revolutionizing my internet existence!

Guess what I'm doing right now?

Sit down for this...

Typing this journal from a LAPTOP while watching crappy tv!

What's that, you ask? You bought a new computer??

Damn straight! (pausing to watch a funny-yuck anal probe scene in some weird movie called "The Sex Monster")... Oh wait, where was I? That's right - I was gloating about my newfound desktop-liberation!

Hmm... I don't seem to be very successful with writing and watching tv, even if the movie is absolutely ridiculous.  Tee hee, I feel so... modern!

It was an opportunity I couldn't refuse, $400 off. It's not top of the line, but it's much better than my fossil desktop from 1999. This is actually a huge step for me - considering I am unemployed and just spent muchos buckos. But I see it as an investment; I can't stand sitting in my room on my computer all day because I get cooped up and get a little nuts, so there's no way I could stand to write very long. This way, I can take my computer with me and actually get serious about pretending (??LOL) to be a writer!

Lisa is free!! Wheeeeeee!

I also had way too much coffee tonite. Wheeeee again!

The BIG STORM!

So now I am two stories behind -  my first Virginia trip, and now my other Virginia adventure. I definitely need a laptop. My computer is in my room, in the basement of my parent's house, and after sitting down here too long I go a little nuts... I'd be much more inclined to write if I wasn't cooped up down here!

Anyway, it figures that while I was away enjoying the beach, crabs, and alcohol, Detroit got a wicked storm. I love wicked storms, and I missed it! I was watching TV in Chincoteague and they showed Detroit underwater, so I called up Steve to get the lowdown. He works for the city and said that the emergency sirens went off, hailing everybody into the emergency shelter area. I later talked to my buddies at the garage and they said they all went outside to watch, of course. Which is exactly what I would have done, hee hee.

He said that the sky was an eerie green and the clouds actually looked like sine waves. Others said the rain was so heavy that it would come down in sheets, and wind was up to hurricane-level speed - 60 mph or more! AND I MISSED IT! Also, two funnel clouds were sighted over Northville and Plymouth but didn't touch ground. Steve also said that the ~80 ft. cottonwood tree that hovers directly over his house fell down - and incredibly missed the neighbor's and their own house and other trees. Couldn't have fallen any better. The tree was so sketchy in the first place, that they were going to have it removed this summer. Guess it's cheaper this way. ;)

I'm hoping this constant cloud cover/rain turns into another "Great Lakes Hurricane" this week so I can drive my car through it. Yeah, I'm crazy like that. Anyway, here are some pics from my aunt in Dearborn that day. Keep in mind that it is only 3 or 4 pm and it is that dark!

To Virginia!

Time for me to begin my 10 hour drive to Chincoteague Island in Virginia to play with horseshoe crabs! No journal updates til I get back, probably Saturday?? Weather forcast: Thunderstorms and 80 degrees. Sounds good to me. ;)

"Cheap" is a relative term

Focus is up and running again, but not without putting up a fight.

I called good ol' AAA for a tow from my driveway to Tommy's. Their 5-mile tow policy, for once, was good enough to get me there without costing anything extra. The guys at Tommy's like me and remember I was just in last week; they're happy to see me cuz' I'm a cute girl but they know I'm certainly not happy to be back. Handed the keys over and left to wait impatiently for the diagnosis.

Later that afternoon, they call and tell me the problem isn't a broken fuel line, it's actually a clip that connects a line to the fuel pump. The kicker - there is no way to get the clip by itself; the ENTIRE fuel pump must be purchased. WHAT?! I just had the entire thing replaced April '03, and they are expensive! He told me that the piece of line comes with the clip on one end but not the end that is broken. It was going to cost at least $250 after they mark up the price of the pump if they got it from a dealership. But he said that maybe, because my parents are Ford employees, I could go to the dealership and see if I could work something out with them. As much as I HATE my dealership, I agreed because I honestly didn't know how I would be able to afford it.

