The Next Dark Age
We're in it Now
Pleasant Surprises
The other night my mechanic called. Left a message to call him back.
What? I am at least a month from my next oil change and there were no pending things with my car – as far as I knew. I called him right back. He said that I won the raffle he ran last month for Dinner for Two and that I should come by and pick up my prize.
While running my about-to-leave town errands, I stopped at the shop. He said, “Do you mind if I just write you a check? That way I don’t have to guess about where you like to go and you can do whatever you’d like.”
It occurred to me to suggest that he just put a credit on my account (and I don’t mean that sarcastically), but that didn’t seem in the spirit. Or even polite. I told him I was happy either way.
We were talking as he was writing, so I didn’t look at the check as he handed it to me. I figured it would be 40 or 50 dollars and went to the bank to cash it for travel money. It was $100!
Clearly I do not have gourmet tastes.
The Next Dark Age 
I don’t have a mechanic, funny to think of them having a drawing for a free dinner. But free money is nice.
I found it funny also, but it sounds like business isn’t great. He told me that cars don’t require as much maintenance as they once did. And even then, people are putting off what isn’t absolutely required. Apparently, one recent customer had a new brakes vs. new tires question. He needed both and could only afford one.Bill has been my mechanic since I was 16. I have a feeling that when he retires, I will be totally unable to find an independent shop that I like.