I Do NOT Recommend Cooke's Auto Repair in Chardon

The car saga continues. Went to look under the hood of my car, which I just got back from the mechanics last night. The "Check Engine" light is STILL on. The coolant container was BONE DRY. Called up Cooke's, only to be told, "Bring it in, you'll need to leave it". No apologies, no sympathy, and didn't listen when I told him that I want to wait for them to repair it, not leave it there. He wouldn't budge. I will NEVER darken the door of that place again. Not after two very large repairs (one is questionable if I even needed it in the first place), altogether came to a grand total of $1850, which I will be paying on for months. And the coolant container is empty? I wanted them to fix the coolant leak in the first place, not the manifold (pricey repair). And I don't appreciate being put off whenever I call, with a very hurried, "Call you back" for the answer to my questions 99% of the time (with a call back days later, maybe), then at the last day (when I demanded to get the car back) they told me to call first because they were working on it. Were they? Who knows. I'm tired of this and will take my car elsewhere, where mechanics straightforwardly will get things done in a couple days (instead of weeks) and not blow me off when I want a written estimate or explanation on what needs to be worked on. And not make me wait weeks when I need something done, when it could've been done MUCH sooner, then no apology afterwards. No manners, just evasiveness. Goodbye, Cooke's, you'll get your money ($1850 in monthly installments), and then I'm done with you. I've heard many complaints about them from other people since I brought my car there. Live and learn. A woman alone is an easy target, and I feel violated. Not listened to, put off, left hanging for a long time, wondering what is wrong with the car. Ladies, in my opinion, it would be a good idea to take a man who knows about cars with you when dealing with evasive, disrespectful mechanics. This could happen to anyone..especially female.

What I believe is the philosophy of some car mechanics.

Here is the bill in question. The second one, the first bill..additional charges..came to 962.33 Didn't pay to go back there. Each time over 900 dollars.Check out the $40 coolant, when in fact my coolant chamber is empty.

Life goes on. Needing to de-stress after having heart palpitations and hyperventilating over the stress of the car problems for the last few weeks, it feels good to mellow out and work in the garden. Put mulch around my plants in preparation for the upcoming cold weather. My flowers are still blooming, as the leaves start to fall. Colors are showing in the trees now. The countryside is full of blooming purple aster flowers and goldenrods, along with all the turning trees. It's so relaxing. I took my camera and took a bunch of pictures, then will do it again later when the colors get even brighter. Farrah, Matisse and Beau watch the leaves fall from the windows, and Farrah wants to jump for them! It's so cute seeing her eyes widen with each falling leaf.

So, I'm busy working on my business, designing high-end lunchboxes. I like them and they should be a hit with customers, I'm sure, as they're well-crafted and come in very pretty colors. I'm also doing some drawing, and switch back and forth to keep energized, while Matisse here sleeps at my feet. The little goldfinches are outside, chirping in the tree next to my windows. They are moulting into their winter colors now (shades of olive green). Their little whistles are so cute, they are always nearby. Money's so tight at the moment, I can't even get their nyger seed right now, but there's enough to sustain them until next payday.

All is calm and peaceful. Feels so good. It's raining now, a quiet, easy rain, good for the plants. And it's so warm, I have my windows open! In October! This is great, global warming makes our climate here in Ohio slightly more mild than it used to be. That's not all bad. Made a pot of coffee just now, using Morning Blend from Aldi's, along with my fav Melitta from Heinen's. I never tried Aldi's coffee before but it's good, and so cheap! A bag of it was only $3.99! I won't be such a coffee snob anymore, only getting the more expensive kinds..from now on, I will use Aldi's in my own personal blend of brands. Other brands I normally get are Starbuck's Morning Blend, any kind of coffee from Peet's, and Folger's Gourmet Caramel. Emeril LaGasse has good caramel flavored coffee, too. My family has carried on an age-old tradition of blending coffees, and I'm no exception. Mom and dad like to blend Peet's and other types. Coffee, one of the simplest pleasures in life.