Never Underestimate...

Howie is home! He needed an alternator. Gulp. It'll be okay. I will come up with a plan B for paying my property taxes. When the garage called to say he was ready they also gave me some bad news. The radio was no longer functional. Something about needing to enter a reset code and not being able to because the previous owner destroyed one of the buttons. Hrm. Okay. They are forgetting that this is Howie. He likes the radio on long trips. Soon as I hopped in I switched on the radio. Works just fine, as expected. Yay Howie!

Interesting

I learned something today.  I am capable of disengaging Howie’s invisibility shield.  All I have to do is slam on the brakes so hard the tires squeal while laying on the horn and ending up within half an inch of the person beside me who suddenly decided to turn right from the left lane.  I’m not sure if it was the combination of all three or what but I sure am glad it worked.  At least I think it did.  Howie may have switched it off himself at that precise moment.  That’s more likely since he controls it the rest of the time.  It was a bit surprising when he first found me but I’ve gotten almost used to fading in and out of people’s perception while being escorted by Howie.

I had the need to wander downtown for work purposes this afternoon.  I decided to be nice on the way back and stopped in at a local café that I passed in order to obtain cookies for me and my coworkers.  Yes, it was a cookie-needing kind of day.  It was after 2:00 when I got there, well past lunchtime.  I went in for four cookies.  And left with double that and a tub of cream of asparagus soup.  All for the price of the original four cookies.   Apparently I was radiating our need for cookies.  I’m not sure how the soup came about but it was nummy so I’m not going to question it.

Before I left the office on my errand a coworker instructed me to bring back the million dollars she was sure someone would offer me along the way.  She went on to suggest I stop in some of the shops I passed and request it, in case they weren’t sure who it give it to.  Well, I only stopped at the café.  That doesn’t mean, however, that I didn’t speak with everyone who crossed my path.  I did, though not by initiating the exchanges myself.  I seem to be a magnet for hmm, unusual people?  Yes, that’s a good term for them.  Unusual.  Had I not needed to get right back to work, since it was the middle of the afternoon, I suspect I would have been able to collect quite a few new stories today.

The white packet under Harry is the book I meant to be working on tonight.  Guess that's out.  He's too comfy to disturb.  Perhaps I will start something new.  Too bad I didn't have more time earlier.  Based on the few words I shared with those I passed I'm sure it would have been as unusual as the people were.

Happy weekend all!  Please go add to yesterday’s contributions to Breathing Room.  We’re just shy of half way!

My Day

This morning began before 6 AM with a baby possum in a trap. Someone pulled it out of his trunk to show me and then proceeded to release it in the middle of downtown Reading.  I’m not a big fan of them but the poor thing was tiny enough to be adorable and clearly petrified. It scooted back and forth along a wall before being threatened by a third someone who was intent on killing it simply because it was there. The first someone was all for it. He had trapped it by accident when attempting to capture the squirrel who was feasting at his birdfeeder. Me, being me intervened and the terrified critter wound up hanging from the side of the building. In the end I embarrassed him into recapturing it and taking it somewhere green to release it.

This afternoon I sat around in the blazing sun waiting for the nice mechanic from Howie’s garage to come poke at him. Every other time he was towed in he started for them so this time I insisted they send someone to us first in order to give them a better idea of what is going on since it’s rather difficult to fix something that’s working. He poked and tested and listened and hmm’d until he determined the possible causes and then asked me to arrange a tow.

Today’s AAA woman was truly miserable. Rude and downright bitchy! By the time she finally got to the point of asking why I needed a tow I was very close to giving her a truly smartass response but stopped myself before it slipped out. It would have been wasted on her since it was very evident she had no sense of humor.

Howie was happy to see his favorite tow truck driver again.  For the third, and hopefully last, trip with him.  Yeah, I really don’t think it’s necessarily a good thing to be greeted by the man come to take away my car like we’re old friends although there are worse things that could happen. At least I know he will get him there via the shortest route and not cause me to incur extra towing costs like the last guy did.

And then I picked today’s gallon of strawberries.

Woohoo!

Howie is Happy!

I had an extra long weekend and spent part of today questing new shoes for Howie.  Mission accomplished!  And very easily. 

Before setting out I did some research online.  I had three destinations chosen.  Two of the three listed tire price then charged for all add-ons such as installation.  They both had some rebates available that would have brought the price down, though not down to where I wanted it.

The third had no deals on the tires in my price range but their price included everything.  Mounting, balancing, new valve stems.  Everything.  I’d been there before when I needed a slow leak patched and had a good experience so I decided to start there first even though they were a bit more expensive after the rebates at the other places.

