Neighbors D and L, both laid up with serious injuries, have been recovering with remarkable speed and ease given their age and the … wide and plentiful assortment of injuries and illnesses they have suffered with in the past few years. D, who recently had a knee replacement, is already clambering over stock fencing I don’t even try. The only daily chore I’ve been left with at their house was pellet stove cleaning, and there was talk of L taking even that over next week.
Good news, right? All’s well and now we’ll get back to what passes for normal around here. Uh huh.
Got a phone call from L: Could you come over to help with the afternoon horse chores and then help me get D into the truck so I can take him to the emergency room in (the biggish town about 35 miles away)? Because one of the horses kicked him just below the newly-replaced knee joint, maybe cracking the fibula, and then he fell against a fence panel and he’s got a hematoma on his thigh you could see from low orbit.
Are. You. Kidding me.
I’m getting a little afraid to stand too close to these two.
Holy crap Batman! Yes, I think that social distancing might be just the right course to take when you’re in their presence. Keep us posted.
When it rains…. You find out who your friends are.
Prayers for your neighbors!
Considering all youve done for these folks, perhaps there’s a new transmission in your future.
CZ has a good point; maybe not a complete new (aka “rebuilt”) trans, but a cash contribution and financing deal for the rest, maybe.
Thought: You’re dealing with The Only Game in (a very small) Town RE: a rebuilt unit; lack of competition may be influencing the price excessively. I realize towing ain’t free, but if there’s a (much) better deal in the Much Bigger City 50-60 miles away, and the Jeep would fit on D&L’s wood pellet & horse food trailer, a few gallons of diesel for to & from might be worthwhile. And, a couple hours hauling the Jeep to a cheaper repair facility could be considered A Worthwhile Contribution by Grateful Neighbors (that assumes the Jeep will be completely driveable for the return trip).
Do understand, Harold, that towing COULD be free with a AAA membership. The $100 or so for that at a level which gives 100 miles free towing is less than the tow bill would be.
Thanks for suggesting that Mark. I have had that level of membership for years because my vehicle is quite old and often in remote places. I have used the 100 miles free towing at least once a year. My membership is about $100, don’t know what it would cost for Joel but it’s been worth it for me.
Harold does understand, Mark Matis that free towing up to 100 miles is included in some membership levels at AAA (Harold understands this because he has had a AAA membership with that particular benefit for over 20 years).
Further, Harold also understands that the vehicle owner or driver does not have to have a AAA membership to take advantage of that benefit, a mere passenger with a AAA membership can take advantage of it for any vehicle in which they are a passenger and which occasions a need for towing service.
The question of whether anyone within reasonable range of Joel’s Secret Lair has a AAA membership with that level of benefit and willingness to participate is unknown at this time (I suspect Joel would have already mentioned it were he a AAA member; since Tobie is the most frequent passenger in the Jeep perhaps someone should ask him about his membership status, and IIRC, Landlady is the actual owner of the vehicle so the question could also be directed to her).
And, in the absence of an available AAA towing benefit, D&L’s trailer COULD still be suitable for the task and the cheapest readily available option.
And some of us would be willing to fund an AAA membership at that level for the Lair’s denizen.
😀 Guys. You forget where I live. There ain’t no AAA contractor who’s going to honor a membership out here. It’s been tried.
But they could tow it from the shop where it currently is to a different shop in the Big City.
Joel’s right – they don’t generally do pick-ups from dirt roads. But I have had the tow operator bring a vehicle back home via a dirt road – ymmv.
Once – when I’d inadvertently ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere I found out they won’t bring a gallon of gas if you accidentally let slip that you’re on a motorcycle. Not an automobile – they said!
One trick I’ve found is to not call the 800# on the card – make your own list of local AAA providers and call them directly. They can do all the right paperwork to cover the service, they can find you quicker (usually) and get to you faster.