Becky's Big Adventure - Long story, in full.

It all started last summer when we got a letter from Honda, Safety Recall: Driver's Airbag Inflator.

Then it promptly ended, or was postponed for a few months (8 months), because I miss placed the letter and forgot all about it.

Over the past few months I have been working on decluttering, organizing, paring down, and just trying to get rid of pounds of junk...mostly paper. I think I'll post about that adventure some other day. But, this is how the Big Adventure resumed....I found the letter.

This is the most unsettling part of the letter, "In some vehicles, the driver's airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure. If an affected airbag deploys, the increased internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. Metal fragments could pass through the airbag cushion material, possibly causing an injury or fatality to vehicle occupants."

Upon finding the letter, reading it and then having Nathan read it, I asked, "So, what do you think? Should we make an appointment to get this fixed?"

He responded, matter of factly, "YEAH!"

I responded, realizing it was a silly question, "YEAH! WE SHOULD!"

So, I called (I'm the caller in the family) and made an appointment (I'm also the appointment maker and keeper, so it all works out.)

The BIG adventure part came when I agreed to the appointed time of 7:00AM, Tuesday April 6th.

7:00AM - WHY!?!? "So, early, could we get some coffee or somesing." (Name that movie! Somesing is not spelled wrong...that's your hint!)

TUESDAY! - I have Reba on Tuesdays (that is the cutie pie I take care twice a week). And she comes at 7:45!

Even so, I was determined to pull this adventure off. After all I am an appointment keeper. And the dealership has a complimentary shuttle service, so no problem!

I wrote down the address the day I made the appointment. 2770 Yankee Hill Rd. But, too bad I thought it was Pine Lake Rd and spent 20 minutes driving up and down the 27th block of Pine Lake Rd (good think I had left extra early, just in case) thinking, "Come on! I can't be missing a Honda Dealership. TONS of cars. Big bright dealership lights! Where is it!?!?!"

After trying to call the dealership 4-5 times, to confirm the address, with no answer because it wasn't 7:00 yet, I finally busted my calendar book out to text Nathan and have him look up the address. As I fingered in "Nathan could you look up the dealership address? I have 2770 Pine L...." Then I realized I was on the wrong street!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!

So, I busted south another couple of blocks to Yankee Hill and BAM! There it was, right where it said it would be! I'm such a cotton headed ninny muggins!

Now, may I just say, the dealership personnel were exceptional! I felt like royalty.

Mark asked me if I needed a shuttle ride and I said, "Yes." Told him my destination. Then he asked if I would need a shuttle ride to come pick my car up? I said, "Yes, but I will have two kids in car seats with me. Is that ok?" He said, "Not a problem."

They did worry me a little when they had me (and Marley's car seat), along with a lot of other anxious people, waiting in a waiting area for the shuttle to be ready to go. People were anxious because they had jobs to get to, appointments to keep, and babies to be cuddled (that's me!).

Carl finally came in at about 7:20 and called four people's names...I was the second one called. Hallelujah! I didn't know it at the time but the order in which he called us was the order in which we would be dropped off at our destination. Two ladies were instructed to sit in the very back. Myself and a gentleman were left to fight over the front seat. The gentleman asked, "Would you like the front seat?" And I said, "Oh no. You go ahead." And then I climbed into the middle of the van.

Back story (just for a minute!). Before I left for the dealership I debated on whether I should take my book with me or not. I thought, "No, I won't be waiting long, I gotta get home." Then I thought, "What about the shuttle ride?" But, then I talked myself out of taking it because what if the shuttle driver was chatty and then I'd be longing for my book while stuck listening to the chatter box. So, I left my book.

End back story (thank you). The shuttle ride was dead silent. I shouldn't say "dead" because we all made it to our destinations fine. But, my first thought was, "I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY BOOK!!!!" My second thought was, "I feel like I'm in The Cash Cab! Except the driver is not asking questions. Though I wish he was. And the driver is not Ben Bailey. I LOVE BEN BAILEY!!! I love Cash Cab! Oooo! I wish they were giving me a bunch of money when drop me off too!"

LPS lady (Lincoln Public Schools) was dropped off first. Then me...and I made it home a few minutes before 7:45 and before Reba and her mom got here.

When Carl dropped me off he asked again, "Do you need a ride later?" Me: "Yes, and I will have two kids with car seats with me." Carl: "Uhhh. Ok."

At exactly 9:30 (MUCH faster than I thought it would take) I got a call from Mark. Arrangements were made for the shuttle to pick us up at 10.

Reba was asleep in my arms having just eaten. I put her in her car seat and she didn't even wake up...awesome! Then I helped Marley get ready. She was really excited to have her car seat in the house for a couple of hours. I explained that we were going to ride in someone else's van and asked if she could be a good girl the whole ride. Marley nodded her head: "Goo girl. Goo girl." She wanted to take her baby and backpack and I let her.

Carl came and I busted Marley and her car seat out to the van. Then I busted back into the apartment to retrieve the sleeping babe. By the time I had them all strapped in I was sweaty.

Carl made one abrupt stop and sent Marley's baby and back pack flying. She kept saying, "Ut oh! Ut oh!" Me: "We'll get it when we get there. She's ok. The baby is not crying." The Ut ohs were escalating. Carl offered to pull over so I could get out and get her baby. I said, "Sure! If you have time!" He said, "Well it was my fault."

Carl was a VERY nice, VERY cute old man. We had such a nice talk. He worked at the flour mill in north Lincoln for 44 YEARS!!! He has been driving for Honda for 6 years. He has two sons. One joined the air force, went East, got married and never returned and Carl never gets to see his grandchildren. His other son, 44 (the younger of the two) just got married about a year ago. A woman broke his heart when he was in his 20's and he swore off the whole lot. But, he finally found a good one. Carl pointed out the street that he lives on. He and his wife have lived there for 8 years. Before they moved there, whenever he would drive on that street he would always admire this one house and one day he bought that house! He seemed humbly proud of that...and I was impressed. Carl is such a nice man. I wish I could get rides from him everyday!

When we got to the dealership he personally helped me by taking my paper work to the cashier while I unhooked and unstrapped. Showed me where I could leave Marley's car seat while I checked out. He asked if I would like them to pull my car into the garage. YES!!! He asked if I minded if he did it himself. NO!!! So so so nice.

After clicking Reba in and wrastling Marley's car seat back into the Black Pearl...and then wrastling her back into the car seat, I was once again all sweaty.

That big adventure made me feel accomplished. We did it! The Honda Dealership technicians, Mark, Carl, Marley, Reba and me! Phew!!!

(sorry so very long...but I didn't want you to miss a moment of the adventure. thank you for reading!)

Thank you Honda for fixing the Black Pearl. Yo Ho!