Ballad of a Broken Car

Sigh...

Today Ol' Smokey fell off the wagon. I don't know why a Jeep would be on a wagon in the first place, but then there are many things that I don't understand about cars.

Things were so good between Ol' Smokey and myself. He quit smoking, I quit worrying about him exploding. I really thought that the combination of nicotine patches, hypnosis and prayer had helped him to quit. It's been months since he last smoked.

We've really bonded over the last little while too. I bought him new floor mats and a vanilla air freshener. We were talking about an oil change and maybe even replacing his windshield. Together we went many places and had many adventures. (Okay 'many places' is a bit of a stretch, I pretty much just drive to school and the airport)

However, the good times were not to last. Today in the Chapters parking lot I smelled that old familiar smell. The sickly sweet smell of burnt oil and a broken heart. I should have known that the steering wheel pulling to the right was a sign of worse things to come. That and the fact that we had never actually figured out why Ol' Smokey had quit smoking, only that he had stopped. I guess I just didn't want to believe that he wasn't really cured.

Now I have to endure torturous conversations about brake pads, calipers and other such nonsense. What did it smell like? What were you doing when it happened? And so on... Nonsense.

My Dad has suggested that perhaps Ol' Smokeys brake caliper was seizing, which would explain the veering off to the right and the smell. At least that's what I think he said, I stopped paying attention after he mentioned brakes. Boring! Katie diagnosed this condition as epilepsy. I wonder if they make medic alert bracelets for cars...

In any case I now have to fork out money for some type of brake housing something-or-rather. While I wish I didn't have to do this, I will. I'll do it because I love Ol' Smokey and I really believe that one day he will be smoke-free.

On behalf of Ol'Smokey I would like to thank you for your words of encouragement and helpful suggestions. I will keep you posted as we embark on his road to recovery.