I’ve been MIA lately. Hubby has had a bad scare with his kidneys, out of the blue, and ended up hospitalised for a week. We still don’t know what happened to cause the injury to his kidneys, and he isn’t out of the woods yet – but is improving – albeit slowly.
It’s been scary – he is only 42 – and being in the hospital here isn’t fun. Not that it is fun anywhere, ever. I’ll just say that the nurses are fantastic, the doctors not so much.
We’ll know more next Wednesday.
In other news, our 2003 Mini (with over 140,000 miles) has now developed a new problem, which I think is a dead alternator. Two short trips, turning off the engine each time, and the third ended with click-click-click when turning the key. A new battery died immediately after another short trip, and then a longish drive to charge it up had the headlights dying, the wipers stopping mid-wipe, and the radio turning itself off. Has to be the alternator.
Poor iDJ was the one behind the wheel for all this, too. He’s barely been out of the house for a week, and this was his first time in the car by himself in two weeks, and this shit piles on his head.
I had this same thing happen to me in the early 90’s (maybe actually in 1990) when I was hundreds of miles away from home trying to make money for my family doing a shitty jewlery sales job and driving my 1979 Datsun 210B station wagon. A dead alternator kills your car. I bought a newish one and installed it myself. No google back then, either.
I have to go to work on Monday, and we need to go food shopping tomorrow – with no car. I really wish we had something like that old Datsun so I could make it all better with scrapyard parts, but a Mini engine compartment is so crammed with gear there isn’t any room to work. Not to mention all the computerised everything.
I guess I’m officially old when I remember the days we could fix our cars ourselves. Even when being a female with very very limited tools.
A post from me isn’t a post without a photo – so here is our first snow of winter 2015.
Isn’t it pretty? Do you see the whirlwind circle like I do?
heretherebespiders 
Sending encouragement and positive thoughts. Kidneys are not to be messed with, and the fact that he’s improving slowly is good news, even if it’s not quite fast enough for both of you.
I’m with you on the good old days when you could fix an engine with a hammer, screwdriver, wrench and feeler gauge. I had a 1972 VW Beetle I looked after myself, in fact I used to do better than the mechanic; it was a flat 4 air cooled engine and the spark plugs were all the way round the back and you needed smallish hands to get in there and remove them.
Love your snow shot – it reminds me of time lapse photos of the stars!
He’ll be okay, we hope. I know from my good old cat that kidney damage doesn’t heal, exactly.
I was drafted in to change plugs on an old beetle once, as I had the thinnest hands. What a nightmare! It’s a good thing not much else went wonky on them. I miss the days when we could climb into an engine and fix things! I dropped the cap from a quart of oil into the engine compartment last week, and not only could I not see it, there wasn’t even the tiniest gap to feel around for it.
I’m so sorry. It never fails, when one thing goes wrong, it seems everything falls apart. Hang in there. I wish I could pop over and help you out. You have my email so if you need to vent or wail privately I’m here.
I feel really crap that I’ve not been able to keep up with you! I’m okay, actually less bitchy than expected 🙂 I hate not being able to have time to see what is going on with you.
It’s okay, I haven’t been the best at keeping up with you either. We’re house hunting every free moment and I’ve let a lot of other stuff fall behind. You would think working from home would give me more time, but I’m just not adjusting as fast as I would hope.
I hope himself gets back to feeling good soon, I know how hard it is to get back in shape after an illness or serious mishap. I have my fingers crossed for him.
If you need me say the word and I will do anything in my power for you.
You are the best, thank you so much! I hate that I’ve not been able to keep up with my friends. You know how I am on FB usually! I got nothing, lately. Even with all the bad things happening I can barely say a logical word. At least I know whatever’s going on with you, you have it right in hand.
You’re doing fine. I think it’s harder on the spouse who is healthy when the other is seriously ill. It’s your job to take care of each other and you can’t fix it sometimes. That makes it a lot harder for us.
You’re not wrong – I want to fix things always.
My car lasted long enough to visit the doctor after the surgery, thank you for that, but died in the parking lot of the drug store where I was buying salve for the incisions. So there I was, late in the day with a broken foot and a broken car, with twenty minutes to get to the dealership after a jump and no idea whether the jump would last long enough. I made it and all was well (not mentioning money, of course). What had gone wrong? C’mon Spidey, you know — we do everything together.
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–The alternator. And the battery.
So tell me. How’s your computer doing? The internet card on mine just fried. And also now the printer network is not working, so the tech guys are coming out to see about that on Monday.
Let’s see. What else.
I should stop now.
All the best to you, friend. This life . . . . let’s not talk about Mali. One of my most favorite places in the world. Let’s go hug a cat. Going to do that now. Hugs to you, too, and to your iHub especially. Out.
Oh crap plus ten! We did have computer issues, but I have one of the three family members you need in this age – an IT expert! Now if we only had a mechanic and a lawyer (okay, four – a doctor) in the family…. I will say that the most awful issue for an IT person is a printer problem. So don’t feel too bad that you can’t fix that one!
So shitty you got stranded with the same alternator shite. There is no moving a car once that goes. How old is your car? Ours is 2003 and 140,000 miles… supposedly I’m crazy for not wanting to get a new one with new problems.
Would you believe — 1991? I have no idea how many miles, as the odometer went out at 164,000-odd and that was years ago. My opinion, you are crazy like a fox for not wanting those newfangled horseless carriages with electronics so you can’t even get in the blessed things to find out that they won’t run. Me, I’m sticking with my antediluvian Toyota. And — today IT guy came to fix the printer. It was no biggy, just ATT changing my password thingy and the printer being lost at sea as a result. I know the feeling. Thank you for the heather, by the way. It’s just lovely.
