Category Archives: vroom vroom

Zoom Zoom CRASH

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J’Lo is sick.

I know when I bought her she had a few issues. I mean, how can you be J’Lo without some baggage?

What I didn’t expect was to have the car go past THREE different mechanics before a fourth finally told me what exactly needed to be done.

So I’ve had FIVE car-less days, and spent $500 to get ONE problem fixed (which should’ve cost half that were it fixed the first time), and there are about four more on the backburner. So I’ve had my harmonic balancer – which sounds more like a yoga pose than a car part – replaced.

Apparently in addition to that someone at some point sawed off the bottom half of my timing belt cover, because it was rubbing on a bolt that’s not supposed to be there, and the alternator belt is far too long, causing some other bolt to protrude where it shouldn’t.

All in all, I’m glad it’s finally being dealt with properly, and I want to give huge shoutouts to everyone at Nic’s Garage! They’ve been beyond great to me, and hopefully everything will be tickety-boo sooner rather than later.

Mechanically Inclined

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Does anyone know of a skilled and honest mechanic within the Downtown/Burnaby/North Shore area?

My car needs a tune-up, and I just don’t have the time to get out to the home of the parental units and take care of it with dear ol’ Dad. Last time it needed some sort of repair, I tried to wait until I “had time” and it barfed up the drive belt all over the freeway. I’d rather not do that again.

Thanks in advance if you can recommend someone. I’ll be sure to drop your name when I go in, so you’ll get any sort of referral bonus or good juju the shop may want to pass your way.

Driving Miss Daisy

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My life has been consumed by wanderlust. If anyone needs a ride somewhere in the next little while, I’m still excited enough about being able to actually GO PLACES with relative EASE AND COMFORT that I’ll probably take you almost anywhere for the low, low price of gas.

Yes, I know that with the price of gas these days the skytrain is probably cheaper – but my car has a trunk, does not smell like feet, and the only scary person you need to sit next to is me.

One of the more amusing side effects of driving instead of taking transit is that I now have to adjust my ideas of how long it takes to get anywhere. Things that used to be an hour away are now 20 minutes. anything that took 30 minutes now takes about 5. It’s really fairly perplexing, and means that I’m freakishly early for EVERYTHING. So my already obscenely short tolerance for anyone who is late has been shortened even further.

But, small price to pay. So if you’d like to come and break the time/space continuum with me even further, let me know. I’m thinking specifically about trips to Ikea and Target – but really, my enthusiasm is still so unbridled at this point that I’d probably drive across town to pick someone up and take them 3 blocks to buy milk.

Safety Girl

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I put 200kms on the new car today. I am drunk on mobility. It’s amazing how small the city just got.

It was quite fun to show up at the home of the parental units randomly. They live about 70kms away, so they were very surprised when I showed up without warning. They were obviously a little perplexed about how I managed to get there; when I told them “In my car!” they were shocked to say the least – they had no idea I’d made the purchase.

After eleventy frillion rounds of “No Way!” “Yes Way!” they (mom, dad, brothers) all took turns driving it around the block, then mom made me dinner. I could get used to that.

Also, I do believe I now totally need this.

The Safety Girl Roadside Emergency Kit contains serious roadside emergency supplies like an emergency blanket, first aid supplies and instructions to change a flat tire, but it also contains other “emergency” items like chocolate, nail file, aromatherapy headache remedy and more!

Yes, the shameless gift-plugging continues. It’s available at Beauty Mark on Denman for those inclined.

J’Lo

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I think the car has a name: J’lo, the big booty ho.

How did this come about? I’ll let the IM log speak for itself:

todd: what kind is it?
peechie: ’96 geo metro, white
todd: teardrop style?
peechie: yes, except no – it’s a 4 door sedan, so it has a trunk.
todd: trunks are good
peechie: indeed
todd: for to put the junk in
peechie: yes, I’m a fan of junk in the trunk
todd: me too.

And thus, a star is born.