Many times my readers ask me how I come up with the topics I write about. I always tell them that at times it is difficult, and at other times there is so much stuff going on, that I have multiple choices. This is a multiple choice kind of week.
When I wrote last week’s column, I had multiple choices already. Not only did I lose power the night before Thanksgiving, but my DISH network for the TV also was also not working for several days right after Thanksgiving. That was to be this week’s column, but now something even more urgent has happened, so the topic will be the van.
The van is 9½ years old and has just over 150,000 miles on it. I purchased it because at that time my grandkids were younger, and I enjoy taking them places, so I needed the extra seatbelts. This van has served me well over the years. I have done repairs when needed and kept the oil changes on schedule. While my grandkids have grown up and I no longer really need the extra space, I figured I might as well run it until it didn’t run anymore.
After all, at this point, it wouldn’t be worth much to sell it, and since I have replaced so much of the workings of the vehicle, I knew what I had, versus anything I would purchase.
Much to my shock, on Monday morning it wouldn’t start. My battery is only two years old, but apparently it was tired. I called my garage, which is only about a mile from my house, and he came out and got it started. He said to let it idle for a while and then bring it to the shop.
Once I got it onto the road, I began to hear dings. Then warnings appeared in my little window on the dash. “Coolant hot, turn off the A/C,” it said. Since it was a cold December morning, I didn’t have the A/C on.
I thought about stopping and calling to see if it was safe to drive it, but then thought of all the times I have stopped in with this or that light on the dash, only to be told I shouldn’t worry about it. So, I drove slowly to the garage, and told them what had happened on the drive over.
The mechanic went out with antifreeze, and a funnel and popped the hood. More scurrying went on, and eventually they got it in the shop and it took a ride up on the lift. Finally the verdict was in. It had sprung a leak in the antifreeze tubing. So, now it is getting new tubing for the coolant and the A/C, as that was looking like it was also ready to go. Problem is the parts won’t come until later in the week, and it will be at least Friday before it will be fixed.
“I have a loaner you can use,” he told me. He warned me it was a small car, and hard to get in and out of.
I am not Barbie but I feel a little like I am driving a Barbie car. I mastered the art of getting in and out of it. I mastered the fact I have to turn the lights on as they are not automatic. I tolerate the radio and the heating adjustments. There is no way I will ever be used to driving a vehicle without cruise control.
The moral of this story is, be thankful for what you have, because it could always get worse. Even if it gets worse, that is still good. I might not like the loaner car, but it is a whole lot better than walking.
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