SATURDAY

It has been a week since I last written.   I have been so busy at work.    We have a unending supply of people who need surgery.   The newest part is the cath lab and  EP STUDIES     We are doing open heart now we can to cardiac cath and studies associated with them.   Note, if you need a cardiac catherization be sure to go to a hospital that is able to do cardiac surgery.   If an emergency occurs they can take you directly to the OR, the alternative is to get a helicopter and take you to a center that does.   

I am looking forward to decreasing my days.   We have a few things that need done around the house we would like to do before retirement.   The first was a privacy fence between our house and the one next door.   The people next door have two  yappy dogs that would aggressively come under the split rail fence and try to chase whom ever was walking by.   They were on leashes and would be able to come about three feet in to my yard.    The fence is in place and now they can not do it.  The thing that was irksome was the owners knew about and chose not to do anything.  Guess they did not see it as a problem as the potential dog bite victims.  The fence is up and looks good.   Next we want to have the brick wall replaced along the drive way and some other concrete work.   Redoing the bath and some other things along the same  lines. 

Thursday was a bummer at our house.   We both leave about 05:15 in the morning.   I was just pulling into the hospital and I get a phone call, that is not good news in itself.  It was Chuck, seems he was just getting on the interstate when he heard a loud bang in the engine and a sudden absence of power.   The Corvette had died.   He was able to pull over in the work area and get off the interstate.

His phone call consisted of needing the phone number and member ID of the AAA.   Second phone call 4 minutes later, “What is my phone number?”  I actually laughed at that request.

A few hours the car had been towed to the local Chevrolet dealer and the consensus of opinion was the engine died.   Well, he really had that figured out with in the first five minutes of the trouble.

Chevrolet wanted 10K for a new engine and Chuck question how much more would they need as they add on the costs.   Chuck searched for engines, and one can be had for 5K to 6K.   This would take months for him to install it.   The car repair shops estimate how long it will take to do a job and charge accordingly.   If they estimate the job will take 5 hours and only takes 2, you are billed for 5.   they also bill for the time to do things twice.  For example is you need new brakes and when they get them off you do additional work in the break area they will charge for taking off the brakes twice.   Sounds like double dipping to me.  

So the continuation of the story, a fellow I work with recommended a local engine rebuilder.   Chuck had the car towed to the engine rebuilder and the saga will be continued with in the next month.    The rebuilders cost was about 5K but he is going to rebuild the engine and that included labor too.    TO BE CONTINUED……….

Felt like flowers today…..I am waiting for the Fall Slower Show, but that will be in a few months.   Although August starts in a week.   The weather here in Pittsburgh PA had been one of the coolest ones I can remember.   Usually the AC is on, but the usage has been low.