Who'da thunk it?

It was a bright and sunny afternoon... that turned into a dark and dreary night!

Late Sunday afternoon, Ken went out to start the car while I finished up doing something or other. I heard him crank the engine several times without the engine starting. My heart sank. A couple moments later he came back into the house saying, "You're not going to like this: the car won't start."

You have to understand that some years ago we purchased a car in a similar situation. An older man had been the sole owner of the car. He had taken good care of it, maintained it, never had any mechanical trouble with it, etc. We were getting "a great car." My mind figured it this way: the man had gotten his money's worth from the car; now we were going to make all the repairs for which it was ready! The salesman assured us repeatedly that my thinking was illogical and that this car was "a solid car." Since this #1 salesman (loadsss of awards) was also a good Christian man we had known for years and many people came from miles around (even other states--like us!) to purchase vehicles from him, we finally overrode our gut feelings and bought the car.

The very next morning we were to make a trip. Ken went out to start it--nope! The dealer sent a tow truck to rescue us and a loaner vehicle to use for a week. When we finally got the car back home (in the other state), one thing after another broke down. Before the 60-day warranty ended, the car had been in the shop more than in our parking spot. Just barely within the warranty time, we were able to prove that the head gasket was blown, which didn't make for a very happy dealer (understatement!). Over the next almost two years that we had that car, we were stranded so many times and paid to repair so many things...

So now you know especially why my heart sank Sunday afternoon! This "déjà vu all over again" was a most unwelcome feeling. Although this car had come from a somewhat similar situation, it really did seem to be better taken care of and had fewer miles on it and ... it was a week after buying it instead of the next day. Yeh, like that really matters now!

Ken went through each step he had taken: inserted key, tried to start car, then realized it was the key to Pete (an easy mistake to make since both cars are gray '97 Buick LeSabres and have the same kind of keys); removed Pete's key, inserted proper key for Repeat, and tried to start car. Aha! That made me think that the security system might be the problem. Ken, however, thought it seemed like the engine wasn't getting fuel, so he dashed for the gas can while I flipped through the owner's manual. We were both right! When the car thinks a theft is in progress, as when an incorrect key is inserted, the oh-so-capable security system shuts down the starter and the fuel injection system. Indeed, the engine was not getting fuel!

Time was getting away from us, so we locked up Repeat and jumped in Pete and left. We thanked God that at least Repeat was stranded in our driveway instead of Timbuktu!

Sunday night we read the manual more closely. After inserting an incorrect key, we needed to wait 3 minutes before inserting the correct key and everything would be wonderful. Except the car still wouldn't start! Throughout Monday and Tuesday I researched the problem online, found hundreds of other people's complaints about the same problem with the incredibly flawed and frustrating GM Pass-Key security system, tried various stunts suggested, and came up empty. Talk about anti-theft--this system is anti-owner!

At this point, everything I read online was pointing to having the car towed to the dealer who would reset the security system for a rather sizable fee. I called the dealer to see what advice the service department might give. Heh, that was predictable! "Let me call the tow guy to bring it in and we'll look at it and see what's the matter. If you already did all those other things you said you did, then something mechanical is wrong, but never fear, we'll find it and fix it for you."

As a last ditch effort, I called our mechanic Tuesday afternoon to see if he had any idea what to do about our scenario. He knew exactly what I was talking about, my first ray of hope! He thought the problem was security and not mechanical, but the car would have to be towed in so he could check it out and he wasn't certain he could solve the security issue. He has proved himself trustworthy over the years we've been going to his garage, so I agreed to have the car towed there in the morning.

Several strong showers came through our area during the evening. About 1:00 AM, we suddenly heard a car horn beeping regularly and repeatedly. I jumped up and ran to the front door. "I hope that's not our car!" So much for hoping. The headlamps were flashing, the horn blaring. Thankfully the rain had slowed to a drizzle--see, I told you it was a dark and dreary night! I darted out and unlocked the door to turn off the security alarm. Crazy thing! The only time the alarm had gone off was when I had tested it on Monday afternoon. Why was it going off at 1 AM?!

