When the shop opened, I called, and talked to someone who put me on hold while he looked up my estimate. After a few minutes someone else picked up and did not seem to have any idea about anything, so I asked for an estimate for a timing belt, knock sensor, AC discharge hose, and power steering hose. He took my number, said that he would call me back, but never did.
Men!
I reserved a car, but canceled because I have not seen my credit card since I first received it. I check my balance every day, nobody is using it, I just cannot rent a car, so I asked a friend to drive me, except that she wanted to discuss it at 1:30am, when she was at work, and then at 6:30am, when she got off work.
The shop did not open until eight!
We met up somewhere for breakfast and I kept thinking about the Pep Boys across the street, so I called while we waited for our orders and I dropped off my car. The young lady seemed nice, although she seemed to question the prices from my previous shop, as well as some of their practices. She called me back in the early afternoon with the following update:
The timing belt was progressing well.
I actually had two leaking power steering hoses, a couple of hundred each, so I told her that I would leave it.
The knock sensor was actually performing within specified parameters--my engine was knocking! Her manager got on the phone and explained that a three-stage (de-carbon?) engine treatment usually fixed knocks.
She actually kept saying that the AC hose could wait. I think that she wanted me to have my car back after replacing the timing belt and fixing the knock.
What is frustrating is that I decided to have a professional fix my car so that I could study.
I spent the morning taking care of my car, then my mom drove me to my sister's, where my nephew had his second or third birthday party. I just wanted to see my parents. Then I drove my niece and nephew to the airport to see my other sister, who had a layover in Phoenix. I dropped off each kid, pulled my bike out of my sister's garage(!), drove home, and a friend came over for cake and ice cream for her birthday.
All of those things are very good, but I need to work very hard to improve my grades. I already started off poorly!