From Bad to Worse, but a Good Day...

[Elspode]

Well, I haven't bitched much lately about my current status since you are all so nice and I so hate looking pathetic so often, but I thought I could share this much.

Ever since I lost my job back at the end of May, things have been breaking right and left. As soon as the temp went over 90, our central air went out (which we had just spent $500 on six weeks earlier...compressor shot craps). We lucked out and found someone to purchase a new, commercial grade unit at cost and install it for free...so we came out like bandits on that, although it was still a $400 bite we had to scrape up.

My router shot craps about a week later, and then the transmission started to go out in my high-mileage Windstar van. Having no other recourse, I closed out my IRA, taking a 20% tax bite in the ass, and started to get the van serviced. On my way home from getting an estiamte on the tranny, and some other stuff, the engine shelled...totally. As in, probabay threw a rod through the inside of the cylinder wall. A replacement engine would have cost $4,500, and I would have still had to have tranny work done, and probably a new tranny. Final total? Would have been $6,500, for a vehicle with a $3k book value. So I scrapped it, and proceeded to look for a replacement vehicle.

After a week of research, I decided I probably wanted a Ford Explorer. We have a camper trailer to tow, and musical gear to be hauled around, etc. A car just wouldn't cut it. It looked like I was going to have to spend $7k to get a six or seven year old vehicle with 140k on it, but I lucked into a 1999 with 106k for $7,250 today. I therefore am the proud owner of a very tight, very good condition Explorer 4x4 which needs only a new light hookup for me to be off and camping next weekend.

I feel better, if pretty damn broke.

Well man, at least you're doing okay. I definitely know what it's like when the shit just keeps on coming, but what's important is that, at the end of the day, we can look back and go "Well, that fucking <b>sucked</b>, but things could be worse."

(Then, of course, hope and pray that those worse things you thought of don't happen.)

[Tobiasly]

True... "could have been worse", as in, you could have already paid for a new tranny <I>before</I> the engine blew up!

[Elspode]

Too true. Things have actually sucked enough lately that, upon hearing a news item on NPR about Liberians having to take refuge and live in the men's room of the National Soccer Stadium, I began to feel bad about feeling bad about my own situation.

Yes, things *could* be worse. They could also be a shitload better, but then, every morning you don't wake up face down on the concrete is a good morning.

And I love the new ride. I'll post a pic after I get finished gussying it up and putting my Marvin the Martian decor and Moog stickers on it.

[juju]

Well, look at it this way: You've got the truck, and you've got the central air. I thought you said you were going to tell us about your 'current status'? It sounds to me like you've already tackled your problems admirably. Why worry about it? Don't second-guess yourself. You did good, man. You turned your problems into solutions. Sure, you still need a job, but at least you still don't have to take care of all that other stuff.

What about the router? Is it completely dead?

[Elspode]

Router would function as a hub, but no uplink capacity for the incoming cable. It, too, has been replaced. Hell, it was the least of our problems.

Yeah, we're dealing with things, but this string of things has left us teetering dangerously close to a zero bank balance. I haven't had to cope with that for many years, now, and it is worrisome.

Again, things could be worse.

[Elspode]

Before I start to appear too pathetic, I do want to say that the shit we've been dealing with doesn't hold a candle to the lengthy battle for employment that Syc had to fight, nor even remotely compares to Dave's house fire...

I am truly fortunate in many, many ways, despite being unemployed and rapidly approaching being broke. I'm trying to focus on those things.

[xoxoxoBruce]

A replacement engine would have cost $4,500,

That's about twice what it should cost.

[Elspode]

New block from Jasper, $3.2k, installation was to have been $1.3k. I've since been told I could have gotten something done cheaper, but I would still have had to deal with the tranny, and in the end, the vehicle would still have been worth less than $2k.

[Undertoad]

Things are as bad as we think they are, or as good as we think they are.

[xoxoxoBruce]

and in the end, the vehicle would still have been worth less than $2k.

I forgot I don't look at things like normal people do.
My tact is how much is it going to cost for how many more miles. I'm never concerned what the value is because I never sell or trade them but rather run them into the ground.
That's saved me a lot of money over the years but it's not a viable plan for many (most) people. It works for me because I always have at least 3 registered & insured, no kids to worry about if I break down and I'm pretty good at nursing them home. The biggest problem is they rust away in a few hundred K miles.
So hey, best of luck with your new toy, man. It sounds like your luck hasn't been *all* bad this summer.

[warch]

Our 89 Nissan Sentra just rolled over 150K. Good little car. The body is beginning to rust and fall apart, particularly since moving north, but her heart is strong. We'll see how far she'll take us- just coasting across town now. Bought her used in 1992 with 40K, for $4000 in Wimberley, TX. Good little car.

[zippyt]

Yes things could be worse ,, I have found that it ain't what happens but how we handle these things that counts

[xoxoxoBruce]

Right, Zip. There's no problem too big for C-4.

[zippyt]

Ahh yes C4 , it makes great squirle figuers , and the blasting caps keep them up right . My SSGT didn't know just what to make of the cool figuers till I reminded him of Caddy shack . He then squached it and dropped me for 50 push ups but it was worth it