Side Kickin' With The Great Cheryl Allen!

Who really needs "Pants" anyway?

There are times when I refer to Cheryl and myself as a "team".   But there are many other times where I'm actually more of a support role.  Or as I would like to call it:  Side Kick.

Real men are comfortable in Tights!

Yes, I'm the Robin to Cheryl's Batman.  The Arthur to Chery's Tick.  The Sonny to Cheryl's..... Cher.  I'm the guy who is simply there to get into trouble so the Hero...Or in this case:  Cheryl,  can bail him out.

It's a huge responsibility staying out of the limelight.   Our goal is to make the hero look good while not stealing any of the thunder or recognition.  To help out at a crucial time, but never look like we are actually saving the main character.   A delicate task to balance.

Sidekick:  Brains behind the Talent?

It's true that side kicks don't have much of a role without a hero.   Have you ever read a comic staring only Robin?   Does Robin ever get his own movie that is not a direct to DVD production?  No!  Because Sonny Bono was never really the star quality that was "Cher."  Even as a representative in Congress, he never got the recognition Cher did when they split up.

So,  that is how I like to sum up our relationship.  A Dynamic Duo!  Each one has to assume their roles.   Each task handled with a Master and Apprentice mentality.  Chef and Sous Chef....  The list goes on and on.  Only some guy like "Superman" can fly solo....



Today,  we tackled the painting of the banister.  I was thinking simply repainting it white,  but Cheryl had other ideas.   A hammered gray!

She wanted to do it,  so I "stayed out of the way" (for the most part.)  I did have to finish the hard to reach places and undersides.   In the end,  I think it will work out great!

We still might have to put on a second coat.   The Rustolium paint is awesome for sticking to medal, and the banister was slightly "rust-pocked" to begin with.   Cheryl wants to wait for a few days before applying the second coat because the fumes tend to build up.

Other than that,  The clouds continue to gray the skies above.   I heard it is supposed to cool off later this week.  At least we have a race to look forward to this weekend.   An Indoor Half Marathon!   46 laps around a track...I should be able to get lots of pictures during this one.  Can't wait!

Muddy Day in Iowa

Mud Everywhere!

Cheryl day one: rain

Iowa Mud!   What a wonderful thing.   Coming from Michigan, where sand ruled most of the land...  The mud can sometimes be something to behold.  Sure, I've seen similar things in Thailand, Georgia, and even Alaska;  but here in Iowa the mud seems to have a life of it's own.

Cheryl day two: rain, mist

Cheryl day three: Rain, Mist, Fog, Mud!

She puts on her game face!

Keeping the car clean...impossible.

For the last few days, it has been raining/ foggy misty.  The moisture causes the ground to feel like you are walking on foam rubber.   And anywhere the ground has been disturbed,  mud.   Buckets and buckets of mud.


The tractors bring it from the fields and track it all over the roads...so Subie gets totally coated in brown.   And that coats my bike.... and simply touching the car or the bike gets your clothes completely dirty.  Washing the car is useless as he immediately gets dirty again.  It will only get better when the area finally dries out.

In the mean time,   Cheryl continues to run.   It was warmer today, and the puddles on the sidewalk have diminished some what.  With a little luck, the warmer temps will hold out and Cheryl can fit in a long run while wearing lighter/cooler clothes.  We shall see.

Looking good by comparison

almost the size of a button hole.

Other than that,  the Cat is healing up nicely (knock on wood) he is not a fan of the cone, but at least he has left his wound alone.   I occasionally take it off and allow him to itch his ear and groom his neck.  But the moment he goes for the scabby area,  I have to put it back on him.

Hope everyone is having a pleasant and dry day today.   I guess the misty days make for a pleasant indoor experience ....but sometimes you just want the sun to shine and have the ground dry.

Cheryl's experimental Cinnamon rolls.

Now I'm off to make a pot of coffee and eat one of Cheryl's experimental cinnamon rolls.  (With cream cheese icing!   Yumm!)

Cheryl and Ethan Enroll in Subaru Auto-anonymous.

