My car is a wimp

This is what almost "spring" looks like this year. This morning it was -30 degrees (-42 with wind chill) and now with the warmth of the afternoon sun it has warmed up to a balmy -22.

I was all set to head out the door this morning. I had plopped Laney in her crib so I could go outside and start the car. The car had other plans and decided it was a good day for the battery to die. Probably because Mike isn't here. In a way, I thought to myself that this was a great opportunity to use my skills. I know how to boost a car. My dad made sure of that when I got my driver's license.

I had the same feelings the time I got a flat tire on the side of the road before I was married. I had this "I can do it" attitude. I was a woman who certainly could figure out how to change a tire. I had everything laid out and ran into a slight problem. I wasn't strong enough to get the lug nuts off the tire. Cue fire truck driving by. I had about 5 fireman hop out and take over. I will never forget that. Sitting there watching them change my tire in a few minutes. My friends were jealous.

Anyways, slightly off topic. But in a way, it was nice to know that I can figure out how to do something like that without Mike. He takes care of all that stuff. I had a friend come by and I decided to give the car a little boost. It didn't work.

The block heater cord was missing somewhere inside the engine. So, when Laney went down for a nap I bundled myself up and headed outdoors. Laying on the snow-covered ground with about an inch of clearance I stuck my head under the car and looked in vain for the cord. Thankfully I found it. Around the same time one of my neighbours must have seen me laying on the ground and probably thought I'd been run over by the car. It must have looked funny seeing me laying on the side of the road with my head underneath the front bumper. He came over and thankfully had a battery charger. He saved the day. My car is running, recharging the battery as we speak. Lesson learned. I will plug my car in when the weather is cold.

Don't you just love neighbourly neighbours? It was a good reminder that I need to be a better neighbour. I hated living in city neighbourhoods where no one ever spoke or knew each others names. Mike and I have gone around to meet our neighbours and we chat sometimes. We have people shovel our walks often enough and we made treats for them at Christmas.  However, I haven't really made the effort I should have to get to know them.

Do you know your neighbours? What is the atmosphere in your neighbourhood?