Old Toyotas are undying. Well done. Even the eejit TV car-guys here say a Toyota Hilux truck is un-killable! It was only me being poor that killed my beloved Datsun. But it was also me being poor that educated me on cars, so there was a benefit. And the whole ‘I can do this myself’ thing, which is invaluable. Glad you got the printer shit sorted – I bet the tech was walking in with a headache just thinking about it 🙂
I’m so sorry to hear about all this. My heart goes out to you. One thing I feel compelled to mention is something to have the doctors check for–strep. My brother in law had what he thought was a really bad cold, he got over it. Few weeks later he lost both kidneys. It was strep, which can migrate and attack other organs. My thoughts are with you both.
That is terrible – so sorry for your brother. Did he get a transplant? We caught it early, and one of the theories is that a respiratory infection did the damage. They don’t want to take a biopsy to pinpoint the cause, as long as he is improving.
He was able to get a kidney from his mom but remained on steroids for the rest of his life. He passed in his 50s from a heart attack 5 years ago. So it was horrible but he lived a good life in spite of it. I hope you both are doing better today. Sending as much positivity your way as I can.
Thanks, you are a help. The car thing is unneeded stress right now, what with trying to figure all the logistics out. He means to go back to work tomorrow, and now with this added crap it doesn’t make it easy. No way to be tossed back into ‘ugh, life’ after a week in the unreality that is being hospitalised.
Good that your brother had a donor, and well done to his mom for being willing. Hubby’d be in a right mess if he was that bad – rare blood type. I’m sorry you lost him – in his 50’s no less – too damn early.
Galaxy in your window!!!
They design the bloody vehicles to go south in ways that only the shop can deal with. Time for a global DIY mutiny.
That was actually out the warehouse door at work – the white thing on the right is a truck backed in for loading. Not very warm, warehouse work! Good thing I don’t mind.
It boggles me that people here don’t even change their own oil. The simplest thing and no one does it – of course finding a place to take the spent stuff is pretty impossible, or costly, or both – may as well pay someone to do it. No 30-minute oil change places here, either.
That old Datsun: boy I could do anything, and nearly had to being as I was broke as hell. Until it threw a rod: then I was car-less.
Love the snow photo HTB and sorry to hear about your hubby and best wishes for a speedy recovery. They tend to give us big scares, don’t they? 🙂
We had a Mini as well. I loved that little car and it was so cheap to fix those days. A struggle to fix for sure but it was well worth it. Now we’ve moved over to Uno. 😆
Not cheap to fix now – it’s a squished-up BMW. Sigh. I don’t know the Uno – himself had nothing nice to say when I asked him about it! Cringe!
LOL! Yeah, what’s cheap nowadays? Nothing much.
hahaha! Don’t I know? We used to say: U-no-you-bought-crap! But after we had the Uno Fire, we had to say otherwise. Good on gas, mileage, parts are cheaper than most and our other Uno beats a 4×4 on mountain roads. LOL!
Awww chum sorry it’s been rough lately, but I’m glad iDJ is on his road to recovery. Ask Santa for a new car, you just never know, it’s most likely you’ll get bugger all, but if you don’t ask you don’t get. Could you ask him to send me a new computer too please 🙂
Ugh, I can’t wait that long!
What’s wrong with your computer?
It’s old and slow, like its operator lol
Ha! Well, there are things that can be done – but replacing the operator is NOT an option!
OH! MY! HEAVENS!!! Sending love, hugs, and healing thoughts!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
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Thanks, hon. If the rest of life will calm down and let him rest, it would be a huge help! Not sure how he’ll get the car to the mechanic in the morning – my only way to work has me leaving the house at 7:40, way before anything is open here 😦
Oh, Not GOOD! I wish I could drop by and give you a ride! 😦
Wishing the best for your husband. Cars can be fixed easier than people.
True – and around here, it takes slightly less time to to fix a car.
Goodness you really are in the wars at the moment. I hope hubby makes steady progress and the news is positive on Wednesday. Healing hugs for both of you.
Thank you! We hope so, too – at least this time the sword of being re-admitted isn’t hanging over him. That was horrible, he hated it so.
So sorry about iDJ and the mini ltting you down. Hope all sorted and explained soon.
Geez…when it rains it pours, huh? Awfully sorry about all this coming down on you both right now…..most important is just getting the man back on his feet….the rest you can deal with together! Sending big hugs your way with all my wishes for a major upswing!
P.S. Dearly love that comment you made to someone else up there…..”…but I have one of the three family members you need in this age – an IT expert!” Made me laugh….it’s so true!
Back when I used to say that, it was an auto mechanic, a lawyer and a doctor. Now an IT expert is just as important! I’d kind of like a dentist in the family, too, now that I think about it… More for financial reasons, so that doesn’t really count.
I had a ’62 Impala for my first car and I remember limping a something (starter? alternator?) along by beating on it with a hammer. Those were the good old days.
I only ever had one car older than myself – a 1970 Ford Maverick. Hated, hated, hated that car. I’d guess yours would be the alternator – knocking the buildup off the brushes inside. I used to start that Datsun under the hood with a screw driver, and could only turn it off by disconnecting the coil. I’d have another one, even though it was an ugly station wagon. An Impala is WAY cooler!