I had my car in the shop last week. Routine stuff. I needed new brakes. The mechanic called me to tell me I needed new brakes. That was thoughtful of him since, when I drove the car there, I told him I needed new brakes. So he put on brake pads and charged up the air conditioner and I got my car back just in time to drive it safely to the ancestral haunts and back here.
And, this evening, we shipped my lovely bride’s car to the mechanic. Her alternator died. The mechanic is making his boat payment this month off the Smiths.
Her car died in the parking lot across the street from the office. She’d gone to pick up my bike from the bike shop, which is also right across the street. (And, hopefully, this fourth trip for bike repairs for the year has solved the continual problems.) So it was that she texted me that her car died. We tried all the things you try, and, yep, it was dead enough for 5 p.m. on a Wednesday.
Fortunately, we have a roadside assistance service with our car insurance. It’s an app, and it warns you somberly that there are delays because of staffing and just, you know, the world. So since I was already at work, and had to be in the studio tonight anyway, I said take my car and go to the house and do stuff while I stand here with your car until the truck gets here.
Josh, the tow truck driver, was a bit late, but the app kept us updated enough, and the insurance people have an automated text message system that keeps tabs on the whole thing. But the weather this evening was nice and I was standing in the shade. Standing in the shade, that is, in between going into the building to vainly work on someone’s technical problems, poking my head into the studio, fielding insurance company texts and getting updates from colleagues, anyway.
Whatever she did with her time at the house, while I sat with her car, I hope it was productive.
She will drive my car tomorrow and Friday, at least. I will be on my bike which, hopefully, works. The mechanic will drive his boat, The Smith II. I hope it’s a great one. Nothing too overpowered or ostentatious, but nice enough for him to entertain his friends. And I hope they all laugh when he explains the vessel’s name.
Eventually Josh, the tow truck driver, came along. We pushed the car into position, hoisted it up and drove it the four miles to the mechanic. You presume that’s what happens. The man was a professional, after all. And what is he going to do with yet another car that isn’t operational at the moment?
And I got in the studio to see some studio stuff. The sports crew were working tonight.
New sounds, new fonts, new students, same great content from @IUSTVsports. @IUSTV pic.twitter.com/BSTgt8kH6h
— Kenny Smith (@kennysmith) September 8, 2021
Their first shows will appear later this week and, as is customary, I’ll put them here.
Speaking of the sports crew …
Just had a great chat with my friend, and @iustv alumnus, @TilkaMichael. Always enjoy when the greats give me a call. @IUSTVsports pic.twitter.com/97wCVL63ZF
— Kenny Smith (@kennysmith) September 8, 2021
Michael is working in Iowa. News and sports in the quad cities.
And speaking of sports … this one is a high-water mark in baseball for me.
A really fine oral history, and one of those plays I was so pleased, even then, to see live, rather than in a highlight PKG.
It was also a lot of fun reading these guys here while watching the clip again to try to see each of their on-field perspectives.https://t.co/1sANnCeRFZ
— Kenny Smith (@kennysmith) September 8, 2021
Read that and watch this over and over. Every part of it gets more interesting with each recollection.
As sports oral histories, that’s one of the better ones you’ll find.
