Only Four?

I have finally paid off the old car I got off craigslist.   Oh boy, took a long time and a lot of scrimping out of a budget that is not meant to stretch to much other than food and utilities.

But I did it and I'm proud to get it paid off.

It's not perfect that car.  A friend was riding with me the other day and suddenly noticed the dash lights.   Check Engine. VCS, Trac Off, Maintenance Required.  We got to pull over, she said.  The car is in trouble! 

Running fine, I said.  Look at all those lights on the dash, she exclaimed, four lights are on.

Only four, I said?  There's six or eight of them could be on.

I explained to her then that the three, VCS, Trac Off, and Check Engine were all from one problem, one the car came with, although I didn't know it then.   Something with the catalytic.  The mechanic scanned the codes that began blinking on even on the first drive home with it, which made me quite angry at the young man who sold it to me.  The mechanic said there are two catalytics on the car, and even a minor problem will trigger those codes.  He checked the emissions which were within normal.  I asked what to do and he said unless I wanted to shell out thousands, to just let it be.

I could probably find some illegit person, in fact I've had two offers, to remove the catalytic's and put a straight pipe in their place.  I turned down both, unsure of the skill set of either one.  The mechanic doubts either catalytic is bad, but rather a seal may leak slightly or an O2 sensor may be off.  The engine runs clean as a whistle still.  The plugs tell that story.  If it were clogged it'd start back firing and stinking.  Like my old corolla did.

My brother and I, I admit, once knocked the innards out of a clogged cat on a crappy corolla he'd lined me up to get, from a sleazy dealer in McMinnville. Some friend of a friend had told him it was a good car, barely driven, well maintained by an old couple. Usually you're ok buying a used car some older couple have owned, as they maintain them well. But I would guess that story was made up by Mr. Sleaze used car lot owner.   My gawd that car was a wreck and nothing as advertised.  Within three years the transmission failed completely.

The maintenance required light is on because I forgot how to reset it.  I change my own oil and that's meant to remind you its time for an oil change.  I change my own oil.  I cut my own hair.  Etc. Etc.  One does what one must do to survive.  I also carry an extra coil pack on long trips because in Scions, those seem to be the most likely thing to blow out at an inconvenient location.  I carry a tire patch kit too, the $3 kit kind where you plug the hole.  I've used them before and I'd rather plug the hole than limp with a donut if out miles from anywhere.  Much of Oregon has zero cell phone coverage in case you didn't know.  I carry a tire inflater I plug into the cigarette lighter.

I'm taking a cat catch break right now.  No appointments is one reason.  The other is my shoulder is plenty messed up and needs rest.   I'm doing my exercises, more now, to make it hopefully stronger.  I think its working too.  You never know.

I've got my plastic tree up.  That thing is ancient. I got it used at the Habitat Store to begin with, probably ten years back.  But still it holds up and looks ok to me.  No ornaments this year, since the cats pull them off and chase them all over the house.   Looks fine without them, just lit up.

That trapping last week at the Albany colony wore me out.  There was a stress to it--the need to catch all of them, since I had no more appointments, the presence of cat hating complaining neighbors which creates a negative unwelcome aura just to drive onto that street, like driving into a darkness.  I did catch them all.  I did find the five teens placements and the community service officer took the four kittens, three of whom I netted and I trapped the 4th.  I returned five of the adults, four of whom she has contained in her house now.  When I was done with it by Tuesday I came home and was laid out, muscles twitching and sore, lots to clean and launder, and I no longer wanted to talk to anyone at all until I could recover.

I'm recovered I'll say mostly.   I like to sit in my chair in the dark with the Christmas tree lights on.  I strung some around inside too.  I don't know why people put them outside their house.  They can't see them except when they drive in.  I like them inside and on where I can enjoy the colors.