Car problems, car issues don't even begin to cover this week.

In the course of one week we have experienced 3 unrelated doozies.

Tuesday June 23 - Grants Mazda 626 will not go into any gear. Great. Transmission trouble. Get under the hood and discover that it is the plastic piece that connects the shifter to the transmission is gone - shattered. We are able to fix it with spare parts dad has lying around.

Thursday June 25 - I am in Okmulgee in my Blazer. I get in the car to head home - no juice, no start. Try to jump it off Grandmas station wagon, no dice the negative pole is UNDER the firewall. Oi! Call AAA. They jump it - life should be good, tow truck driver ASSURES me that by the time I hit BA it will have charged up. I don't believe him, I have been in this situation before. Guess what I cant get it to restart once I get home. Work on it till 1AM. Cannibalize the Vega for a battery to get to work. Buy a new Battery Friday. $80.00

Monday June 29 (Anniversary) - I work late, realize I need gas, since the fuel gage has been broken for 3 years I just put a full tank in every 300 miles. Hop back in the truck to head home. Truck tries to stall, I go a mile and it happens again as I try to merge on to 169S, then it backfires. I make it the 20.0 miles from the gas station to my parents drive way with 2 more almost stalls. Get into the drive and it dies. No gas - no moving. After much diagnostics it is the fuel pump $400.00. Coincidentally the fuel pump also has the gas gage parts attached to it, this is why it is so expensive. Even better news, I must drain the gas tank (17gallons) to repair the truck. Oh, and I did not get to spend the evening with Grant.

I knindof fell off the edge of the earth. No major reasons for that.

The Vega is now running and re-carpeted. I love that car. I have come to the conclusion that you either love this car or don't understand those that do. She is a rarity. As a matter of fact the ref's had a photo shoot, and our photo was taken with her. I haven't seen them yet, but knowing Kirk and his eye for photography. I have high expectations.

N Fur Action and I attended the NWARG / BERG bout in Arkansas and then we had our own bout Sunday BERG / GCRG. I am working on a recap at the moment. The after party gave me a opportunity to line dance (easily one of my favorite past times). Still waiting on photos to surface, but life is good. It is rainy season in OK and the weather is ideal for sleep. It is good to be home.

Just a few days after the Carolina bout my family came into town. Mainly just Mom and Tim. To any of you who know how my parents and I interact this should come as no surprise, but I was stressed. And it seems like it has yet to let up. Unfortunately my parents are not what you might call 'neat people' and we are still recovering here at the Whitesell household.

While they were here Tim and I worked many hours on the truck trying to find what was causing her to act so funny. The answer in the end was the catalytic converter. And we kinda rigged it but think she will make it to Oklahoma. We also had some friends over for dinner with the parents and they brought their Great Dane Mystic over too.



Shortly after they left SunTrust lost 25% of the teller staff so I am pulling alot of overtime, hence the delay in updates! Saturday after work I will be hopping in the car and headed up to DC to reff a bout for them. So, if you wish to find me that is how!

Friday night I got my baby (99 Chevy Blazer LS) back from the shop. She is alive kicking and now fully (we hope) repaired. After months of fighting with a P0300 repair code that is a misc cylinder misfire, with attempted repairs including o2 sensors, 2 sets of plugs and wires and the list goes on.. she is home from a 2 day diagnostic. I now know that she was operating on the factory fuel filter.

You know there are just things you can do in a truck that you would never do in a car...

Take for example yesterday at the Big E homecoming... parking was AWFUL! As I was trying to leave traffic was not moving, not one inch. But across from me there was a field type area with large mud puddles, rocks, and grass... this 'field' then connected to the road.... I sat and pondered for a moment and at last decided I should drive thru it, and drive thru I did. Bumpy yes, would I do this in a car, no. But what a sense of accomplishment and freedom that I got. I went off roading on base. I love my truck!

Hmm I am sure people are wondering just what corner of the globe I fell off this time.

Well to be honest I am not really sure.

The kid will be leaving soon so I am trying to cram in lots of time with him. Erin has been comming down to visit, and my truck has been needing LOTS and LOTS of attention. O2 sensors, doort pin, transmission connections. all done with the help of friends and the auto hobby shop. Then we decided the leak is the line its self... yeah cant to that so she is in the shop. :-( I will post pics of my grimy hands later.

Ok, so later was a few days later... June 27 to be exact!

Really no better way to describe this feeling. I just want to crawl in a hole and cry.

The transmission is going out on the truck and I got a flat tire in the car today... money is tight and I am at my wits end.