Tag Archives: a/c

The Blueberry Is Back!

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Our car has been in the shop for a/c repairs, a job that was supposed to take 8 hours. I was given a loaner, an EcoSport, which is a nice ride if you’re not oversized and disabled, like me. Apparently, 8 hours equals 12 days in mechanic math!

I was told the guy working on it had a family emergency. Ok, I get it. I hope he and his family are ok. I was told they were getting another guy to come in to get it done. But still, 12 days?

I picked up our car yesterday. Boy, have I missed her! A 2009 Ford Focus, sometimes called The Blueberry. I can’t even describe the feeling of getting into that wonderful vehicle! Comfortable. Not too high, not too low. Comfy seat. Ample leg room. Now the a/c works, and the weather has cooled a bit. Better late than never.

Last summer, we suffered through the heat and humidity without a/c. Dad didn’t want to spend the money on it. I understand that completely, but there comes a point when you have to do something about it. That point was when Dad came home from the hospital after suffering heat stroke. I couldn’t take him out in the heat to his appointments. Now, we’re all set for Dad’s cardiologist appointment today.

The estimate for repairs was around $1200-$1300 plus tax. When they gave me the bill, I was pleased to see that they had discounted the total. With tax, it was just a little over $1000. Still more than I wanted to pay, but I’ll take it. The important thing is that we have our Blueberry back, and we can travel in comfort.

Now, the poor Blueberry needs a thorough and professional cleaning, inside and out. She has been severely neglected over the years. Maybe when it’s a little cooler, I’ll get out there and wash her. I’ll probably have to do it in parts. I’ll also need some super-duper industrial-strength soap!

This is not our car, but it’s the same make, model, and year. Ours used to be this clean and pretty.

Have a great day, friends.

Stronger and Better

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If you’ve been following my blog, you know that my Dad suffered a fall and heat stroke on July 4th. I was worried that he would be leaving this world. I was not sleeping or eating. I was a nervous wreck. A lot of drama happened. It was exhausting.

I was back and forth to the hospital in our car, which was in dire need of repair. I didn’t know how bad it actually was until several weeks later! When my sister and I were finally able to take the car in, we were told that it was too dangerous to drive and that we were lucky to have made it there! We were urged NOT to drive it home (they wouldn’t be able to get it done in the short time left in the day), and we were promptly given a ride home. The bands in the tires were twisted, and one was ready to explode! A rod was bent, and some other crazy shit I was not expecting. I mean, you can’t tell by looking at the car, but Dad and I regularly take it in for check-ups, tune-ups, oil changes, and all that good stuff. I can’t understand why it was so bad. Anyway, the problem has been fixed. The bill was a whopping $1,371.52!!

Next, the a/c has been out of commission for a couple of years, and Dad never wanted to spend the money on it. Ok, I get it. But now, after Dad’s heat stroke, it needs to be fixed! I cannot take him to his appointments in this heat! I took it in a week ago to have them look at it. Instead of it being the condenser (as we were told by another mechanic), it turned out to be the evaporator. I had to bring the car home again, with no a/c because they need all day to get it done. That will cost another $1,300 or more because they have to pull out the dash, and the whole process is a huge job. I am bringing the car in first thing in the morning and getting a loaner because there’s no way I’m sitting there all day long! Then, I have to get a safety inspection on the car. Does this shit never end?!

Dad has weekly visits from a Home Health Nurse, Physical Therapist, and Occupational Therapist. He has really come a long way since he first came home. He stands on his own and walks with a walker. He’s really bored out of his skull because he can’t do anything without me or my sister. He’s not quite ready for that. He has a little ways to go, and then he will be able to sleep in a real bed instead of that stiff and uncomfortable hospital bed. I’d say a few more weeks, and then my son can come get the damn thing.

With my sister’s help, the living room can go back to the way it was, and I can get the bedroom ready for Dad. I’ll wash the bedding and remove some boxes of stuff. I know he’s ready to sleep in a real bed!

I called a couple of guys to come look at the new house. Since the first guy decided that other jobs were more important than finishing ours, I had no choice but to seek out other contractors. One guy came out yesterday. He knows our remaining budget and thinks he can get the house livable for us. The other guy will come by this weekend. Maybe between the two, we will be ready to move into our new home in a couple of months. I guess that will also depend on when they can start.

I can honestly say, while Dad is getting stronger and better, so am I. I refuse to ask certain people for help. I will never ask for help again just to have things thrown in my face later. I don’t need people in my life who pull that petty shit with me.

I will keep you all posted! With any luck, 2025 will end with us getting some good luck instead of bad for a change!

Until next time,