Car's in

[cjsmith]

I've been listening to those brakes shriek for WAY TOO LONG. Today I have nowhere I need to be but work, for the first time in forever. Amazing how one's schedule clears up when one quits going to physical therapy! So TA-DAAA!, I took the car in.

It's in for brakes and... you guessed it, an alternator. :-) (My car eats alternators roughly once every year and a half. Every mechanic I see agrees that that's bad and then won't try to figure out why it's happening. I think they missed their calling as doctors.)

It's sixteen this year and healthier than I am. I'm supposed to get it back this evening.

Comments

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

The physical therapy wasn't helping?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It did help somewhat, but couldn't finish the job. The doctor decided that after PT calmed down some things and strengthened a few connections, the real problem might be more easily visible, and that's when she sent me in for the MRI. Based on that I might get more/different PT, surgery, or who knows what.

[tryslora]

This post makes me smile because I learned what an alternator *was* from you... didn't one of your parents' wagons eat alternators too?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm laughing now -- I have no memory of this! :-) My dad's the kind of guy who would probably replace his own alternator, after wiring up a little meter on a breadboard and plugging it into the cigarette lighter to help him narrow down the problem. I do remember the meter on the breadboard, at least. Maybe I talked about it then.

Wow, memories of Natick. How are your parents doing?

[tryslora]

It was a story about a long trip you guys took, and the alternator kept going out... and you told me the story because the alternator had just died again recently. It wasn't long after you go your license I think.

Isn't it funny the stories that stick with us and what doesn't? I've had friends from college tell me things I told them and I don't remember a thing. I'm sure you remember things that I couldn't possibly recall. *grins*

My folks are good -- still in the same house. Dad's half-blind but only half now, and that'll be fixed soon (not sure when the surgery is scheduled). The kids stayed with them a couple of weekends ago while Kev and I went to a gaming convention. Are your folks still around the corner, or have they moved?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh THAT trip. Yeah, that car had its problems. We came into a campsite with no lights once, following the taillights of another car on a pitch-black road. Thank goodness the guy who ran the place had a battery charger.

It is funny the things we each remember, and how different they are!

My folks are indeed still around the corner! I'll have to drop by and say hello to your folks next time I'm in Natick. What's up with your Dad, cataracts perhaps? I wish him luck for the upcoming surgery. My parents are in pretty good health so far (knock on my own head) -- they're now trying to figure out where to move for retirement.

[tryslora]

About 5 years ago my dad got shingles which settled in his eyes, and they've been getting slowly worse. He just had cornea replacement surgery back in um... January (it was canceled once because the cornea got snowed in and they couldn't fly it to him in one of the big storms). So that eye is almost crystal clear -- excellent vision because it was mostly lasik as well. I'm hoping they schedule the second eye soon, and after that he'll be good for working and driving again.

I'm encouraging my folks to move out by me. Good housing, inexpensive, and me and the grandkids!!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh yikes. I'm impressed that modern medicine can just... DEAL WITH such a thing. Years ago that would have left him blind, and now he's going to be okay.

Definitely they should move out by you! Grandkids!

[tryslora]

I'm *really* glad that the operations are working, yes! I hope modern medicine is as kind to you!!

Grandkids! Visits! Babysitting! (Um, we'll just pretend I didn't say that last... *innocent grins*)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Those are just visits, yeah, that's the ticket! Visits!

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

If the alternator goes bad repeatedly like that, and it isn't the battery or the plugs, both of which get replaced as a matter of routine, I'd say it's the wiring. But what do I know? :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'd say the same, and sadly "the wiring" is a pretty big haystack in which to find the problem. Ah well. I don't actually care all that much; a couple hundred bucks every 18 months to two years is not that high a price to pay to keep a car going.