Stardate:        91322.46

Sol III Date:    09/19/2013/16:13

Life - the next day.

As I hoped, city council’s behaviour proved an excellent distracting activity and permitted my brain to slow down and stop turning remote possibilities into ‘going to happen’ disasters. When my brain slowed down and I found myself nodding off over the keyboard I went straight to bed and sleep.

I got up and headed out ready to deal, but the $500 was there as per arrangement.

 We stopped at B & W at Whatcom Road to get the paperwork done and with papers and plates in hand headed off to Chilliwack to pick up the car.

Washed off the windows so I could see to drive, inflated the flat tire (the car tires are new), jump started the car, put on the plates and headed back to Abbotsford.

It was a stick shift but as I told my friend I am fine with that as it saves gas, helps me avoid speeding and I prefer a stick shift.

The Cougar always felt like I was driving a tank, manoeuvring a huge contain ship, so driving had become more of chore than a pleasure or just plain fun. The ZX2 puts fun back in getting from point A to point B

.

We get back to Abbotsford and check to make sure the batter recharged enough to start the vehicle.

Nothing. Jumped it, disconnected the battery and the car kept running so the alternator was working. It looks like it needs a new battery.......and what other problems my mind says.

Turn out (hopefully) it was the Universe  exercising it’s sense of humour on me.

My friend Ken was there when we stopped and said use this, an instrument that you can use to check the alternator and battery. As we were checking out the alternator we found that depending on where you touched it to the battery the alternator was barely working, working OK or pumping out lots of juice.

So we set off to Canadian Tire to replace the battery connection and lacking tools headed down to my friend toms place and his amazing sets of tools.

Going to leave we took advantage of the slight slope of the driveway to get the car rolling and pop the clutch – started like a charm.

So I took it for a run on the highway on my way home and this morning (Thursday) nada.

Pulled the battery out of the Cougar, put it on the floor on the passenger side as my jumper cables will reach from there to the car battery. It starts and runs beautifully.

I have promised to have the Cougar off the lawn tomorrow (Friday) so I will have to find someone to give me a ride back from Captain Crunch as I have to bring the battery back to start the zx2.

Or find someone who picks up the vehicle. Hmmm.

The gentleman who sold me the car is determined to get the battery straightened out and worrying about whether the alternator should be changed as well.

Leaving me working on being Zen about, a minor irritation that will be dealt with. Ommmmmm.

Stardate:        91318.16

Sol III Date:    09/18/2013/02:30

Tires, brakes, shocks, drivers door (I have to climb in from the passenger side because you can only close the drivers door from the outside), electrical (there is a short in some well out of easy to find so the windows don’t work,  nor do the turn signals = expensive).

I have found a car......well, truthfully some has found a 2001 ford escort 2XZ 4 cylinders, 5 speed stick, air cared negotiated the price down to $500 that runs nicely.

Has pretty new tires and was taken in to be reset so it would pass air care. Dirty, even by my fairly elastic standards, which may be why it is available.

Set it up to do the paper work (buy it) tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon – I am not a ‘car’ person but am old enough to admit it and listen to those who know their way around a vehicle.

The numbers (cost of work the Cougar needs + the significant $$$$ I will save on gas costs) say that unless the car dies after I drive it out of the current owners driveway I am ahead of the game. The way the Cougar guzzles gas the payback on gas savings alone is 6 months or less.

As always nervous about what is a massive expenditure on my budget and something were I have to trust someone else’s judgment.

Ramping up the nervous is that the person I had arranged over last weekend to lend me the $500 hasn’t returned the call i made at 5 PM. Not returning calls quickly is very unusual for him so my mind keeps trying to catastrophize. – Pardon me for a minute I need to step outside and SCREAM!!!!!!!!! – how do you spell relief? Scream.

The numbers say do it. The person recommending it knows cars. If necessary I can find the $500 elsewhere. My reputation on repayment may even let me still do the paper work tomorrow even if I needed an extra day or tow for raise $500....... ...................................................................................................................................................................................................

..........my tummy is still nervous, my head is still tryi8ng to run catastrophic scenarios and with my brain cells trying to melt down I have the beginning of a splitting headache.

It is at times like this that I appreciate the ineptness of Abbotsford City Council, especially vis-à-vis the homeless.

With several article/commentary ideas in my head on how good an idea/proposal Abbotsford Community Services 20 units of Housing First/first stage housing is, I should be able to distract my brain enough to mellow out enough to lie down quietly which will send me off to the land of nod in less than 5 minutes.

Granting me sleep to deal with tomorrow; should there prove to be anything to deal with.

!

Stardate:        91179.39

Sol III Date:    07/29/2013/09:15

In Germany, Gunther Burpus remained wedged in his front-door cat flap for two days because passers-by thought he was a piece of installation art. Mr Burpus, 41, of Bremen, was using the flap because he had mislaid his keys. Unfortunately he was spotted by a group of student pranksters who removed his trousers and pants, painted his bottom bright blue, stuck a daffodil between his buttocks and erected a sign saying 'Germany Resurgent, an Essay in Street Art. Please give Generously'. Passers-by assumed Mr Burpus' screams were part of the act and it was only when an old woman complained to the police that he was finally freed. "I kept calling for help," he said, "but people just said 'Very good! Very clever!' and threw coins at me."

!

Stardate:        91178.22

Sol III Date:    07/28/2013/23:00

                       

                        Death

What is life?

It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in winter time.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

And loses itself in the Sunset.

!

Stardate:        91129.03

Sol III Date:    07/10/2013/23:30

I love to read. So much so that there isn't room in the bedroom for a bed because of the space taken up by bookshelves. I have a futon that is always in couch form, never out in bed form. 

When I saw this I just had to share.

!

Stardate:        91120.37

Sol III Date:    07/07/2013/19:30

Have you seen the new commercial for Lepage’s 100% glue?

Watching the commercial I found myself wondering: “if Lepage’s new product is 100% glue, what were Lepage’s using before they switched to 100% Glue??? Snot?”  

!

Stardate:        91117.83

Sol III Date:    06/07/2013/21:12

Things NOT to say at a Job Interview

• I’m sorry I’m yawning. I usually sleep until my soap operas are on.
• Do you know of any companies where I could get a job I would like better than this one?
• What job am I applying for?
• What is it you people do at this company anyway?
• Why aren’t you in a more interesting business.
• I would have been more successful if nobvo9dy would have snitched on me.
• My resume might make me look like I’m a job hopper. But IO want you to know I never left any of those jobs voluntarily.
• What are the Zodiac signs of the board members?
• Will the company move my rock collection from California to Maryland?
• Would it be a problem is I’m angry most of the time?
• Will the company pay to relocate my horse?
• I have no difficulty in starting or holding my bowel movement.
• At times I have the strong urge to do something harmful or shocking.
• I feel uneasy indoors.
• I am fascinated by fire.
• Will anyone notice if I come in late and leave early?
• What does the company consider a good absenteeism rate?
• The job description mentions weekend work. Are you serious?
• Will my office be near an ice machine?
• How many warnings do you get before you are fired.
• My legs are really hairy.
• I never get hungry.
• I had haemorrhoids from sitting at the desk all day, but I found that taking a walk after lunch really helped me.
• How do you define Sexual Harassment?
• Why do you want the job? I’m here for a paycheque. Isn’t everybody?
• Where do you see yourself in five years? How am I suppose to know? Isn’t that your job?
• I think I'm going to throw up.

Post Script: We wish to thank the Breckenridge Zone for allowing the use of, and putting a different spin on, its new product. “How to ensure you blow the Job Interview”.