Repaired...yeah...right....

AAMCO called me and said my car was ready. They (shock) adjusted the throw on the shifter and now it’s fixed… Yeah, right. I’m doing trick-or-treating with the kids tonight, so I’ll have to pick Judy up tomorrow. Theresia said she doesn’t mind. I hate putting the burden of transportation on her. She’s such a sweet woman, and I don’t want to do this, but I don’t know of any other way than to accept her help. I need a second car if Judy is going to keep breaking down all the time.

Madagascar (oh yeah...and AAMCO SUCKS!)

My car broke down AGAIN. AAMCO has fixed the damn thing so many times now that I can’t keep track. Sunday, I took the kids to see Madagascar at the Village 8 (it’s only $3!) and on the way back home, IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY BRECKINRIDGE LANE, the car got locked in place between gears. Its done this numerous times. They “adjust the throw” every time, and then it happens AGAIN within a week! I am SO SICK OF THIS! Theresia, the worlds best girlfriend, is going to let me and the kids come with her and Rachael to go trick-or-treating with them so that Lexie and Logan don’t totally miss out on it. I am so upset I can’t see straight.

Grease Monkeys

Mike and I put the new carburetor in Judy. I have never heard the car run this good!!!! It responds and accelerates so much better now!!! I’m going to take the kids to see a movie later this evening after we play outside. The new carb is an manual choke instead of an automatic, but I don’t care one bit. It works so much better!

Halloween Party & Brakes with William

Theresia’s office had a Halloween party last night. She invited me as her guest. It was really nice. I’ve met many of the people in her office before, and everyone is always so helpful and kind. I’m glad she works there and is so happy there. They all treat each other like family. The party was at the home of the President of the company. The catering was really good, and they had a DJ. I did enough dancing that I was sore the next day. I think it would be safe to say that I had a couple too many glasses of Merlot. Theresia and I went in costume as vampires. I saw just about every kind of costume you can think of at the party! I think everyone had a great time. Theresia looked so beautiful, even as one of the undead *grins*. I got to dance with my friends Monica and Sarah.

Before the party, I went over with Theresia to her brother William’s house. I helped him put brakes on her car. He is a nice guy, and I instinctively like him. After we did Theresia’s brakes, she and I went to this little apple orchard she knows. It was all “picked out” but we had a great time just walking through the trees, talking, and we even found several apples way up in the top of a couple trees. I got out the trusty Swiss Army knife, and we shared one of the apples. I think we cut up the rest and fed the horses that are there also. It was an awesome afternoon.

Picked up Judy...AGAIN! AAMCO sucks!

Picked up my car from AAMCO yesterday. AGAIN. I hope it’s fixed this time since the Preston Highway shop worked on it and not the Dixie Highway. Those guys at Dixie are like a bunch of monkeys screwing a football!!! The carburetor is shot…the AAMCO guys said it was “dumping fuel”. I got another carb at Auto Zone. It’s the same 1-barrel Holley carb that is in the car, so that’s good. I had to order it, and it just came in today.

New belt, new pants...

I didn't really get a new belt or new pants. I had this pair of dockers that were 5 sizes too small. Now they're just right! Also i put another hole in my belt. Theresia says i need to get a new one.

Chuck spending the night...

Chuck called yesterday in the middle of my little "crisis". He said he was in town teaching this weekend and needed a place to stay. Well, I was reluctant, because I basically just have one bedroom, and the kids would be staying with me this weekend. I figured I owe it to him, he's been a great friend...so I thought I could sleep on the floor a couple nights for an old buddy. Well, my girlfriend, Theresia, came over last night. You know, it'd been one of those days for both of us, and we just needed to hang out for a little. We always seem better together than apart. We are able to cheer each other up and build each other's happiness. It's really great, and she is so truly a wonderful woman.

