting some dinner, ran to CVS, then stopped at Amore to actually pick up dinner and chat with Willy. I took my veal fiorentina to the house and spent a pleasant evening with Mom and Murphy on the couch. Now I'm home with Triple-P (aka The Pipes, Miss Pipes, Piper, P-cube, Pippy-Pipe, Kitty), waiting a husband who will hopefully be home in the next 30 minutes.

21 days until vet school notification.