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This is about how to make a mountain out of a molehill; to wit: Last Tuesday evening I was cleaning a vacuum filter and not being careful about it. Dust was thick and I inhaled a snootful. By Tues. night my sinuses were draining like Hoover Dam with two holes punched in it. By Wednesday morning my throat was sore, followed by the worst gastroenteritis I've had in years.
I don't know if the dust I inhaled started the domino effect or what--(the gastroenteritis might have been caused from a four day old meatloaf sandwich.) Anyway, running to the bathroom 20 times a day laid me low. I found some old antibiotics and took 'em which didn't help any. By Saturday evening I was craving fresh vegetable soup and fruit. Nothing to do but have to make a run to the store in Beaumont.
It was getting dark and raining cats and dogs. When I turned the key in the Honda, there was a RRRRRrrrr sound. The sound of a nearly dead battery. Try #2--RRRRRRRrrrr again. Oh No. Try #3--the engine turned over and off I went. But when I got to the store I was afraid if I turned the car off, it wouldn't start again. I was sitting there pondering if I should leave my car running, and chance some scoundrel taking off with it, when a man walked by and asked if needed help.
I explained the situation to the GS (Good Samaritan) and he looked under the hood. He just happened to be a mechanic and had this tool in his pocket that could measure alternator activity. He said he thought my alternator was going out. He said go straight back to the house and don't use the air, radio, lights etc. But I had to use the windshield wipers. The GS got soaked trying to help me. He said he'd come to the house Sunday evening and put an electric charger on the battery and take it off Monday morning, so I could make it to the Honda Dealership.
Sun. evening. The GS shows up with a big device on wheels and plugs it into a kitchen socket. I was dubious and said that's a big cord, it'll pull a lot of electricity/ I don't want to short anything out. He said no it runs on 220. So he trys to hook the charger to the battery-but he had loaned it to someone and they had broken it and he couldn't get it to work right. He left with my thanks.
I go in the house to find a breaker off-his charger did just what I thought it'd do and tripped a breaker. I went to the fuse box and tried a dozen times to get it back on--no luck. I phoned the GS but he was in church. I phoned Cousin Andy. He was in church. I phoned Juan, the president of our water assn. Thank goodness Juan doesn't go to church. He came right over and brought a bag of cukes and squash. He walked in and flipped the same switch that had frustrated me, just one time and voila! Everything worked again.
SO! First thing Monday morning, I went out and the car started. My cousin Sissy had volunteered to follow me the 40 miles to the dealership in case I got stuck by the side of the road. I drove like a bat out of hell and luckily, approaching Hattiesburg, got all green lights. Made it! Mike, a Honda employee put a meter to the battery and said I needed a new one. Age had done in the old one. He checked the alternator with a meter, too. It was okay. All that trouble when all I needed was a new battery.
That's me, turning molehills into mountains.    susil
Sorry about your car misbehaving, esp when you weren't feeling well. 
Sounds like the time we tried to change a washer in the bathroom faucet and ended up with a $3000.00 renovation.
