Catching Up

James was riding his bike Sunday while I was working on my car. He told me to watch him do a trick, so I did. He rode on the grass, up the hill, he started slowing down and he fell. As he was on the ground, still tangled in the bike, he turned toward me and said, "That's not it!" I started cracking up, it was so funny. I wish I had a video camera, it was perfect.

My car (Pontiac) is not perfect. The electrical system self destructed. I replaced a fusible link last week. It was running fine but after a few days I went to get something out of the car and noticed the interior light didn't work. I checked and none of the lights worked - at all. I've been looking for a car so I wasn't very interested in fixing it.

Then the other car (Cadillac) started acting up, almost the same thing - no lights. The problem was intermittent, it wasn't a fuse. But if I don't have lights I can't go to work and I needed to fix this one. I just went through the wiring, taking out and cleaning the fuses and grounds, checking the connections and finally fixed it. The problem was in some mega fuses that were hidden under a panel in the engine compartment. They were just corroded, I cleaned them up and haven't had the problem since.

Sunday I fixed the Pontiac. It was another fusible link, a different one, and a real pain to get to. I still don't trust that it won't happen again because I'm thinking there was a reason why they blew in the first place. I won't drive it except locally and I have AAA so I can get a free tow home.

I've been looking hard for another car. I found one I liked and it was priced right but when I went to buy it, they were closed (Friday, after Thanksgiving), Saturday I couldn't go, Sunday they are closed and Monday morning bright and early the car was gone. They sold it Saturday. I was very disappointed. I believe there was a reason it didn't work out though, it was an incredible deal and like they say, you don't get something for nothing.

I have my eye on another, a 2002 Chevy Impala, but I'm not ready to buy it yet. It costs more than the other but it's in near perfect shape - almost a little too perfect. It checks out on Carfax and I have gone over it carefully - it's on a raised platform and you can go under the car - look for signs of flooding or some sign of wear beyond the rest of the car but it looks good.

We'll see, if it's there when I'm ready I just might. I can't find anything else close in the price range I need. The Impala is on the upper limits of my price range. I'm keeping my eyes open.