A Series of Misfortunate Events

Sometimes the most unexpected things occur. Events not for-see or fully under ones control. This post will be about a series of misfortunate events I have experienced since mid-November. I was hoping my luck would be better in 2022, but, on January 2, that was not the case.

It all began in late October when I received a call from my sister that the garage in Sun Prairie smelled like gas. I went out that evening, while she and her husband dined with my son and his wife. Yes, I found the leak. The fuel pump, which had been replaced about a year earlier had failed.  A one year old Kawasaki fuel pump, for a Kawasaki engine. No one tell me about how well Japanese parts are made. On Saturday I called a few places and drove out to SP to see what I could do about the fuel pump.  I spent the better part of Saturday trying to find the pump, and getting the tractor out of the garage so the smell would not be as strong, and limit the danger of a fire in the garage. No luck so Monday I had to find the right part to order, and then was told it would take two weeks to get in, even though they thought they would have it the following week after their order came in. Fortunately, the leak occurred between mowing and plowing.

Leaking Fuel Pump

A couple weeks later, in mid-November, my spouse and I, with three family members were on our way back from a show in Fort Atkinson at about 10:15 on a Saturday night when a deer slammed into the side of my vehicle. Due to the weather I was travelling slightly under the speed limit, and now realize if I had been travelling the speed limit, I would not have been hit, at least by that deer. We had varied routes we could take, but took a four lane route that we thought would minimize the possibility of a dumb deer running across the road without looking both ways and running into us. I wonder if we jinxed ourselves by worrying too much about a deer hit.  Apparently, the deer are not aware of the stop, look left, right, left again when crossing a road, much less a busy road. That night, when we got home I called the insurance company, and on Monday made an appointment for an estimate of repair. Both the insurance, and the repair company noted the high number of deer crashes that fall. Every hunter seemingly wants the trophy buck while deer become as common as squirrels.

Gasoline spill from leak

The Thursday appointment for our estimate of repair and we received our estimate within about an hour--we waited so I could get the explanation.  We then found out they were booking out to the New Year. I think we were the first appointment for January, which turned out to be third day of the first month of 2022 at 9:00 am. They indicated that the long lead time would likely mean the required parts would all arrive on time. We even asked they not start until all parts had arrived.

Deer Hair stuck on Car

Well, my series of misfortunes continued. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I was supposed to have a PT appointment for my aching feet, but less than an hour before I received a call and was told the therapist would not be in and would call me to reschedule the following week. I did not hear from him, for the whole following week so I called Monday following the full week after Thanksgiving. A day shy of two weeks after when the appointment was originally scheduled. He returned my call and we scheduled an appointment for later that week.  

The series of misfortunate events did not stop at that point. On December 13 I was washing my glasses and a lens popped out.  Eye glasses are my life blood for sight.  I had noticed, back in November that the lens placement was not quite correct, and I tried to correct it, but was not able to get the screw out. I had been hoping the misaligned lens would wait until I got new glasses. (In 2020 on a camping trip the screw came out of this lens, and when I got back they put a new screw in, but one that is of a slightly different size, lucky the lens stayed in and a replacement screw in my handy glass repair kit at least held somewhat, with some wire.) Which would have been soon--like a couple weeks, since I had an eye appointment scheduled for the next day, Monday, Dec. 14. Showing there is some fortune in my life, on that morning of Dec 13, I was finally able to get the screw out, and even better found I did have a good fortune of getting the lens seated correctly.  Many times I have tried that and failed, so I made trips to the optician. I think I prayed to St Jude, the patron saint of hopeless cases, since that is about what occurs when I lose a lens. That good fortune was helpful because on Monday, at about 7:45 am, when I was going to leave in ten minutes for the 8:30 eye appointment, I got a call canceling my eye appointment. As the UW Health call came in, I told my wife my eye appointment was going to be canceled.  Why else do you get a call before the start of business hours? They told me to call later to reschedule. I called shortly after eight, and low and behold, I now cannot get in until the later part of May 2022-- more than five months out. I actually called twice to make sure they checked other doctor schedules for availability and they said that had been done. I asked if I could be put on a waiting list (they did not offer a waiting list, I had to ask), but I am not holding my breath, unless of course, I have something with a priority scheduled, and with my misfortune that would be the day they call for an appointment due to a cancellation. 

One of the areas of damage, as well as rear passenger door

Here I was hoping that January would bring a better year, and among all of the Omicron news and its level of contagiousness, my wife and I have decided to hunker down once again as we did in March of 2020. Sunday morning arrived with a couple inches of light snow, so we go out to shovel the drive. My wife likes to complain that I take as long to get ready as a toddler going outside. Well, it was cold, about 3 degrees, so I put on my Carhart overalls, a sweater, my Carhart jacket, and get my orthopedic insoles into other footwear while she is going out to the garage. She hits the garage door and it will not open.  I get out there and we check the cables and the springs, and all look good. Try it again and well, a series of misfortunes hits.

First of all, I can see the door trying to go up and pulling and bending the door inward.  She tries to stop it but it started to cavitate and after much too long of a time it finally stopped. As it vibrates at the ceiling level, a ladder I had hanging from, and tied to hooks, at the ceiling hits my car and puts a dent in a window trim and a nice long scratch in the paint. I still don't know who the ladder fell, particularly when tied. With all of my misfortune, I find that at least it occurred the day BEFORE we take the car in to get its deer damaged fixed.  And, best of all, the scratch is on the same rear quarter panel that has to be repainted from the deer damage anyway. The garage door was frozen to the concrete. Land Girl had the bright idea to use shims to see if we can loosen the door from the concrete.  It worked. To open the door, I pulled to unhook it from the garage door opener, and lifted it up. All of the tracks seem sturdy, just the door may have a bend, but after trying to unbend it, I decided to leave it as is. Knowing me, I would probably make it worse.

What I realized is the vehicle was last used, and the garage door last opened, on Thursday 30 December when it was precipitating--rain and some snow, which dripped off to under the door. I usually put salt on the concrete at the bottom of the door to avoid this, but given how warm it was that day, it never crossed my mind.

A series of misforutnate events, at least had a couple good events. It would have been extra hard to take if the ladder had fallen on a freshly repaired vehicle. Here is hoping that my series of misfortune ends, and the more fortunate events occur.