HER WIPER BLADES NEEDED REPLACED--

This adventure began when I took my truck to the Graham Ford garage one recent morning for some recall work and Sue arrived as planned to help me loiter away the hours.

Since the Graham Chevrolet dealership was right next door to the Ford place she led the way inside to take a peek at the new Cruze models.  That didn't take long to arouse the interest of a salesman and soon we were riding about their car lot on the cold, rainy morning, examining a generous selection of models.

I rode quietly in the back seat of Graham's fancy SUV, with a sticker price over 50 grand, and stayed in the background during her interrogation regarding the virtues of her selected vehicle which she was soon piloting back to the showroom for dealer plates and a demo spin.

Long story short; an hour or so later I had my truck in custody and her vehicle of interest was on hold while we headed off for lunch and her tending to some arrangements with her finance folks.

She was bemoaning her recent purchase of new tires for what was rapidly becoming her "old" car while I peeked at her over the top of my glasses.  At least it will save you the cost of new wiper blades, I quipped.  That and a lube job were other expenses she had been pondering before we launched for the sunny south.

That wiper blade purchase is no longer an issue.  She took delivery of her new Chevy Cruze the following morning.  That's it pictured above in one of my favorite Mansfield, outdoor "studios".

Meanwhile, the Ford service guy had told me my truck was making a funny noise in the front end.  I had noticed the same thing recently so we headed off to my local shop, Buckeye Auto Center, while I had chauffeur service available.

Their examination found a tie rod had failed when it fell apart as they put the truck up on their rack.  $160 bucks later my truck no longer had that funny noise and I was thanking my lucky stars the tie rod did not become deceased along the road somewhere.

While I was paying my bill I was pondering the costs of maintaining an 11 year old truck versus car payments.

I think I'll take my son up on his offer to sell my truck while I am in FL.

A fellow could easily develop an interest in a newer vehicle.

I can hardly imagine a vehicle like that SUV with the little TV in the dash that shows a live color picture while the driver is backing up--or, the heated leather seats that make you feel like you had an urinary accident when they cycle into action.

It's more likely I will wind up with a slightly aged motor scooter--hopefully one with a good heater.