So Chuck calls, and I've been using my phone a LOT, and I was also getting the kids to bed, etc. Plus the phone died and I had to go re-charge it. Well, I missed his call. Every time I tried to call him back, I get the message "The Verizon Wireless customer you are calling is not available at this time. Please try your call again later." I stayed up until like almost 4am trying to get ahold of him. His voicemail to me said that he was lost! I knew he was very close, and when you can't get ahold of someone it's frustrating!!! I just tried it...just now. Still the same thing! I am very worried, but not really about his safety. Chuck is very resourceful and I know he'll be ok, I just really wanted to be there for him. We spoke about ETA and stuff before he left. Jokingly, I told him "You know, I'm kinda cramped on space--I have the kids this weekend, so you might have to share a bed with me." Chuck said "I've been waiting 20 years to hear you ask me to sleep with you." We both busted up laughing!!! He's a real good friend. I'm going to try and keep getting ahold of him today. I may call his house this morning and see if they know another way to get in touch with him.

Judy still screwed

Yesterday, Matt at AAMCO told me that the car was ready to be picked up. I didn't have time to get there after work, so I asked if I could come in today and get it. I came today at 2pm to get the car. Matt insisted he take full payment before letting me even test drive the car. I made the payment to him. The mechanics had trouble starting the vehicle. They said that there was something wrong with the carburetor. AAMCO replaced the fuel pump and filter. They'd gotten incorrect parts before. Since I'd never had any problems with the carburetor BEFORE they worked on it, I asked them to please check the fuel pump and filter. They said there was no problem with the new parts and that the carburetor was leaking.

Matt let me take the car on a test drive. I thought the shifter (although the same kind as the original) felt different. I just figured that's because it's new. I got about three blocks away from the AAMCO shop and the car got stuck again between gears. With the clutch in OR out, it would not go forward or backward more than an inch. I called the shop on my cell phone and they sent a mechanic to come fix it. He looked at it, tried to fix it, then went back for tools. He worked on it some more. He left and came back with another mechanic. When I left them with the vehicle, they were under it with a large hammer and the biggest damn screwdriver I have ever seen. They were under the car beating on it with the hammer. When I left, having used all my lunchtime, Matt refunded my money, and told me that they would have to adjust the shifter. He didn't know if it would take until the end of the day, or until next week, or another whole month.

I called right at 5pm to see if there was any chance that they had the car done. Matt said that they decided it would be best to transfer my vehicle to the Preston Highway AAMCO, because "Obviously our mechanics have done everything they could, and they cannot fix your car properly." Yeah, no shit. They're like a bunch of monkeys screwing a football over there at the Dixie Highway AAMCO!!! So, my wonderful girlfriend--again this being her DAY OFF WORK, goes out of her way to come pick me up. X is bringing the kids to a McDonald's close to my work so that it would not be 6:30pm before I get through traffic in the 'ville and across the bridge to get them.

My girlfriend calls me, and tells me that on the way over to get me, she stopped to put something in her trunk, and the ignition key broke off in her trunk lock!!! So basically, she's stranded with her daughter, I'm stranded at work, and obligated to meet with X at 5:30pm to pick up the kids. She has to call her ex-husband to come and help her. This is great! She should be able to count on me for that!!! Well, her sister ended up being able to bring her a key...and me??? I spent $40 of my repair money on a cab ride! I asked X if she could help me out (she and her mother had plans), I called my sister (still at work), I called several friends (either voicemail or were busy doing something)...I did what I had to do.

That's the problem...I'm always forced to do what I HAVE to do.

Judy Update

AAMCO has screwed me around on my car so much...I am dumbfounded. They keep finding more thing wrong, charging me more and more, and taking longer. The first time they had it in was 9/20! That's a whole bloody month! I contacted the WAVE TV3 Troubleshooter, and also the AAMCO (whos shops are privately owned and operated) Corporate Headquarters. I KNOW that the headquarters called and spoke with the manager of the shop. Its Matt, the same little s#|+ that I've been talking to. Doubt they'll get anywhere there.

