Wednesday the 11th

My 84 year old neighbor Jim was telling me yesterday what all happened to him on Wednesday the 11th (two days before Friday the 13th).

He and his wife were out shopping and his car quit - it had no power whatsoever. A lady in a brand new, “and I mean brand new” (Jim’s quote) showed up and volunteered to help get him started with booster cables which he took her up on.

Then they went down a main street and in a turn lane of another main street the car went dead again. Then, several people came by hollering at him to move his car out of the way and turn on his emergency light. He couldn’t turn on the emergency blinking lights – he had no power what-so-ever.

His wife called Jim’s brother older brother who lives nearby. His brother and his wife came and the brother got out and directed traffic around them.

Finally he had it hauled to a place that works on cars. The next morning they called him and told him it was the alternator, which had to be replaced and a new battery which was ruined by the bad alternator.

But, back up to that evening: His brother lent him their Lincoln. They took it home, drove in the driveway and Jim turned around to his wife and asked for the garage door opener remote. She said she thought he got it from the car and he thought she got it. Not only did they leave their means of getting into the house in the car but also his wife’s pocketbook.

He took a ladder and propped it against the house at a carport window and climbed in.

There is a bank there, Jim would have had to put the ladder on a slope and hope for the best. We were not at home or I could have helped.

Jim had to break into his own house.

About the same time: When Jim’s brother and his wife got home his wife went out in the back yard to do a little yard work before dark. The brother, inside, felt he was having a heart attack – maybe from doing the traffic directing. He called 911 but didn’t tell his wife - she was outside and he didn't want to deal with the steps I suppose.

So, his wife is outside piddling around and up drives ambulances, rescue units, fire trucks, and whoever else goes on 911 calls.

Bottom line is that he was rushed to the hospital and he was right, he had a heart attack. But they must have did whatever needed to be done. The ran a catheter and installed a little balloon and he was sent home on Friday the 13th.

All's well that ends well.