Car Repairs

Finally, my car is repaired.  It was expensive, but less than the cost of a new car, and I have put little maintenance into this particular car: oil changes, batteries, tires.  A couple of other small repairs.  I am thankful that it is done, and hopefully, I can feel confident in my car's performance again for a while.  Peace of mind is worth something.  

Courtesy Van

Unexpectedly, I had to take my Saturn Vue into a repair shop, and I use the dealership, Scoggin Dickey  as per GM since Saturn no longer exists.  I was not planning to take my car in for service today, but when the battery maintenance light came on, I decided that going to the dealership for repair, was more important than getting to work on time, and dealing with a dead battery at the end of the day in the wet and the cold.

Scoggin Dickey has a courtesy van that helps with rides to where customers need to go. I took the courtesy van to work, but had to take a detour by my house, as I had to drop off my purse and cell phone, which are considered contraband at work. I arrived about an hour and fifteen minutes late.  But, I worked late, since the dealership did not call me about the status of my car, having told me they were very backed up when I brought my car in this morning.  Mid-afternoon, I called the dealership, and my car was still in line for service, and I asked to have the courtesy van pick me up from work at 5 PM, no matter.

The courtesy van arrived as scheduled, and the driver called in to check on the status of my car. We were told it would not be serviced until the next day, so the driver took me home instead of to the car dealership.  

The driver said the most extraordinary thing to me:  He acknowledged the service department is very busy, and the loaner cars they have are not being returned at the rate to help new customers, so the courtesy van has an obligation to get customers where they need  to go.  He implied I could get a ride to work in the morning.  I told him I could get a ride to work in the morning, but I would need a ride to the dealership after my car was repaired. 

This man told me he has worked for Scoggin Dickey for 4 years, and was hired as a part time driver, but only recently has been made full time.   I think it is extraordinary that he sees his job as a "courtesy driver" as a responsibility to take care of customers. I have to wonder what kind of employment environment empowers this man to take that kind of responsibility for providing courtesy rides to customers.  This is extraordinary.  

Handyman Repairs

I have put off a lot of things that needed to be done around my house, because they are chores that I used to be able to do myself, but no longer can do.  Oh well, such as it is.  So, a couple of weeks ago, I had the handyman come in and do some repairs around my house. He trimmed a tree, and trimmed it back enough that he would not have to return for a couple of years. 

Then he installed a double Venetian blind that I had purchased some time ago.  

I could not believe how much better felt about my house once those chores were done. It just changed my attitude some how.  Weird. 

Carpet Repair

I needed a carpet repair that I had put off for months, after the leak from my air conditioner, last summer.  I decided it was past time to get that done, and sought out Home Advisor for referrals.  I got two referrals.  One gave me a low estimate over the phone, the other gave me a fluid, unwritten high estimate after he viewed the situation in person.  I tend to go with low bids, but I did not trust the over the phone bid.  So I went with Ace Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning.  Before Hector started the work, we discussed the "fluid estimate" and I was satisfied.  He set up a time, and called to tell me he would be late.  But he showed up as he had adjusted.

He told me Berber carpet is hard to fix and do seams for, especially because some of it was unraveled in spots.  Hector took a long time at fixing the carpet, almost 3 hours.  But, when he was done, the area was fixed, and the seam was neater than the original one had been when the carpet was first laid.  I am impressed, and gave him a good review on Home Advisor!  He is a master at carpet repair, and he obviously took great pride in doing a great job.  The price ran within what we discussed for an estimate, and I just rounded it up.  He deserved it.  

Ooops! Spilled Wine!

Spilled wine is not really new at my house, but in the 25 or so years I have had a computer, I have not spilled anything on the keyboard.  Until just recently.  On Tuesday night, the 19th of June, I did just that.  I wiped it up the best I could.  And could do no more.   I did not think to get on the smart phone to read what to do, so I just shut down the computer as quickly as possible. (What to do, wipe off the key board, turn the laptop upside down, and take out the battery.  The point is nothing runs, and maybe the liquid will not get into anything and do permanent damage.)  

