It is a 1981 Mercedes Benz, SD 300 Turbo Diesel with only 113,000 miles
on it. It turns out that the man I bought it from is another friend of
mines ex room mate. But that is another story, this is a story that involves
three Melissa's.
A few days after I bought this fabulous car (which is a burnt orange color,
drives extremely fast and can run on Bio-diesel instead of gasoline) I noticed
a slow leak in the right front tire. The tire would get droopy over night.
Most people would go the service station and get the tire plugged, or a
new valve put in. I chose to put air in the tire daily, sometimes more than once.
I would wake up and drive to the local Wintergreen Grocer air compressor which
cost a quarter and put air in the tire. Some days when I had not been quite on
top of gathering air, my tire would be flat and I would have to come up with a
different plan. Sometimes that involved using my next door neighbors very nice air compressor. My neighbor, Neal, is a very thoughtful and careful car owner. Using his compressor would include the shame I carried with me because I had not taken the time and money to just go and have my tire fixed.
Luckily, I have some other friends named Stephanie and James who think my car maintenance problems are endearing in some way and I know they do not judge me for my ridiculous time and cost saving measures. Stephanie and James also happened to have a very small portable air compressor that they said I could use any time. When they said "anytime" I took them at their word, of course, knowing their generous nature. For many days I simply would drive to their house (about 1/4 mile away) and take the compressor
from their van and use it on my tire. One day I took the compressor with me, but a few days later they had a flat and needed it back. And so the borrowing continued. I have had the compressor for about one week.
Today, my good friend and manager at the winery where I work (Her
name is Melissa, I call her Sweet Melissa, because she has a business named that and I know many Melissa's) called me to come to work because the winery was unexpectedly busy. My son and his pet lamb and my daughters dog and my older son's best friend all jumped
into my car-My youngest son, Ammon and his pet lamb Timothy needed to get
to Herb's birthday party. Herb is the son of my dear friend Melissa who I have known for 15 years. My daughter, Fiona, has a dog which is a half pug and half chihuahua. His name is Ducky and he usually goes to work with
me at the winery. Jack, My eldest son Rourke's best friend, (no photo) just happened to be hanging around waiting for Rourke to get off of work. He needed to get somewhere that simply wasn't my house. So we all jumped into the new , old Mercedes and took off. I commented that the tire was low and I needed to put air into it. Jack, requested, in a an direct way that I put the air into the tire AFTER I dropped him off. I agreed. After depositing Jack at a house which showed promise of other teenagers I drove to the barn so Ammon could pick up Timothy (the Lamb shown above, also given to him by my friends Stephanie and James, whose air compressor I am still borrowing, without ever informing them that I was indeed, borrowing it) and feed Timothy his bottle before going to Herb's birthday party. This seemed like a timely moment to fill the tire up with air because both
tasks, feeding Timothy and airing up the tire, would take only a few minutes. I hooked up the air compressor while Ammon fed his lamb. When he and his beloved pet arrived in the car I jumped into the drivers seat ready to speed away and get to work quickly.
"Uh, there is a cord hanging out the car" Ammon said. I can only believe he was
talking to me because I can't imagine the baby sheep cared one god damn bit.
I remembered the air compressor hooked to the tire by way of a cord plugged into the cigarette lighter of my 1981 Mercedes Benz, 300 SD Turbo Diesel. I jumped out to unhook it from the tire. My tire was more deflated than I have ever seen it. I checked the valve. The compressor seemed to be hooked up correctly. I turned it off and on, and it made plenty of noise. My friend Bev was at the barn to help another friend round up and move some cattle. She looked at the tire and the compressor, she offered me her car jack and we discovered together that she did not have a lug nut thingy to fit my tires. We discovered That I did not have one either. Ducky jumped from the drivers seat to the
passengers seat disturbing both Timothy and Ammon. We again tried the compressor. It dawned at me at some point that the compressor that belonged to Stephanie and James no longer worked. No doubt, this was because I had used it so many times to put 40lbs of air of air into my tire, daily, that it's little compressor motor fried itself beyond working
order and therefore beyond use to to any of us anymore. Besides, they still didn't even know I was borrowing it. Bev left to drive cattle. I was walking round the car using explitives and ordering Timothy, Ducky and Ammon not to stray to far, because we were leaving any moment.
My friend and across the circle neighbor, Melissa Luce (not yet mentioned thus far in this narrative) drove up. I am trying to set Melissa Luce up with my good friend Curtis.
Melissa Luce, seeing the flat tire, the lamb, the dog, the burned out compressor and me, offered to drive me to work. So, she was also offering to drive a lamb, a dog and a 5'9" Twelve year old as well. My other friend, Melissa Wender, Herb's mother, had been notified mysteriously of my dilema and come to my aid at the same time, Offering her car (for me to borrow) and taking my son and his lamb back to her house with her for her son's
12th birthday party. I arrived at work 15 minutes late, Sweet Melissa was swamped
with costumers. When she heard my story she offered for me to just come back to her house and spend the night. I didn't take her up on that, I had to get Melissa Wender's car back and check in on the birthday party after work.
While I was driving to the winery, with Ducky on my lap I realized how grateful I am for all the wonderful friends I have and how easy it was for me to get help when I needed it. I have so many incredible and giving people in my life and three of them are named Melissa.
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