Good news and bad news.

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Well, for me.  No affect on the rest of you.  You are dismissed.  Unless you want to read further.

I was a little later into town.  I wasn't in an extreme rush.  I am not sore or tired, I simply saw no reason to hurry, and enjoyed taking my time, getting into town when I got there, rather than trying to shove my way.  The goal was a tire rotation, oil change, and car wash.  Oh, and doing some shopping.  Given that it was already early afternoon, I decided on an oil change first.  If that failed, I could arranged a time, then go on about my other affairs.

As it turned out, there was time to get right in.  Now for the bad news.  An inner seal on the rear locking differential had blown.  The fluid had drenched the breaks on the rear driver side.  Cost for oil change, repair, and replacing the fluid, ended up slightly less than $560.  Buggers!  On the good side, the breaks were not damaged.  And they could do the repairs right then and there.  Which I went ahead and had them do.

Now, I can afford it, without it bothering the trip.  I might be just a bit more careful, unless the big return check from the utility arrives, but... not really.  I can both pay, and afford, the repair, the rest, and the trip.  However, I didn't want to spend a nickle more, today, until I could see what I have in which accounts, and rearrange some things if necessary.  It will be necessary.  Plus, paydays will happen before my return, and whether the check gets in or not before the trip, I am still good.  Just an inconveniently timed expense, really.  A price of ownership.  So I skipped other shopping.  The tire change is free, but they close up shop by the time I was out of the fix station.  Tomorrow.

I don't know if there will be time for a hike tomorrow.  If I can start early enough, perhaps I can get the tire rotation in, stop at the auto cleaners and set up an appointment, go hiking, get the cleaning in, then see if I can find that last cooler, pick up steak, hamburger, and some other items, before calling it a day.  I will be in again Monday, if I can't get to everything tomorrow.  As well, if absolutely need be, I could do some minor shopping on my way out of town for the trip.  Ugh.

Not bad.  Really, all told.  It's what I can do.  Hmm... maybe I should take a phone book, and call around for the wanted cooler while they do the rotation.  It might simply not be available locally.  As I said, I even checked Amazon, hoping for a fast delivery option and came up empty.  The best option I saw was that shipping wouldn't even take place for several days (at best, hopefully) after an order was placed.  I'll get it sometime this summer.  Small enough to take on a hike, and for fishing, good enough to hold ice for up to five days, but not $300 or more and too heavy.

I started reading a new book while waiting for the repair.  The tile is The End is Nigh.  It's a compilation of stories of the times leading up to the end times.  They aren't, necessarily, biblical.  I haven't read them all, but the first three, and into the fourth story is down.  Short stories, mind you.  The neat thing about this book, and the stories, is that there are two more books of short stories, with many of the authors coming back.  The next book is a collection of stories about during the end times, and the final book also has many authors returning with stories about the end, and perhaps beyond, itself.  Right up my alley.  I did read the first three chapters of The Servile State.  I don't mean to be fussy, but the material is already known... to me.  There were some ideas on the notions that were new, novel, but not enough to continue the read.  Interesting stuff for politi-science types, who haven't delved into the various differences between political forms.  It also might be interesting for those who gobble logic up, and want to see it in slower motion.

Hmm... now for a bit of rest.  Yeah, I did finish cleaning the vehicle out before I left.  I didn't get to much, but what I did was... necessary.  It, as usual, just took longer than expected.  Them or me, it's the way that cookie crumbles.  Time is sometimes a greater cost than money, effort, or other options, and the only option.  Later.