Every week, The Daily Post, which is a part of WordPress, suggests a new photo challenge theme. This week, the topic is “twisted”. Since these weeks are extremely busy, I planned to find a few photos in my extensive archive that would fit the theme, and be “done” with it. Then, today, ironically, turned extremely twisted, so I wanted to share this most recent experience with you. Maybe you agree.
Since Mark and I are wrapping up our last two-month house sit this week and need to get the camper prepared for an extensive camping trip, on top of our usual jobs, we scheduled a major van repair last week. Before we owned Zesty, somebody once replaced the windshield, scraped off some of the paint around it, and never fixed that properly. The result: since we’ve owned the van, rust has been building up around the windshield, getting worse by the day. It needed a proper fix. The windshield had to be taken out (and most likely replaced, as these things are big and crack easily when removed), the rust sanded down, and matching grey paint applied. The body shop we selected to do the work is called Extreme Twist. That’s right.
On Monday morning, we paid our hefty bill ($ 1100) and picked Zesty up in the parking lot of the shop in Santa Fe, 30 minutes away. At 11ft tall, he doesn’t fit inside the garage. When we received the van back, the paint job looked professional, but the engine compartment was filthy and sun-damaged; the interior covered in a layer of dirt. Mark cleaned the engine, attached wires that were hanging loose, and found a tool on top of the battery! I scrubbed the interior. Then, we discovered our brand-new front speakers didn’t work. Metal parts, grime, and paint had gotten inside. We called the shop, Mark drove back to Santa Fe to show the problem. They refunded us for new speakers, which we ordered immediately. Did I mention already we’re leaving here on Saturday?
On Monday afternoon, a rare thunderstorm with hail and rain passed by. Mark checked the windshield. It leaked. This job had been contracted to another company, whose main guy came to us today to fix the problem. When we water tested the window early this morning, to locate the problem, it poured down on the dashboard and electronics. Something, obviously, was wrong. The window repair man tested it with foam and air upon arrival. The top part of the windshield hadn’t seated correctly; the silicone was round instead of flat. Our guy is a short one, and couldn’t reach the top middle part of our big windshield, so didn’t press it down correctly. The windshield needed to come out (and cracked). He and his helper brought another one, just in case.
Mark politely explained that the whole reason we had this expensive procedure done, was for this exact situation: the paint was scraped up when removing an old windshield. He asked the men to be very careful to not damage the new paint job. As expected, the metal blades of their knives put deep gauges in the paint, around the window frame. Now what? Mark tried to cover them up (we have touch-up paint from trying to fix smaller rust spots in the past), but the surface wasn’t level, because of the deep scratches.
Some of the many scratches caused by the blade
Mark called Extreme Twist. They suggested to put the new windshield in and deal with it all over again after our upcoming three-week trip. We weren’t too excited about that. Not only do we have no time or roof above our heads then, but it would be a lot of hassle, and extra costs for them and the window fixer, since the windshield would break again. It was a pickle. Our window guy suggested we have our van – without a windshield – towed to Extreme Twist. He would pay for the transport, and everything could still get fixed this week. It seemed like the best idea, so we agreed. The guy left, and we waited for the tow truck, which arrived a couple of hours later.
***
The tow truck shows up. The driver says: “Oh, it’s a high-top van. I didn’t know that. I’m not going to fit under the bridges with the combined height of my flat-bed and your van.” While we think this over, thunderclaps arrive. The clouds are dark-grey. We start to stress out a bit. The tow guy is mostly worried about the first bridge, two miles away, and knows an alternative route into Santa Fe after that. Mark suggests driving our van – without windshield – until past the first bridge. I follow with another car.
On the way to the bridge, it starts to drizzle. Zesty gets pulled onto the tow truck. We insist this happens “backwards”. Mark and I don’t trust anyone and anything anymore. The contraption is mighty tall! We decide to join the driver. Mark sits with him up front, I follow in the car. As we make our way towards Santa Fe, rain drops hit my windshield, then hammer down. It starts pouring. The truck stops, Mark runs outside, climbs the flatbed, gets in the van and attempts to cover the dashboard (and loose wires from the removed speakers) up, while wiping the wet areas down. I climb the flatbed, slide alongside our wet van, dodging cables and such (and get yelled at by the driver for doing such a dangerous thing) in an attempt to find a tarp in the back of the van. I don’t see it anywhere.
