February 9, 2006

February 9, 2006

La Feria, Texas & Nuevo Progreso, Mexico

YEAR 2 DAY 237

 

Today was sunny and warm.

Last night Teddy knocked my glasses off the dinette table where I had left them, and the frame broke. I sure wish that had happened a week and a half ago, before I had purchased new lenses. I fear that the expenditure on new lenses may be lost. I'll return to the optician in Mexico, and see if he can provide frames that the new lenses will fit. Otherwise, last week's U.S.$45 for new lenses goes in the garbage. I'm trying to type this Thursday morning, without wearing glasses, and I can't see the keyboard, or the monitor, clearly. My spare "emergency" glasses are in the truck, which is still at Knapp Chevrolet, for the fourth day < sigh >. I just phoned them for a status report. They're still working on the truck. The service writer will call me back with an estimate of completion time. The lengthy duration of time that the truck was in being repaired this week, and now the broken glasses, will likely delay our planned departure from La Feria on Saturday.

Knapp phoned at noon and said the truck was ready. They sent a shuttle to pick me up. As soon as I got to Knapp, even before I paid the bill, I went to the truck and got my spare glasses out of the glove box. They're not very good, but better than nothing. They're a 10 year old prescription. I paid the bill, drove back to La Feria, picked up some mail at the Post Office, then went to reschedule the installation of the starter heat shield blanket ... again ! We had a quick lunch, then left for Mexico, to return to Flores Optical, to see if what could be done about my broken glasses. We drove to Progreso, parked, and walked across the bridge into Nuevo Progreso. We walked quickly to Flores Optical, running the gauntlet of hawkers. "Need dentist ? Need dentist ? Almost free today !" Flores Optical said they could send my glasses out to have the frames repaired by welding, cost $10, ready Saturday at noon. Okay. Guess we're not leaving La Feria RV Park until Sunday.

We walked back to the bridge, and across, got the truck, and drove back to La Feria. Joanne wanted to take the truck and go to Harlingen to do some Wal-Mart'n. First I had to do a bit of work on the truck. I removed and replaced the fuel filter. I wanted to be sure that the rubber gasket was seated properly. Sunday night when I removed it, in the dark, under the freeway, I was having some difficulty getting it reinstalled properly. Once I removed the fuel filter, and ensured that it was reinstalled correctly, I replaced the turbo engine cover that I had removed Sunday night, and tossed in the back seat. I got some tools I needed out of the truck, to do some work on the trailer roof, then Joanne took the truck and left for Harlingen. I climbed up on Harvey's roof to do some repairs. There were three spots where the rubber roof had small cracks, right along the edge where it wraps over. I patched them with rubber roof compound, sort of a very thick rubberized paint.

After cleaning up, I started work on the computer. Very tough to do, with these old glasses. I can't read the screen. I did some truck maintenance records updating, then some accounting. I found the Wi-Fi signal, so I quickly sent and retrieved e-mail, and updated my blog. Then I continued working on this journal entry.

It’s currently 6:30 P.M., half an hour after Teddy’s and Bo’s supper time, and they’re both sleeping. Very unusual for Teddy to sleep through a meal time. He’s been ill yesterday and today. Poor Teddy. I’ll take Bo for an obedience training session, then feed him. Maybe Teddy will want to eat a bit once Bo starts eating.

I walked Bo, and as I was feeding Bo and Teddy, Joanne returned home from shopping. She was feeling ill. We had another quiet evening in front of the TV, Joanne nursing a backache that has persisted for a few days, and now she also has an upset stomach. Poor Joanne. I wonder if the two problems are related ?

DSK