Big Day tomorrow

The air conditioner in my car gave up the ghost last year. It had actually died the year before, but we figured after 9 years of service, maybe it was just due for a recharge. The recharge did not last through the Winter, however, and by the hottest part of the Summer the air conditioner was little more than a circulating fan.

OK, fair enough. I wasn't planning to keep the car much longer, so it hardly seemed worthwhile to replace the air conditioner. I got by without it just fine.

Until last Sunday, when the fan motor died.

I took the car in to get this checked out last Wednesday. They diagnosed the problem, told me how much it would cost to fix, and ordered the parts. The repair is very expensive, but, dammit, I can't arrive at my next job interview (whenever that may be) drenched in sweat. It's the cost of doing business.

Unfortunately, the repair is scheduled for 2:00 tomorrow. This is unfortunate because my calls to heads of Quality Assurance departments begin tomorrow at 1:30. Odds are I'll just be talking to voice mails, but, dammit, I committed myself to make these calls at 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, and 3:00. I can't not make them.

OK, easy enough. My mom and I will head up in two cars earlier in the day, I'll drop off mine, we'll drive home, I'll make my calls, and then we'll drive back up later in the day to pick up the car.

Except my mom just had to schedule emergency dental work for 11:30 tomorrow.

Now things get more complicated. My car is getting worked on at a place north of Scranton; my mom is having her dental work done just outside of Dallas. The car place is about 35 miles away, the dental office is about 25 miles away, and the two places are about 45 miles apart.

So here's the plan: Early tomorrow, armed with my phone, my calling list, and my script, we will head off to the car place. We will drop my car off and then head for the dentist's in my mother's car. If need be, I will begin making my calls from the car; otherwise, we will head home after the dental visit, and I will make the calls from there (but on my cell phone). Afterwards we will go to pick up my car and part with a significant fraction of my cash reserves.

Lower-priority calls are scheduled tomorrow so I can screw up with the longer-shot companies, and have the routine down for the high-priority companies the next day. We'll see how this goes.