(no subject)
Ok, long post ahead...
Hmmmmm... where to start. Nathan and I were coming back from a DCI contest over in Spain Park HS. My car started running hot. The needle didn't point to H, but it usually runs forever on C. Anyway, I pull over at a gas station and bought some coolant b/c my coolant tank was empty. We drove on and the car never cooled down. After riding w/ the windows down and the heat on (venting the engine), I knew something was amiss.
The next evening, I was going to pick up my date and we were headed to the bowling alley. On the way to her house, the car heated up really quickly. I pulled over to check on it and as I got to the shoulder of the road, the car died. I fought the power steering (or lack of) to get it straight. Then, I popped the hood and my fears were realized, the coolant was still there. Plus, there was steam from the block. I knew instantly that it was dead. Mom came to get me and we had it towed.
Then, the bad news comes. The main gasket blew. And, without the main gasket, they can't even crank the car so they have no clue as to what caused the engine to heat up in the first place. The cost of fixing the gasket? It's to the tune of $1000 to 1500. Aaahhh sounds like a beginning class of suzuki strings tuning up. Anyway, then the kicker comes. The shop is so backed up, it may take them two weeks to replace the gasket and fix whatever caused the car to heat up. Ah, sounds like the C# minor warmups.
Now, without my car, I am still insured on Nathan's (my brother's) car. Except that his car was heating up about the same time mine did. For all we know, his could be headed for meltdown too. I took it by the shop today and they can't even examine it until Mon. at the earliest. They told me not to drive it any more than absolutely necessary.
So last night, I was chewed out by my dad for letting it run hot without checking it and he wouldn't calm down enough to let me explain that the needle was off and I didn't know it was as hot as it was. This morning, he calls Nathan and yells at him for not taking his car to the shop to have it checked on at 8am. Nathan had just worked a full night at WM then stayed awake long enough to take it to Express and get a much needed oil change (it's a miracle it worked up to now). So Nathan risked falling asleep at the wheel trying to stay awake long enough to get to the shop.
Later this morning, at 9 (which is like my version of 3am b/c I work a late shift), I am woken by a call from my dad. He proceeds to yell at me over the phone so loudly that I have to hold it away from my ear. He wants to know why I didn't go at 8am and check on my car (when I had already told them to go ahead and fix the gasket). Then, he proceeds to threaten me by saying he will take back the cars unless he hears from me in 2 hours. I drag out of bed half asleep and drive Nathan's car to the shop. That's when I find out the news (see above). I call dad and my cell phone dies. That leaves me with the only option of bringing the car home and parking it here.
Then, a more amiable dad (he had time to think about yelling at us) meets us for lunch. I kept fighting the notion to fall asleep on the table and Nathan fought the notion to fall asleep on my shoulder. Maybe now dad can get it through his thick skull that we can only do so much before/after work.
Work was the normal pain, my Ass. Manager continues to treat me like I don't know what's going on when I've worked at the store for 3+ years more than he has and the section 1+ more years.
So where am I now? I feel like I'm being grounded at 21. my personal life is kaput. My money for school (everything I've earned this summer up to now) will be all but drained by the car. I'm down to driving a timebomb and/or getting rides from people. I'm trying to believe God will provide, but having a hard time seeing it. I'm struggling to be the cheerful person I am normally when I really feel like not taking any *#$& from anyone.
I'll probably just start selling my body so I can go to college. Anyone know any takers?
Hmmmmm... where to start. Nathan and I were coming back from a DCI contest over in Spain Park HS. My car started running hot. The needle didn't point to H, but it usually runs forever on C. Anyway, I pull over at a gas station and bought some coolant b/c my coolant tank was empty. We drove on and the car never cooled down. After riding w/ the windows down and the heat on (venting the engine), I knew something was amiss.
The next evening, I was going to pick up my date and we were headed to the bowling alley. On the way to her house, the car heated up really quickly. I pulled over to check on it and as I got to the shoulder of the road, the car died. I fought the power steering (or lack of) to get it straight. Then, I popped the hood and my fears were realized, the coolant was still there. Plus, there was steam from the block. I knew instantly that it was dead. Mom came to get me and we had it towed.
Then, the bad news comes. The main gasket blew. And, without the main gasket, they can't even crank the car so they have no clue as to what caused the engine to heat up in the first place. The cost of fixing the gasket? It's to the tune of $1000 to 1500. Aaahhh sounds like a beginning class of suzuki strings tuning up. Anyway, then the kicker comes. The shop is so backed up, it may take them two weeks to replace the gasket and fix whatever caused the car to heat up. Ah, sounds like the C# minor warmups.
Now, without my car, I am still insured on Nathan's (my brother's) car. Except that his car was heating up about the same time mine did. For all we know, his could be headed for meltdown too. I took it by the shop today and they can't even examine it until Mon. at the earliest. They told me not to drive it any more than absolutely necessary.
So last night, I was chewed out by my dad for letting it run hot without checking it and he wouldn't calm down enough to let me explain that the needle was off and I didn't know it was as hot as it was. This morning, he calls Nathan and yells at him for not taking his car to the shop to have it checked on at 8am. Nathan had just worked a full night at WM then stayed awake long enough to take it to Express and get a much needed oil change (it's a miracle it worked up to now). So Nathan risked falling asleep at the wheel trying to stay awake long enough to get to the shop.
Later this morning, at 9 (which is like my version of 3am b/c I work a late shift), I am woken by a call from my dad. He proceeds to yell at me over the phone so loudly that I have to hold it away from my ear. He wants to know why I didn't go at 8am and check on my car (when I had already told them to go ahead and fix the gasket). Then, he proceeds to threaten me by saying he will take back the cars unless he hears from me in 2 hours. I drag out of bed half asleep and drive Nathan's car to the shop. That's when I find out the news (see above). I call dad and my cell phone dies. That leaves me with the only option of bringing the car home and parking it here.
Then, a more amiable dad (he had time to think about yelling at us) meets us for lunch. I kept fighting the notion to fall asleep on the table and Nathan fought the notion to fall asleep on my shoulder. Maybe now dad can get it through his thick skull that we can only do so much before/after work.
Work was the normal pain, my Ass. Manager continues to treat me like I don't know what's going on when I've worked at the store for 3+ years more than he has and the section 1+ more years.
So where am I now? I feel like I'm being grounded at 21. my personal life is kaput. My money for school (everything I've earned this summer up to now) will be all but drained by the car. I'm down to driving a timebomb and/or getting rides from people. I'm trying to believe God will provide, but having a hard time seeing it. I'm struggling to be the cheerful person I am normally when I really feel like not taking any *#$& from anyone.
I'll probably just start selling my body so I can go to college. Anyone know any takers?