You are currently browsing the monthly archive for April 2009.
So I blew a friggen headgasket on my beloved 2000 Nissan Xterra, and the cost of fixing it is half the cost of its worth. And I have basically that same amount left on the loan.
My options as presented to me thus far:
1. B/c it’s not showing any signs of this issue (long story how it was discovered), take it to a dealership, play dumb, and get into a different car. Rationale being that dealerships are spawns of the devil and have no worries about screwing over most people. Maybe so, but I have ethical discomfort with this option in the off-chance it would eventually land in the hands of a single mother with two young kids.
2. Sell to private buyer (prob. a mechanic) for cost of loan, start over in different car. Problem is most people wouldn’t want to do the shit-ton of work it will take to fix it, and will want a good deal. I need it to be fairly priced to break even.
3. Take it to dealership as is and go from there.
4. Find a couple thousand under my mattress and fix it. Viable option considering the brand is usually super-dependable and durable, and it’s supposed to be paid off in December. BUT, all parties queried brought up the risk of it happening again. Mechanic specifically mentioned this as worry (and yes, mechanic is friend-of-friend and trustworthy).
Help! Need thoughts and advice por favor. Ready.. go.
So my trusty beloved Xterra has something wrong with it, and a normally 20 minute trip just took 2.5 hours because of the number of times I had to pull over and wait for the engine to stop overheating. (Please cross fingers it’s something thermostaty and not a heater core or something, I don’t have an extra grand sitting around.)
The good news – and the point to this post – is that in that time period no less than FOUR people stopped to see if we needed help when I was pulled over. I’m sure in part it’s because I was chilling in the middle of a parking lot blowing dandelions with my two young kids, but it’s still nice to know complete strangers – one teenager, no less! – will offer to help.
Props to nice people.
1. Welcome, Spring. And thank you for bringing my migraines back. I won’t take drugs for childbirth, but I’ll pop pain relievers like Tic Tacs every year ’bout now. It’s a good thing I can wear hats to my job, b/c I don’t have a C-clamp big enough, and my Royals cap is the closest I can get to that feeling of wanting to squeeze my temples until my eyeballs pop out.
2. My friend Kyle shared this article about auties and degrees of savantism/genius, and though I read it observationally, it still reminded me of just how freaking proud I am of my little stinker. He’ll be six this weekend, and once again I’m amazed by how hard he works to learn and understand and adapt. Man I love that kid something fierce.
3. On principle I’m right-clicking the hell out of this PC currently. I work with Macs all day long, and sometimes their functionality totally blows.
4. Totally digging this song by Johan Johannsson (whose name still sounds as lame in another language as it would if I’d written the English version John Johnson) called Fordlandia. I would like to use it in a documentary someday. It’s a super long song, so give it a minute to build. So pretty.
5. Speaking of functionality, I saw one of those Easy Rider bikes today, and I legitimately don’t get why the handlebars are built like that. How does that not make your arms ache? I can’t imagine driving cross-country on one of those. What am I missing?
6. I have a sweet couple due in a month and I’m super excited. Births and the miracles within are incomparable, and I could use some rekindling of my faith in humanity lately.
And that’s all I can think of for now. I was going to launch into a been-brewing rant, but my head just simply hurts, and I don’t have the clarity I’ll need. Maybe I’ll try to come back later tonight.
Hope your worlds are well, friends. Feel free to respond to the random post with random thoughts; I’ve been missing a few of you lately. 😉
Get over.
Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over Get Over.
In other news, seriously, look at my halflings:
You know you wish you had the courage to eat ice cream with such abandon.
Lo (excitedly pointing): “Mommy, do you see him?”
Me: “Who, honey?”
Lo (gasping and peeking around the counter): “My friend Baredy.”
Me: “..Barry?”
Lo: “Yes! Right there!”
Me: “Barry White? That would be a feat..”
Lo: “No! It’s Barry Yellow! Hi Barry Yellow!”
Huzzah! 