101,000 Miles: Sunday Driving and a Bearclaw

I had hoped to make this milestone nearer some of my more regular haunts. But it was not to be. I also have not purchased some new floor mats, nor have I shampooed the interior yet. The miles are ticking off, and I had better get going on this! Meanwhile, the clanky, rattling noise in the rear passenger side, continues. Dean Schwalbach, and my friend Mike Burke (bass player in the Dexter United Methodist Church Praise Band and MD extraordinaire) both assure me that it is nothing to worry about just yet. The bushings where the shock absorber is connected to the frame, have worn down and there is no padding there. This is the source of the rattle. More a nuisance than anything. My brother-in-law, Don Heller, tells me to turn up the music! Now, some details.

Date: Sunday, May 17th, 2009

Time: 12:15 pm

Purpose of the trip: I had just picked up my daughter from her Mom's, and was on my way to meet my parents for after-church dinner at the Golden Dragon restaurant in Hamburg, Michigan. My daughters love this place. According to their mom, the chicken is cooked fresh here, and does not have the over-cooked or warmed-over texture of most Chinese restaurants.

Where: Lakeland, Michigan. Eastbound, M-36, in Livingston County, Michigan. I assume that I was in Hamburg Township. The odometer turned to 101,000 right in front of the Zukey Lake Bearclaw . I spoke with the attendant, a nice young lady named Carly. The owner of this Bearclaw is Debbie McElroy, who can be reached on dmcelroy@bearclawcoffee.com and 734-474-1621.

There is a good story behind Bearclaw coffee shops. Originally, it was a single store at the corner of North Territorial and Dexter-Pinckney Roads in Dexter Township. The first owner had the idea to sell coffee and Dexter Bakery doughnuts at the intersection, during morning rush hour. He built a little shack, and opened up for business. The thriving business was soon turned into a series of franchise stores throughout Southeast Michigan.

I have been a sometime regular at the downtown Dexter Bearclaw since it first opened, some ten years ago. The owner there, Tim Horvath, is a full time police officer, all-around good guy and a friend of mine.

The odometer stayed at 101,000 until we reached the Huron River.

On the Ipod/Radio: We're All Alone, by Rita Coolidge, from my Favorite Songs of 1978 Playlist. Senior prom. Marsha. ahem!

Other Things About This Day: Church was outstanding today. DiscipleshipPastor Steve Bringardner preached on "The Power of Blessings". He used the story of Jacob and Esau, of the Old Testament, as the text. The big point I got out of it, was how families that fail to bless one another effectively, can end up with problems that last for generations.

It made me think of my Darr and Martin relations, that today are close after three and four generations. My ancestors Gottlieb Durr, and John New Martin, must have done something right! Today their great-great-great grandchildren are still in touch!

Goal for the 102,000 Mark: New floor mats. Clean upholstery.

Below, a picture of the Golden Dragon Restaurant of Hamburg. Yes, I recommend it.

100,000, or, How to Save $929

I hit the hundred thousand miles today. My Hyundai Accent made it!! The first hundred thousand were eventful - many trips to Ohio and back, an accident in 2005 that required body work (which happened in the middle of divorce proceedings, selling my house, and full-time grad school!), and the forced conversion of my Itunes music to the I-trip wireless device (when the cassette player stopped working!). Here are the specifics:

Date: Saturday, May 4th, 2009

Time: 12:15 pm

Purpose of the trip: To pick up my daughters from their mom's. On the way, I dropped off some old clothes to a clothes charity bin at the Mugg and Bopps Sunoco station in Dexter, then to Dr. Gary Gochanour (Dentist), to pay a bill. I then picked up the girls. When I left their Mom's, there were 99,995 miles on the car. I was on my way to drop the older girl to a friend's house at Westridge, then back home where the other could get ready for a soccer game (played today at Hudson Mills. They lost, 3 - 0 - but are showing marked improvement!)

Where: Heading south, at the boundary of Webster and Dexter Townships. The odometer stayed on 100,000 all the way to Jenny's Market.

On the Ipod/Radio: "Evil Woman," by the Electric Light Orchestra, from my Favorite Songs of 1976 Playlist.

Other Things About This Day: I had a cool morning, hauling a truckload of recyclables with my Dad, including an old TV, a rotten old recliner, a bunch of drain gutters and accessories from my ex's, and her old water softener. I am in the middle of two weeks proctoring tests at South Arbor Academy. And my hearing is limited, due to a plug somewhere up in my sinuses.

Goal for the 101,000 Mark: I would like to have the interior looking better. Buy new floor mats, and shampoo the upholstery, which does not look good after being the car of a single dad that has been on the run a lot. I also would like it to occur while visiting one of the other neighboring townships.

Service Required Once I Have the Funds: Fix a rattle above the rear passenger wheel. Dean (see below) says it is something to do with the shock absorber. It is not a problem, only a little irritating - and when I want to bring it in he can tighten it up. Also - I have a little rust showing up around the wheel wells. Either Dean or my brother-in-law can do this work, hopefully before I get to 110,000. (I need to build up the funds).

Now - about the saving of $929. I wrote in my first post, that my faithful dealership, that had been very good to me for most of the first 100,000 miles (Oh, I get it now - they had to be, since I was under warranty!), had quoted a thousand dollars worth of work, required on my car. The service manager had asked me "How much longer do you want this car?" Uh, yeah - he does want to sell cars at some point! He described an oil leak, problem with the rear passenger tire rotation, and some other things that if not fixed will cause me real troubles.

So I took it in to Dean Schwalbach in Dexter, who is going to be my chief car mechanic now that I have no more warranty, (and am free to suspect anything uttered by a guy whose main business is to sell cars!). In a few hours, Dean was able to find nothing wrong. He even showed me the oil system, and spark plugs - no leak at all, although the spark plugs needed replacing.

The Hyundai guy had told me that they would deduct the $215 they charged me for looking at my engine, once I brought it back in for the work. Meanwhile, they "temporarily" got the check engine light to turn off.

It has me thinking that they actually did $215 worth of work, like maybe a tune-up/oil change/grease job, but would not tell me that because they wanted me to think there was something terribly wrong with my car!

OK, I like these guys at Hyundai, and I hope that, by the time I get to the 200,000 miles mark (are there others out there that want a car to last that long?), they step up and help me prove that there still are durable cars out there!

So, thanks to Dean and his crew. He replaced the spark plugs for $71 dollars, and it runs like a charm today.