The driver, who is accommodating, and postponed another appointment to get us to Santa Fe as quickly as possible to beat the rain, wants to get going. He pulls back on the road, five cars separate me and Mark, and I have no idea how to reach Extreme Twist. I don’t have a phone, nor a GPS (being old-school is finally biting me in the butt). It is a tricky pursuit. As we get closer to the body shop, Mark gets out of the cab, to guide the driver under low-hanging wires. They try to avoid trees, and low traffic light arms. A mile before the body shop. They can’t clear a cable.
How am I supposed to catch up?
The driver unloads our van, Mark gets in it – without windshield – and just then, a cop drives by. In his rush, Mark had also forgotten his wallet, and driver’s license, at home. We wait until the cop car is gone. Then, we all drive to Extreme Twist in separate vehicles. My nerves are shattered. Mark’s as well. Our van is in the capable hands of the body shop again, where we are told they have to re-do the whole painting process. They’ll get to it today, and, the new windshield should be put in tomorrow. Hopefully, our window guy asks a taller employee to push it down on the top.
UPDATE (05-25-2018): Mark and I picked Zesty up at the shop and waited over 24 hours to water test the replaced windshield. It still leaks, in another spot. It appears that not enough silicone was applied where the leak occurs. We need to get it fixed again, but are not sure when this is possible. Mid-June, we’re on a train east for six weeks, so everything needs to be OK before that.
UPDATE 2 (06-05-2018): Mark and I had to return to Santa Fe unexpectedly, and stopped by Extreme Twist to have the window guy (Juan) fix the newest leak. He added silicone along the edge from the inside. When we water tested the windshield two days later in Chaco Canyon, it still leaked. We made another appointment for next week, and, once again, have to plan our whole life around this continuing issue.
UPDATE 3 (06-12-2018): We returned our van to Extreme Twist on June 11th. They did not allow us to stay and keep an eye on the process. They put us up in a nearby hotel instead and kept the van for 24 hours, patching the leak. When we picked Zesty up, we thoroughly water-tested the windshield and all seemed fine.
UPDATE 4 (02-20-2019): This has become an ongoing battle. After eight months, Mark discovered rust spots along the windshield again, indicating the last body paint job at Extreme Twist was not done properly. Rust around the window was the initial reason we brought the van in, to fix the issue and prevent it in the future. We obviously failed.
To end this twisted day on a good note, here are some photos I was planning to post today.
Our favorite bike trail in the area (which goes all the way, 14 miles, to the center of Santa Fe) twists and turns a lot.
This snake moved its twisted body over our driveway a couple of weeks ago.
I love the shape (and taste) of conch. This is one of the animals we picked up at an anchorage in Barbuda for dinner. We kept the shell (and 7 others) to clean, and use as center pieces on our wedding party in St. Martin.
Have you had any twisted moments lately? Willing to share?
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May 23, 2018 at 17:11
Love the name for your camper! Sounds like Zesty has had an exciting time of it.
May 25, 2018 at 13:16
Poor Zesty, right? It looks like whatever and whoever comes in our lives has an exciting time. Never a dull moment, that’s for sure. 🙂
May 23, 2018 at 17:20
OH MY! What an awful experience! I hope everything works out for you in the end but to have to deal with multiple screw-ups is too much. Perhaps you should have driven to San Diego like you first thought about 🙂 The fact that the repair shop is called twisted is just too perfect.
