My Thursday was a day of extremes. But over all, it was a good day.

I spent the majority of my day with my friend K.O.. He had been needing to take a truck to shop but had no one to pick him up, I was needing to pick a truck up from the shop and had no one to pick me up. When we talked Wednesday, we decided to help each other out. We also had a lot to catch up on as it had been four months since we had seen each other to visit.

Just when we made plans, things changed. K.O.'s wife needed to go into town to the chiropractor, so that enabled K.O. to bring his truck in, but he agreed to meet me and help me out anyway. We spent the entire afternoon together. We began with lunch at Sharon's. It was so, so, but I think Ideal Barbecue in Tye is much better. After we left there we looked over a truck that K.O. had recently traded for. We continued on to move one truck from a tire shop, back to the yard, this was kind of an add on. The truck had a tire with a slow leak, and when I began my day I had dropped it off (it is only a short distance from the yard) to be fixed. The original plan was to play musical trucks and rotate from truck to truck and location to location until everything was where it needed to be.

The plan had taken a hit early in the day. I had gone to the repair shop to pick up the one remaining truck before meeting K.O. on the other side of town. Yesterday marked a month since it was dropped off. When I had checked on it the day before, I was told the truck was ready but the ticket was not, if I would come back Thursday everything would be ready to go. I walked in and checked with the service office, no-one was there. I went into the business office and the office manager located the tickets for both truck repairs. I had been carrying a check since shortly after Christmas to use for this repair. In fact, everytime Krl was working and had our employer's checkbook out she would ask if I still had that check. She had filled it out, everything except the amount. I was disappointed with both tickets to be truthful, but usually that happens. I think what really aggravates me is that neither truck had major problems, but it seemed like everything they repaired on one truck caused another problem. I won't put down numbers but the repairs cost 188% of the estimate. Thankfully, the shop took the last truck off the clock on some of the repairs they couldn't do. I realize some thing just happen, but when a truck is in the shop for a month and the ticket reflects only fifteen hours of book time, something is out of whack. Back to the story. After I had tallied out, they couldn't find the keys, finally we ran into the service writer and he told me they keys were in it, if it would start. I know last week they had the ignition on almost the entire week while they were running diagnostics. I went outside to the truck and opened the door and was greeted by parts lying in the floor and wiring hanging down and exposed. I stepped up to find the entire dash was still "out" of the truck. I could feel a rush over me, and I had to "get hold" before I went back into the shop. By then the service writer was gone again, the office manager asked me if I still hadn't located my keys and I told her yes I had, but the truck was not back together. She took me to see the dealership GM. I had met and visited with this man last week, so we took the short walk to the truck and I opened the door and told him to get in. As he began to enter the truck he backed off. "Did you do this or was the truck this way when you got in it", he asked. I told him that was the way I found it after I had handed over the company check. He wasn't a happy camper, but then neither was I. He assured me the truck would be ready before the day was out. I left in the pickup to meet K.O..

About four o'clock, K.O. and I headed back to check on it and when we arrived, it was red carpet. Apologies from the service writer, the service manager, and again from the GM. They told me the truck was ready. I started it up, built air to release the brakes, and eased it out of their shop. Immediately they closed the door. I stopped and began checking to be sure everything worked. No radio, no power windows, no power mirrors, no auxiliary power for the CB radio. I was upset again. I walked back into the shop and told the service manager and he asked me to pull the truck back in. He apologized again and told me that they had thrown it back together because the GM gave them one hour to finish the truck after he and I had initially looked at it. They had not checked to see if everything was operational. I told him I would leave the truck with them again because I wanted it to be right. He was cautiously optimistic that a cab relay had been bumped or possibly unplugged. I was proud of myself because I kept my cool. K.O. even told me he couldn't believe how I stayed calm and collected. (To be honest, I was too.) I know the dealership shop will be glad when I leave there and even more glad when that truck leaves there. Funny thing is, I could tell the technicians just want the truck gone. I do too, but don't ask me to accept a truck that leaves with more problems than it came in with. If that is the way they want to make repairs they just need to get a mask and a gun and rob you when you walk in and avoid the hassle.

K.O. and I had a pretty good visit. We picked up some parts he had ordered, stopped by another repair shop where he had a truck repaired and that truck was having related problems. Must be an epidemic.

We didn't complete any subject it seemed, but we got lots of them out there. Surprisingly, we didn't get our visit out. We'll try again another day.

Once I had dropped K.O. off I ran by the house to pick up a grocery list and some money from Krl. At the store it was a madhouse! Nearly all the carts were gone, lines at the meat market, lines at the pharmacy, and long lines at multiple checkouts! They had some "sales" going on and many of them "sold out". I suppose I wasn't the only one taking precautions for if the weather gets bad.

When I was by the house, Krl was getting all the pieces together for supper. She had company, and I told her to leave supper alone, I would fix it when I got home, to concentrate on getting her visit out before I got home.

When I exited the grocery store it was already dark. My day had slipped by me. Krl and I did a relay with the groceries so I wouldn't track in. I would hand off at the door and she'd take over from there.

After a quick change of clothes, I manned the wok. Chicken Schezuan with broccoli served on a bed of rice with egg rolls. (Hey, I may not be able to spell it but I can cook it!)

Have I ever mentioned being Oriental in a prior life?

But that is another blog.

And now you know the rest of the story.

Winter is making a return visit. Stay safe and stay warm.

FATHER, thank YOU for a good day. Thank YOU for keeping me reined in and YOU reigning in me. I pray for safety, I pray for shelter, for all of us in the path of this winter storm. I ask for YOUR guidance. Bless-ed be YOUR name.