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I am, for several reasons, rather annoyed right now.

I'll get over it, but, my gosh.

Anyway.  I pick up Caleb on the way home from work, get home, the old Buick wouldn't start.  I used jumper cables, it fired right up.  I was going to go to the electrical shop, instead, I headed to Auto Zone.  Let's have the battery (which is brand new) and the alternator checked, please.

The battery was BAD. 2 months old and already BAD?  Not just drained, DONE, TOAST, goodnight.
Warranty covered that.  The bolts that hold the clamps into the battery?  Rusted out.  Dude at the Zone was very helpful and did all the of the work.  Removed the battery, got me another one, I bought the new bolts for it. He removed the old bolts and put the new ones in, got the battery clamped down.  Now, he was ready to test the alternator.

But first, the computer has to check the battery.  Battery good. Thank you, it just came off of their shelf.  Start  the car, check the alternator. 14 volts.  Nothing wrong with the alternator.  We're done here, Auto Dude can't tell me anymore, didn't expect that he should be able to.  He went out of his way to help, I offered him a generous tip, he turned it down.

Put it this way: if I would have taken it to the electrical shop with a bad battery, they would have been calling me telling me the battery was bad, that will be $200 and then we can find out what's wrong with your car.  Auto Dude saved me a good deal of money and/or dealing with the car.  I mean, I wouldn't have HAD the electrical shop replace it with an over-priced battery, I would have taken it to AutoZone for the free replacement warranty.  The electrical shop would have charge me a fee for their diagnostics, just plain and simple, I thought Auto Dude deserved a tip. He flat wouldn't take it.  Oh well, I tried.  Thanked him profusely and headed to the electrical shop.

My son's first drive on the freeway.  He was in my newer Buick, following too closely behind me for my tastes.  At least he was QUITE intently watching what was going on in front of him.  Which is good, because a van pulled up in the line to the right of him and completely cut him off.  No signal, no advance warning, just zipped in between my car and..........my car.  I had the notion of slamming on my brakes to give that person a taste of their own medicine, as I saw my newer Buick going at an angle as Caleb hit the brakes hard to keep from running into the idiot.  Good job, Caleb, anyway, for not smashing up my car.

I was watching him in the rear view mirror pretty much the entire distance on the freeway - I kept the speed below the speed limit, which, btw, is not how I usually drive.  That's all I'm saying about that, ahem, let's move on.  Got to the shop.  The dude that obviously runs and owns the place?  JUST like Virgil at Highland auto, who runs and owns the shop that I am now a loyal customer to.  I thought, no wonder Virgil recommended this shop to me.  This man said this is what we do: figure out electrical problems.  They've been in business 3 dozen years and as Virgil's shop, a lot of acclamation for this shop as well.

Set it straight here, cause' I've done both routes, when it comes to complicated issues, it is FAR better to just spend the money outright at a place that charges more, if that's the case, to get it done right the first time, than it is to pay an inferior shop  - to not do anything but perpetuate your problem and keep you on the hook.  And let me give Virgil, owner of Highland Auto in Chandler, Arizona (yes, props for Googles searches, thank you) a spot here: HE paid for the last tow I had in there, got the car running and didn't charge me a single dime for the time spent and money spent on the tow.  Now, he didn't want anything further to do with this problem with my car, I don't have a problem with that, either.

So, the car is there, don't know when to expect a phone call, guessing sometime tomorrow, but who knows.

BTW, this is NOT what is annoying me.  I was well prepared for today, it's been coming for 2 weeks and it turned out much better than I planned for.  HOW, you say, is THAT?  Because, the car drove all the way there without a hiccup.  It didn't stall on the freeway like it did last time without warning.  That did not change my mind about getting it checked out, no, I don't need a car just bugging out on me whenever it is having a period and needs a giant Midol to take it's misery away.  Not dissing the ladies, just an observation about a car that is now in the shop for the 6th time in about, what, 2, 2 and a half month's time?

What's bugging me, for one, are tenants.  I mean, the trailer people are the ones that have been cleaning the main bathroom, 2 of the in-house tenants haven't lifted a finger to help with that.  The third has done it a couple of times - which has little relevance, really, considering the time she's been living here.  What I heard to day made me mad.  You see, I left a note for everyone.  This is what's going on, we are adults, let's not think that one person should be dumped with the responsibility.  The jist of the note.

So, I hear today that the newest guy said that: "His ad didn't say anything about cleaning the bathroom".  FREAK.  You're right, it doesn't specifically state that: it says that a person needs to clean up after themselves.  To hear that a person has a problem with it?  That person can move out.  I have no problem issuing notices.  Yes, it may affect my income, but, I have no doubt that I can re-rent the room.

Long interval in writing here.  Can't finish tonight.

G'night.

ben