( Dimly lit smoke filled room)
"Hello,  I'm Ethan.  And this is Cheryl.   And we own a Subaru....It's been 4 months since our last Subaru Repair."

( Unseen monotone crowd voices)   "Hello Ethan and Cheryl!"

We got the Silver Bullet back today....and the cause of all that mess was a cracked fuel pump.  The remedy?   Lots and lots of money!




But isn't that how it always goes with any car?   I was happy that the fix would be so simple....But when they took it apart, the fuel pump assembly was also cracked and probably was the cause of the issue to begin with.   So take the first quote and double it.  What was I doing to do?   I knew I couldn't fix it.

   The fuel pump of all things.   For several previous cars, I have had similar issues with low power and shuddering.   I always thought it was a fuel pump issue and it never was.   But Finally!   I now know exactly what a faulty fuel pump feels like.  ( Exactly like all those other issues....Spark plugs, rotors, distributors...etc.)  Bottom line...Subie is back up and running and we can now give back that awful Volkswagen.  I should not be so hard on the car...it can't help how it was designed.   It certainly had pep and was "fun" to drive....but I'm VERY happy to have my Subaru back.

Which brings me up to the topic of an AA meeting....for Subaru owners.   As much as I gush over this brand of car....I imagine I look quite silly with it breaking all the time.   Cheryl was doing research and found that there are forums filled with similar stories and "Deal Breakers" or "Fatal Catastrophes" that force Subie owners to give up the ham.  Only to buy another Subaru.  Like a battered wife that continues to go back.... Why?   How can I deal with the embarrassment?

Upon doing a little math,   we discovered that we put a serious number of miles on our car here in Iowa.  Probably three times more than we did in Michigan.  When you link up the repairs with the mileage...you see that Subaru is actually quite reliable.  And they closely match other Subaru Owners' experiences.    And after driving loaner vehicles that are either uncomfortable, ugly, or just plain strange....I now know that my love for the Subaru is more than "just a car that gets me there."   There is comfort, familiarity, and a simply enjoyable driving experience to  take into consideration.

As cars become more tech based and less mechanical,  I see a day when I will no longer have the skills  or tools to do the work myself.   I read that the 2016 Subarus are even more computerized.  with "smart driver assists".   Maybe there will come a day when  we won't even be able to change tires by ourselves!    But I know that the when ever that day comes...I will most likely be driving a Subaru.  Yes!  I own a Subaru...and I may never break the addiction.  I just have to keep telling myself ,"One day at a time.  One day at a time..."  Thank you.

(Weak quiet  applause)

Adventures with Ethan And Cheryl And Silver Bullet Subie

Goodness!   What a day.   I would describe an adventure as when you are in a situation that is exciting, dangerous, scary, and the ending of said adventure is always in doubt!   That is where Cheryl and I found ourselves in...yet again.

The plan was simple:  Limp Subie to the mechanic and get him fixed.   I managed to get him home from Iowa City two days ago... I should be able to get him back there in a similar fashion.

Well,   Subie's condition did not change.   I managed to get it started, and we managed to get it moving.   He was sluggish with the acceleration, but at times, managed to get to 60 MPH.

The problem was the hills.   Cheryl noted the rather steep hill at Cosgrove Rd.  For a brief moment, I actually thought I could take it.  I wanted to avoid the "busy" road of Hyw 1,  so I really wanted to stay to the back farm roads.   But....

Subie never made it up that hill.  He did not stall, mind you.   He simply refused to climb.   I have no clue what was going on.  So...off to plan B.
Somehow,  the busy roads were more forgiving than I thought. We nearly had to push him through the final intersection before the auto shop, but Subie managed it on his own.   Yeah!
That being said,  I was not eager to have to go through that again!   The Auto place was booked up for the day and the guy said he might be able to see it last thing.....  Subie was staying the night.

Fortunately for us,  the guy loaned us his Volkswagen Bug.   It is a manual, so I was excited to give it a go.   It as been a while since Misty Dawn Subie died, and I have not had the opportunity to drive a stick since then.

