September 01, 2006
Fateful Days part II:
Today was no better than tuesday. I think it was just slower paced and very uncomfortable, physically and mentally. The truck is still broken down, and I am more frustrated, not by that, but by the combination of rain, an unsucessful parking lot truck repair, the following towing charge, and a lack of emotional support from anyone, whether or not the truck breakdown had happened. The vehicle breaking down just helps to highlight that.
My Father is unwilling to use the auto insurance loophole that, according to the company, "as long as your son only drives the car occasionally, with your permission, he is insured and does not have to be added to the policy." My Father acts as though the insurance company is "Big Brother", watching us all the time, and he is very unwilling to allow me to use it even in this occasion of automotive hardship.
So I rounded up my wrench set and went to the auto parts store first, on my scooter in the rain. Not too wet yet. Than when I went to change the fuel filter, in hopes that it was the culprit, since I had determined via starting fluid, that it was a fuel supply issue. Not only a big headache to change, but with how hard the rain was coming down, I may as well have just jumped in a swimming pool with all my clothes on. After lots of neck strain, raindrops in the eyes, and gas in the hair, I finally got it done, and Presto!, it still didn't start. Then, soaking, I proceeded to scoot to Ace Hardware for a bottle of "Heet", fuel system water remover. The A/C in there, combined with my state of wetness about chilled me to the bone. Got back, poured it in, shook the truck around so as to mix it with the fuel, and still nothing but "Crank, crank, crank, crank, crank." Still soaking, I ride all the way to the nearest State Employees Credit Union, clear across town. Air conditioning killing me again, I told Ron, my favorite teller and resident jokester, that he shall adress me as "his wetness." I'm still shining a glint of humor through the misery at this point, keeping in mind that what I then classified as misery, people in torture chambers would do anything to have instead. I cash my check, ride back, and call a tow truck to take my truck back to my house for me to work on. I ride home to meet him, and take my first hot shower in a long time, as in the heat and humidity, I've preferred lukewarm for a while now. I pay my $65 fee, and call in to school to explain why I'll be late. I ride quickly in my new dry clothing through a lighter rainfall this time, to my parents' house to borrow the car.
School was fine, I did my second day of MIG welding, which I prefer very much to stick as I explained in my last blog. Another cool thing I realized about it this time is how to adjust wire feed settings and amperage to help me out. Last time I just went with the settiungs they gave me, but let me say my welds were much prettier this time after playing around with the machine's settings. Another nice thing was being able to drive a smoothly acelerating newer car down the highway without the fear of it falling to pieces.
I got back into town and did $20 worth of grocery shopping. Then I went back to parents' house to drop the car off, and talked to Dad for a while about him possibly helping me out replacing the fuel pump tomorrow. I headed home on the scooter.
When I got home, I saw my brother's bike locked to the porch. "Great!" I thought, "He'll cheer me up, I just know it." Well, I put my groceries away, and looked around, and he was downstairs in Mike's room. I go in, and I see him, Steve, and Mike, and Mike says something to the effect of I can't stay because of my drunken episode where I apparently talked shit and knocked over a beer. Well, I am guilty of that charge, but I am also very pissed off at this point, not at him, but just the situation. Coming home in need of moral support, seeing that my Bro, Jesse is there, and then getting the cold shoulder. He barely said as much as hello to me. So all that piling up on me at that moment, I left rather abruptly. When asked how school was, I just told him I'd tell him about it in a room I was allowed to be in, and walked out. There are other things that I can't mention here that factor in to why coming home to this scene deeply troubles me.
So there you have it. Hardship is good for you. Hey, at least I can afford to EAT!
Fateful Days part II:
Today was no better than tuesday. I think it was just slower paced and very uncomfortable, physically and mentally. The truck is still broken down, and I am more frustrated, not by that, but by the combination of rain, an unsucessful parking lot truck repair, the following towing charge, and a lack of emotional support from anyone, whether or not the truck breakdown had happened. The vehicle breaking down just helps to highlight that.
My Father is unwilling to use the auto insurance loophole that, according to the company, "as long as your son only drives the car occasionally, with your permission, he is insured and does not have to be added to the policy." My Father acts as though the insurance company is "Big Brother", watching us all the time, and he is very unwilling to allow me to use it even in this occasion of automotive hardship.
So I rounded up my wrench set and went to the auto parts store first, on my scooter in the rain. Not too wet yet. Than when I went to change the fuel filter, in hopes that it was the culprit, since I had determined via starting fluid, that it was a fuel supply issue. Not only a big headache to change, but with how hard the rain was coming down, I may as well have just jumped in a swimming pool with all my clothes on. After lots of neck strain, raindrops in the eyes, and gas in the hair, I finally got it done, and Presto!, it still didn't start. Then, soaking, I proceeded to scoot to Ace Hardware for a bottle of "Heet", fuel system water remover. The A/C in there, combined with my state of wetness about chilled me to the bone. Got back, poured it in, shook the truck around so as to mix it with the fuel, and still nothing but "Crank, crank, crank, crank, crank." Still soaking, I ride all the way to the nearest State Employees Credit Union, clear across town. Air conditioning killing me again, I told Ron, my favorite teller and resident jokester, that he shall adress me as "his wetness." I'm still shining a glint of humor through the misery at this point, keeping in mind that what I then classified as misery, people in torture chambers would do anything to have instead. I cash my check, ride back, and call a tow truck to take my truck back to my house for me to work on. I ride home to meet him, and take my first hot shower in a long time, as in the heat and humidity, I've preferred lukewarm for a while now. I pay my $65 fee, and call in to school to explain why I'll be late. I ride quickly in my new dry clothing through a lighter rainfall this time, to my parents' house to borrow the car.
School was fine, I did my second day of MIG welding, which I prefer very much to stick as I explained in my last blog. Another cool thing I realized about it this time is how to adjust wire feed settings and amperage to help me out. Last time I just went with the settiungs they gave me, but let me say my welds were much prettier this time after playing around with the machine's settings. Another nice thing was being able to drive a smoothly acelerating newer car down the highway without the fear of it falling to pieces.
I got back into town and did $20 worth of grocery shopping. Then I went back to parents' house to drop the car off, and talked to Dad for a while about him possibly helping me out replacing the fuel pump tomorrow. I headed home on the scooter.
When I got home, I saw my brother's bike locked to the porch. "Great!" I thought, "He'll cheer me up, I just know it." Well, I put my groceries away, and looked around, and he was downstairs in Mike's room. I go in, and I see him, Steve, and Mike, and Mike says something to the effect of I can't stay because of my drunken episode where I apparently talked shit and knocked over a beer. Well, I am guilty of that charge, but I am also very pissed off at this point, not at him, but just the situation. Coming home in need of moral support, seeing that my Bro, Jesse is there, and then getting the cold shoulder. He barely said as much as hello to me. So all that piling up on me at that moment, I left rather abruptly. When asked how school was, I just told him I'd tell him about it in a room I was allowed to be in, and walked out. There are other things that I can't mention here that factor in to why coming home to this scene deeply troubles me.
So there you have it. Hardship is good for you. Hey, at least I can afford to EAT!