First of all, thank you to all of you who have been concerned because I haven't posted for such a long time. Let me assure you, I'm okay - just needed a bit of a sabbatical from everything. Unfortunately there were some things I just couldn't get away from and had to deal with so I had to pick my priorities to try to keep my sanity. I'm sorry, but Tales from Frostbite Falls didn't make the top of the list. I just want all of you to know that I truly appreciate your concern.
Let's see now - I think last time you heard from me the "Waters" were receding and my car was acting up and being naughty. Both of those problems have been fixed, or are in the process.
We've just gotten started on cleaning up the mess left from the flood. Ole and I have spent many days hauling junk, raking cornstalks, wheat chaff and river reeds into piles and burning them, removing logs, dead trees, railroad ties, oil drums and fuel oil barrels. And that's what's on the outside. The river is finally completely back in its banks, but the ground is still pretty squishy so all the cleanup has had to be done manually because the ground is too soft to drive a tractor on. You'd get stuck in a heartbeat. What remains now is to get the river silt and muck cleaned out of the storage building and out of Ole's shop. And it stinks. Bad. Like rotten vegetation on a warm day. Yuck. But we will survive and it will get done. I just say thanks on a daily basis that our house didn't go under like so many others in our area.
My car issue is also solved. My van has been replaced by a Ford Expedition - a full-sized SUV. Metallic gray with lots of bells and whistles on it. Yes, I know it has a reputation as a gas guzzler, but according to the computer it gets 20 mph on the highway and 16 in town. That's better than the van did so I consider it a step up in many ways - comfort and economy.
Then, along came a dog issue. This is very unpleasant to write about and has disturbed Ole and I to no end. As many of you know Lovely Daughter had to leave her doggers behind when she and hubby moved into town. Beau and Daisy were used to being with us most of the time anyway. We took them with us this winter when we traveled and we were so proud of the way they behaved. A lady and a gentleman in every way. Neither of these dogs has ever bit anyone - ever. Daisy is 8 and Beau is 6. That is - until two days ago.
Ole and I were out in the back yard with both dogs and we were expecting an old buddy of Ole's to arrive. The doggers of course heard him drive up and went barreling around the corner to the front yard barking with Ole after them. Now this old friend has been around both of these dogs before many times, wasn't scared of them, and has big dogs of his own. Beau went charging toward him, jumped at him and grabbed his upper arm but fortunately didn't get through his jacket or break the skin. Ole went flying after Beau, pulled him by the collar off of the friend, took his cap off and started swatting Beau across the behind with the cap. That's the only thing these dogs have ever been hit with is Ole's cap - more humiliating than painful. That's when Beau turned around, grabbed Ole's calf just below the knee through the blue jeans and bit him hard enough to leave scratches and a large black and blue mark. Then he twisted somehow and got ahold of Ole's right hand, the one holding the cap, and left four very deep puncture wounds above his thumb. The blood was running fast and furiously by the time Ole let go of his collar. We cleaned up the wound as best we could, soaked his hand in Epsom salts and then went immediately to the clinic where he received treatment. There was talk of stitches, but after further conversation the doctor decided not to stitch in case it became infected.
Lovely Daughter and Lars were in a town about 100 miles away helping a friend move so they weren't available when all this was going on. I called her and told her that Beau couldn't live at our house anymore and that she would have to pick him up when she returned home. It's unfortunate that they are leaving on a week's vacation tonight and had to find a place for the dog on such short notice, but neither Ole nor I felt we could keep the dog for that long if we couldn't trust him. So they took him home on Saturday night and this afternoon when Lars was going to run some errands and was going to put Beau in the crate, Beau turned around and bit Lars, too. Didn't break the skin but definitely left marks.
Now what do you suppose would cause a dog to turn like that? It's almost as if a switch in his brain has been flipped. I have noticed that since we got home from our winter trip that he has become more aggressive and more difficult to control, but Ole is the last person I thought he would ever get after.