Volkswagen Shifter.  Really?

German Engineering!   Is not everything people think it is.  And let me simply say that I will stick with my Subaru.  I remember hearing a car critic say that everything in a Subaru simply "makes sense!"   It's true!   Everything is right where you think it should be.  But not so in a Volkswagen.

Makes more sense!

I was having trouble with the shifter.   I thought it was unusual that the reverse was so close to first gear.   Not wanting to accidentally slip it in reverse,  I found the far left gear and slid over one.  Only problem with that is....that was third gear!
I vaguely remember watching a youtube video where they mentioned this.   I thought,"So what?   What's the big deal?"   And then it happened to me.    Thankfully I did not burn out the clutch trying to get the car rolling from third gear.  
Still,  I had to back out of the parking space from HyVee.   I simply tried every gear and still could not find Reverse!   Because Reverse.....is directly UNDER FIRST GEAR!  You have to push down...( something not even hinted at anywhere on the stick!)  and then slip it into first gear...waiting for the R gear to catch.  Very strange and annoying....
After figuring that out, I was able to shift things normally,   But WOW!   Way to make your first time Volkswagen users feel and look stupid! I don't like a car that is so elitist that I can't figure out how to start or shift it simply by using common sense.

Other than that,  Cheryl ran 13.5 miles today.   What else could we do?   Our car is sick, our cat is injured,  our bank account continues to dwindle over things we have no control over.  What better way to run out the demons than to run...run far.... run long.

Eagle one

Flock of Deer run across the trail

We were blessed with some wildlife sightings today.  Eagles and deer abound!   Trying to capture either of them is still a challenge with the Smart phone.  But it is still better than the old Nikon.

Behind the lovely bush...

The ONLY one with leaves still attached. 

On the way back,  Eagle gained a friend.

At least the ice is gone!   And now we have the entire day to relax and wait for the verdict on Subie.  Will it be an O2  sensor?   Replaced Throttle Cable?   Or Crankshaft Control Sensor....Or something worse?   We brace for impact....

The Ice Storm Arrives!

Ice coats the landscape

Neighbor had to walk in the grass

What a great day to stay home.   It's almost like Subie was looking out for us to NOT go out this morning.  Even a Subaru has its limits when traveling on sheer ice.   Not to mention the tires need to be replaced yet and we simply have to had the time to get to it.   Makes me wonder how anyone with a job can do anything after work.

Subie would not want to go out in this...

Total coverage!

Speaking of jobs,  our neighbor had to go out in this crappy weather. It was so slippery,  she had to walk in the grass to make it to her car.   (  we currently lack salt for the sidewalk,  which was a sheet of glass!)  It reminds me of the days when I had to brave "less than optimum" weather to get to work on time.   I remember traveling down the highway watching other cars skid by me, only to end up in the ditch.   I would tell myself I would rather be an hour late and have to listen to a lecture, than spend 50 bucks on a towing bill....and still arrive late.  Ah, the joys of having a job.

We decide to walk to Casey's for coffee and donuts.

The good news is that the ice makes for some very pretty pictures outside.   I always liked looking at the ice as it coats the trees.... as long as I did not have to walk and slip down some sidewalk.

The ice makes a cool crunching sound when you walk on the grass.  The temps are currently falling and it has continued to rain all day.  I'm hoping that the salt trucks clear things up and the ice does not form up again for tomorrow.  Fingers crossed!

It makes the trees look like they are dipped in sugar.

Laundry room painted!

And finally, I was able to paint the laundry area and under the stairs.   Small areas with a bunch of junk in them.   Lucky for me, they did not take very long to paint, and I did not have to obsess over things like trim or corners.  The banister and baseboard is all that remains.  I may have to wait a few days before I get to those though.  They will require a bit more planning and time.  Tomorrow we are going to try to get Subie fixed and back up to par.

Hope everyone else is surviving the ice storm...if you live around here anyway.   If not,  maybe you can share some of that sunshine and warmer temps with us.  Share the love!