And Then There Were None

Bill had a very trying day today. He called The Garage and his car still wasn't ready. He asked me to drop him off at The Garage at 12 noon and he would wait for it. Yesterday was our day to go to the Sam's Club in Dover, thirty nine miles away. We would have to do it today. But first, Bill had to get his '91 Jeep Cherokee out of The Garage. Of course when he went down they hadn't even started on the repairs. They did when they saw he was waiting. Two and a half hours later they told him they were finished. Frustrated, Bill paid the bill and stormed out of The Garage. Note, I refer to "The Garage" that way because that is the name of the auto repair business we patronize on Route 1, across from The Hampton Inn in Rehoboth Beach.

On the way home Bill noticed his "Check Engine" light was still on. They hadn't fixed the main reason he went in! That's why he took his car to The Garage. They found the brake problem when they took his car around the back of their place. A brake hose or something like that blew (I know I don't have that right but it was something drastic like that.) Well, the upshot is that Bill is so frustrated with this place he doesn't want to go back. Thus, in that mood we took off to Dover.

Before we left I wanted to check the bluebird box. I heard and saw more than the usual activity around the bluebird box and as I suspected, all the baby bluebirds were out save one. I took his/her picture before we left for Dover.

On the way to Dover we noticed that the traffic headed south was backed up. Ah yes, this is Friday afternoon when The Horde (tourists, weekenders, etc) descend on our fair beaches in coastal Sussex County. As year round residents we know to avoid travel on Route 1 both north and south on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. These are the days of the travel vans, SUV's and car with bike racks full on the back, and the young girls driving shotgun with their flip flop shod feet propped up on the dashboard ("Hey! We're at the beach! Time to relax and let loose and show everyone I'm one cool chick!") Oh how we love it. But, these are the folks that keep the economy going so I shouldn't be complaining. However I did see a cool bumper sticker:

"Welcome to the beach. Now go home."

Shopping at Sam's Club was extra fun today with the late Friday afternoon crowd. We never experienced that before and we don't plan to again anytime soon. Usually we go very early during a weekday morning but our schedule has been thrown all off kilter because of Bill's car getting repaired. On the way back we had to stop at the Super Wal-Mart in Milford because that is the ONLY PLACE in Lower Slower that I can get my Turkey Hill Decaf Orange Diet Ice Tea. THE ONLY PLACE. Again, shopping in Wal-Mart Friday afternoon is an extra special experience. The people, the people. I wonder sometimes do I look as strange and weird to them as they do to me? Man oh man. There are some doozies that shop at the Wal-Mart, especially the Jabba the Huts riding around on those motorized shopping carts in the store.

Returning home we were right in the middle of the Friday afternoon weekend rush to the shore. One thing I've never been able to quite figure out, what is the rush? Why do so many of our out of state tourists feel they have to break the speed limit, weave in and out of traffic to get to the shore to relax? What's THAT all about?

Well, we finally got home. Now it's unwind time. I checked the bluebird box and, as I suspected, it is empty. The last bluebird is out. That puts a punctuation mark to a very interesting day.

Car Repairs

It's late and I'm way past my bedtime but I did want to get this post in. Early this morning Bill and took a ride down to The Garage. A place I've been visiting a lot lately with my ten year old red Subaru Forester. My Check Engine light came on again. I figure I better get this checked out. Fearing the worst (that I would need a new catalytic converter) I turned the keys in at the front desk at The Garage (don't you just love that name for the garage that I go for automobile repairs?)

Half an hour later I got the verdict. I know I'm screwing this up but it had something to do with my spark plugs and the "knock"? Anyway, it wasn't the catalytic converter. I still have to put the car in for repairs but the cost will be a third less than I was anticipating. I take the buggy in tomorrow and drop it off to get it repaired. Then I'm ready for the next unexpected financial expense.

I have found one thing to be true since I've retired, expect the unexpected.

Ah One and Ah Two!

My resident bluebirds have begun their second batch. Yesterday the first egg was laid. This morning another pastel blue egg was added to their neat nest. By the time I get back Thursday I expect to see two more additional eggs in their nest.

Tomorrow I'm going to Pennsylvania to visit my Mom and attend the graduation ceremonies for the DHS Class of 2009 as a 50th anniversary guest. In a way I really don't want to go because I love my home here in Delaware so much I hate to miss even one day. But I do have some business to take care of in Pennsylvania and I would like to attend that graduation ceremony. There is only one time that I have the opportunity to be a 50th anniversary guest (DHS Class of 1959) and I don't want to pass up the opportunity. I'll take pictures and maybe even a video or two. We'll see. I just hope this isn't a bust and I'm viewed as some ancient fossil. Actually, I don't care if I am. I just think it will be interesting. Of course I'll probably be the only member of my class who attends.