Anyway, the car is supposed to be ready for pickup tomorrow. My girlfriend is going to come over (bless her heart...she really is going out of her way) and take me to work in the morning--on her day off--and then take me at lunch time to get Judy. I'm crazy about her! She's so sweet to me. She's been giving me rides back and forth to work (we work close together) the whole time Judy's been in the shop off and on.

My Girlfriend!

Finally I was able to take a decent picture (good lighting, not blurry, etc.) of my Girlfriend Theresia. Feast your eyes:And I just think she looks so cute in one of my old shirts... We had Chinese carry out for my birthday, and she didn't want to get her shirt all messy, so I loaned her one of my old ones. She is absolutely the best!

Pumpkin!

This is the awesome pumpkin Lexie made for me. Logan made one too for his mother. I helped him with it.

Judy....DOA

Judy got locked into first gear again.  I tried for about 45 minutes to get her out of lock, and she would not budge.  She's been having other problems as well.  F*ck*ng Aamco are a bunch of idiots!!!  I called the tow truck again, same guy as the last two times they had her back in, and he said he would get it Sat morning.  They are Monday thru Friday 8am to 5:30pm, so I told him no rush.  But I'm supposed to have the kids tomorrow after their cousin's bd party, then Sunday all day.  My girlfriend said she can take me back and forth to work next week, but that still leaves me without a way to see the kids on Monday and Tuesday.

3rd hole added

I'm a little excited about my belt today... Just a piece of leather, but i've now had to cut my 3rd new hole in it! I could barely keep my pants on last night! What i mean is ... Oh, you know. Things with Judy are rapidly deteriorating.

Grass Stains...

Today was a good day. We got up early, and I fixed breakfast. Then we watched a little TV. After that, we went for a walk up to the little park next to the complex's pool. I relaxed for a while and read while they played some more. I pushed Logan on the swing--he still hasn't gotten the hang of it yet. After they got hot and thirsty, we walked up to the Swifty Mart. We
got sodas and push-pop ice creams. Well, I got bottled water. The kids ate their ice cream and played some more. Meanwhile, Lynn, my room-mate's friend drove by. I couldn't figure out why at first she parked and was coming over to us. The kids had began to play with a
ball that they'd found there at the park. Lynn said that she left the apartment (she comes over to use roomie's computer) and that she locked up and forgot her phone. She wanted to ask me to let her back in to get it, instead of waking up my room mate who'd been working all day
and night. Well, meanwhile these two boys come over and are talking to Lexie and Logan. Lynn says to all the kids, let's play kick-ball!

This ended up being a pivotal moment for me in my weight loss. I was able to run, jump, slide and do just about everything I wanted to do while playing with these kids. I slid into 2nd base once! I was so happy, I wasn't watching the time at all. Pretty soon, Lexie and Logan were beat, and the two boys were saying they had to go home, and Lynn really needed to get her phone, and it was almost five o'clock! You know, with the good always comes the bad...the two boys not only referred to Lynn as "my wife", but they kept calling me "pops". Ugh. I feel young and old at the same time...

St. James Art Fair with T. and the kids.

Today I went to the St. James Art Fair. The kids got to meet T. for the first time, and they really seemed to like her. What's not to like, and besides, they like everybody! They quickly got bored with so much to look at and so little to touch, but the walking around was really good for them. Afterwards, we went and grabbed some Mexican food. Don't remember the name of the place, but it's on Taylorsville Rd, and the oddest thing--the bathrooms are outside!! Makes me think that it used to be a gas station!!!

I was supposed to meet up with Bobbi Jo, an old friend from Ball State University, but things just didn't work out. I was too preoccupied with the kids and making sure they didn't knock over anything that cost $3000. Speaking of which, there was this AWESOME painting...if I win the lottery, it's going to be mine! *laughs*

Judy is not running well at all. She started dying at every stop now. I've just about learned how to shift without putting her "in between gears", but I'm going to have to save like crazy to get this car straightened out completely. And since she's my car, the family pet, etc, I can't just bail on her. Besides, chicks REALLY dig this car.