The good folks over at Finish The Sentence Friday have come up with a beaut of a prompt this week. “The hardship I’m most thankful for …”
Of course I could natter on about the gigantic elephant in the room. That hellish hardship of my 38 year-old husband dying and leaving me to raise our 16 month-old son and three year-old daughter by myself. But no. I’m not especially thankful for that. And it’s also not in the Just TypiKel style to revisit that delight, is it? So, today I’m going to share a weensy hardship. That of the clogged solenoid.
Don’t even think about it. There will be no discourse about the purpose of a solenoid. Frankly I haven’t a clue. Should you care, may I suggest having a quick Google.
A clogged traveller lid is much more my style. I know, Just TypiKel.
I am thankful my van’s solenoid clogged because it led me to a fellow who could not have been more helpful. Ok let’s begin.
Skating on Thin Ice
Here on Canada’s west coast it is extremely rare to experience dagger icicles such as this.
This is but one of hundreds of ice and snow photos my children send me. Both are living in the part of the world where this is common a good five months of the year.
Having little access to outdoor ice here it is imperative for kids to take skating lessons in indoor rinks. When my son was two I foolishly subscribed to the belief that one is never too young to learn to skate. It was dreadful. The lessons were only 30 minutes long and involved zooming over to the ice box that was located at the other end of the rink. It was full of Zamboni shaved ice. All of the little skaters in the class shot over within two minutes and spent the rest of the lesson making lovely snowmen, snowballs and god knows what else. Except my son. Without skates he was greased lightning. However strap on a pair of skates and he aged 90 years.
Picture it. Sporting a virulent yellow jacket (what was I thinking?) he was a beaming beacon. Everyone noticed. It’s not that he kept falling, he just minced. You had to look carefully to see if he was actually moving. It took him 28 minutes to totter over to the ice box. Every. Single. Class. Just as he got there, the instructor would clap her hands and shout “See you next time!”
Classic early motherhood example. I was convinced he’d never learn to skate. In the country that is all about hockey. I’d have the one child on the sidelines as zillions of others became the next Wayne Gretzky. Isn’t that special?
On the day in question I bundled him and his sister into their impossibly voluminous snowsuits and headed for the car to take them yet again to the rink. We got half way there and the van came to a dead halt. Turned the key. Nothing. Pumped the gas pedal. Nada. Just as my two were about to burst into tears, the van roared to life and we lurched to the rink.
Not wishing a repeat performance I sought out a car guy. After extensive research online (“local auto repair shop”) two days later I found myself describing the symptoms to Al, an amused gent behind the counter of the closest local auto repair shop.
“Let’s take her for a test drive and see if we can repeat it.”
Despite being a tad reluctant as it was skating lesson Thursday I agreed.
Excellent. He had the patience of a saint. 45 minutes later we stalled on the largest hill in the neighborhood. He turned the key. Nothing. Pumped the gas pedal. Nada. Just as my two were about to burst into tears, the van roared to life and we lurched back to the shop.
“It’s the solenoid valve. I’m 90% sure. Leave it and I’ll get it checked.
We now had but 15 minutes to get to skating.
“I’ll drive ya.”
S**t. I thought we had THE best excuse to pass on today’s skating.
Seeing my disappointed face he discretely asked about the lessons and their success rate. Hearing about Mr. Slug he cocked his head and nodded. Then spent the entire rest of the drive to the rink chatting about the importance of sharp skates.
Bless ya, Al. Once we got those puppies sharpened my little guy was at the ice box in a flash.
Check out today’s finish the sentence hosts and other posts: Kristi (findingninee.com) and the sentence thinker-upper Reta Jayne Pearson (http://calculatedchaos.net/) and Vidya Sury (vidyasury.com)
Enough about me, skating on thin ice and dull blades. I’m curious about you. Ever been a bit of a nutter when it came to your kids? Are you a whiz on ice? Or are your skates in need of a sharpen? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
47 Responses
When we liked on the Cape (Cod) I took ice-skating lessons and i loved it. Then my parents moved to South Florida – bye-bye ice skating. It sucked. And I sucked t roller skating. I didn’t realize your husband was that young when he died. God Kelly, that is awful. Sh**, I’m so sorry.