I locked up, waited for the security light to stop flashing (indicating a reset), and took about five steps before the lights started flashing, the horn started blaring. I turned around and unlocked the door again. Twice more I repeated this maneuver, finally actually making it back inside the house about 1:35. Whew!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Oh noooooooo! It was 3:00 AM, and our alarm was going off again! I ran out again, only into a slight drizzle thankfully, and unlocked the door. This time I manually locked everything. Good grief, at this rate, we might get ousted from the community!

When I woke up later in the morning, I knew our backs were to the wall and there was no point in delaying calling the tow truck. Watching Repeat rolling away was no easy task. It just felt like "here we go again!" (I guess we should have expected that out of a car named "Repeat"!)

Less than an hour later, the phone rang. Our mechanic was calling to say, "Come pick up your car!" Praise the Lord, everything mechanical was ship-shape (our mechanic is very impressed with Repeat's condition!) and the security system was reset. What relief!!

The manual (and the dealers/salesmen) impresses on the owner the importance of not losing the Pass-Key because it is a costly key to replace. Not a syllable is said about the incredible importance of absolutely no other key ever being inserted into the ignition!

The manual directs the owner to wait three minutes before inserting the correct key. Nope. It's ten times worse! Also all the info I found online was not specific enough about the simple but precise "fix." Insert the key into the ignition, turn it to just short of cranking the engine, start the stopwatch. Exactly ten minutes later, remove the key, wait one-two seconds before reinserting and repeating the process. Exactly ten minutes later, repeat process again. After three rounds, remove key, reinsert and crank it up. The car should start!

All that because of one simple, little mistake of inserting a wrong key! Who'da thunk it?!

P.S. My nephew, Paul Jr, suggested that to avoid a reoccurence, Uncle Ken should mark the keys to one of the cars with some of his fluorescent green paint! ;)

Fun at Dollywood

Ken's annual company picnic was held at Dollywood on Saturday. Ken loves hats and his co-workers are always watching to see which one he will wear next. When the picnic shirts were distributed at work, he told them he had a hat to match it and he would wear it the day of the picnic. They enjoyed a good laugh when they saw him! When Ken had his pic taken for his season pass, the lady waited for him to remove his hat saying, "Yeh, you look just a little too green with it on!" I have to admit, however, finding him throughout the day was pretty easy.


For what seems like 3 out of 4 times, the Kingdom Heirs are "out of town" on the days we visit Dollywood. Well, looking over the schedule beforehand, we were excited to learn that Saturday would be a "1 in 4" time, because they would be there!! After leaving home just a little later than we had planned, then parking in Lot G and waiting in line to ride the third tram, we barely arrived at Showstreet Palace in time for their last performance of the day at 12:30 PM.

Ken hoped to get his pic taken with some of the guys. He took one look at them on stage before groaning, "Well, our shirts sure aren't going to match!" (Exactly what shirt did he expect was going to match the neon wonder--other than fellow employees, of course?!)

Ken was amazed to find out what a tall guy Steve French (baritone singer) is!

And Arthur Rice (lead singer) too!


We always enjoy James Rogers' show. I think we have attended his show every time we have visited Dollywood. (One visit we attended his show twice!) He recently recorded a CD featuring "Hymns of Faith & Inspiration" which we would have liked to take a look at, but we had to leave in a hurry after his show so we wouldn't be late for the picnic!


