Christmas

Christmas day! Merry Christmas! I have been going non stop for the last 8 days. Seven nights working to get off 10 days straight. Sunday night, my last night to work started with warming up the truck. I came in the house to finish getting ready. Booger was barking at the deer, so I went back out to hush him. When I did, I heard my truck going tick, tick, tick, tick, in a fast ticking cadence. I grabbed my flashlight and popped the hood open to see my fan laying at the bottom of the shroud and the truck still running. Horror.........my last night of the year to work and my truck is dead with a water leak and an AWOL fan. I know the guys at work would think I was fibbing to stay home. I called work and told them I had no transportation. I stood in my bedroom trying to collect my thoughts. I knew Luke was on his way home, but had no clue when he would be home as he wasn't answering his cell phone. A few minutes later he drove up. He could hear my antifreeze draining and I told him the bad news. He said I could take his Mustang. I really wanted to go to work to be a trooper, as I also knew we would get off early. An easy night with full pay........or no pay and the guys thinking I was gold bricking. I took Luke's Mustang. It is a tight car with a 5 speed. Fun around town, but not in rush hour. As I would be coming home Christmas Eve morning, there would be no rush hour. Hardly any traffic at all. I was planning on being at work an hour early with a lot of the crew to finish early, but the truck breaking down changed that plan. I was assigned the vertical fin for the night. Easy job. About an hour opening panels, a little grease on the rudder hinge fittings, let the inspection poke around and close it up. She was a good plane and we finished around 1 A.M. and I was on my way home at 1:15. I brought my head light home so I could remove the radiator when I got home to take it to the repair shop when I took Luke to work. It was 20 degrees outside. I thought about driving it to the barn, but the barn still doesn't have sides, so with a clear sky, I had it all apart, a bath and I was in bed by 5. I couldn't sleep, so I read some more of the book, For A Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. If you like to read about Witches, Vampires, Werewolves, Elves, and Pixies, get her books. You won't be disappointed.

Christmas Eve day I found the radiator shop closed. I bought what I could from O'Reilly's Auto Supply. All they had was one radiator hose. I ordered one and priced a radiator. They want $200 less then the Dodge dealer. Any place I went, the radiator had to be ordered. So I went back home after finding all this out and let Luke off at work. I then turned my attention at taking the fan clutch's broken mounting nut off of the idler. I took the whole idler off to lock it in my bench vise to remove the broken nut. This is when I realized the bearing was worn and the idler had enough movement to get the fan a vibrating. I rushed back to the Dodge dealer planning on buying the whole idler assembly. It had to be ordered and was over $500 dollars. They did, however, have the bearing for $194. But the old bearing needs pressed out and the new bearing pressed it. I rushed to the machine shops. All were closed. So the total when all is fixed will be over $700. I would imagine me wanting the hydraulic thumb kit for the Big Red Beast's backhoe will have to wait. Santa didn't leave one either, so I guess I am on his naughty but nice list.

So I gave up on getting the truck running on Christmas Eve. I then picked up the fried turkey then went home to clean up and start cooking. I did manage to squeeze in a two hour nap. I only had the energy to bake a pumpkin pie and my favorite burnt sugar and butter candy, which is like peanut brittle. I gave up on trying a new buttermilk pie recipe, as I wanted to make the crust according to that recipe and I couldn't find my rolling pin. I had a nice time in the kitchen cooking Green Bean Casserole, Candied Yams, Yum Yum Salad, Dressing, and of course buttering up and warming the fried Turkey. I realized this morning I forgot to get gravy fixins'. Luke is a gravy man and I asked him if he could whip something up. He gave up, so we used yam juice for gravy! It really is good on turkey.

Luke, Rebecca, and I finished the day watching movies. I sit here typing this thinking what is around the corner tomorrow, next week, next year. But first things first, I need to get my truck running so I can go play on the Big Red Beast, before I go back to work next year. Check back later to see what is happening for the New Year. Be sure to see the new photos I uploaded.

Merry Christmas hugs, Brandi

P.S.

The day after Christmas, I bought a new radiator for the truck and had the new fan idler bearing pressed in. Total out of pocket cost.....$812. So no hydraulic thumb kit for a while. I got it all back together and running. But my windshield washer is not working. I would have troubleshot it, but I needed an extra hand to push the washer button while checking voltage with my mutlimeter. I now can collaspe on the couch and nap! BW