We hear a lot about the number three. I don’t know that it is any more important than any other number but three is mentioned a lot. You know: the Three Little Pigs, Three Musketeers and, of course the Three Stooges Three pictures in a grouping is pleasing to the eye. Even Sheldon knocks on Penny’s door and repeats her name three times.
Often times when an actor dies we wonder whose next, it seems they leave this world three’s. Probably the most notable year this happened was the summer of 2009 when, Ed McMahan, Johnny Carson’s straight man, Farrah Fawcett, one of Charlie’s Angles, and Michael Jackson, the King of Pop died.
We had our own three last month and three is enough!
If you followed our return trip home from Colorado in July you might recall our air conditioner went out on the Motorhome. The last leg of the trip through Phoenix and on to Tucson was like traveling through a three hour inferno. Of course the RV needs to be repaired before hitting the road again. That was One.
On Sunday I jumped in the car for a quick trip to the grocery store and the car did that clickey thing. You know, the sound we all recognize that the battery died peacefully. It was a good thing the car was still parked in the garage, otherwise, I’d be hanging out in parking lot with melting ice cream. So we are playing the Glad Game, damn, the battery is dead, yeah, the car is still in the garage. Monty man-handled the battery out from under the hood and into the Honda and off we went to Costco. The battery still had one month left on the warranty (when does that ever happen?) and Costco cheerfully refunded our money. We happily purchase a new battery and we were back in business, almost. Monty still had to get the battery in the car, set the radio stations, clock , adjust the set positions etc. Tip: Costco provides great service but, they do not install batteries even if you can jump your car and get it to the parking lot. You have to lug the battery inside for return. That was Two
On Tuesday, we took the RV for the AC repair, Monty headed out to the repair center and I followed a few minutes later to pick him up. I was cruising along enjoying, morning radio and the cool breeze of the air conditioner when all of a sudden I wasn’t. The temperature gage went wonky, something smelled like it was burning, and smoke or hopefully steam, started pouring out from under the hood. The check engine light shouted DANGER Will Robinson. I was a little panicked, but managed to stop along the side of the busy highway and hurriedly abandoned the car. Glancing around I recognize I’m standing at working end of the local recycling plant located in the middle of nowhere. That was Three
Monty already had the RV in a bay and all the salesmen at the place were shuttling rigs from a recent weekend sale. I texted my nephew, Glenn, who quickly responded he was on jury duty, I tried good friend, Susie, and she was in the ER for an emergency appendectomy. Her hubby, Bob, was with her but, her brother Willie just showed up and she’d send him to fetch me. I attempted to give Willie directions when he called, but I didn’t have an address and this was one of the screwy highway exchanges where the names change from one side of the road to the other. I couldn’t read the street signs and I was either near Golf Links, and Aviation or Alvernon and Ajo but I’m unfamiliar this area.
It was way too hot standing in the sun so I wandered around and found a desert willow that was a few inches taller than me. I didn’t see any resident snake claiming the shade so I moved in. Other than the eighteen wheelers roaring in and out of the recycling plant dropping the occasional bottle it was pretty quiet standing out there in the desert.
Restoring my faith in mankind, one of the recycle workers left his post and came out to check on me and brought a bottle of water. He was a nice young man and I really appreciated his kindness.
Willie arrived in his chariot and I was happy to feel the air conditioning running full blast for me. We picked up Monty and headed back to check out the car, Monty identified the problem but didn’t have any tools. He briefly considered going home for the proper repair supplies but it was too hot to stand on the road to make a repair. Good sense won out, and we called a towing service. Willie was such a good sport, he went out of his way to get us home before he returned to the hospital. Monty and I headed back to the disabled car to wait for the tow truck.
We are pretty much through with this hot summer, car problems and the number three isn’t too popular either.
PS. Susie’s appendectomy went well, and the case Glenn got selected for jury duty was resolved during the lunch break.
Alls well that ends well!