Each year at the company picnic, raffle tickets are handed out to each attending employee. In past years, Ken has won a Dollywood souvenir cup, some tickets to an event in which we had absolutely no interest and, at other times, nothing at all. When the raffle began, Ken was listening for number 2157. They called out 2156, 2158, 2154, 2159, with some other numbers thrown in too. I said, "I think they've called all the 215_ numbers they're going to call." About three seconds later we heard, "2157!" (Interestingly enough, 2155 was later called.) Ken won a Kodak digital camera!! (Realizing that people probably wouldn't want to schlep their winnings [items from coolers to HD TV to laptop to plasma TV] all over Dollywood the rest of the day, the company gave out vouchers, and winners will pick up their loot at work on Tuesday.)

James Rogers has spoken/sung out for the cause of the Bald Eagle. Dollywood has an amazing eagle program in the park. We must have stopped longer on this visit to watch the eagles because I don't remember seeing so many in the aviary as were there this time. We counted 12-14 eagles sitting on this branch and that stump, but they were all too far away for me to get a good clear pic.

We wandered the big loop of the park to see all the new stuff. We shook our heads at the Mystery Mine ride... flinging around upside down isn't for us.

Neither was spinning around on the falling Timber-r-r-r ride.

Or zipping around on the all-wooden Thunderhead...

We had a beautiful, enjoyable Saturday! Now it's back to "working for worms" (see placard left of Ken, or in next photo)...

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A Vote for Pete and Repeat

I called our insurance company today to take care of the details for the new car... After giving the agent various info, I told her about us calling them Pete and Repeat (or maybe HIS and HERS) and then brought up the challenge of differentiating between the two vehicles on their policies since they are the same year, model and color. She replied that we would have to rely on knowing the VIN# for each one. I groaned. There is no way we are going to remember that full bowl of alphabet soup!

Then she told me that the first four characters are the same for both, but from the fifth characters on, they are different. The fifth character for the new car is R, altho she didn't know an easy way to remember that, and the fifth character for the current one (yeh, you are getting ahead of me!), is P! Then she laughed, "I already know how you will remember them: Pete and Repeat!" How cool is that? A ready-made mnemonic!! :)

Pete n Repeat twice... or as Yogi Berra would say, "This is like Déjà vu all over again."

PETE & REPEAT: I don't remember the year, but Uncle Jim sold his Renault 16 (R-16) to my dad. (I know from experience that lotsa people have no clue what is a Renault [mostly pronounced in USA like it is spelled: ruh-NALT, but properly pronounced--as in French, since the car is manufactured in France: reh-NO], so I googled and swiped two photos that are verrry close to what Dad had. The 16 denotes the model. Altogether we had an R-10, R-12 and two R-16's. [If you remember my mom's "orange bomb," that was an R-12. When you finish reading this post [assuming you do, of course!] read my response to Jon P's comment about my mom's car.] The R-10 was a saltine box, the R-12 was an OK compact car, but the R-16 was a wonder. It handled great and had a great ride due partly to the unique suspension and partly due to the seats being of the quality you would expect to find in a much larger and more expensive car. Of the Renaults imported to the USA, the R-16 was considered the Cadillac. Actually, after Uncle Jim bought another car that was larger and more feature-rich, he told Dad multiple times that the Renault had a far better ride.)

Anyway, some time later, probably in early 1978, we were driving home from Lewisburg, PA, and Dad spotted another Renault 16 sitting in someone's front lawn with a For Sale sign in the window. He said, "Hey, Faith, you want a Renault?" Being wheelless, I piped, "Sure!" So he promptly pulled a U-turn. While we were looking it over, a man came out of the house to talk with us. The price was $400! (Weren't those the days! But do you know how many hours I had to baby-sit before I paid that back?! After insurance, gas and maintenance, not much money was left for the car payment.) Dad bought it on the spot, the man gave us the keys, and we continued on our way home.

Now we had not only two Renaults, but two very similar Renaults. Dad's was dark green with dark brown interior, stick shift. Mine was almost the very same shade of dark green with black interior, automatic shift. Well, if you think people had gawked before when they saw our one Renault, you should have seen their eyes bug out when they saw two Renaults! The ride home was so entertaining, especially on the main street through Mifflinburg and Middleburg! People in their yards and on porches and sidewalks would stop what they were doing to stare, and their heads would turn to follow Dad's car as it drove by. Then I drove by right behind him. People's heads were spinning as they were doing double takes, trying to determine if suddenly they were seeing double or what. Nope, no double vision, just double Renaults!! Dad and I had a lot of fun with those two cars.

