2021-08-28 — Welcome to the Family. 🙃

So… I did it. 🙃

First time in my adult life that I’ve bought a car that I bought just… because I… wanted it. For me. Not because it was practical. Not because it was stupid cheap (although it was a really great price 😁). Not because it was reliable. Not because I could make a buck. I just… wanted it. 🙃

This particular model is one I’ve loved ever since I first saw it… I think on my mission way back in ’02 or ’03, or shortly thereafter?

It’s not a Lamborghini or a Lotus or a McLaren. It’s not even a C3 corvette, (which I’ve also always loved). It’s not rare. It wasn’t expensive (I paid only $3,000… [nice that one of my all-time favorite cars is so affordable]).

Paint’s a bit beat up. AC doesn’t work, and the hydraulics for the top don’t work, so the top has to be opened and closed manually.

I know, poor me. 😉

It’s got lots of places that need love, but she’s mine, and I’ll be keeping her for the foreseeable, I think. Want to meet her?

World, meet Samantha (tentative name. haven’t decided yet for sure) 😊. I might dye her hair. We’ll see.

Anyway, brought her home tonight after going to Landon’s wedding reception. 😊 She and I will do some bonding tomorrow. 😁

So… the day otherwise…

Things have been going slower still. Lots of calls, but lots I’m turning down, so I actually don’t have much at all on my schedule. That said, I did four cars today and totaled 6.5 billable hours, I think. First car was a 2016 Ford Focus that some aftermarket stuff he’d put on had issues, and he needed help fixing it–a transmission mount, an issue with the turbo charge pipe, etc. That was two hours.

The second car was actually the first, but I finished it after the second so it became the second.

Did you follow that?

Me neither.

Anyway, so I went back to the first car that became the second car because I needed a part for the first car that had to come in from another city, so helping the second car with the mount and turbo stuff made him the first car, since I finished it first.

Lost yet?

Me, too.

Just kidding.

Anyway, the next car I finished (which was supposed to be the first car) was a 2005 Ford F150 that a younger gentleman had driven from Texas overheating most of the way.

Oops.

Turned out to have a cracked radiator, so I replaced that for him once the part got in, and he was happy and can now get back to Texas tomorrow.

I went to look at, and then bought, my Z4 after the radiator job. I was hanging around town so I could be the first person to look at it after the owner got back in town from a trip or whatever it was. He got home an hour and a half early, which meant I got there an hour before the others were gonna look at it, and boom. I bought it, issues and all.

Third car was a pre-purchase inspection, that I spent four times longer looking at for my customer than I did looking at the car I just bought. They were really happy with everything I helped them see and learn about the car.

Fourth car was supposed to be an easy one, replacing the blinker lens assemblies on the side mirrors of another 2006 6.0 diesel truck (same year, same engine, different truck). Should have been easy, but there was some major manufacturing defects in the parts, and they just wouldn’t go on right.

He was happy with me at least, even though I wasn’t happy that it wasn’t just good to go. He’s actually just gonna buy two whole new mirror assemblies.

After that, I came home and went (late) to Landon’s wedding reception, spending a good amount of time there with everyone. Good stuff. Happy for them.

Shout out to my wonderful mother. She’s gone with me to pick up so many of the cars I’ve bought. Nearly all of them, and she did it again tonight. Drove Samantha home (she banged bottom a couple times coming up our… pristine, completely even dirt driveway. 🙃 And now here I am.

Hope y’all have had uplifting good days.

Loves.

Lift the World

~ stephen