The Blue El

What a wild week… I’m back in the ol’ Saturn L again… “The Blue El” is what I heard a lot of at the dealership while waiting for repairs. It gave the service guys a hard time. They replaced the steering column and gears, the right hub and bearing(s?), did an alignment and cleaned out the fuel-injection system. All-in-all, close to $1,400 of it was covered with the extended warranty and it drives like a new car! No more engine noise! All I hear cruising down the road is wind and road noise.

On the way home last night, after an episode with a broken windshield wiper, I saw my first automobile fire. I had just exited IH-35 at the 1431 exit and was going to go 1431 to Parmer… but there was this white Ford Pick-up engulfed in flames right in the middle of the road. I was the third or so car from the Ford on fire and the RRFD (Round Rock Fire Department) showed up with two trucks and a slew of RRPD (… police) who first attended to the very tall and hot flames then closed the ramp onto the access road and then had all of us who were mesmerized by the scene but still in our cars on a road which would not be cleared for quite some time turn around and head the wrong way on the access road back onto the highway. It was strange driving on the access road with all the reflectors shining red and passing about 10 wrong-way-do-not-enter signs.

Other than car adventures, we seem to be doing much better than last week. Whew… Friday cannot get here soon enough.