Location, At
Home.
Much has
happened since my last post.
I had a trip
to Wisconsin scheduled for August 29 for 6 days. However, USAIR had other
plans. I arrived at the airport about 5:15 for my 6:30 flight. After checking
in and going through security I noticed there was no plane parked at the gate.
NOT GOOD! As the plane is supposed to be there overnight. About 6AM everyone’s
phone started ringing and announcing that the flight was cancelled. Not delayed,
CANCELLED. Most people jumped up to go back to the USAIR desk to rebook or
whatever they could get out of USAIR I guess but I noticed there was a phone
number to call. I called it and was given a choice, cancel and get my money
back or rebook for the next day. I said “rebook me” and I managed to get the
same flights the next day. Hard to believe there were still seats available.
I’m sure glad I didn’t go to the front desk.
SO, I went
back to the airport the next morning and all was well. I arrived in Milwaukee about
3:30 in the afternoon after a brief stop in Phoenix to change planes. Within 20
minutes I was sitting in my rented Chevy Malibu and ready to head north.
Normally I fly to Chicago but Milwaukee is better but it is still a 4 hour
drive.
There was
lots of traffic around Milwaukee due to it being Friday of Labor Day weekend
and Harley Davidson was celebrating their 150 anniversary. The slow traffic
eased after about ½ hour. I stopped in Stevens Point for a bite to eat and
arrived about 8:30 in Abbotsford where I had booked a motel room for my stay.
It really worked well to stay in Abbotsford as it is near my Mother who is in
assisted living in Colby and I could stop in for a few minutes any time.
On Saturday
afternoon I attended an all school reunion for my high school. A little over
two hundred people came. It was really nice to have all afternoon to visit. We
were served a great family style dinner.
On Sunday I
visited my sister Judy and her family and again had a great buffet dinner.
Later, the grandkids wanted to go fishing in Grandpas pond so we all walked
down and the adults were kept busy baiting hooks with worms and taking fish
off. Several nice blue gills were kept in a barrel for Grandpa to clean along
with 2 very nice large mouth bass. I think my niece Angela caught the biggest
fish.
Nice blue gill.
A. J. with a large mouth bass.
Angela has the biggest fish.
On Monday I
visited the cemetery where my dad is buried and spent the afternoon with
friends catching up on all the latest happenings.
Tuesday I
visited my cousin Jim and wife Sharon. I try to see them whenever I am in the
area. It also gave me a chance to get a bite at Culvers and have a small
custard. Wonderful! Later, I picked up my mother with help from my sister Judy
and husband Art and we drove to Unity for dinner with my other siblings. It was
a nice dinner and a celebration of my birthday.
Wednesday
morning I left Abbotsford before 8 AM and stopped to see my mother on my way
out of town. I drove south to Cazenovia, WI to visit my cousin Shirley and
husband Ed. Shirley was nice enough to make BLT’s for lunch with the biggest
fresh tomatoes from her garden. She also served me a piece of birthday cake
with a candle. Very nice of her.
I left Cazenovia
about 12:30 PM and drove to the airport in Milwaukee for a 5:20 PM flight back
to Phoenix and then home.
Before I
made this trip I had taken my truck to the local Ford Service Center to determine
what a noise was that I had been hearing. On the way in to the garage I engaged
the Gear Vendors over/under drive and the noise went away. That was not good
but at least I now had a possible diagnosis. Long story short, the Gear Vendors
unit was replaced with a factory rebuilt unit, the rear differential was
serviced, and the torque converter main seal was replaced. I took the truck in
on August 26th and got it back today. The bill was rather large but
not near what I expected.
