whoops

Success is not measured only by your ability to accomplish something but also by how you go about doing it.  Once upon a time success for me was achieving a goal on my own in the fewest steps, with little (if any) assistance, and as quickly as possible.  Then I learned that not all things done quickly are efficient, independence can be a sign of pride (and therefore a precursor to falling), and few steps can also mean skipping important details.  In addition to these details, it is not nearly as much fun, or as much of an adventure to do things by myself, and we all know how I feel about adventure.

Today my friend Bernie called and mentioned that her headlight was out and she was going to ask one of her brothers to help her replace it.  Before I realized I had done it, I volunteered my warm, quiet, respectably boring, (did I mention humiliatingly healthy) evening by the fire in for helping Bernie fix her new minivan.  She asked if I knew how to replace a headlight and I chuckled that I had seen it done once... eighteen months ago... on  my PT Cruiser and not on a mini van.  Needless to say I left out most, if not all, of those details.  I quickly checked with Tio if he was willing to be my backup plan if I found myself in over my head, and then volunteered us both for the job.  Little did Bernie know what I was getting all three of us into... did I mention that she loves me- and as a result she does not mind when I drag her along for little adventures occasionally?  All I can say is that at least this time it did not involve a bog monster- don't ask.

So out to the minivan, in the dark she and I went, alternating holding her ten-month-old, the flashlight, and a screwdriver.  Hmmmmm... hmmmm... hmmmmm.... next time I should bring a step-stool.  Finally I managed to loosen a dark, plastic piece that bore a striking resemblance to the top of an apple juice carton that protected the light from water.  About two minutes later I realized it was the wrong light.  Note to self: next time double check that I am removing the right light.  To be fair, there were three lights on each side, and I only managed to remove the plastic water protector piece from one of the front lights, and not the turn signal.  Now I feel stupid.  After five minutes of fumbling around in the dark (largely because I am not quite tall enough to see that part) I put it back and realized that I could not get to the right piece because of several superficial, aesthetic pieces covering the engine and at least one metal piece that served a purpose, but I could not tell you what that purpose was other than giving me a headache, and so we called on Steven.  Steven came out and looked at it for a few minutes and said, "I doe know... to the INTERNET!" I stifled a laugh and grinned like an idiot as I thought, "and all the kings horses and all the kings men, could not put Bernie's car together again.  To the Internet Tonto."

Fifteen minutes later we took apart part of the engine.  Okay, we took apart part of the plastic facade and part of the front light.  Okay, Tio took apart part of the plastic facade with plastic bolts and screws and the front light and I helped, but it was worth it.  Ten minutes after that we managed to get the juice cap off and after several attempts we pulled out what I think was a mangled paper clip and the mutinous light bulb.  Ahahahahaha, success!  Then we pulled out the light bulb that Bernie had already purchased (with the help of several Wally world employees) and got ready to replace it.  Three seconds later we realized it was not going to fit and we had the wrong light bulb.  So off to the store we went- Bernie, baby, Bennie, and me.

Baby, gracefully fell asleep three seconds later.  Also worthy of note- I used to think that people who went out in public wearing visible sweatshirts under over-sized denim jackets looked stupid.  Today I realized that there is nothing stupid looking about being warm.  Into the Wally world we marched, returned the wrong light, got the new light (with no help, I might add), juggling baby, old light, and new light, and were out again in ten minutes flat.  Tee-hee-hee.

Then we returned home and put the car back together again, only forgetting to put one piece back (and therefore having to backtrack a few screws) once, and only scratching our head wondering what happened to two of the plastic screws for a few minutes.  Then we were all done and I was very happy, not because the job was done, but because for some, success is the reward of accomplishment.  I did not manage to fix it by myself, but I got to help and that is worth far more than a two minute, quick fix, efficiently effective could ever be.  For the record, we decided that the missing pieces were never there to begin with as both the nuts and bolts disappeared in the process.  I might accept that it was possible that we could have misplaced one or two things in the process, but not two of each evenly.  After all, even the gremlins do not take things in pairs.