I have been making ready for my month-long sojourn to the Mexican highlands -- where kilts are as rare as bagpipes.
And, of course, whenever I try to slip back into a schedule in this timeless land, the plan does not survive its “to do” stage.
I re-learned that lesson first with laundry. For some reason, my laundress has not opened her business for the last two weeks. So, I decided to revert to a do it myself project. Of course, that is when the rains hit. I have a washing machine at the house, but no dryer. Line drying and monsoons are not a good mix.
I set off in the rain to find an alternate laundry and did. On that drive, I put the electric windows in the truck up and down with no problem. After dropping my clothes off, my right front window would not go up. And the passengers windows would not go down.
Windows stuck up in the rain are not a problem. But an open window was simply an invitation to both the rain and any light-fingered shoppers that might stray by.
On Tuesday morning, I headed off to an automotive electrical shop recommended by my land lady. Closed. Cerrado. Not there. Maybe he was vacationing with my laundress.
As a last ditch effort, I decided to stop at the mechanic who has replaced my windows. If he could not do the work maybe he could refer me to some one else.
Now, I have taken enough cars, toasters, and televisions to repair shops to know that the most embarrassing circumstance is for the repairman to simply flip the offending switch and everything works fine. I have been there more than my share.
So, I tried the obvious steps to isolate the problem. No fuse issues. No exposed loose wires. And I tried pressing the toggle switch with varying degrees of pressure. Nothing. The window was as immovable as a Coldstream Guard in front of Buckingham Palace.
I stopped at the shop. Told the owner my problem. He speaks great English -- having worked in a Corvallis body shop for over a dozen years. And demonstrated how the switch would not work.
He said he had a rudimentary understanding of electrical windows, and agreed to give it a shot. The first thing he did was try the switch. And, of course, it opened wider than the mouth of the great fish that consumed Jonah.
He gave me the look I have seen many a time. And I gave the Mexican salute.
For now, I am not going to worry about it. The electrical system in my truck is deteriorating faster than the transmission. In addition to having issues with three windows, my dome light and the moon roof are not working properly. An electrical overhaul will be due when I return.
But, for now, the Non-electrifying Escape and I are planning to launch on Friday.
