Car Shopping

I did the thing I should never do....I went shopping on while having car problems. I found a vehicle that I really like. I started looking at the car, but moved to the SUV's. I really like the Chrysler Pacificia. I want something that can be useful hauling things if I needed to. I do worry about the gas mileage, but since I don't drive a lot, it shouldn't be a problem.
It is a dark green, it has 27,200 miles on it and it is 12,000 dollars. If anyone out there know anything about these vehicles, please let me know (good or bad). I will probably start looking at banks and interest rates. A bank would get me better rates than the car dealership.

A long Monday night

Monday night, after a long work day from 5am-6pm, I went out driving to a store to get a few things when my car stalled out as I was driving. I managed to glide to an unbusy street and my hazards stilled worked. I then called my motor club through my insurance and told them I needed a tow. They contacted a local towing company and told me 40 minutes to an hour. I was shocked at the time, but what else could I do? So, I called up a friend just to talk to while I waited. Lucky for me, my friend had a contact to the towing company and they were there within ten minutes.
The tow truck driver had a lot of knowledge about cars and checked on a few things, and had an idea about what was wrong. He was not able to fix anything at the moment, but he did look around my engine. He did check the pressure from the gas pump (this is important later in the story). He then towed me to a local auto shop (F&F). I dropped it off there and the tow truck driver then took me home, how very nice of him.
I then called my parents to discuss my options with the car. It is 11 years old and there are a few problems with it. So if it was going to be a lot of money, there was no sense in fixing it. About 30 minutes had gone by when I got a call from F&F. The mechanic told me there was no pressure coming from the fuel pump and that was going to cost 618 dollars plus labor; and they do not change those at that service station. Well, going back to what the tow truck driver had done, I told the guy on the phone that I DID have pressure there, and that I will sleep on it. About 30 minutes after that I get another call from F&F, saying it was not the fuel pump, it was a bad relay. What he actually did was took my air conditioning relay (air conditioning didn't work anyway) and switched it with my fuel pump relay. The car started right up.
I went out to get my car on Tuesday and found out that it was 50 dollars for the work they did on it. Now, I know nothing about cars, but the only thing they did was switch two relay in my car......I think that was a little much for that kind of work, but I paid it and the car still runs.
All week I have been looking at used cars and new cars. I would really like to have a new car, but I have two mortgage payments, two credit card payments, and also paying Orkin for three years. I need to take care of those before adding a car payment. So my 11 year old car has to last me a little bit longer.

Siblings

I have two half sisters, and one identical brother. My brother has refused to talk to me or even be in the same room with me for years. Well, I am trying to plan a anniversary party for our parents and I called to let him know that. He did not answer his phone, so I left a message. Two hours later I get a call from my brothers wife. She was very upset that someone called her husband and demanded to know who it was. I explained why I called and was cut off and cussed out because I had contacted them.
What causes some people to be so rude to other human beings? What could I have done to him (and her) to cause so much hatred towards me?
I had to call one of my sisters and explained what happened. I can't call my parents, because I would like to have this a surprise party.
There are two thoughts going through my head right now and I can not get to sleep because of this incident. Number 1 (this is what will happen), ignore the incident, go on with my life and act like this never happened. At least I tried!
Number 2 (I would never do this because it would upset my mother), Call my brother and his wife and tell them they are rude, insensitive, awful human beings. Then call DCFS have my nephew removed from their dirty, smoke filled home, and adopt him. Okay, so the DCFS thing would be a little much.
Anyway.....I am glad to have that out of my system, do I feel better...NO, will I get to sleep now...MAYBE.

It gets worse before it gets better?

I have been going to the chiropractor for three weeks now. My first visit the doctor told me that I may feel good for a while, but during the treatment, I would feel some pain due to the adjustment to my spine. I was fine with that, but I assumed it would be pain in the same area that I had pain before, my lower back. I am now having lots of pain in my neck. It has been a week now that pain started in my neck. I thought it was caused by a restless sleep or too many pillows, so I have only been using one pillow the last few nights. Now I believe it is the work from the chiropractor. My next appointment is Monday, so I have to deal with it through the weekend.
So does that saying work with other things in my life? How about my weight loss. I am the biggest I have ever been, so obviously I am going to start loosing soon.......right?

A Good Friday the 13th

Today is supposed to be a bad day, if you believe in all those superstitions. I had a very normal day. Went to work, the chiropractor, back to work, came home, and feel asleep on the couch. There was not even anything out of the ordinary today. I will watch a movie tonight since I do not have to get up early in the morning. The movie will either be "The Condemned" with wrestler Steve Austin or "Half Past Dead 2" with wrestler Bill Goldberg. I got both of these movies because these two wrestlers were in the movie "The Longest Yard" with Adam Sandler and they were both very good in that movie.
Hope everyone else had a very normal day on this superstitious day.

Doctor bills

I know the doctors are usually correct when it comes to the care we need, but do they realize that it is way too expensive to have the care we need?
I have a hip problem and I need to wear a lift inside my shoe to raise my right hip. I also have heat therapy and a adjustment from the doctor. I found out that the out of cost for me would be 109.00 per visit. That would be not bad, but since I have to go for 3 days a week for 6-8 weeks, this is going to be very expensive for me.
I will continue seeing the doctor this summer and hope my condition gets better. I am starting to feel better as far as being able to walk better without pain. I know it is good for me.
Why do I get stuck paying an arm and a leg for care, but some people get health care free or at an extreme discount. Here I have to work two jobs right now to make ends meet and then this happens, but some people at sitting at home with three kids, no job, sitting at home smoking away, buying their kids the most expensive clothes, but they get free health care. What am I doing wrong? Why are the educated and middle-class people being punished with full expenses?

Summer goals

Tomorrow will be my last day at my main job for a while. I will have the summer off until mid-August. I will only be working my second job. It will be much better and the best part is that I will still get paid by my first job. Two checks all summer and only one job. Could there be anything better? Well, yeah, but I am not getting into that on this blog. LOL
My goals this summer are:
1. EXERCISE: I have a gym membership, but do not use it to the extent that I should. I really need to start using it more often, but with gas prices like they are right now, I might try walking/jogging/biking around the neighborhood. I enjoy walking and biking in the early morning before it gets hot outside. Since I am used to getting up early for work, I hope to continue and just exercise. I need to loose 20-30 pounds before the summer is over.
2. PAY OFF BILLS: I have two credit cards that I would like to pay off this summer. That is the reason for the second job. I would also like to start a savings account and put money in there every month. I have lots of things I want to purchase, but they all take down payments. The biggest thing I want to save up for is a new car!
3. HOME REPAIRS: I will be painting one of the rooms in my house this summer. It is a very light yellow color, I haven't decided if I want to keep it yellow, just brighter; or change the color altogether. I will also be painting a wall border in my basement game room. The walls are a bright red right now, and I would like to do a stencil border of the spade, heart, diamond, and club around the room. I will paint the club and spade in, and just put a black line around a heart and diamond. I will probably alternate black and red.

I think three goals are plenty. If I set too many goals for myself, then they will not get done.