Repairs already!
So my new-to-me Explorer needs a total brake job! It just started that tell-tale scraping sound so I took it to a relative of a relative's Auto repair shop only to be told its a $1200 job with much more work to be done before the next inspection sticker can be had in Feburary.... bummer - I made a good decision - didn't I?
I slept in the local WallyWorld parking lot a couple nights as I debated what to do and how to tackle this new set of issues. Then remembered I have a handy nephew near by. I contacted him and have been staying with them the past few days. I sold my hammock camping set up in order to buy the pads and 2 rear roters, my nephew and his neighbor are going to help me out with the job and they will look it all over and see if I have any other major stuff to repair. Anyway my life is still an adventure!
I heard from my Great Aunt, who had been a missionary in Japan. She is wanting to visit with me this week while they are traveling here in Maine, so we made tenative plans to meet up.
I watched a 60 minutes special report show on a guy who was wrongly accused of murder in Nicaragua a few years ago and kept in prision for a while. The story with it's many references to "Gringos" reminded me of one of the reasons that I recently returned to the US. So many people in other countries feel that we Americans think we are special and above the law and tat we have so much stuff and money that we can buy our way through stuff or out of stuff or what have you. I did feel tired of defending my being a normal human being, who, although I am American, am a poor person with less income than many average third-world country people. I receive a Social Security check once a month and have a yearly income of around $9000. Many people, especially American's and even some Central American teachers/professors cannot relate to my income or my lifestyle and although I have a very low income, I still choose to see my life as an adventure, to travel often, to be generous and genuine (as much as humanly possible). Anyway, the show reminded me of how many people in Central America hold a grudge against us "gringos and gringas" and how that was one factor in my choosing to take a break from traveling and feeling a need to protect myself all the time.
I sang Karioke with my nephew and his new wife last night, that was a lot of fun and we all laughed so hard that we nearly had tears running down our faces. It has been nice to relax a little bit.
I have also been enjoying their kitten Max who curls up at my feet to sleep, during the night.
Hopefully tomorrow's planned auto repairs will be successful and not take too long. The new question of the day --- given my trust issues, who will I be able to trust enough to help me with auto repairs in the future and will I be able to afford repairs when they come up????
I slept in the local WallyWorld parking lot a couple nights as I debated what to do and how to tackle this new set of issues. Then remembered I have a handy nephew near by. I contacted him and have been staying with them the past few days. I sold my hammock camping set up in order to buy the pads and 2 rear roters, my nephew and his neighbor are going to help me out with the job and they will look it all over and see if I have any other major stuff to repair. Anyway my life is still an adventure!
I heard from my Great Aunt, who had been a missionary in Japan. She is wanting to visit with me this week while they are traveling here in Maine, so we made tenative plans to meet up.
I watched a 60 minutes special report show on a guy who was wrongly accused of murder in Nicaragua a few years ago and kept in prision for a while. The story with it's many references to "Gringos" reminded me of one of the reasons that I recently returned to the US. So many people in other countries feel that we Americans think we are special and above the law and tat we have so much stuff and money that we can buy our way through stuff or out of stuff or what have you. I did feel tired of defending my being a normal human being, who, although I am American, am a poor person with less income than many average third-world country people. I receive a Social Security check once a month and have a yearly income of around $9000. Many people, especially American's and even some Central American teachers/professors cannot relate to my income or my lifestyle and although I have a very low income, I still choose to see my life as an adventure, to travel often, to be generous and genuine (as much as humanly possible). Anyway, the show reminded me of how many people in Central America hold a grudge against us "gringos and gringas" and how that was one factor in my choosing to take a break from traveling and feeling a need to protect myself all the time.
I sang Karioke with my nephew and his new wife last night, that was a lot of fun and we all laughed so hard that we nearly had tears running down our faces. It has been nice to relax a little bit.
I have also been enjoying their kitten Max who curls up at my feet to sleep, during the night.
Hopefully tomorrow's planned auto repairs will be successful and not take too long. The new question of the day --- given my trust issues, who will I be able to trust enough to help me with auto repairs in the future and will I be able to afford repairs when they come up????
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