Thursday, April 20, 2006

Things you can't explain

About two weeks ago, I’m driving home from work in the rain. The windshield wipers are going, and I’m listening to the radio.

Suddenly, I hear this weird “bloop, bloop, bloop” noise. Not knowing what the hell it was, I turned down the volume on the radio to see if I could get a better listen, figure it out. G-d knows I don't want to have to put any more money into my car right now.

But then, the noise is gone.

So, I go to turn the volume back up on my radio, but… wait. Nothing. There's no volume. The radio is still on, but nothing’s coming out of the speakers. I switch over to the CD player. Still... nothing.

Now I’m cursing and sort of smashing at the buttons and stuff a bit.

I’m completely addicted to music, and I especially need music when I drive. I’ve just left the office, so I’ve still got at least a good 30 minutes in the rain before I get home.

But still… there's nothing. Dead silence. Crap. Maybe I can drive listening to my Nano. Yeah, it's a little dangerous, but hell... I. NEED. MUSIC.

After I get home, I call to speak to the boysies, and I ask B if he has any idea what could’ve happened.

“Maybe a fuse? Why don’t I take a look at it tomorrow when we’re at soccer.”

“A'ight.”

Well, he can’t figure it out any more than I can. Monday I give my mechanic a call (yes, I drove around most of the weekend with the Nano in my ears.) This happened last week, so I’m leaving for NYC on Friday. I needed an oil change before I drove the 450 mile round trip anyway, maybe they can figure it out while I'm there. I make a plan to bring it in on Tuesday after work, before my first therapy appointment.

(Just as an aside, I absolutely adore my mechanic and his staff. They have really gone out of their way to take care of me; help me out. I bought the car I drive now from one of his other customers, and my mechanic helped me get an amazing deal. I don’t know if I know of a more honest man.)

Anyhoo, I get down there Tuesday night and it’s just Johnny who’s left waiting for me. He knows my car like the back of his hand, so he gets started on the oil and we start talking about the radio issues. He pulls the whole thing out, takes apart the speaker in the door… still nothing! I’m starting to freak out because there’s no way I can drive to NYC and back with no music AND the boysies in the car. I’ll go nuts. Johnny promises to do some research and I make a plan to come back Friday morning before we head to NYC.

Later that night I’m driving home from my therapy appointment. All of a sudden I think I’m hearing voices (yeah, I know how that sounds!) I do know I’m hearing something… I just can’t figure out what it is.

Then, out of nowhere, the radio pops on.

I start smiling. Grinning ear to ear. Singing along (it was a good song too.)

Then 30 seconds later, it’s gone… it just stops working again. What the fuck? No fucking way!! This is not fair!!!

My radio is mocking me.

This proceeds to happen another three times in the next two days, each time the radio staying on for just a little bit longer so that I get excited, and then it goes away again.

Thursday: I run out of the office at lunchtime to grab cash and fill the car up with gas for our trip. I pull out of the gas station and all of a sudden, there it is again… radio on.

Okay, how long are you gonna play with me this time? C’mon… I’m not buying it. You’re gonna go off again, it’s just a question of when.

But I get back to the office and the radio is still working. I leave work that evening; the radio turns on with the car. Now I’m driving… still working. I’m not sure what to think. Meanwhile, I’m supposed to bring it into the shop again in the morning, but do I really have to? I call Johnny.

“Okay, the radio… it’s totally possessed. Can you hear that? It’s now been on for over half an hour. And you know if I don’t come see you in the morning, it’ll probably stop working halfway to NYC. But, I really don’t want to have to come down there in the morning if I don’t have to…”

“Well, if it stops working again, slam the door. Sometimes that works to get it going again. And good luck to you. Godspeed.”

Well, it’s a week today and it’s still working. Maybe the devil decided to possess something else for a while…

Can’t wait to find out what that will be.

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