Downsizing...

Ever had one of those moments where you go.."Oh my gosh"!? Well, about 3 months ago, it happened to me. I received my quarterly statement from my investment company one day and I had never noticed the first line on the page before...until that moment. It said "You are eligible to retire in eight years"...harmless enough I guess. But eye-opening for sure, for whatever reason, on that day. I did a quick calculation in my head, knowing that on the day I retired, my income would shrink by probably 40%. So another quick calculation...eight years until I CAN retire and 25 years left on the mortgage on way too much house. So, at that moment, the wheels went in motion. My wife and I love the place we live that we named "La Puerta del Ceilo" or Heavens Gate, but reality is reality and I needed to take up residence in that place immediately. So, fast forward 90 days later. We should be getting a draft copy of the contract for our new home that is half the size but, a full 1/3rd of the current mortgage. It will take some getting used to, but the building on the property that is actually bigger than the house, will certainly help the transistion. Terri already has staked claim on a corner inside the building for "pageant central" and her ideas for it are very impressive. It's located in a small town south of Forth Worth that still has that "small town" feel and it's a perfect place for my lovely bride and I to put down our final roots in this life. We like naming properties and we haven't even thought of one for this one yet, but for now it will be affectionately known as "101 Downgrade Place"...

A/C is fixed...

On a hunch, I decided to take the van to a different mechanic to have a look at the A/C. He was the one that gave me the $1000 quote to replace the compressor after I got sticker shock from the initial $1500 quote. Well, good thing. He asked me if by chance the van had been overheating? I said, well, yes, it had been running a little bit hot, not sure why though, because it had only been 103 - 106 degrees every day here in Texas in August. He said it may not be the A/C compressor at all. I said, I'm listening. Seems there is a "pop off" valve on the compressor, so when the engine gets too hot, it "pops off" and discharges all of the freon, so as to not fry the compressor.

Yes, God is working His miracles from Heaven and he loves the Flighty Texan. The repair went from $1500 first quote, to $1,061 on the second quote, but upon closer inspection my new lifetime mechanic found out it was indeed the pop off valve...$251.65...

Update on the death of the a/c in the van

Ok, so I spend all morning sitting in a shop getting a quote on the van's a/c repair. On top of that, I don't even want to get out of bed, because I feel like number 2. I've already called in to work, but I can't rightly make my wife drive in a blazing tin can all over town. I remember when you could get your a/c fixed for less than $300 or $400 bucks. I guess inflation has attacked everything. I was not expecting the $1500 price tag the young service rep named, get this, Elvis, laid out in front of me. I felt the urge to tell him that I wished he would "Love Me Tender" and that I was "All Shook Up" over the price he just read me, but I held my tongue resisting, and you knew it was coming, to say "You Ain't Nuthin' But A Houndog". Ok, Ok, enough of the word play. It did get me motivated to come home and make some calls and find a cheaper price. Mission accomplished. I found another mechanic I've used in the past that's gonna do it for $1,000. Knocked $500 off of the price with one phone call. So the last thing I have to ask, "Anyone got a grand I can borrow?"

Wake me up at noon darlin'...

It's midnight, actually 12:17 a.m., C.S.T. here on the outskirts of nowhere, Texas, USA and I can't sleep. TOOOO much iced tea. Long weekend. My wife had a week long function in the big city. I drove up and Friday and we got back home today, Sunday, at about 1:45 and it was ONLY 104 degrees outside. That's ok though, the drive was only an hour and a half and the a/c in the van was kind enough to die just before we pulled out of the hotel parking lot to come home. So yep, you guessed it, I played the knight in shining armor, 'cept I took off the armor and slid on some shorts and a loose t-shirt and I drove the van home, so my wife could ride in the relative comfort of my truck. If you saw my truck, you'd understand why I said "relative comfort"... 335,000 miles and climbing. But, the A/C works...relatively. Two other lucky recipients of the ride home with her were my two granddaughters. My step-daughter I only partially melted on the drive back and I was glad to walk through the door of the house after that hour and a half trek through the burning flames of hell itself. I'm guessin' the temp in the van was close to 130 degrees...if I had to venture a guess, I'd say it was closer to the temp on the surface of the sun. You'd think I could lay right down and go to sleep. But, like I said, we got home at 1:45 and at 1:50, I was snoring. I took a long nap. I woke up around 7:00, my wife and I go get chicken, fried okra, cole slaw and mashed taters and gravy and that's where the iced tea came in. For me, iced tea makes a fried chicken meal complete. So, after a 5-6 hour nap and a gallon of tea, here I sit at midnight, wondering if I'll fall asleep at all tonight...and on top of that, I'm starting to feel a tad puny...in unison everyone..."awwwwww, poor baby". Night all...