Vehicle Woes and Heart Attacks.

Where was I.....

Let's go back about a month. And let's talk tires. These are the new (expensive) tires on the Durango. It's needed new tires for a bit, but we just didn't get to it. Then Sam and I went to Pack Meeting last month. We parked, got out of the truck and Sam starts to tell me the tire is going flat. Whatever. So I walk around to the other side of the truck and, sure enough, air is seeping out of the back tire. Sssssssssssss.

So we went into Pack Meeting. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Daniel was on his way to us from work, so I would leave it to him. I had a few dads come and ask me if I wanted them to change it or drive it somewhere to get fixed. I thanked them and said Daniel would come and rescue us.

He did. He got it home and changed to the spare and the next day took it in for the inevitable. 4 new and expensive tires. My garage smelled like a tire store for weeks. They are really nice tires and they will come in handy at another time.
You see this?? Only Daniel's lonely and sad car in the garage. By itself. The kids and I go to see summer movies with my friend Kim and her girls. A few weeks ago we got out of the movie and into the truck and started out of the parking place. This weird noise began. So I pulled into another place and got out. My first thought was that the front bumper that I bumped another car with and had to have Daniel pull up with something to hold it there had fallen down and was hitting the tire. (Whew) The bumper was fine. But then Isaac saw all the fluid foaming out of the engine. And the trail of stuff we left behind us. I got back in to park better and realized what was leaking out. I couldn't steer. It was power steering fluid. I called Daniel and Kim mentioned the Napa auto store right there. Daniel suggested it was most likely a hose. But we went in and got the youngest and shyest of employees to help. He came out and put the stop leak in and then the steering fluid. I started the truck and all that new fluid came bubbling and gurgling out again. Bummer.

So Daniel left work and I made Kim go home and the kids and I went back into the theater to watch a movie until Daniel arrived. After looking for what the problem was (not a hose) he decided to drive it to get it fixed. This was Wednesday.

The next morning the car place called back and said it was a little part attached to a bigger part but they couldn't just replace the little part but had to replace the entire part (translation:expensive) and it would take some doing. Only they used better and more fitting vocabulary.

Meanwhile, I had a doctor appointment to get an EKG done because I'd had chest pains for a while. So Daniel stayed home so I could take his loverly vehicle and he could be with the kids, just in case. Just in case a what?? A heart attack on my part because as a diabetic I have to treat my heart "as if I've already had a heart attack" and any chest pain is something to sweat about. Anyway, the EKG was fine but I had to go into the hospital in a few days to do an exercise stress test (you know, the treadmill kind where they run you ragged and you sweat like a hose and then fall off the treadmill because you can't keep up) and the car place called and said it would take about a week to get the part to put in. Hell's bells.

So Daniel took a few more days off to help me and because we just didn't have enough vehicles to get things done and because we were a little bit worried about me. We decided on Friday to just go to Lagoon (because a ride on a roller coaster is awesome for a possible heart attack) but had to stop by the car place to grab our parking pass. Umm. The truck was gone. When Daniel went in they said it was done and they were getting the alignment done at another shop. Hip Hip Hooray. So we came back home and waited for the call to come get it. Then we went to Lagoon and then we enjoyed our weekend. Aahhhh. I love 2 vehicles in the garage. I had just tucked them in...

On Monday I went to the heart institute and it really wasn't that bad. I was only on the treadmill a total of 10 minutes and the cute nurse guy kept telling me that all I had to do was tell him to stop the tread mill and not just jump off. Hah! He also kept telling me what a fantastic job I was doing. Maybe because I was sweating but hadn't passed out? Hmm. The heart doc said it's not my heart. It's actually very healthy if you must know. It comes down to my chest wall being a bit inflamed and it's gone now. All's well.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my heart. It's awesome. I'd also like to thank the tire guys for the new ones and the other car fixing place for getting my Durango back in such a timely manner. That's all.