The Day After

I hope everyone survived the holiday in good shape. Ours was quiet here at dad's but not a bad one. Sometimes quiet is good. Thanks to the modern miracle of cell phones and Skype, we were in contact with family and friends far away. It's not like being there, but we can't be everywhere.

Now it's back to trying to find a mechanic I can trust. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but my first choice is to ask the people I trust who they trust. My dad can't help me there as he's been driving new cars lately and hasn't needed a mechanic. At his age he doesn't want to bother with that sort of thing so he drives cars with full warranties.

Part of my problem is that I know how to do the job, but lack the tools and a good workspace. That makes it much harder to give the job over to someone else. When it comes to vehicle repair, there's nothing worse than paying for some mechanic's education. I have to find someone who does these things all the time. That narrows the field.

Then there's the distance factor. How far do I want to drive a van with mechanical problems?

One thing for certain. The van isn't going to pull the sailboat back to the boat launch until all systems are 100%. That's motivation for getting it fixed as soon a possible. The sea is calling.

-Sixbears