"When It Rains..."

So remember that awful morning I was having yesterday? Well, it turned into an awful day. But I've decided this about bad days: at some point, it just becomes funny.  After getting flashied by the German speed camera while passing a slow-moving semi, after having a bit of a SNAFU at the gas station on Post, & after driving around Post for an hour trying to find the car inspection building just to discover that it was surrounded by construction without any obvious way in, I came home to re-coop.

I called Don to update him on the inspection building & ended up telling him about my ticket too...  I was so worried that he would be mad at me!  Only because I was mad at myself, I think.  Of course, he wasn't upset!  He knows that's not like me.  Plus, he's my sweetie :)  And the funny thing?  He said that most likely, I won't even receive the ticket for a few months.  By then, maybe I will have forgotten?

But my day wasn't over.  I really needed to get our '94 BMW to the car inspection building.  Here in Germany, when you renew your vehicle registration each year you also have to have your vehicle inspected.  Now, this isn't like any inspection in the States.  The Germans are serious about their cars!  For instance, your car could fail inspection if one of your turn signal lights needed replaced or if you didn't have a First Aid kit in the car!

Our registration expires while we're in Croatia next month, so all this needs taken care of now.  I called the inspection building & a nice German man gave me very vague directions.  Back to Post I went, making sure not to pass anyone this time!  {And the movable speed camera was gone by now.  I told you they don't stay in one place very long!}  After another 45 minutes driving around Post, I discovered that I had to take a strange dirt road through a little forest in order to reach the back of the inspection building.  But there was a silver lining: I was the only one there!  Hooray!  Hallelujah!  I wouldn't have to wait!

As I sat in the garage, watching the Beemer be lifted up & inspected, I texted Don, "Hallelujah!  I'm here & I'm the only one!  The hardest part is over!"  And not two minutes later, the nice German mechanic looks at me & says, "You cannot drive this car."  I actually laughed aloud & replied, "You're teasing me, right?"  He said no.

Now it was all just funny.  There was a hole somewhere under the car that was leaking an excessive amount of engine oil.  I crept under the lift to have him show me, & sure enough, there was a space about 2 feet by 2 feet that was covered in oil, & a puddle was very obvious at my feet.  "No driving."

"I guess I'll have to call my husband!"  And he laughed!  He was getting a kick out of me, but felt bad for me too.  The German man in the office let me use the phone there {"It's free!"} & Don could not believe the news.  Plus, of course, he was out in the field shooting for the day so there was no way he could up & leave to come get me.  He did tell me, though, that he'd make sure I had a really yummy dinner!  I told that to the mechanic, along with the news that Don was shooting in the field, & he grinned again & said, "Can I come for dinner?  I will cook!"  I said, "Absolutely not!  You're the one who gave me this bad news!"  More German laughter, & he placed a sticker on the car windshield that read in big red letters, "Unsafe To Operate."  Nice.

We arranged to leave the car there at the inspection building until we knew where to tow it to, & I walked to the library, thankful that I brought my book.  I ended up finishing it, so that counts for something!

Don had a brilliant plan: ask the inspection guys to drive the car into the ocean for us.  Or off a cliff.  We just spent €500 fixing it less than a month ago!

Now, all the troubles of yesterday morning are nothing, because by the afternoon...it was pouring.

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