The Sandcastle

First, Dave called Winnebago to find out about getting reimbursed for the work Phil did. They said send them the converter and copies of the paperwork. So, we'll be looking for a packing and mailing place on our way out of town.

Then I called my Dad. We'll be in his neighborhood next week and wanted to check to see if he and Jean would be home. They will and we are welcome to come. Jean was surprised when she answered the phone and I was on the other end, though. Seems I called at the time my step-sister, Marcia, usually does. Marcia is currently in Buffalo, NY, seeing her daughter's newest daughter. So, there will be lots of family news to catch up on when we get to Dad's.

Then Dave called Maximum Signal to see about getting an antenna and booster for our Internet and cell phones. We'd like to have more reliable service than we've been getting as we move around the Midwest. Since we'll be at Dad's next week, this seemed a good time to order things since we can have them shipped there. The phone call was just to help determine what we should order, though. Next Dave went online to actually place the order.

By the time he did that, I had unpacked my computer and started updating my blog. It had been awhile so I was anxious to get something up. I wrote and posted the one about the converter dying.

Finally, we were both ready to leave. But. When Dave turned on the engine, it sounded funny. So, he got out and checked the fluids. We had no power steering fluid! No! No! That was the previous Sprinter! I don't want to do that whole thing again!

So Dave Googled Dodge dealers and found one in town just a few blocks from here.

Before we could pull out, Dave's phone rang. It was Maximum Signal. According to their system my Dad's address doesn't exist. To me this is hilarious. See, I was a kid when Jean and her late husband built that house. I remember walking through the walls when they were just stud walls.  My two step-sisters grew up in that house.  Later, when Dad and Jean married, Dad moved into Jean's house.  They had lived there for years when the city put a freeway out front so Dad and Jean moved the house back into the former picnic grounds. Dad thought it was funny that they'd moved but their address hadn't changed. Then 911 came into being and the city said they had to have a street address rather than a route and box number. So they didn't move but their address changed. Now Maximum Signal is trying to tell us the place doesn't exist. Ever since the USPS put their addresses on a computer for business to check, people have had problems proving they live where they do. We assured Maximum Signal that the address is correct so they are sending the package signature required to be sure it gets to the right place.

Finally, we are moving. All the way to the fairground's dump. It's not supposed to be time to dump yet but, on the better safe than sorry theory, we decide to dump anyway. Of course, there's a line. So we patiently wait our turn.

Then we head over to the local Dodge dealer. Bud's Chrysler is not a Sprinter dealer so they can't work on our vehicle. They do fill us up with power steering fluid, though, and call another dealer ten miles down the road who says, "Sure, send them over."

On the way, we stopped at the post office and picked up our mail. It turns out it came in Saturday so we could have picked it up and headed out then. But, then where would Phil have been when our converter died?

St Mary's Chrysler is a fabulous place. They went the extra mile for everyone we saw there. The provided one lady with a loaner car so she wouldn't have to wait all afternoon. They offered me a desk when they saw me trying to balance my laptop on my knees. And they had the steering gear we needed in stock and fixed it this afternoon even though we didn't have an appointment.

As we were leaving there, we decided to make a quick stop at the Kroger grocery store across the street just in case they had Coffee Rich. No such luck.

We still can't actually leave town, though, because I have a prescription to pick up at WalMart. So back there we go. As we are turning into their lot we see a UPS Store. So we detour over there and Dave takes in the dead converter to be sent back to Winnebago for a refund.

Then we stop at Walmart to get the prescription and a few other things on our shopping list.

The we go to Bob Evans for supper.

It's now 7 p.m. and we haven't left town yet. So, back we go to the Mercer County fairgrounds for one more night. Maybe tomorrow we'll do a better job of leaving.

TTYL,

Linda

You will need to enable javascript to generate a trackback link