Teenagers ...

I have an older vehicle, one I got a great deal on.  It only had 60,000 miles on it, was used as a summer car for a wealthy family.  It now needs some work done to it, ball joints, wheel bearing, basically the front end.  My other 18 yo son (DS2) did some of the work and has been too busy since Mother's Day to help.  We will get into why he is too busy another time.  I told him last week it was getting really bad and was worried about getting into an accident and he was supposed to tell me when he could do it, and I still have not heard from him.  I called around and it will be a minimum of $400 to get what I need done.  My 17 yo son (DS3) and his friend said they could do it; his friend went through a mechanic program at college.  They did the wheel bearing yesterday and needed to change the brake pads still, but decided to hold off on the brake until today.  Well, something isn't right with the wheel bearing or possibly the caliper is bad. 

The decision was made his friend would take DS3 to work and pick him up from work, then they would drive my vehicle to his friend's house to work on it as he has more tools at his place.  They left here and got to the friend's GF's house at 2 pm.  They were to text me along the way and by 7:45 I still hadn't heard anything.  They were still at the GF's house.  I got a little upset and told him so.  Things didn't go yesterday the way we planned, so you have to plan for things going wrong.  It will take them at least an hour to get to the friend's house and the auto store closes at 10.  And he has to be to work at 7 am tomorrow and I have to be to work at 6 pm.  It has to be done tonight.  He got short with me, but I'm sure it was because he was mad at himself as he knew I was right. 

I worry about him staying up late to get this done (he insists it won't take long) and then having to get up and go to work tomorrow morning.  Maybe I worry too much, but he is a new driver and he's my baby.

I just want this vehicle to last a year or so, then I may give it to one of my son's.  If they have dependable vehicles, then I can lease a vehicle as I don't live far from work.  With DS3 and I sharing a vehicle, too many miles for a lease.  Keeping this vehicle allows me to pay off bills faster and get a savings built up for a house and emergency fund. 

Well, just heard from DS3.  The repair place doesn't think it is a bad caliper but bad CV shaft assembly, so he and his friend are going to replace that now.  He also apologized for being short with me and for not planning appropriately.  I did raise that boy right after all!  I told him how proud I was of him for stepping up and taking care of all of this, plus apologizing on top of it.  I love that boy!