2021-08-17 — Ugh

Feel like I’ve slid 100 miles. Was back to angry and frustrated today–patience being an almost unknown quality.

I’m struggling. A lot.

Things why sideways again and again today, and I had nothing left in the tank and just… tantrummed.

Multiple times.

Again and again and again.

😕

I’m realizing I’m not who I hoped I was. Not that I’m bad or anything. I’m not. It’s just… I’ve realized I don’t have the strength of character I thought I had, hoped I had. I’m so much weaker than I’d hoped, and that’s why I’m still stuck where I’m at. That’s why I get paralyzed.

So far to go.

I’m tired. 11:29. 7 cars, and before doing any of them, I was grateful that I was able to find the bolt I lost on Saturday on a car at a junkyard I’ve never been to before. So, at least I’m prepared for that tomorrow.

as far as today was concerned, after going to the junkyard and getting that bolt, I did a battery job in a 2014 Escape Ecoboost (was really frustrating changing the battery. Battery location is crazy, and the beauty covers are nearly impossible to get back on. I spent probably 20 minutes just trying to get the battery covers back in place. It’s so ridiculous. Modern designs just gotten so.. ridiculous.

Second car was a 2007 Mitsubishi Endeavor that wouldn’t start. It needed a starter, and by all accounts, it’s a pretty darn easy starter to change. However, the new starter wasn’t the same shape as the old one, so the heat shield that’s supposed to bolt to the starter to protect it from the exhaust manifold that is right next to it, wouldn’t fit on the new starter, so I spent probably 45 minutes or so trying to get some way to fasten the heat shield to the starter. Fortunately after about 30 minutes, I was able to find a way to at least secure it for the most part. Hopefully it will be okay. So ridiculous. So so ridiculous.

Again, I’m falling asleep while riding this, and apparently I’ve got a pretty negative attitude right now, so I apologize for the negativity.

Third car was a 1997 Ford explorer that was a crank no start and died while driving. The engine had zero compression, so I’m guessing it had a timing chain jump while she was driving. Unfortunately, that’s going to be a really really expensive fix, and a fix that’s not worth it on a car that’s that old that also has other issues.

The fourth car was a 2011 Kia Optima 2.4 that had supposedly been tested by a parts store and diagnosed as a bad alternator. When I got there, I found that the alternator was barely even hanging on in the car. The upper bolt had come out probably 3 in or more, and the resultant imbalance and looseness had caused so much force that the lower bolt had broken itself away from the bracket. So the alternator bracket itself is now broken, which is going to be sort of a big deal, as two idler police, one tensioner, and the alternator all bolt to that bracket. I will get that bracket ordered in tomorrow, and I guess we’ll probably plan on fixing it sometime this weekend or so.

Fifth car was a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee that wouldn’t start the turned out to have really bad battery cable connections and a bad battery. I spent a good while at the vehicle, and had a great conversation with the boyfriend of the car owner. We talked all about politics and principles of economics and whatnot. Good conversation. Good kid. It ended up needing a battery as well, but his was under warranty, so even though he was saying that maybe he wanted to buy a battery for me so that it was just easier, I convinced him to save the $150 and just go get the battery replaced under warranty.

Sixth car was a 2009 Honda Civic that had a misfire so bad that it was keeping the car from starting. I managed to get over there in time to help her, as she was stranded at the AutoZone on Martin Luther King boulevard in fayetteville. She just needed an ignition coil for cylinder 3, so I replaced that and got her on her way, so she did overheat on her way home. Not sure why she overheated, and that’s not related at all to either of the jobs I’ve done for her so far, the ignition switch, and now the ignition coil. The ignition coil issue is fixed, and I gave her the number of another Mobile Mechanic to help her with the overheat, as I won’t be in town again where she’s at probably for another two or three days.

7th car was a 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe 5.7 z71. It wouldn’t shift out of park, but I was able to get it to finally shift out of park and go everywhere it needed to go. It was a pain in the butt. A massive pain in the butt, but at least his vehicle is drivable, though it doesn’t have brake lights right now because the break switch is disconnected in order to get it to shift in to drive and whatnot. Most of the jobs I did today either require going back to finish up or had other jobs they wanted me to do, so I already have my next trip to Fayetteville pretty much planned with all of the stuff from these jobs that will be done. The Endeavor needed a valve cover gasket. The Tahoe needs the brakes which and possibly a brake switch connector. Etc.

Got gas after that last one and headed home. Been a rough rough day. Tired. Discouraged. Eyes closing on me while writing this.

Grateful to be going to bed. Grateful to have had Cory come visit. Still free of TV and movies, but unfortunately the anger has returned, so it doesn’t feel so great. Anyway, time to go to bed. Good night.

Lift the World.

~ stephen