So Beau doesn't live here anymore, and yes, there is a big empty spot for both of us as we're used to having two dogs around. But Daisy is the one that's suffering the most at this point. She's truly missing her buddy and having someone to boss around. We can tell she's very insecure so we're trying to give her lots of extra attention. I suppose it will take a bit of time before she adapts.
Let this be a lesson to all of you - NEVER bite the hand that feeds you!!
Love Lena
THE ADVENTURES OF OLE & LENA A Stud & and Hot Dish
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Can anything more go wrong?
First of all, I really need to apologize to all of you - I haven't been keeping up on reading blogs at all for many weeks. I guess it's been because I've been just a wee bit preoccupied with other things - like water and flooding and blizzards and worrying and sleepless nights and peering out the window wondering how high the water is NOW!!
I really hate to write about "downers" but I just have to this time. I have to let off some steam - vent, you know. Otherwise I'll explode - or cry - something.
Does anybody else believe that cars have personalities? I'm beginning to. I think mine is truly mad at me and I don't know why. All I've tried to do is take good care of it and now - well, things are not good. I bought my car new 10 years ago, a Chevy Venture van. This is about the fourth van I've had and would find it hard to go back to a conventional car anymore. Vans are just so much more roomy and comfortable and you can haul so much more "stuff" with them. And besides that, you sit up higher than a conventional car - and for those of you who drive in Minnesota in the wintertime, you know how nice it is to look over that snow that's blowing across the highway instead of trying to look through it. Anyway - I love my van - especially this one. So a few years ago when Ole asked me if I didn't want to trade it off for something newer I said no. I didn't see any need to - besides - why make car payments when you don't have to. I've taken very good care of my van all these years and all these years it's been there for me. Never dumped on me on the highway, never cost me any money except for general maintenance, etc.
Well, about a year ago I decided the poor little van was getting to a point where it wasn't a good economical decision to carry full coverage insurance on it anymore. It had aged to the point where it wasn't worth much dollarwise. You know how it is when you get old - you're just not as valuable. So I dropped the full coverage insurance and two days later a rock hit me in the windshield and put not just a chip in, but a big crack!! Isn't that just the way it goes. About two weeks later a sugar beet flew out of somebody's truck and of course landed on my windshield and I got another crack. I priced out a new windshield - well over $700 - so Ole decided because of the age of the vehicle I would just have to make do. So I did. And my little van purred along just fine.
Well, this winter when we were in Albuquerque one of Big Brother's friends, who is a glassman, told me he would replace my windshield for his cost - $230. So I jumped at the chance and had him do it. Obviously my little van didn't like having her parts replaced because she's been acting up ever since. We were driving down the street in a huge rainstorm (still in Albuquerque - yes it rains there) and my windshield wipers started acting up. They'd get to the top of the upswing and wouldn't go back down - just sit there and grind away. Ole said he would fix that when we got home.
Of course that didn't happen because when we got home we were flooded and Ole had a foot of water in his shop. He still hasn't been able to get back to work in his shop (some two weeks later) due to all the debris and slime. So I took my little van into a dealership to have it worked on and $200 later came out with a new windshield wiper motor. Two days later I was in town running errands, dodging all the dikes that are still up protecting homes and trying to find my way home through all the detours when my little van started to jerk horribly when it would shift from one gear to another. "Oh, no," I said, (well, actually I said more than that but I'll keep this nice) "now I'm having issues with the transmission!" And I KNEW that was going to be an expensive fix, and one that Ole couldn't do even if he could get the car in his shop. So I called Ole and he told me to get it over to the dealership where my friend works and have them put it on the computer.
