There was no windstorm Christmas Eve. Not a breath of it. Finally I saw a post from my favorite weatherman that the windstorm was cancelled, Christmas is saved. Yes!
I left mid afternoon to drive to my brothers. It takes a lot to leave here, lots of last minute clean this litter box, clean that one. The cats always have plenty of food and water. I could be gone for a week and they'd be fine except the litter boxes would be exceptionally icky when I got back.
The new old car, the one I now drive for personal use has an issue or two. Its rare that I drive it since most times I drive anywhere it is when on cat duty. The car might need front brakes. I can hear the front ones scraping. But its more probable small rock is caught in a pad. Standard fix for that is to backup and hit the brakes a few times. If it does need new pads, I will do it myself, when we get a stretch of dry weather. Pads are quick and easy to change.
The second issue is at the 3rd and 4th blower fan speeds, the heater core behind the dash, sounds like a bubbling fountain or a water pot bowling. There is water leakage down into the passenger side too. Its minimal but I need to get drying agent so the carpet doesn't mold. I can't figure out the connection to fan speed and the heater core bubbling sounds. My brother tried to think of what it could be also.
He said the heater core probably needs replaced. I've never had this trouble before on a car. Of course he mentions "the greatest fear" by saying "maybe its head gasket is bad". The thought has come briefly into my mind also.
I took a couple of breaks from the boredom of the drive down. I stopped at a rest area to walk around a little and I stopped at a store to get coffee a little while later. It's 3 hours to drive down there, longer if I stop or if there's slow traffic on the two lane part of the drive.
My SIL had their place decorated up very beautifully for Christmas. We had a nice time doing nothing. I played with their kitty Chester. I had brought him a wand toy for Christmas. I enjoyed my great great niece and nephew, 2 and 5 years in age. They seem way too smart already.
I left about 4:00 yesterday to drive home. I was very tired already and was happy to arrive home. My kitties acted like I'd never left.
Oh I had a game cam up and the black kitty made a lot of appearances on it, so still around, mostly likely he's from one of the houses behind me.
Glad you got to see your family and get away for a bit. But I'm sure you're glad to be back home.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to be home. Was so exhausted yesterday evening I cleaned a few litter boxes and dropped into bed so fast.
DeleteI happy that you got to spend Christmas with your bother and family. We had little ones at both Christmas gatherings we had, and they sure do make things interesting.
ReplyDeleteThey are the life of the party. If they had not been present, everyone else present would have been snoozing in a chair.
DeleteThat sounds like a good Christmas visit. That a bugger about the car. I don't have a clue. Heater cores used to at times leak, but I haven't heard of that happening for years.
ReplyDeleteNever had anything like this with a car before--the bubbling sound and the leak. So no clue here either what's going on.
DeleteIt sounds like a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see everyone again. It was a bit of social overload to this confirmed loner however.
DeleteMy husband laments that our cats seemed uncaring about his two week hospital stay earlier this year. What can you do? lol Blessings, my dear.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they just hide their feelings well. Or maybe they love having the house to themselves. I suspect the latter.
DeleteI was home but I'm basically a human housecat hybrid. lol
DeleteThat's a good hybrid to be.
DeleteThe only cats who came to meet me when I returned from my sister's yesterday morning were the ones who always hope it has miraculously turned to spring and I'll let them out on the screened porch. I'm glad to hear you got away to see family for Christmas and wish the drive had been free from car worries. Seems like when one thing gets fixed, you get maybe a day or two of wonder/worry free driving and then there's another mystery noise! You have so many incredible perches in your home for your cats, it's your own fault that they are so comfy in it they don't act like they miss you. I think their relaxed demeanor is a real feline "thank you," and it's probably only bored cats (and the few who carry the cat/dog combo personality gene) who run to the door to greet people. Merry Christmas, and here's to whatever 2026 brings us all!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Susan!! That's wonderful you went to your sister's. The cats seem extremely happy here. Haley is one of my very very old kitties and I've been giving her a heat frisbee to sleep on. She loves the perch atop the TV cabinet, where she cuddles with Mona Lisa and Huckleberry. But the heat frisbee attracted others to the perch, so now I use three heat frisbees up there. So she was happy to see me, so I could microwave those heat frisbees up again. LOL on the cat/dog combo gene. That would be pampered needy Gigi, formerly the neighbors cat.
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