01-29-2026 — Ice Cold Luck

Howdy all. Still beyond cold outside. Temperatures below 20 should last at least through Monday. But winds are staying less than 25 mph for the weekend. I hope.

Anyway, today I had a little good luck for a change.  I decided to check the truck battery to see if it would start.  And figuring it wouldn’t, I pulled out the trickle charger and adapter and put it on the truck bed tunnel cover.  

Well, to my surprise, the truck did start.  Battery was around 10.5 volts, according to my new cigarette lighter battery/alternator monitor. That is way down from the 12.6, or so, volts it should have been.  

So I left truck running and went back inside and did something in kitchen. And, yes I had opened the garage doors to the outside!   

When I went back to garage, I could smell and see a lot of exhaust.  The outside wind was not blowing it out the door.  

So I decided I should put on a coat, and shoes, and to drive around the block a couple times. It helps to have the engine closer to 2000 rpms to charge the battery quicker.  

I did get my coat , and shoes, and pulled out of garage and closed the door.  

After going half way around block, I decided, hey, if I’m driving, I may as well go to Giant Eagle and get a couple things Sam’s Club doesn’t carry. Onto the “main streets” I go, and head to the store.  

Just as I am pulling into the Giant Eagle drive, I was looking in the side mirrors, and saw the tunnel cover, and remembered the battery trickle charger that was left on the back of the truck.  

Shoot. And I just bought that bugger!  

However luck 🍀 was on my side for a change.  When I parked at Giant Eagle and got out, by some miracle, it was still there.  

Yippee for me! 

Anyway, also good news, the battery monitor said the battery was now at 11.8 volts at the store, and 12.5 volts when I got back to the house.  

It should be good for a few more days now. It made it though the last 7 days since I had last charged up.

Being in a spot where I need to drive somewhere, and the truck not starting, would not be a way to Enjoy Life