Let’s get the bad news out of the way. I’m a little over three weeks out from having surgery and the ‘massive hematoma’ is still a massive irritant in my life. It’s still draining, bright, red blood. She-ite! I had an appointment last week with my surgeon. He’s convinced that my body will heal itself. I am convincing myself of the same thing because I couldn’t stand to go in and have another surgery right now…at least not for a year or so. FK!
Anyway, winter has hit the high desert. Last night was exceptionally warm considering the temps have been down in the high 20s to 30s range at night. The days have been really decent though, except for an occasional crazy wind that blows in somewhere out of hell and tries to take everything with it.
To go along with the cold, the heater in my jeep isn’t working…it was…now it isn’t. Another issue has come up with it, it wants to do a gasp…several in fact…from time to time, sitting at a light in idle, or out on the road, more specifically when I’m going up over Spring Mountain on the way into Vegas or heading back home.
I took it into a shop here in Pahrump that I’ve had other things done on it and a previous vehicle. This time, I am not happy with their report or their tactic. The first thing they said is that the heater core is bad, it would cost $700 to fix it. Hold that one please, it isn’t going to happen right now. The second issue with the ‘gasp’ they decided is a power brake regulator. They want $300 to fix it, $200 for the part. Hold that one also…not going to happen at this moment. I asked how much I owed for them checking it. $125 – “OK, I’ll be in to pick it up.”
Them, “We have to put a heater bypass on it, that will cost $40, you can’t drive it without doing that.”
WTF? I drove it in there without the heater bypass.
So…all told, with the heater bypass, which is just a connection and clamp to skirt the heater, it came to $175. Yeah baby…I’m excited as hell over that.
Come to find out, the power brake regulator can be purchased for about $80 at auto zone. Monte (sis’s mate) is going to replace that for me next weekend…savings of $220. And he’s going to flush the heater core. Realizing that it may solve the problem, it may make it worse due to sediment that may have plugged holes in the heater core being blown out and really starting a leak. If that happens, then sis knows a guy that she works with that may replace the core for about half of what the auto shop wants.
One thing that makes no sense, the auto shop’s guy said that the heater core was bad and I would notice water running down onto the carpeting on the passenger side. Nope, boys, it ain’t happening. Then they said, well if you pull out the jockey box, you’ll notice fluid back behind it. Yeah, right! I’m going to run out their and rip out the jockey box you diptards. There is no fluid leak, not under the rig, not inside the rig, so I’m having a little twitch and jerk about calling their bluff. It could be the heater core needs replaced, right now the evidence is leaning in another direction.
I’ve never taken a rig in for servicing but what the mechanic didn’t find something else that needs to be done, usually in the neighborhood of $400-$500. It must be a ‘you’re a woman’ thing and they just figure they’ll double the scoop of bullshit onto your windshield and you’ll fall for it.
Thankfully, Monte is going to help me and he’s qualified and very reputable. SWEET!
Nope, no poker content in this edition.
After not being allowed to talk to Mr. Riot for the last few months, I got a call from him last night. I just let him jabber and it was like old times. We talked for almost an hour. I miss that boy! I never brought up momparental or what’s been going on at home with him. He has enough scooped onto his plate just dealing with what he deals with, without me trying to dig into his emotional state.
There’s always hope. I’ll keep the candle burning for him — and for me to clear this post surgery hurtle. Soon…soon…