THE RABBIT HOLE continued

FREE .. TO A GOOD HOME...MAY 17 2014

One friendly ghost. 

After we left the White Castle to continue our journey it decided to rain.  Obviously the ghost flew ahead of us.  He didn't like riding in a tow truck.  First there was a traffic tie-up - because of an accident.  Then road construction.   Another accident. More road construction.  Then to top it all off it rained.  Poured is more like it. 

We were about 2 hours later getting to Wheeling than we anticipated.  Arriving at the body shop it was still raining a pretty good clip.  Our friends were there waiting for us to arrive. 

Our driver told us to stay in the truck, he would take care of everything.  While it rained he unloaded the car from the flat-bed, then proceeded to take all our luggage and stuff from the car transferring it to the friend's van.  Then he helped us out of the truck.  We talked a minute, got a hug from him, and he was gone, riding off into the sunset (there had to be sun somewhere)

We made it home.   A little worse for the wear, but home.

Monday May 1.  Called the body shop.  They had the car, the estimate of damages and were starting to inspect said damages.  Enterprise rent-a-car was at the same location, so I talked with them and arranged to rent a car.  Later that morning I was picked up, taken to Wheeling, signed the papers and had wheels.   Should only be a few days.  Right.  They didn't know my ghost.

May 2.  Parts were ordered.  As soon as they arrived they would get started.  I had rented the car for a week.  That would take me to May 8, and they estimated the car would be ready by the 9th.

Piece of cake.  Right.  Wrong.  Whatever,.

Parts were back-ordered.  Some were there, but they needed the back ordered parts first.  I could hear the ghost laughing.

Once the parts were in they could proceed.  New estimate - May 16.  So went back to Enterprise and extended my rental until May 16.  All is well.  Called the body shop May 15  No parts had arrived as of that morning.  They had a tracer out.  I could have told them that wouldn't do any good because the ghost was disrupting everything.  But I kept my mouth shut.  If I started talking about the ghost they would take away the rental, have me committed and sell the car for junk.

May 15 went to Enterprise/Body Shop.  New estimate for my car being put back together was May 18!!!  Maybe!!!  By then I had spent way too much money on car rental.  Turned the car in, they took me home.

The accident happened April 26.  New repair date May 29.  Right now the ghost is laying low, he knows I am really upset (I wanted to use stronger language, but knew it would be censored) and he probably better lay low for a while.

So here I am, our Route 66 trip we looked forward to for so long ended.  My car I had only had for  4 months was a mess.  I know for a fact the ghost is alive and well.  Our trip might have been interrupted (that sounds better than ended), no one was hurt in the accident, the car will eventually be put back together and life will get back to normal (whatever that is).

Now all I have to do is sit back and wait.......

I know for sure the ghost will come up with something new to contend with.

One thing about it - I NEVER NEVER get bored.

Have a great day and God Bless.

---AND THE RABBIT HOLE ...

...JUST GETS DEEPER AND DEEPER ... MAY 15 2014 ...

Pretty soon I will need an escalator - or an elevator - maybe even a helicopter. 

I guess you could call this a comedy of errors - only trouble is - it is not funny.

It is Saturday April 26. On vacation.  Minding my own business.  On basically deserted old route 66 in Illinois.  No cars behind me.  No car coming by me in the north bound lane.  I was in the south bound lane.

Should have been a piece of cake.  Ended up being in an accident.  Luckily no one was hurt, but no one, not even the State cops could figure out exactly what happened.  I know what happened.  My un-friendly ghost from home hooked a ride and caused more havoc. 

And he continues to cause havoc almost a month later, and you can hear him laughing his fool head off. 

While the police were scratching  their heads I was on my cell phone, first calling Triple A to arrange for a tow truck, then calling State Farm to report the accident.  Then back on the phone with Triple A.  The tow truck that was supposed to be there in 20 minutes was not there in 45.  That's the reason for the second call to Triple A.  All thanks to ghost who caused the mix-up. 

They gave the tow truck driver the wrong location.  Finally the State Trooper took the phone and gave them very specific directions on where to find me, then waited until they arrived.

In the meantime back on the phone with the insurance company when the ghost Zapped my phone, snaped, crackled, poped, and died.  Dead.  Gone.

Tow truck arrived, took the car and us to a body shop in Bloomington Illinois, then took us to get a rental car. 

First on the agenda was getting lodging for the night.  Second was trip to WalMart to get new cell phone.  Third getting phone activated. Fourth trying to figure out the new phone.  Fifth another trip to WalMart to get help with the phone. 