Well, I did. And I sure didn't like the answer I got. Some little doohickey that sends information to the other doohickey and shifts some valve that does something else when the transmission shifts is bad. The mechanic's advice was to drive the car until it's dead because it will cost more to fix it (upwards of three grand) than the car is worth. The funny thing was when the mechanic took my little car for a test drive it ran fine. Now isn't that just the way of a naughty child? But he said the computer indicated the doohickey was bad and that it would act up intermittently until it just would quit working completely. Boy, that didn't leave me with a feeling of confidence - much!!
So I drove the naughty little car home and parked it in the garage. My car lives in a heated garage, never has to sit in the sun or the 40 below temperatures in the winter. Don't I treat my car nice? It really shouldn't have any bitches!!! BUT - a couple of days later we were going to church and it started up just fine, took us to church, down to the community pancake feed afterwards and then home again. Later than afternoon Ole backed it out of the garage to hose all the dirt out of the garage that's been accumulating. When he was done he was going to move the car back in and it was deader than a doornail. Wouldn't even grunt. Well, after much fooling around and testing stuff, Ole and Lars dragged out the jumper cables and got it going good enough to get it back in the garage. Then they took off the Wal-mart, bought a new battery (another $100) and replaced the old one.
So I very tentatively drove the 10 miles to town yesterday to hit the grocery store and (fingers crossed) everything went fine - this time. I guess my car didn't want the windshield replaced - just wanted to stay completely intact - wanted all her original parts because she's certainly been naughty since I did that.
Anyway - now I'm looking for a different vehicle. I HATE that. I especially hate the thought of car payments. We've always managed to pay cash for my cars, but of course ten years ago and previous to that cars weren't upwards of $30,000 either. And this time I want an SUV so I can sit even HIGHER off the ground so not only can I see over the snowbanks in the winter, I won't get my feet wet in the next flood!!
Yes, People, we're going to have ANOTHER flood. The prediction for Fargo and Moorhead is that it's to be even higher than the previous crest which was a record breaker. And I didn't think our river (Buffalo) would do much this time around, but every day this week the weather bureau has been increasing the crest predictions by 6 inches to a foot. Last weekend they said it would crest at 12 feet, which is barely flood stage. Last night, after changing things three times, they've upped it to 16.7 feet - which will put it back in our storage building, very close to inside Ole's shop again, and once more put our driveway under water.
What's going on here? Why is God testing us to this extent? I just don't know if I can take the stress of watching that water come again and not lose my marbles this time.
I really hate to write about "downers" but I just have to this time. I have to let off some steam - vent, you know. Otherwise I'll explode - or cry - something.
Does anybody else believe that cars have personalities? I'm beginning to. I think mine is truly mad at me and I don't know why. All I've tried to do is take good care of it and now - well, things are not good. I bought my car new 10 years ago, a Chevy Venture van. This is about the fourth van I've had and would find it hard to go back to a conventional car anymore. Vans are just so much more roomy and comfortable and you can haul so much more "stuff" with them. And besides that, you sit up higher than a conventional car - and for those of you who drive in Minnesota in the wintertime, you know how nice it is to look over that snow that's blowing across the highway instead of trying to look through it. Anyway - I love my van - especially this one. So a few years ago when Ole asked me if I didn't want to trade it off for something newer I said no. I didn't see any need to - besides - why make car payments when you don't have to. I've taken very good care of my van all these years and all these years it's been there for me. Never dumped on me on the highway, never cost me any money except for general maintenance, etc.
Well, about a year ago I decided the poor little van was getting to a point where it wasn't a good economical decision to carry full coverage insurance on it anymore. It had aged to the point where it wasn't worth much dollarwise. You know how it is when you get old - you're just not as valuable. So I dropped the full coverage insurance and two days later a rock hit me in the windshield and put not just a chip in, but a big crack!! Isn't that just the way it goes. About two weeks later a sugar beet flew out of somebody's truck and of course landed on my windshield and I got another crack. I priced out a new windshield - well over $700 - so Ole decided because of the age of the vehicle I would just have to make do. So I did. And my little van purred along just fine.
