No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.........

Soooo, this weekend BH and I went to the Cities to help son and fiance move into their new house.  Son had told me earlier in the week that there wouldn't be much for us to do.  He had a lot of friends to help move in all the furniture on Friday, so it would be all boxes in a UHaul on Saturday.

I volunteered to make the supper and dessert and bring it down.  Sloppy Joes on real hard rolls (not mushy hamburger rolls), home made baked beans, macaroni salad, calzones!!, a chocolate fudge cake, strawberry/rhubarb pie, a blackberry pie, 2 bottles of wine and half case of beer.  Along with the paper plates, tableware, plastic cups, table cloth, napkins and serving utensils.   All turned out great and everyone was so appreciative.  I felt good.

We also gave them the "Harvest" table and benches that my dad made for me some 15 years ago.  When we remodeled the kitchen 6 yrs ago, we put it away; got a small table for the new dining room.  The kids were all gone and we didn't feel the need for such a large set anymore.  The table is trestle style, and I had woodburned and painted a grape/apple/vines design on the crossbar and outside trestle legs when we received it.

They loved the set!  I thought they could use it in the garage for cookouts and such, but they set it up in their kitchen right away!!  I felt very happy that they love it as much as I have.  It felt wonderful to be able to finally pass it down as a way of remembering their Grandpa.

Ok.  Here's what happened.  As we're driving I tell BH "this steering is pretty bad. It feels like there's no power steering."  He says "we'll stop at WalMart and I'll check it out; buy some fluid".  And we did.  Yep.  The reservoir was DRY.  It took almost a pint.  So, we were on our way.  Much, much better.

An hour and a half later we arrive at the apartment.  Told everyone was at the new house.  Off we go about 3 miles to the new house.  Take care of business.  A few hours later, the men are going back to finish getting the rest of the stuff at the apartment.  A van, a pickup truck and our big van.  Off they go.

When they come back, BH comes up to me and says "I'm gonna tell you now; I don't want you to panic, but we had a small fire under the hood of our van.  We put it out with water.  It was just a small fire".

Okey dokey, then.  I have never in my life ever had a "small fire" in a vehicle.  "We'll be ok", he says; "We'll get a fire extinguisher tomorrow for the ride home".  Did I tell you he is the extreme Polyanna?!

Sunday morning I tell him I'm really nervous about this; I'm not comfortable driving 3 hours on the freeway to get home.  He gets frustrated and argues what else are we going to do?? If it happens again, we'll be prepared!

So Sunday morning, he and son take the van to buy the extinguisher.  They come home.  The van started on fire again.  Ehhhh, yeahhhh, maybe we better have someone look at it Monday.

Thanks to the future father in law, he knows a garage that does very good work; he will call his friend who owns the place and see about getting the vehicle in.

Well, all was arranged.  Son and BH took it over there Sunday evening.  Monday morning we get the call.  Spark plug wires are all chewed up - possibly by mice.  The clamp on the power steering hose was loose, leaking fluid onto the bare wires.  That caused the fire.  The air cleaner is burned up, as is the power steering sensor wire, and the engine block is covered in oil!!!  All the hoses need to be replaced, everything under the hood needs to be degreased including the engine or it'll all go up in flames------ oh, and your A/C is leaking freeon.

Estimate?  About $1200.00.   I think my heart stopped.  BH rolled his eyes and then his head fell onto his chest.  If I had food in my mouth, I would've choked to death on the spot.

Sooo, after checking the balance on our 2 credit cards, the OK was given for the work to be done.

Should be done by 12:30 Tuesday we were informed by the garage.  1:30 comes.  Son calls.  Still working on it; will try to have it done by 5:00.   4:45, son calls again.  "We just finished degreasing the engine and rinsing everything down.  It needs to sit overnight to dry.  I don't want you taking the vehicle out of here until it's all dry.  It'll be ready by 8:00 tomorrow morning." was the final determination.

Another night at son's.  Not bad except that we packed NO clothes other than pajamas and an extra shirt for me because I tend to spill something on myself every time, and some toiletries.  Because we planned on being home Sunday.  Sooo, we're wearing the same clothes for 3 more days!!  And, of course, by this time Mark Twain's words are ringing in my ears:  "Both fish and guests should be thrown out after 3 days"!!!

Well, we picked up the van Wednesday morning at 8:15, said goodbye and thank you, and we were on our way back home.  After we met for breakfast with second son who didn't get to see us all that time because he was just getting over strep throat.  So actually, we hit the highway at about 11:30am.  Got home a bit before 3:00.  Exhausted.  Mentally and physically.  Probably from all the giggling we did on the way home.  You never saw 2 happier people going home!

And we're done.  No more committments for the rest of the summer.  No trips to help anyone.  No good deeds to be done.  Thank God!!  We just couldn't afford it right now!!

The End is Near..........

Of all the summer hubbub, that is.  Thank goodness!  Wow, for 2 retired people who don't do much....this has been one heck of a summer.  And, as usual, not filled with anything we had planned for ourselves.

Niece's wedding was last Saturday.  My sister and "adopted" sister flew in from NY and drove up to our house on Thursday.  We had 2 days together before all of us drove down for the wedding.

It was a beautiful wedding, with the usual little hiccups that always seem to come into play.  But what would wedding memories be without them!

We came home on Sunday;  had to take daughter to ortho doctor Monday morning.  A swollen elbow she's been dealing with since October!  12 weeks of therapy, brace, pressure bandage, ice, heat -----and it is still there.  No xrays were taken back then (!), just a diagnosis of tendenitis.  Turns out it is tendenitis, or so the Doc is pretty sure.  But he did schedule her for an MRI just to be positive.  Can you say "Duhhhhh"!

This week I've been concentrating on spinning and knitting.  I'm plying the light and denim blue together, a 3-ply.  I love the color!!  I'll wind up with 5 bobbins full.  I finished the poncho except for the collar.  So that is sitting in the tote bag until that mojo comes back.  I started a watch cap and mitts set.  Found a nice intarsia pattern.  It turned out really nice on the hat.  Only now I'm at the point where I need to decide how to finish it off.  Decrease to form a rounded cap, or square it, stitch together, form 2 triangle points on the inside, stitch them together, and ------ it forms a squared off ski cap.  The instructions are in "Homespun, Handknit" by Linda Ligon.  I love this book; lots of good patterns.  It's my "go to" book.

Next Saturday, we are due to go down to son and fiance's to help them move to their new townhouse.  I volunteered to bring supper and dessert down for all the movers - 12 at last count, including us.   I have the menu planned out in my head, I just need to get it down on paper and then write out the corresponding shopping list.  And I need to get started with the baking and cooking -- like Monday.

I just pray that next week and the weekend we have decent cool weather!  It's been very nice this week; sure hope it continues at least til next Sunday.  Then I don't care.  We will be done with our summer obligations!!

And for our prize-------we're going to the Wisconsin Sheep Festival the weekend after Labor Day.  Can't wait!!  Had to miss the Michigan festival AGAIN this year; haven't been to the Wisconsin one in 3 or 4 years.  I'm really excited!  We're thinking of making it a week-long camping trip.  3 days somewhere and then 3 for the Festival.

Hopefully we'll be able to get a couple more camping trips in before the cold weather sets in.  But if not, there's next year.  Oh yeah.  We're already planning LOTS of trips.  Just like we did this year............!!??  Ahhh, to dream!!