Staying the Course -- 10--23--2017

[Superbob]

The community Heart Walk is a central focus of my existence. DW and I participated last Saturday and had a blast. I have written about it in my blog, so if any are interested in reading further about it, here is the link: http://www.steadfastdawgwalker.com

Funny note: As we were leaving, tired but happy, Big Mama handed me a Coke she'd been carrying around in a handbag all morning. I took off the cap and -- pow! -- it went off like those bottles of champagne in a baseball clubhouse where players are celebrating a playoff win! Thoroughly doused me (would have preferred Gator Aid) but most concerning thing is that some evidently went down the P to R to D shift apparatus (whatever it's called) and over rest of weekend, there was a bit of a (small) grinding sound when shifting from neutral to drive and back. Nissan said they can completely take apart, clean, lube for $130. I set up an appointment for Wednesday, though I don't hear the sound this morning in driving. Any car-savvy folks ever had an experience like this? Thoughts? Advice? Wonder if it can resolve on its own without damage. I don't want to take a chance though -- this Altima has driven beautifully for 30,000 miles and I want it to be our car (staying the course!) for years to come.

Other than that, lots happening with fall finally arriving. Big cold front will set off storms tonight, and much cooler weather rest of week. Was a little warm for Heart Walk but not terrible. My favorite event of the year. (As I have probably said 1,000 times.)

We will celebrate our granddaughter's 14th birthday later this week. A few years ago, she was on Under Armour's "Team Next" of five young athletes nationwide .Think she may have her eye on softball next -- been practicing with her baseball-great Dad.

Our Core Fitness instructor returns on Halloween after helping her hubby through complicated back surgery and recovery out in LA (they found a renowned surgeon there). You know we fun-loving seniors will greet her with appropriate tees and even costumes!

Well, cheers to all. Superbob (though still sticky from the Coke bath) is in a good mood today!

 

[honeybunny]

I'm not the least bit car savvy but IMO, you should spend the $130 and have the dealer do the cleaning/lube. The chemicals in Coke can't be all that good for the metal and plastic that comprise that part of the vehicle. If liquid had spilled on the dash or other non-moving part I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Superbob]

Thanks Honeybunny, actually it's started affecting the shifting again, making it less smooth, so your advice is right on. Will get it done. Also, if Coke can do that to working parts of an auto, think what it can do to our insides. My DW, on the other hand, is a Coke-a-holic, and she seems to thrive on it. Needs something strong to endure living with me! :Face-Raspberry:

 

[epstns]

There is another option, SB, but if the car is not too old, it may not make sense. On an older car, I would probably spray some WD-40 in the same places that got the Coke bath. The Coke probably washed away the factory lubricants from things, replacing them with sticky sugar. The WD-40 might wash away the sticky Coke and replace it with a very light lubricating oil. In the short term, that might work. In the long term, even the WD-40 may not get far enough into things to properly lubricate them, and future problems could arise.

The above notes are for mechanical shifting systems - those with push-pull cables, levers, etc. All bets are off if the shifting system is electronic - one that uses switches and servo-mechanisms in the center console to remotely operate levers on or in the transmission. Then things could get more icky. Coke may have gotten into one or more of the switches, causing it to feel funny when it is operated, but I am not sure if these switches are likely to be cleaned with a "shotgun" spray of WD-40.

So. . . beater? Spray away. Nicer car? Trip to dealer. That is one of the reasons nobody is allowed to eat or drink in any of our cars. The only time that rule was ever suspended was when our daughter was little. Then she (and the other kids) were allowed to eat or drink, but only in mom's car - never dad's. We cleaned out mom's car with a shovel twice a year, whether it needed it or not.

Out here, in the upper rust belt, fall is really falling. Temps are going down like a kid on a oiled slide. By the end of this week, our highs are supposed to be in the 50's, and it has been raining almost all the time since Saturday night. A lot of the trees are bare already, but never showed their fall colors. One of "those" years. I can only hope for a decent winter. Cold is OK - I won't have to shovel the temps. I just hope we have a moderate winter in terms of snowfall.

Things are getting back to normal here. We had most of my wife's close family over for dinner on Sunday, and just about finished putting the house back to normal by dinner time yesterday. Yesterday evening we got to video-call the grandsons. The new guy (4 months old) didn't react much, but the 2 1/2 year old was happy to visit with Baba and Zayde. (Baba is the short version of grandma in Polish, and Zayde is grandpa in Yiddish.) We will see them in a couple of months, but it is fun to stay in touch.

I'm back in the fall schedule of specialist visits for my non-heart conditions, but these all seem to be calmly in "maintenance" mode. See the doc, no complaints from me, no issues from him/her. Schedule next visit in 3-4 months. Rinse. Repeat.

I'm beginning to get back into my fall/winter gym routine. I did have some issues with bloating from my IBS, but I think that is coming under control. When the bloat is at its worst, I sometimes feel short of breath, but not under exertion. In the gym, my heart monitor says all is normal and I am able to do my usual routine, so the SOB is really not heart-related. It is just that my middle is under pressure, which makes breathing motions harder to do. I can tell the difference between that and heart issues, so I just power through it.

Hang in there, everyone. We have to get through this "ugly" part of fall to get to the prettier parts of fall and winter.