High Winds, High Pain Levels, High Expenses

It's amazing how strong winds gusting to 65 mph can feel when you are set up on a ridge all by yourself with no windbreak. Today it felt like the winds were trying to roll the fifth wheel over--thank goodness it was mostly coming from the south and we're parked a little southeast to northwest so we're not taking the brunt of the winds directly on our side.  But it has been a bit unnerving at times and it's not been a relaxing day for us.

Our morning started with a trip to the local Ford dealer's service center where our problem with the engine light was diagnosed as the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation system).  That's what controls our diesel exhaust, recirculating part of the gases through the air cooler in an effort to reduce emissions.  Somehow the connector holding it to the firewall was broken (possibly when the last service center did our oil change since the oil filter is right next to the EGR) and thus creating a bad connection and severe loss of power in the engine.  Although I don't see why a bad connection and a loss of power are related, but I'm not a mechanic.  Several boring hours later we were back at home with a lighter wallet but with an engine that once again runs smoothly and the check engine light is off.  A quick run into Colorado to hit Wally World since there isn't one up this end of New Mexico and we came back to have lunch and to try a nap since we didn't sleep well in the high winds last night.  That turned out to be a no-go too, since the winds were still at it, clattering the antenna on the roof, the roof vents, the stove vent and anything else it could to make noise and bang things around.  In addition, Denny has developed a toothache and it's reaching epic proportions.  There is one dentist in town and we can't get in until tomorrow at 4:30PM so it appears we'll take our golf outing out of the equation and keep him loaded up with pain meds until he can get in to see the dentist. 

We are a pair, aren't we?