Geobabe's not-so-great adventure, or, if it ain't one damn thing, it's another.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

So this morning I decide it’s high time I got Shirley’s oil changed–Shirley is my car, for those who are out of the loop. I’ve been driving my mother’s car since she’s been out of town, and I figured poor Shirley was probably feeling neglected, and besides, it would give me something to do besides look for a job. I go out and fire the poor dear up, and she is clearly unhappy about having been parked for 2 weeks, so I decide to drive her around for a bit before popping in to the oil change place, get the ol’ pistons going and so forth. She’s running kind of rough, which I figure is just from sitting for a while; she’s an old gal, so it takes her a while to get going sometimes.

I get out onto the road and soon enough have to stop at a light. She sounds like she’s about to stall, so I start to rev the engine, but too late. OK, no problem, start 'er up again…or maybe not. Rrrrrrr…rrrrrrr…oh crap. The light is about to change. No joy with the starter. The light changes. I put my hazards on and keep trying to start the car. I can see the guy in the car behind me getting pissed off. I mouth “Sorry!” and keep trying to start the car. Cars begin going around me.

I sit through 2 or 3 cycles of the light, still trying to start the car…now I’m getting peeved, because out of the dozens of cars that have come through, NOT ONE has stopped to ask if I’m OK or offer assistance, at least to help push me out of the road so I’m not causing a huge traffic jam! A guy finally comes from the other side of the road, not even one of the ones I’ve been holding up, to push my car out of the way.

I get off on the median and contemplate who I’m going to call, looking through my purse frantically for my USAA card and the roadside assistance number. I’m thinking, this is going to take all friggin’ afternoon if I have to call a tow truck. I decide to give the starter one more try, and HALLELUJAH! I head toward home and limp the car into, not so coincidentally, the same service station where Airman Doors had his car fixed when it broke down after my birthday party.

Now I’m just waiting to find out how much it’s going to cost me. Timing-wise, this is not good, since I’m out of work right now, but then again, at least I don’t have to take time off to deal with it! Ah well, it’s almost a relief to have troubles of a very mundane sort right about now.

sigh

2

Cars just suck don’t they? One of the finiest things about living in the city is not having the money for a car even if their was someplace to park it.

Sorry to hear about your automotive problems Geobabe. I’ll think happy thoughts for you.

3

Bru-ther! Cars. Sometimes what I’d give for a nice, dependable horse.

Hang in there!

4

Out of work?:confused: Babe, you were working just the other day. Anything you want to talk about? Cry on my shoulder?

5

My job at Wolf Trap ended on Sunday–once the performance season ends, they don’t need all those rangers hanging around anymore.

On a more positive note, I just got a call from a temp agency, so I might have some work real soon, something to keep me from starving, at any rate.

6

It might be nothing more than a little water in the gas tank, if it was running fine before that’s what I’d investigate first.

7

Well, turns out the old gal needs a new carburetor, which is not an easy item to come by these days, so it would cost more to fix than the car is worth. Waaahhhh! Anybody got a carb for an '84 Honda laying around? Cripes, this sucks. I can at least use my mom’s car for right now, but jeeeeeez, I really can’t afford to buy a car, since I also need to find a place to live. I’ve been staying at Mom’s, but that was only supposed to be for the summer. I haven’t been able to get a place before now, since my employment situation has been up in the air. Crap. Crap. Crap.

8

Start calling junk-yards. There must be a number of '84 Hondas sitting around and snagging a carb should be a fairly simple proposition.

Good luck, Geo.

9

(credit the “Rocket Scientist”)
(Did that make you smile?)

{{{sis}}}

10

Speaking of that exact thing, I just got a call from my dear friend Weirddave, who upon reading my last post, took it upon himself to call some junkyards and found one that has an '84 Honda, and he’s going out there tomorrow to yank the carb out and bring it to me. I had thought of it, but hadn’t yet done it. Dave, I’m really glad now that you have way too much time on your hands. {{{Dave}}}

11

Yes. {{{Nita}}}

12

Whoops. Looks like the vB quote bug applies to post titles as well as thread titles. “Cri-ma-nitly !” was a favorite saying of Anita’s and my dad.

13

Yay Weirddave !!!

Can he find you a job, too?

14

Weirddave. Truly a man among men.

I’ll buy you a beer for helping out my friend, dave, if I ever get to meet you!

15

I tell ya, that Dave, he’s a pain in my ass sometimes, but he’s a true friend when it counts!

16

I already offered. She dosen’t wanna work in sales. Dunno why, not only does she have the personality for it, but she could always confound the male customers with her legs, they’d sign anything she put in front of them. :stuck_out_tongue:

17

I’m amazed that a woman as good looking as you had a broken down car by the side of the road and a porn-film situation didn’t ensue.

Sorry to hear about Shirley. :frowning:

18

Well, the guy who pushed my car out of the road was kinda cute, but he didn’t stick around. :frowning:

19

Was he gay?

I would’ve stuck around to make sure you were o.k. :wink:

20

Something like this happened to me a few weeks ago, from the opposite prespective. On Route 9 west of Boston, three lanes each way. Traffic was backed up for a couple hundred yards and when I got to the front there was a woman with a stalled car (and in the middle lane, no less). I parked and walked back, and I was looking for a place to push her car to, and she got it started and drove off.

Damsels in distress are getting hard to find. I’m sorry I missed this one.