We had a little car trouble on the way. This car is paid for. It has been for a while. I attribute its longevity to very frequent oil changes and high end oil. The engine is solid. The plastic parts like the window switches are getting cranky. Extended ops in excess of 85mph ( probably due to a tail wind) must have notified the metal parts to begin working loose. I was driving the fourth leg when I heard a harmonic ping ding a ling followed by a phoo. "Hmmm", I thought. " Well, that wasn't a rock ... Well, hmmm." The Texas welcome center was a welcome sight. I pulled in and found an open area to maneuver with the door open so I could listen. Pretty much no problem ... 360 right 360 left ... " Well okay..." I think eyes narrowing slightly as I am certain that I did not see any debris in the road, but I
definitely heard something metallic skip across the undercarriage. I park and we go inside. Boy is it a nice welcome center ... Noses powdered, greetings with fellow Texans exchanged, obligatory photo for fifteen year old in front of sculptural element. I decide that I am still driving ... Probably some head scratching yet to do ... Seat belts secured and I put it in reverse. There's a problem. I ease up to a clear area ... the lot reserved for the big trucks. My son takes a turn at looking at the front wheel while I s l o w l y back up. He thinks it's an alignment problem. "Hmmm", I think. Now he takes the driver's seat and I get out to look. Blond child gets out too ... She totally agrees with her big brother as always. A big ole Ford pick up truck rolls up and rolls down the window. Couple of LSU fans headed to the big game ... We've been taking turns running the front end of a high speed informal caravan heading west. "Y'all heading to Arizona?" one asks ... Those boys have some happy face on ... I bet they're breaking more then just the sped limit law! My plates made 'em guess bowl game bound ... My daughter is a little freaked out, she's definitely not used to strangers offering assistance. I assure them that "We got this ... Car just doesn't want to back up!". We chitchat for just a bit more ... They suggest we drive only forward ... "Y''all better drive careful" I say implying that theirs aren't the only longnecks speeding along the interstate. They laugh and leave. I call my bother and he has me tell him exactly what happenned and exactly how it sounded. "ping ding a ling phoo" I repeat several times. He's enjoying getting me to say it over and over again. "Hmmm," he says, " sounds
like the bolt on the brake caliper worked loose". He tells me to drive slowly to the nearest mechanic ... Which I do.



"Luis" looks like a guy who knows what he's doing ... He directs my family to the waiting room and tells me I can go with him to the jack to sort this out. I like hydraulics. It's cool to watch that car go up. He tells me this is a lot better then how he first started out mechanic-ing. He has it up in no time flat and identifies that a the bolt has come loose from the break caliper ... He says if I am a very lucky lady he just may have a bolt like that in his parts box ... He removes the bolt from the other brake assembly to use it to compare. First bolt he digs out looks very promising. Just a tad too small though. I say pequeto mas grande por favor" like some one blowing on dice. Second try is perfect! You wouldn't believe how fast he had that all back together. "What else can I do for you?" he asks. "I think you got me squared away." I answer ... "What do I owe you?" "Nada ~ happy to do it." he says. I fold up a bill and hand it to him saying, "Thank you so much ... At least let me pay for a cold one." The whole deal took maybe twenty minutes.

We arrive at the destination around 6:30. Get situated in the room, work out for an hour, hunt down some dinner and a little quick tour of the area ... Shower and bed is looking pretty good. I don't know how people fly several long days back to back ... That has to feel a little like today times three or four. At least I have some sweet company!