It’s a rainy Tuesday so there was no waiting when I walked in.  I told the salesman what I wanted.  Yes, I am capable of reading the sidewall of the old tire to find out what size Howie wears.  He was about to go into his whole speech but I cut him off, asking only for the options below a certain price, a price lower than either of the other two rebated prices.  I also only needed to say no thank you once to all the other services they offer before he understood that I was truly not interested and no amount of coercion would get me to spend more today.  I always appreciate that.

Guess what!  They have leeway in their prices that are adjusted on the spot.  All the customer has to do is ask.  Hey, can’t fault them for that.  If you don’t at least ask you deserve to pay the higher price, right?  So in less than an hour and no extra driving around, Howie has brand new, bright and shiny shoes.  He is happy.  We are safer on the road since his old ones were looking really, really shabby.  And it was accomplished at less than I expected to pay.  In fact, I have enough left that I can now go have a nice lunch.  What more can you ask for?

Howie is the Best!

Yesterday after work I had some errands to run, things to drop off.  One of the places I went put me in the same parking lot as Reading’s gourmet cupcake bakery, Sublime Cupcakes.  I sat for a moment, drooling and then had a quick chat with Howie.

Two minutes later I was on my way into the store.  Howie, wonderful, understanding little car that he is, knowing that I never carry any money to work, provided me with the funds to purchase a cupcake.

Today’s choice was snickerdoodle – cinnamon vanilla cake with cinnamon butter cream frosting topped with sugar crystals!  As you can imagine, it was very yummy.

So…

Gourmet cupcake - $2.50.

Having a car that indulges my decadent desires – Priceless.

Happy weekend all!

Yay!

Howie is home!  I’m not sure if he’s fixed fixed for real for real or not.  The whole time he was with them he started every time they tried.  They tested all they could with their fancy gizmos and nothing showed up.  So they replaced the ignition switch which they tell me is the one thing that goes bad and doesn’t trigger any bells and whistles.  Keep your fingers crossed for us!

While at the garage to pick him up I learned something, much to the staffs’ amusement.  Cars that are finished are always parked at the far end of the lot.  I got in, Howie started just fine.  But there was a HUGE gap between the steering wheel and the dials which left all sorts of wires exposed.  No, it’s never been like that before.

So before we took off I stopped back in the office and expressed my concern to Patience.  Yes, I think she’s aptly named as well.  Howie’s regular mechanic was already gone for the day but she went to get one of the others to assist me.  We met up outside and he was sporting the same grin she had been after I explained the circumstances.

As it turns out Howie has an adjustable and telescoping steering wheel.  I never knew that but isn’t it cool?  I admit it.  I oohed and ahed a bit which had the mechanic chuckling openly.  Howie, being Howie, had it adjusted just right for me all this time.  I had the nice man demonstrate how it worked anyway.  I wonder what other hidden talents Howie has that I have yet to discover.

Happy weekend all!

Howie Update

I was at work today, doing what I do when I received a phone call from the owner of Howie’s garage.  Apparently when Howie came up in the scheduling meeting he was not happy to have him back for the third time with the same problem.

He wanted answers to questions the mechanic didn’t have so he called and asked me directly.  No, Howie was not making strange noises before he stopped this time nor either of the prior two times.  Yes, he got a new battery and wiring harness before the first starter went bad.  Then, when I mentioned the crayon smell was back, he was very interested and said that is important.  Seems Howie really isn’t supposed to smell strongly of crayons.

We had a lenghty conversation and I was very impressed that he took the time and actually listened to me.  He did not speak to me like I was a clueless idiot as the garage owner I went to previously had.  He seems to understand the meaning of customer service and cares that things are done properly.  He’s also concerned with the reputation of his business, something that not every business owner seems to be these days.  All in all it was a good thing.

So no, Howie is not fixed yet but I feel confident he will be soon.  In the mean time, I’ve been doing some urban hiking, mainly to prove to myself that I can, even with blisters.  Anyone up for some vicarious exercise?  My treat this time.

Whatever your plans are tonight, be safe,  Happy New Year all!

My Day

Howie was waiting patiently while I was roaming, taking pics. He decided he was neglected and needed some attention. So he refused to start. He was very happy to see the nice tow truck man. He got to go for a ride again. And then he made a new friend who will hang out with him until the nice garage people give him more attention. Hmm. Perhaps I should take him on a ferry boat ride now and then or arrange a trip on the auto train.

Howie and the Beau Kitty

After work today Howie and I went off to get his new wiring gizmo installed. Ten minutes and $168 later, we were on our merry way. Before going home, we stopped for gas and to check the air in his tires. Howie is now a happy little bug. I, on the other hand, am a tad depressed.

On a more cheerful note, the ten minutes I waited was enough for me to finish writing down the end of Beau’s latest tale, his fourth. I swear that cute-as-can-be, innocent looking kitty is getting wickeder by the word. It’s fascinating. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

I’ll be off now. I’m working on a little crafty project and the deadline is rapidly approaching. I’ll share once it’s delivered.