I get to the dealership and the nice parts guy hears my story and brings a new pump down to look at; yep, if you buy the clip, you gotta buy the pump. He also tried to find any old or recalled pumps to see if there were any clips left over; nope, they send them straight back to Ford to be inspected and then destroyed. There was no way that little clip was coming without the entire pump! The parts guy tried to help me out because of how ridiculous my situation was. In the end, he really pulled through - he gave me a quote of a mere $100 for the entire thing! Keep in mind that the dealership pays $140 for the part itself, and they sell it marked up to over $200. Since there was a recall on the Focus fuel pump, he suggested I try and talk to the service dept. first; then, if they couldn't help then his offer would come in handy.

I talked to those guys, and fortunately I think the evil man that made my mom cry (long story, mean mean man!) is no longer working there. He was one of the main reasons I stopped going to my dealership. These other guys were very nice and helpful, but the outlook wasn't good. Technically, I could have brought my car straight to the dealership to get checked out and see if replacing the pumpwould be under the recall. However, he also told me that the recall only covers broken pumps if it is stalling, choking, or hesitating; if they sent my broken one back to Ford and they saw it was a broken clip and not those other symptoms, the work would NOT be covered under the recall and I'd have to pay for it. They were willing to make up a story for me, but they said that it was the fact that they inspect the part that made it difficult to "fake". Essentially, my problem with the pump was not what was covered in the recall and apparently that makes all the difference. I also reminded them that only 13 months ago, they had replaced my fuel pump anyway; unfortunately, since it was longer than a year ago there was no warranty on the parts so it probably wouldn't be covered either.

My car was already sitting with the fuel tank dropped at Tommy's. Ford service guys said I could get it towed there, and they'd check it out. It was a tough call because of the possibility that Ford would do it for free, though I'd still have to pay for the labor at Tommy's. Then again, if it wasn't ok'ed for free replacement, not only would I have to pay for labor and parts at Ford, I'd also have to pay for Tommy's too. Instead, I turned around, marched back into the parts department, and whisped to the old parts guy, "Hey, is that quote still good?" He grinned and winked, printed up an invoice, and said "You owe me for this one." Nice guy, and I hope he knows how much I appreciate his "good ol' college try" at getting me that discount.

Tommy's was impressed and apologetic - it sucks I had to buy a whole new pump for a silly little piece of plastic, but somehow I managed to pay a dirt cheap price. I nervously watched the mechanic manipulate the fragile tabs holding the piece to the pump, while is coworkers breathed down his neck. No pressure, no pressure... but that's a $100 piece of plastic and I can't afford another one! He popped it out, handed the brand new pump, minus the clip, back to me. "Be done in 20 minutes." Seems so simple, yet so financially painful.

But I think I made out relatively well. They didn't replace the whole fuel pump, just fixed that broken clip and a section of line, and had to remove the gas tank to get to it all... $290, including the new pump I have for a rainy day. Believe it or not, that's pretty darned good. It pays to have mechanics think you're cute. ;)

Total sum over 7 days for Focus: $590

When it rains, it pours...

And I don't just mean all these thunderstorms we've had lately. What I am about to say will get me blacklisted here in the Motor City, but I can't hold it back any longer: Ford sucks.

This is coming from a member of a "Ford family". Both parents work there, uncles and aunts and cousins and friends worked there... My entire family drives/drove a Ford at one point. And all of us have vowed to go import after our current cars die.

And boy, do our Fords have a flair for kicking the bucket. I think it's an epidemic.

I have a 2001 Focus ZX3. I love the idea of the Focus. I do think it's a blast to drive and if it weren't such a POS, then I would love it and urge everyone to buy one. Maybe the newer year models have increased in quality, but let me tell you a story about a little green hatchback...

IT BROKE DOWN AGAIN. SECOND TIME IN SEVEN DAYS!

Last week, I had to get the ball joint replaced. The friendly mechanics warned me that I'd probably be back pretty soon - the sway bar end links were going to go next. What a pleasant little cloud of happiness to hover over my head until it happens. "Wonder when it will break... wonder when it will break..." Crossing my fingers while driving has become second nature. "Please, not yet baby. Please don't break down!" {rolling my eyes}

This is on top of the other dire warnings I have got regarding the timing chain. I have around 85k on my car (hey, that's what happens when you travel the country!) which is apparently around the magical, expensive timing-chain-replacement period. I'm not even going to think about that one.

