What's Under Your Hood?

I hate to even tell you guys about my saga of getting an oil change the day after I moved, but before I cleaned the old apartment. It's not a pretty story, and I hate to be Debbie Downer twice in one week, but heck, if I had to live it, you can share in the pain. That's what friends are for, right? Um....you are my friend, aren't you? Don't answer that...just pull up a chair and crack open a bottle of Ripple because this is a doozy.


Remember how I traded in my 01 Ford Escape for a brand new 09 Limited V6 because I love my huge carbon footprint power under my hood? Well, I really love my new SUV, just like I loved my old one. Yeah, that's me and Carlous, the salesman.

Well, two weeks ago I brought my car to a Kwik Kar oil change place for an oil change. I know it's the lazy way out, and I should go to the dealer, but I quit doing that years ago with my old Escape because I had a great mechanic who kept it in tip top shape, and he picked up and delivered it from my place of work...and he washed it! But back to the Kwik Kar place.

I had just an hour before leaving for Waco for a baseball tournament for A-Ron. The Kwik Kar guy said he didn't have my oil filter in stock, and neither did the local auto parts store....he would have to go get one at Ford. I was slightly irritated, but said OK, as long as he could do it ASAP. A few minutes go by and he comes into the waiting room to tell me Ford wants a premium of $15 extra for the filter. I tell him to forget it, I'll go to Ford for the oil change. He closes the hood on my car and I leave.

When I get to my daughters, she tells me to ride with her because they won't be spending the night. Normally they do, and I drive back to stay with JJ....oh the fun!!

The next week was moving week, so I was back and forth schlepping stuff over to the new place. Since my new apartment is a new complex, it was apparent to me that my car was leaking oil on the new concrete. I'm the only one in my building and my vehicle was the only one parking along the red curb, which means loading and unloading no one should park there.

Friday, after I'm finally moved, I decide to go to the Ford Dealer and get an oil change and mention the oil leak. Surprisingly they told me I could wait, and the oil change with filter was $29.95. Yippee.

Within five minutes the Ford guy was in the waiting room, asking me who worked on my car last. I told him no one, and relayed the "almost oil change" at Kwik Kar. He asked me to come with him to look under my hood.

Holy moly! Evidently the Kwik Kar guy didn't put the cap back on the oil thing. Then the Ford mechanic raised the car up for me....

This is the view from beneath my car.

This is inside from the top. Luckily, no permanent damage was done, and my warranty wasn't affected. They steam cleaned my engine, and wrote a detailed and itemized documentation of what they did. It was $60 for the clean up. I took it to Kwik Kar and they couldn't reimburse me fast enough! Lesson learned, in the future, I will only go to the Ford Dealer.

The final cherry on top of my week was a lovely housewarming gift waiting for me when I got home.......


From the local Hospice!

BEST BUDS, or......

....maybe it's BFFs




Yesterday, while Grandma J was attending to A-Ron, and his triple extraction, she was too busy to visit much with JJ.

She did let him and his best buddy, Phillip Johnny Bob go for a spin in her new Escape....

because a favorite pass time around the neighborhood is sniffing the genitals of out the car window for other dogs.

Dude....your seat belt!!!

Back at the house, once again Grandma J lost contact with JJ......he seemed to disappear from his usual mode of being under foot front and center where all action was taking place.

Tiptoeing upstairs, this is what Grandma J found.......

JJ and Phillip Johnny Bob, staring out the window. This window in the loft at Grandma J's daughter's home, is on the side of the house and looks down into the neighbor's back yard.

Grandma J doesn't know these neighbors, they come and they go, always screaming at each other in Portuguese smiling and waving, Hi .

Back up to the loft an hour later, the guys were still fixed on whatever was in that back yard. Grandma J decided to take a look, because nothing could be that interesting....no, nothing.

Wait! I've seen that car, and that woman before! It's Oprah....and, what? I see something else moving around...

OMG! It's a big dog......a Great Dane! Could this blogger she be my daughter's neighbor?

Just about then my daughter starts calling my name.....I awake, and realize I was dreaming!

or was I?

QUESTION: When is an Idle an Idol?

ANSWER: When you take it in.

The night before last, I decided to go to Arby's for a sandwich. The Colts Jaguars game had just ended, and it was after 9 p.m. When I started my car it was idling rough. I hadn't driven it all day, and the weather had dipped to the 20' the day before, and hadn't gotten above 45 on that day, so I figured it needed to warm up...even though I know my car like the back of my hand, and it just didn't seem right. Once I started driving, it was fine. When I stopped at a light it would idle rough. I hold my breath when things like this happen. Seriously.....even stuff like when my fuel light comes on and I'm 50 miles from El Paso in 110 degree weather...I hold my breath. I'm sure I get better gas mileage that way, right?

Once I get home, I contemplate what the damages will probably be....right before Christmas, ten days until payday.....who do I cut from my Christmas list?

I call the Ford dealership to see if I can bring my car in, and the gal says, sure, at noon....ask for Heather. Now...I drive a 2001 Ford Escape. I have never had one once of trouble, and I can't believe I've had it for eight years. I think five years was the longest I had ever had a car before.

I go out to start it this morning at around eleven, and it purrs like a kitten. I sit there with it in park, waiting for it to start acting like a massage chair at the nail salon. NOTHING....HUMMMMMM. I put it in neutral, because that will make it shake a bit....nope. I decide to take it in anyway for a diagnostic check-up.

I get there at 11:45, and Heather is still out to lunch. I wander around a bit. I see this............

Yeah, like it has a sticker price of $52K...I'm not a Mustang person, and I make a snorting noise, then mumble that I would never pay $52 for any Ford. The men hanging around drooling tell me the sticker price is a joke...you can't touch this for under $100K....I leave, and check to see if Heather is back.....not yet.

I wander around a bit more.....have a bit of a conversation with Carlous (yes that's how he spells it). Then I do this...........

I buy me a new 2009 Escape Limited.

And Here I am saying good-bye to my old one...

And Monday I'm going back to see Carlous so he can help me with the Sync bluetooth stuff.

On a funny note? No one...not the salesman, finance manager....no one asked me for proof of income, or bank information. I even mentioned that my pensions go in my account electronically....no one asked me who I got my checks from, or what bank they went into. I mentioned it to Carlous as I was leaving, and all of a sudden, they were scrambling to find me a computer to log onto! Can you believe it?