A Dark & Stormy Night!

Last night was a rough one in North County. Since I'm on vacation, about 5 Wednesday afternoon I decided that I would grill some pork steaks, chicken, and brats on the gas grill in spite of the near-100-degree heat. About 6 pm, some dark clouds appeared in the northern sky, a sign that usually means bad weather has skirted the north suburbs and has moved into Alton, Illinois, just across the Mississippi.
Anyhoo, I finished the BBQ and had just settled down to eat dinner with Mrs MercMan when the lights flickered twice and then stayed out. The wind began to blow pretty strongly, and several small limbs blew down in the yard. Tuning in to the battery-powered radio, we found out the ol' Gateway City was getting its clock cleaned by a freak line of thunderstorms crossing the area from northeast to southwest. That direction is directly opposite the normal flow.
To top it all off, the taps began to run slow as the North County water treatment plant lost both its primary and secondary power. Thoughts of using a bush in the backyard danced in my head, but luckily, full pressure came back later Wednesday night.
We finally toddled off to sleep about midnight, but it wasn't too restful with the lack of a breeze and 1000 percent humidity. I woke up several times during the night, most likely because it was so darn quiet. That is definitely NOT North County.
I finally got up about 6 a.m., and a few minutes later, the power popped back on. With another 100+ degree day predicted, it couldn't come back on at a better time.
Turning on the tube, I got the whole picture of the storm's damage to the metro area. The local utility says this storm caused more folks to lose service than any storm before it, and it might be days before everyone's back up.
I'm beginning to pine for those nice, frigid days of January!

A Fuelish Failure

I got the news today that the once-Mighty Merc is in need of a new fuel pump to the tune of hundreds of dollars. Since the pump is in the gas tank, beyond the reach of the average Do-It-Yourselfer, and not wanting to immolate myself like a Buddhist monk, I gave the dealer the go-ahead for the work. It was either that or push a 4000 lb behemoth around town, although the prospect for better mileage and some extensive exercise did hold a certain allure.
I suppose I shouldn't complain. It is a used (oops...previously enjoyed) car, and I did get a heck of a deal when I bought it almost two years ago. I just wish it hadn't happened on my vacation the day before my birthday.
Funny thing, my horoscope for that day said, "You will make an alliance that will elevate your position in life". Little did I know that meant riding in the cab of a mile-high tow truck!
Anyway, by this time tomorrow the Merc will be back in my possession and gobbling dinosaur juice at a prodigious rate. Wow, it'll be great to get back to normal.

FORD--Fixed Or Repaired Daily

Saturday, Mrs MercMan and I loaded up the Mighty Merc and headed to Grandma Gimlet's house where we were to have dinner, view Gimlet and Froggiegirl's wedding photos, and get an early start to my birthday celebration. FroggieGirl's friend and Maid of Honor, Melissa, was also joining us, so we were looking forward to a fun afternoon and evening, safely inside Grandma's house on a scorching St. Louis Summer day.
We stopped at QT just up the road from G'Ma's to pick up the early edition of the Sunday paper, and purchased some PowerBall tickets just for grins. Unfortunately, when we got back out to the Merc, it wouldn't start. It cranked like a champ, but it appears the fuel pump expired, leaving a full tank of gas with no where to go and no way to get there. We walked back to G'Ma's house, wrung out as much sweat as we could, and then I returned to the scene of the crime in the hope it might be a simple case of vapor lock. Ha Ha.
By then, Gimlet arrived in his car and we vainly tried to reset the fuel pump relay in between spirited bouts of profanity. Luckily, a tow truck pulled in to the station and we were able to get a tow the few blocks to Grandma Gimlet's house, where the not-so-mighty Merc now lies mortally wounded.
I guess it could have been worse. We could have been on the highway on a 95 degree day when the engine stalled, or it could have happened six weeks ago during Gimlet and FroggieGirl's wedding. Bummer. Then again, it could have not happened at all. Stupid Ford!! There, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I feel a whole lot better.
Tomorrow, the lump goes to the dealer for a proper diagnosis (I hope!) and a substantial bill. I hear GM's having a big sale on light trucks, and I've always liked the Toyota Tundra, so.................?