Sing Along With Me

A little over a year ago Tom and I bought a new car. It's a Hyundai Santa Fe and I've enjoyed it very much until about six weeks ago. That's when the radio/CD/navigation system in the console died.

Dead.

I immediately took it to the dealership and Tim told me they'd have to order the part which should arrive the Saturday after the Tuesday I was there.

Not so much....

When I didn't hear from them Saturday I went by on Monday to check and this time Bob said the radio was on back order and couldn't be there 'till September 15.

September 15!?? That would be a month from my original request. In a world where UPS and Fed Ex can have anything anywhere in the world - guaranteed - in three days, how did that make sense?

But I left the dealership and decided, like Scarlett, to 'think about that tomorrow'.

Went back again later that week and Tim stepped up one more time. I explained as how none of this was making sense to me when there's a Hyundai dealership in every good-sized town in the USA, there's a factory in Alabama (I know because Mike, the sales guy, had a sign on his office wall that said my Hyundai was American made-in-Alabama!)and there had to be a headquarters somewhere in Korea, right?

Somebody, somewhere, has got to have this console piece. And the aforementioned three days ought to be enough for that to be shipped to and arrive at Gettel Automotive in Sarasota.

"Tell me where that thinking is off the mark, Tim."

Tim checked the computer again and - what do you know - now the radio is "ready for release" from back order on September 15. I did a quick double take because, and I shared this thinking with Tim, I understood immediately "ready for release" was not at all the same thing as "being shipped" OR "waiting for me in Sarasota"!!

"Ready for release" meant that it would another 7-10 days AFTER September 15th before I had that radio in my car!?

I told Tim, "That is not acceptable." I went on to further make clear that the radio and singing along TO the radio was more than just a convenience for me; it was Important with a capital "I".

Tim never asked and I didn't say (because that would have involved tears and blubbering)but singing along to the radio in the car was something Tom and I did almost every day. With relish! It was actually number two in our list of Fun Things To Do Together....

Not being able to partake any longer of our Number One fun activity, I really relied on having that radio blast, singing along with it. Without it, the car - like Tom - was dead to me, don'tcha know???

Instead of bawling my way through THAT conversation, though, what I did tell Tim was, I needed to talk to the guy who could OK me having a loaner until my radio arrived.

You won't be surprised to learn that did not happen. It's been a long six weeks for me. But today it's back! And I'm hoping it won't be long before my heart is soaring again as I belt out those tunes at stoplights all over Sarasota. You'll know me, I'll be the one smiling as I sing every note.