Crazy HHR Door Lock Drama

Our Chevy HHR is possessed... really.

Both key fobs stopped working a few months ago. Even with new batteries.  Fobs are pricey so we started  locking the door with the inside button  and unlocking it with the key-- old school style. 

But what to do when the actual key won't unlock the door?!

Yep, you read right. On Friday night, the key went in the keyhole but wouldn't turn. 

Have you ever heard of such a bizarre thing? 

And scary! What if a mean dog or killer was after you! Yikes!

Our situation wasn't that dire, thank goodness.  My hub and I had met in a nearby town so luckily we had two cars.  But it was after dark and we were exhausted from work and grocery shopping at Walmart. 

Funny how bad stuff always happens when one is exhausted, isn't it?   

So what did we do?  

We drove sixteen miles home-- hub soldered three spots inside each fob and put in new batteries to give us four possible shots. Two keys and two fobs.  

We drove back to the car to try but expected to have to leave it overnight. 

Guess what? The first key fob tried worked!  And seeing the headlights flash on was a beautiful sight to see!

I don't brag on my hub enough but let me say now for all posterity: He is a soldering genius!!

Have you looked inside a key fob? The insides are tiny. Don't know how he did it. 

And actually, both fobs work now but we are too gun shy to lock the door. It is still a mystery why the door wouldn't unlock with the actual key and we don't want to take any chances.  

Online research shows many complaints concerning keyfobs, doorlocks and even an ignitions that won't turn off so probably the HHR is just a poorly made Chevy-- it is being discontinued, after all.  

But my hypothesis is that the car is possessed and in need of an exorcism. 

What is the weirdest car glitch that you have experienced? Have you or anyone you know had bizarre problems with an HHR?

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Waterbags, Doodle Bugs and More

What is more fun than unexpected fun?! 

 Last Saturday's trip to Muskogee to eat and shop turned into a day of serendipitous fun.  A man at the Chinese restaurant told us about a carshow going on downtown and I stumbled upon a delightful surprise at the mall. 

 Now, if I had only known about the mall event before finding out about the carshow then I could've been dropped off at the mall and the day would've been perfect--- but I wouldn't have missed Talon's excitement for the world.

Talon is still wild about flames. He must have a  photo with all flame paintjobs. Today, he was working some kind of crossed arm tough guy pose.

  Isn't that dunebuggy cute?!

The antique tractor club was a fun addition-- we've never seen one at a carshow before.

See the silver Porshe Speedster?  Hubby said those were known as 'bathtub' speedsters because they look like upside down bathtubs.

Check out these waterbags...

Have you ever seen such a thing? 

My hub said that even in the 50s his family hung one off the bumper on their Route 66 trips across the desert out to California.

The burlap water bag was filled then also soaked in water.  Evaporative cooling as the car moved gave travelers nice cool water to drink and saved the day if the  radiator overheated.

Back to the tractors...

Never heard of Doodle Bugs, have you?

For a smallish carshow, this one was very educational.

If you like carshows, click on the cars label-- we have been to tons and tons of them.

Please visit Rednesday at It's A Very Cherry World to see more reds.

Did you enjoy your visit? Please click daily to vote for Dusty Us Diaries at the free-ranked blog directory Picket Fence!

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In the Ditch!

Last month,  we  topped the hill on the road to our house and saw another vehicle in the ditch! 

Don't know what happened but at least it wasn't upside down like this truck.

What is it with this road? You'd think a drive down a slow rural county road like this would be uneventful. 

Since these accidents seem to happen close to our house (that is us in the distance, see the white pear trees), we keep our seatbelts on till we reach our maibox! 

Count on me to find the funny (and blog fodder) in any situation...

   Shame on me for laughing but that is life on a dirt road: No paper, No worries...

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Car Show Couture!

A couple of weeks ago,  We attended the Darryl Starbird Custom Car Show and Monster Truck Races again. Yes, again. Don't worry-- I always manage to amuse myself.

At the fall car show (yes, we go to more than one), it was cars and canines.

This time it is car show couture!

On the way, we stopped at our favorite Boomarang Diner for lunch and I snapped a photo of my two goofy goobers wearing matching car show shirts from the 2009 Fall Foliage Cruise.

Of course, I said: Ya'll are so dorky!! Cute but dorky!!

Guess what I spotted as soon as I walked into the Expo?  Hotrod and car shirts galore!!

Too funny! Did you know that some men theme their attire to the event? 

Not all the attendees had on car shirts.  Only the serious custom car enthusiasts, I suppose. Or maybe just the dorkiest! haha

Here are few to illustrate:

This is the only gal I spotted. Her guy has one on too--  That is him with the blond ponytail. How sweet that they  share common interests.

The car show couture ranged from really tacky...

Isn't he a prize, girls!

To relatively classy...

Aww, cute and spiffy!

