Murphy can bite me!!!!

[cyberina]

Why is it that your car is most likely to explode when you have the fewest resources to deal with it?

Cyberina

[dallasmale30]

Well doesn't that suck. At least you have internet now!

[BigBallinColin]

that is how the yugo crumbles

[cyberina]

Originally Posted by dallasmale30

Well doesn't that suck. At least you have internet now!

Yes.. My guy drilled the hole and I did the wiring.. There's now a jack 7 foot high.. hehe

Good thing, too, because this evening a professor assigned two papers and an assignment via email that are due in class Monday.

I found a water pump for $10.. Assuming its the water pump, my broke butt called an old friend who is going to trade labor to replace it for a sofa that I have in storage.. If its not the water pump, its the engine.. Then, I am so royally fucked up the ass beyond belief.

I can ride to Denton for class with a friend on Mondays and Wednesdays, but not Tuesdays and Thursdays.. The last bus back down to Dallas from Denton leaves 20 minutes before I get out of class. (What's up with a "commuter bus" that picks up its last run at 3:30 in the afternoon?!?!?!)

I suppose either way, I'll figure it out.. But damn..

There's no such thing as good timing..
I'm just thankful it blew in the parking lot at home rather than on my way to Rocket Radio tonight.

[umalak_]

depending on what time you go to Denton on Tuesdays and Thursdays i might be able to give you a ride. where are you at? i go up there from Dallas at 8am and come back around 8pm.

[darki]

That's just life. It's the reason why you sock some cash away when things are good and all but forget about it. I call it the "Oh Shit Fund".

[darki]

PS - It's also nice to have some friends that can do car or home repair. Nothing beats getting your shit fixed for the price of parts, some beer, pizza, and hanging with your budz all day. Plus they'll usually teach you a little bit too. I've got knowledge on everything from replacing a water pump to installing ceramic tile to wiring up a home surveillance network all from my friends dropping some knowledge. You're popular. I'm sure at least one of your friends can help fix the ol' car.

[cyberina]

Originally Posted by umalak_

depending on what time you go to Denton on Tuesdays and Thursdays i might be able to give you a ride. where are you at? i go up there from Dallas at 8am and come back around 8pm.

Lessee.. Tuesdays / Thursdays I have class from 9:30 - 3:50... 8p isn't an issue.. I'm studying for a few hours anyway.. It does run into issues with my work schedule, but I'm positive my boss would be okay with just not scheduling me on those days until I get my car working again.

You go to UNT, right? I go to TWU..
If I have to go the route of ride bumming for a bit, we need to take two different schools into consideration on drive times.. Tdub is about 5 minutes away from UNT..

I may not need it.. It might just be the water pump. If its anything more serious, I'll probably be needing help for a little while.

THANKFULLY, there is a direct bus between my apartment and my job, and everyone I work with lives within 3 miles of me, so there are no issues there..

Originally Posted by darki

That's just life. It's the reason why you sock some cash away when things are good and all but forget about it. I call it the "Oh Shit Fund".

PS - It's also nice to have some friends that can do car or home repair. Nothing beats getting your shit fixed for the price of parts, some beer, pizza, and hanging with your budz all day. Plus they'll usually teach you a little bit too. I've got knowledge on everything from replacing a water pump to installing ceramic tile to wiring up a home surveillance network all from my friends dropping some knowledge. You're popular. I'm sure at least one of your friends can help fix the ol' car.

Yeah, I had a stash going this summer, but it all got exhausted on textbooks about a month ago and it hasn't really rebuilt into anything considerable just yet.

I don't know about that whole "popularity" bit.. Infamous maybe

But yes, its nice to have friends... Despite absolutely no significant mechanical knowledge, my boyfriend is a carpenter that does remodelling for a living.. Not to mention, I helped my parents build their retirement home in Whitney, so I'm not entirely a novice at that myself.
When it comes to cars, though.. I just don't have the physical strength necessary. Last week, I got a flat tire, and couldn't get the lugnuts off by myself so I had to limp it to an air station, fill it up, and rush to a tire shop before it leaked out all of the air. I change a mean fuse or headlight, though

I only have one friend that I am aware of that works on cars. He was willing to help me for the trade of a sofa I have in storage that he is fond of, but...... he also happens to be an exboyfriend... Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

So now, my guys' boss is coming over with tools on Sunday to teach my guy how to change out the water pump and my oil while they're at it.