One of my "fun" memories of this car is that a classmate who often parked his big, ole American-made car next to my Renault at school (PVBI) gave me a hard time about driving a foreign-made car. One early morning I drove to school in snow deep enough that my front bumper was plowing a path! (College never closes, ya know!) As I turned the corner to drive up the hill to school, I spotted my braggadocious classmate's car uselessly spinning its tires in the snow. I sweetly, with nary a spin, drove out around his car and on up into the lower parking lot. (You know I couldn't offer him a ride--this was at Bible college!) When he came into class about five minutes later, he looked like the abominable snowman. I asked him what had happened that he was covered in snow. He glared at me and growled, "My car is sitting at the bottom of the hill. It went backwards from where it was when you passed me." Needless to say, he had no more comments about my foreign car!

One more story about my beloved Renault. I was living with my brother Tim and his family in Millheim, PA, when he was principal of the Penns Valley Christian Academy. Each Tuesday, he held "night school" for several adults who were studying either to complete high school requirements or junior college level work. One night we decided to take my car to night school. We were at the edge of town and starting to pick up speed, when all of a sudden * WHAM! * Something huge came out of nowhere and smacked hard into the windshield then flew back over the car and bounced and skidded on the road. We were like, "Whoa, WHAT in the world was THAT?!" I slammed on the brakes and pulled off to the side--I was shaking--while Tim looked back to see what it was. Unbelievably, it was my hood! Somehow it had become unlatched, and as I picked up speed, the wind lifted it up and literally tore it from its hinges!

We thanked God that the windshield had not broken and that nobody had been following us. We ran back to get the hood off the road before someone would come along and hit it, carried it to the car and put it in place so we could creep back home, then took Tim's car to night school. There was no way to repair the hinges, so that weekend, Tim drilled two holes through the hood and into the car frame and bolted the hood down. Be assured it never flew off again!

PETE & REPEAT Déjà vu: In an earlier post, I mentioned that on Saturday we bought a 1997 Buick LeSabre. We picked it up tonight--Ken wanted me to have the honor of driving it home :) ... now we have two Buick LeSabres! Not only two LeSabres, but two gray/silver LeSabres. I don't know if people stared at us as we drove home tonight or not. Since LeSabres aren't so unusual, I think probably not, but perhaps!

We've aptly dubbed our cars "Pete and Repeat," but we're open to suggestions for other names. Pete is a tad more gray; Repeat is a tad more silver. Pete has maroon interior; Repeat, light gray. Pete is a Custom model; Repeat is a Limited edition. Pete is bedraggled and weary; Repeat is like brand spanking new! Pete will continue to take Ken back and forth to work (we hope--we're praying that Pete won't get jealous and quit running!!); Repeat will be reserved for trips, our weekly run to Wal-Mart and my rare shopping sprees.

We're already trying to figure out how to keep them separate on insurance policies, how to keep service records specific, how to tell the keys apart, etc. I suggested a simple solution for the keys: Ken can carry Pete's, and I'll carry Repeat's! ...No, he didn't think that was such a bright idea either. lol

We're trying not to call them HIS and HERS because they are OURS, but Ken thinks that since admittedly Pete will be more HIS car, that would be really convenient... and easy too, believe me! It's one niiiiiiiiiice car. Ken thinks I will do most of the driving in Repeat, but I don't think so. My itch to drive is long over.

(The whole HIS and HERS idea reminds me of a line my dad used to joke about... A young married fella explained to his wife that there would be no problem knowing whose possessions were whose if they just followed his philosophy: "What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine.")

