Tuesday, June 02, 2009
sonofabitch!!
I got up at 4:30 to take Scott and Ilsen to the airport. Elton John sounded good all the way and, to the kids' surprise, I checked them in curbside. One bag, two boarding passes and a tip to the skycap. There were still some clouds lingering from yesterday's thunderstorms.
Back home, back to bed.
Up again at 10 and I left the house at 10:30 to stop by the bank and make a deposit. I had lost track of the balance and was pleased with what I saw. It was a nice relief. I cruise thru the drive-in window at KFC for a three piece grilled chicken meal and a drink.
I hit the freeway and accelerate and minutes later discover that the car is overheating. Exit, find a phone book and look up auto shops. Call work and take leave. The first auto shop is a swing and a miss. the mechanic was gone and would be back in an hour. The second auto shop was not where it was supposed to be and I stumbled onto the third.
I tell the guy what's wrong and he asks me questions that a car doctor would ask. I give him the keys and he asks if I need a ride anywhere.
Yeah, home.
I had given him my address so he knew it was far and it wasn't a possibility. I retrieved my lunch from the car and sat in the waiting area. I would have preferred a park but there wasn't one nearby and being in uniform and armed limited my possibilities. I have a light jacket that covers my uniform and most of the gun but then I would have overheated. So I ate half of my lunch and read an article in a two year-old issue of Outside Magazine about a place I've often though I'd love to go to shoot photos. Base Camp of Mt Everest. Now I REALLY want to go.
More time passes and I decide to finish my lunch but discover a long brown hair on top of my cole slaw. Normally that wouldn't bother me but today, for some reason it did so I just ate the other piece of chicken and bisquit.
I see the guy drive my car into the garage and hook it up to the computer. Not too long after he takes it out for a spin.
The car was low on coolant (duh) and coolant is coming out of two "seep holes". This indicates that the water pump is going and needs to be replaced. Because of the way Dodge put this engine together it will take 6 hours. The guys kinda felt bad telling me this and by their faces I could tell it was going to be costly. I reassured them.
"I would rather drive the car in to be fixed than have it towed in later". I said.
You see dear reader, I have been the owner of a car that blew a head gasket from overheating and although I knew this repair is gonna cost me a lot, head gaskets blow when they feel like it, and if I'm 50 miles from town doing my photog thing....
I knew you'd agree with me.
I got up at 4:30 to take Scott and Ilsen to the airport. Elton John sounded good all the way and, to the kids' surprise, I checked them in curbside. One bag, two boarding passes and a tip to the skycap. There were still some clouds lingering from yesterday's thunderstorms.
Back home, back to bed.
Up again at 10 and I left the house at 10:30 to stop by the bank and make a deposit. I had lost track of the balance and was pleased with what I saw. It was a nice relief. I cruise thru the drive-in window at KFC for a three piece grilled chicken meal and a drink.
I hit the freeway and accelerate and minutes later discover that the car is overheating. Exit, find a phone book and look up auto shops. Call work and take leave. The first auto shop is a swing and a miss. the mechanic was gone and would be back in an hour. The second auto shop was not where it was supposed to be and I stumbled onto the third.
I tell the guy what's wrong and he asks me questions that a car doctor would ask. I give him the keys and he asks if I need a ride anywhere.
Yeah, home.
I had given him my address so he knew it was far and it wasn't a possibility. I retrieved my lunch from the car and sat in the waiting area. I would have preferred a park but there wasn't one nearby and being in uniform and armed limited my possibilities. I have a light jacket that covers my uniform and most of the gun but then I would have overheated. So I ate half of my lunch and read an article in a two year-old issue of Outside Magazine about a place I've often though I'd love to go to shoot photos. Base Camp of Mt Everest. Now I REALLY want to go.
More time passes and I decide to finish my lunch but discover a long brown hair on top of my cole slaw. Normally that wouldn't bother me but today, for some reason it did so I just ate the other piece of chicken and bisquit.
I see the guy drive my car into the garage and hook it up to the computer. Not too long after he takes it out for a spin.
The car was low on coolant (duh) and coolant is coming out of two "seep holes". This indicates that the water pump is going and needs to be replaced. Because of the way Dodge put this engine together it will take 6 hours. The guys kinda felt bad telling me this and by their faces I could tell it was going to be costly. I reassured them.
"I would rather drive the car in to be fixed than have it towed in later". I said.
You see dear reader, I have been the owner of a car that blew a head gasket from overheating and although I knew this repair is gonna cost me a lot, head gaskets blow when they feel like it, and if I'm 50 miles from town doing my photog thing....
I knew you'd agree with me.
// posted by sinner @ 4:52 PM 
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