A Few Things You Could Do During Auto Repair

When a person has to have auto repair performed, he or she might wonder what to do while the car is being worked on. Many garages have old magazines lying around or a television to watch and in a pinch, these will do. But with a bit of forethought, these few hours can be used in productive and fruitful ways. Of course, if it's an extensive auto repair that will entail the vehicle spending the night, alternative transportation will have to be arranged. This may be in the form of a friend or relative, a bus token or good walking shoes. But if the reparation will only take a few hours, here are some ideas for making the most of this slice of time:

1) Clean out your wallet or purse: You know all those little receipts, scraps of paper and business cards that you stuff in your purse or wallet? Now's the time to get rid of them while waiting for auto repair. The best way to do this is to bring a plastic trash bag and a zip lock bag. Dump everything out of your purse or wallet onto one of those little tables in the waiting room. Sort into 3 piles: trash, take home and put back in wallet.

2) Take a nap: Have you been working your fingers to the bone and are absolutely exhausted? When you come home from your job, are there a million other chores just waiting for you? Well, when you're sitting in the waiting room with nothing to do, bring a small pillow and make yourself comfy and just zone out. Don't worry about what the other customers or mechanics may think, they'll probably be too busy to notice. When your car is fixed, you will be repaired, too.

3) Go for a long walk: What's close by the auto repair shop? If you don't know, now's the time to find out. If you do know, make plans to visit shops, museums or hiking trails in the area. This is a rare opportunity, so strap on your Nike's and just do it!

4) Write your thank you notes: Did you remember to write to everyone and thank them for birthday gifts, wedding presents, housewarming offerings? Well, now's the time to do it. If you've already taken care of thank you notes, how about holiday cards? If it's getting close to Christmas, Halloween or Kwanza, what better chance to get a head start?

5) File and paint your nails: Do your fingernails look like you've been trying to claw your way out of a cell? Well, now's your chance to spiffy them up a bit. For woman, bring clippers, emery board, polish remover and fingernail polish. For men, just the clippers and emery boards will suffice unless you want to go for a Lady Gaga look. Word of caution: Some people don't like the smell of polish or remover, so go sit outside in the fresh air for these two tasks so as not to asphyxiate the other patrons.

When your car is up on the lift being worked on, might as well make good use of the time. Clean out your wallet, take a nap, go for a walk, write thank you notes, and give yourself a manicure.