Well, this was late at night, so the next morning, I tried to turn on the computer, but could not get the keyboard to respond, although the wireless mouse did.  Hope for me.  I took the laptop to the Office Depot near me.  We tried attaching a remote keyboard and wireless mouse.  My files opened, but everything just "rolled."  Something was stuck, I thought.  They did not do internal work on sight, so I took it to Expertech.  Spilled liquid is evidently common enough, they have a standard price for it.  

When I brought the computer in, their comment was wine is better than water:  wine gets everything sticky, water starts to corrode everything.  They would have to dry and clean the laptop, and then install a new keyboard (or I could use a remote keyboard.)  The first thing the technician did? Take out the battery. It took several days, before I heard back.  They said they had cleaned and dried the computer, and it just needed a new key board.  I went with the new insert. They gave me a price for the keyboard, and we went with it.

When I picked up the computer, they showed me the old keyboard, and the new one that was installed. He said he had opened my recent files, and they seemed to be intact and working. He told me to take it home and if I had issues after I got home, to let them know!   

It took longer the than a week to repair, but the price was reasonable, and my files and email addresses were all intact!  So, life is good.  

I just need to be more careful.

The Slippers and Shoe Goo

My father introduced me to Shoe Goo years ago.  The truth be known, my father was a very curious and inquisitive man, and tried to keep up with all the new innovations and products that came along.  He did  not make it to the computer era on his own, although when we visited, he was very interested and curious about what a personal computer could do.

Well, I recently wrote about the demise of the slippers that I had purchased this past winter season, including the Dearform Bootie Slippers I had, that had a sole separate from the bootie top.  I got to looking at it, and decided I could use Shoe Goo to re-attach the sole to the bootie top, and I did that this weekend.  It is not elegant, but it will extend the life of these slippers. Especially because the other woolly slippers have totally disintegrated. 

I have started using the leather suede fleece lined slippers, but I like having the option of more than one pair.   Go Shoe Goo!

New heating and cooling system

So Friday, August 11, 2017, I had the air conditioner and heater in my home replaced.  I went with JD's One Hour and Plumbing  https://www.jdsonehour.com/.  I noticed some bad reviews on line, but my worst experience was with the guy who tried to convince me he could not replace the thermocouple in the water heater.  When I was talking with the slab guy and mentioned that experience, he knew exactly who I was talking about.  Everyone else with JDs has been polite, efficient and effective.  I have used them off and one for years, and my experience on Friday was just what I expected.

The crew showed up on time. I hate to admit it, but when JD came by Tuesday, we shook on the plan and I did not ask for a written bid.  I called into there office later, and asked that the crew present me one before they started the work, so we were all on the same page..  The leader of the crew not only had the written bid, but agreed that it was for their protection and mine, and later in the day went on to tell me a story about how JD was victimized by a customer with whom he did not have a written agreement.  I think it is nice that there is a businessman out there who will do business on a handshake.  I wish more of life was like that.

The crew worked till noon, took a lunch break, and returned in the afternoon. One person worked outside to replace the compressor, the other worked inside to replace the coil and furnace, and install another air exchange.  They predicted they would be done by 3 PM, but the outside worker was called away, so it took the crew leader a little longer to clean up.  

After the installation was complete and functioning was tested, the technician showed me about my new unit. He even tested the condensation pump.  He told me the filter I had in reserve was the correct size for the new unit but said the pleated filters I had been using made it harder for the air to pass through the system, and the easier the air passed through, the better, so to use a plain filter (which is less expensive.) He showed me how to change the filter, and said that was the only maintenance I needed to do.  He also explained that there was no pilot light, that there was a some kind of hot spot and that would ignite the gas when the heater came on, so that would save a small expense as I left the pilot on during the summer (I hate dealing with pilot lights).  He showed me the indicator light that showed the system was working properly.  He asked me about looking at the compressor outside and told me what the various hook ups were for.  He put all the serial numbers for the units on the receipt, gave me the owner's manuals, and said basically the parts are warrantied for 10 years, but the labor is not. That makes sense. He said they were an authorized dealer, so if I had trouble, to call them, and they would deal with the company.  He said that the furnace would have a slight burn smell, the first time I turned it on, and if I was uncomfortable with that, they would come out and turn it on for me in the fall, free of charge.  I told him every season, the first time a turn on the air conditioner or the furnace, I make a point to do it when I will be present, in case there is a problem, and I would do so again this fall.  

