A day off work, what would be the most pressing errand? Probably visit N, I decided. I'm going to start visiting him on different days, at various times. It is my belief (true or not) that caregivers are more responsive to patients who have concerned family.

I fueled the car and headed out onto the freeway. Traffic was really heavy and slow. Suddenly great clouds of steam or smoke started pouring out from under the hood and I could smell an acrid odor. I pulled over and stopped, just out of traffic. Not a call box in sight in either direction.

A woman behind me told me not to open the hood and a couple more women, as they passed by, asked if I had a phone.

Thank goodness for cell phones. I called 911 and said I thought I had a car fire. By the time the fire department arrived, 15 minutes later, it was obviously a problem with the cooling system. So I called AAA, and 30 after that, tow truck came to my rescue. Long time standing out in the cold.

By then I had calmed down considerably (car not going to burn up or blow up) and it was just a question of contacting everyone affected by my change of plans (the repair shop, N, B, my boss, mostly). My boss offered any assistance I might need, including borrowing his own personal car (!) and said I could take tomorrow off on vacation as I requested.

I was picked up by B and brought back home, and all is well except for what is going to be an expensive repair. But it sure beats buying a new car. Think I'll have what Sue calls a "sinking spell" for an hour or so now.

That experience was definitely different.