An adventure day

 Now, don't get me wrong; but, when I say "today" was an adventure, I'm not talking about learning to sky dive or having to fight a dragon.  When you hit 80 and rarely venture out of your castle (dragons beware), anything different feels like an adventure.  Let me give you a couple of basics.

It takes about 15 minutes to drive to town on our two lane road with moderate traffic.  You can't fall asleep on the way.  One must pay attention.  2/3rds of the way to town, we move on to US hwy 287.  They have construction on 287.  Again, this is not a leisurely drive looking at the the hillsides or mountains - we don't have mountains - breathing the fresh winter air.  It is a busy drive dodging cows and  trains and trucks and guys in pickups who are trying to break the sound barrier.  

If you drive to town, you can plan on 15 minutes in - and 15 minutes back - unless there is a train at the crossing.  Everything is paved... and, today, wet.  The rains have come again. 

As I reported on my previous bluggy, my Flex is having problems.  The engine seems to be missing or there is something broken / hidden in the drive line.   Repair people fix that sort of thing.  About two days before I took the Marauder to the repair guy (see a different blog for that stone), I pulled my Flex up to the Marauder and used jumper cables to no avail.  I was under the Flex's hood that day.  I parked the Flex in the garage for a couple of nights.

Rain stopped - weather cold, I left the Flex outside in the cold for a couple of nights.  I have learned my lesson.  When the Flex first started acting up, I did open the hood and look.  All males worth their salt will open the hood and stare at the engine saying, "hmmmmmmm."   When, I opened the hood, there was a pile of mouse bedding right on top of the engine.  It's gone now.   Due to a past problem, I guessed this might be related to my newest Flex problem. 

The Plan:   Drove 2 cars to town.  Dropped off the Flex at the repair shop.  Continued in the Mercury.

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Aside stone:  Since I was diagnosed with Diabetes in 2008, I try to limit my intake of Carbs.  Early on, I learned that 3/4 cup of Grape Nuts cereal plus 3/4 cup 2% milk reached my carb liimit for breakfast.  I have been eating Grape Nuts for 12 years with a few breaks in-between for bacon and eggs or ham or sausage.  It is not that I crave Grape Nuts.  It is that Grape Nuts work.   Eating breakfast is much like a job.  It is something I should do everyday correctly.  And, I do.

Aside stone #2:  Years ago, French's mustard started selling a bottle of mustard sauce.  It was really good. I used it on many a meal.  Good.   French quit making the sauce or my store quit selling it.

Aside stone #3:  I used to drink Instant Nestea.  I liked that flavor over Instant Lipton tea.   I drank Nestea for years and years.  Nestea quit making that jar of instant tea or my store quit selling it.

Aside stone #4:  I bought a Mercury Marauder.  I love my car.  Ford quit making Mercurys..... (or should that be Mercuries?)

This same thing has happened to me over the past 80 years.  I find something that I dearly love and they quit making it -or the store quits selling it.  I can give you more examples.

Aside stone #5:  Before I was introduced to "Men's" shower soap in a squeeze bottle, my wife had me using Vel Soap bars.  Vel worked.  it lathered.  it soaped.  it didn't smell really girly.   You cannot find Vel soap bars anywhere - not nowhere.

Aside stone #???  Forever this has been my cross to bear.

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Back to the plan:  Drop car off; drive to the grocery store.  We have 5 large type grocery stores in Corsicana.  I cannot find Grape Nuts in any store.   Either G.P. have quit making it or my STORES have quit shelving it. Every store has an empty place where Grape Nuts should be. There are none anywhere.  What do I eat for breakfast?  I ate bacon and eggs yesterday.  The day before I tried a bowl of Cheerios.  That won't do.  I would rather eat dry Cheerios than put them in a bowl with milk.   Today, I ate 2 energy type bars and drank a small glass of orange juice.  That seemed to work - until 11:00 when I  had a major hunger attack.   I'm still looking.   

Who would have thought that Grape Nuts would be the next Toilet Paper in the epidemic?

The plan:  I had no luck with cereal.  On we traveled to the Vet where we bought a 6 month supply of Heart Gard for our 3 dogs.  That comes to over $100.  Sigh.  But it is better than seeing my dog die from heart worms...a lot better.

On to Walmart.  Filled the Marauder up with gas.  Went inside and bought some rubber things to go on the bottom of a kitchen chair.  The wife got some dental floss.  Showing that she is learning about shortages, she bought two packages of the floss.  Good.

By now it was 11:00 +.  I'm really hungry.  We went to CiCi's pizza for lunch.  That was an 11 o'clock mistake.  They were barely open and certainly not prepared for customers.  The boss wasn't there and apparently whoever was in charge was not totally there either.   Finally, a stop over at HEB to get a week's supply of groceries.  They do not have Grape Nuts.  They do not have diet flavor Lipton tea mix  jars.  They do not have any fruit juices except those associated with Cranberry.  Everything is a cranberry.  There is something wrong with that.

Home by 1:30.   1:45 phone rings.  Rusty is calling.  The Flex is ready.  A rat had eaten wires to the engine.  He had not eaten all wires, just enough to cost me $122.   The Flex is in the garage now.

We left Rusty's and drove straight to the Ford house.  We have a recall on the Flex.  There is a rear suspension toe link breaking. Y'all know what that is.  I had called Ford earlier.  "Bring it in now, " 'they said.   It seems that this part being recalled has been back ordered.  Take the car home; we'll call you when (and if) the part comes in.  Back Ordered.  I bet my Grape Nuts are back ordered too. 

Now all of that might not seem like an adventure to you.  To me, it was.  So much travel.  So many minor things.  It is over.  The dogs have been fed.  And the rain continues.  We've had an inch and a quarter so far today.  

One other thing before I go.  Rusty (see car repair) has a new beautiful brown, chocolate  Lab puppy in his office. She is about 3 months or so old.  Her name is Molly.   Molly!  What a great name.  When she stands on her back feet, the front feet are on my shoulder.  What a beautiful friendly puppy.  That dog loves me.  That puppy loves everybody.  You have to love Labradors.  You simply have to.

Later, guys.

m