When the kids started driving we bought a small, used blue car that would serve as their mode of shared transportation.  Maintenance, gas, insurance, accidents would be their responsibility depending on who’s fault it was…or who was the one driving at the time.   So, up until Kaylee went to college (thus not needing the car) she had been the only driver of said blue car.

MC’s been using the car to practice driving to get her license.   We took the car in for a check up before passing it to the next kid to drive.   Turns out said blue car (also known as Alfonzo…or ‘Fonzie’) was very very sick.  Needed misc items.  Some which were covered by the extended warranty, some not.  The things not covered were put off because they weren’t safety issues.   One of the problems was the gas gauge.   It doesn’t work.  It flings way over to the right way past full into the gauge for the temperature…or works sometimes….you know…whatever it decides.   Turns out it’s the sensor in the gas TANK which is $425.  Yeah…um NO.  Kaylee told me….”Just put gas in it when the little thingy ‘dings’ and the gas tank light picture thing comes on…you have like 33 miles before running out”.

Hmmmm good idea! So we put gas in it and drove here and I noticed a red light popped on that said ‘check gauges’.  Which, like the flashing red clock on the VCR, I just ignored.  I know the gauge is broken…duh!

So.   Yesterday I’m driving Alfonzo to get the kids from school.   And like out of an episode from World’s Dumbest Criminals…with the rigged bait car that people steal and then it dies out on them while they are driving…well….Alfonzo just dies.  Cuts out as I’m driving in traffic.  Stupid me is like ‘What? Huh? What the?”   I turn the now stiffening wheel with no power as I’m dumbfounded like one of those idiots in the stolen bait car…looking out the window going…’What?  What’s wrong?  Shiiiiit….’    I look at the dash.  No little gas tank light.   Couldn’t be the gas….the ‘picture thingy isn’t on’.  Geez…what could it beeee?

Pulling into the center lane on a five lane road with people glaring in disgust for throwing a 5 second wrench in their afternoon travel….Fonzie came to slow halt.   The only light that is on is the one that says ‘check gauges’.  You know…the one that’s been on for 3 days now.  I turned the key so that the dash lit up and I looked over all the lit up icons/gauge picture thingies.  And son of a bitch.  There IS NO little gas tank fuel gauge thingy!

So.  I called my lovely daughter, Ms. Kaylee.

“Um, Kaylee?   Which dashboard light did you say came on when the gas was low in the blue car?”

“Um….the little thing that looks like a gas station pump…the gas/fuel pump thingy”

“There is NO picture on the dash like that.  Could it be just writing that says ‘check   ga u g e s ??’

“OH NO!  Yes, that’s IT!  That’s the ONE!  OMG, did you run out of gas?” (laughing)

“Yes.  Yes I did.  I thought the check gauges light was on because the gauge is broken for the gas.  But….apparently that comes on when I – AM – LOW-  ON – GAS.”

“Yep, that’s the one…sorry, mom”.