Thursday, December 13, 2012

How do you know you are doing the right thing?

So... how do you know you are doing the "right thing"?  Aside from feeling that it's the "right thing" (some people think of this as your "gut instinct"), there's not much.  In my families case, things start to go horribly wrong in an attempt to prevent follow-through.  It's usually specific to cars.

My lovely lady and I have decided to adopt (just in case you know of anyone with a child [or one on the way] that we might be able to provide a home for).  We're still in the process of registrations (long process, trust me), but we've committed to the process, no matter what.

And then we hit the "what" :

  • My 2000 Honda Civic refuses to start this week.  Turns out I have a blown head gasket, the crankshaft position sensor is, well, cranky, the engine mounts need to be replaced, and the wheel bearings are starting to wear).  All in all, $350 in parts.  I'm not sure I want to pay labor, so I might end up doing the work myself.
  • The Jeep refused to keep running.  Thought I had the pressure regulator issue worked out, didn't actually have it.  Plus, the headlights were rewired with a relay so that I don't overheat the wire and lose them in the middle of the night while driving, plus getting the door lock rods bent properly so that the window and the door handle works properly without breaking something again.
  • I broke a treadmill.  The plastic hood snapped.  It still runs, but the plastic around the belt wears on the belt.
  • Our furnace starts to show signs of going kaput.  Turns out the flue exhaust motor was starting to break down from overheating (even the fiberglass holding it to the chambers was melted).  It seems to be a recurring problem with Lennox furnaces, but at least I know.  The exhaust motor - $250 (plus labor - they won't sell the part to the public, and I don't blame them because of the liabilities associated with burned gas fumes getting into your heating vents rather then vented outside).
This is not all.  But it's enough for me to stop touching things (because they seem to break).  With some blessings from above, The civic has started (needs about $350 worth of parts, possibly more, waiting to get the Jeep registered), and the Jeep is now running (and should pass emissions when I finally get it over there).  We have the furnace guy coming over tonight....

... well, that was the furnace guy.  The furnace is now in good shape, as is the Heep, uh, Jeep.  The treadmill problem has been identified, and will be resolved later (I can get it to operate, but may just be too busy for that... after all, my soul delights in fatness).  That leaves a Jeep registration and then overhaul the Civic.

On the Corvette front, the wiring has been completed (but not checked).  I must finish cleaning the steering column and then reassemble it before I can test it (the ignition switch and all) to make sure connecting the battery doesn't spark and arc.  Then I can adjust the power windows and get the door panels and dash panels installed.  Probably be the first time in 20 to 25 years that car has had a complete interior in it, but hey, it should like it.

However, it's going to have to take a break and wait for the civic to be rebuilt so that I can have multiple cars again in case the Jeep fails (it's a Jeep - I have to have a full, locked tool box in the back because it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when).  At that point, I can get back and focus on the 'vette.