He cleaned up so well, I probably could have gotten away with not vacuuming the work area, but I did, and returned everything to its place. 

So, I was presented with a bill for the exact amount JD and I had agreed to.  I paid by check, having previously move the money to my checking account.  

The new system has a different sound than the old one. JD said it would be louder. It is not, it is just different, and I think that is because the old system worked so hard so long to cool the house.  Immediately when the new system was turned on, I could feel the increased force of the blowing air.  It took a while to get the house cooled, and the system to shut off, but we could feel the cool air in the process, after the house became hot while the system was being replaced.

This was good.

I then returned everything to its place.

Preparation

The air conditioner/furnace replacement is scheduled for later, on August 11, 2017.  In preparation, I moved out the materials that are around the general area where the crew will be working.  I hope I did not under estimate the area they need.  I may have to empty more of one closet, but if that is the case, it will not be difficult.  

Haiku is very distressed by this disturbance in our environment. Taki stays close, which is usual for her, or she hides.  She also hisses if the situation becomes untenable for her.

I am concerned how to handle the cats tomorrow.  I do not want them to be in the way, but I hate to lock them down in a room or the cat stroller, if I do not have to.  Because I suspect the workers will need access to the attic, which is through the garage, I cannot put the girls in the garage.

I will play this by ear. I suspect the cats will resolve the issue for themselves, and find a place to hide.  

Air Conditioning Fix

Well, the HVAC repair person came early today, but I was home, so that was okay.  I used JD's One Hour Service  https://www.jdsonehour.com/.  He suggested I change the filter, and he checked the unit.  He said it was dirty, so the air was not recycling properly, so the Freon could not cool down, and if I did not have it cleaned, it could burn out the compressor. Otherwise, the pressure was fine.  So, he cleaned it, and I could tell the cool air coming in was much stronger and colder.  It was less the $400, a bargain compared to a whole new unit that could cost $3000 to 4000 for  a house my size.  This is amazing, since I do not recall ever having the unit worked on before.

Garage Door Problems

So, the last weekend was a weekend of woes.  In addition to the plumbing problems, I had garage door problems.  When I returned home from the laundromat, the garage door would not open.  Oh, no. 

The worst part of that was that I did not have my purse, and I did not have a set of door keys with me.  I called a couple of people:  my cat sitter, and a friend who has a set of keys for my house.  My friend was not home, and the cat sitter called back after a while, and came over to let me in the house. I have two sets of house keys, so I took one set with me when I went somewhere, and will continue to do so. 

I had actually thought about that the previous week, when bad weather was moving in, and I realized that if there was a power outage, I would not be able to get in.  But, I did nothing about it.  Bad on me. 

On December 20, 2016, I left work for the afternoon, waiting for the plumber and the garage door repairman.  Well, the garage door repairman from Classic Doors  http://www.garagedoorslubbock.com/ came late in the afternoon.  I had told them I had a Genie garage door opener, but when he arrived, he did not have a working part for the garage door opener.  He asked me when I would be home on Wednesday.  I told him it would be late, I had taken off work today to get this fixed, and I was not going to do that a second day. He showed me he could open the door, with some effort, although I could not.  He said to lock the house Wednesday, and leave the door so he could get in and fix it on Wednesday.

After he left, I wedged a log in the door track so it would be harder to open.  A while later, the repairman from Classic Doors called me and said he arranged to get a part and could come back and fix the door. He did. That was very nice. I am thankful to have a working garage door.

Classic Doors gets an Aplus in my book!

Fix My Phone

I did not think I needed or even wanted a smart phone.  Since I have had the IPhone 6, I have become addicted to it.  I really appreciate the access to everything it offers me:  phone service, text, access to the Internet, maps, directions, applications for news, weather, sports, booklists, and games to name many of the things for which I use the IPhone. It was working just fine on Thursday.  Friday afternoon, it was not working right. I do not recall dropping the phone, or putting it in harm's way. I do not recall updating the operating system Thursday night, although I could have.  I think that last time I updated the system was some time ago ( a couple of weeks or more.) This afternoon, I saw an advertisement that the IOS 10  http://www.apple.com/ios/ios-10/ update affected IPhones in very much the way mine was affected, but it came out after mine was not working properly. However, in retrospect, I wonder if something else may have occurred.  I first noticed that my phone was not working when I was in Wal-Mart https://www.walmart.com.  The really unusual thing was that it was opened to the Wal-Mart application.  But, I do not know. I could have hit the Wal-Mart application accidentally. Anyway, I thought that was strange, because I did not recall opening the Wal-Mart application.  And then, the phone did not work perfectly, although I could still get Facebook notifications and texts.

