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time is crawling 26 December 2009 - 18:45 I've been feeling "off" all day. Can't really explain it, except that I've been extremely lethargic all day while simultaneously being unable to keep still. It's almost like I have the urge to get up and do something, but I don't know what that something is. Woke up late (as usual, since I've been sleeping around 5AM every night) to my sister's yelling and banging on my closet wall. My stomach felt weird. Not nauseous, not queasy, just weird. Jelly-ish, I dunno. So I went outside to fuck around with her car. It's been fucking up. Overheating, to be specific, and her check engine light's been on for the longest time. Over a year, I think. Mechanics had always told us that was normal. Some glitch, that it would never go away. And hell, it's my sister's car, she takes care of it. She's taken the mechanic's word for it and left well enough alone. Not me. Shit no. So I took it to AutoZone to get it checked out for free. They hook up that thing to the car's computer and give you readings. Turns out Hugo's CPU started spewing all sorts of error codes pertaining to his temperature controls. Sensors and valves and cables all messed up. I got home, relayed the info, and then got to work. Originally, I was just gonna do the oil change on the bitch, but the seal's on too tight. I got pissed, so I moved over to flush the radiator instead while the seal soaked up some W-40. I got halfway through the flush when the car turned off. By itself. Yep, not a good sign. I could hear a hissing noise, so I started checking the hoses and whatnot, trying to find the source. Good news is, I found it. It's a little black rubber hose connector shit. Couldn't find a part number or name for the life of me, except for the letters "MPC" on its side. Like that was gonna help. Well, it's got a hole in the side, where air is going through. And heat and age have teamed up to make the rubber crumble in my fingers. Definitely need a new one. While I was at it, I also found the damn IAT sensor that kept popping up on Hugo's computer as an error. Yeah, found out why. Effin' thing was hanging by maybe half a wire. One wire was completely severed. I unplugged it and headed for AutoZone again. Told them I needed the sensor and they pulled up something that didn't really look what I had just taken out of the car. I had the hose part with me, and they couldn't find one in the right size. Fuckin' great. So I told them the sensor was different than what I had, told 'em to hold on for a sec while I drove home and got the part for them to compare. (Yeah, I know, I'm a dumbass for not having taken it in the first place. But hey, I learned, okay? I got home, took the part and went back. Turns out it's not really the sensor itself what's fucked. I mean, they have sensors at AutoZone, but that's not even connected to cables. It just kinda hangs there. The part that was dangling from tiny cable bits was the connector that the sensor plugs into. And no, they don't sell that at AutoZone. Or Advanced Auto. "Try the dealership, or a junkyard," they said. Fuck! By the time I got home and looked a salvage yard up, they were closed for the weekend. I missed them by maybe half an hour. Now I have to wait for Monday. Double fuck!Now I'm left with nothing to do. Nothing I consider useful, anyway. I had been stamping ODC stickers for my coworkers as a X-mas/End-of-Year perk, but that gets old fast. ODC stickers are these little green shits we stick on international shipments once we're done processing them. Each sticker is personalized, so you know which clerk did what. Usually, they have to be filled in by hand, but a few years back, I decided I was too lazy for that shit, and bought a stamp at OfficeMax. And since it's one of those stamps that you can change the lettering on so you can modify what you want the stamp to say, it was easy to personalize for each coworker. Originally, I was gonna make two rolls for Aaron, 'cause it'll be his birthday on Monday, but I'm having second thoughts on it. Too lazy. And I don't wanna make a habit of it either. I don't like my coworkers that much. Heh. Plus, I don't wanna just sit around and stamp shit. I wanted to actually do something of physical labor. Maybe it's because I was already prepared to spend some time working on the damn car today. I was all gung-ho for getting sweaty and greasy. I tell my sister that shit's good therapy for me, especially when I actually get to finish and everything runs much more smoothly than when I started. Yeah, it's a pride thing. Definite. So I washed some dishes instead, but now the drainer is full and I have to wait until the dishes have dripped dry. I'm also doing laundry, but I gotta wait for the dryer to be done before I can at least fold some clothes. And it's too dark to mow the lawn... not to mention our lawnmower was stolen earlier this week. 19:48 - 'Ama had called me to help her carry the TV so she could clean the little table it was resting on. While we were there, Dud woke up and required assistance in rising. She's real big now, supposed to be due in February, but we think her doctor's gonna induce her labor early just 'cause the kid's so darn big. So the new baby might end up being born in January like me and 'Apa. I need to call T�a Cristina to tell her I'm not going to the end of year party she's got set up for the cousins. Too much shit going on, and besides, I don't even have my passport yet. Well, 'Ama is gonna start cooking dinner. Sopita de conchitas for the kiddos, and she's gonna mash up some beans so the adults can have tostadas. Mmmm... I might just fuck up some sopa too. But anyway, she wants me to help in the kitchen, and I'm at least gonna check if the dishes have all dried. Then I can wash the rest.(Sidenote: I bought my mom some fake sugar made from real sugar. It's not Splenda, it's called something else. Anyhow, she likes it, and I'm glad.) |