Odd

I was out and about today after work, doing this and then when something dawned on me. Howie smells like crayons again. He did when I first got him. And then it wore off. Then he did again. And it wore off.

I can’t tell you how many times this has occurred. Or why. But it suits him so I think it’s kind of cool the way he does that. I'm sure it's yellow flavored crayons I'm smelling. What? You didn't know crayons have flavors? Sheesh. I thought everyone knew that! Time for you to go out and get a brand new box and sniff them.

Well, I’d like to stay and impart more wisdom but I’ve decided I need ziti so I’m off to the corner. If you're in Reading tonight stop in and join me.

Howie!

Howie needed to be inspected so I scheduled him for yesterday. I arranged for Riley and hubby to collect me and didn’t give it much thought. Not until I was merrily on my way. In the dark. The very, very dark. As in at one point absolutely no lights. None at all. Total darkness in an area where it shouldn’t be.

Uh oh. I never even considered that Howie’s caregivers may not have power. I hadn’t heard from them. Yeah, that thought was followed instantly by the realization that all the information was more than likely in their computer system and, without power, irretrievable. I kept going anyway. Good thing since as soon as I crossed the major highway right before the place there were lights on everywhere.

With the inspection I also asked them to replace the wiper blades as I couldn’t see out at times and an interior bulb as I couldn’t see in at other times. They called right after lunch. Howie was all set to go.

Didn’t need anything. New wiper blades in place. And the bulb? There was a note. The light fixture was set to the wrong position to turn on when I pushed the remote button. Yep. Good thing I'm cute.

Today

I know I’ve said before that one of the advantages of living where I do is that there is a nice bar on the corner that serves decent food. Today however, the bad part of living where I do is that there is a nice bar on the corner that serves decent food.

Not only is it St. Patty’s Day, it is also the beginning of the March Madness college basketball tournament. Oops, guess I neglected to mention that the bar has 32 wide-screen TVs and promotes itself as a sports bar. Uh huh.

A few years ago, the abandoned factory building across the street was turned into a 100-space parking lot so it wasn’t quite as bad today when I got home as it’s been in years past. And the Berks County Jazz Fest no longer overlaps with St. Patty’s Day as it used to which also helped since the Pike hosts events for that too. Yes, parking is now available within four blocks on days like this instead of the former six.

It wouldn’t have been so bad, had I been able to head home at my normal time. But not today. Oh no, not today. I tried to be nice and order daffodils from the American Cancer Society during their Daffodil Days which is going on now. The ordering part went just fine. It’s the retrieving part that I had trouble with. I thought I’d take a late lunch to go collect them. Um, nope. Not there. Come back later. Okay, change of plans.

After work I had to go to the car place. Howie needed a light socket and lens. I was there last week, same thing, only they had to order it. Got there today and part of the packet was missing. So they had to reorder it. Going back for the third time next Thursday. Yeah.

Back to pick up the daffodils. Um, nope. They’d been delivered. Somewhere else. Perhaps tomorrow because there’s no way I’m venturing out again tonight.

Have I told you that I have a headache from hell? Migraine season has officially begun. And, with the day I’ve had, I think the world is damn lucky no one got hurt.

The Charmed One

Howie, that is. I needed to have the oil changed and I admit, I’ve been putting it off. I haven’t really felt like hanging out in a garage type place for however long it took and it’s still too chilly for me to sit outside while I wait. Saturday, for reasons I don’t quite understand, I was up and moving at the crack of dawn. Yeah, way earlier than I’d hoped but, since I was up, I decided I might as well deal with it.

Off we went to Jiffy Lube. There’s just something about the lounge areas those places provide that I don’t find appealing so, armed with my book, I convinced myself that I could stand having a hot chocolate in the McDonald’s that is located next door while I waited.

But a funny thing happened. We got there and the bays were empty. No waiting! At 9:30 in the morning when, according to them, they are usually swamped. They pulled Howie right in and all four employees dove right in tending to him. Eight minutes later, with fresh oil, other fluids topped off, floors vacuumed and clean windows, we were out and on our way. I didn’t even have time to open my book.

Gotta love that little car!

Howie's Sad

He needs a new catalytic converter.

They're damn expensive.

I'm sad too.

It gets installed Friday. I stopped on my way home and bought a lottery ticket so I can pay for it. Send out good vibes for us winning enough to cover the cost please.

Thanks. Howie and I really appreciate it.

The Next Saga

Howie.

I was impulsive last Sunday. While out and about I decided it might be a good idea to get Howie’s oil changed. Huge mistake! Remind me never to do that again. I stopped at NTB, National Tire and Battery. I have a very picky friend who goes there and trusts them for things such as oil changes so I thought it would be okay. I thought, since there were only a few cars, that Howie could be finished within the hour and we could be on our way, on to the rest of the day. What a fool I was!