Thanks, Allie. I hope you can get back to the ice. Bet you’d pick it up easily – like riding a bike!
A solenoid is a switch. It switches high voltage to lower voltage, so that the starter motor works at a lower amperage, and doesn’t get fried. When it is broken, sometimes you get ignition, and sometimes you don’t. This summer I had to replace the solenoid in my boat. Part: $27. Installed with labour: $366. Quite a bit of travelling time there to my boat!
Thanks for the info, Mikey! I remember passing an auto body shop and you zipping in to enquire if $366 was a fair price. Incredible when the part is but $27.00. May your new one last forever and beyond.
I had to Google solenoid and guess it’s like a pipe. Also, your whole experience of being a widow when you were would TOTALLY count as a hardship but I also love you for moving on from that and talking about pipes and drains and the importance of sharp skates. 🙂
LOVE YOU and thank you for again sharing one of your typikal stories that always make me smile.
Aw thanks, Kristi. Life is never dull, is it?
Solo parenting is….difficult. 🙂 You threw in such humor into it, Kelly, and I’ll bet your kids adore you! Who would have thought all that was needed was a bit of sharpening? You know, I haven’t seen snow, except on screen. Not counting the very very gentle snow spray when we visited Toronto a couple of years ago, which was gone before we could touch it. Where I live, the weather is pleasant throughout the year except during the monsoons when chunks of roads, and people, disappear.
Hugs! Thanks so much for sharing your post.
Oh how I wish Toronto had given you more than a dusting. I think I am one of the few of my age group who actually adores snow. I love it. Even the shovelling. There is potential snow in the forecast for Tuesday and I have everything crossed in hope. As for monsoons gobbling up chunks of roads and people – golly that must be quite something, Vidya. Mother Nature is truly powerful, isn’t she?
I remember going ice skating one time with my little brother. Our parents had dropped us off and we went in rented our skates. I lasted, I believe, twenty minutes. I fell down roughly fifty times! I took my skates off and sat on the sidewalk outside until my mom and dad came back to get us! Never again!
Oh nooooooo. Really, what were your parents thinking? That must have been so hellish for you, Rena. It’s a really frustrating and painful sport until you get the hang of it. And you can’t get the hang of it on the first day. Ouch.
I always thought I was MUCH better on roller skates than ice skates. Several years ago we went on a cruise ship that had an ice skating rink and I surprised myself by not falling down the entire time on the tiny rink! However, I’m not particularly motivated to try and repeat the process on a full sized rink.
Oh, Kathy this sounds like so much fun! Isn’t it the best when you stay upright the entire time? The last time I skated was last winter in my daughter’s college town. They flooded the town square and we rented skates. I was kind of dreading it. Would I fall? Would I make an ass of myself? Started off really slow and by the end of about an hour I was whizzing (for me) about. It was very odd and disconcerting to not have any walls to stop myself however I managed. Now skating on a cruise ship? Magical.
aha! Bless him for doing the above!
Sometimes when strangers pause and come your way…it makes it such a memorable event of our lives.
No doubt…you raising your toddler all by yourself would have been a very challenging situation. Bless you for your guts, courage and determination Kelly!
xoxo
Thank you, Ruchira. I took my car to to him for years. Sadly he has since retired and the chaps who took over his business are, well, much more businesslike …
I love your spirit. Cheers to strong mamas, good mechanics and sharp skates.
You made me smile. Again. Thanks for your comments. Sadly the delightful chap has retired and the fellows that took over are well… not quite the same. However, skating lesson time is over for my two so I choose to look upon this as a situation of good timing! Have a wonderful Sunday. May your timing be as equally fortuitous.
“Skating on thin ice with dull blades’ is such a perfect metaphor – don’t we all feel like we’ve done so in different stages of life? I do!
