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If you haven't read the entry for "Memorial Day", please do before reading THIS entry.

Tuesday, I took the van to the shop per my mom's request. I told her that I could not afford this, but she said that she would take care of the expenses.

Initially, the extimate was around $650 for diagnostics, a new water pump, thermostat and thermostat seal, flush, and oil change. Mom talked them down about $100. (Go MOM!) "The van should be done Wednesday," they say.

Wednesday, the shop calls to say that as they were filling the system (coolant and water) that they discovered ANOTHER leak. Yeah, this one was a doozy! The manifold seal needed replaced. [For those of you not mechanically inclined, this process means that they have to take the top off of the engine, remove (probably scrape) the old seal off and put a new one one, then remount the top to the block.] Anything having to do with the manifold cannot be good! This expense is an additional $380.

I called mom, told her the news. She said "I'm going down there to talk to them." <EEK!> Mom ended up telling them to do a total tune-up. She said "if I'm going to pay all that money, they may as well do everything now while they got the top off of it." THANKS MOMMY!

All in all, she said that the total would come to around $1500 maximum. GEEZ!! Then she said "Happy Birthday!" In mom vocabulary, that means "You're not getting anything for your birthday this year." And that's okay. This is something huge. I feel bad that my mom is putting out so much money, but I would have to work a 2nd job all summer to pay for that.

My mom is the GREATEST mom EVER! I love you mommy!