Some problems, some friends, some wine, and some numbers | Life in Ludlow

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The spice of life is picking up with problems, solutions, some camaraderie, a date night, and some meaningless measurements. 

The saga of the electrical system problems with my car continues. 

“Jumping” the battery requires hooking the positive terminal from another car’s battery to the positive terminal on my car’s battery. My car’s battery does have a red dot on the end of it which I incorrectly interpreted as indicating the location of the positive terminal. After unsuccessfully “jumping” the car battery by mistakenly attaching the positive jumper cable to the negative terminal twice, I left the car to rest. 

Jim Groves of Groves Glass was at the house looking at the replacement of a defective window and I told him of my problem. He and I looked more closely at the battery and he discovered and compassionately advised me of my error. 

An hour later the neighbors could hear my cry of joy as I hooked up the battery cables correctly from another car and heard the engine’s bark as it came back to life! 

Alas, the engine and only about half of the electronic functions work. 

By next week it should have been repaired by somebody with better common sense and skills. 

Some sound advice: Don’t leave the key in the ignition for a week.

Last Friday was a beautiful fall day so BJ and I took a ride out to Port Angeles to pick up some wine at Camaraderie Cellars. We were slowed down significantly as we waded through the traffic for the annual Crab Festival in PA before making it to the winery. 

The winery offers tastings on Friday through Sunday afternoons to attract visitors, and there they were. Locals Jeff and Peggy Welker sitting with Gregg and Shelley Patton enjoying the sunshine, some wine, and stimulating conversation. Of course, we joined them. 

Gregg is an alumnus of Oberlin College and a retired competent journalist from Southern California. In an effort to improve this column I suggested he consider writing it. He claimed to be busy doing secretary stuff for the Port Ludlow Performing Arts. 

The conversation then turned to Shelley’s and Peggy’s pet tortoises. 

Frankly, I had no idea people had pet tortoises. Shelly and Gregg claimed that one of their pets, “Bullseye,” is 41 years old and still lives comfortably in California. It is a good day when you learn something new. By reading this column Gregg will learn that the Wabash football team beat Oberlin 49 to 20 last Saturday.

Nancy Peterson wrote to remind me of the upcoming performance of Port Ludlow’s comedy improv group on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the American Legion in Port Townsend.

The group has been named “Anything Goes” until recently when they adopted the much more civil “Disorderly Conduct.” No doubt this is an effort to attract a larger audience. 

BJ and I had a “date night” for the first time in a long time. With proper documentation, like proof of vaccination and identification, the Rose Theatre and restaurants are open again, both requiring early reservations.  

We saw “No Time to Die” at the Rose and surprisingly we were able to walk in and get a table at Alchemy. Yep, there is a pandemic out there but with a vaccination and some patience life can be manageable in spite of the hurdles generated by the unvaccinated. 

I noticed some numbers over the past couple of weeks that are meaningless except for the longevity they represent. 

Russell Wilson has been the quarterback for the Seahawks for 100 victories. Wabash College has had 700 victories all time in Division III college football games. 

Next week I will write my 600th “Life in Ludlow” column. Just think, you are reading this from a guy who can’t find the positive terminal on a car battery!

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week. 

(Ned Luce is a retired IBM executive and Port Ludlow resident. Automotive advice can be sent to Ned at ned@ptleader.com.)