Gratitude...

I am so happy and thankful to post that our truck has been repaired. What an ordeal! Upon taking the truck to our mechanic yesterday morning, the news wasn't looking so good. At first, Rod seemed to think that possibly it was a hose from the radiator that may have been the problem. After repairing it, it became clear that the heater core itself had went. So, Rod gets on the computer, prices and orders the heater core, and moves onto the make, model info on the truck to become alarmed to discover that the entire dashboard and steering column has to come out to repair it and the computer estimates it at a 7 and half hour job! Parts, labor, ect. begin adding up to to a final total of over $650.00 At this point, both Don and mine hearts hit the ground. Goodbye! Old friend. We simply cannot afford to sink $650 into a '91 Ford Ranger.

While discussing this on the telephone with Don's son, Shawn, who we believed we'd be borrowing a vehicle from, the suggestion to cut the firewall out, replace the heater core, and then, weild it back in came up. {Yeah, I know, sounded like a lot of work to me, too.} So, Don heads back over to our mechanics, discusses this possibility with him, and Rod thinks it can be done. So, they pull the truck in and start looking at it. Nope. Cannot do it; some plastic box is in the way. But maybe.... we can do it from the inside... So Rod and one of his worker's get to checking around inside the vehicle, pull up the carpeting from the passenger's side and what do you know? There is some sort of an opening in the firewall, that can be temporarily removed and replaced after the heater core is replaced. Yay!!!

The good news is that the truck has been repaired. The bad news is... we still need a newer vehicle. We realize that this a temporary repair; the truck is old, beginning to break down... like the Jeep, it is becoming an ever-creasing money pit that we simply cannot afford. But for no we are simply thankful that it is fixed and running once again, at least until we are are in a better position fiancially to replace it.

Also, there has been no news regarding my recent application. So, I'm going to make a polite, inquirying telephone call to the hospital's department of human resources this afternoon. Crossing my fingers. Wish me luck!