El Desafortunado

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So I finally got my car back yesterday…again…

Auto Repair Grand Total for the Month of May: $694.31

And just between you and me, I don’t care anymore. On my way home from work today, the check engine light came on and I almost just stopped the car and walked away right then and there. Now I know that up until these incidents, I’ve really gotten off pretty lucky with regards to maintenance issues…but this is just getting ridiculous!!! It seems to be mostly an idling problem, so I’m just going to dump some fuel additive into the gas tank and if it’s still acting funny by the time I get up north, then I’ll have my old mechanic look at it up there. Mark my words – I’m never going back to the place that I took it this time ever again!

Hell, I’m not even driving past it, just to be safe. :<

All of this ultimately puts me a little over another month behind in completely paying off my debts, but I suppose in the end, there’s really no use crying over spilt engine coolant. June will have to be a better month – it really can’t get any worse – and both July and August will come bearing an extra paycheck each between the two of my jobs, so it’ll be ok.

Just put me on the highway, show me a sign and for the next two weeks, we’ll try to forget all of this ever happened! 😉

Where there’s grammar, there’s hope…

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I started a new writing project this evening, mainly to help me cope with some of the stress that I’ve been having recently. Hopefully it’ll be completed sometime around the middle of June, which you math geeks might calculate as giving me about thirty-two days and counting…give or take!

It’s really a new style of writing for me, but so far it’s been fairly theraputic. Of course, I’ll have a much better idea of exactly where this is going a few weeks from now, so check back with me then for a real update… :p

Apparently the Survivor: Palau finale is on TONIGHT, eh?!

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Somebody please hold me to this next season – unless the show is held in an absolutely pristine, spectacular setting that hasn’t already been done three or four times already (i.e. tropical paradise, laden with hidden perils), I’m not watching the next season of Survivor.

Let me spend the time doing something of quality for a change, whether it be reading a book or spending the time with my girlfriend or even just watching something else. Point blank…this show just doesn’t have it anymore. 🙁

woo hoo!!!

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A quick step on the scale indicates that I’m a full three pounds lighter than the last visit — this gives us a grand total of seven pounds lost since I started trying to lose weight this last time!

…

(I don’t want to hear it – I’m still eating the pizza… 😛 )

a long walk…

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Let me tell you, people – we all take our automobile-thingys forgranted!!!

I just got back from the grocery store – according to Yahoo! Maps, it is .8 miles away – and although the trip TO was quite brisk and really not all that bad, the FROM journey certainly left less to be desired. I had thought that I had scrimped pretty well – how much can a man consume a week before he’s leaving town and requires the perishables to be gone, anyways?! Well, between a 2 liter of soda, half a gallon of milk, some mini OJ containers for work, and the basic staples of bread, cheese, and hotdogs, I was sweatin’ something fierce by the time I got back to my front door!

Come to think of it, that might not be too bad of a money saving idea – only buy as much as you would be able to walk home, in the event that your car disappeared from the parking lot.

…

Nah – on second thought, just take better care of old bessie and get her the regular maintenance visits as they come, rather than all at once, and we’ll probably be just fine! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a well-earned frozen pizza to prepare!

paraskevidekatriaphobia

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noun.

the irrational fear of Friday the 13th

I, too, thought that it was just a bunch of craziness…until the events started to piece themselves together…

Remember that $300 brake job from Wednesday? Well, “there’s really no connection because those are two completely different systems / it’s not our fault,” but I took it back into the shop Friday morning first thing because it started spewing engine coolant all over the place on my way home Thursday night. I had hoped that it was merely an overflow because they had filled the reservoir too full…but let’s face it – overflows don’t empty the container bone dry.

So they had it all day – first it was one $40 part, then it was something else. Of course, this blows all the more because if anything, six years slaving away in that warehouse taught me that those $24.99 and $34.99 hoses actually wholesale for maybe $20 together…that is, if they’re buying the good stuff, which I doubt. Mind you, continuing to get that auto parts discount wouldn’t exactly over-weigh getting to live here in paradise, but it still pisses me off. Long story short – the latest part that they want to replace now won’t be available until Tuesday, so I’m without transportation for the next four days and I don’t want to burden my friends with anything more than the rides to and from work because I really need those!

Grand total on auto repairs for the month of May is coming in just shy of $700, so I guess I really shouldn’t be buying anything right now anyways…even if I do need it for my trip next week. Luckily I can walk over to Wal-Mart for groceries (sorry, hun – I know that you don’t like me doing that, but there’s really not much of a choice this time)…and if anybody needs me in the meantime, I’ll be…uhhh, right here.

Moral of the Story: Don’t underestimate Friday the 13th…it could happen to you!

Don’t ‘cha just love price gouging?!

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I just completed eight auctions on eBay for the same seller – a couple of SNES controllers, a power supply, and five games.

Total Sale Price for Items: $25.27
Total Price for S&H: $24.60

What’s wrong with this picture?! I just love paying a price like this, only to see the USPS price sticker for less than $10 worth of postage when my auctions finally arrive. Then again, who ever said that pawn shops are fair?

vacation weather forecast…

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At 12:43 AM…

It’s 69 degrees here in Tampa…
…and 36 degrees up in Gaylord!!!

That’s almost double – I don’t think that I even have the clothing to survive those kinds of temperatures anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Daytime Update: Tomorrow afternoon (during the warmest point of the day), the coldest temperature here will still be warmer than the hottest temperature there…seriously, what am I getting myself into?!

a few brief words

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Spent $307 on the car today getting it ready for the trip up north.

Came home and watched National Treasure – kinda disappointed.

Stack of bills on the desk that should be able to get put off for another day or two…

I’m tired – good night!

insomnia

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My sleep schedule is all out of whack right now and I’m not really sure why. Typically I’m up late on Sunday nights because of my writing anyways, but this week I was all done yesterday…and yet here I am. I suppose my best guess is that it just has something to do with everything that’s going on right now.

I feel like Dave Attell right now, only not very funny. On second thought… 😛