Aaargh!!!

I am on strict orders from my supervisor at work to take things easy and to not stress when possible. My car has decided that it apparently not only doesn't like Texas, but that it is also against the anti-stress rule. Since last August my gas mileage has steadily been dropping from 32 mpg to 25 mpg and still dropping. I had my car tuned up before we moved, and the only time it made a difference was on the drive here. It got the best gas mileage of its life at 40 mpg. Of course, we dropped over a mile in elevation and had excellent tail winds almost the whole way here. Somehow, we only had to fill up once and drove over 1,300 miles.

The past couple weeks at work I've been asking the car guys on my team what could be causing my gas drop. I finally got sick of the low mileage and took their advice and bought some new spark plugs. My sweetie changed out the old ones on Thursday, which really didn't look that bad, for some pretty nice $10/piece spark plugs. I thought for sure my car would appreciate the gracious gift. But alas, it gave me a sweet slap in the face on Friday afternoon when I got in to go home from work and the car would not start. My first thought was, "Are you kidding me?!" Luckily the car guys on my team were still inside at work, so I went and got them to come take a look. I was trying really, really hard to keep my stress levels low, but the whole time I kept thinking, "This damn thing is going to have to go to the shop and its going to cost me $2k. I just know it." We found a set of jumper cables, and tried to jump start the car. Nothing. As the car guys sat around, looking under my hood and trying to determine the problem one suggested we try to jump it again with a different car battery, so another willing person hooked me up, and my car started. Hopeful that it was only the battery, I thanked everyone from the bottom of my heart and drove home to get my sweetie and head to the auto store.

The sales person at the auto store determined it was the battery, so we purchased a new one and the sales person changed it out for us, but not before losing her wrench in the engine block of my car. So the three of us stood outside in the glaring sun, temps pushing the high 90s, searching under my hood for the missing wrench. Again, not helping the stress levels. After about 20 minutes, it was spotted and removed. The battery was installed, and the car started successfully the first time. I was hopeful that it was JUST the battery and that I would not need to find a mechanic yet, but I had a nagging feeling I had just seen the tip of the ice berg.

Yesterday we went to a matinee and then had an early dinner afterward. We got into the car after our meal, and again, the car would not start. So much for not stressing. "Warning! Warning! Stress levels at an all time high! Tears on the verge of spilling over!" Luckily I am a manual snob, so after a few tries we were able to pop to clutch and get the car going. Once we got home and turned it off, however, it would not start again. I am sure it's just the alternator, but there is one thing that is weighing heavily on my mind at this point. My last car had the same problem at the same age and around the same mileage. The alternator was replaced only to go out a few months later. It was replaced again, only to go out again a few months later and over 100 miles from home. Again, it was replaced only to go out again a few months later. That time it was replaced and promptly traded in for my current car.

I realize that my current car is one of the three best made cars in the country, and the chances of me going through four alternators before trading it in are slim, but I can't help but worry. I don't want to chance getting stranded somewhere while I'm pregnant because my alternator keeps going out. I don't know what the chances of going through multiple alternators is, but having been a victim of it before, I am very leery. I have tried really hard over the last 36 hours to not worry about it, but every time I tell someone my car wouldn't start, I have to choke back the tears. Perhaps its partly pregnancy hormones, and perhaps it is part jaded from my previous car, but I still fear my options if this car decides to go lemon on alternators.

The other thing that just plain sucks is that tomorrow is our first ultrasound, and now my sweetie will have to come get me from work to take me to my appointment, rather than meeting me there. He will also have to take my car to the mechanic and I will have to try to hitch a ride to work from a co-worker who may or may not go in at the same time as me or leave work at the same time as me. Ugh! I freaking hate my car right now! I just want to go kick it repeatedly for letting me down during a time when I need it to work the most.