Ben got sit on an ATV on the beach!

So I had kind-of a funny day today involving truck mechanics. Our clutch decided to go (the VW was repaired just a few months ago for the same thing) so we are not too excited about doing another clutch repair. Got an estimate from the dealer ($2100, 10 days to do it), then from another mechanic we pass on our route to school (a lot cheaper, after-market parts, but sounded like two weeks to do it). So I stopped in at our friendly VW mechanic just to confirm that after-market parts are ok to use (I have to report in to Dave on all my research) and turns out Barry says he can do it, on Tuesday, with OEM parts, for the same price. Wow. So I decide that is the way to go, and call the first mechanic who is a super nice guy with good recommendations (Rocky’s Auto). I apologize profusely, say it’s OEM parts vs after-market and can be done sooner. He explains he could do that as well and calls back with an estimate that is exactly the same as Barry! Oy! Didn’t mean to have two mechanics bidding on my one truck! Poor guys 🙁 But the part was already on order to Barry and so I am going to go drop something nice off at Rocky’s tomorrow on our way to school. I thought about maybe having them arm-wrestle for it…Honestly I never thought Barry could fix anything other than VWs. Not even sure the Xterra wants to hang out with a bunch of VWs while getting fixed.

So then I get home, think it’s all resolved after multiple phone calls to each of them, and notice in the Nissan receipt that they list my truck as 2WD…huh? I thought sure that extra stick thing I try not to touch meant it was 4WD? I was very confused. So I called Barry back (keep in mind he’s a tall 6’5″ guy who reminds me a lot of Chevy Chase with dark-rimmed glasses and a funny sense of humor) and said I felt like the most stupid woman in the world…but (and I explained my consternation). He said to drive it down and he’d tell me. So I figured the 5 min to drive 1 mi down and back was worth it to make sure the right part was on its way here from the mainland. After confirming it IS a 4WD, Barry is leaning on my passenger door going “You are killin’ me today!” I’m SURE! I am so sorry! I told him it was so disturbing to see 2WD listed – like finding out your husband doesn’t have all his parts or something. Just odd – you think you have a 4WD, but what if all this time…??? So hopefully I’m done tormenting the local mechanics for a while…

After a very busy afternoon editing a manuscript on deadline, creating graphics and graphs, conference call to troubleshoot some box and whisker plots, etc. the boys say they are hankering for dinner out at Zia’s. “We haven’t been there in SUCH a long time and we just LOVE the spaghetti and meatballs.” Dave is working late again so we are on our own (poor guy is working 15 hr days writing a 30 page report which he got behind on while away in Japan). So I ordered a Caesar salad with the fish of the day – opakapaka. It is an odd fish – kinda gamey, strong tasting, very fleshy/muscley. The boys were going “Something smells FISHY!” all during dinner thanks to their love of Madagascar (the movie). It didn’t taste like a fish, didn’t smell like a fish. In fact, it smelled more like a goat. Dave informed me tonight that I was thinking of alpaca. I am really confused today, huh? Is that a fish, or a mammal on my salad? Someone please tell me!