October 20, 2005

October 20, 2005

Nanaimo, B.C.

YEAR 2 DAY 125

 

Today was mostly cloudy and mild. The sun peeked out for just a minute or two this morning. It rained in the evening.

Once again, I was awakened by the phone ringing. Today it was Lorri, phoning to talk to Joanne. It was the second time in the last few days that Lorri phoned to have a very long conversation with her big sister. I suppose our cell phone billing this month might be a tad high.

This morning I did regular preventive maintenance, and a few housekeeping chores. After lunch I entered my latest investment transaction details into the appropriate investment and banking files in the computer, then headed for Wheaton GM to have the starter examined. I drove all the way across the city to Wheaton, and as I approached the service desk I realized I had forgotten to bring the invoice from when I had the starter replaced a month ago just outside Edmonton. !+@_#)$(Z%*^& ! ! ! I drove back to RV Resort On The Lake, picked up the invoice, and returned to Wheaton. They found the connection of the starter to battery positive cable loose at the starter, as I suspected. They tightened up the connections, then suggested that I have my U.S. Wal-Mart battery replaced under warranty as soon as I get to the States. They feel that the top post connections that I made when the side terminal nut pulled out of the battery this summer in Kenora, are inferior to a side terminal connection, as GM vehicles are designed to have. I'm going to follow their advice. When I got back to the trailer, I removed, cleaned, modified, and replaced the top post connections, to improve them until I can replace the battery. As soon as I replace the battery, I'll also replace the starter to battery cable. The top post connection modifications that I've done have somewhat chewed up the cable end, and I notice evidence of heat damage on the cable near the starter, where the cable routes near the exhaust manifold. Time to replace the cable before it becomes a problem.

While I was out at Wheaton, Joanne received a phone call from General Motors in the United States. They were calling to advise that they have approved my claim for reimbursement of the cost of the starter replaced in Edmonton a month ago, and a cheque will be issued to me next week. I expect it will be waiting for me in Chimacum, Washington when we get there in a couple of weeks.

We took the laptop over to the club house, got onto Wi-Fi, and Joanne and I did some travel medical insurance comparison shopping. When we were finished with that, Joanne went back to the trailer to prepare supper, and I retrieved e-mail and updated my blog. I returned to the trailer, we had supper, and I realized I had forgotten to retrieve my MasterCard statement. I went back to the club house, got online, and was in the midst of retrieving the MasterCard statement when Emma the resident cat leapt up onto my lap, startling me. Hello, Emma.

Joanne and Bo showed up at the club house, to walk me back to the trailer when I was done. Back at the trailer I did today's accounting and worked on today's journal entry, and Joanne washed dishes, while we watched Survivor, then The Apprentice.

DSK