This was all on Saturday April 26.  Had to wait until Monday for the insurance adjuster to take a look at the car. 

Tuesday Tuesday April 29 was advised the car would be laid up for 'about' six weeks.  By then Mr. Ghost was rolling around holding his sides he was laughing so hard.

Contacted Triple A.  They connected me up with another Towing company.  Made arrangements to have car picked up and hauled back to Wheeling to the local body shop.   They would even let us ride back with the driver.  In the tow truck.  Half a mile from the road into the cab.  Three ring circus.  Ghost hysterical. 

Tow truck driver picked us up on Wednesday April 30 early in the morning at the car rental place where I had to go to return the car.  From there to the body shop, load the car on the flat-bed and then head for Wheeling.  It is now 4 days since the accident.  One good thing - Nancy and I had our first lunch at an original WHITE CASTLE hamburger joint, on our way back to Wheeling.  Below is Nancy and our tow truck driver.

To be continued.  In the mean-time does any know of any way to do away with the ghost.  He just keeps sockin it to me.

And the rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper, and deeper, and deeper. 

Have a good day and God Bless.



  

ARIZONA WIDING DOWN ---

SALT RIVER CANYON and SPRINGERVILLE ... MAY 14 2014

We took 2 days for  this outing - to visit friends living in the White Mountain area and see the house they are building.  Springerville is the largest town near them.  Their house is also one of the survivors of the massive forest fires that raged thru that area a couple of years ago.  The fire came so close they were evacuated, drove to Phoenix to stay with the kids.  They didn't know for some time if their home had survived or not.

When they left they could see the fire on the mountain from their deck.    The little community they lived in was surrounded by fire trucks.  And fire fighters.  When they were finally given the o.k. to return, all was well.  Fire had been all around them, but this small community was spared.  I was told that if their home did not survive, that would be it.  There was no way they could, or would, start over.  They had worked too long and hard.  And like the rest of us were not getting any younger.

Day 1 of this outing was spent driving the Salt River Canyon.  What an awesome drive.  This is a 2000 foot deep river canyon,
U.S 60 snakes down one wall of the canyon, crosses the Salt River , crosses a bridge and climbs the other side coming out at Show Low.

Arriving in Springerville later in the day we met our friends, some of their family and their friends at Grumpy Jakes for a great meal of B-B-Q ribs with their home-made  sauce. 

We then went to their home and spent the rest of the day. The next morning  Dave and Linda, Jim and Diane and Jim's Mother and a friend met for breakfast, then we headed back to Phoenix, because that night was the Arizona Opry. 

Look closely at this picture.  You can see the burned trees on the mountain.  This is what they saw burning from their home.

This pretty much completes a very busy fun-filled week.  In between all this went to the great grand-daughters dance practice, and visited with all the grand-kids.


Talk about a whirl-wind week.  Wouldn't change a thing.  It's the whirl-winds that keep me going. 

Right now am still on hold about my car.  The garage thought it would be ready for me by Friday, May 16.  Told me today the parts expected on Monday did not come in, don't know when they will be here, can't do anything to the car until the parts arrive.  Guess I am stranded indefinitely.  My rental is due back on Friday and I am not renewing it.  Enough is enough.  Guess I will stay at home for the duration.

Hope your luck is better than mine.  Have a great day and God Bless.

ARIZONA WINDING DOWN ---

MUSEUM OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS -- AND ARIZONA OPRY ... MAY 12 2014

What a contrast.  After the musical performance the night before at the museum, we returned - and spent most of the day.

This is supposed to be the only museum of its kind in the world and they had at least one - sometimes many - musical instruments from every country in the world except for 3.

The 3 were - I think - North Vietnam and two very small countries I had never heard of.

This section will be mostly pictures.

Then one evening we attended the Arizona Opry - which was a dinner theater.  The meal was served prior to the musical performance, and what a great meal it was.  After all the tables were cleared the music began.  What an absolutely great evening it was. 

I will be sharing one more part of the Arizona trip, and that was Salt River Canyon and Springerville in the Mountains.  And then it was time to come home.  Never enough time.  We put some things on the back burner to hold until next year.

Had downpours this morning, but now the sun is shining.  Willl never get our garden planted at this rate.   I do have 2 tomato plants and 2 green pepper plants in tubs of dirt on the dog's Patio.  How about that.  We have our patio with grills, the dogs have their patio with tomatoes and peppers.  Just to put your mind at ease, the tubs with the plants are up on benches, well out of reach of the dogs.  I am sure you just breathed a sigh of relief.

Have a great day and God Bless.