Stick a fork in me

I took Friday off from work, and since Gordon had the day off also we decided to go to Bay City and do some Christmas shopping. I charged him with going through what we already had and making a list of what we still needed. Well, ever since I got my new Saturn (December 2003) I have had a problem starting it on really cold mornings. I would go to start it and it would just click, I had to wait ten minutes (not nine and 1/2) and try again and it would start just fine. Not a huge problem but not one I like either. I considered taking it into the dealer but was sure I would hear "It starts just fine for us) which of course it would unless I was able to determine that the morning would be really cold and was willing to spend the night in the parking lot. So I just lived with it. Not working continually last winter helped, there wasn't that many really cold mornings that I needed to start the car. This year however not so much. It was really cold every morning last week. Tuesday I just did the cold morning ritua and it started just fine. Wednesday after my ten minutes it started and died, but then after a couple minutes started okay. I called Gordon and told him to make an appointment at the Saginaw Saturn dealer for Friday morning. Thursday, after my ten minutes it started and died and then started and died and then started and died, until finally after a 1/2 hour or so it started. Gordon had an appointment for 8:00am Friday. This is even earlier than I start work, and a much further drive. So much for a day off. Friday morning was of course not as cold and the car started just fine for Gordon. Doubling my doubt that the Saturn dealer would be able to help me. One of the reasons it was not as cold was because it was snowing and the roads were horrible. Schools that were in session that day (Megan was not it was a teacher in service and her Girl Scout leader was taking the girls to the mall in Saginaw to do their Christmas shopping) were closed due to snow. (this later factored into the crowds of teenagers hanging out at the malls) But we made the drive to the dealer and as I explained the problem he nodded his head like he had heard this before. So I said, "have you heard this before?" "Many times" was his reply, this was reassuring in that they could fix it, but disconcerting in that if they knew they had a problem why didn't they tell me so I wouldn't have dealt with it for so long. This disconcertion (is that a word?) was compounded when he said "Well, your factory warranty is up I'll have to check with your extended warranty to see if this is covered." I told him that I didn't understand those words, of course it was covered it was a full warranty, and what do you mean check with my extended warrantly is was a Saturn warranty. He explained that he would first have to determine what was wrong and even though I bought my warranty from Saturn at the time of purchase that does not make it a Saturn warranty and different warranties cover different things. I told him to do what he needed to do and let me know, I did need to fight the battle right then, I would wait to see what the result was. Luckily the problem was exactly what he thought it was and it was fully covered under my warranty. It took them about and hour to fix, and I guess I'll find out if it works the next really cold morning.

I had planned on filling up my gas tank in Saginaw since I had thought the gas would be cheaper than in West Branch but it was $2.35 a gallon, so I waited. We drove to Bay City and I saw a couple of places at $2.16 and then a few at $2.14 so I incorrectly assumed that in town would be cheaper when we got to Big Lots the gas station there (for the Kroger's that is also in the strip mall) was changing their sign to $2.35 so I drove back a couple of miles and filled up at $2.14. I'm hoping it will be cheaper by Mom's, so I am going to wait to fill up again until I get down there.

From that point forward we shopped until we dropped, and then got up and did some more. We found one thing for Megan that is going to have her completely nutty on Christmas morning, I have told her this and it is driving her crazy. And as soon as I finish this I am going to get some wrapping done while she is at a cookie booth. (poor baby it is freezing out) But I am so done with shopping, got some major wrapping to do. But I enjoy that part. Now I just have to wait for the stuff I ordered on line and shipped to Melody on accident. Oh, well everything can not go smoothly or I get confused.