...but not soon enough.
Hell, it could have ended at around 10:00 this morning if you ask me.
A while back, I mentioned the car photographer D. loaned me. Well, thanks to his taking off (kicking and screaming, as usual) for his annual month in Italy, during which time he blows most of a year's income, I still have the car.
Not that I'm complaining, you understand. It was kind of him to answer my call for wheels when I was in need, but the stupid thing broke a mount for the exhaust system, and it's making a hell of a racket.
So I whisked it off to a muffler shop, where I was told the system is shot and needs a full replacement. Not true, by the way, but the guy didn't want to tackle the Alfa's muffler, and so racked up the price considerably.
PARENTHETICAL GIVE-ME-THE-ESTIMATE-PLEASE THOUGHT: When you come right down to it, the car needs new u-joints, shocks, engine and transmission mounts, four matching tires, a good tune-up and other items I haven't identified yet. It will never get them. D. doesn't do that kind of stuff. If I had the coin to get all the problems cleaned up (and I would, if I could), he probably wouldn't notice.
Some clever engineering work by yours truly with a couple of coat hangers (a skill I learned from my first car, which dropped mufflers like seagulls drop...ummmmm, you know...) got me past that temporarily.
And then, on the way to Trader Joe's on a damn hot (95 degrees) mid-morning I discovered that the little knob marked with a blue snowflake doesn't do a damn thing.
I've been spoiled by new cars, I guess.
The rest of the day, from buying gas at $4.07/gallon to other irritants, made me long for an end to Monday. I could do without all Mondays, but this one seemed to be worse than many.
At least I don't have to report for jury duty tomorrow. Which is good for all defendants scheduled for trial at the local courthouse.
8 comments:
I used to use stovepipe wire. Easier to bend, more heat resistant, and not brittle like coat hanger wire. I could make it really tight.
That and some aluminum tape (the REAL duct tape) and I could patch just about anything...
$4.07? AAACK! I just last pumped gas 2 days ago, and it was bad enough @ $3.79 (granted, that was the cheapest gas station in the county). I dread my next "visit."
That's great that you were able to pull the coathanger trick: I only knew about using them to jimmy open the door lock (and as armature 4 making dolls, LOL!).
HAH! I had to use coat hangers on my first VW because the muffler just didn't want to stay put.
Yeah, gas is getting pretty shitty. Now we know how the Europeans have been feeling for decades.
Not many people name kids "Monday", must be a reason. Maybe the name Tuesday caught on out of relief that Monday was over.
We didn't have stove pipe wire that I know of in Miami. I've done the coat hanger trick many times, for that and other things.
John0
Well holy cow Net is Red Green!!!! (a dude on canadian tv who fixes EVERYTHING with duct tape..he will know who i am talking about.)
Are you sure your not driving MY car? Is it a Sunfire? lol. I have been since Saturday out in my driveway replacing a clutch on the b***h. A hydralic clutch!!!!!! You should see what DOT3 fliud does to the hands and nails...sigh. Good luck, my friend. *hugs*LL
Older cars always seem to be remembered more pleasantly than they deserve. Ahh...the romance of driving an Alfa Romeo. Real world...nothing works.
I paid $3.79 yesterday for Super Unlead. I was not amused.
Hope you have a better tomorrow.
S
Nothing like an old car. Nothing like being married to a guy who fixes cars for a living. Nothing like trying to remember what he said about getting it started and where he put the battery charger. I don't think I miss rolling the car down the hill and popping the clutch to get it started. LOL
Roz
yup its over £2 a gallon here. thank goodness i use the converse express.
<3
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