Interestingly, we bought Pete on my birthday weekend in 1998, and Ken joked for a long time that he had bought me a car for my birthday. So maybe I should just go with the flow and let Pete and Repeat be HIS and HERS after all!

Aha, I know--a POLL!! What do YOU think? Take my poll at the top right of my blog. Or leave a comment with your suggestion!

Laurel And Hardy, Perfect Day (1929)

Thanks to Jon Plank's comment (to my post titled "We're going' now..." NOT!) which contained this link, I was able to watch this classic movie on the internet--a long way from reel to reel, eh?! lol

Interestingly enough, the line my family has remembered so well, "We're goin' now..." is only said ONE time in the entire movie (I guess you'd say that comment "grew" on us over the years!). I have to wonder why I didn't remember the man with the bandaged foot being in the movie at all. His foot was only dropped, clunked, banged, sat upon, squashed, bludgeoned, absolutely clobbered how many times?! Go figure...

They were going on a picnic, not a trip, I listed happenings out of order, and they didn't just drive away... they drove into, oh, I don't want to spoil the ending if you have never seen the movie! Sorry 'bout that.

All in all, however, since I saw that movie in either 1980 or 1982, I don't think my memory served me too badly!

Thanks again, Jon! :)

Totally awesome!

Knowing that 240,000+ miles is "getting up there," we have been poring over car magazines and car websites trying to decide what and when to buy. We've discussed what we would like and not like. What we must have and what we would like to have. We wish we could have another car like we have (in better shape, of course, and maybe with a few more features). We're just certain that can't happen in our price range, however. * sigh * We're really going to miss certain things about our car when we get another one. On and on... Looking and talking is as far as it has gone, however, because we both would rather avoid (understatement!) the actual process and decision-making that goes into purchasing another vehicle.

We don't think we would get even $1000 for our car on a trade-in. It has been in several fender benders over the 10 years we've had it--two which were major enough that we had the damage repaired (insurance money) and two which were minor enough we didn't bother spending our money to get the bumps fixed. The most recent one (about a year ago now) broke the mount and clips that hold the headlight in place... but we fixed that with mere super-glue and craft wire! The car has multiple quirky things about it so that nobody other than Ken and me can just get in and drive it without special instructions (we're talking broken knobs/buttons, burned-out lights, broken gas gauge, inaccurately set gearshift lever, powerless window--well, it will power down, but it doesn't power back up, heater/AC fan that has a mind of its own, broken high speed wiper setting, oh, and Ken reminded me about my treasured Randy Travis cassette that I've been "storing" in the tape deck ever since it got stuck on its premier play several years ago... Surely you get the picture! lol) We'd really like to have another car before this one gives up the ghost and puts us in crisis mode, as we're a one-vehicle household.

Ken rarely checks out craigslist.com, but late Friday night, for whatever reason, he went there and started sifting through car ads. When he found this one, he could hardly believe it as he read the info to me because it is what we must have and would like to have! This ad had just been posted Friday afternoon about 4 PM:

1997 Buick LeSabre Limited Sedan Garaged 53K *Near Mint Condition.*

Loaded - including Driver and passenger 8-way power seats, dual climate control, Perfect leather interior, stereo CD with cassette, controls are also on steering wheel for the stereo, factory floor mats that still look almost new, owners manual and original window sticker with price of $27,529 + taxes. New Michelin tires, alloy wheels. Non-smoker.

This LeSabre is in near mint condition, runs and drives excellent. Contact Robert at...














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Saturday morning we called Robert thinking it surely would be gone already--it wasn't, made a couple other calls to get some advice, and headed out for a test drive. "Oh, my! How sweet it is!"

We were pleased to discover that Robert is a Christian man (not based on anything he said himself, but on several things in his office). We were also happy to support a Mom-n-Pop enterprise. He was amazed at how quickly someone had found and responded to his ad. We made a deposit on it and will pick it up later this week. All the way home we talked about all the adjustments we will need to make because of the things that will work! lol It is scary to us that we made a decision so quickly, but we know that our quick decision was mostly due to knowing it was exactly what we wanted. Any other make or model would have required much more thought. More on that later.

