How my Mom does business

Last week I had to drive Mom around while we were juggling cars. We stopped at Napa to see if there were any pickups for the mine. As we were driving through town we had to drive slowly to see if there were any rail cars. Nope. But wait... maybe there was one coming. So I turned around and pulled into the bank parking lot. Mom got out of the car and waded through the tall grass to talk to the train conductor walking the tracks to pull some switch. Yep those were the cars and there were two of them. Sometimes Mom just calls Napa and asks them if they can see the rail cars.

Yesterday, Mom and Rich were going to go somewhere and Rich's truck broke. Mom thinks it broke because he has been bragging about how awesome it is. The main belt broke. Mom called about five people and left messages with them to call back to see if they could help with the broken fan belt. She agonized over an old address book and how she didn't have so-and-so's number. Yet other numbers she dialed without thinking.

Mom left for Advance Auto Parts in Louisa with the broken belt and a description of the truck model. We don't normally go to Advance, but it was Sunday and Napa was not open. She called me later and asked me to look up two people's phone numbers in the phone book. I obliged and then asked her why. Turns out Advance was all out of any kind of belt. The phone numbers she wanted were for people who worked at Napa and she was going to call them and see if one of them would open Napa just for her so she could get the needed belt.

This sounds ridiculous. Seriosuly is this for real? But it is a small town. And of course someone came and opened the closed store on a Sunday as soon as they could get there to get her the part she needed and probably offered to come put it in. Those of you that dont live small-town ought to be jealous.

That's how my Mom does business.