Things are Breaking

I've had a run of bad luck with equipment lately. My phoneline here is bad, crackling so loudly I can barely understand anything said over it. It needs replaced in the house. There were two lines from the box. The first one went bad immediately, but I disconnected it at the box and then the other line at least was ok. But only for a short time. Then the crackling began on that line. It has become far worse in the last couple of months. But this line runs through walls and the attic. There's no repairing or replacing it without tremendous work.

I'll have to jury rig a line I guess, through the garage and drilling a hole in the wall from the garage to run one line into the house. I'm so worn out currently that sounds like climbing Mt. Everest.

The binoculars I got at a swap meet lost one side's lense piece a couple months ago. I used them by looking through one eye, on the one remaining side, until that lense also cracked and I threw them out. I have one other pair I got at the same swap meet, not much better shape but for now they will have to do. I use binoculars daily, for trapping and cat spotting.

My mag lite broke too. Those things are not made like they used to be made. The switch has failed. I can't turn it on or off and it isn't a battery or bulb problem. See, with the mag lites they sell now, within a week of hard use, the switch rubber protector falls off. This has happened to me on two mag lites. They're building them like crap now.

After that falls off the switch is exposed to dirt and moisture, eventually corrodes and quits working or gets jammed with something.

I can't find a way to open those things up, to expose the insides, to be able to get to the inside of the switch, to clean and fix it. Frustrating.

I have another mag lite, a backup, but it's rubber switch protector bit the dust long ago, too, so the switch is problematic on it also. I can't stand to throw maglites that I can't fix, out. It should be a crime to make something out of heavy metal like that, then put a plastic crap switch on it, with an inadequately designed protective rubber cover. What a waste.

Maglites used to be indestructible. If I ever buy another one, I will alter it before I ever use it, to ensure a longer life of use.

I've thought about making my own flashlight. I mean, they're really simple. You can make one with a wire, a battery, and a bulb. That's how simple the concept is. The switch merely breaks or reconnects the circuit of the battery positive, negative and bulb, when you want it off or on. I could make the most durable switch ever, for my homemade flashlight! I just have not had the time. I wanted to experiment with focals for directing the light, too, to see what kind of beam I could create with my own homemade light funnel.

We have so little time that we often have to rely on mass manufactured goods that are not very durable or useful or creative.

My car is in need of repairs, but I have hurdles to overcome so I can get those done. Hurdles like money, which is a big one. Like logistics, finding a day or could end up a week even, that I won't need to use my car, and can be home for a week. I don't have those kind of weeks and I think I'd go stir crazy here in Albany, stuck at home. It's not like there's anything to do for even recreation around here, if stuck at home without transportation.

Then there's the distance, since the mechanic I use is halfway between Corvallis and Albany without shuttle service. He'd need the car for the day, at the least, and I'd need to walk home, then walk back out, when it was done, and that would entail a lot of miles of walking, in fact so many miles of walking I'd not even get home before I'd need to start walking back. But I need to get my car fixed, or being stuck at home in Albany will become my life for good. I had hoped to kind of keep the whole thing at bay until winter arrives. I need to keep trying to save up money for the repairs.

I know the belts need changed and it needs a new battery, which I can put in myself, but I can't change belts on front wheel drives. It needs brakes and it might need a new timing chain. It might need at least one new strut. The list is long and nothing on it is cheap. So, boy, what do you do.

I know what people will say, ride a bike instead. Well, sorry kids, you can't haul cats in traps on a bike. This is a work vehicle.