At the moment, we are praising the Lord for working out such a dreaded process so relatively easily and, from all appearances, beyond what we could ask or think... and praying that we made a good decision! :) Time will tell.

"We're goin' now..." NOT!

Long, long ago in a land far away... my family was watching a reel-to-reel movie (see? I told you it was long, long ago!) of Laurel and Hardy. I don't recall the title of the episode, but in it, they decide to take a trip. They load the car, say their goodbyes, get in the car, "We're goin' now..." and it won't start. They get out, tinker with it (while making classic L&H moments, of course) until it starts running, say their goodbyes, get in the car, "We're goin' now..." and the tire goes flat. They fix the flat, say their goodbyes, get in the car, "We're goin' now..." and something else goes wrong. The entire movie is essentially "We're goin' now," and various things going wrong with the car. It ends as they finally drive away. Ever since we watched this movie, my family has used this line, "We're goin' now," when we load the car, say our goodbyes, and then stand and talk another 30 minutes (sometimes more than once!). I thought of this line again the Friday before Mothers' Day...

Several weeks before Mothers' Day, we planned to travel to SC to spend that weekend with Ken's mom (et. al.). I wrote a list of things we have that we need to take over with us: several books, CD's, a Christmas gift I needed to exchange for a different style, etc. I can't remember now if we had told her or not that we were coming. Then we heard from my sister Becky that she was going to be in PA and the dates that worked out for us to travel/be there were May 9-17. We called Mom to tell her that we had been planning to come, but that we were going to go to PA instead. She's great and understood why we changed plans. "We're goin' now..." NOT!

So Ken requested time off at his job, I arranged for lodging, put aside the things we were going to take to Mom's and started gathering things together to take with us for Becky and PA. Another change in plans (namely Emily Anne :)), however, meant that Becky would still be in FL May 9-17 instead of PA. So we cancelled all our arrangements. "We're goin' now..." NOT!

Then Ken came up with this brainstorm that since the dates in PA weren't cooperating, perhaps we could fly to CA and visit Becky a day or so while she is visiting with Paul & Belinda. (Ken has been west of the Mississippi River only once, so he is very eager to see "the West," and we would also enjoy visiting Paul & Belinda and their girls again!) Ken searched and searched the internet for the lowest fares, and we started dreaming about this and that we'd like to see and do while we are there. After several days of "flying high," we finally admitted we really were "dreaming" (mainly due to holiday pricing) and needed to accept that seeing Becky this time she is home isn't working out. "We're goin' now..." NOT!

Suddenly we realized that we could be with Ken's mom for Mothers' Day! So we called, made arrangements, and got things together again. On Friday after work, we loaded the car, set out, drove about 10 miles and into a huge storm: lightning, thunder, hail, torrential rain. We pulled off the road (since we couldn't see to drive anyway!) and called Mom. She tried to check weather reports but couldn't get anything at the moment. When the rain let up, we decided to drive on and call her again in 10 minutes.

In about 5 minutes, my cell phone rang. Mom. This storm was headed toward them, which meant we would be traveling I-40 over the mountains in the dark in the storm the whole way. Reluctantly, we decided together that we should be safe first. "We're goin' now..." NOT!

Since we hadn't eaten supper yet, we found a Chinese buffet not far away and ate there before heading back home. Thankfully we did, because we heard on the radio station they were playing in the restaurant that a very strong storm was passing over Maryville-Alcoa area! If we had come home immediately, we would have been in that storm too. As we drove home, we were amazed at the accumulation of hail on the banks and the edge of the road!

Our "movie" didn't end with us driving away--it ended with us driving INTO our driveway! After all the planning and dreaming and gathering and loading... we were HOME!