May 25, 2018 at 13:20
Believe me, we did wonder whether it would have been better to wait until the fall and get it done in San Diego. It would have been $200 cheaper. But, we are meticulous people and once we know there is a problem, which is only getting worse, it’s time to take action. Plus, easier to deal with during a house sit, especially when having an extra car we can use. We have Zesty back and hope all is OK. We’ll test the windshield later this afternoon. Don’t want to mess anything up ourselves…
PS: This is just one example how people often mess things up (for us) by not doing their jobs. Even when we expect it (and try to prevent it), we’re helpless. No wonder we are grateful for every time something actually goes smooth and well. 🙂
May 23, 2018 at 17:21
Oh WOW! Liesbet! What a TWISTED day you’ve had for sure. It’s my birthday today and it’s just not right that you’ve had such a strange day. But…it does seem as though everything is working out for you so I will keep my fingers crossed. Hassles are a hassle! Hopefully them remind us of how nice it is when things go smoothly. ~Kathy
May 23, 2018 at 18:48
Happy Birthday, Kathy – Sending you warm wishes across the miles!!
May 24, 2018 at 03:00
Many happy returns, Kathy. I hope it was a great one!
May 25, 2018 at 13:24
Hi Kathy! We hope you had a wonderful day and dinner out on your birthday. I definitely thought about you!
Believe me, when something goes smoothly (when others are involved), we never take it for granted. We’ve had quite a few things go totally wrong in our lives, due to the incapability of others. My memoir will touch on a couple of those things. Choosing a less ordinary lifestyle probably doesn’t help, as it involves being in unknown to us places, moving often, and having a camper or sailboat as a home. Much depends on that, when it is our house. That’s why we try to source and fix whatever we can ourselves. 🙂
May 23, 2018 at 17:25
Wow!! That sounds like a nightmare – each twist is even more awful than the last. I sure hope it’s all smooth sailing now… if there ever was such a thing!
May 25, 2018 at 14:02
Haha! Smooth sailing does exist. Just not often. I think we had the first perfect sail on Irie about three years into our voyage. 🙂 Hopefully, we won’t have to wait that long in Zesty. Still a bit stressed right now, as our ordered speakers have yet to show up and it’s 3pm… We need to install them and do a few other things to put the camper back together.
May 23, 2018 at 17:52
Wow, what a harrowing, and twisty experience! I was right there with you biting my nails as I read your detailed account. Egads! I would have ….I don’t know what I would have done! At least your twisted photos are lovely (even the snake)! Keep us posted!!
May 25, 2018 at 14:00
I had to look up the word “egads”. 🙂 The most stressful part was actually me driving behind the tow truck, not knowing where to go. I’m glad there weren’t any cops around. I hope to post a quick update one of these days.
May 23, 2018 at 18:14
Great shots of the snake and the shell…
May 25, 2018 at 13:58
Thanks, Sue. I love nature and wildlife!
May 23, 2018 at 18:51
Hi, Liesbet – If this story was fiction, I would say that it was too far-fetched to be real. Truth definitely is stranger than fiction! I am so sorry that you had to go through this — especially when you were already super busy. lI greatly admire your patience…and Mark’s too!
May 25, 2018 at 13:57
I love your comment about the fiction part, Donna. Our life has been a string of events that are too crazy to be believed, so they must be true. I think you might enjoy reading my memoir. I bet you will have that thought a few times, about it being too far-fetched to be fiction. 🙂
May 24, 2018 at 00:23
10 points for your patience Liesbet. At the end of the day, it will get fixed and you and Mark will be again out there enjoying life hopefully with less hassles. I can empathise with you regarding M/H issues and why they never occur at a more convenient time!
May 25, 2018 at 13:27
Patience and determination, right? And, planning an extra time buffer, “just in case”. Our time buffer of a week was pushing it, apparently. We got Zesty back yesterday late afternoon and have been painting (the roof needed that and we planned to do this earlier this week), cleaning, loading and organizing, among wrapping up this house sit, today. I’m sure you can relate to the hecticness of that as well. 🙂
May 24, 2018 at 00:46
That sounds a total nightmare Liesbet, and seemingly all due to sloppy work. I do hope you manage to get a well-sealed, airtight, watertight windscreen eventually.
