Thursday

Yesterday was a really nice day.  Today started that way.  What happened? I went to get another color ink cartridge for my printer.  I had been getting them at the Gateway store (they would give you $5 off if you brought in your old used one), but since they shut those stores down I went to Office Depot.  They have a sign up saying they will give you a pack of paper if you bring in a ink cartridge for recycling.  Well in small print they say they DON'T take epson cartridges.  Guess what I got?  Yea.  The cashier asked if I just wanted her to throw away my old one (since they can't recyle it) I tell her no, maybe I can find a place that will take it.  She asks me that same question 2 more times.  I felt like asking her if she knew something I didn't, because I told her I was going to find a place to recycle it.

Now I go out to my car and I can't get it unlocked.  After several attempts I go around to the passager side and unlock it.  When I get home I can't get out of my car.  I had locked in when I got in and now I had to unlock it to get out.  I discover after messing with the door that I can unlock it only if I use my key to lock it.  In other words don't use the electrical locks.  I decide to just take it to the Ford place and get it fixed.  On my way to the Ford place I try to lock the door (from the inside) and it won't lock -- in fact I heard a clunk when I tried it.

Get to the Ford place and he says it sounds like the electronic thing is just falling around inside the door somehow.  It will take about $75 to take the door apart and look to see what is wrong.  About $125 or less to look and fix it.

Then Drew (the Ford guy's name) asks is that all I want.  Is that all?  Ain't that enough?  Then Drew goes "I smell the strong odor of burning anti-freeze.  Lift the hood and guess what?  Yep, the water pump is leaking or whatever.  Ok, I guess we need to fix that.  Drew "lets let this guy check other stuff to see if there is anything else wrong."  So they take fluid sample.  Need to flush the power steering fluid because it is way too dirty, ditto for the transmission fluid.  Oh, yeah, while we are working on the water pump we really should go ahead and change the timing chain (which by the way is NOT a chain) because it needs to be changed every 60 thousand miles and you are coming up on that.

So we are talking upwards of $500 - $600?  Drew "well, I hope not that high but yeah."

I go in because my door won't lock and end up having to flush some systems and replace the water pump and maybe even the timing chain (I did say that wasn't a chain right?)

It is a good thing to find out about the water pump before I break down somewhere or ruin my engine.  So is that the bright side of my day?  Is that the silver lining I kept finding in things yesterday?