Getting Things Fixed In Salem

by Pa Rock

Road Warrior

I had a couple of things that I needed to get done while I was in Salem, Oregon, and this morning that list suddenly expanded to three, so I knew it would be a busy day - and it was.

I had my car serviced by people I trust a couple of days before leaving West Plains, and they put a sticker in the window reminding me to get it serviced again in 3,000 miles.  (It seems like Kia recommended every 6,000 miles, but I am OCD and always try to do what I am told when it comes to vehicles.)  My little car was within a hundred miles of that 3,000 mark when I arrived in Salem on Friday, so finding a Jiffy Lube or some such was high on my list of things to get done today.   I want to be road-ready to depart at Zero-Dark-Thirty in the morning.

But as I was crawling out of bed this morning, I suddenly remembered the other thing on my list.    The doctor at the emergency who sutured my bloody foot told see to stop at an "Urgent Care" in ten days and get the stitch removed, so I left the hotel this morning with that also on my mind because today was the tenth day.  

My first order of business for the day became the medical stop, and my grandson, Sebastian, found a clinic on internet which was nearby  their home.   "urgent" care to me implies that you walk in the door and get served, but I had to settle for a late afternoon appointment.   I left the urgent care unserved and just happened to pass a place that promised "jiffy" car service.  But it was thirty minutes or so later before I was allowed to pull the car into the service bay.  After a couple of attempts to sell me extra services, the employee who had been waiting on me gave up and directed his workers just to service the car.

Yesterday my phone had tried to update, but I have an aversion to updates because something always gets screwed up.  I finally relented and agreed that the update could proceed during the night.  While I was waiting at the car service place I discovered the update had been performed and the phone was now demanding that I enter a six-digit security code.  After I entered that, it wanted my picture and a picture of my credit card - and I declined to provide either.  Then I discovered that my phone would no longer connect with any of my contacts.  As I checked out of the fast lube place I asked the clerk if there was a Verizon store in the area, and he directed me to one that I knew how to find.   The phone fix took about an hour and wound up involving all three clerks who were on duty.  The phone now works, for which I am very thankful because I go on the road again in the morning - but they were unable to remove my new security code because I have no idea what my Apple password is.  

Damn, I hate passwords!

This afternoon I got the stitch removed with no complications.

My time with the grandkids was severely curtailed due to all of the running around that I had to do today, but this evening they are here at the hotel where two are watching cartoons on the television in my room, and the third is at the swimming pool watching their mom relax in the warm pool.

And now that the blog is finished, Pa Rock will concentrate on packing.

More tomorrow from someplace along the long road home.  Maybe the day after that I will see if I can find Earthquake Lake!

Rosie, Daddy is headed home in the morning!