Yikes

We had some struggles, but we made it. The work that was done on the car yesterday ended up leaving a few important bolts not fully bolted. So, we lost two bolts along the way – and yes, we heard each of them – and the engine kept sounding worse the longer we drove (though it had been fine for the first few hours). But a shop took us in right away and put it up on a lift. They saw immediately that it was the bolts holding the catalytic converter in place. After the engine cooled for about an hour, they made quick work of replacing the missing bolts and tightening the one that was still there, and then we got on the road, a little over two hundred dollars poorer and more than two hours delayed. Finally, just after 9pm on the time zone we started, but 10pm where we were headed, we made it to the hotel. That’s just over twenty hours after we left home last night/this morning. Good news is that they had space for us to check in a night early and charge the same rate. Bad news is that the bed sucks. (I’m lying in it right now, and I am very doubtful that I will get much cozy-good sleep while here. Huge bummer, because that’s half the point of staying in a hotel.) Fortunately, my husband is the one who is here for the new and hard work and training, and he has already proven that he can sleep perfectly well in this bed.

God, guide us clearly and kindly in your will. Keep us safe, make us well, and make us sleep well and nourishingly each night, especially these next two weeks. Ease my husband’s fears and anxiety, please. Give him the courage and confidence to do well in all of this, and help us to be good spouses to one another all along the way. And good parents. 🙂 In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2026