My Car is fixed!

Well, my poor car has been ill since after christmas. Thank god for good friends! Anyway, I finally had the time and $ to take it to the shop. I dropped it off at Dobbs on Saturday.

Pat from Dobbs called me on monday to give me the scoop. Apparently mechanics automatically assume that because Im a woman, I have no knowledge of the innerds of an engine or how it works. The conversation goes like this:

Pat: Hi, Nichole? This is Pat from Dobbs calling about your avenger?

Me: Hey Pat. So, whats the problem?

Pat: Well, you said there was smoke coming out the tailpipe when you started it or when it was idling.

Me: Right.

Pat: Well, I told you Id check that before I even ran diags. We started it up and there was a minimal amount of smoke coming out of it. We let it idle for a while, and still wasnt a lot of smoke or enough to cause us to be concerned.

Me: Well, there was always enough for me to see it come around to the drivers side after I started it or when I was sitting at a stop light.

Pat: Well, I really dont think its a concern.

Me: Well, Ok.

Pat: The issue really seems to be with your spark plugs.

Me:Ok. I figured as much

Pat: Hmm, um, how do I explain this.

Me: By telling me what the issue is? Duh!

Pat: Ok, Well, not really the spark plugs, but with the rings in the holes that the spark plugs fit into. Do you know anything about where the sparkplug's go?

Me: (Thinking to myself sarcastically "No, I'm just a dumbass broad and have no idea what you're talking about") Yes, actually I do.

Pat: How long would you say its been since you've had your plugs and wires done?

Me: Hmm, about 4 years at least.

Pat: OK, well the rings are deteriorated, which has caused oil to seep in, and is affecting the electrical system and in turn causing your car to misfire, blah blah blah.

Me: Ok, I completely understand. So you need to replace the rings, plugs and wires?

Pat: Yeah.

Me: and possibly the valve cover gasket?

Pat: (Pausing and Sounding astonished) Well, Yeah!

Me: Ok, so how much is this gonna run me?

Pat: Right now, around $582.00

Me: Ok, go ahead....

So, that was my conversation with Pat from Dobbs. Now, I may not know a lot about engines, but thanks to My Father and Mikey, I know enough to get by. Just irritates me that mechanics always assume that because Im a female, I know nothing. I love it when I make them stop and think "Whoa".

Thanks Dad, Thanks Mikey.

Well, Ron from Dobbs called me today. The total was only $578.41. Wow, $3.59 cheaper than what I was originally quoted. It's times like this that really makes me miss having my own personal mike-chanic. *sigh* LoL

What I did Saturday Night

Thanks Vi! LoL I think its totally me, don't you?

Finally getting into the 21st century....

Well, as many of you know, I work in the IT field. Im a Geek. Nerd. Egghead. Whatever. Well, Ive been at the same place for almost 10 years. I know just about everyone and vice versa. Today I had a call to assist one of our wonderful payroll ladies with our payroll modulator demodulator.

While I was down there unplugging, replugging, power cycling & rebooting things, I asked them a question I was sure they'd have an answer to.

Me: You guys' (ladies actually) don't by chance know how long banks are going to have to call "Insert Payroll Company name here" to verify my checks are valid when I deposit them, do ya?

Payroll lady #1 looks at me in confusion.
Payroll lady #2 also looks at me quizically.
Payroll lady #3 peeks her head around her cubicle to be sure I had actually said "Deposit my check" and also looks at me in confusion.

(Im guessing with the looks on their faces, Ive obviously confused them, and need to explain myself)

Me: Well, the last 3 times I've deposited my check, they've had to call "Insert Payroll Company name here" to verify my check was legit.

Payroll lady #1: You deposit your checks?

Me: Yes.

Payroll lady #3: You work in IT and you still deposit your checks?

Payroll lady #2: I certainly would have thought with your techinical back ground you would direct deposit your check?!

Payroll lady#1: Wow, only about 1/4 of people on payroll still actually depost their checks.

(Looking at all 3 ladies as though they just asked me the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.... I should have blurted out 42!, but then I'dve had to explain that too.)

Me: Well, I dunno, just never thought about it. (Still fumbling with wires trying to figure out why in the year 2007 a well known "Insert Payroll Company name here" would still be using a modem!???) No good reason I guess.

Payroll lady#1: Well, Id say when you start direct depositing your checks, they'll stop calling "Insert Payroll Company name here" to verify your checks.

Me: Gee, thanks Payroll lady #1. *shaking head*

Anyway, so I fix the modem and move on to the next task.

On my way out of their office, I stop and pick up a "Direct Deposit" form. I complete the form, then email Payroll lady #2 to find out where or who I need to take this to. She emails me back and says either bring it down or send it up to us in an inter-office mailer. I laugh, inter-office mailer? You're maybe 75-100 feet away! LoL I opt to walk it down there.

Payroll lady #2 wasnt at her desk (Some how in the 10 seconds after she had emailed me she vanished into thin air), so I left the form on her desk with a note.

5 mins later I get an email from her that made me chuckle:

"Atta girl!!
I'm proud of you :)
You're gonna love this trust me!"

*shaking head* Gotta love these ladies.

Wow what a busy last week

Yeah, I know, havent posted here in awhile, but I figure since everyone generally reads blogs on here, I'll just post in both places...

Well, we all know about the storm lastweek. My mom's house looks like a war zone. EVERY tree in her yard is pretty much a gonner.

The first tree to take the plunge was the one in her back yard. A friend of mine, myself and brax were watchin a movie (Well they were, I fell asleep) and all of the sudden we heard a big CRASH and the house shook. Well, the biggest limb on the tree in the back yard snapped and crashed onto the glass patio table,
luckily it didnt break the table.


That was the first of an interesting evening. The next morning, we had no power, so we couldnt open the garage door. Silly me, I forgot you can pull the little chain thingy and open it manually. After I figured that out and opened the garage door, what I saw left me with only the words "Oh My God!".......

I didnt think to start taking pics until after we had cleaned up a tad.....but here is some pics of the driveway, you get the jist of it....


































Stupid me didnt move my car, when we came out it was completely hidden under the broken branches. Luckily there was no damage to the body, just my poor antenae LoL which is ok, cuz my radio doesnt work right now anway! Anyway, my parents currently "live" in Patton MO where they bought their land at, so I was left to move all this crap by myself. Luckily my step dad decided to come home yesterday and call a tree sercvice. I really didnt want to have to move all of those tree's by myself. That would have been no fun!