Things started off well on Saturday a.m. We got off a little later than planned but we weren't in a huge rush so our 11:30 start was fine with us. It's amazing all the little things you need to remember when you are going to be away for 2 weeks. We got to Virginia around 5:30 and went to a nice restaurant with my cousin Ang and her family plus my cousin Lindsey and their parents (my aunt and uncle) Rick and Fran. We enjoyed a few hours with them, and were on our way by 8:30. We got to our friends, the Posts, by 10:45 p.m. We enjoyed a nice visit with them on Sunday, Everlea enjoying the kids and the snow (a little that showed up on Sun. a.m.) (when we left home the day before it was 70 deg.!) The stop there was good as it broke up the trip it felt like our holidays had officially begun.
Monday a.m. we got off around 9:30 ish and headed to Hershey, PA so we could go to Chocolate World for a short stop. Right before getting there our oil light went on. Ran turned the car off and re-started it with the light going back off, so we pulled into CW right down the road. We had fun there for an hour or so, they have a really neat little free ride/tour that takes you from the cocoa bean harvesting to the wrapped Hershey chocolate phase which was pretty cool and fun for Ev too. Ran and I shared this decadent little choc. dessert afterwards, a little bowl made purely of chocolate with choc. mousse inside topped with whipped cream. Delish! Ev picked out a choc. cupcake, but liked ours more! :) I could tell Ran was concerned about the car during the time there, but we tried to just enjoy ourselves and deal with it after.
Got back on the road around 11:30ish I think, and very quickly after the oil light came back on. Ran pulled over stopped the car and re-started, we went another mile or so and it came back on, meanwhile I'm reading the car manual and was shocked to read you shouldn't even drive a block with the light on (which of course Ran knew, yah...I'm not that car savvy). We got a little ways down the road and right before us, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, we pulled right into a parking lot with this sign:
(Note the "specializing in Toyotas" my SUV is a Lexus). I could have cried right then.
After conferring with the mechanic, he had determined, which Ran already was quite sure, it was the oil pump. Since they already had to pull the front of the engine out anyways, we ended up getting the timing belt changed out at the same time, something which we needed to do for maintenance anyways. He couldn't get it done til after Christmas so the next step after discussing various options was to rent a car, and there just so happened to be an Enterprise a few miles away. Ran called and got a rental quote which I wasn't happy about (I wasn't real happy through most of the early afternoon esp. when it became apparent how much this trip was going to cost us). I decided to try and see if I could get internet access in the car to check online rates, which I was able to, and by doing so I found a great rate for $19/day saving us over $150 off what Ran was quoted. Soon afterwards Enterprise was picking me up. Got back to the mechanics, re-packed a car trunk with a SUV's amount of stuff in 14 deg. weather, minus the appropriate warm clothing. We were back on the road by around 4:30 and got into NH a little after midnight, with the rest of the trip being fairly uneventful.
As upset as I was Ran kept on saying, "it could be worse" and although the extra expenses at an inconvenient time were all I could see at the time, as we got on the road again, I reflected on all the ways God was with us and the mini miracles that he provided through it all. I think the most amazing thing to both of us was the oil light coming on so close to the automotive shop that "specializes in Toyotas". It was a major hole in the wall place but sometimes Ran says those are the best and the guy obviously was very knowledgeable. (I can update now on this that the guy did a great job!) The final cost, very reasonable considering he did the oil pump, timing belt and water pump. He quoted us slightly over what someone just told us they paid to get just the timing belt done (which is a maintenance thing we needed to do anyways). Also, we seriously considered getting the timing belt done before we left which would have ultimately cost us extra to do both things separately.
The "little things", not so little...
-Getting internet access in the car so I was able to get cheaper rental rate.
-Everlea and Rogan being so good during it all.
-This tells you how little I know about vehicles...but the Lexus is my vehicle and if this had happened at home while I was driving around, I would have made note that the light came on, but would not have known to pull over instantly. I told Ran I would have prob. just mentioned it to him that night "oh by the way the oil light came on" which by that time I prob. would have killed the engine, and I shudder at that thought.
So...that was our trip.
I'll have to share too, a very cute little story with Everlea. Right after we got to the mechanics, I had to use the restroom quite badly and Ev had to go too. I asked the mechanic if they had one, and he said "it isn't beautiful but you are welcome to it". Ev walks in and said "yah it really isn't beautiful is it mama". If you picture the world's nastiest bathroom, it was prob. slightly worse, but when you have to go that badly, you might as well be in a palace with the angels singing the hallelujah chorus. lol. Anyways, when we went to flush, the water started rising and it nearly overflowed, so I was inwardly freaking out and trying to plunge, while I was trying not to freak out Ev. So it stopped right at the brim and I left hastily to find Ran. We got back in the car and Ran came and we started going over what we thought the costs were going to be (prior to the quote and only knowing the elevated rental costs) and I started crying. Ev was sitting on Ran's lap in the driver's side looking at me really concerned. She finally pipes up "It's OK mama, it'll be alright, the man can probably fix the toilet!" My crying was momentarily halted by laughter realizing she thought that was why I was crying. The sweet girl then proceeded to tell Ran "maybe if I be silly I can make her laugh", and then started to make funny noises and such. :) She was successful in lightening the mood in the car at that moment and I love her for it.
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