My wife's minivan was perfect on the tesg drive last night. New struts, drivers side axle.
Axle came out of the trans on her way to work this morning. Ugly noises, no forward momentum, fluid everywhere.
Couple crackheads pushed it unto a parking lot for $10 while she waited on me to get there.
I swear the axle was seated. And it had the circlip on.
Ill deal with it after work. Hopefully my berkeleyup didn't trash the trans.
In order to volunteer for things at my kids' school, we have to go through this stupid program that involves going to a two or three hour presentation and then "reading" these monthly bulletins from them. By reading, of course, I mean that I just scroll down to the quiz at the bottom and randomly click answers until it's right. I don't think I have ever actually read a single word on the page in the last 12 years or whatever. They also want to do a background check every 5 years. And they want me to pay for it.
Now, I'm willing to jump through the hoops, not because I think it makes even the slightest bit of difference, but I've been raised to believe that help is defined as doing what someone else needs you to do, doing it when they need you to do it, and doing it the way they want it done. So fine. I'll jump through your hoops. And the $25 for the background check wouldn't even bother me if they would take the time to say "Hey, we really appreciate everything you do for us and we, literally, couldn't run the school or the parish without the volunteer labor. To whatever whatever whatever it's for the children whatever, we have to run background checks on all our staff and volunteers every five years and we've done what we can to keep the costs down as low as possible. If paying for the background check isn't something that you can do right now, we understand - please just let us know and we'll get you a token so that we can get that done. We know that you already do so much for us, but if you can help us keep our costs down so we can better serve our children and neighbors, we would greatly appreciate it if you could provide your credit card information to the background check company to cover the cost. If your finances are such that you can help someone else out, we will use any funds that you give us above that $25 to pay for background checks for those that need it." Or, hell, just put an extra $10 into the fees we pay every year and let that cover it.
But no. It's just an email that says "Thank you for your continued support of our parishes and schools. In our diligence toward a safe environment for our children and youth, we require that a background check be completed every five (5) years. Please click on the below link to log into your VIRTUS account to complete your background check." And when you go there it just starts asking for a credit card number.
What bothers and insults me about it is just the presumption. You're standing there holding the tunic I've given you but before I can offer, you're demanding my cloak.
Do you have the part in stock?
Yes, it's $800.
Great! I need it shipped next day air early am.
Thought bubble---My customer going to be happy about this---
OK we'll ship it.
--------The next day------------
Where is my part, it was supposed to be here this morning.
The part failed testing, we will have to build another and ship it on the 30th.
Thought bubble---Why are they testing parts when they ship instead of when they manufacture them? That seems stupid. And why am I having to call them to find out this information? ---
Bangs head on desk before calling customer to explain why the part they need won't be here until the end of the month, instead of today like I told them it would.
Moral of the story: No matter how hard you try, there is always someone ready, willing, and able to berkeley up your plans for the day.
In reply to Toyman! :
I know that guy.
He's me.
Everything on this damn garage is costing more then I expected. I am not sure how I am actually going to finish it.
In reply to CAinCA :
Could you make one? cut off the open end of a 21mm combo wrench and weld on the end of a 1/2" drive socket??
CAinCA said:I need a 21mm 1/2" drive crow foot wrench . I couldn't find one anywhere nearby. I finally ordered one from Amazon on Saturday. On Monday I got a notice that it was running late so I decided to order another just in case. The first one still hasn't shown up and now the second one is running late too. I hope that one of them shows up by Sunday.
Well, E36 M3! Now the second wrench I ordered is running late. I ordered a THIRD one last night. So far that one is on time but I'm not holding out hope this it will actually arrive..
jfryjfry said:In reply to CAinCA :
Could you make one? cut off the open end of a 21mm combo wrench and weld on the end of a 1/2" drive socket??
At the rate things are going I might have to.
Got up this morning and pulled the cover off the latch system for the E46's convertible top, and quickly figured out that what I feared was the case was indeed the situation- both latch mechanisms are at least partially broken, and the gear drive for them appears to also be broken. This is sadly apparently not very uncommon- there are plastic parts on the latch mechanisms that are known weak points and the drive gear is also plastic and prone to failing.
It's still fairly early, so I check several of the nearest (read: an hour away) junkyards and find that one appears to have 2 E46 convertibles. Pack up what I'll need (far less than a usual junkyard run since I'm only after these parts) and drive the hour and 15 minutes to Louisville. Get to the first place that should have 2... only have one and are no longer showing the 2nd on the list (I asked when I left, and they said they crushed a row of cars earlier in the morning so it was likely one of them). And the one that is there a) is missing the latch drive motor & gear drive and b) both latches are broken in the same way as mine.
Head to the other larger yard in the area- they don't list details or pictures for most of the cars, but have like a dozen 3-series on in the yard. Get the printout of them and head out- not a single ragtop in the lot. Get back out to the Infiniti and look up and the other lot in the area doesn't have any either (nor does their larger facility up near Cinci- they've got an E36 convertible, but I don't think that would work). So I wasted like 3-4 hours, a tank of gas, and $4 on entry fees for nothing, and have to spend the $80 or so to order parts to replace/repair it. Which if I'd have known they didn't have the cars in the first place I would have done and had the day to work on other things...
Only interesting thing to come out of the experience was I saw an FC in the first lot, which I've not seen in quite a while...
In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :
What kind of shape was the e36 vert in? Kinda far away but....
