...over the river & through the fog

so this morning...
I took the dog for a short walk in the fog...
and then decided to go down to the church...
and get details for the Wednesday funeral taken care of...
after spending a couple of hours there...

I went on my way to have the oil changed...
as it was overdue...
I had spent so much $ last spring...
that I was hoping to get through the process "lightly"...

but, no such luck...

because I got my car 6 years ago tomorrow...
it has issues the mileage [46,500] doesn't warrant...

things that are scheduled at 90k are also time sensitive...
and just because I've only put half that mileage on my car...
it still needs the attention because of the age of the parts involved...
and since I will never buy another car...
I'd rather do things a bit sooner, than have problems...



so having said that... the nice service manager at LHonda...
recommended several options...which if I didn't do them now...
would have to been done sooner than later...
so I just bit the bullet...& told him,"do it"....



he thought that he could get it all done today...
so I went to lunch...



after a brisk stroll, I arrived at my destination...
the "Senior Menu" has just the right size portions for me....
and at a price about $3 less than the same item on the regular menu...
so I had a small, but well made, bacon cheddar burger...

a broiled patty[think MickyD's regular]with one piece of bacon...
a small piece of real cheddar & veggies...
the small batch of fries, which I ate with ketchup, were also good...
several cups of coffee rounded out my lunch...

and when I returned to LHonda...

I was told that,"yes...they could finish my car today"...
so I settled in the waiting room to wait...

first...I used my Treo to access my email...



after answering a couple & clearing my inbox...
I moved on to my blog where I read comments for a bit...
then on to other blogs...& of course...
ran afoul of Blogger... who didn't recognize me...
and wouldn't let me leave a comment...

so then I lurked on Facebook...
checked my email again...
played Klondike for a while...
drank more coffee...

then went to the book I'd brought...



I can't remember if this is the 3rd or 4th time I've read this book...
but this time of year is so perfect for the subject...
and it always "blesses" me to relive it...
inevitably leading to re-reading the entire series...
[also a blessing...]

all the while...they were doing expensive things to my car...



namely...
replacing the water pump, timing belt and ALL external belts...
replacing the air filter & interior dust/pollen filter...
perform fuel induction system cleaning...
performed automatic transmission service...
and replaced transmission fluid...
regular oil/filter change...
rotated tires/balanced/aligned wheels...
inspected brakes...

for a grand total of $1291.66...



the good news... that's it for the "time sensitive" maintenance...
for the next 7 years...

also...by doing what I did now...
my car will run more efficiently until then...
the service manager sent me on my way at 5:03 PM...
with a promise of a free oil change next time...
and the information that my car was in excellent shape...

having lived for years with various cars that had "issues"...
couldn't be counted on to start when it was damp...
no heater, holes in the floor, bad starter, etc...
I'm now at a point in my life...
where I just don't want to deal with that stuff anymore...
so taking care of this car is a priority for me...

so off I went...

into the dark, damp & foggy night...



headed back to Mudville on a day that turned into night...
without the fog ever lifting or burning off...
and as I neared home, the fog got thicker...
murky, swirling wisps...like a damp smoke...
wafting across my path... obscuring the houses...

ah...winter has come to Mudville...