Slow progress.
Hasn't moved much this winter. But Spring breaths life back into many things.
Normal people wouldn’t have bought this truck. Normal people would have had to been duped into taking this thing home. Having discovered being duped, normal people would have dumped this thing as quickly as possible (I guess I tried that for a short while). (Un)Fortunately, normal I am not.
With the return of tolerable weather I’ve taken a bit of time to dive back into the Blazer. For now, I’m convinced that the issues with this thing lie in the redneck wiring. I think I’ve finally “undone” all the crazy cooky wiring (that I’ve found). Now I have to get it back the way it was originally. This will be the interesting part as there’s wires under the dashboard that have been cut and then disappear into the darkness beyond. The good news is that I have factory wiring diagrams. So worst case scenario, I’ll just COMPLETELY re-wire the offending circuits.
Simple, right?
I have been able to fix the battery drain by undoing the jacked up wires. No more having to unhook the battery cable every night! And after all the hacked up connections were undone, I noticed a few things. ONE, the fuel pump runs when you apply battery power to the fuel pump test terminal. TWO, the fuel pump is supposed to run for a few seconds when the key is ON, but engine not running. It does not. and THREE, I am no longer able to read Check Engine codes without redneck wiring.
My initial deduction is that now the computer isn’t getting any power. Even if this thing were brand new from day one, I should be getting the NO RPM code when I try to read the codes. But to be sure I have to make sure that it’s the computer that’s disconnected, and not just the diagnostic port I’m trying to read codes from.
It’s just one little problem at a time, one little circuit at a time. Eventually it will all be back to normal and I will discover what $40 part was broken in the first place that started this whole mess.
246,865 miles
And that’s as far as she’ll go. Figures, right after the brand new tires.
I think the Toronado is finally done for. I went out to start her up this morning just like every morning and it started up, but then immediately died. Try as I might she wouldn’t turn over, but I couldn’t get it to run again.
So I didn’t have time to mess with it, and it was a nice morning anyway, so I walked to work. Andrea picked me up at lunch and brought me home and I started to trouble shoot. I found that there was no spark at the spark plugs, so after checking all the wires and making sure they were working, I pulled the distributor cap off to see if anything was broken or corroded. Just for S&G’s I had Andrea turn the car over with the cap off…. the rotor didn’t move AT ALL. There’s only a few ways that could happen, and none of them good.
No turn, no spark, no run, no go.
The most likely scenario is the timing chain finally gave out. And to fix that takes more tools than I have, and a good part of the front of the engine needs to be disassembled. We’re talking water pump, balancer, timing cover, hoses, belts, and since the engine is so far forward in this car, the radiator would need to come out to just to get a puller in to get the balancer and timing gears out! ARGH!
It pains me but I think it’s just not worth it. If I can’t sell it quick for cheap I’m going to have to junk it just to get SOME money out of it, because I have to have a car of some kind, and the Blazer isn’t reliable without some work and I still am not 100% sure what’s wrong with it. Ugh. Oh well it’s been a good run. Anybody have some leads on cars? Anything? I’m desperate and would even drive something foreign at this point!
03.30.10Spring, I greet you with open arms!
It’s been a long winter and the past couple evenings after work have been absolutely GLORIOUS. So I’ve tried to take full advantage. Grilled up some brats last night and got the Toronado all waxed up. Andrea got her oil changed (by herself as always!) and we were going to rotate her tires, but my air hose blew out and I didn’t feel like ACTUALLY wrenching the lugnuts off. =P
Also took the time to finally go introduce myself to our new neighbor behind us. The old lady moved out a couple months back and in that time the house has just sat empty. To be completely honest I had been dreading who would move in back there. The old lady was nice because you know she wasn’t going to be bothering us. As it turns out a young gal about Andrea’s and my age moved in. Not sure if she’s going to the college here or what. Didn’t want to dive into the life stories on our first conversation. But she seems alright. Fairly shy, which makes for a good neighbor I suppose!
Tonight I cruised around a little bit with the windows down. Then just hung out with Andrea a bit before she headed off to bowl. Now I’m here blogging enjoying a frosty brew and wondering what happens next. If it’s nothing, I’m fine with that!
Ready to retreat, more every day.
Note: I started writing this blog almost a week ago and finally finished it today… timeframes referenced probably aren’t consistant!
So this morning I got up at 6am with my alarm clock, despite staying up until almost midnite last night. I kicked on the coffee and decided I’d do a little web surfing to start the day. Then I did something I shouldn’t have. I kicked on the Google News page.
With all the commotion going on about this health care reform, I foolishly took up an interest in its outcome. I watched the final stages unfold much as one would watch the end of a match between the worlds finest chess players. I get the basics of the game, but the moves are completely above my head and happening so quickly that it’s easy to see how people can feel that stuff like this is just being rammed through. Every move is so carefully calculated, planned, and countless unseen hands are pulling the strings.
I had initially had the intention that I was going to find out what the Health Care bill really meant, form my own opinion and take side on the issue. Of course nobody was talking about this story. It was about the “Story within the story”. Some jackball yelling “Baby Killer”, or isolated cases (yes yes, I realize of real people) from both sides that are supposed to convince me one way or another to be for or against the broad sweeping legislation that apparently all of a sudden has a deadline.
What further discouraged my already misplaced faith in the populous were the comments section in all of these news stories. After coming up dry on the real information I really wanted, I continue to read heated purely emotional discussions between ignorant people that have no intention of discussion. They’d just rather have the opposing argument eliminated. I guess it was disappointing because it was all so predictable.
