We got off to a very late start yesterday because of the cold weather. You see my Prius that I have had very few problems with in the 2 1/2 years that I have owned it does not like the cold weather.
Both times that we were in Iowa the first winter we had the car, when it got below 25 outside the car did not start the next morning. The dealership in Iowa said it was the computer, and to have it replaced when we got home. The dealership in Florida told us both times that they thought that it was a fluke, and not a problem. Which it wasn't until this Arctic blast that recently hit the southeast came through. In Crestview at our house it was 18 F yesterday morning. Which my car does not like.
So I ended up calling Toyota roadside assistance, to whom I had to explain that I have the extended warranty on the car so that they will come out. Of course the woman I talked to was not listening when I told her that this problem had happened before and that the car would need to be towed to the dealership to have the computer reset. No, she sent out a local towing company to jump start the car.
Add insult to injury, the guys she sent out had no clue how to jump a hybrid.
The head guy popped the hood looking for the battery to jump. Um dude my battery that you need is in the trunk, in the spare wheel well, but thats not the problem. So I had to call the roadside assistance back and get them to authorize for the car to be towed
Which they did, but I don't think they were very amused by my telling them that they didn't listen very well in the first place. When we got to Ft. Walton Beach the gal told me that it was my battery that was the problem, and something to do with the throttle cable being dirty.
I guess I don't know what I am talking about. So I spent $300 that I really didn't have to have the battery replaced on my car, the throttle cable cleaned, and the engine filter changed (the only part that I knew before yesterday that was going to need to be changed soon.) They wanted me to get new tires, which admittedly the car needs but after sinking the money for the battery, I don't have. When I left Quality Imports they assured me that the problem should not happen again. I laughed because I knew, I knew what was going to happen.I then left Ft. Walton Beach for the last time, drove back to Crestview, stopped by Cox to drop off the cable box and modem (waited in line there for 40 minutes) reloaded the car, grabbed Tigger and the birds and was on the road at 5:15 or so. Tigger and I only stopped twice on the way up, and we got here about 11:15 local time, so not a bad trip at all.
I told my mom and Jerry both that I was sure the car was going to not start this morning, because it was already down to 27 when I pulled in the drive at the new house. Call me
but I was sure I was right. Guess what! I wasn't
I was right. 
I was on the phone with Quality by 930, and on the phone with the local Toyota dealer shortly after that. The local place had me call the towing company that they use, but before they could get out to the house to get the car it started enough to where we could drive it the 2 miles to the dealership (much better than 20 that it was to get to Quality from the house). We left the car with the dealership and went to deal with the rent on the house, pet deposit, stopping at Jerry's new work (where it looks like all they do is play on the computer, but then again its the week of New Years). By the time we got to eat lunch the dealership called and said that it is the computer
and they have ordered a new one that should be in by Tuesday. He said we could pick up the car if we had a way to jump it, if we needed too, and I told him just to keep it, and call me when it was fixed. The only really bad thing about all of this is that I didn't get the girls enrolled in the local schools today like I had planned.
Its not a big thing, I can register them on Monday because Jerry doesn't have to go to work for a couple of more days. If they need him they have the phone number and I can drop him off or he could walk (it'd be a long walk, but he could do it). Tomorrow I think we are going to try and go to the Aviation Museum. Jerry has not been yet, and Starbase Robins is having the Lego Robotics thing tomorrow and Sunday (according to the one sign we saw). So we thought that would be something local, and pretty neat to go see.
Now to work on getting the house in order. As of right now nothing is where it should be and it is going to drive me crazy.
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