I decided not to take it into Sprint to be repaired over the weekend. I have been at the Sprint service center on Saturday before: even with an appointment I had to wait about 2 hours.  I thought I might have the chance to go during the work day this week.  I dragged out my insurance papers, and went this afternoon. 

The young man who checked me in was very nice. He complimented the condition of the phone.  I have a Lifeproof cover, which is expensive, but obviously worth the price.  As the techician said, the Lifeproof cover is doing its job. He checked me in, took the Lifeproof cover off, had me sign off  Icloud, and told me to come back in about 2 and a half hours. He told me they would guarantee to save my contacts, videos and something else, but not photos or apps.  I was happy to know my contacts would be saved.  I do not have many photos on the phone, and I could reload the apps.

I did return as told. The phone was ready.  It had required a software reset, and everything was saved! A different technician signed me out.  And replaced the Lifeproof cover for me. And told me I would get a survey on customer service, and 9s and 10s were the level they were striving for.  I told him they would get a 10! 

Video Problems

For some time now, the video on my computer has not functioned well.  I have had to reset and reboot the computer to watch videos.  It was getting old. Finally, that remedy did not work.  So, I checkout the troubleshooting link on You Tube. They directed me to the Toshiba website http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops, to download updates.  I did.  It was an hour and a half download, but it worked. So far. 

My Dying Printer

I am not sure how old my printer/scanner/copier is.  It may be 9 years old. It may be older. I cannot recall.  What I do know is that it is not doing so good. Several months ago, it stopped scanning items which eliminates the ability to scan items into the computer, which I rarely did, and making copies, which I frequently did.

I could send it back to Hewlett Packard for repair, but for between $50 and $100 dollars, I could buy another printer/scanner/copier.  I will eventually choose the latter option. I still have ink cartridges for the printer I have, so I hope to use those up before I replace the printer. Two printer cartridges for the machine I have cost more than a new printer!

In the meantime, I have to find a way to convince the printer that I do not need it to repeatedly align the cartridges, which prevents me from using it as a printer. I worked at it for a while, and got there. For how long, I do not know.

We do what we can.

I hate that so much of our technology is so outdated so quickly.  I had a lawn mower for 25 years, and a washer and dryer for 20 years.  I have a vacuum cleaner that I purchased in 1984.  I can no longer purchase filter bags for it, and the power head does not work, but the suction part still works, and I just keep emptying the filter bag. I do not use it for regularly for house cleaning, but I do use it for really nasty stuff.  Also, I still use it as a blower, because my upright vacuum does not allow for "blowing."

I hate planned obsolescence.  It is a disrespectful strategy by manufacturers and producers.

My father was a handyman of sorts, and repaired all kinds of small appliances and machines. As I child, I could earn $5 by dismantling and cleaning a box or room fan that was dirty and not running.  My cleaning efforts would restore the fan to working condition.  I remember, years ago, that some friends of ours had a box fan that stopped working. They were ready to throw it out.  I told them I could fix it.  I took it apart, cleaned it and restored it to working condition.  They fed myself and my now ex-husband dinner for my efforts!

The point is, much of what is manufactured today has a planned obsolescence factor.  This is because we are developing new technology all the time. But this is also because manufacturers want to keep selling new stuff, and if the old stuff still works, there is no reason to buy new stuff.   If I suspect that in a product, I try to avoid the product.

Tire Pressure

So the major cold front blew in Thursday night.  Along with freezing rain and ice and snow.  It took me about 20 minutes to defrost and scrape the ice off of the Vue when I left work. And, as I was driving home, the tire pressure indicator light came on.  Well, this might be to be expected, as the colder the weather, the lower the air pressure in the tires.   However, I could have actually had a flat tire.  I pulled off when it was convenient, and check the tires, and there was not a really flat tire.  So, I decided to deal with it in the morning.

