On The Road Again....Hmmm..Hmmmm..Hmmm...

Louie and I took vacation this week. Today, we went to Dubuque to hit some thrift stores, because that is what we like to do. We left shortly after noon, and went to a few places. Our searches weren't too productive, but we enjoyed spending time together. We decided about 2:30pm to head for home, as we had exhausted our options. As we were leaving town, we headed up the big hill towards Key West, and I noticed that the radio had quit working. Actually, we were listening to a CD, and we thought maybe we had blown a fuse. At this time, we were sitting at a stoplight. When the light turned green, we noticed we didn't have much power, and our van was spitting, sputtering, bucking, jerking and backfiring! Of course, Louie being the Car Doctor, I asked him what was wrong, and I always expect him to just 'KNOW' instantly what is 'wrong'. 'Well, I don't know', he said. He kept limping it along, trying to get the first place to get off the highway, and then we noticed that we had no turn signals, or horn, or anything electrical. Hmmmm....could it be the battery? Or could it be an alternator? His senses told him that most likely, it was the alternator, but since he had no tools to test it, he was guessing the alternator, since he said our battery was not that old. He explained that since the horn would not blow, and the signals and radio did not work, that either our battery was SO low that there was not enough energy to run them, OR more likely, that the alternator was not working (but why no alternator warning light?) and the reason it was not running correctly, and backfiring, was because there was not enough energy to run the electric fuel pump, so not enough fuel to the fuel pump, and thus, crippling us. We pulled into the nearest place, which was Truck Country, and sat in their parking lot while we contemplated our next move. Here we are, sitting in the rain, with our hood up. Louie called the tow truck, and we waited, watching for them to arrive....staying calm...(we DID...really!)He's here! He only took about 35 minutes to get to us, coming from Maquoketa.My sweetie, being the eternal optimist pointed out, 'Just look at the gas we will be saving on the ride home!' I've ALWAYS wanted to ride in a wrecker! Yippee!!! (and I thought I would have to go to Adventureland for a fun ride! I didn't even have to go far from home for fun! Woo hoo!)Uh, guys....there's a minivan following us just a 'little' too closely back there!Here we are arriving at the dealership where Louie works. I guess he can't even get away from work on vacation! Inside the shop, on the examining table..............and with a new alternator....she was back 'on the road again', and back home, in the garage by 5:30pm. Praise the Lord....AGAIN....for wreckers, for a safe return home, for Louie's bosses for providing a place to repair it, and lending us a car to go get the part, and for delivering me home while he fixed it, for my knowledgable husband to be able to fix it himself, and for CELL PHONES, to be able to call for 'HELP'! We feel blessed! Thank you, Lord Jesus!