Two Week Update - Pics From Mother's Day, Visit with Aunt Mary, A/C Problems, Car Update

 

On Mother's Day we had mom over for Hamburgers, Salad, Deviled Eggs, and a special surprise visitor...

... Pattie's daughter Ashley who not only surprised Grandma, but surprised her mother too!  It was an enjoyable afternoon, mom stayed for a good four or five hours, and it was a memorable Mother's Day for all.

Earlier this week Mom and I went to visit her older sister Mary.  It was a GREAT visit despite the news the day before that their youngest brother, Paul, had passed away.  Mom came from a family of ELEVEN children.  Mary is number #8, mom is #9.

About 18 months ago Mary, and her oldest daughter Debbie, moved to Elk Grove, which is south of Sacramento, from Escalon, about 80 miles south of Citrus Heights where we stay when we are in the area.  Elk Grove is only 30 miles away, so it is much easier/shorter of a drive.  It was interesting to hear them talk about their family, especially their mother who raised 11 children nearly single-handedly since Grandpa was more into the bottle than the family at times.  He died when mom was only 12 years old.  Of the eleven kids, ALL of them were successful in life.  Something like two butchers, three teachers, three nurses, one insurance agent, and one engineer or scientist, or both (Uncle Paul).  The eleventh gave his life in service of his country in WW2, just a month before the war ended.  Grandma sure taught her children how to work...as did my mother teach all six of us....as did most of my Aunts and Uncles teach their kids too.

I mentioned before that the motorhome Air Conditioner had gone out on us.  I thought it was due to the capacitors, but when I replaced them, it worked for about 5 minutes and stopped.  Took it to the RV Shop that we trust here in Sacramento, and Nick said that the coils must have a leak, it won't hold Freon, and it needs to be replaced.  As he looked into a replacement, he found that YES, he can find an A/C and get it in within a few days, BUT the thermostat we have won't talk to the new A/C.  To put in a new thermostat, he would have to run all new wires, BUT, the new thermostat won't talk to the furnace.  There IS a computer type board that one can get which would allow the old thermostat to talk to the new AC while also talking to the old furnace BUT...there are none of these boards available right now, and the waiting list for one is VERY VERY LONG.  So I bought a Black and Decker portable AC to get us through this summer.

We located it in the passenger's driving seat, and vented it through the passenger window.  With the much appreciated help from my brother-in-law Arny, we fabricated the exhaust to fit the window to a "T".  There is no need for tape, as the window rolls up and holds the exhaust in place.  All of the plastic pieces were pieces provided with the purchase of the machine, and it was cut down and riveted together by Arny.  

When we travel it will all need to be put into the bedroom, but that works for me!  Total cost was $475, and it is quieter and just as efficient as the rooftop AC which, if we can ever get on, will cost somewhere around $2,000.  Perhaps some day the computer type board will be available...but for now we are in the cool, so to speak.

As for our HHR, well, it is working just fine, but I have not cleared the check engine light yet for what we hope is the final time.  Some of the articles I have read say that the HHR's computer can take up to 200+ miles to retrain itself.  I am just about there.  I also have a tire pressure sensor out on the front driver's side...so I need to get it over to Discount Tire to have them look into that.  I "THINK" I put four new sensors on when I got my last tire change 2 1/2 years ago, so perhaps this won't cost us anything.  It sure is a pain in the butt to see that flat tire symbol on every time I drive it, let alone the check engine light.

Our fearless cat hunter enjoys being "on duty" each and every day.  So far she has stopped one Grey Cat from sneaking up on a bird or squirrel, she chased a Black Cat she found napping next to the HHR back to its yard next door, with a slight tackle in the process which sent them both rolling on the ground, and just today she saw the Black Cat walking across the Cul De Sac and gave chase again to its home, where it took refuge under a car.  These incidents don't include the many times she has seen a cat up on the fence and chased it away.  So far I have identified five or six cats in the neighborhood which are tormenting this poor little girl.  I think she is having nightmares about them!

So all is good, and I will TRY to write again before so much time passes...but don't hold your breath.