This is a really minor gripe, but:
My mom over a year ago, promised me to help with buying a home and going to school full time, saying that she'd help pay my mortgage so I could go part-time if needed to focus on my nursing degree. I planned to work just in case that she didn't uphold her end of the bargain, and it turns out I was right in doing so; she just forgot and I have paid my way, full time school and full time work for over a year.
Now because of a car accident I have a car payment again, and she's agreed again to help me with bills; but I can't shake the fact, that already my trust to that degree isn't what I'd like. Like it's the biggest bitch-boy gripe that I'm not getting enough free money, but at the same time... I'm your son and we've been through a lot, mom! If you can't remember or just can't do it period, let me know! It hurts that I have to plan for you to not uphold your end of the deal.
Today I dropped two hydrostatic pumps and motors in the scrap trailer.
I know I will end up regretting that decision.
I really want to go dig them out and stick them back in the shop.
Must resist.
Well my range hood just E36 M3 the bed. Home ownership is great.
In reply to 93EXCivic :
The list is forever changing.
But it never reduces in size.
In reply to 93EXCivic :
With homeownership you're either paying yourself to fix it or paying the contractor of your choice at the price point you choose.
With renting you're paying the landlord top dollar to pay some hack bottom dollar to fix it.
And sooner or later with homeownership, your rent goes away.
We have two young kids and a lot of stuff in a small apartment. It takes a lot of work to keep things together. I have zero issue doing my part. I have zero issue working into the night to get a particular job finished. Laundry piles up and it's gonna take until ten to finish. I don't care. Floors are covered in toys, clothes and dirt. I'll clean the toys up, and sweep/vacuum/mop. I don't mind dishes. I don't mind trash. What I can't stand is when she tears the place apart to unnecessarily reorganize the pantry, then tears the kids room apart to reorganize where the beds and dresser are, the tears apart our room to start organizing for a yard sale and the bed is covered with boxes and bags. Absolutely demolished the place. Fine. All this stuff needs done. But don't holler at me when I wade into the fray to help clean the place. I refuse to live like this. When I try to help I get in trouble because somehow im the bad guy for wanting to be able to walk through the place. And it's constant. The house gets this way at least twice a month. Then I'm the bad guy for asking her to stay on one task until it's done. The clincher is when we have company. She'll take the kids out to let me clean the place because "I just can't get it done as fast as you". I don't mind the work. I signed up for it. Let me help.
Woohoo, brake lines blew on the excursion.
In reply to barefootcyborg5000 :
I completely understand that. I steadfastly refuse to get involved, though. She will decide to organize the linen closet, for example, get it about 90% complete, and then leave it. If I ask about the stuff that's been left lying in piles on the floor, I get the big exasperated sigh and the "well, I guess I'll just drop what I'm doing and go deal with that". Nevermind that it has been piled up between our bedroom door and the stairs as a literal trip hazard for five days. But I'm the shiny happy person because I asked if I should put it away or what. So now I just clean around it and refuse to touch it.
In reply to barefootcyborg5000 :
Sounds like you and wae & I are married to the same woman.
Motherberkeleyer... I asked if we needed a pass to get in to the dock. They said no. So I got here an hour early so we could load right away. And of course we need a dock pass which no one has.... So that was a total waste and everybody lined up behind us is going to fill the dock.
In reply to wae :
I can't deal with it. I don't mind a project in progress. I don't mind a mess (I have a 6 and 3yo). I don't mind breaks, or even finishing tomorrow or when time allows. But if I can't walk through the place I lose my E36 M3. I honestly wish there was a way for me to call in osha and enforce that all walkways be wheelchair accessible. Not that I'm a fan of osha.
I go out to start the corolla today because I'm going to take it shopping instead of the pickup we are trying to sell. Why am I going shopping? Daughter wants to. No need and its 15 miles each way. Car won't start. Actually it will and then dies after two to 5 seconds. Guess we'll take the truck after all. I pop the hood suspecting the battery. It turns 7 years old in november. It's the battery. I haven't started or driven the car in about 3 weeks. Go shopping, get back two hours later, use chinese battery tester, confirm bad battery. Shop batteries on the internet. decide on autozone. Buy battery, install it, all is well. I've now replaced the batteries in every single vehicle in my household except one in the past year. The only one I have't replaced is the one in my bike and it's only two years old and strong. So 4 batteries in the past year. Looking forward to not replacing them again for another 5 years. Has anyone else noticed the price of batteries lately? I cringe to think of how much they will be in 5 years.
In reply to gunner (Forum Supporter) :
Costco sells Interstate Batteries - sign said $85? Definitely getting it there when the time comes.
Stop in and with tax it's like $175 for my Silverado? What about 85? The truck takes a big battery.
In reply to chandler :
I didn't go to the Cinci lot to see it in person, and their site isn't set up to link directly to a specific car that I can find, but it's Bessler's Hebron location (upullandsave.com)- if you search for 3-series there it comes up and you can see the three pictures they took when they put it out. At least when it went out it looks to be in decent shape and fairly complete, no telling what is left after being out there a month...
Duke said:In reply to 93EXCivic :
With homeownership you're either paying yourself to fix it or paying the contractor of your choice at the price point you choose.
With renting you're paying the landlord top dollar to pay some hack bottom dollar to fix it.
And sooner or later with homeownership, your rent goes away.
True. Doesn't mean I can't bitch about it. Lol.
Turns out that it just threw a breaker but I assumed it would be wired to circuit with the rest of the kitchen. No it is on the same circuit as the outlets in the living room.
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