I was lounging on their curb in a sunbeam, happily reading, when the counter guy came and asked if I had trouble with the passenger window. Um, no! Never! He informed me the mechanic put it down by mistake when going for the driver’s window in order to see to pull Howie up on the ramp. And it wouldn’t go back up. Worked perfectly fine for me on Saturday. Of course he didn’t believe me. Naturally I was upset but I was much better behaved than you’d think, considering they broke Howie.

They were mean to me. Downright hateful, treating me like I was lying to them. They told me it wasn’t their problem and oh well, I’d have to get it fixed. Three and a half hours later, I left in tears. The window was wedged up but the whole door was screwed from them doing that. No lock, no alarm, no mirror adjustments.

I called Monday and spoke to the manager who was slightly less rude though not by much. When she finally accepted, with a dramatic sigh, that I wasn’t going to go away, she told me to go for an estimate and have the garage call her before doing anything.

Off Howie went, at the inconvenience of my wonderful friends who transported me for the day. The garage called and surprise, surprise, manager lady wasn’t available and counter guy was nasty to them after leaving them on hold for an extended amount of time. Even though she told me not to do anything without her approval I had Howie fixed. What was I supposed to do? Leave Howie there in pieces and beg my friends to tote me around another day? Have them put him back together and then charge to rip him apart again?

I called the national complaint number that I wrote down in the store. Should have set off warning bells, having it posted so plainly but again, my picky friend was happy with the place. The woman I got there was at least polite to me. She took down all my information, agreed I did the right thing by authorizing the repair and gave me a case reference number, saying I’d hear back within two days.

I did. Unpleasant store manager lady. Yes, they will reimburse me for the repair. But in saying that she had to get in several digs about how she seriously doubted her mechanic had anything to do with Howie being broken. I repeated that the window was fine when I used it the day before which she questioned repeatedly and sarcastically.

So Howie is fixed and paid for and I only had to put up with tremendous abuse and two wrecked days for it to happen. Who else do you know who goes for an oil change and ends up with a broken window/door instead?

My Yesterday

But first, my Penguins are in the Stanley Cup playoffs! Not sure who they’ll be playing yet, either Chicago or Detroit. Those two teams haven’t finished their series so we’ll have to wait and see. Lets go Pens!

Yesterday was so busy. It started off with Howie going to the car doc. He had a broken window gizmo. Last week, when I put it up one day, it went snap, crackle, crunch and quit working. It sounded like the window broke inside the door but the noise was a cable slipping off its pulley and wrapping around a thingamabob where it didn’t belong. Then, the next time Howie and I went out, the window started drifting open so it’s been wedged up with cardboard for a week.

I was a bit confused when I got a call asking if I preferred to have the entire unit replaced, all new parts so Howie would definitely be fixed or if I would rather save a few bucks by replacing only some of the parts, risking it happening all over again should one of those not replaced be the one that was worn and caused the malfunction in the first place. Hmm, seemed obvious to me since it wasn’t that much of a cost difference. I chose to have Howie fixed for real. I don’t have time to worry about whether or not he might make that awful noise again and have the window crash down inside the door. The girl who took my money explained that they had to offer the cheaper fix because some people are more concerned with cost than safety. Howie’s a happy bug again after his big day out without me.

Last night was the last of our shows with the little girls. Annie this time with another yummy dinner again first. Very nicely done but Riley and I agreed it will never be our favorite show. What’s truly important is that Eva May and Mackenzie thoroughly enjoyed it. Their smiles alone made it well worth going.

Time to plan more adventures!

I Was An Adventure

I know you’ll find this difficult to believe but I misbehaved when I was out and about yesterday. I didn’t mean to. Really I didn’t. But sometimes an innocent comment is enough to get me started and one thing leads to another and before I know it I’ve become visible again without intending to. I’ve found once that happens its best to go with it.

I took Howie for an oil change. Yep, that’s it. Simple, right? How can that possibly cause a stir, right? Well, if you know me, then you don’t have to ask those questions. By now you’re shaking your head, wondering what the hell I did this time.

Nothing earth shattering, I assure you. I didn’t slip up that much. Not yesterday anyway though that possibility is back out there now, due to circumstances I have no desire to control. Ah, but that’s for another day. Back to Howie. He actually started it. Pretty cool, having a car that misbehaves too. It’s guaranteed that the people at the oil place are going to remember us next time we’re in. And my specific counterman, well let’s just say I left him with a smile and a sense of wonderment that I have absolutely no doubt he took home to share after his shift yesterday.

Now tell me, were you an adventure yesterday too, as I asked you to be?