Dammit

Tomorrow the wife and I have to go to Rocky Mount so that she can get a test done, then Wednesday we meet with the doc. I've been working on her car all weekend to get it ready for the trip; new struts to fix the bounce, new tires, and a new hose on the power steering.

The plan was that I would work half a night tonight, come home and get some Z's, and then we would head out bright and early in the morning. Alas, plans never survive first contact.

First contact came in the guise of a puff of smoke out of the tailpipe when I was about halfway to work. By the time I was three quarters of the way, the puff had turned into a vapor cloud and the temp gauge was climbing.

Third blown head gasket on this car since I have owned it. I hate this car. The only good thing I can say about it at this point is at least it didn't blow the head gasket halfway to Rocky Mount. I would like to treat it to a suitable application of high explosives, but the wife likes her little Pontiac so I will fix it. Again.

Anyway, work is canceled and I spent the night working on the faithful mighty Rampage instead. It needed an EGR valve, and I had bought some gauges that I wanted to put in it. It also needs some minor adjustments to the door latches on the drivers door and various other little projects. What can I say, it's my little beater car and it's been a good one.

I put the EGR valve in and the rest of the little projects (including the gauges) will have to wait. We will take the Rampage to Rocky Mount instead, it doesn't have AC but I guess we will have to suffer through it. Thankfully it's not horribly hot yet, and we will be traveling in the morning, so the lack of AC shouldn't be a big issue.

So the new plan is Wednesday when I get home I get to tear the engine apart on the Pontiac. I'll order the parts Wednesday and hopefully they will be in by Friday so I can put the motor back together before I have to go to work Saturday night.

Between the Pontiac, doctor's visits and work I haven't had much time lately.

UPDATE: The PET scan machine was broken so that didn't get done. It will be fixed Friday, so she will get that done and then another appointment with another doctor. I don't know if Fate is trying to keep me from getting the Pontiac fixed or just trying to give me a day of rest cooling my heels in the motel room. Either way, that's my life.