One Traveler

Yesterday was quite a study in contrasts.

At 7:55 AM, we pulled thru the McDonald’s drive-thru on Route 17 North, in Ramsey, just south of the Rockland County Line. As Bill began to nose our old and well-named Reliant back onto the highway, it simply stopped…cold.

He tried re-starting it. The battery worked manfully, the engine tried to turn over, but…nothing.

Of course, we were smack in the exit lane. So, out we got, and pushed the massive beast into a parking space. And I called AAA.

We had to wait over two hours, because of a police emergency someplace else. Finally, the fellow came. Meanwhile, church came and went without me. They’re a wonderful, loving, supportive bunch, and I know all is well. Still, I don’t think I’ve missed a church service in decades.

And yesterday was Gaudete Sunday, a favorite day of mine.

As we have AAA-Plus, I could have been towed up to my church, and trusted to luck to get back to New Jersey. However, yesterday afternoon was FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at my temple; and Bill had a Christmas service at St. John’s in Fort Hamilton. We were both being Brooklyn musicians yesterday for critical, one-time-only programs. The FIDDLER house was getting quite full as well.

So, with a heavy heart, I had the driver tow us to our mechanic in Rutherford. Our mechanic is an ace of a guy. Never overcharges, no drama, he knows his stuff backwards and forwards.  I have a professional respect for him, even though all I can do with cars is guy-talk about them.

While waiting for the truck at McDonald’s,  I opined that the problem had to be with the distributor. After all, the battery was cranking quite well.

Turns out it was either the distributor or the timing belt. Then I remembered the funny burning smell…! I instantly knew it was the belt. I just got a call confirming that.

The truck driver was ever so helpful. After offering to sell us wallets for ten dollars (his brother in law is going out of business, and so forth), and asking if we were born-again Christians (I didn’t say the explosive word Episcopalian), he said that he’d give us a “steal of a deal” at five or six hundred dollars for the repair. Needless to say, we’re getting away for a lot less than that.

New Jersey. It’s Long Island, without the sense of irony.

Oy, vey.

We got home in time for lunch, and then caught a bus for Port Authority. One speedy Q train to Brooklyn later, and I was actually early at Union Temple for FIDDLER.

And the cast did a terrific job. Just terrific. I was very proud to be part of that concert. The bouquet I was given is radiating glory on my dinner table. Roses, unnamed tropical flowers in purple…God, it’s beautiful.

So, the day began with a broken timing belt, and ended with a bouquet. Life in a micrososm.

Blessings on your Ember Week.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 3:13 pm and is filed under Music, NYC, Religion, Theater and Theatre, fun and funny. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.