Misadventures of my Car Battery

Last night my car wouldn't start. The battery has been having issues lately. So we trickle-charged it overnight. A night in which I got approximately 2 hours of sleep, I assume due to the anxiety about the possibility of sleeping through my alarm for 3:45. This morning, at 4:15 am, the car started perfectly. So my sister and I, and our dogs, and our friend headed off to the airport. We dropped her off at 5:30, and it being a Sunday morning, nothing was open except McDonald's drive-through. So we hit up the drive-through for breakfast, and then parked in the darkest corner of the parking lot and slept in the car for a while. We woke up about 7:30, started the car (just fine), and headed over to the nearest Starbucks. We grabbed our coffees and found a park to walk the dogs around for a bit. After the dog walk (Radar doesn't last long in -13, even with a coat and boots, and I didn't bring the right coat for her), we headed over to Cabela's to wait for them to open. We got there about 8:30 am. We sat for about 10 minutes with, I thought anyway, the car turned off. Then I started to realize that after a bottle of water, orange juice from McD's, and coffee, I really needed to pee. So, I tried to start the car. It wouldn't start. Turns out that I hadn't turned the key all the way off, I'd just turned it back to the very first click. So the heated seats were still on. DEAD BATTERY.

"Great timing, idiot!" says my bladder.

So we call AMA, they say they'll be there to boost me sometime between 9:00 and 9:45. Of course, because my bladder is already stressed, they didn't make it until 9:45.

My hope is that the guy coming will just be bringing a new battery that he can sell me on the spot and we'll be done. Nope, apparently, that's not quite how they do it anymore. So he boosted me, tested my alternator said "Don't turn the car off until you either get home or are ready to replace the battery. Or, call AMA again, ask for Battery Service, and they'll come out and replace it for you."

Well, leaving the car running doesn't exactly bode well for running errands around Edmonton before heading home.

So first we rushed over to the Canadian Tire next door to use their washroom since Cabela's wasn't open yet. While I waited in the car I called AMA and asked for Battery Service to come and replace my battery. Then my sister sat in the running car while I used the facilities, and back we rushed to Cabela's to wait for the battery service guy.

Luckily, Cabela's had finally opened. I had to go in and exchange Radar's coat for a different size, so at least we had something to do while we waited. He showed up pretty quick, swapped out my old battery for a new one, with a better warranty, and sent me on my way.

He was funny, friendly, and helpful, and made the whole experience way less frustrating than it could have been.

So that's the story of how Briana drove to Edmonton to buy a new car battery from the back of a truck in a parking lot... And take her friend to the airport, and exchange an item at a store, and visit a few pet stores... But it sounds funnier and more ridiculous if you leave the other errands out.

On that note, with only 3-4 hours of sleep in the last 36 hours, I’m going to bed now and hopefully I sleep until like 10 tomorrow.