Well, this winter when we were in Albuquerque one of Big Brother's friends, who is a glassman, told me he would replace my windshield for his cost - $230. So I jumped at the chance and had him do it. Obviously my little van didn't like having her parts replaced because she's been acting up ever since. We were driving down the street in a huge rainstorm (still in Albuquerque - yes it rains there) and my windshield wipers started acting up. They'd get to the top of the upswing and wouldn't go back down - just sit there and grind away. Ole said he would fix that when we got home.
Of course that didn't happen because when we got home we were flooded and Ole had a foot of water in his shop. He still hasn't been able to get back to work in his shop (some two weeks later) due to all the debris and slime. So I took my little van into a dealership to have it worked on and $200 later came out with a new windshield wiper motor. Two days later I was in town running errands, dodging all the dikes that are still up protecting homes and trying to find my way home through all the detours when my little van started to jerk horribly when it would shift from one gear to another. "Oh, no," I said, (well, actually I said more than that but I'll keep this nice) "now I'm having issues with the transmission!" And I KNEW that was going to be an expensive fix, and one that Ole couldn't do even if he could get the car in his shop. So I called Ole and he told me to get it over to the dealership where my friend works and have them put it on the computer.
Well, I did. And I sure didn't like the answer I got. Some little doohickey that sends information to the other doohickey and shifts some valve that does something else when the transmission shifts is bad. The mechanic's advice was to drive the car until it's dead because it will cost more to fix it (upwards of three grand) than the car is worth. The funny thing was when the mechanic took my little car for a test drive it ran fine. Now isn't that just the way of a naughty child? But he said the computer indicated the doohickey was bad and that it would act up intermittently until it just would quit working completely. Boy, that didn't leave me with a feeling of confidence - much!!
So I drove the naughty little car home and parked it in the garage. My car lives in a heated garage, never has to sit in the sun or the 40 below temperatures in the winter. Don't I treat my car nice? It really shouldn't have any bitches!!! BUT - a couple of days later we were going to church and it started up just fine, took us to church, down to the community pancake feed afterwards and then home again. Later than afternoon Ole backed it out of the garage to hose all the dirt out of the garage that's been accumulating. When he was done he was going to move the car back in and it was deader than a doornail. Wouldn't even grunt. Well, after much fooling around and testing stuff, Ole and Lars dragged out the jumper cables and got it going good enough to get it back in the garage. Then they took off the Wal-mart, bought a new battery (another $100) and replaced the old one.
So I very tentatively drove the 10 miles to town yesterday to hit the grocery store and (fingers crossed) everything went fine - this time. I guess my car didn't want the windshield replaced - just wanted to stay completely intact - wanted all her original parts because she's certainly been naughty since I did that.
Anyway - now I'm looking for a different vehicle. I HATE that. I especially hate the thought of car payments. We've always managed to pay cash for my cars, but of course ten years ago and previous to that cars weren't upwards of $30,000 either. And this time I want an SUV so I can sit even HIGHER off the ground so not only can I see over the snowbanks in the winter, I won't get my feet wet in the next flood!!
Yes, People, we're going to have ANOTHER flood. The prediction for Fargo and Moorhead is that it's to be even higher than the previous crest which was a record breaker. And I didn't think our river (Buffalo) would do much this time around, but every day this week the weather bureau has been increasing the crest predictions by 6 inches to a foot. Last weekend they said it would crest at 12 feet, which is barely flood stage. Last night, after changing things three times, they've upped it to 16.7 feet - which will put it back in our storage building, very close to inside Ole's shop again, and once more put our driveway under water.
What's going on here? Why is God testing us to this extent? I just don't know if I can take the stress of watching that water come again and not lose my marbles this time.
Things have got to change soon or I'm going to check myself into the state mental institution. Then I can just sing songs all day, rocking in my rocking chair and I won't have to deal with all this shit!!
Love Lena
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