Apple Time!!

It's that time of year again!! This past weekend, we went apple picking at "Big Dan's U-Pick Farm"!! The weather was perfect, everyone behaved, and the turning leaves made for a wonderful car ride to Hartford Michigan. We brought home a fun variety of apples, golden delicious, fuji, rome and granny smith. Big Dan runs a really nice farm with lots of fresh veggies, pumpkins, free recipes, and tractor "limo" service to your choice of apples. Our pumpkins are now waiting on the front porch, ready to be the centerpieces of our fall decorations. Some of the apples are in our bellies, some are being transformed into applesauce and apple cider, some have been wrapped and stored, and more are waiting to be made into wonderful apple dishes.

I LOVE fall!!!

The One Hundred and Twenty Dollar Gas Cap

My blood is boiling!! I am usually not the angry sort, but today I have had enough!

In 2000, Hubby and I decided that we would make a responsible parental decision and purchase a Toyota Sienna Minivan. It was the safest car on the market at that time, we had a growing brood, and a minivan screamed, "WE ARE RESPONSIBLE PARENTS! WATCH US IN OUR BORING VEHICLE AS WE CART AROUND OUR OFFSPRING!!" In May of that year, a shiny, new, burgundy minivan found a home in our garage.

Being a responsible parent, and a responsible car owner, I regularly took MV to the Toyota dealer's service department for oil changes, check-ups, tune-ups, and recalls. I thought (because I am SOOOO responsible) that if I continued to pay the inflated prices that the dealer's service department charged, if I remained a loyal customer, that maybe loyalty would be reciprocated. HA!

Fast forward to 2007. The warranty is long gone. Our MV is still in somewhat decent shape, but has the occasional need for repairs as many seniors do. Yesterday the "check engine" light started it's amber glow of doom. I thought, "Oh, no. What is wrong with the old girl? Is it her electrical system? Her fuel pump? Her alternator?" Being the responsible car owner, I took her to the dealer's service area to be checked out. As I left the building, I took a long look at my friend who has carted my children and me all over the city and through many states. "I'll be back for you soon. I'm sure it's nothing too serious, you don't even sound sick."

I left feeling that she was in good hands.

The service technician called and told me it was the gas cap. "Oh," I thought, "I was right, nothing serious. The old girl still has a lot of miles in her." But wait... it's going to cost $120.00!!!!!!!!! For a GAS CAP!! Huh?! The technician went on to explain all the techincal rig-a-ma-rol that is involved in making sure that the problem WAS the gas cap, procuring said gas cap, and making sure said gas cap has been properly "pressurized" (car driven around the parking lot a few times).

Well, I sure am glad that I have been such a responsible car owner all these years. It comforts me to know that the nice and talented people at Toyota are so very concerned that my car's gas cap is professionally installed. for. one. hundred. and. twenty. dollars.