Back from Paradise and a visit with the Westra clan. It was Darla's birthday this weekend as well as her sister Alicia (born on the same date five years apart) and today was David's birthday. We went to church this morning and then met Dave back at the house and drove up to Paradise where we met the gang up at the local Black Bear Diner. Earl was nice enough to treat us to lunch ad we then drove over to Earl and Frances' home in Paradise. Earl has the house absolutely teeming with plants and flowers. In particular, the ferns planted in and around his house are thriving. They are a rich, bright green and so healthy. His farming skills are on full display on his one acre parcel.
We relaxed and the boys all played dominoes. I begged off as I was a little tired. Luke, who is 4, played and won twice, Darla's Mom is doing much better after surgery for a knee replacement in April. The swelling has all gone down and although she gets sore after standing for long periods, her pain has reduced dramatically over the last few weeks. Good to see her up and around.
I played in the last team NCGA qualifier yesterday and my game is a mess. I have risen to a 17 handicap and can hardly play to it. This qualifier required a 10% reduction and I had to play to my 15 Tournament handicap, so only got 14 for the qualifier. It was two man best ball and Steve and I ham and egged it around the course for a team 63 net. We tied for first with one other team and Steve and I are on our way to San Jose for the qualifier in July. I shot 86 and Steve shot 81, but it was good enough. We have one more qualifier, an individual qualifier, which is the NCGA Net Amateur Championship in June.
The car. Wow, I washed the 300 on Sunday night last and the next morning when I left for work there were warning codes up on the dashboard and everything attached to the steering wheel (turn signals, windshield wipers, washer, power controls for the radio and the four flashers) were dead. I was able to limp to work and at lunch checked all of the fuses. I checked each one and they were all intact. When I went to leave that night from work, the car wouldn't start. I called AAA and they had to tow my car to the dealership. It was after hours by then and I dropped my keys in the Night box and Darla picked me up there. I had already set up a 7:30 AM appointment earlier in the day.
I got a call the next morning from the dealership and they gave me a $160 estimate (sure!!). They worked on the car and couldn't get it started. They had to keep it overnight and I had a golf game on Wednesday with one of my agents at his country club in a Senior Invitational. The picture of Darla and the brunette at the top of the page is of she and Kelly, Gary's wife. They showed up at dinner at the country club wearing the exact same colors.
The golf game went poorly and both Gary and I had a net triple bogey on the first hole. It got better from there, but we put ourselves in such a hole, we were doomed. It was a nice day and we enjoyed the company.
I called the dealership when we got off the course and they told me the main computer ( a Power Control Module) in the car had gone bad and they had to bring one in from Oregon. They'd need the car for two more days and the total cost was $1850. I'd already set up a rental car and I was driving a Kia Tuscon SUV. On Thursday I talked to the dealership and asked them to fix my gas gauge as well. That service was $800, but he would do the whole thing for $2250.
On Friday, I had one of my employees meet me at the rental car place and then drive me to the dealership. The service employee met me inside and checked with the technician. They hadn't had to install the Power Control Module after all and the new cost was $1600. The cost of the PCM was $1000 installed and the math was getting fuzzy. It turned out that they test drove the car and it was fine. Thirty minutes later the codes were back and all of the things attached to the steering wheel weren't working again. The tech felt that the steering wheel was likely not balanced when it was reinstalled. They needed it overnight. I ended up walking home as Darla was in Sacramento. She met me in downtown Roseville and drove me the two miles home. I'd walked for about forty minutes in the sun with black jeans and was soaked with perspiration. Bad shape? Yeah.
Saturday I had Steve pick me up at the house and drive me to golf. I bought him breakfast. the tech called me after the round and made the decision that I now need a Steering Wheel power module and they had replaced a clock spring mechanism. It would be another $400. I told him to order the part (it will be in on Tuesday). I will have a fun call with the service manager tomorrow as I refuse to pay for the clock spring or installation as they guessed that was what was wrong and blew it. The Steering Wheel power module would have been installed last week and I'd have got out of there for about $1200. I am asking them for a loaner and a significant discount on the work done to date and the removal of the cost for the clock spring. I'm ready to rumble with them tomorrow. This will not be a $2000 deal for them. I guarantee it.
Darla had a wonderful birthday and I'm blessed to have her in my life. I wonder how my life would have turned out if we hadn't wound up together and I truly think that I wouldn't be as happy and content as I am now. I took her out to Benihana last night for her birthday.
Well, that's it and I hope to have my ride back by the time I hit the keyboard next weekend. I hope you are all doing great. Be well. Ciao.
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