My Sunday Best

Last Sunday I went to a new church. It was nice and very different from what I've known. I've done big Baptist, tiny Baptist, and biggish Presbyterian. This is small (and less so when school starts back) and Christian Church. I will go back again tomorrow to decide how I feel for sure.

After church I went to a scrap yard with my car with the broken window. I was nervous. I took all of my tools in a cute hat box. I forgot to bring a t-shirt, so I was wearing the American Apparel body suit I had on under my church dress and jeans. I was there for a while before I realized I should take off my jewelry and the flower in my hair. There was nothing to be done about the make-up. I paid my admission fee, walked around, walked back out to get a list of cars with compatible windows and to go to the convenient store for work gloves, water, and cash to pay anyone who would help me out.

In the parking lot, a man asked me if I had someone to pull the part for me. "No but I guess I'll learn if I have to." (When I arrived men asked me good-naturedly if I worked on cars. I told them too that I was about to learn. They said to ask them if I had any questions, but they were leaving.) This man in the parking lot wanted to help me for a few dollars but he had his nephew. "There'll be plenty of guys inside who'll pull it for $10, $15," he told me helpfully.

I went back into the yard and arbitrarily chose a car with a window that should fit mine. I took my time beginning to take off the panel. Studied each part before I removed it. Drank my water. Soon, a couple of Hispanic men (I only mention that they were Hispanic because I had recently discussed how the lack of diversity was unsettling: this land is black and white, with a couple of Indian families thrown in for good measure) noticed my slow progress and asked if I needed help. I wasn't going to refuse. They were less gentle. Pried the door panel off. Worked the glass out. They warned me that because of the way the door panel was bolted in, I would need a professional to install it in my car. I told them that I:

1. Couldn't afford a professional and
2. Drove a slightly different car that would hopefully be less complicated.

They shrugged their shoulders, wished me luck, and refused to accept the money I offered them.

Triumphantly, I took the window, paid for it, and placed it in my car. I attempted to begin installing it in the parking lot, truthfully hoping another Good Samaritan or Good Businessman would come to my aid. But things were not looking good. I was struggling with my door panel and starting to get hungry, so I packed it up and went home.

After a meal and changing into my cowgirl clothes, I went back to work. It was hard work getting the panel off; there were many little oddities and secrets and mysteries that appeared...but I finally got it off. Getting the new window installed was then a whole new challenge. I almost quit for the day before I even started trying to get the window in, worried the men might be right, but I decided to give it a go. At first it seemed like I wouldn't be able to slide it in at all but after a couple of tries, it slipped right through. Then I worried that I wouldn't be able to get the mechanism that raises and lowers it onto the track. A little patience and even that happened...sort of. The window isn't settled in quite right but after hours of work, I knew it was time to call it a day. So I will work on it some more, see if I can't get it to roll up and down smoothly but I felt pretty accomplished. I still feel accomplished. The door panel is also still detached. I'd planned on fixing it today but why do today what I can put off until tomorrow or next week?