August 16
Yesterday
Breakfast: Bagel & cream cheese, cereal & banana, juice, coffee, yogurt
Lunch: BLT, chips, Coke
Supper: Pizza, salad & Coke; Pumpkin pie and whipped cream
It was a day of opportunity to learn. When I went out the front door the neighbor kid down the street said, “Hey Ken, last night the lights were on in your car. I came to the door but no one answered. Your battery may be down.”
Sure enough, the battery was down in the Toyota. Somehow I had turned the interior lights on with the dashboard dimmer wheel and ran it down. The funny thing was when we were ready to get out of the car April had asked what that light was shining on her feet. I thought it was just from the door being open so I didn’t pay attention. The battery had enough current left to unlock the door and shine the interior lights but not enough to start the car.
I had read in the owners manual about the special place to jump start it if we needed to so I told April to come and watch so she would know what to do. You have to open the fuse box cover and a small red cover inside to clamp the jumper cables on a special connector. It doesn’t have a battery post to clamp to and as a matter of fact I don’t have a clue where the battery is. It is not visible under the hood.
So, as I was trying to get the cover off the fuse box I dropped my truck keys into the abyss of wires and pipes around the motor. We both looked for the keys and couldn’t see them, even with a good light. We probably wasted 30 minutes trying to find the keys. Finally I went and got an extra truck key and moved the truck where I could attach the jumper cables.By this time I had sent April back in the house to get out of the sun.
I hooked the jumper cables between the two vehicles and started the engine of the truck. After a while I tried to start the car and it still wouldn’t start. I remembered the instructions said to rev up the vehicle supplying the current so it would charge the battery. I did that for a while and it started after a bit.
We decided to drive it some to charge up the battery. We went over to the interstate and drove down to Hwy 34 and back home on Columbus. The battery was charged up good by then.
We went in and had some lunch and afterward I decided to go back and see if the keys may have moved around where I could see them. Finally I spotted the shaft of the truck key sticking out from under one of the many parts under the hood of a Toyota Prius. I tried needle nose pliers but couldn’t get a hold on it. So, I took the pliers and cut a piece of wire long enough to reach them, made a hook on the end of it and after several tries was able to get the hook in the key ring and got them out. I learned three things: 1) make sure the interior lights are off, 2) never have keys in your hand when opening the fuse box and 3) listen to Pat when she thinks something is wrong. ? Now if I can just remember what Iearned.
The rest of our day wasn’t near as eventful as that. We relaxed in the Bowflex and April folded some clean clothes. I put my clean clothes in the proper places when she was done. Thanks, babe for the clean clothes, I appreciate it.
She made a delicious pumpkin pie and gave me some of it with whipped cream on top. Yum!
Pat and Scott watched their game shows together.
Today
Scott said last night he would like to haul some of the wood I have to his house for burning in his fire pit. We still have some wood I got from Jon and Jean in 2005. I can’t burn it because April is so allergic to smoke. So, he is coming for lunch and then we will haul some wood for him.
We haven’t talked about what else we might do. We need to walk some before it gets too hot.
Weather
It is currently 63º and partly sunny with a high of 81º and mostly sunny.
That’s all for August 16, keep in touch.