May 25, 2018 at 13:29
We should know later today, Denzil. We hate sloppy work, and try to avoid it, but sometimes, whatever you do or however much you try to be in control, it just doesn’t work out. And, it makes us undesirable customers as well, probably, since – from many bad experiences in the past – we are always on edge, check in and follow up…
May 24, 2018 at 01:08
Oh Liesbet, the Universe provided you with some real content for the photo challenge, even though your archive photographs are lovely! It seems that everyone is trying to help in their own way to get Zesty ready for your next adventure and fingers crossed they will find a way to fix the windscreen properly ???????????? xxx
May 25, 2018 at 13:31
“Twisted” was the perfect topic for our day, Xenia. Even though I was exhausted and really didn’t want to spend more time on the computer, I couldn’t resist telling our twisted story, because of the theme. 🙂 Yes, we can’t complain about the help and attempts from the parties involved to get it right the second time around. Nobody gained from that situation!
May 24, 2018 at 02:16
Liesbet, my nerves are shattered now just reading this catalogue of errors. These guys are useless. I hope all is fixed now and you can calm your nerves down somewhere pretty and relaxing????
May 25, 2018 at 13:33
Thanks for understanding, Gilda. I sure hope our weekend will be relaxing. I think I will need at least a whole day to just sit somewhere in nature and relax, before starting our next adventure. This last week has been beyond crazy. We’ll test the van later, and hopefully all is OK.
May 24, 2018 at 03:03
If this weren’t happening to you, my friend, I would be loving the synchronicities! But since it is happening to you, I’ll just hope that Extreme Twisted gets it right this time, and just in the nick of time for a great and hopefully relaxing camping trip.
May 25, 2018 at 13:37
In the nick of time, that’s right, Karen. 🙂 It made this last day of our house sit extra exciting and busy! We still have a bunch to do, but most of the van is cleaned and loaded. Hopefully, the windshield doesn’t leak when we spray water on it later.
Mark and I will attempt combining our business, sightseeing, and relaxing the next three weeks. That proposition has been challenging and frustrating in the past (hence we house and pet sit), but we’ll see what happens. We’ll try again. Camping in the US should be easier than in New Zealand (and at least the time zone is alright) and than on a sailboat in remote territories. As long as we find T-Mobile cell towers.
May 24, 2018 at 04:22
What a series of crazy events! All because it wasn’t done right the first time. Or the second. I hope you get it back and everything is perfect.
May 25, 2018 at 13:38
Thanks for the well wishes, Alex. It sure was a bummer, but we have experience (and almost expected this to happen) with crazy events and things not being done right. Too much experience, unfortunately. Have a fantastic weekend!
May 24, 2018 at 04:34
Talk about a perfect name for a business! I’m so sorry you and Mark had to deal with this, Liesbet. Car repairs are never pleasant and always expensive. Hopefully, going forward, everything will be fine. This week has been full of twisted events with on going computer issues at the day job. 🙁
May 25, 2018 at 13:40
Yeah… Don’t you love that name? When Mark brought me there the first time, I could have never known how appropriate the name would be, or that it would make a blog post. Sorry to hear that you’re having some twisted computer issues. Never fun either, and extremely frustrating!!! I hope all is better by now, or at least by Monday.
May 24, 2018 at 05:57
SO sorry to hear of your twisted experience. As you know, however, we can certainly relate! Best to look forward to better times aboard Zesty. Where will you be heading? Take care.
May 25, 2018 at 13:43
I knew you would relate, Leslie. Your issues dragged on much longer, though. We mentioned we were going to have Tim fix our rust spots in San Diego, but we couldn’t stand it getting worse every day. We thought the dry climate of New Mexico would slow the rusting process down, but it didn’t. Of course, we second guessed our choice during all this. But, hopefully that part of the camper is done and over now. The windshield sure looks clean! 🙂
We’re planning to make a circle around the Four Corners region and return back to Sante Fe in about three weeks. It’s a test to see how we can combine work and travel. Wish us few frustrations!
May 24, 2018 at 08:20
Grrr…. what a twisted and stressful process. Hope it’ll be smooth sailing once you hit the road.
