Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Such is Life

This is topic Such is Life in forum Grist for the Mill at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/writers/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=000112

Posted by Crystal Stevens (Member # 8006) on :

Hello all;

Sorry I've been gone for a few days, but overtime has hit, again, big time. I like the extra money, don't get me wrong, but those long hours can really drain you. They just hired about 10 or 15 more people. Yes, business is booming, which is good. What isn't so good is that the only other person on my shift in my classification got one of the new jobs starting Monday. This means that I now get all the overtime... and that means ALL OF IT! Every stinkin' bit of it. Looks like I'll be doing 10 hour shifts all this week! Like I said; the money's great, but that's a heck of a lot of hours for a factory production worker.

My husband and I have decided that he should apply for disability. He hasn't been able to land a job in 1 1/2 years, now, and most of that is due to his health among other things. So, I decided we have nothing to lose and everything to gain if he qualifies. It's a longshot, but his vocational resource counsilor agrees it's probably the best thing to do.

Now, the bad news. The brakes went out on our 22 year old car and ran us over $600. This happened just this past week. Then on the day that we were to get the car back (last Thursday), my husband was involved in an accident that totaled our beautiful Chevy Silverado... the one we need to pull the horse trailer to get to Salamonie State Forest where I ride those wonderful stress relieving trails. My husband is fine with just a few bumps and bruises, but we only carried liability on the truck, and the person that caused it has no insurance. So, guess who's out of a truck with no money to buy another one? It also seems that things like this always happen when our tax return comes. Oh, I'm very, very thankful for the money, but we do have other bills that come up annually in the spring. We did get some money out of the truck when we sold it for salvage.

Now the good part: A co-worker has a truck up for sale where I work. It's nothing fancy (and we haven't even seen it yet), but it should fit the bill. It's a 1987 GMC Sierra Classic and has only 116,000 miles on it. It's a half ton with a 350 V8 engine. Plenty of power for what we need. And the price? Are you ready for this? Try $750, which is about what we got out of the Silverado for salvage. Evidently, the seller has just gone through a nasty divorce and is in desperate need for money. He was so earnest when he said he really didn't want to sell but had no choice that I believe him. I'm sure this truck will do us, and we'll know for sure in just a few days.

I got to see the Silverado for the first time, today. I couldn't believe the damage or that my husband wasn't hurt any worse than he was.

If anything else, this old GMC should match our trailer... nice and aged and rusty. Oh well, I guess beggars can't be choosy. I'm thankful that things worked out as well as they did, but I'm so going to miss my 2000 Silverado... and it only had 78,000 miles on it and was almost maintenance free! Yes, I'm hurting some emotionally. Maybe even a bit in shock at what's happened, but I have to keep plugging on. My husband will have to take care of everything that must be done like tranferring the title and plates among other things, since I'm not going to be doing much but working at least through this next week.

Oh, and one other thing. We've been having problems getting our digital TV to pick up digital channels! Man, it's always something!

And the horses? Well, let's see. Dove (my Appaloosa gelding) turned 20 years old on 2/12/09, and he & Terra (my Foundation Appaloosa mare) have been having a bad case of spring fever. You know, running, jumping, kicking for the sheer fun of it. All I've seen of them lately is when I put them out in the morning. My husband does the feeding chores. I guess I'll just keep hanging in there. The overtime will be done in another week or two, and then maybe I'll have time to take a deep breath and think about riding. I can't wait!

Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :

I hope the truck lasts longer than the company will. And just fyi the bluebook value is about $700-ish range anyway.

Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :

I owned the same year adn model Sierra. Milage was less. One problem I had with it was the rings wore and it went through oil quick, fowling the pugs in the process. Watch it Crystal. If it runs very rough after 50 miles, like it is missing, then it might have the same problem mine had.

I'm crossing my fingers for you. Aside from that, it was a great truck.

Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :

Snapper, that's because you shouldn't take small stocky dogs with flat noses and breathing problems on long trips in any kind of vehicle. Especially not if you don't give them frequent bathroom breaks.

(Read your above post if you are totally confused).

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

You know, when GEnie was still around (nostalgia alert!), we used to have something called the Salmon of Correction which, so far as I could tell was only used to whap! someone whenever they posted a really bad pun.

Maybe we need something like that around here.

Posted by AmieeRock (Member # 8393) on :

I had to chuckle some when I read the mileage on your 87 truck. We own a 2005 Dodge Ram, deisel, which will pass the 100,000 mile mark probably by Easter.

I hope things go better for you. January and February were months like that for us.

Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :

Yeah, fowling pugs. Whats the matter? You never abused a small dog with a chicken? Makes a mess out of the upholestry.

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

If you got twenty-two years out of a car without major work you're ahead of the game. Usually when something major happens I start shopping for a new car. Right now I'm approaching one hundred thousand miles on a 2002 Cavalier, that from the feel of it has had better days, but still runs, and, most important, is all paid for.

Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :

You're all nice people to be helping support our local industries. Unfortunately there are also people like me out there who buy Japanese cars.

Posted by AmieeRock (Member # 8393) on :

Well, rice is cheaper than gas.

Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :

LOL, sadly I'm not sure that comment will stand.

Posted by Crystal Stevens (Member # 8006) on :

Well, the GMC didn't work out. I know it's an old truck and will have a few things wrong with it, but I drive from just southwest of Fort Wayne to about 20 miles south of Bloomington pulling a horse trailer twice a year. This is 184 miles round trip. I need a truck that won't break down on me in the middle of nowhere.

The used vehicle inspection found these things wrong with that old truck, and we were told it would take a minimum of $2000 to fix it... probably more:

Shock Absorbers/Struts
Transmission/Tranfer Case(leaks)
Differentials/Axles(leaks,CV/universal joints)

These were the worst. There were others such as:

Parking Brake
Window operation
Engine runs hot
Cruise Control
Tires
Electrical System
Cooling System
Loose/missing components under the hood/leaks

We decided to pass but can't afford much. We're hoping to find a truck for under $2500 if possible, but most used car places want around $3500 up. Right now, we're trying to keep an eye out to find one private owned for sale. Sometimes you can find a real deal that way, but for now, my horses are stuck at home .

My husband did bang up his left shin in the accident, but we didn't think much of it till the last day or so. He went to the doctor Thursday (exactly a week after the accident happened) and ended up in the ER ! Oh, he's home and everything's fine, praise the Lord. But they thought he might have fractured a bone and/or had a blood clot in his leg. Thank God, he didn't, but all the time in the ER went past the time I was supposed to be at work. I returned to work yesterday, and they put my husband on some antibiotics.

So, the beat goes on.

Posted by TLBailey (Member # 8499) on :

Hey Crystal,

Sorry to hear about the struggles, and you may not need or want my advice, but as you look for a truck make fuel injection a big criteria (from the 90's should would be a good target range). I was a mechanic in a former life, raised by a mechanic and over half of my siblings (actually they're brothers) are mechanics. The one thing I've noticed is vehicles with fuel injection last much longer.

My 96 Cougar had over 168,000 when I traded it in, still did not burn oil and I would have trusted it to drive across the country.

My 2000 pony car has 139,000 on it and runs almost like new. I hope to never get rid of it, I love driving it topless (the car, not me ).

That's not to say there won't be problems, but a dependable engine is #1. The problem with non-fuel injected engines is fuel in the oil (always happens) breaks down the oil causing greater wear on the cylinder walls, and they soon burn oil.

for what it's worth

[This message has been edited by TLBailey (edited March 14, 2009).]