Maintenance Required

I was driving home yesterday - 17.25 hours - from a really good vacation. I was at least half way home. Trucking along. Ladybug was in the back seat, watching Toy Story 2 for the 200th time. Occasionally she would giggle. This only made me wonder what could possibly be so funny after watching it so many times. I was making good time and hoped I was going to get home at a descent time. I wanted to get home in time to go to bed so I could make it to work on time today. Then I looked down at the dash and saw a new thing lit up -- Main Reqd.

Oh no! I mean, not my new car. Not when I am half way home. No. No. No. I look up at road side signs and see that the next exit has a gas station. So I exit. And I see that the sign that says the gas station is .3 miles to the right. I go right. I can read. I drive .3 miles. No gas station. I drive another mile. No gas station. I turn around. Did I miss it? Nope. No gas station on the way back to the highway. So I get back on the highway. If there is a sign, shouldn't there be a gas station?

I go to the next exit. Again, I see it has a gas station. I am skeptical -- I learn. But I have to stop and check this out. As I exit I see another sign for a gas station to the right 1.2 miles. I drive 2 miles. No gas station. Then I see another sign that says a different gas station 1.8 miles to the right. I am getting further away from the highway. I am wondering if I will find my way back. I am wondering if my car is going to blow up. I drive 1.8 miles. I arrive at an intersection. I look left. Nothing. I look right. I see a gas station.

I pull in. Busy little place. There are men everywhere. Getting gas. Getting coffee. Getting cigarettes. Some have shirts, some don't. Some have beer guts, some don't. Some have teeth, some don't. I pop the hood. This is the first time I pop the hood on my car. I am amazed how clean it is. There is no dirt, oil, grease, or grime. Nothing. I think I could eat off this engine. I won't. But I could.

The police pull up. And go in the building. I check the oil. I mean, I have no idea what else to check. There is oil. I check the coolant. There is coolant. So what is it? The police come out with coffee and pastries. Cliche. I am a single woman. I have a child with me. I am obviously from out of state. The hood is popped. I looked confused. And how many people check on me? Ask if everything is ok? See if I need help???

NOT ONE!

I get the owner's manual out of the glove box. I look in the index. I find "maintenance". I turn to page 54. It tells me where I will find the Main Reqd light on my dash.

I know that!!!!! Hence why I am looking at the dumb manual.

I look on page 254. It tells me all the things I need to do on a regular basis.

I know that, too. I am a single woman!

I start thumbing through the manual. I find a troubleshooting chart. I find Main Reqd. The problem?

It is time for an oil change. Are you serious??? I knew that, too. But I am half way home. It can wait.

I find my way back to the highway and look at the time. That was a lovely waste of 45 minutes.

I could have gotten home at 10:30pm last night but instead I got home at 11:15pm.

Mean Mama