A Hair-Raising Day

OK, this is going to be a long story so grab some popcorn, relax, sit back and listen, er I mean read.
Ever since we got back from our weekend out of town my Exploder, er I mean Explorer, has been making some terrible racket.  Phone Guy looked at it the other day but couldn't really pinpoint anything.  So I have just embarassed myself driving around for the last few days with my loud, grinding, clanging car.
Today we got our tax refund (yes, we just did our taxes...don't worry we had an extension) so we decided to buy a storage building for the back yard.  We clanged and grinded all around town to different stores and finally decided to buy one at Costco.  He went in and paid for it and I pulled up and we got it loaded in the car. 

About 1:45pm I pulled out on to the road and we got half a block before we started smelling this foul, hot car odor.  Simultaneously, we both said, "Is that this car?" and "CLANG, CLING, PING, TING, SLAP" the car answered us.  I immediately lost all power steering.  We pulled over and Phone Guy looked under the hood to find that the serpentine belt was gone along with one of the pulleys.  GREEEEAAAAAT.  He got in to drive and we made it about another block before the car started to majorly overheat so we pulled onto a side street.

Now remember, the storage building is loaded in the back and the tailgate is strapped down so we can't lock it up.  Also remember it is 1:45 and Danger Boy gets out of school at 3:15.  We are probably about 3-4 miles from home.  My dad is at work in Fort Worth.  Mom is at the hospital with my Grandpa in Fort Worth.  Jamie lives too far away.  Lisa is at work.  At this point I am thinking, "I need more friends."    
Before I can go thru anyone else in my cell phone directory, Phone Guy decides he will walk home and get his car and come back and tow me home.  OOOKAY.  After he leaves, I called my dad and he told me to call my brother...he said, "He owes me one" as my mom & dad have had to bail him out of car trouble a few times recently.   So I call - no answer.  I call his girlfriend - no answer.  I wait a few minutes and try him again and he finally answers and agrees to go pick up Danger Boy at school so we can tow the dang car home.

So I wait for Phone Guy and get to watch a forklift driver crossing the street totally lose his load off his lift.  It was pretty funny, although I bet he didn't think so.  Phone Guy finally arrives, hooks up the tow strap and decided I should drive the towing vehicle since there is no power steering in mine.  OH GREAT. 
We have to turn around....goes very smoothly.  SWEET!  We get on to the main road and it goes really well.  Only 2 more turns until we are home!  On the first turn, I hesitated a little and the tow strap jerked really bad.  So I got a little cautious on the second turn and hesitated again and BAM - the strap broke right as we turned onto our street.  Phone Guy yelled at me.  "Way to go ACE," he said and pissed me off.  I told him that I didn't want to drive the tow vehicle in the first place.  It wasn't pretty.  At least he could drive the rest of the way without overheating.  We were only about 5 houses away from our driveway.

So anyway to make a long story even longer.  He went to Auto Zone, got the parts and only had to spend $51 and I'm all fixed up.  It's nice to have a handy husband sometimes!  Even if he does act like a jerk occasionally.