So, in the morning, I went to a local self service air pressure station, and succeeded in deflating the tire even more.  Around the corner was a Firestone store.  I used to use them regularly, when I trusted the service manager. When he left, I was never sure if I was being taken advantage of or not, but use them from time to time, most recently, when I needed a flat tire repaired. When I explained my problem, the service manage told me to get in line.  The service technician who inflated my tires told me they have had multiple requests per day during the cold weather. This was a free service! 

We do not get much free service these days.  I wish I trusted these people because it was so nice to use them when the service manager was one I trusted.

A Biblical Plague

I really feel like I have been infested with a Biblical plague.  I have chronicled my automobile and cell phone problems.  Thursday night, my skin infection returned from out of nowhere! And, today, while I was doing laundry, my drains backed up.   So that put the kibosh on laundry.  The drain clean out was covered with leaves, so I thought I should clean that area of the backyard.  And, of course, I ended up cleaning the entire back yard.  I did not even plan to do that this weekend. I will say that between the celebrex and my physical therapy exercises, I am getting stronger.   It only took about 2 hours to rake the entire yard, with only two rest breaks.  That is about what it used to take before my back started bothering me.  Of course, I am very sore tonight.

On the other hand, the snow and freezing rain we had last weekend and early this past week knocked most of the leaves off the trees around my house, except the Bradford Pear, to the east.  I sometimes do not even rake leaves until New Years, because I want to wait until they are all down.  The last couple of years, I have raked a couple of times for two reasons 1) I get tired of looking at the leaves and 2) it takes me so long to rake.

I still have to do the front and alley, but that is not so bad.

I did some serious house cleaning that I was not planning to do, but did not mess with the bathrooms until I can get the plumber in. Nor did I wash the kitchen floor, for the same reason.  I called, but it was about 1 PM, and the on-call guy had 8 calls ahead of me.  I will check in the morning and see what the prospect is for repairs tomorrow.  Amazing, at 10:15 PM the plumber called.  He has had a long day, but says they only take weekend call once a month.  He was willing to come out tonight, but I told him not to: the cleanout is in a corner of the backyard where there are no lights, and he will have to get on the roof to do the washing machine cleanout.  So we have an appointment for noon tomorrow. That makes me happy.  I will be able to do the laundry in the afternoon.

The car starts once, but does not hold enough of a charge to start again. I am hoping it will start Monday morning so I do not have to bother a neighbor to get a jump start, but either way I need to be able to get to the repair shop. 

The injection that Sake received last Tuesday just did not work as well as the first time.   She runs to food, but does not eat.  She smacks her lips, but does not eat.  She did eat some baby food chicken, some hard treats, some turkey wing meat, and liver tonight. Just a little of each.  It is so frustrating. She eats a little at a time, but will not go back to something she has eaten earlier in the day.  I am thinking the next step is to have her teeth extracted.  I hate to do that, because she will have so much trouble grooming. She will just have to let me help her more. 

Well, the cell phone works.  The car is safe in the garage.  I can renew my library books online or by phone tomorrow.  I did get groceries today, but had to get a jump start to get home.  It takes almost nothing to start the car, so that is weird. 

One thing that has come out of this is that I can now back the car into the garage.  I did that for the first time Wednesday night, and I bet it took me 30 minutes. Maybe not, but I sweated over it and did it inch by inch, correcting and recorrecting.   Yesterday, it did not take me that long, and today, it took even less time. Of course, I still need to be careful, but it is nice to know I have that skill.

What is really weird, is that I do not think twice about backing the car out of the garage, it is just a straight shot, but sometimes, I end up crooked off the driveway.  Well, I am glad I have learned this new skill!

Flat Tire

The 2008 Saturn Vue I drive has a dashboard icon for under inflated or flat tire. The first time I saw it, I was bumfuzzled and had to get out the owner's manual. But, I was able to figure out what the icon meant, and which tire needed air, and took care of it.

I use a pressure gauge that I saw years ago on NASCAR.  It is a round dial that faces up. Of course, now, they use digital tire gauges, and maybe, some day, I will acquire a digital pressure gauge.

So, this morning, as I backed out of the garage, I realized the icon for low pressure in a tire was on.  There is a public air compressor between my house and my work, but it requires a minimum of a dollar to use it.  I opted for the compressor a little further away, and in the opposite direction from work, but it was free. This proved to be a God send. 

