Awwwww, you guys! You went and made me cry! Did you read the comments the last couple of days? God is so good! He knew I needed a boost and there y’all were! I love writing these “letters from home” to you all. That’s what they feel like…newsy little missives from my heart to yours…letting you know what’s going on in this country girl’s life I get to live. Knowing I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing…vanquishing the darkness back where it belongs, is a privilege I don’t take lightly. Sharing that with such supportive readers is more than any writer could ask for. Thank you…every single one of you!

So, yesterday morning I did what we all need to do every year…I went and got the tatas squished. I always schedule my mammogram in October…Breast Cancer Awareness Month. That way I can’t forget because it’s in the news a lot. I also had my appointment with my gynecologist in the afternoon. Just because we are older now, doesn’t mean we don’t need to still get checked from time to time. I had a total hysterectomy in 1994, I think it was. And still, I had some dysplasia (abnormal cells) a couple of years ago. And, I had a surgical biopsy on a breast lump around the same time. Cancer can still strike so it’s best to get checked. Your health care provider can advise you how often. I was pleased that nothing was wrong…up or down. Yay!

When I came out to the truck, i saw I’d missed a call from my good friend, Diane. I called back and we chatted for a while. When I started up the truck…the engine light came on! Wouldn’t you know it? Mr. FixIt is knee deep in redoing ALL the brakes on his truck and is currently waiting on parts so we don’t have an extra vehicle. Now, I’ve learned a lot from this man about vehicle maintenance and the importance of shopping around. I knew the first thing I needed to do was have someone hook up a reader to the computer in the truck and find out what code what triggered that made the check engine light come on.

I happened to be pretty close to a Ford dealer…not the one I normally frequent…but I figured they could hook up the scanner and check real quick. Well…he said he would have to schedule me back another time because they were booked and it would cost a $158 diagnostic fee. Once I picked myself back up off the floor, I looked at him in disbelief. 

“I’m sorry…to plug a cord into an outlet and push a button???”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He was being polite.

“Ummmm…I don’t think so.” 

I went to the auto parts store next door. He checked and gave me the code. I checked with engine-codes.com (clever name) and it directed me to the nearest place that could fix it. It turns out, this particular code can be triggered by a few different things so he suggested we reset it and if it comes back on, then we could fix it. Wouldn’t you know, I continued my shopping and soon, check engine light was back on. 

I went to an auto parts store and was told the part was $285! Hokey smokes! I was polite.

“Ummmm…I don’t think so.”

I went to Advantage Auto and they had the original part in stock…$73! Bingo.

Then…the light went off! What??? *sigh* Ok…the oxygen sensor is bad and it won’t be long till it turns on and stays on. With Mr. FixIt’s truck out of commission for I don’t know how long, I’l going to go ahead and get the part fixed.

What is the moral of the story? 

You really DON’T have to go to the dealership to get something fixed. 

Shop around for your best price.

Always check through a search engine and YouTube videos to see how things are made and what to do when they’re broken. Educate yourself so when you talk to the nice man at the repair place, he can know you know what you’re talking about. There ARE still places that take advantage of women who are on their own and charge them exorbitant fees and do unnecessary work.

We just had an interaction last week at the RV service center when I had a couple of things that needed tweaked. The service man started in by talking over me and “man-splaining” stuff. My blood pressure started to rise. Mr. FixIt told me later he almost told the guy he’d better check himself because he had no idea who he was dealing with. But he could see I handled it fine on my own. He’s good that way…ready to be my wing man if I need him. Totally prepared to sit in the co-pilot’s seat if I don’t. We’re a good team.

So, that was my day…just squishin’ the tatas and gettin’ things done. There’s never a dull moment!

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“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

Proverbs 16:24 ESV