May 25, 2018 at 13:44
I keep telling Mark that we’re having a tough time with everything now, so, once we leave unlimited electricity and internet, we’d be totally fine, because all the bad stuff already happened. 🙂
May 24, 2018 at 08:50
What a catalogue of catastrophes! I hope it is now fixed properly.
May 25, 2018 at 13:45
We hope so, too. After we’ve water tested, I plan to add a little update to the blog. I love your expression “catalogue of catastrophes” Anabel.
May 24, 2018 at 15:24
Yikes. As someone who owned a body and paint shop for many years, I hope these guys set everything right, because they screwed up big time. Good luck to you!
May 25, 2018 at 13:48
Thanks, Kevin. I had no idea that was your profession for a while. And, yes, they did take responsibility and did everything they could to get our van ready in time. Extreme Twist actually had to repaint the whole area around the windshield again, unfortunately. We thought they could just sand and paint the scratches, since it would be hidden under the windshield, but no such luck. The windshield guy paid for the tow truck and put a new window in. Anyway, we have Zesty back now and will water test the window, once we know the silicone has set.
May 25, 2018 at 06:52
What a bizarre chain of frustrating events! Hope it gets sorted quickly!
May 25, 2018 at 13:51
Thanks, Jaye. You guys must be familiar with such strings of events on El Galeon. Or your own boat. We have too many stories to tell, or even remember, when similar events happened with our sailboat in the Caribbean or Pacific. When people “mess” with your home, and things go wrong, it is always scary. Even when they try to fix their mistakes… What will they break next? Or, what will they not put back together right? Another episode to move on from, hopefully. 🙂
May 25, 2018 at 07:24
Oh my – what a nightmare! It’s awful to have to depend on others to make repairs or do maintenance and then not have the job done properly.
May 25, 2018 at 13:53
Exactly! Mark and I have always tried to fix everything ourselves on our boats and campers (we even replaced Irie’s standing rigging ourselves, something nobody ever did themselves on a catamaran), but sometimes, you can’t. We don’t have the knowledge, skills or tools to do everything, so experts are needed. Of course, even then, an eye has to be kept on them if possible. On the boat, we could usually do that, but leaving Zesty somewhere makes that hard. 🙂
May 25, 2018 at 08:06
There is no twist I’ve had recently that gave me as much angst as reading this post! You poor things – so stressful and frustrating, and I feel bad for you. I hope by now things have straightened out!
May 25, 2018 at 13:55
We hope so, too, Lexie, and should know soon. Thank you for the understanding. As for your twists, the one you had to experience a couple of months ago at home hopefully “holds you over” for a long time to come!!!
May 25, 2018 at 14:42
Mark and I just water tested our new windshield and… it leaks again. In another spot. Unbelievable. Not sure what we’ll do next. Probably cut our camping trip short and hope they can fix it before our train journey east mid-June.
May 26, 2018 at 13:13
I can’t help but ask if Zesty was a bargain when you bought it, because it certainly seems to be costing you since? There’s always an element of luck and you’re definitely not having much, Liesbet. 🙁
May 29, 2018 at 10:06
Jo, we bought Zesty at a good price, but certainly no bargain. We knew about the rust problem and it was on the list of things to fix (ideally in the fall, for $200 less in San Diego), but we are “better safe than sorry” people, so figured we’d get it taken care of it in Santa Fe, with plenty of time to spare… The van has some quirks being 13 years old, but the repairs should be nowhere near the cost of house repairs. 🙂 Bad luck is sure how you could describe our current experiences.
May 28, 2018 at 08:45
I don’t know what frightened me the most, Liesbet; the snake, or the terrible story of what you and Mark had to go through, and still the windshield leaks! I think my nerves would have also been in tatters. I hope it all gets fixed for you soon. Your story shows the quote ‘your life in their hands’ its true meaning.
May 29, 2018 at 10:11
Yeah… we sure hate it when that happens, and we’re helpless because of our time frame, or lack of skills. We do hope to get it fixed in a couple of weeks, Hugh. Unfortunately, we have noticed an even bigger issue with one of the side windows (which is plastic and irreplaceable), but can’t prove if the crack in it appeared at the body shop. We usually notice these things, and saw it once we camped our first night away from Santa Fe. Another thing to deal with from the road, somehow.