I did not stop to look at the tire before I drove to the compressor. In a way, that was a blessing.  If I had, I would have been filled with the dilemma of whether to drive on the tire or not.  Because it was really, really flat, and I was almost driving on the rim.  Well, when I got to the compressor, I inflated the tire to get it off the rim, but knew I had no choice but to get the tire repaired. Because I chose the public compressor I did, I was in luck. It was at the gas island of a local supermarket. In the same shopping area is a Firestone http://www.Firestone.com/ outlet. So, I drove around the corner and went to Firestone to get the tire repaired.

I was not too stressed.  Lately, stuff like this, that used to really make me panic, does not bother me as much.  I was concerned for a couple of reasons: I had been late to work earlier in the week, and then had an appointment, and had to leave work early.  I had about made up my time. I have plenty of leave, so it is no big deal.  But the paperwork to take an hour or so of leave is not worth the time involved in completing the paperwork.  And, I was able to call in from the Firestone outlet (I frequently leave my cell phone at home. I cannot bring it into the prison, and the extreme heat stresses the battery, which does not keep a charge like it used to, any way.) 

But, I had committed to work at 9 AM at a bake sale we had at work. I guestimated that I should get to work close to that time. I would have, but the service manager was hung up on a couple of phone calls, and it took about 10 minutes after the car was tended to before he could check me out.

This service manager was very nice, but basically told me my front tires were ready to blow out, and would not pass a state inspection. He gave me a quote on two or four tires, and I told him I was not ready to deal with that at that time.  The thing is, in 2011, I used this Firestone outlet for the state inspection of the Vue.  They charged me about $60 for repairs as well as inspection, and told me then the front tires were in very bad condition and would not pass another inspection.  Hmm, they have passed two inspections. 

Years ago, the service manager was a man named Jim. I went to the Firestone outlet for something, and he suggested something else that would save me money, if that was the problem.  I wish I knew Jim's last name. But anyway, from then on I trusted him.  He told me he had a wife, and he did not want someone taking advantage of her. So, I used Firestone faithfully. Jim would help me, and if he was not there, and I could wait for service, I would return when he was there. He often suggested something less expensive than what I thought I needed or suggested options that were money saving. Like one time I thought I needed new brakes, because the brakes were doing something funny. He told me it was probably because of the recent rain, and they could adjust the brakes without replacing them.  Another time, I needed replacement tires. I had gotten really good wear on the original tires on my car, and said I wanted the high dollar tires rated for the same wear. He said I should try using the same tires, as I was easy on the tires, and could expect the same good wear. He was right!  

Mack and I would go to Firestone.  Depending upon what the issue was, we would wait, or walk home, and later, walk back.  Jim always offered us a ride both ways, but Mack and I liked the walk.  Once or twice, in really bad weather, I left Mack home, and took the ride.

After Jim left Firestone, I did not trust them as much. I took a car in that had air conditioner trouble. The service manager quoted me an outlandish price that included a rush delivery price, for a part, of several hundred dollars. I did not get the air conditioner repaired there, and later, it turned out to be wires that had shorted out on the alternator, and the air conditioner was was just fine!

Well, the tire was repaired, and I got to work a little after 9 AM.  My co-workers covered me for the bake sale, and all was well. I had enough work to do, so stayed long enough to put my time in for the week.

When I got home, before I drove into the garage, I checked for anything that may have deflated the tire. I could not see anything, but there was a lot of cat fuzz and trash on the garage floor, so I swept it up in a pro-active effort to find anything that might have compromised the tire.

I also checked the tread on the tires. While the tread on the front tires is worn, I am not sure it is dangerous (I will do the penny test this weekend.)  The rear tires are fine. When Saturn was still in business, I did oil changes and free tire rotations there. I know better, and should have continued with tire rotation somewhere, even if I had to pay, to maximize wear.  But, I did not.

I was talking to a co-worker about the tire problem, and she told me her father researched tire replacement for her vehicles, and said York Tire http://yorktireco.com/ in Lubbock was the best. I recall that when I was married to Lisenby, he researched tire replacement and liked York Tire, which we used more than once.

