Airport Adventure

Yesterday morning I was up at 5am for a 6am trip to the airport.  Hauna was on her way home to the states.  She had offered me £20 and chocolate in exchange for a ride.  While waiting for her and her luggage to make it to the street I decided to put moisturizer on my dry and cracking hands.  I took off my heirloom rings and put them in what I was a safe place in the shift console in between the front seats of my car, Dolly.  With slathered hands I gingerly picked up my diamond ring, my great-grandmother's ring and then reached for the slim wedding ring that had belonged to my grandmother.   To my horror it slipped under the sliding shift panel and disappeared into the deep dark recesses of Dolly.

Hauna had arrived so there was no time to tear the console apart.  I said a silent prayer that Dolly had no holes in her undercarriage and we headed off the Edinburgh airport.  About 2 hours later, after dropping off Hauna, I parked in the closest McDonald's parking lot and began the surgery.  I discovered a phillips head screwdriver in the trunk among other inherited car gear.  As I slid the front seats back and forth trying to get at the console screws I discovered a ballpoint pen, a couple of loose coins and a dead Nokia phone that was never mine.  I proceeded to unscrew every screw I could reach.  The sturdy plastic began to give but the emergency brake was in the way.

I pulled up as hard as I could.  Still no joy.

Then I realized the shift was in the way.  Again I attacked with the screw driver.  Two small magnetized screws later I had the handle off.  Surprisingly, without the handle on it the shift stalk easily slid up and down the shift spectrum with such ease I was really glad I had the parking brake on 'extreme.'  I did occasionally think, 'Boy, I hope I can get this all back together again!'

I kept working at it but the console just would not give enough for me to see underneath.  I could get my hand in, under and/or through in about six different directions but I couldn't see what I was doing and my ring eluded me.  Finally I took the ball point pen and poked, prodded and basically cannibalized the sliding shift panel.  I wish I'd had my camera!

Eventually I did find the ring, in the console, under wires, a gum wrapper and basically coated with some substance that should be illegal.  I thanked the Lord and then looked at the carnage.  Well, if it came apart it should go back together so I started to try to reverse my steps.

After getting the shift head back on I pushed it up into park so I could release the parking brake and continue to reassemble the rest of the console.  When done I realized I'd forgotten something and again needed to move the shift.  IT WOULDN'T BUDGE!  I write this in capital letters to emphasize the panic!  I had broken Dolly!!!!  I was not the budding mechanic I was beginning to think I was.  Oh, Dear God - I am stuck in an Edinburgh McDonald's on the M8 and no one knows where I am!!!!

I said another prayer that I would find some actual mechanic in the parking lot, interrupt his breakfast and get the car fixed for free.   Hey - I believe in miracles...

Turns out the only van in the parking lot that looked promising listed, among other attributes, refrigeration on the side panel.  I knocked on the window and the very nice, obliging man agreed to come have a look.  I tried to explain the cannibalized console a bit. He asked for the keys.  I also tried to explain it wasn't the engine - it was the shift handle that was gumming up the works.  He started the engine, depressed the clutch and shifted the car. Problem solved and crisis averted. 

Welcome to the world Dumb Blond!  I felt like such an idiot!

Anyway, after a beet-red flush, a laugh and some exuberant thanks he went back to his egg wrap and coffee and I went back to reassembling the remainder of my Lego console.  In the end I had my ring back and the additional blessings of £2.41 in change, a US penny, the dead Nokia phone, a green plastic rifleman and three extra screws.  All in all it was an exciting morning!