It's all about the journey

 [aka: Good Samaritans still exist, and there may be a “higher power”]

Strange how a set of seemingly disconnected events can sequence together, follow along.

1. Tuesday, 16apr. Diane has some dental work done in the morning requiring local gum anesthetic. Late afternoon, she reports feeling chills and has a temp of 100 and take several advil in the hopes of calming the fever. 1^st thought is a reaction to the anesthetic and dental work. Two hours later the temp is up to 102, but 15 minutes later down to 101 and then 100 and then 99 by bedtime.
2. Wednesday morning, D's temp is normal and stays that way until late in day when it starts to rise and gets to 100+. Around 5:30pm, D happens to be talking with Lauri [daughter of close friend Jean and a pediatric oncologist nurse] who advises calling D's own doctor. As we are supposed to be leaving in our RV for a gkid tour Thursday morning, we make to executive decision to go to urgent care ASAP.
3. 6:30pm. At urgent care, a urine test shows a slight urinary infection which accounts for the feaver and historically is known to only get worse if left untreated. Intravenous antibiotic as well as hydration saline are put into play.
4. Concurrent with the urine test is a general blood test which reveals high levels of liver enzymes. The answer to “why” is unknown, but one good possibility is that cancer has invaded the liver. Find out soon or wait until we return from our trip. D elects to find out soon. A CATSCAN of the liver is ordered and three more hours pass before we find out the liver is negative for cancer. Need it be said that a big sigh or relief was felt by both of us.
5. Thursday, 1AM, were home again, with the Dr's blessing for our trip and assurances that the liver enzyme issue can wait to be resolved until we return, and may even resovle itself.
6. Thursday, 2pm, we're packed and on the road [truck and 5^th wheel trailer] north toward our 1^st stop in Bakersfield [Niece Karen and husband Bobbie]. But we're late leaving and get bogged down in LA rush hour traffic on I405 doing 5-10mph for an hour or so. At some point we smell something buring but see smoke coming from a truck in front of us, so ignor the smell which goes away. On the downhill side of the hill that separates West LA from Van Nuys, still doing 5-10mph, I notice that the truck is pulling to the left, but think that the pull is related to the roadbed which is grooved. Soon thereafter, the buring smell returns and the brake pedal goes soft [not quite to the floor, but close] deffinitely not good.
7. 4:30pm, using the trailer's electric brakes for control, we hastely exit the freeway and look for a place to park. We turn onto a residential street and find no parking space until we're nearly to the end of the 1 block long street. As I pull to curb and get out to survey our situation, a 50 something man [name is ray we learn later] walks across his front lawn and asked if we're ok. After hearing our story and seeing that we're not quite close enough to the curb, he volunteers to move his truck so that we have more space to park. We're all set to call the AutoClub for a tow to the nearest repair shop [which or course will be closed since it is now afer 5pm] when Ray returns and asks about our plan. Again he volunteers that he has just replaced the brakes on his truck and offers to help with tools and a jack and his own labor if we want to attempt a fix. I point out that we will need parts and Ray points diagonally across a large parking lot and a major street where sits a Pep Boys. The stars are beginning to show alignment. Ray also volunteers to provide transportation if PB doesn't have what we need. Although I'm a little nervous about signing on for an on the spot attempt at fixing the problem, given the unlikely chance of a shop fix before the next day, I decide to go for it.
8. 5:30pm, out come Ray's tools and a heavy duty jack. Off comes the left front wheel and the cause of “no brakes” is immediately obvious. The brake caliper has failed, allowing brake fluid to leak out and get on the brake surfaces which are overheated and smoking. Replacement parts are purchased at Pep Boys, but unfortunately, during reassembly one of the reuseable brake parts fails with stripped threads. PB can get a replacement, in five days! When I report back to Ray, he says “no prolem, I'll take you to my favorite junk yard in the morning and we'll get the parts we need”. Ray assures us we'll have no problem “stealth camping” on the street for the night, and indeed, we don't. Of course, we don't get to Bakersfield, but Karen says our camping spot [their driveway] will be available when we do arrive.
9. Friday, 7:45am, we're off to the junk yard in Ray's truck. About ten miles later we arrive and it is one of the largest “American ONLY” junk yards I've seen. 30 minutes later we're heading back to Ray's house with the parts needed [plus a few extra, just in case]. By noon, the job is complete, including replacing the same brake parts on the right front side to keep the brake system in balance.
10. Friday, noon, we're on the road again. We're happy, and Ray is happy, having been justly rewarded for his good samaritain act. [did I mention that Ray is currently doing odd jobs while looking for his next full time job?]

What are the odds for a sequence of events to line up so dramatically for a relatively happy ending??



from Diane...I also want to add that the reason that Jeans daughter Lori answered the phone was because the night before Jean had taken a terrible fall and broken her arm up by her shoulder. Unfortunately this will require a long recuperative time! After a visit with Karen and Bobbie and Nate and Jen and the boys we are safely ensconced in Michael and Brooks driveway where we will be for a week.