I will spend some time over the next couple of weekends getting quotes for replacement tires, including York Tire and Discount Tire http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do.  I have been pleased with Discount Tire, but it is worth checking a couple of other sources.  My neighbor works for McWhorter Tire http://www.mcwhortertire.com/.  When I had the F-150, I dealt with McWhorter Tire at their various locations because the truck had Goodyear tires.  They were good, and gave good service, but since the Vue did not come with Goodyears, but did come with Bridgestones, which are affiliated with Firestone, I am not sure they will be able to give me a better deal than other places.

So much comes from a flat tire.  But, praise be the tire did not blow out while I was driving at a high rate of speed.   



 

Shopping at Wal-Mart

So, I am a Wal Mart http://www.walmart.com/ shopper.  I am a lazy shopper, I hate shopping, I hate the crowds, and I hate going from store to store.   So it makes sense that I am a Wal Mart shopper.  Not just because of their low prices, but because I can do one stop shopping a the near by Wal Mart Supercenter that is open 24 hours a day. 

One stop.  I can get almost everything I need on a regular basis at Wal Mart.  I can chose times that are less busy, so I can avoid the crowds. I am subject to stimulation overload, but because I know my Wal Mart so well, I can go into tunnel vision mode, deal with just the items I am needing to buy, and ignore the rest.  Including other shoppers.  Sometimes, that gets me in trouble with acquaintances, who speak to me.  I have to be awoken out of my fog by them, or else I will not respond.  I am not trying to be rude to anyone, it is just who I am.

The Wal Mart at which I shop is located at Quaker Avenue and South Loop 289.  It is technically the first of 4 Wal Marts in Lubbock, although its original location was across Quaker Avenue from where it stands now. 

A few weeks ago, they got brand new shopping carts.  That was wonderful. It was a struggle to maneuver the old carts.  I mentioned how great that was to an employee, and he told me they had hoped to wait to replace the carts until after they remodeled, but the carts just got so bad.

Last week, when I went shopping, they had posted a sign indicating they were hiring extra employees to help with remodeling.  So when I went shopping yesterday, I should have known something was up:  Part of the parking lot was blocked off, and part of it was newly resurfaced and striped.

Inside, things were not obviously changed until I got to the center of the store.  Aisles were moved, merchandise was moved, aisles were blocked off. So, this is how you remodel a 24 hour facility and keep it open.  It made shopping a little difficult, because I could not immediately find everything I wanted. But, I was successful at finding what I wanted.

Did I like shopping that way? No. But I can forgive them the inconvenience. I understand it is time to clean up, remodel, and renew the internal image of the store.

The Noise

I heard the noise at night.  I could not tell what it was or where it came from.  It sounded very much like a cat had knocked something over. I looked throughout the house, and even outside front and back. I could find nothing.

Until, in the morning.  A cable had snapped on the garage door. I could not open the garage door and get the car out. I called a repair service and they came shortly after opening.  The serviceman could repair the springs and cables, but not the garage door opener.  He thought he could be back the same morning to finish the job. He did. The door is fixed.

Disaster

Hurricane Sandy blew through the northeast last weekend and Monday. The aftermath is horrific.  The disaster is wide spread, the recovery slow and frustrating.  There is a lot of criticism at the delays in the recovery  effort.  But the reality is, no matter how much pre-positioned help there is, no matter how much help is imported after the storm, no matter how much money is pumped into the rescue effort, a disaster this wide spread, with this magnitude of destruction, is going to require a long time for recovery.

We are a society of quick fixes. We expect that. And, when it is possible, that is good. But it is not always possible.

If I were a survivor of Hurricane Sandy, I would want my life normalized as soon as it could be. I would have little patience for delays in help, insurance assessment and payment, government and public services being restored. 

But only so much can be done safely in a short period of time.  It just takes time.

On Star, My Car and Me

I took the time this morning to check around to find out where I had left the warranty information for the Vue.  I used to keep it at home, but one time, when I was traveling, I decided I really needed it with me, so found it where I thought it was, in the glove compartment.

Well, I was pleased when I turned the Vue on, and the check engine light was not on.  Nevertheless, I called On Star, and they did an On Demand Diagnostic Check, and found nothing.  They asked about the indicator light being on, and I explained that it was yesterday, after I put gas in the car, but realized I may not have put the gas cap on correctly, and today, no indicator light.  I really think that was the problem.

As time goes on, we shall see.