JAKE THE SNAKE!

 Good Morning to the breezy 36 degree back yard.  The good news is we are supposed to have a sunny day.  That would definitely make my day a little brighter. 

With four hours of sleep, I wasn't exactly feeling like driving, but I cranked up the "musica" and rocked out the entire way.  If only the cruise control would work, it would have been a little nicer.  Luckily this time all the turn signals came on.  On the other hand, for the first ten miles, the driver's door kept trying to lock itself when it was already locked.  You just have to laugh at computers.

I pulled over for a quick rest stop while looking for a McDonalds for breakfast, but alas, this guy is all I could find.  There were two sea eagles (that's what we call them around here) trying to get into this bag.

In no time I was at the appointed place 15 minutes early.  The door was closed.  I waited ... and waited until 7:32.  The gal finally looked straight at me and opened the farthest door first.  Really?

She pointed at my Service Guy.  I must have been drinking some funny water, because gosh darn these guys are good looking.  JAKE was his name.  I thought that a little weird since he was Asian looking, so after a few minutes of complaining about my van (having seen his desk name tag), I asked how he came about having THAT middle name.  His last name was TRAN.  

He said he came here from Vietnam with his family when he was two.  I'm sure we all remember that.  They immediately applied for citizenship.  As a kid, he LOVED watching Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper and JAKE THE SNAKE.  I smiled ... ME TOO!   He took on the name Jake so he would fit in, and his buddies called him Jake the Snake.  

Okay Jake the Snake ... can you get my van fixed?  And where can I get something to eat, I'm starving.  Right across the street is Perkos Cafe.  I stepped over the homeless guy under the blanket with two huge German Shepherds sleeping next to him and headed to the door.  Another homeless man held the door open for the guy ahead of me, looked me straight in the eye and closed it in my face as I walked up.  Really??  Ummm thank you!!

The good news, the breakfast was VERY good, at least double what I could actually eat, and only cost me $11.00.

From there I walked back to the waiting room.  Pretty fabulous room if you ask me.  By the way, Jake agreed with my assessment of just too much electronics, and the van needed to be driven more often.  An online guy suggested it might be the Co2 detector being on 24-7.  I'm not sure if that is chassis or house battery operated.  I also asked Jake to see if they would install a battery minder directly to the battery itself, which lives under the driver side front seat.  I had heard they would refuse.

I settled in with a fabulous cup-o-joe from this machine that dispenses at least 50 different varieties of coffee.  It's like Starbucks in a metal box, only it's FREE!

That's when I noticed the BOX-O-COOKIES.  Really?  I mean what waiting room has cookies and coffee for you?  Oh and free cold water.  I took advantage of everything, even though I was full to the brim.

So here's what happened.  I met yet another Prince of a kid ... why are they all so young? ... who said they would be happy to install a permanent battery minder.  Just plug it in when you park and the battery will always stay charged.  That is EXACTLY what I need.  No more packing up when parked in an RV park just to drive around and charge the battery.  

Of course it would cost me a whopping $400, but I didn't care.  It was 90% labor, but here's the best part.  It's a Mercedes charger, and installing it did not void my warranty, which would have happened if I had anyone else do it.  Now it's on them if it doesn't work.

Prince #2 also showed me where there is a complete battery disconnect.  Not that I can reach it or that I can push the tiny little button with my hand stuck up in a hole under the dash, but it's there if I can talk someone else into doing it.  

The reprogramming of the computer and charger install took three cups of coffee, two bags of cookies (one just jumped in my purse and came home with me) and 3.5 hours to complete.  

It was a nice drive home with the cruise control working and the thought that my battery problems were now in the past.  My how my attitude changed.  Truly, I let this stuff get to me WAY too much in my old age.

So as the sun set in the West, I said a big thank you to JAKE THE SNAKE for being a GREAT service guy with a big smile.  I guess I have to give it up to Mercedes.  Any other dealership and I might still be fighting with them in a greasy cold waiting room.  

Or maybe it was just the cookies!!!  I'm going out to plug it in this morning.