Well, I realized something. 🙃
My little journal here doubles as my work history for keeping track of what I’ve done and when just in case somehow I accidentally miss something in my normal record keeping. It’s been super useful in the past, so I guess maybe instead of just not posting anymore, I’m just not going to expect myself to post every day and feel like I’m letting myself and other people down if I don’t.
I’m just going to post when I post. If that turns out to be everyday, then we can have a party. If it turns out to be only a couple times a week, then I’m not going to stress about it.
So… There you go. 🙃
Without further ado, I guess I’ll give the summary for what’s going on lately with work and life since I’m here and ready.
So far, the two-day work week seems to be proceeding well. Friday was a little sketchier than I would have liked, as far as feeling like I was going to have a full day. One of the challenges with scheduling jobs multiple days out in the future is that often people just go somewhere else, and then they don’t tell you, so you’ve got people scheduled who don’t want your help anymore.
So I think I had two cancellations and one appointment stand me up, which only left me with two more appointments. Not so great when you’re supposed to have an absolutely jam-packed day. 😅
Gratefully, by the time the day was ended, I was able to salvage it. I didn’t reach my billable hours goal, getting 8.9, but I did reach the financial goal for the day, I think. I also gave discounts till like three different people, so I probably could have gotten my billable hours goal had I not given the discounts.
Anyway, overall it’s successful so far working less. Emotionally, obviously in a bit of a funk right now, which is making it so that my days off aren’t really that productive because I’m struggling just to get out of my recliner at times, but at least I’m making some progress in making the choices that will get me where I’m hoping to go.
I’ve spent a good bit of time trying to get my aerial lift figured out using an online heavy equipment mechanic, but I’m pretty much giving up. I put it up for sale, and I’m starting to get inquiries, so I’m just going to sell it as is and hope that I don’t have to take a complete bath on it.
🤞
Hoping it sells quickly.
Our garden is producing wonderfully, which is really cool. This is the first time we’ve had a really good garden in a good long time. My mom was able to resurrect the squash plans using a trick she learned of covering up part of the little viny traveling part with dirt, and then it reroots and starts over.
I fixed my hill brothers suspension issue. Well, Jimmy Riggs fixed. He’s got a main subframe bushing that’s completely blown out, so I shamed it with three very large (bigger than a silver dollar), very thick washers.
That’ll make it so his sub frame isn’t clanking all around and ruining stuff.
I also had a used battery that was exactly the right size for his car, which worked out well because his battery was toast. He should be good to use that car for some of his work trip stuff that he needs to do.
What else… I’m hopefully on the tail end of the massive project of getting all of my late sister’s things distributed to the family members who want them. I sent out the last of the pictures this morning, and only my nephew who’s in Thailand hasn’t seen all the pictures yet, I think. Once I make sure he’s seen everything, then I’ll start selling or donating the rest.
Let’s see, I’ve injured my elbow somehow. I think maybe spending too many days with my arm in The same position with my hand on my mouth in front of my laptop? That’s my only guess, as I have no precipitating event to point to as an injury, and if I try and leave my arm in that same position now, then the part that hurts starts hurting pretty quickly.
Makes it so I can’t really squeeze anything with my fingers or make a fist or hold anything that requires me to squeeze my fingers or make a fist.
So I’m trying to take it easy in the hopes that all it needs is just rest to recover.
🤞
I’ll tell you, getting older is not for wimps. 😅
It’s been pretty miserably hot. Sweat soaking through my shirt within minutes of going outside.
As far as jobs go on Friday, I ended up doing six. The first was a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado that just needed a battery that he had already purchased installed. That was a piece of cake.
Job number two was a 2007 Hyundai accent that was a crank no start. He had installed a new crankshaft position sensor, but it still wouldn’t start, so he had returned it. Everything that I was finding was pointing to that being the issue, so I went ahead and replaced it again, and it fired right up without any problems. He must have just gotten the bad sensor out of the box or not known exactly how to replace it.
Car number 3 was a 2012 Volkswagen routan, which is just a clone of the Dodge Grand caravan. He needed a new window regulator, and though it went sideways for a little bit, in the end, I finished doing the job in about the amount of time that it was expected to take.
Job number four was a 2012 Honda Civic that I expected needed a starter, but it only turned out to need a battery to get started. The alternator was iffy as well, but they opted not to replace that for now. Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn’t. The battery, though, was like 6 or 7 years old. I explained that if they wanted to do the alternator on their own, it shouldn’t be too big of a deal. It’s super easy to get to.
Job number five was a 2013 Honda Civic that also wouldn’t start, and they just wanted me to put a starter in it that they had purchased. They didn’t want any diagnostics at all, so I replaced the starter for them. After I replaced it, they asked me if I had the ability to test the old starter, and I did, and it worked fine. But I guess the car wasn’t starting, so they wanted the starter replaced, and after I replaced it, it started, so who knows.
The last car of the day turned out to be a miserable one, and I gave them a huge discount at the end. It was a 2003 GMC envoy that they wanted the thermostat replaced in. They didn’t want any diagnostics, so I went ahead and installed the thermostat for them, which was an absolute pain in the tail.
I ended up taking the alternator out to get to the bolts properly, and once I got the alternator out, then it was pretty easy and straightforward from there.
Unfortunately for them, it was still overheating after I installed the thermostat. In the process of that repair, I found that the water pump was leaking, and it’s possible that the water pump propeller has disintegrated. It’s an old vehicle, so maybe the water pump isn’t actually able to circulate the coolant. Or maybe it’s got a blown head gasket. Or maybe there our clogs in the system or something.
Who knows. I stayed for like another probably 45 minutes or so that I didn’t charge them for because their poor car had so many issues wrong with it that he ended up with quite a list by the time I had left.
Anyway, so on the day, 8.9 billible hours, 1.1 shy of the minimum goal for each day, but with a tip and a little bit of money made on parts, I think I might have reached the dollar goal for the day. 🤞
Monday is looking good so far, so hopefully I’ll be solid on Monday with plenty of work.
🤞
I think I’m forgetting something important that I was going to write about, but it’s not coming to mind right now.
Oh! There it is. My nephew and I are going to start exercising 3 days a week. Starting small and working up. Hopefully that’ll help both the mental health and the physical health.
🤞
I’m still looking for places to live. I’m starting to lose my patience with the nasty humidity over here. But if I move back out west where it’s not humid, the only places that I can afford the amount of space I’m looking for are out in the sticks. So… Still haven’t made a decision on that score.
Also, the ticket prices to New Zealand have been cut in half, and there’s a part of me that’s almost ready to pull the trigger. If I had a source of passive income while I was gone, I would definitely pull the trigger and I would probably stay for 6 months. Maybe more.
🙃
Lift the world.
~ stephen
Lift the World 