Monday, October 6, 2008

From The Birds Point Of View...


Did you ever wake up just knowing somehow that it was going to be a day filled with surprises? Sure you have...we all have! I should have seen yesterday that I was overdue for a day of surprises, some good and some bad, but I didn't.

I feel a little like the two birds in the picture. Some days the feeling that you are being ganged up on is overwhelming. It seems like a total surprise, but the warning signs were all there for us to see. Take the problem I'm having with my truck right now!

I should have known from the small tell-tale drop of fluid on the ground underneath that I had a problem about to happen, but I didn't.

I should have been on a more regular schedule of preventative maintenance, but I wasn't. Pretty dumb. huh?

I should have taken into account the fact that my truck is 17 years old and long overdue for something to wear out because of it's age ( kinda like me), but I didn't.

And the most important thing of all...I should have had a plan in place for the time that something did go wrong, but I didn't. So now I have to deal with repairs that I hope aren't going to be too hard on the bank account and on the truck.

It's like an old friend, ya know...? I am accustomed to having it around. I know all the groans and bumps and squeaks it makes as a part of just getting around. I know when the gas gauge is off a bit and when it isn't. I like the way that the seat is fitted just right to my backside and leans back just the right amount without having to adjust it. I know just how hard I have to slam the door to get it to close all the way. I know that most of the time, when I put the key in the ignition the truck is going to start right up.

But one of the best things about my old friend the Truck is that it is paid for! A long time paid for...and considering that the price of new cars now days, that's another big reason to like my old friend the Truck. I mean, I could almost buy a small country with the price they want for some...but I don't need a small country, I just need a good running Truck!

Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble on like this...sorry! But there is a valuable lesson to be learned from this photo. Instead of the birds, take a look at the cats. They are all lined up, ready to work as a team. They know that as a team they will have more success in their endeavors. They are all focused on the same objective. So what is the main lesson to be learned here?

Don't wander too close to an opened window filled with a team of focused cats unless you are ready for some unpleasant surprises!

Now if you would like to join me, ...I'm gonna have another cup of coffee before I start trying to find a good shop for my old friend.Posted by Picasa

7 comments:

blondie said...

Hey Good Morning Jim,
Sorry to hear about the old truck.
Those are surprises were sure don't need huh? What a bummer.
Good Luck on finding a good repair shop. Nothing is cheap now-a-days.
Thanks for the coffee,
blondie :))

HermitJim said...

Hey Blondie...how are ya today? Yeah, the old truck is starting to show it's age a bit. I'm sure that I can find a repair shop, but I may have to pawn the roomies to pay for it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lydia said...

Hi Jim,

Oh no, not the roomies! I'll send you over my groundhog, pawn him..or her!

Sorry to hear you're having trouble with the truck and am hoping it will be an easy, inexpensive fix! Good luck.

Funny picture, btw..!

lydia

Anonymous said...

Hi Jim,
Just been through what you may be facing. My 13 year old saturn finally bit the dust after many, many thousands of kilometers ( Canadian, eh?). Repairing was too costly and out of the question, so a replacement was necessary. Now, our economic situation is not nearly as dire as yours is in the USA, but since new car sales are way down in the US, our exports to you drop accordingly, therefore our economy slows and the result in Canada and the USA is drastically lower car sales. What's my point you say? This situation puts you in the driver's so to say. Those who sell cars, new or used, want/need to make sales. To make sales, prices drop dramatically. When new vehicles drop in price, so do used ones.
And if you have some cash saved up and walk in to look at a good used, not too old, not abused vehicle...you might be amazed at the deal you can wangle. I replaced my dead saturn with a four year old one, low mileage, top of the line. I saved about $5000 from what this car would have cost under ' normal ' conditions. The dealership I got it from wanted to get cars sold, and they were very willing to consider any and all offers.

If you get a very expensive repair estimate, it may be worth your while to consider the alternative at this time.

Regards,
danish

HermitJim said...

Hey Danish...thanks for the visit. Yeah, times are getting tough for a lot of folks here. I'm hoping that the repairs are not going to be too expensive, but it still will more than likely be the most inexpensive way to go. Just have to wait and see.

Thanks for the input and suggestions...

Anonymous said...

HermitJim
sorry also to hear about your truck. I once had this car - Oldsmobile ( antique name now !!)
which I kept for 13 yers. And I would still be driving it if I could. In fact I cried when I turned it in for a different car.

I liked the idea "team" of cats - that is pretty cool !!
Hope you had a great aft. and good news about the truck.

HermitJim said...

Hey Myrna...thanks for the visit and the good wishes. I thought the cat picture was pretty cool as well.

Thanks again for stopping by...