I learn so much from raising my kids as a single mom. In part of our journey together, we lived on a sailboat for five years. As we were getting used to it, it felt like every week or so something would happen with the weather or the boat that could be challenging to process, but because the kids were with me, I learned to quickly find and celebrate the blessing so at least we’d be enjoying the experience while sorting it out. Perhaps during that first year we were always on thin ice but we were so captivated by the beauty of nature around us, and by living in it, that we didn’t realize until much later how thin the ice was and how dull our skates might have been.
Yes! I so get how having the kids with you eased the way. That’s so very true. And the fact that during the early days you had no idea how thin that ice really was. Thank god, eh? There’s no time to mull, you just have to get on with it. And five years on a sailboat? What a wonderful gift to give your children. They are indeed blessed to have you as their mom.
Kelly, you are lucky to find so many helpful and caring people in your life. Al, your next door neighbor who helped you with the mailbox — it seems like you manage to attract a lot of the goodness in this world. Good on you!
I hope that Al managed to fix the solenoid, and get the van to be more reliable and that your son now thoroughly enjoys ice skating!
Oh you and your lovely memory, Anna. Thank you for always remembering bits of my blurbs. I am lucky to find so many helpful and caring people in my life. I now think of you as part of that group. Truly. Yes, he did fix the solenoid and the van gave us hundreds of miles of adventures. I’m sad to say that Al has now retired and his outfit was bought by a group that focusses on business not skating advice. Ah well. I see it as an opportunity to search out another Al. He’s out there, I’m certain.
Snow and ice for FIVE MONTHS?!?! *shudders* Oh no, that would not do at ALL!
I’ve been ice-skating. I like it, and I don’t suck at it, but it’s SO COLD!
Oh I know! Last winter I rented skates and went skating on my daughter’s college town rink. Man alive. I was leery of the delight that meant no walls to stop my spasmodic and uncontrollable lurches. However, I ended up having a hoot. It was cold, ok, very cold however the layers and layers of sweaters and t-shirts and a down filled jacket did help. But 5 months of cold, ice and snow? No. That would not do at ALL.
I love the way you always manage to focus on the positive! Your posts are always so uplifting and such a joy to read.
I remember skating as a kid. We “earned” pom-poms for our skates for making it all the way around the rink the first time without hanging on or falling down, but that’s about as good as I ever got. My kids love it, though, and their dad is a former hockey player, so at least they have one parent who is able to teach them.
Your husband played hockey? Wow – a built in teacher. That is so cool. You had me smiling when I read the bit about the pom-poms. Such a clever idea. I can see them bouncing about as people skated. Thanks for you kind words. I do appreciate them.
OH Kelly- I just LOVE this story you chose. Good ol’ Al… such a guy to be grateful for indeed!
Car fixed. Skates sharpened.
Although my heart sunk in the beginning of your post, as I was reminded of your greatest hardship. You are such an inspiration to me. <3
Aw thank you, Chris. Truly. And I am sorry to report that Al has retired! Good thing my son learned to skate or we’d be hooped.
It’s been far too long since I’ve read here – this just made me laugh out loud. (Because yes, I’m a total Nutter where my Daughter is concerned.) But seriously – Sporting a virulent yellow jacket… has to be about the funniest thing ever. Virulent! Few people even use it, never mind to describe a jacket. Love it! And having the only non-skater in the country of hockey? That would most assuredly be my luck! You have a tremendous gift for seeing the practical humor in life’s insanity. Great post!
And sharp blades – who knew? Clearly, I am not a skater, either…
Oh Lisa – thank you. I neglected to include the delightful vignette of overhearing one mom tell a fellow “yes, my daughter is in skating lessons but I rarely watch her. I’m mesmerized by that vision in yellow. Look at him. He doesn’t appear to be moving and I always hold my breath in hopes that he makes it to the snow box before the class ends …”
Oh that’s priceless! KInd of like when my kid is by FAR the loudest in karate class and some unsuspecting fellow karate mom says “wow, that little girl is really loud…” Yup, that’s my girl! 😀
Oh yes! Right there with you. One day I’ll have to share the delight of my son fooling around in the pool and spitting water like a fountain. “Whose horrid son is that?” pipes up the woman beside me …
Surprised you didn’t introduce him to curling first, Kelly :-). Being in Canada and all. No need for sharp skates there, just swift brooms. It’s funny how great insight can come from the most unexpected places, isn’t it? Glad your little guy rocketed with such a simple tip.
