December 8, 2005

December 8, 2005

Yuma, Arizona

YEAR 2 DAY 174

 

Today was sunny and warm. Ho-hum ! I type that every day lately, don't I ?

This morning I did preventive maintenance, took some measurements in the bedroom for the moulding I want to install, then we headed off for Aamco Transmission. We dropped the truck off at Aamco, then walked next door to get haircuts. We both had haircuts, then set off walking and exploring the area we were in. Yesterday we got a coupon for a new Mexican restaurant, opening today, in the area that we were in. We found it, and decided to go in for an early lunch. The woman at the transmission shop recommended a local Greek restaurant, but we're 20 miles from Mexico, in a city largely inhabited by Mexicans. Why would I want to go to a Greek restaurant ? When I want a good Greek restaurant, we'll go to Greece ! HA HA HA ! We had lunch, then continued exploring the area by foot. We shopped at "99¢ Mart" and bought a whole bunch of stuff. The dollar type stores in the southern U.S. give a lot more "bang for the buck", so to speak. Most of the items we bought would be $3 to $5 each in Canada. We went into a large Mexican grocery store, to use their washrooms. Joanne persists in asking for "the washroom" down here. They don't understand the term. Down here they're called rest rooms ... or even easier for them to understand ... bañ os.

When we returned to Aamco to pick up the truck, the owner of the shop said they had a problem getting my truck to start. So what else is new ? We had a discussion about the truck's history of starter problems. He doesn't think it's directly a starter problem. He thinks it more of an electrical system problem ; a starter solenoid or ignition switch problem. He has experience, as a mechanic, solving this same sort of problem in older GM trucks with gas engines. He's uncertain if the problem is the same in the diesel engines, but he's steered me in a problem solving direction that I need to explore further. He also identified the cause of an oil leak I first noticed a month or more ago, but was unable to identify. We discussed the problem, and solution. I made an appointment to return on Monday to have them repair the leak at the oil filter 90 degree adaptor. The oil filter on a 2 wheel drive GM truck hangs downward. On a 4 wheel drive truck, the oil filter had to be rotated 90 degrees due to the drive line to the front. My truck is leaking heavily at that adaptor, and needs new o-ring seals there, that he will have to order from a GM dealer. I'm becoming more convinced that dealing with independent mechanics is preferable to dealing with the GM dealer service departments. From Aamco we drove to Lowe's and exchanged the moulding I bought yesterday for a narrower one.

We returned to the trailer at Kofa Co-op late in the afternoon. I phoned a local diesel engine specialty shop to discuss having an exhaust brake installed. The price is much more than I had expected, so I need to give it some thought. I also discussed this persistent starter problem with them, and they have some ideas. I'll probably go there on Monday to discuss both matters more thoroughly. Joanne and I did some trip planning, figuring out our travel plans for the next month or so. We both had thoughts on that, and realized today that we weren't "on the same page". Figuring out where to spend Christmas required a bit of discussion and planning. Picking up our next batch of mail, in Benson, Arizona also had to be figured out. We need to pick up our mail in Benson some time between now and Christmas, but we don't necessarily want to be in Benson for Christmas and / or New Year's. Joanne likes it here in Yuma a lot, and would like to stay here a month. That's not really feasible, but "back tracking" to return here might be, after going to Casa Grande and Benson. I sort of hate back tracking, though. Must be a "guy" thing.

While Joanne went off to do some laundry, I updated the truck preventive maintenance records I keep in the computer, did today's accounting, and worked on today's journal entry. I took Bo for a walk, and a run, then we went off to "find" Joanne at the laundry room. Bo loves "tracking". Silly, little Terrier ! Joanne prepared supper, and we ate supper, while watching Survivor, then The Apprentice.

DSK