Friday

Just a few lines today to give a report for the masses.  For a "short week", it still feels like it has gone on for longer than a "regular" week.

The BEATER lives.  The current problem was diagnosed as a failed "starter", and replacement was within my price/benefit window...less than $350, including the tow.  It makes me a little nervous to announce this news as Murphy's Law might bring forth a follow-on problem for a vehicle with a list of potential issues.  But I'm taking my chances. 

The shop that I took the car to for the fix was recommended to me recently by a friend.  I've used several places in recent years for this kind of work, including a Ford dealership.  The movement has been motivated by a combination of factors, not the least of which has been a constant stream of suggestions for additional work on the Taurus each time I have had it in for things as innocuous as an oil change.  These guys at Grant Street just replaced the starter and offered no further guidance.  The guy taking my check even said it wasn't the worst BEATER that he had seen.  I'll go back.

This shop is called Grant Street Auto Repair.  Located in Bettendorf.  On State Street.  They had to relocate last year as a result of their prior location being on the route for the new I-74 bridge (which is years away from even getting started).  Since all of my contact up to the time of yesterday's pick up of the car was via telephone, my pal Bill and I obviously went to the Grant Street location as given to us on the Internet, only to find an empty lot.  How long does it take Google to catch up on such things?

This is also an illustration of the dangers of naming your business with reference to your current location.  Times change.  There's another repair shop in Bettendorf called Duck Creek Tire...which hasn't been in the Duck Creek mall area for several years.

2 and I are scheduled to go to a concert at a small venue here in Davenport tonight featuring Gretchen Peters.  Until I saw the announcement in the local fish-wrap yesterday, I had never heard of Gretchen Peters.  Turns out she is an accomplished song writer in Nashville and does some concerts herself.  What got my attention was the fact that she was the writer of Martina McBride's hit, "Independence Day".  I'm suspecting that she might be a bit of a feminist crusader given the little bit that I read about her on-line, but I'm mostly interested in her music.  Report to follow this weekend.

The Perfect Neighbor's garden is producing lots of tomatoes.  Since tomatoes are one of my favorite vegetables, I think my relative good health is assisted by the anti-oxidants found in tomatoes.  You are what you eat, right?  Funny how different people's taste run on different tracks.  My pal Doug pulled the tomatoes off of his sandwich last Saturday at the football game.  Kinda like me and green peppers.

OK.  Now to the piles here on my desk.  Ugh!!!

Make it a great weekend in your neighborhood.

BCOT