The Starter Price, Your first Born!

Early interesting Cars:
 This could drive you bananas!

But for today:
This is the 4^th holidays. And yes according to our Road service this was the only game in town. Before Alvin left the night before he said, "The worst case scenario the starter will be installed by 2 PM tomorrow."

When he did not show up at 7AM  I told Sherry he would have a good ‘story’ upon arrival. He did arrive at 10  to remove the starter. I was wondering how that ‘story about going to get the starter would play out, since he did not know which engine was in the coach.’

He removed the starter, left his tools and hit the road ‘to find a replacement.’  Now honestly it is best to have the old piece of equipment with you to make sure the replacement is the same. Auto parts places, at one time, were notorious for ‘selling the wrong part’. (I have a sad story about that, tomorrow?). He arrived back in two hours with the new starter. 

Standing by the truck in 90+ degree heat he told us, “I had a rough night last night. MY wife went into labor with our 3^rd son. I was there all night she is still there and they predict today or tomorrow for the birth.”

I knew there would be a good story, that was better than most. I did believe it. BUT it was still poor business not to keep the customer up to date (not always convenient but necessary for a good business).

But we were on the road before 2pm. And a couple hundred miles up the road.  We are settled in southern Virginia by a nice lake, very happy and tired.

Cost of the job? More than my W2 for the year 1956; the first year of our marriage. Of course then rent was $43 and I made less than $80 a month. LOL SOOOO..We paid 'holiday' wages, $85 an hour.

But the trip was great. Life is good. The clouds were beautiful and I did not get lost ONCE! 

More on the trip next time. Oh, and then there was HURT! (tomorrow)

Nite Shipslog

She refuses to START!

Early interesting Cars:

But for today:
This is hopefully our last post from our ‘home base’ for a few weeks. We are not used to loading an RV for a trip, it has been loaded and ready for over 20 years.

 So we are trying to get it ready. When it happened…..

She refuses to start.  I did the handy man stuff, Sherry trying to crank the engine and me using a hammer on the starter body.  That works sometime, just jarring the starter’s armature. Actually the starter was spinning but the solenoid that engages it was not working. 

We called road service explained the coach has brand new batteries bought and installed yesterday. The started clicks but won’t turn the engine over.

We waited, the man arrived. “Are you the gentleman with a dead battery?”  OUCH! Right away I knew something was wrong….

He looked over the situation and after trying to charge the batteries MORE, said, “try to crank it and I will tap it with a steel bar.”  It didn’t work for him either.

Finally he said,  “YOU need a new starter. I can have a man here at 7am to pull it, find a new one and install it.”

Of course that was not what we wanted to hear, but better here than on the road somewhere. So I am posting this, BELIEVING a new starter will be aboard and we can start northward….

Life is still good…..
final update before publishing: I found the service on the net. One comment the person would not reccommend them to change a hat.  The other praised them to high heaven. (I just hope the praiser was not the mama! HAHA)

presently it is about 9am, no mech, no word. Called Roas service they said the man was gettin the starter and would be here by 9:30.  

Nite Shipslog

Oatmeal is my wonder food

Early interesting Cars:

But for today:
I have mentioned my love for crackers and milk. I did not mention my respect of Oat meal.  For a few weeks now I have added at least 2 tablespoons of raw oatmeal to my crackers and milk. It does not change the taste of course, but does help with my control of cholesterol. 

I was taking a Statin and having lots of problems with cramps and muscle soreness. Finally I lost a muscle in my right arm. That did it. I dropped the statin and increased my oatmeal intake. 

I knew oatmeal worked because once on an extended trip in Texas I found a clinic to check my blood. Then I over loaded on oatmeal for a couple weeks and had it checked again, the difference for me was amazing. The bad was down like 50-60 points. I started taking the statin later after I had sorta forgotten about the goodness of oatmeal.

Once I quit the statin Sherry started adding a couple tablespoons of raw oats to our normal cold cereal I think the name of ours is Honey bunches of Oats. I put raisins in mine and she always uses blue berries.

I usually have an apple at night and she a banana. We both like nuts to snack on.

Anyway, I am just singing the praises of oatmeal and my cholesterol has continued to be ‘beautiful’ according to my Doctor.

Pills scare me, BUT I would never tell anyone else to vary their doctor's orders.  I won’t argue with Sherry either, she hands me a multivitamin daily and buddy, I take it.

 Nite Shipslog