I'm just now feeling cheery enough to feel like writting or doing much of anything. I'll make it short and brief.
Camp Lajune was great but then my wife thought she lost her wallet. So I called the MPs to report the incident, then ... after a few hours... she found it. Then the evening of the 4th after the fireworks and fun on the way back to the cabin the car lost it's air conditioning. “No problem” I thought, “I'll just drive back at night, it'd be best for the family anyway.”. I had some things I needed to wash before we hit the road and nothing was open on the base to wash cloths except one laundry mat. Three hours later for two loads I was able to finally pack the car and hit the road. It was now 11pm and the kids weren't happy. No AC and no beds. But I assured them that when they woke up we'd be home.
Around 6:30 the next morning we pulled into a rest area. There the car died. The AC compressor had locked up and we were stranded. No AAA (someone kick me) so I had to call the Highway Patrol at the time I thought for a jump. I'm not a machanic and didn't know how serious all this was. They weren't able to revive the beast so I called a tow truck. It was a good 30+ miles to the nearest town; then to a transmission place, I'd of course never heard of, to work on my car. After a night's stay in the hotel we were back on the road by 3pm.
About 45 miles down the road at exit 435 just east of Knoxville TN I pulled off to let the kids eat something. And then it died again. Wouldn't turn over, nothing. I called the machanic back who had just worked on the car. Of course I was a bit hot but he walked me through dignosing the problem. This time it was the altenator. I've never had car trouble. But this is something can and will happen to the best of them and I knew this I could fix. And I did. So at this gas station while the kids played at a near by McDonalds I replaced the altenator on the car. It wasn't that bad but very frustrating.
So now after the trip I'm a bit wiser ( I hope ) and perhaps a tad more patient. I know that it's not where you go or what you do while on vacation it's how you spend you time with those your with. The kids hardly felt the aggrivation except they wanted to be home in their beds and that they missed thier cat. I also know I'm getting AAA and not leaving home without a toolbox just in case someone else needs my help.