Car Trouble! (Don't worry, Dad)

This story has a very happy ending. In the middle there are great, friendly people and a hero....Tom.
We went to start our day's journey Wednesday, Independence Day, and the car wouldn't start. A dead, dead, dead battery. Tom and I looked at each other for a split-second of panic. Then we realized: We can handle this. Besides, the car hadn't been run for awhile, so a battery problem isn't that unusual.
A local mechanic and AAA driver came to give us a jump. In the meantime, people from the motel called around and found that about two blocks away was a business that would sell and install a new battery. Problem solved.
We headed out to the Soccer Hall of Fame (more on the next post) and had a great time. When we hopped into the car, it wouldn't start. Now we really have problems. It's raining. We have a new battery and no electrical. Again, amazing people come to help. We have the President of the Soccer Hall of Fame (and a member of the hall, too) calling his personal mechanic on the afternoon of the 4th of July. We have the woman who runs the front desk/retail shop searching for a place for us to stay.
When we started to think about staying, Tom tries one more thing... tightening down the new battery. The car starts like a champ! Our hero.
New York City gets all the press, but this part of the country is beautiful and full of nice people. I'd move here in a second, except that I've since learned how much snow they had last winter. Now that's a deal breaker.