This morning I found a new plant place. It's called the Sandy Hill Greenhouse and it's on Sand Hill road, about ten miles from where I live. I loved it. This nursery is my new plant center. Mark the owner was talking to me and he said this is his second year in the retail business. Prior to this he was in the wholesale business but decided to make a go of it in the retail trade. He said so far this year business has been slow but I predict he will do very well. He has a big nursery with a large selection and all his plants are healthy and vibrant. I told him his business will build by word of mouth. When we Plant People find a good place we put the Word out. I was advised by my friend MJ in Milton to check out this garden center. Thank you MJ!

I took the drive this morning to see if my check engine light came on again. It did. In fact it was on the whole time I went up and came back. When I got home I called my garage and told them of the problem. They told me to bring the car down. I go out to my car, turn it on and the check engine light isn't on now. This is going to drive me crazy. So I called The Garage (yes folks, that is the name of my garage) and told them that the check engine light wasn't on now. Hmmm.

There always seems to be some little nagging thing like this to get on my nerves. I'm going to have to put this out of my mind and enjoy my trip to PA tomorrow. What's good about my trips to PA is that I always come back here, my beautiful home in Delaware. To me each day I spend here is like a vacation day. I love it!

Lazy Sunday

"Stormy", my friend Big Bob's cat



Today is another overcast day on the Delmarva Peninsula. No complaints from this quarter. After the past two years of almost no rain during the spring and summer seasons, the farmers of the area are finally getting a decent growing season. Everything is so fresh and green. While it would be nice to have more sun, this isn’t a bad trade off. We have still gotten enough sunny days for my tan to return.

My tan, that’s ironic. All the years I laid out in the sun trying to get a tan and it never worked. I never lay out in the sun now and in fact, try to avoid the sun between 10 am and 4 pm, lest I reactivate my precancerous skin cancer condition. I have yet to put my toes in the sands of any of the beaches here on the eastern coastal shore. The closest I came to a beach was last year when my brother John visited me from Greenville, South Carolina and he walked the beach (in his brown dress shoes yet.) I stood on the boardwalk and watched him. Now I’m covered in a healthy tan all summer long without any effort. I never got a tan like this living in the middle of the woods in Pennsylvania. It must be the ocean breeze that produces such a tan.

I haven’t taken my car out for a ride yet today, but I’ve been assured by a couple of friends that my check engine light was probably caused by me not screwing on my gas cap tight enough. The check engine light came on immediately after I got gas yesterday. In fact, even before I turned on my ignition, I was aware that I had not tightened the gas cap as much as I usually do (four turns.) Both of my friends said they had the same thing happen to them. They said they took off their gas cap and put it back on again but that it did take a few days for the check engine light to go of. I’m hoping that is my situation. I can’t afford any more big expenses at this time. It seems as if once I get my spending under control, some unexpected emergency always pops up. The unexpected seems to be expected.

This morning I got up early to make my favorite Quiche Lorraine. I like my version best. I’ll have this for lunch all week. I also baked some cinnamon muffins for Bill’s sweet tooth. Actually, my sweet tooth too but I’ll be gone for at least two days this week visiting my Mom in Pennsylvania and attending a couple of graduation ceremonies. Yes, I will go up to PA with my check engine light on. I’m confident that my gas cap caused the problem. If not, well I have Triple A. I’ve had it since 1982 and never used it. If my buggy does conk out I hope it’s not in the middle of Newark, Delaware. Now wouldn’t that be an adventure?

Check Engine

The actual picture of the message on my dashboard




Right after I gassed up at the Wawa in Milford, I turned the ignition to my 98 Subaru Forester on and I immediately noticed something new on my car’s display behind the steering wheel. Two letter in orange glow that said “Check Engine.” Gee, I wonder what that means. Actually, I know what that means. That means I’ll probably have to put out some more bucks on my faithful Subaru. I guess I should count by blessings because I have over 113,000 miles on my car. This is the absolute first time I’ve seen that message. To be honest, it’s a message that I didn’t want to see.

Reading my Subaru handbook, it tells me there are two possible reasons for the “Check Engine” message. One is the emission controller is shot (catalytic converter.) The other is that I didn’t put my gas cap on correctly and that the “Check Engine” message will go away all by itself after a few more drives. I’m hoping for the second reason. I don’t need any more problems right now and I definitely don’t need to put out more bucks for car repairs. A few months ago I spent over $1,700 to a new air pump, rear window shield motor and some other motor parts that were starting to wear out. My old buggy has been riding smooth since then. I was sort of hoping to get at least 250,000 miles out of this car.

So, I will take my friend out for a couple of rides tomorrow and hope the “Check Engine” light goes out by its self. One thing in my favor, the light came on immediately after I put the gas cap on it. I remember that I didn’t tighten it up all the way. That was before I saw the “Check Engine” light. But then, about a month ago I lost my gas cap and the “Check Engine” light didn’t come on. Maybe it has something to do with the way I tightened it. I hope so. I was planning on going to Pennsylvania on Monday (or Tuesday) to visit my Mother and to attend two graduation ceremonies of the Downingtown High School Class of 2009 as a class 50th anniversary guest. But I can’t see myself driving the 125 miles to PA with my “Check Engine” light on. I’ll be looking at it all the way up to PA.