FIXED.

Ok, so like, I'm not mechanically minded. I have issues thinking three-dimensionally, especially when there are multiple parts that need to come together. The inner workings of an automobile may as well be black magic. Sure, if you were to give me a picture of the problem, I could probably Photoshoperize it to make it look fixed. Generally speaking, though, it takes a very small amount of time for me to feel overwhelmed when faced with a mechanical endeavor.

Lo and behold, this Saturday morning my car would not start. Turn the key, there's a single click, and then nothin'. This issue had been haunting me a bit over the last two months. Without any rhyme or reason, hot or cold, I'd get in to start the car and this would happen. Trying it 3-4 more times would usually get it to turn over. This Saturday, though, it was dead. I did some research and came to the conclusion that it was the starter. With my uncle's assistance, we confirmed it. As it turned out, it could be coaxed into working if the car was moved a small amount while in gear, so that the starter would rotate a bit. Basically, as my uncle tried to explain, there was a bad portion of the starter that wouldn't catch. So I knew the problem and knew how to get it going again in a pinch. I got a loaner car, went out, bought a new starter, and returned.

Where I promptly sat on the sidewalk for 15 minutes debating whether I should
a) Return the part, and take the car to the mechanic
b) Wait until I could scam someone into helping me with the repair
c) Do it myself

The mechanic would be pretty expensive, and I'd be out a car for a few days. I also didn't want to waste someone's time helping me out, where my incredibly ineptitude would be painfully obvious. I'd feel like a charity case. I'd do it myself, but I'm much better at breaking things than repairing them. Still, I had the entire afternoon in front of me, the parts/tools on hand, and the appropriate Hayne's manual opened to the 'Removing/Replacing the Starter Motor' section. Heck, it was even sunny and warm out. The conditions could not be ideal. So I decided to suck it up, and go for it. What's the worst that could happen? I b0rk my car and write it all off as one of them 'life experience' things I keep hearing about. Besides, it could be taken to the mechanic to undo my failed attempt at repair, right?

Well, it worked out for the best. The hardest part was finding where the thing was located, followed by screwing/unscrewing it to the engine. The cables were all plug and play. Sure, I had to look at things a few times to make sure I had put it in the same way it came out, but... It worked. There was one, really long bolt beneath the starter that I couldn't directly see that I had to put in. Truth be told, I spent a good 10 minutes trying to get it in before I realized that I had my ratchet set to loosen. Aside from that one display of blatant incompetance on my behalf, it went rather well.

I was pretty darn nervous when I first tried the ignition, though. I double checked to make sure everything was in place and plugged back in, and then I turned the key to the glorious sound of my 1.6L 4-pot chugging to life. I believe the emotion could be somewhat summarized as "elation". One part was at the fact that I went out on a limb to do something way out of my comfort zone and it worked out as planned. Another part that it was, to me, a semi-significant achievement as I try to become a decent individual who's capable of solving his own problems. The last is that, finally, a personal victory over the machine that seems oh-so-determined to make me miserable. It's the faintest glimmer of a light at the end of a tunnel. In reality, it's probably just an illusion of hope. My car will break down again, it's only a matter of time. But still.

Last summer, me and my sister went and bought a flat of 'Stewart's Soda', full of a bunch of assorted flavours. There was an orange creamsicle one, something that was cloudy green and weird and a root beer. The best of the flat, we decided, was the Vanilla Cream Soda. It tasted like you'd expect, and was pretty darn good. We were down to the last bottle of the stuff, and my sister said I could take it. And boy, did I hang onto it. As I tend to do with such things, I decided that I should save it for something special. Did well on a project? Boring. Finished the semester? Lame. Got a raise? Meh. Reached the half-way point in my schooling? Nobody cares. Made what most would consider to be a simple automotive repair? THAT YEAR-OLD SODA IS MINE. And so I drank it, and it was delicious.

It's rather pathetic how much accomplishment I get out of something so simple, but I'll take what I can get. Such an elation doesn't come along that often, so I may as well embrace it while it lasts.
-Cril

And I
I hate you for
For letting me fall for you
Just like a fool

And now I'm all psyching out, yeah
Hmm 'cause all were about
Is this ugly phone and its all I have
To look forward to, yeah

So hey, yeah
I guess its alright
Yeah, no
Now I guess it's alright
Whatever
Yeah no
Now I guess its alright
So hey, yeah
I guess its alright

Imogen Heap - Whatever