I love New Jersey...?

I haven't always loved New Jersey. Especially when it comes to cars breaking down in New Jersey. A few years ago our van broke down and the shop that eventually fixed it hosed us. Fast forward to yesterday. We began the crazy Christmas driving loop that takes us from Massachusetts to North Carolina to Ohio and then back to Massachusetts again. We were making good time on the New Jersey turnpike when the grinding sound that had been intermittent became unavoidable. We pulled off to a gas station and Jack poked around unsuccessfully. Since it was about 4:40 pm, I suggested we try to get to a service station before it closed at 5. After getting directions, we drove the relatively short, but harrowing (because of the awful sound) distance to the service station. This is the part of the story when a reader might expect me to lament the deplorable treatment by the service station employees upon us, the weary, stranded, vulnerable travelers. But, no. I have only praises to sing! Not only did the mechanic look at our van immediately, but he located the necessary part and fixed the van immediately. We barely had time to eat dinner before the wonderful mechanic picked us up at the restaurant at which we were eating. I hugged him. It was unbelievable. I had begun thinking about how it was going to be to spend the night in New Jersey. As it turned out, we were back on the road in less than 2 hours after initially pulling off the road. Jack and I could only be grateful as we pulled back on to the highway at about 6:15. And we weren't even overcharged. Providential, me thinks.