We've been planning and looking forward to this Destin break for months, setting out stuff we know we'll need to take...
Tinkering with the car to insure it's ready for an all-day drive.
Sara Jean intermittently likes to walk away from the car with the ignition switch in the "on" position. If you do that and it goes undiscovered overnight, you'll hear this wonderful "clickety-clickety-clickety-click" sound when you try to start the engine, and it always seems to happen when I need the car. (She's done it at least three times lately.) You can only do that to a battery a few times before it simply refuses to take a charge.
Long-time sufferers of my rants will remember this post, which actually was written as the result of Sara Jean's forgetfulness all those months ago. In that post I questioned what it would be like, trying to get WalMart to replace the battery when the process is that complicated. I've since found out... twice. They don't like it, but they do it. It was on my list of "things we had to do", and with that knowledge I've been jump starting the car with our portable power pack.
Last week the air conditioner did the "dying cockroach" thing on us. Knowing the temps in Destin will require the use of air conditioning
I took the car to our local mechanic for A/C repair immediately and explained to him, "The battery is dead and you'll have to jump it to get it started."
The "evaporator" was leaking. This is one of those
"I know it's gonna be expensive things" about air conditioning...
When they quit it is frequently because there is a leak in either the compressor or the evaporator. Neither is cheap to repair.
Replacing the evaporator on most cars these days requires the complete removal of the dash/instrument panel. It's labor intensive.
$$$$$$$$
The mechanic called... "Your car is ready".
Looking over the bill I noticed, "Battery.... $95.75".
"You replaced the battery?!!"
"Yes, you said it was dead."
"Yes, but that's a WalMart battery and I could have had it replaced under warranty for nothing."
And to his credit he took the bill back and removed the charge for the battery.
Now I feel odd...
It's not fair that he has to eat the cost of the battery and the labor it took to replace it. But I DID NOT ask him to replace it, and if and when Sara Jean does "her thing" again, (and she WILL!), I'll not have a free replacement warranty.
Lose/lose.
I'll wrap this post up by asking... What's wrong with this quote?
"What we have here is, A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE!"
First person to identify the problem gets an "OOOOH, you're so wonderful!" from me.
7 comments:
You're the guy, the car is YOUR job.
So...."What we have here is a failure...of the guy to take care of a dead car battery when you are about to partake on a long car trip."
DUH.
And don't try to deny the guy/car job responsibility by claiming you're a feminist like Alan Alda or something.
Have a good trip.
Well boy, that quote aint right, why you know that!
I do believe Strother Martin who played the part of "Captain" in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke said "What we've got here, is a failure to communicate".
Don't get your feet to oily now ya hear?!
Wow CP... that's so close I got a Chris Matthews "tingle up my leg".
Close, but no cigar, man.
"what we got heehr is...failyuh to com-municate" - good movie.
One more try son-
"What we've got here is... failure to communicate".
I cheated. I used the computer that time.
Great film! All should watch that film once a year. It stands the test of time.
Little did I know that someone in that film would become a long time family friend.
Remember that gal who washes the car?
She gave up acting, had three children and started a baking business with her eldest child Jason.
Lady OTH...
Oooooh, you're SO wonderful!
CP gets honorable mention for taking the trouble, even though he cheated.
This is one of the most mis-quoted lines from all the movies, and you can win drink bets on it in bars.
Joy Harmon.
Wowee Kazowee!
Joy married my motorcycle riding, scuba diving/Editor buddy, Jeff Gourson.
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