To show you what a lucky girl I am,  check this out:

Redneck at Monster Truck Races:  It's still too loud, ya'll!

Got me a winner, girls!!

To see redneck chic, check out my earplug post from the monster truck races last year: The Color Purple

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Quarter Midget Racing

Talon discovered his sport! Quarter Midget Racing!  It is a competitve sport for kids age 5-16.  These aren't go-carts-- they are 1/4 size midget race cars with full roll cages.  They are also very expensive.

Mom and Dad thinks Talon needs to practice driving his little battery powered Mustang around the park a bit more before getting behind the wheel of a race car-- even a midget sized racecar.   

Talon tends to get distracted and veer off the road!

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Sew Fine Hotrod!

 Spotted at the car show! I didn't take many photos of cars this year-- this one stood out of the crowd though...

Don't like the color but the shape is curvy and cool! Who would paint a hotrod blah brown?!




What made me laugh is the graphic painted on the side: Sew Fine

Is the owner handy with a needle? Then I thought of my friend DeLynne who amazes me with her sewing skill. She can make a bra with underwires that looks storebought,  for heaven's sake!

DeLynne needs a Sew Fine hotrod for cruising around the rainforest. Bet hers wouldn't be blah brown!



Now this is more like it! 



 A pearly mauve-- Striking and pretty! 

some of my other fave hotrod colors are: red, turquoise, pink, purple, and pearl white. And anything with flames or sparkle, pearl or flipflop paint. 

What is your favorite hotrod color?



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Monster Truck Ride!

A couple of weeks ago, we attended the Daryl Starbird Custom Car Show and Monster Truck Show again!

Yes, again. It is held every February and Talon started planning to go last October

Talon loves it! Jim loves it! I tolerate it!  Ha! Actually, I do like it but every year is too much--- once every five years would suit me.  (I need to remember to take a book)

Last year, I rode with Talon in the monster truck. This year Jim had a turn...

Calmly climbing up...

Roaring around the track! Hang on!

What a wild ride! Talon is ready to go again! Jim may be a bit queasy from all the donuts. He didn't eat to many donuts the truck did lots of donuts!

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Batmobile!

Not something one sees every day... and we saw it twice! 



Our first Batmobile sighting was at the carshow-- check it out to see lots of cool cars and canines and lots of reds, as a matter of fact.



Our second Batmobile sighting was at a Boomarang Diner on our way down to Texas! How lucky to spot it twice! How cool that it isn't just for looks! The owners actually drive it around... but, of course, they do get a lot of looks!

There is a Bat Beacon, a Bat Lift, Bat Lights and more...  everything that a self-respecting super hero of the bat persuasion might need!

The Bat Phone!

Guess that is the bar to grab  in an emergency bat turn!

Who owns this cool ride?

These two cool cats here! 

It gave hubby fits that they owned the batmobile and actually drove it around town but didn't go all the way and wear the costumes! 

During a chat, he even told them they ought to wear the costumes but one old guy said: I'd look like Fatman instead of Batman!

As for me, I was thinking they looked more like:

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy!

You know, the aging bumbling superheros on Spongebob...

Please visit Ruby Tuesday and Rednesday for more rad reds!

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Cars and Canines!

Can't believe we only made it to one carshow this fall!  Really no need to go to more than one since the Robbers Cave State Park Fall Festival and Car Show is the biggest and best with over 400 cars. 

This is the only car show we go to that has almost as many canines as cars.  Makes me laugh every year so this time I took photos of a few of the car loving doggies!

Red Hot!

Yes, I'm still partial to trucks!

Too Cool!

These cars are works of art inside and out!

A Patriotic Mean Machine!

Batman and Robin!

The Batmobile!!



Robin's car? See the sign in the window...



Too Cute!

Aw!  Talon wants to meet every dog and he always asks permission before petting!

What a cool truck! Wouldn't this be perfect to haul my produce to the farmer's market!

Love this Firebird!  What an autumn color-- very pumpkiny!



Isn't this a pretty dog!



How sweet!   Notice that the pretty dog's less attractive friend moved in for some petting...

Apparently cars and canines go together like peas and carrots! Which is your favorite car and/or canine?

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Red Cuties at the Diner!

Spotted these two red cuties at the Boomerang Diner!

My family loves cars and attends lots of carshows so I had to get a shot of this cute little mint hauling car. If you are a hotrod or classic car freak, click on the cars label in the sidebar and prepare to swoon.

Looks like this little toothpick dispenser has had a hard life! What a pile of guest checks! Hope the owner doesn't use her hard earned profits to buy a new dispenser-- I like this one, don't you.

When the cashier gave me a funny look inquiring glance, I said: Oh, I take pictures of red things. As if that explained my oddness... well, I reckon it explained that one bit of oddness.

What is your favorite response to funny looks or questions when you take photos in strange places?

To view spectacular red photos from around the world, please click here:

Ruby Tuesday
Rednesday

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