Travel Preparations
Where The Hell Is My Road Atlas??
T Minus 68 hours until the Big Maroon Ford rolls out of the driveway and heads for Tennessee...
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit apprehensive about making the drive. Oh, I have no doubt I can stay awake and alert for 14 or 15 hours until I reach Birmingham or Chattanooga, and with Mr. Switchy and my .45, I fear no lot lizards or slackjawed yokels at the truckstops.
It's that nagging fear that all the automotive gremlins haven't been completely shooed away... I had a $10 off coupon at NTB, and took the truck in for an oil change Saturday. That NTB store had put the tires on last summer, and did some brake work. The manager handed me an estimate for replacement of the shocks, ball joints, and assorted other items necessary for steering and holding the tires on, and it came to over $2000.
Now, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday. Blindly accepting what a national chain store says regarding repairs is a sucker's game. A second opinion will be had, but I can't do that before I make the trip.
Still, there's new tires, the alignment seems to be holding, and barring that weird rattle from the exhaust, the truck isn't making any new and unwelcome noises. Just hold out for 3000 more miles, that's all I ask!
Dad was skeptical of me putting any more money into the truck at all. Still, parts wear out, and I suppose I'll have to fork over another chunk of money sometime next month.
In the meantime, I've got my Triple A card handy, and a couple of paychecks banked in case the gremlins strike during the trip...
Wish me luck, y'all. I'm gonna need it.
T Minus 68 hours until the Big Maroon Ford rolls out of the driveway and heads for Tennessee...
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit apprehensive about making the drive. Oh, I have no doubt I can stay awake and alert for 14 or 15 hours until I reach Birmingham or Chattanooga, and with Mr. Switchy and my .45, I fear no lot lizards or slackjawed yokels at the truckstops.
It's that nagging fear that all the automotive gremlins haven't been completely shooed away... I had a $10 off coupon at NTB, and took the truck in for an oil change Saturday. That NTB store had put the tires on last summer, and did some brake work. The manager handed me an estimate for replacement of the shocks, ball joints, and assorted other items necessary for steering and holding the tires on, and it came to over $2000.
Now, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday. Blindly accepting what a national chain store says regarding repairs is a sucker's game. A second opinion will be had, but I can't do that before I make the trip.
Still, there's new tires, the alignment seems to be holding, and barring that weird rattle from the exhaust, the truck isn't making any new and unwelcome noises. Just hold out for 3000 more miles, that's all I ask!
Dad was skeptical of me putting any more money into the truck at all. Still, parts wear out, and I suppose I'll have to fork over another chunk of money sometime next month.
In the meantime, I've got my Triple A card handy, and a couple of paychecks banked in case the gremlins strike during the trip...
Wish me luck, y'all. I'm gonna need it.
posted by El Capitan | 11:29 AM
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