But imagine my surprise when I start my car and it coughs, stutters, and dies. I've driven it all day, but here in my driveway (fortunately) it decides to go kaputt. I pop the hood and try to start it again; turns over but won't start. Cough cough says the Focus. I get out and hear a dripping - ok, I mean "pouring" - noise and I look under the engine with dreaded thoughts of transmission fluid or coolant running down our driveway. But it's dry. Huh? My eyes widened with the realization as I turned my head towards the fuel tank. You've got... to be kidding... me......

Gas is pouring all over the driveway. Of all the things to break, I was not expecting that! First, I thought maybe I had incorrectly replaced the fuel filter a few weeks ago, but that wasn't the problem. It was coming from around the gas tank - above, next to, not sure. Does the fun ever stop??

Steve hopes and thinks maybe a fuel line broke or popped off, which is cheap and easy to fix most of the time. I can't afford it to be anything else! This is on top of watching those dollar signs wash down the driveway - I paid $2.12/gallon for that gas!

*****In light of a few comments I've received lately...Let me clarify a few things here.

The newer Focus models are better quality than the year I have - 2001 was notorious for the number of recalls on them. Such is what happens in the early years of a car's production, I suppose. Keep in mind that I love the idea of the Focus and it really is fun to drive, it has just fallen short of my expectations of Ford. I guess I even got "lucky" compared to many '01 Focus owners - both my friends had to replace their brakes around 15k miles. Yikes!

As for the timing belt - mine hasn't gone yet, but I have been told by multiple people that often they go after 80,000 miles. I'm going on 90k now and it seems to be ok, but when it does happen apparently it's the labor that is expensive. Seeing as how I am not a mechanic but just your average consumer, I was merely stating that when it happens, it will suck.

Warranty - they did not start that awesome warranty program on the Focus until after I bought mine, so I had the standard 3 yr, 30k mile.

Even when I had less than 20k miles on my car, I had to bring it in to get to get the end link on one side replaced under warranty. Now the other side is going bad.

And the fact that I want to buy an import doesn't make me unAmerican. My car was made in Mexico anyway! Can you blame me for wanting to buy something with a better record of quality??

Oh and Ido check my tire pressure, and I get all the preventative maintenance done and get problems taken care of quickly before they turn into something worse. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I don't know how to care for a car. If you think Ford is so great, then start your own journal and maybe you too can be featured on AOL - much more productive than writing inappropriate comments to me.*************

I'm in a bit of a crunch because I'm still house sitting and I need to be there a few times a day. Fortunately Steve is my hero, as always, and is letting me borrow his van. Housesitting, by the way, isn't so grand either - her puppy has super-powers and can jump the highest tables... and then chews the cords off of lamps. Or jumps on my head to wake me in the morning. Cute little hell spawn. ;) Did I mention the rabbit that attacks people? Seriously attacks? Every see Monty Python and the Holy Grail? That rabbit with big pointy teeth ain't got NOTHIN' on this bad bunny. I lock the bedroom at night in fear because of that crazy thing.

In other news, Kevin gave me a good schoolin' on how to really mountain bike. First lesson learned: buy padded shorts. My butt won't forget that very soon, that's for sure. I am going to finally suck it up and get a job outside of my field. Don't really have a choice. I was going to go with Heather to Chicago to see what's out there, but I can't even MAKE it there yet alone hope to find a job in a week. I'm thinking of honestly trying contruction or carpentry. Why not, eh? I've done crazier things (ie: move to colorado, get wildland firefighter certified in new york, etc). Our local paper is hiring a reporter. Might apply for a good laugh. As if 2004 hasn't been funny enough as it is...

Anyway, gotta go back to demon doggie, Marc (the other dog) and Bunnicula (ever read "The Celery Stalks at Midnight", about the vampire bunny? great book!). Oh, did I mention I'm supposed to drive to Virginia on Monday?

Here's a pic of my squad for wildland firefighter training. If anyone out there wants a hard working, intelligent, funny, and talented employee, drop me a line. (just because i don't have a job right now doesn't mean i'm lazy! i'm just trying to figure out what i want in life!)