Gimme a Brake

The minivan's brakes have been squeaking for a while now, and when we took the right front tire off when it went flat, Lisa said the brakes definitely needed work. So today after Day Jobbe, we convoyed into Sparks with Lisa driving the Astro and me the Rolling Stone, and put the minivan in the hands of Big O. While we were driving around Sparks picking up groceries we'd not been able to get last Friday, they called back with the news, which was not unexpected: front brake pads; new rotors as the existing ones are too worn to be turned; front brake bearings; rear brakes also need to be worked; rear shocks are shot. Total estimated repair cost: just short of $1200. I gave them the go-ahead.

It's a sign of how well off we are right now that while I'm not thrilled with shelling out $1200, I'm also not facing the choice of repairing the car or paying the mortgage and food. Given how much we've driven that vehicle, it's not surprising that we have to put money back into it periodically, Better now in a controlled, non-crisis situation than in a critical breakdown on a deserted road in the Nevada desert in mid-summer.

When the fellow from Big O said he might possibly have it done by the end of the day tomorrow, I told him to not hurry. I don't need the van back immediately, after all. The RV isn't much of a runabout (and gets only about half the mileage of the Astro), but it will do in a pinch.