The car

I have spent the entire week in mental hell going over and over trying to put everything into perspective as to how I was going to handle this whole issue. It just doesn't make any sense. But George was insistent that I wait till I get the second opinion from his garage which he and I had been going to for over twenty years.

OK. Then I can get their assessment on paper and deal with the issue from there. Off I went a bit ago. They put the car on a lift so we could all three of us see for ourselves what the condition was.

Nothing. Nothing!!  It looked really healthy under there. Am I blind? What am I looking for? There were a couple of spots that were peeling but I was told that that was an outer coating and that the structure underneath was in great shape. The brake lines look new. The muffler was obviously new. I just saw no rust. And we were not dealing with just a mechanic here. This is Gerry, the man who owns the place and who's wife I have known in the fabric business forever. Just a really great man. He walked us through everything. I asked him that - if I needed to have him inspect this car today, would he do it, being an inspection station. He said yes, absolutely. He said his son might fix the air conditioner, as he is certified to do that. If not, I will take it to this other garage just up the street, another reputable place which George is very familiar with from experience. But there should not be a problem.

This car looks great. I can stop crying now. My faith in humanity is restored. I can finish knitting up the little "monster toy" for a newborn boy who has arrived this week. I no longer have to be afraid that, while on my way to somewhere out there, the bottom will fall out from under me. And my mother will be safe in the seat next to me.

I don't understand however. How could a garage paint such a blatantly bleak picture on something that obviously looks so good and charge me almost $60 for that opinion? And they call themselves "Mom's Garage"???