My phone was stolen a couple of days ago. No SD card means no pictures. 
Got a phone call from the shop I took the car to yesterday. The car is overheating due to the crankshaft, as well as the rack & pinion being bad. The repairs to the engine are way out of my budget. Hell, even a new engine is out of my budget.
Going to see if I can repair a scooter to ride that to/from work for a while.
More things wrong with the car:
Power steering hose needs to be replaced (not a big deal)
EGR valve needs to be replaced (there are screws stuck in the threads. The heads of the screws were sheared off. If I can get the screws out, I can fix this.)
Front driver side brake caliper needs to be replaced (I have the new caliper. I have the tool to fix the stripped thread. I just need a new caliper bolt.)
Front driver side tire needs to be replaced. Thread is starting to separate from the wheel.
Since the caliper has been scraping the inside of the wheel, I should actually just replace the whole goddamn wheel.
I need new shocks for my suspension. (Which the mechanic failed to mention during their inspection.)
My horn needs to be fixed. (They also missed this. I pulled the fuse so that the horn would stop blaring every time I turned the wheel. There’s a wire loose inside the steering column.)
So, as of right now, I owe them for the inspection they’ve done, as well as an oil change. I think I may just park the car for the time being.
I may have financed a lemon, but it’s improving my credit rating, so long as I continue to pay the payments. Silver lining, and all that jazz.
I’ll figure it out. I always figure everything out. 
Awe that really stinks, sorry to hear about your phone and car issue
(. I hope you have a better day.
Thanks. 2012 will be a better year. For me, for my credit, for everything.
I’m able to find something about each day to smile about. That keeps me going.
Thanks for your comment!
Ugh. Bad fortune seems to fall in cascades when it comes, doesn’t it?. Hoping some good will emerge. I have a short commute on a bicycle, and that is a delight. To be honest, in the snow and ice, I do drive. When my company makes another million, can we hire you for customer support? You are my official fantasy tech support person
Definitely! I’ve done everything from ISP to webhosting tech support. I’ve been told I have a talent for dumbing down technical issues.
Once I pay the car off, the place I finance from will sell the payment history to a credit agency. So far, my payments have been on time (even if they’re a week late), and they love me there.
I don’t like how the engine issues could have been identified had they been 100% honest with me. But it could also be due to the same reason why I refuse to let them “fix” the car.
I don’t trust them mechanically.
I’m looking at bicycles right now. I live 10 miles from work. I have an inhaler for my exercise induced asthma. It should be interesting to get into riding a bike more. I’m just torn between getting a bike at Academy for finances sake (much cheaper), or going to a local shop (Houston is surprisingly filled with them), getting great customer service, but paying $200-300 more. =/ A lot of local shops also offer free maintenance/repairs, etc. It’s a lot to consider, when you factor in the price difference, you know?
Bicycles: Look on Craigs list for a robust commuter bike. Look on bulletin boards at local bike shops. You’ll get a better deal. Commuting 10 miles must be a challenge in Houston. I’ve only been there on a few business trips (I seem to be going to Dallas all the time), but it never seemed a city that was bike-friendly. I have my riding biks, which was very expensive but I got as a result of an insurance settlement when a lady on a cell phone ran a red light and nearly killed me (I’d never have even considered spending that much of my own money), and a mountain bike that I adapted for a short commute.
EIA is a bother. My wife has the problem, augmented by mold spore allergy. That must be a big issue in Houston. She manages it with Accolate and Serevent.
So you know tech, like geeky guys, know cars, have a hot body. Amazing.
When your ship comes in, get a camera and a small tripod. They are great for self-photos
Keep well.
Totally spaced on this comment! Sorry about that, Ben!
I’ll either do Craigslist or Academy. Houston has a lot of broken sidewalks, due to the trees taking them back. The roots are pushing up the concrete. I’ll need a bike with thick tires, but not too thick. I don’t want to impede too much speed.
Aside from that, I live in an area of Houston that’s filled with local bike shops & bicyclists. I’m on the more urban side of town.
Houston’s so spread out. Some areas are really not bike friendly.
I first noticed EIA in high school, when I did marching band. My parents didn’t want to foot the doctor visit, so I didn’t get my first inhaler until last year.
Yeah.. I like to consider myself a pretty damn good catch. haha.. I guess that’s why most of my exes come crawling back eventually.