A Million Little Pieces Of My Mind

When my daughter first bought the property in Hawaii, she got a four-wheel-drive, all-terrain vehicle that we call the Quad. None of us on the property are actually mechanically inclined, but the Quad needs periodic care (like frequent oil changes). So Keith offered to change the oil (at my daughter's request).

However, at the very time Keith completed the job, my daughter called to call off the oil change, as she wanted to have the Quad serviced completely, not just the oil change.

We were unable to find anyone locally to do the job, so I started hunting for someone in Kahului. I did find a company, but they were booked up for months. However, the guy on the phone called me back a few minutes later with his friend's phone number, the friend also being a mechanic.

So I called the friend. He's a mobile mechanic (working out of his truck), but not mobile enough to drive all the way to Hana. So we made arrangements to meet him at Rice Park in Kula.

But that meant transporting the Quad there, and we were told by my grandson, Zach, to transport it in the back of his truck. I got the jjob of driving the Quad up a pair of ramps into the back of the truck. That was scary enough, but I managed to crack the back window of the truck. But we got the thing strapped in, and Keith drove it in while I stayed home to watch the dogs.

Along the way, though, one of the straps holding it in place broke or slipped, and the Quad lunged forward and finished the job on the back window. So, now, not only did we need to fix the Quad, but now the truck as well.

In addition to being a handy place to meet the mechanic, Rice Park is actually nice, with a beautiful view of the island. The mechanic showed up and (thankfully) took the Quad off the truck, a job to which Keith was not looking forward.

The time he got back home, clouds were building up for what was likely to become a rainy night.

But the first half of the job was done. We were told it would be two or three weeks, minimum, before parts he needed to order would come in (part of the fun of living on an island in the middle of the Pacific).

So, there will another trip to fetch the thing in less than a month. Meanwhile, without the Quad, any trips to or from our shed will have to be walked, on a very steep slope. So, rather than do that, Keith and I expect to pack for and camp at Papalaua Beach Park, probably combining that with Doordashing.