We saw another one of these snakes yesterday, when biking to a “natural arch” in New Mexico. It was sun bathing on the road! So, I shooed it off the asphalt with my voice and bike bell, before a car ran it over. Pretty animals. 🙂
May 28, 2018 at 14:16
Oh my gosh, Liesbet! This would put me over the top.
I hope that “twisted” guy gets it right this time. Three’s a charm.
You, Mark, and Zesty will be in my thoughts.
Laura
May 29, 2018 at 10:14
Thanks, Laura. We’ll see what happens in two weeks. It the meantime, we hope it won’t rain too much. Luckily, we are traveling and camping in the desert. 🙂 It’ll be stressful the next time, because we really have to get it done in three days, before leaving Zesty and the area for six weeks. Mark and I plan to stay with the van (and even sleep in the parking lot) until it is water tested and completely fixed.
May 29, 2018 at 17:35
Just wow! Holy moly. ‘twisted’ putting it mildly! I can’t imagine you have any nerves left. I know I wouldn’t lol. That Zesty is an expensive family member to upkeep, lol. But love the photos! 🙂
May 31, 2018 at 12:35
He sure is expensive for now! Some of it we knew ahead of time (spreading the expenses out a bit for our budget), some of it, we didn’t, like the new crack that showed up in a plastic window that is irreplaceable. Well, Mark found the last possible one that exists, but they want $1800 for it… Plus, we have a sneaking suspicion someone bumped into our window at Extreme Twist to have this happen. We are meticulous about things and keep an eye on them. It might be a coincidence, though. We can’t prove anything. Anyway, yes, our nerves are being tested, every single day, unfortunately. 🙁
June 1, 2018 at 05:38
I may be inclined to agree with you, it could well have happened at the Twist. Sheesh my friend, do keep us posted on this saga of comedy of errors! 🙂
June 5, 2018 at 11:40
I’ll try…
June 1, 2018 at 15:07
Liesbet I am fuming on your behalf! This kind of service makes me wild! I so hope things can be finally resolved with Zeaty being clean, dry and rust free. Doing some deep breathing here if that helps anything.
June 5, 2018 at 11:45
Thanks for helping us breathe, Sue. I feel calmer just reading you comment and understanding. Unfortunately, after three attempts, the windshield still leaks, and it has been and still is jeopardizing all our plans. Plus, it affects our moods every day while we’re (finally) on the road. They will try to fix it again on Monday, but our train journey might have to be moved forward a day, due to Amtrak problems (yes, again, and we haven’t even left yet – more bad luck), which would make it really tight. I don’t think we can trust it time-wise to give them only one day/one more chance, the way this has been going…
June 2, 2018 at 17:50
Art imitates life – or the other way ’round. Here’s to smoother sailing!
June 5, 2018 at 11:45
Thanks, Marian. It’s not for lack of trying to have a simple, smooth life. 🙂
July 7, 2018 at 18:15
Wow, Liesbet, such bad luck you have been having with Zesty’s repairs! We have been having our own run of bad luck: phone landline broken; Rob broke a tooth; grandson broke his arm; dishwasher ceased working; new dishwasher that we purchased arrived damaged; family member lost a job; dog got sick. Although I am not superstitious, the bad things added up to 7, and they all happened in June.
Jude
July 9, 2018 at 01:30
I’m glad June is over for you, Jude! That sure is a collection of bad luck. Those moments always make me realize how well everything went before. 🙂
For us, it started in the beginning of this year, but we think we got through most of it by now. Basically all of it had to do with people not doing their jobs. It drives us insane, since we – the customers – suffer, which often goes deeper than what they see on the surface (if they even care), as there is a trickle effect (or whatever it’s called). One mistake here, leads to not just inconvenience, but to change of plans, bad moods, ruined weekends or weeks, and loss of money due to time wasted or plans changed, or …