Oct 2

Fri 10-2

Finally got back about 5.30, straight from town. Blew off the burger and wifi. Just waned to get hooked up and kick back. Here's the saga.

You remember I was going to get some routine maintenance done on the engine? Un huh. Arrived at JT's Auto Service about 9.30am. Turns out the radiator needed more repair as there was a pinhole leak in the previous sautering repair. Add extra money and time.

Then the alternator bracket had busted loose some more and the bolt holding it in place was almost all the way out. Add more extra money and time.

I got them to run me up to WM so I could do my returns and a little shopping (like a charger for my new phone!). Naturally, the returns process is tedious. But I got it done, holding onto my temper. Ate some lunch at the Subway. Called them to come get me about 1.30. Back at the garage, I discovered I'd left one bag at WM and, of course, it was the one with the chargers in it. Sharon, Jack the mechanic's wife, graciously offered to run me up there (we're talking about 2 miles only).

The Customer Service desk has one person working (and she's working her butt off). Wait in line, present receipt and story, she says check at register to see if it's there, it isn't, go back to tell her, she says wait for manager (other folk waiting, too), manager finally waddles up (short, fat), takes receipts and goes off, eventually comes back to say yes, items really left behind, she says to me take receipt and go find new items in the store and bring back here, walk store to find items (of course are on both sides of store), go back and present items, she checks scan numbers, one is wrong, go back to get correct item (hard to tell 5 from 6 in itty-bitty numbers), go back to desk and she checks numbers, all correct!, puts in bag and I leave.

Apologize to Sharon for the 45-minute wait but she says no problem, not your fault. Back to the garage, where the bracket problem has been discovered and sent out for fixing. Start charging phone. Eventually, about 4.30, all done and money paid. I'm now officially broke. Go up street about half-mile to retrieve laundry I'd dropped off in the morning.

And start "home." By the time I get back out here, I'm done so I just continue on, get hooked up and keep charging phone. It doesn't beep at me when it's fully charged, so I have to keep looking at the indicator. Finally get to make a call, only to discover no-one has noticed that they hadn't been able to get in touch with me for a whole week. Humph.

I've never seen so many people with bad teeth! I mean, really bad -- black with rot, misshapen, missing, etc. There aren't so many hugely obese people, though.

It's 7am Sat. and was windy (making me sneeze) and now it's raining. I was going to walk to the Apache cafe today, with my computer, but we'll have to see how the weather does. I'm not going to unhook to drive a half-mile. Update 7pm Sat: rained all day, a "female" rain, very nice and cooling, but no walking.

Watching BBC World News: Anchor says "SAM-o-a" as opposed to Sa-MO-a most often heard. Interesting. Brits says in-VEN-tory, too, instead of IN-ven-tory as in the US.