I'm not even halfway through paying off my new car and already it's being towed to have the engine worked on, since it won't start tonight. It didn't deal well with Kelly's camping event last weekend, coming home with creaking suspension and broken power locks, and now this. He's hoping all four tires (just replaced in the spring) make it through GooCon this time. I'm sure some random thing will happen next, like the paint will fall off.

Added bonus: Our TV stopped working tonight too. Our home is a happy place right now.


Three Replies to Who's Got (Car) Trouble

Jackie Mason | August 20, 2009
[hidden by author request]

Scott Hardie | August 20, 2009
Shared car. Thank goodness Kelly started a new job last week so we can pay for this. (I didn't mention that. I really need to blog more often.) There was a thunderstorm that probably explains the TV, and anything else we haven't discovered yet. We just had the apartment complex fix the broken A/C today, but that was free.

Amy Austin | August 20, 2009
Now that my truck is paid off, I am watching it slowly fall apart, too. Suspension is shot, power windows and locks have been failing for some time now, and yes, there actually is paint "falling off" now, too (a mystery spot on back door is chipping away -- don't know how it got there). Since I completely lack the funds to fix everything that needs it, and *still* would even with a job (the one I'm currently gunning for -- meter reader for the utility company -- will likely be a cut from what I get on unemployment... which is also getting quite uncomfortably depleted), and since continued disrepair only leads to further disrepair... there is no reason to expect anything other than the steady decline and eventual junking of my truck -- something that takes a lot of joy out of having a paid-off vehicle, to be sure.

If I could even remotely consider taking on a car payment (I can't even afford the insurance that I will have to start paying for once Ed drops me from the agreed-upon period of coverage), I might take advantage of the "cash for clunkers" program currently being used to bribe us into "stimulating" the auto industry. I fucking hate being unemployed and broke. And without any net whatsoever.


Logical Operator

The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »

R.I.P. Russ

Twelve years after losing her mother, Kelly has now lost her father too. This loss was a quieter and tidier affair, partially due to Russ not wanting a funeral or wake, and partially due to his very strained relationship with Kelly in recent years. We waited a few days to work out the trip schedule, flew up there, had a nice little graveside gathering with immediate family and then lunch out, spent time seeing the old hometown and Russ's new adopted small town (oh how I don't miss driving for hours through corn fields to get literally anywhere in Illinois), and returned with lots of tasks for Kelly to do to resolve the estate. Go »

A Friend Received This Fortune in His Fortune Cookie

"Wow! A secret message from your teeth." Go »

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

Damn it. After The Sims 2, I'm not ready for another glitch to ruin a game. Elder Scrolls IV has always been a little buggy, tending to lock up my Xbox when it gets too excited for instance. Go »

It's All About Me

I regret if my rantings around this site have come across either whiny, as I coped with illnesses and a busy schedule, or hypocritical, as I griped about Christmas cheer while still participating in the holiday. I don't regret if they came across as self-centered. Go »

Maybe It's Warwick Davis

(link) Go »

Wests Take Southwest to Southeast

As Steve West mentioned, he and Brenda recently visited Sarasota for a week of fun. In advance, we rented an AirBNB (cat allergies prevented staying at my place) and kicked around some ideas for what to do, but we were concerned about unpredictable fatigue and other medical complications and knew that we had to take it one day at a time. The trip had a bumpy start, with Kelly taken by ambulance to the ER the night before (she recovered quickly) and a difficult Southwest flight and Uber pickup for the Wests, but that all quickly felt like it was behind us as soon as the fun began. Go »