An amazing day

Dear Family and Friends,

Tonight as I write I'm thankful for God's leading in this troubling day.

This morning Jason called to say, Dad I need help.  Well I guess you parents know what that does to ones heart!  It grabs it big time.

Jason was driving up the freeway toward the SF airport where he is working this fall, someone had told him that the Subaru was smoking and when he checked sure enough white smoke was coming up through the hood.  He pulled off and found a safe place to be and we started the saga.  Learning that something was dripped under his car but also that there was no fire, that the engine temp was fine, that the radiator overflow was fine he began to limp his car toward my house and I started the process of pulling out the tow dolly, to load up the Civic and then drive to meet him where I would unload the Civic, load up the Subaru, bring it back to my own Borden Junction Shop for repairs. 

After jostling trailers, boat, tow dolly around we were ready to load up the Subaru, just as I picked up the tow dolly's tongue my back went out with a lot of pain and I was almost knocked to the ground.  The tongue is heavy and I had pulled a muscle.  So I had Marilyn drive the civic up onto the dolly, it takes quite a bit of throttle to gain the last edge and the car shot forward, launched itself out into a couple feet of space and front tires just hung down, we were in a bad place.

Meanwhile Jason is continuing to limp toward my place.  Once he reached Livermore the transmission failed to shift and I had him pull over for good.  I then drove the green bug to meet him where we waited for a tow truck sponsored by my Good Sam to arrive.  Over two hours later he finally arrived and he delivered the Subaru to Borden Junction and Jason and I drove to the house to figure out how to un impale the Civic as it was sitting on the frame.

Steve could not come and help as he had two sick girls at home but could loan beams and a great floor jack.  We  went there and picked it up.

Once home we used the floor jack under a plank and lifted the plank and wheel up until the car lifted off the frame, then we blocked up the plank and moved to the other side, we did the same but kept the floor jack in place along with some support for the plank.  Then I crawled into the civic and gingerly started it and backed it up over the edge of the tow dolly and down onto the street.  NO damage and success.  Jason was great help and did all the lifting since I was pretty much a waste at this point.  With without the floor jack it would have been tough to do.  It saved the day.

Jason loaded his things including his suit and headed home but before he left he helped back the boat into place for the winter, then the tow dolly, what a big difference to have both Jason and Marilyn guiding me, this time no smashed fence, just successful parking.

later

Kaiser was helpful with the bad back and had good advice over the phone, Jason got home safely and has a good commute car to get to work, the Civic is a great little car, his car is in a shop where I have total trust that they will do the right thing and I even saved an appointment that was cancelled this morning by going this evening at 8 to Concord, shooting the interior repairs of a home.  We also managed to have a nearly last meal at Mels tonight, Great food.

In the midst of the crisis mid day Marilyn texted good news that over $2,000 had come in today, what a relief that was.

So tomorrow morning we drive to Brentwood, pick up a cheap rental car, leave the green beetle to have a new motor mount installed, inspect a couple properties and then come back to get the bug, we hope.  Marilyn will pack and we'll leave super early on Wednesday for the airport, then I'm back to Livermore for a 8 am appointment, then to Brentwood for a 9:30 appointment and later I'll get the girls from school.

What do you think?  Was today interesting?  Marilyn will be upset that I've included her little misadventure but it was a pure accident, I've almost done it myself before plus its a great thing to tease her about from time to time to help her stay humble!

So saying, I'm going to bed now.  Love to all

Tim

I think God watched over us all today.  It was great to get to have two captive hours with Jason just to talk.