MOBILE MECHANICS

WEDNESDAY 30th MARCH

  Virtually the whole day was taken up with the problem of Rob's immobile Hyundai.  A mobile mechanic was contacted and was due to arrive between 10-12.  The weather in the morning was superb, and Bridie and Angela went by train to Town Hall and thence to Darling Harbour. 

They also took in the QVB Building in their travels and other downtown sights.

  I in the meantime awaited the arrival of the mechanic, doing some work on the computer.  Our man arrived about 11.50am and I explained the problem.  He had a look and pronounced the battery as knackered, and quoted a price of $160 for a replacement.  I said go ahead as without that he could make no further progress, and anyway Bridie had offered to pay! Our man returned and commented on leaking hoses from the radiator, I mentioned this to Rob on the phone who told me that he had had a new radiator fitted recently.  I passed this info on to the mechanic who said there was little lubricant left in the rad, and it would need new hoses and clips.  Fair enough I responded.  It was the starter motor that was the root of the problem.  The mechanic went off to work out a quote for the entire job including the call out fee of $90.  The total came to over a grand but he rounded it down to an even $1000.  I spoke to Robert, whose only comment was, "He's taking the piss".  I replied that the job needed to be done - otherwise I would be taxiing him to and from work for evermore!  I told him I would pay half the cost, as I don't think Bridie was thinking in terms of a grand when she offered to pay.  I gave the mechanic the go ahead and he said he'd be gone for about an hour or so. 

  Sitting in the back typing away, I suddenly heard a peal of thunder and went outside to have a look.  A massive black cloud was approaching with thunder and lightning in evidence.  I quickly took Reilly to the park before the storm reached us, and got back just in time before the skies errupted.  Apparently the girls got caught in the downpour making their way back to Town Hall from Darling Harbour.  Ah well, there's always a silver lining to every cloud!

  The mechanic phoned later to say that the starter motor he had collected was wrong and he would go searching for the right one elsewhere.  He phoned again just before 5pm to say that he had found the correct starter and would be over first thing in the morning to fit it.  The storm passed over, but the temperature fell from around 26 to I guess about 18/19 degrees.  And that really was that, apart from a very tasty pasta bake created by Jeannette for dinner.