I was having a REALLY good morning. I was in a great mood. My vacation starts today, I’m getting a chance to meet a really good friend finally. After a very helpful conversation last night, I was thinking positively about myself. I was smiling, I was happy. I pulled into my parking lot at work and all of a sudden a horrid screech started emitting from my truck every time I pushed in the clutch. The clutch pedal was shaking under my foot. I lost the clutch in my only mode of transportation.
So, instead of being a great mood, thinking about getting out of work in 4 hours, I’m thinking about how I’m going to have to probably drop $400 into my truck, which could put a serious damper on my vacation plans. I’m having to leave work early, shoring myself more hours because that’s the only way I can get the truck in to my mechanic. But the truck has to be fixed. It just seems, sometimes, like every time I take a step forward, life wants to drag me back. If I could find Murphy, I’d find out why he keeps throwing his law at me and then beat him with my whip.
I’m just really frustrated and really in the need of venting right now. Anyone have a spare punching bag I can use?
Murphy does not hate you, his law applies equally to all…
From another Pisces, I have encountered many obstacles which seemed all-important, and insurmountable at the time, but somehow they are distant memories now. I know it may not do much for your vacation today, but next month you’ll be past it, and possibly happy that your clutch went out in the parking lot at work rather than the highway, doing 80.
Oh well, enjoy the time off if you can, don’t sweat the $400 - Pisces are charmed, it will work out!
(Sorry I’m not volunteering for the bunching bag gig, I’m not sure how big 'n tough you are).
TP, you just need to learn to pick out the bright spots of any situation, regardless of how minute it may be, pick something to remind yourself that things could have been worse.
For example, as has been mentioned, it didn’t happen on the highway. You may be out a couple hundred, but no one is hurt, and it’s only a truck.
I used to drive a Pontiac Shitheap (aka Firebird). The tie rod actually fell off the car while I was driving it. If you don’t know what the tie rod is, let’s just say it’s very important for maintaining the ability to steer your car. So the tie rod falls off, the car lurches to the left, I can’t steer at all. The upside to that? It happened on a sidestreet where there weren’t any other cars for me to hit and only a few houses away from my parents’ place. It cost some bucks ot get fixed, but in the long run, it wasn’t a big deal.
Just keep things in perspective, babe. In the long run, you’ll see this isn’t a big deal either. Don’t let it ruin your fun while on vacation (and over your birthday, no less!)
UncleBill - Thank you for being my punching bag. I promise I’ll make you say those words more later.
tradesilicon - Your right and thank you much. The Pisces in me has already gotten over the initial shock and has started rolling with the punches (though I’m still not happy about it) As far as big and tough… well, my picture’s up on the People Pages if you want to see for yourself, but I’d describe myself more as the cuddly teddy bear type rather than the big and tough type… I just talk a good game!
Crunchy - Grutsi as always. (And thank you for remembering my birthday is coming up… smooch)
JBirdman12 - Envied? Me? Well, I’d probably like it better if I hadn’t had to work so hard to make up the hours while I was gone… but I don’t have to work for another week, so that’s a definite positive. Hmm… maybe this envy thing isn’t so bad.
As far as the whip… if you insist. CRACK
Update for those lurking in the shadows: I left work at noon to get the truck looked at. I used the two hours waiting for the tow truck to calm myself down some and think rationally. When I got to my mechanic, he took one listen and said “Yep, the clutch.” The estimate is $361. Not the worst in the world. I can manage to cover it, just means cutting back some other places. And at least I’ll have a vehicle to get me back and forth to work that I won’t worry about dying on me… for now. While I would have prefered for the truck to die tonight when I got home, it could have been worse, and no one was harmed in the death-throes of my truck. So that’s a saving grace. I know it’s a petty problem, and I’m sorry to have burdened anyone with it… I just had a desperate need to vent at the moment, and no one IRL that I could get my hands on to vent to… so I brought it, briefly, to the boards. Thanks for helping me see the light, guys.
Having your mode of transportation out of commission (I can’t believe I had to type that word four times before it looked right!), especially right before a vacation that (I’m assuming) depends on it, definitely sucks. That being said… Come back to us soon, TruePisces!!!
Grutsi is an Italian health food, Froggy- she sez you’re nutritious.
Hey, get 361 friends on the boards to each send a dollar, and all you’ll be stuck with is the tax, TP. I’m gonna go e-mail you a dollar right now! Hope your mechanic is up-to-date enuff to accept electronic currency. You want a bill GIF or a Sackie?
Crunchy - I refuse to take it back. You’re grutsi until the day you die!
And it’s not Florida slang, it’s TP slang… I’ve been using it for thank you for years… So if you don’t like it, bite me.
LindyHopper - Luckily, I had already made arrangements for a rental vehicle for my vacation (which I’m leaving for in 10 minutes! Woo-hoo! Might be back to post something tomorrow, but no promises!) So the more I think about it, the more the timing couldn’t be better!
Oh, and you’re making me blush again.
alonicist - No tax, so I’d luck out there. It’s my neighbor’s son doing the work for me, so I’m getting a break already (thankfully). As far as getting 361 friends on the boards to send a dollar each… I don’t think I have 361 friends on the board. I’m still too new. But thanks for the suggestion.
Bad news: Plumbing backed up and tub full of dirty water, toilet gurgles and overflows.
Good news: It is clean toilet water, and I get to sit her at home a post while I wait for Plumber Bob to do his magic. Several units affected here, so I am sharing misery!
See? Not so bad. When my transmission went out it was on an exit ramp in a city 45 minutes away from where I live. I knew no one in that city. I was also 45 minutes away from the hubby. I had a baby and young child in the car with me. No food and no water. (Thank goodness for cell phones.) We had to wait a total of 2 hours for the two truck. It was going to cost almost twice as much to fix the transmission than the car was worth. My mother was gone on one of those senior citizen bus trips so I couldn’t check with her about using the Z plan. (My late father retired from Ford. Big discount.)
Then the very next night there was a murder at that very highway overpass on which we had spent hours stranded. I said, “At least we weren’t there then.”
Witnessed! Skeptical investigation reveals that TP’s post here, when it was posted, was only post #359, but her last post of 3/09/01 was 361, a nice coincidence…and if we turn over that 09 in 3/09/01 (as we are permitted, astrologically, since Pisces’ fish are reversible) we get 3/60/01…
