“The RoseBouquet”

Oh my! I hope you don’t have any mis-adventures like I’ve had since last week Wednesday.

We are having the kind of DEEP Freeze weather that we Saskatchewanians tend to brag about after the fact. For me they are opportunities to cry out to God for help like a damsel in distress.

You may remember that I wrote last week’s RoseBouquet from home instead of going to the office. My car had not started Monday or Tuesday. After 5 pm on Tuesday, my good neighbour, Joe, came over with a battery charger to see what he could do about my car. It turned out that the electrical outlet on the outside of my house into which I had plugged the cord to heat up my car was dead. We had to go downstairs to throw a breaker switch on the main electrical panel. Then we had power. He set up his charger to charge my battery all night long.

Sure enough, on Wednesday morning the car started! So I drove to work and had a fairly productive day. I was the last to leave at 5 pm and lo, my car would not start.

I had requested prayer at the staff meeting for my right thumb and wrist as they felt weak and achy and … well, I thought I might have to take time for a chiropractor to check them. Now, the more I tried to turn the key and start my car, the more my thumb and wrist began to hurt. Suddenly the pain leaped up my right arm and seized up my neck and soon my whole head hurt like it has never hurt before. I’ve had some headaches over the years, but I can’t recall I’ve ever had one so severe I had to cry out aloud for pain.

After a few minutes I gave up, went back into the office, and could only think to phone Joe again. He and his wife had already got home, but he came right away, and he was able to start the car fairly easily. He offered to follow me home, so I got behind the wheel despite my headache and involuntary tears.

First thing I needed to do was turn around, I decided to drive into the approach for the car wash where I had parked on the street. I guess I wasn’t able to see clearly or what, but my right front tire jumped over a cement baricade (only about 6 inches high). Then it hung there! I couldn’t drive forward or back off.

Joe came to my rescue again and pushed and lifted on the front of the car to get off and back away. I managed to turn around in the street, and drove home. It only takes about 5 minutes.

It took about an hour with Advil and cold packs to bring down the terrible cramps in my neck. Poor Snowflake must have sensed something was wrong and hovered nearby meowing, so I picked him up and held him while I waited for the pain to abate.

The next morning I decided that I must get the car looked at, and I must go to a chiropractor. I couldn’t get the car into the auto service place until Friday morning, but I had my chiropractor appointments, one on Thursday, one on Friday and one yesterday. Turns out my thumb was out of joint, my wrist has arthritis and all my muscles up my arm and shoulders and neck were seriously knotted up. I’m suppose to have my thumb and wrist in a splint, which I plan to buy after I’ve cashed a check after 5 pm today.

The auto service place said my battery was loosing charge fast, and I should get a new battery soon. However, the car has been starting nicely over the weekend. Mind you, I’ve been plugging it in, and going out to start it 15 minutes before I want to go somewhere, to give it a chance to warm up properly.

The weather forecasters keep reassuring us that the temperatures will leave this -40 C zone soon. Maybe this week yet?