[darki]

Originally Posted by cyberina

I only have one friend that I am aware of that works on cars. He was willing to help me for the trade of a sofa I have in storage that he is fond of, but...... he also happens to be an exboyfriend... Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

So now, my guys' boss is coming over with tools on Sunday to teach my guy how to change out the water pump and my oil while they're at it.

Buy lots of beer. A water pump is an all day thing. It takes about 45 minutes to actually remove and install the water pump, but you usually have to remove several other parts to get to the thing. Then re tension the belt (and if they're doing all this, go ahead and replace this too!), then put everything else back on. Hell, might as well get them to change the plugs and wires too. That won't take more than another 30ish minutes. Add in a new air filter, check the fluid levels, and fill up the windshield washer - I'd call that a tune up. Your boyfriend is going to learn a lot and you should hang around them to learn a bit too. The only terrible thing about this is working under that hood in the humid, Texas heat.

PS - Good call on the ex. Any favors from a former s/o will get complicated and messy.

PSS - While you're up at Auto Zone or where ever getting shit to fix you car, look into a breaker bar. It'll help you take the lug nuts off next time you have a flat. As long as you've got the right size socket on there you can pretty much kick the shit out of it to start the lugs off. Trust me. I've stomped on one many times. While cussing. Or you could just call any of your male friends. Even if we don't know how to change a tire, we'll never admit it to a girl and eventually get the job done.

PSSS - You'd be a real sweetheart if you took a big fan outside to blow on them while they work. We've got some "Vornado" fans here to use while working on cars and OMG they're a lifesaver.

[cyberina]

Welp.. My boyfriends boss finally got here at like 5:30p Sunday night.. He didn't even look at it from the underside, just hung his head over and listened and looked around a bit. He was trying to tell me it was either the a/c compressor or I jacked my engine.

whatEVER!

I wound up towing it to my mechanic's, who promptly told me that my personal assessment was correct.. The pump is out.

That's a lot of labor cost for a $10 part Literally 2 weeks' salary to pay for it. Right at rent time. Great. Gettin' it figured out, though.. Been picking up bits of extra work, and calling in a few loans..

Got a classmate who lives 4 blocks away who can help hussle me to school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and my guy has a coworker that lives like a mile away so I think we'll get buy on one car heading two totally opposite directions.

I hate being poor, but the whole reason I trek to Denton like this is to ensure that's just a temporary state of being..

Thx for all of the advice!!!!!

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by cyberina

Why is it that your car is most likely to explode when you have the fewest resources to deal with it?

Cyberina

Because if you had the resources you wouldn't be driving such a pile of shit in the first place

[Daryl]

Originally Posted by xian

Because if you had the resources you wouldn't be driving such a pile of shit in the first place

Be nice!

(or at least nicer than I have been lately, )

[cyberina]

Originally Posted by xian

Because if you had the resources you wouldn't be driving such a pile of shit in the first place

I miss my Acura.. Stolen.. :/

While I'll say nothing in defense of its ?style?, my car is rather reliable.. This is the first time I've had to put it in the shop in a year despite the 100+ mile days I put it through.

I also miss full time jobs, but I'd rather scrape hardcore for 4 years and walk away with no student debt than owe a ton or be in school till I'm grey..

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by cyberina

I miss my Acura.. Stolen.. :/

While I'll say nothing in defense of its ?style?, my car is rather reliable.. This is the first time I've had to put it in the shop in a year despite the 100+ mile days I put it through.

I also miss full time jobs, but I'd rather scrape hardcore for 4 years and walk away with no student debt than owe a ton or be in school till I'm grey..

Wasn't making a value judgment - just an observation of fact.

I've got great respect for people who bust their ass to pay for school.