More linkage wankery. This time I actually fixed both throttle and the kickdown cable so that the secondaries open all the way AND the kickdown collar is visible (after adjustment). As a result, Bug no longer shifts into second at 7 mph and 3rd between 15 and 25 in a slop that was rather worrysome ( Read more... )

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Nailed the Lyondell interview. Never had a panel interview but kept my cool, cited relevant examples, made 'em laugh, chained together my work experiences so they understood why I'd been flitting ( Read more... )

Just got done installing a Weber 32/36 carb on the 82 Corolla (3TC). Smog pump, gone. Header heat shield, gone. About 8 miles of vacuum lines and manifolds and solenoids, gone. Took about 8 hours so far...an hour to pull the old carb, two hours to scrape the damn original gasket away (seriously there was 30-year-old gasoline pooled in there), an ( Read more... )

The good: I have an interview with LyondellBasell on Monday. Out of a thousand candidates, I am one of ~20 to get this far. I have only had one interview where the job did not result--and that was for a poker dealer at a casino when I had no people skills. I also have another email requesting that I interview for a Reynolds & Reynolds data center ( Read more... )

Still stable out here. Rent paid on time, insurance wrangled out--for a payment of $200 THIS month, it drops to something like $50 NEXT month, nicely down from the $184 previously. I don't need comprehensive when I don't have a job ( Read more... )

Unemployment's been sorted and is coming in. Severance has been sorted and was spent on emergency Jez payment and overdue insurance. Expenses have been sorted (fucking finally) and are inbound. Repayment plans are ongoing--it's going to be a little while before I can halt the overall downward momentum and have enough left over to start paying ( Read more... )

That last 3K paycheck? Gone. Snaffled up to pay 'overpaid' overtime. The one ray of sunshine here is that the local HR rep says she was able to talk with payroll so that they will NOT come after me for the other ~3K ( Read more... )

The very short version: After uprooting my entire life and family, and compromising on housing, transportation, and company to make it work on a last-minute schedule change, and busting my balls every moment I was there, I got laid off after 4 days of work. Downsizing and mysterious 'performance' reasons that couldn't be clarified or substantiated ( Read more... )

Alive and in Texas. If you don't want to know the gory details, smile at the picture and hit page down a few times.


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