Absolutely brilliant line, Nanette. Love it. And yes, silly me. Just swift brooms required.
I’ve actually never been on skates, and neither have my kids. It’s not a big thing here. I think there are a total of two ice rinks in town, and hard for hockey teams to get ice time.
I did, however, get both kids up on skis by the time they were out of diapers. For a couple of years there, no one enjoyed ski trips. There was a lot of whining, wet clothes,
Ah yes, the delight of the endless whining and those wet clothes. Been there, done that. It was such a treat to get them stuffed into their clothes, on the skis and finally up the hill only to hear them say “I have to go to the bathroom …”
Another excellent installment in, well, your life! I spent way too much time trying to get my kids to swim when they were infants, toddlers, and wee ones. REally neither was ready til around 5-6. My son is still traumatized from being dunked as a toddler. Oh well. They both can swim to shore if the boat goes down now, so I’m thankful for that!
The things we learn as we look back, right Katy. It seemed SO important at the time. If only we could have had a fast forward button that would allow us to see there WILL come a day when both would be capable of swimming to shore if the boat goes down. Would have saved a lot of sleepless nights I’m thinking.
You are a good storyteller, Kelly. This is made apparent too as I had to scroll through tons of comments to get down to the bottom to make one myself. I love skating. It is one of the few winter things I enjoy here in MN.
Thank you, Amy. Sorry it took me so long to comment back. I hope your winter isn’t quite as harsh as last year and that you do manage to lace on the skates as often as possible!
I loved roller skating as a kid and teen, but ice skating required too much balance and grace for me. And it’s cold! I don’t really do cold weather sports. I went roller skating with my daughter about five years ago…I was not as good as I remembered. Which could mean that I was never very good, or my balance has gotten even worse as I have aged. It probably means a little of both!
Roller skating! How fun. It used to be a big deal here apparently. Several of my friends met their husbands roller skating. I’m dreadful at it and the ice skating isn’t that much better. However, I have to say that Zumba has improved my balance of late. Maybe give it a try?
I asked my son what a solenoid is and he laughed at me. Thinks he’s so smart, that one. Both of my boys learned to ice skate at the same time. Older son took to it right away, and thus began a long career of ice hockey, until he aged out at 19. Younger son looked at me like I was crazy for dragging him there each week. He still hates skating to this day!
Oh that’s funny – on both the solenoid and skating skill disparity fronts. You’re lucky he was number two. So is he. I bet your attitude was way more understanding and wise.
This reminds me that I have to take my car for oil change and that my kids don’t know how to ice-skate!! 😛
Well, I never really knew that sharp skates made all the difference but it makes perfect sense!! Good ol’ Al!!
LOL – from the mouth of unexpected sources comes great wisdom. I’m definitely not a skater, although if I were one, I’d probably opt for dull moving-an-inch-an-minute blades. Sharp ones sound very dangerous, and likely to cause sliced off fingers as I gracefully attempt to get up from my lastest sprawl.
Oh I hear ya, Deborah. Lately I’ve been renting boys skates as they don’t have the sharp pick on the end. I’d fall splat in a trice with those. Guaranteed.
I remember reading this last month, but didn’t get to leave a comment. I am spending some enjoyable moments surfing your blog and getting caught up on what I have missed! What a nice car repair person!
Thanks for stopping by for a wee visit, Susan. Yes, he was such a lovely man. The last time I remember having a lengthy chat with him was about how he was volunteering rinkside at the hockey events for 2010 Olympics. Can’t believe it is already almost 6 years ago now. Time is rushing by.