1 John 2:15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.
There are SO many struggles I face every day, trying to be more like Christ. But the passage above is certainly one of the least difficult! What a lot of folks see as interesting, entertaining, or desirable– All too often I see them as mundane, predictable, and empty. Six hundred shows on TV about nurses and doctors? Oh yay, a new greener car! TV Guy says: “Here’s something you didn’t know exsisted until just now but you HAVE TO HAVE IT!”
The term “rat race” seems all to literal. Running a maze to get some piece of cheese, only when you get the cheese you realize the maze continues for more bigger cheeze. Then you look around and realize everyone elses cheeze is bigger and tastier than yours… so you keep running. If only everybody knew that the race was voluntary. I mean I don’t try to be different for different’s sake, I just try to be comfortable in every situation… perhaps at times making the people around me somewhat uncomfortable, hehe.
Jenn blogged about Facebook today. It made me realize how far from the center I am. Not to say Jenn isn’t a unique person, far from it. But Facebook is top dead center on what is popular in today’s culture, and I really couldn’t have less to do with it. I’ve never been too social. Infact even back in school I always preferred my small group of good friends over being the popular one, or center of attention. So in that respect Facebook is a little overwhelming for me. I’m sure there’s plenty of others just like me out there, but we’re the weird ones.
So I’ve once again swore off Google News, and really the media in general in most respects. I’ll stick to message boards and a few niche websites. And if I just so happen to find out some major earth shattering event two days after it happened via the IGN Boards, so be it… It wouldn’t be the first time!
03.18.10I haven’t seen Avatar yet.
...or have I?
Time Change still kicking my butt.
Okay, maybe I really am getting old. But I don’t ever remember having this much difficulty adjusting to the time change. First it’s been difficult to get myself to go to bed and fall asleep on my old schedule. I find myself returning to my old ways of looking up at the clock and thinking “I really need to get to sleep” even though I’m not the least bit tired. Heck even contemplated an all-nighter the other night just because it was midnite and I wasn’t tired. Haven’t thought about those since I was working nights at KJCK!
Then when I do get to sleep, by golly it’s everything to drag my butt out of bed in the morning. Woke up at 7:42 am today to take a shower and be to work by 8:00. I didn’t quite make it… but I was close enough. Hehe.
It’s just gonna be one of those things I have to force myself to do I think. Make sure the coffee is ready to go to tempt me beyond the bedroom and maybe have Andrea hide my alarm clock so I have to search for it to turn it off in the morning! One way or another, I’m going to be up in time to have me a bacon sandwich for breakfast tomorrow!
I’m back!
Many apologies for my serious lack of posting as of late. I’m just rebounding from being as sick as I can remember for quite some time.
The worst part about being sick, is that when you are sick, it is impossibly difficult to remember what it felt like to be well, normal, and just relaxed. I had a cold and fever for two days that left every muscle in my body tense and sore, and once that went away a pounding three day headache utterly sucked my will to do anything but bury myself in covers and wait for it to be over.
In the meantime there were birthday parties to attend, and work that had to be done. Calling in on Monday is one thing, but on a Friday the options are either “spend all day on the phone trying to explain how to do what it is you do to the people that just know you ‘take care of it’.” Or just go get it done and keep everything as low key as possible. So Friday I called and said I was feeling terrible but I was going to come in a bit late. I knocked out everything that was absolutely required, then retreated home for a breif rest before heading down to Wichita for a Nephew’s birthday party. The entire stretch was exhausting.
So now it feels like light is finally returning to my world and I can resume whatever boring and mundane goals I had before my brush with despair. I try to take a little something from every experience, and I think from this one I can truly be thankful for the health that I have, and the fact that I am RARELY ever really sick like that. I feel like I can be a little less than understanding of those who live with constant pain because I’m well so much of the time, but I really am thankful for what I have, because that constant discomfort really effects your attitude in a big way, at least it did for me. Perhaps I’m just a baby.
Yup, I guess it’s official. I’m an old man.
For those unfamiliar with the Dropkick Murphy’s, here’s a video of their latest song:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-64CaD8GXw]
We went to Kansas City over the weekend with Andrea’s sister Trina and her husband Jason. Had a good time roaming around, but the main reason we went up there was to see the band. It was at the Beaumont Club which was basically just a giant room with a dancefloor, a bar, and a stage. We showed up shortly before the first band went on. I was optimistic about the experience because while there were quite a few people there you still had room to move around a bit.
The first band was Larry and His Flask. To be honest I think I enjoyed them even more than Dropkick. Maybe it was the crazy dude jumping around stage with the bass violin, or just the fact that we hadn’t been smothered by people yet. But either way I thought their music was very different and cool. The second band was just a bunch of screaming. And by the time the Murphy’s took the stage it was so packed in there I was sticking my head up, not so much as to see the band, as I was to get a gulp of fresh air.
Don’t get me wrong, it was still a good time and I’m very glad we went. But given the choice I’d actually prefer experiencing my live music in a place where I can sit down, listen to the band, and perhaps even enjoy a cool beverage. And this I why I say, apparently I’m already a grumpy old man.
02.26.10Two clean rides
They’re oldies, but they shine up alright!
Washed the cars over lunch today so I ended up not eating anything. Which made me really really hungry by the time I got home after work today. We’ve had a brisket simmering in the crockpot since this morning and MAN was it tasty. A long with cornbread, veggies, mashed potatoes… I’m STUFFED. Gonna relax for a bit then head to a play at the Crest Theater here soon. Haven’t seen a stage show in such a long time, I’m looking forward to it.
It’s been a good day so far!
02.25.10Express Checkout!
This is too cool! Grandma Dee sent this to me today and I just had to share it. It’s a 13 ft. tall shopping cart with a souped up Chevy engine. This is something I would have LOVED to take to Prom in High School or something, haha. Plus I could fit a lot of frozen pizza in there.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C7D-nGxSGE]