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OUR "YEAR of the
MANY FIXES"
Some years are great, and others are not. There are some
you’d like to forget.
The year 2010 has been like that for us, and it’s not even over yet!
"The year of the ‘many fixes,’" no doubt,
we’ll call it further on down time’s trail.
For everything that could break did, and stuff we count on started to
fail!
First, the alternator on the truck gave up the ghost and
croaked.
'Twas only just a few months old. "Time to alternate!" we joked.
Then the refrigerator lost its cool and the milk began
to go sour.
We had to replace it six times before we got one with unbroken power!
Next it was the tires on our house. They were new just
the year before.
But not far from home, half of them blew! We had to buy four more!
Fix Number 4 were the slides on our house that expand to
give us more room.
Screeching loudly, they both died one day. We fought hard to control our
gloom!
We thought we’d gotten stability back to continue our
visits elsewhere
‘Till the sudden pain of a broken tooth sent us seeking out dental care!
What else could go wrong? We couldn’t guess, so
continued our pre-planned route.
Then, near Canada, a cloud of white smoke made us ask, "What’s that
all about?"
The nearest Ford diesel mechanic gave us both bad news
and good:
"The cooling fan’s shot and the EGRs not doin’ what it
should!"
"It can be fixed," he nodded, "but ‘t
will take time; cost an arm and a leg!"
"Proceed!" we said, and rented a car to drive home, seeking
places to beg!
Some kind friends helped us travel on to places we were
seeking.
Returning home, we quickly found that the toilet valve was leaking!
We flushed with a bucket for several days ‘till the
ordered part arrived.
‘Twas a short and simple fix this time, one more we had survived!
We were humming along without a care, heading west to
our son’s abode,
When we heard an unwelcome whistle at steep places in the road.
Hearing our sad tale of woe, Son took a look under the
hood.
The problem: a turbo hose clamp had come loose and was doing no good.
Once again we financially supported the auto parts
industry.
This time the bottom line total was not in four figures, but three!
Once again we started out westward, just enjoying the
roadside views,
When a shot-like sound from the engine made us tremble, and lose our
cruise!
We limped to a nearby campground and the cooled,
crippled engine revealed
That once again that fickle hose clamp had come loose, and the tube
unsealed!
Quickly back to the same mechanic who’d so recently
mended its might.
He fixed it again, and waived the fee, which, of course, was only right.
So, our "Year of the Many Fixes" continues
toward a future unknown.
What else can break, wear out or leak? Whatever it is, we’ll be home!
8/18/2010 - mshr
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