About a week and a half ago, my car died. I picked Jeff up in the morning on a Friday (leaving his car at his work), got home and went in the house for a few minutes, and when I leftagain, it wouldn't start. Just dead. I missed work that day because I had absolutely no way to get here- I didn't even have a dollar for the bus if I could find one to take. This stressed me out. I don't like calling in to work. I get so tense and embarrassed and worried about it. Jeff gets very bothered by this. I think he's trying to help me cope and see things in perspective- life does go on- but sometimes his lack of "getting it" stresses me out more. He saw this day as a chance to spend the day together because there was nothing we could do to get me to work. He felt bad that all I could think of was, "I have to get to work." He thinks I care too much about work and what people think of me. He's probably right, but I also needed to be understood.
That weekend, Jeff and his brother replaced the alternator in my car. I think Jeff was quite pleased that he had fixed it for me. The car still didn't start real smoothly, but I thought I was just being paranoid. I got to work and home just fine Monday. Tuesday morning, it was dead again. Jeff thought I should just call in again, but I couldn't miss another day for it. I called in late and we took his car to Jiffy Lube before he drove me to work. He didn't dare let me drive it because it has so many problems but thought it would be better if we had the oil changed etc. It drove a lot better after that and I drove it to work the rest of the week.
Jeff gets off work at 8 in the morning and I have to be to my job at 9. That Friday, just before he was to leave, someone got hurt by a machine at his work. Part of his job is to find out what happened and write up a report about it. This made him late getting home so I was once again late for work, waiting for his car.
We thought that my car probably just needed a new battery. Jeff wasn't sure how to do this, but was pretty sure he could figure it out. We planned on getting it done over the weekend. His brother said he could help, but not until Sunday. Saturday morning he stopped by and listened as I tried to start it and said it was probably most definitely the battery. In spite of my stress, we kept putting off getting it done. By Sunday afternoon we decided his car had been going fine and I would just take it that Monday morning and we'd get to my car sometime. Really, we did need the weekend together and to think about something besides the car and work.
Sunday night his car died on him three times, on the freeway (like when he'd slow down because of other cars) on his way to work. He didn't want me to drive it Monday morning. Monday's are my stressful days at work. I feel like I do more work on Monday than I do the rest of the week combined. I did NOT want to miss, especially because things have been more stressful than ever. He had a hard time driving home Monday and when he got there coolant spilled all over the parking lot in a matter of minutes. Again I had NO car and no way to get anything going. Embarassingly, I again missed work.
Jeff got the battery out of my car and around noon, mudder came and took me to get a new battery. I hoped Jeff would sleep considering he'd only slept about an hour in the last 27 hours. I went with mom, we got the battery, went to the drug store, and went to see Jamesy who has had his tonsils out. It took me all day to get rid of the stress of not being at work. That night Jeff put the new battery in my car and it starts very smoothly. The stress I felt leaving my body once we finally had it taken care of was intense. But then Tuesday came and I had to catch up to everything I'd not done Monday and I found out they are making a bunch of changes that effect A LOT of what I do. It's a lot of thinking and planning and communicating. I also drove Jeff to work at 11:30 the last two nights, get up at 6 to walk the dog, and be ready to go pick him up at 7:30.
Speaking of the dog, not that y'all want to know this, but she doesn't go to the bathroom. I spend so much time outside with her but she doesn't seem to know it's okay to go. She seems nervous. Thankfully, she's good about not going in the house (except for the hour we left her alone Saturday and I think she panicked- she was very upset when we got home and she'd left two surprises for us). She's gone a few times when Jeff takes her out, but both his dad and step mom say she's very shy and private about going to the bathroom. I try to let her wander on her own so she can get comfortable, but she runs from me. At first she'd stop when I called her, but now she just runs. Jeff's voice can make her stop, so he doesn't have that problem. (oh, and her name is Niobe- pronounces Nie-oh-bee). This causes me stress too. It's only been in the last few days that she's even really eaten much.
Anyway, I'm tired.
3 comments:
That was stressful to read. You have my sympathies, not that it does you any good.
holy cow...or dog...or car....you need a day off! I would stress out because...you know me, I would never be able to remember the dog's name so I could call her. I'd have to have it wriiten down and in my my pocket. And some of my pants don't have pockets! just teasing...I hope you can get away and go find some ice cream...maybe raspberry shakes at Bear Lake? Mmmm, that sounds good..
i'm sorry dude. hang in there. i know how you feel. you're fine to feel that way. try to coast. if you need anything, let us know. just for future reference i have to be to work by 6 but have to take an hour lunch. in a crunch i could run you, no problem.
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