Welcome back!

You know, it is really hard to drive on any road when one side of your tire is flat.

I called around a few places and could not find a 14′ tire , unless I wanted a new one at a price that we cannot afford. I found myself screaming at the sky over that one. Is it not a pain in the tucus.

I finally found a tire. First, however, I checked the van to see what size was needed to be replaced. This is what I found.

Right front tire - 185/60/14
Left front - 195/70/14
Right rear - 185/70/14
Left rear - 185/65/14
Spare tire - 205/70/14 It also had a hole in the sidewall, useful - NOT

If you read the list carefully, there are 5 different sizes connected to our van. ARGThat is one way to go nuts quickly. We were blessed. There is a place nearby that sells car parts. You pull the part off the junker with your own tools. At least the tires were already on a rack and didn’t need to be removed from the rims. After we got the flat tire inflated, went to the bank, drove to the parts yard, got the tire, went to the repair shop and they installed the tire for us. Our back tires now match. Will wonders never cease.( HAH insert sarcasm here.)

Oh well, we got a tire and we are on the road again. The spare, well……The rear tires are both now 185/70/14’s. Yes we can roll on down the road. For now.

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The time is getting nearer. We should soon be on the road again.

We have been trying to get our van up and running again. It appears that will happen soon. We are both tired of not being able to go where we want, and not being able to visit the people that we care about. Not having transportation can be very frustrating. Not having the money to get the repairs is even more frustrating.

We have been patient, so far. I have never really been able to be very patient. It is one thing to be able to wait, and quite another to have to wait without choice. Some people have prayed for patience, I have never been THAT brave. I have seen what those people go through, and find myself to be basically chicken thinking about patience. :}

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Well, something new has happened. Our van might need a new wheel bearing on the front tire, and our station wagon needs a new serpentine belt.

Oh joy of joys. That was sarcasm folks.

We have ways to get around, but I really like the idea that we do not have to ask for a ride. At lest we didn’t need to for a while. The van has a flat tire on top of it all. If we fix the flat, we might be able to drive it a little, and slowly, until the car is fixed. Meanwhile, we wait for the monthly money to come in so we can get the car going again. It seems like if it wasn’t one thing, it would be something else. I know that life shouldn’t be one breakdown after another, but that is something that does not show up often.

I will not let it get me down, we have been in worse situations. We at least have a good place to live, friends that can help us, family that loves us, and 2 cats that show their love every day. We are not alone.

We live in a country that medical care available, food available, and transportation available. That is more than some have around. So, while life might get frustrating, it is life. It can change. We have hope. Meanwhile, I will grab one of our cats, hug and love in her, listen to her purr out of my good ear (that hasn’t gone quiet from this flue stuff), and thank God for what we do have.

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Can there be something to talk about with pigeons? Yup,While getting our water pump worked on at a friend’s house, I had the opportunity to watch a flock of domestic pigeons in action.

There was this one desperate fellow who wanted a girl friend. He was building a nest in the hopes of attracting a lady of his own. He kept bringing in twigs, sticks, straw, a lot of things. When an attractive lady pigeon would stop by , he would strut and puff out his chest and prance as he walked by and he would follow the hen while fluffing his wings. I felt sorry for the poor little fellow for each lady would ignore him and move away each time. Some of the other pigeons would watch as all of this was happening. A flock of regular doves sat in nearby trees and watched the proceedings for a while, then later flew off.

Last I knew the poor lonely fellow still didn’t have his own lady friend. I even had a chance to see a very small Mexican dove that was 1/3 the size of the gray pigeons. It was very tiny when next to the domestic pigeons. There were some white racing pigeons that looked slick compared to the chunky grays, like comparing a race car to a mini-bus.

There was one fantastic pigeon that was a half-breed of a gray pigeon and a Hungarian racing pigeon. He looked like he had tied on feathers around his ankles, and his toes couldn’t be seen. I wondered how he kept from stumbling with all of the feathers on his feet. All in all, listening to the cooing of the pigeons was very relaxing and peaceful, as I watched them, they were watching me. I guess they couldn’t figure out what I was doing.

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We drive a 1993 Chevy Cavalier station wagon. It has an engine in it from a different car.

Water pump is not co-operative. So, we need to replace it. Well, here is where the fun begins. The engine in it is not the same model as what it came with originally. OOPS

Calling the parts stores I didn’t know this. I got a few prices. Some were for new parts, others for rebuilt. Then I found out that the engine wasn’t the 2.2 liter 16 valve engine I thought it was. It is a 2.0 liter 65 valve engine. Throw out the former lists and start over again. Guessing what was in our nice little car was fun - not. We finally ended up going to the parts store and lifting the hood to compare photos of what was available with what was needed.

We now have a re-engineered water pump with a lifetime warranty. Hope it fits. :}

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