Leaks, Concussions, and Curse Words...OH MY!

You've all heard of Murphy's law, right?  If not, it states that "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."  Since our minivan will be paid off in one week, it stands to reason that something would go wrong with it. 

This F Bomb Friday post, is brought to you by Murphy's Law, and is hosted by MiMi.  After you read mine, head on over and read hers.  She has a doozey of a story about her mom!!!

It all started a few months ago, when our car started making a squealing noise, whenever the air conditioner was on.  Roon is really laid back, and not very mechanically inclined, so his opinion was to "wait and see."  I, having never been to mechanics school either, was in no position to argue, but I did get him to agree to get it checked before we make our trek out west to visit my in laws this summer.  SCORE!!!

When Roon got home yesterday...wait, let's back up.  A couple of weeks ago, we were at a church meeting, and when we went to leave, the van wouldn't start.  A quick jump start later, we were on our way.  Having had problems with the battery several other times, in the not so distant past, I insisted that we stop by Walmart on the way home (yes, it was Sunday, but our "ox was in the mire" so to speak) and buy a new battery.  Everything was fine until yesterday.  When Roon got home, he told me that the van started to make a really loud squealing noise when they got on the highway coming home, and then the A.C. went out.  Then, the battery light came on.  After popping the hood, to take a  closer inexperienced look, he saw that the alternator belt, had frayed all the way through, to breaking point.  He comes in, looking defeated, holding the belt.  He holds it up, and says:  "I'm not a mechanic or anything, but I'm pretty sure this isn't good."
No.  I think not. 
I head into the kitchen to make dinner, while Roon heads back out to the garage to pretend he knows what he's doing tinker under the hood some more, and put his "holding the flashlight" skills of his childhood to good use.  Then I hear a slam, a bang, and a few expletives, that for the purpose of keeping this blog clean, we will say "son of a bean dip, mother frito"!  No, the F Bomb didn't fly, but other choice words did.  Use your imagination...

I calmly go out to the garage to see if Roon needs some assistance, or an ambulance, and I see Roon trying to pry the hood prop (at least that's what we're calling it, because we have no idea what we are talking about) out of some unknown area of the engine.  Turns out, that area of the engine...was the radiator.  Don't know if any of you guys know more about this than I do, but a hole in your radiator, is not a good idea.  The expletives turned out to be somewhat warranted, since the hood had fallen, full force, and slammed into the back of Roon's head.  This would be the first of many, actually.   

2 trips to Auto Zone, and 6 hours later, we had the alternator belt changed.  Or, at least Roon did.  All I did was hold the hood open.  I was insistant about this point once Roon had received his 4th blow to the head.  What can I say?  I didn't exactly want Roon to die 3 days before the life insurance went into effect...or at all, really. 

So yeah, what SHOULD have been a $20 fix, is now going to cost at least $150 more, to get a new radiator.  Plus, I had to miss my "Grey's night" with Lady, to hold up a hood.  Wow!  That could really sound bad A!  I was holdin' up a hood...yeah.

On the positive side, the fact that Roon couldn't get to work this morning, meant that I got to have him home with me all day.  I got to wake up to the sound of him playing "cars" with Bug and Boo this morning.  I am one lucky woman.  Mechanically inclined or not, I sure love that man!