Update to yesterday’s blog, “One Step Forward, Two Back“. Lucy needed a new battery after all.

Hoping to drive to Nimes to deal with my lost phone at SFR, I went to the parking garage to pick up Lucy. Soon I discovered the battery was dead … again. I walked upstairs to ask for help from the garage attendant. Now that I have my own battery cables the garage was supposedly able to give Lucy a jump if, when, I needed it.

The manager of the garage said the attendant would be right down. Or maybe that’s not what she said at all.

Maybe the manager really said “he’ll be down sometime today.”

Darn that I can’t understand when they speak French.

Anyway, while spending quality time with Lucy in the garage, I was rummaging around and … I found my cellphone! It had fallen between the front seat onto the floor in the back, under the seat.

Elated that I had my phone, I didn’t have to buy a new one, and I didn’t have to drive to Nimes, I spent a moment rejoicing.

Soon the reality that I was still stuck in the garage hit me again. By that time I had tried to flag down every car that drove by me. Lucy’s hood was open and there I was, sweaty from head to toe. No one stopped.

For almost an hour I stood in the sweltering underground lot waiting for the garage truck to pull up. No one stopped to help even though it’s hard to believe they could miss my distress signals.

In the defense of many who passed, it was market day in Uzes. That means most of the cars were driven by women. I wouldn’t have known how to help if I stopped either.

Then, to my delight and amazement, my real estate agent, David appeared.  Sadly for him he had come to the garage to pick up his car.

In case you’ve forgotten, he’s the one that I trapped the day before when he was coming out of his office. He filled out the papers for my car registration when I bribed him with a cafe noir.

Here he is after wrestling to get the plastic cover off the battery. 

The photo captured him just after he muttered something like “—- French cars!”

David had Lucy started in just moments after masterfully connecting the cables between our cars,

So…. to wrap up what I accomplished during the week …. pretty much nothing. Except the nice lady in the Marie did get the papers to register my car and Lucy has a new battery. All the escapades surrounding the lost/stolen phone were a waste of time.

Heroes of the week

A friend once asked how I was able to get people to do stuff for me. To that my reply was:

“People always want to help. You just have to ask.”

Heroes have been with me this year, through thick and thin. With friends like these, life in France is easier than it could be. And a lot more fun.

Geoffrey 

Geoffrey – For putting up with my antics. For dealing with the trash company about the dumpster. For rescuing me at the garage the first time. For being my translator at the police station and driving with me to Nimes to report the “stolen” phone to SFR, and for loaning me a phone to use.

JJ 

JJ – For rescuing me at the garage the second time. For taking me to Carrefour to buy battery cables and a charger. For spending the afternoon dealing with me and charging the car at his home.

David

David – A little worn from the whole experience, he promised I wouldn’t get a letter from Fonzia telling me my apartment lease has been revoked because they couldn’t deal with “Deborah.”

 I love these guys!