frustrations

Im fighting with betty.

Trying to get the axles out..means..freeing thw ball joint..

No joy.

..gave up for tonight.

Went to dinner...then drinks..

Now..i need sleep.

Im alone.and heading home for sleep.

close

6 days in.. 

Got the top of the car disconnected..and the front. 

Started prep on the bottom and pulled the wheels.. may not get in the garage tonight..

Ordered a new water pump assembly ..hopefully will fix the leak.

..I think I will regislster for MOTM..and i will need to book lodging..

I figure a good way to road test Betty.

Probably alone.. 

But i figure it will be what I need.

..

The thought is just the weekend.. go and come back..leave Friday after work.. get a jump.. and.be back my Monday .. 

...

R

day 1

Its hot.

I cleaned and reorganized the garage..enough to work.. examined the transmission.. the torque converter is not empty..but I realize it should be emptied..and refilled with new fluid.(Smelled burnt)..

I will plan how to connect them together.

I figured out the air conditioner..I have decided to make it permanent..it does heat too..but for now the temp setup will work.

..

So.. need to get the fluids in..and the eng and trans connected.. and settled on a stand. Then I can start dismantling the car.

..

Its supposed to be 105 deg..this weekend..

I may have to wait till next week to finish this..

..

I think I should register for MOTM.. and plan on a short weekend drive..

Then plan something for August..

..

It will all probably fall apart.. but I need to try..

..

Been sleeping poorly.  Neck still hurts. And the cat has been waking me up early.. 

..

Lets see what I can get done..

...

R

Summer 2025

Plans for the hot weekend.

Me and Betty spending some quality time.

I bought her some things and Im planning on undressing her and giving her all she needs. 

Hopefully we will spend the weekend together with little or no issues.

I hope this is the beginning of and extended relationship. 

The initial things I got will make her happy, and the extra items will benefit us both..hopefully for a long time. 

We have spent a lot of time together and I hope this weekend will give us a lot more..

If all goes as planned.. I have been planning this for months.. I will ask her to go with me on my next road trip.. a short one.. if that goes well.. maybe a longer one in a month or two. 

We can have a lot of fun together.. and that is my plan.

...

Wish me luck!!

..........

Work has been ok.. minor issues and lots of catch-up work.. getting the tasks done.. ordering parts needed and cleaning up..

..

L is ok.. has a few appointments scheduled and hopefully reaches out when needed. 

I need to spend some time chatting if allowed.. 

Got to help if I can and make sure they know I am always available for them.

R

the day before Friday..

Yeah Thursday..

A fend for yourself day..

I have been going local..after work..

Just me..

Food drinks and desert..usually.

Most nights no real issue..

Tonight..strong drinks..first one quick..

Finished the beef natchos, ordered a ice cream browine..gonna need deep sleep..when I get home..

That was the plan going in

..

I am trying to reflect on unanswered issues..but I feel im a bit past the clarity..needed..

Maybe next time.. 

Its ok

Epiphinays have been few..

I guess..I dont.need guidance..just patience..

..

My dessert is coming..I will eat then go.home and sleep..alone..as always.

..

L had an issue yeasterday..whent to the Dr. And had a panic attack, had to go to the hospital..for eval.

Scary..but ok for now

...

R

car parts..

Ok.. everything is in.. 

I need to buy rubber gloves..and maybe a 17mm hex socket..

My plan in my mind..is get up early on Saturday. And do the shopping..get the oil filter ..then figure out the garage..sort the tools and bench..get the AC plumbed and working.. and hopefully.. start the disassembly.

Well actually start with assembly of the new motor and transmission..add fluids..free up a dolly..for the old engine..

Once I get the engine and transmission together..filled with fluids....ready..I will start the disassembly..

...

I have been trying to finish the pile of radios..just to get to a point..were the car work wont interfere..too much...

..

The stoner guy bought another..and wants me to tune it.. but I can use it as a map to trace through the other one.. I will make notes on the schematics!

R

today

I am ..

Not much more..

I have not considered anyone..

..

I have good friends..

But they are stand-off..ish.. 

Maybe August will bring a close friend back to me..but as always.. time has passed..and contact has been limited..so..maybe.. 

..

I have had little since..and the past is the past..

Im older and no wiser..

I pine for the almost, not the one I was accused of..funny that..I realized that it was not an end but not a beginning.. too much time.. 

We fit...but just not in this decade..

Too bad for me..it was a dream of mine..a younger me..too bad it took 40 years to even get this close..now I wonder if I managed to mess that up too..

I probably did..

.

So..im here..older..and ..here..just here.

..

Am I being punished?

Or am I just me.. and deserve no more.

..

I know I want more. 

I try to be worthy of more..

But..im running out of road.. 

Did I miss a turn?

..

I wish someone would tell me when I miss the opportunity..

I guess its on me to figure it out..and proof is..I cant figure out anything..

..

Im just me.

Here I am

R

am I close??

I am hoping to be nearly ready by Friday.. bought the ATF and bolts and more bolts. 

This better work.

 ...

Doing it by myself..hope I dont run into any snags..

Going to do the front end too..struts, springs..bushings.. 

Just clocked 276000 today..still driving her.

..

Got a few radios to get caught up on..still have the 2 for greg..and 2 left for Ruben..and 2 for E..

I have the shipment damages pair .i guess are mine now..

Just more work..

..

Im ok.. always busy..

..

Saw Adam tonight when we went to dinner.. I was with L and J ans we sat.and ordered and ate..I didnt get to chat..he was at the Bar with a friend.  ..

I should reach out..

..

My neck hurts from the last  few weeks work and terrible sleep..

I need that to subside.  

..

Thats it.. 

I have no immediate plans..

Just get the car done..

Then plan a roadtest..

..

Not much else..

..

C's post. 

"My relationship status has improved ..from single to alone"....

R

busy work week

Been pulling cables all week. Mark and the other Brian too.

We finished..pulled everything that has been splayed out on the floor for the past 3 years. Thousands of feet of wire. 

A 55 gallon trash can and a large laundry bin full of old wire.

Very saytisfied. 

Yes, there is plenty more to pull.. but this task is done.

I also figured out the closed caption issue and got that back up..

So, fairly good end of this week.

..

I need to find transmission fluid for the new transmission and waiting for the rest of the parts to arrive. Then I can start.. hopefully it will go well and not take too long..

..

I suggested to Jim, since his daughter wants to ride in a Mini..that he borrow my car and take her for a  ride.. he mentioned it.  .. she is estatic! I hope to do this before the engine swap.. but may have to be after.

.. 

I hope to get it started before the end of the month.

..

After that. I will need to plan a road test..

...

Looks like im going to Colorado..

Gonna miss MOTM. So have to do something for me...

If not.. I will plan for a short trip in August.. maybe A will come.

..

I will see..

R

a quick note..

Or not.. 

Time to go back to the radios..

Just Finishing up .. but  I had a few thoughts earlier.. I may remember..

..

I was looking for a reason to get out of the house..it was a nice day out..

And I had been working at the bench most of the day..

Fed the cat, did the dishes..and went for a drive.. no destination.. 

Went up the street,down the bypass, back to the backwoods way to head of the bay, through downtown and back down to the beach..

Sat there for a while.. watching the waves.. 

..

I had a thought.. 

It was about last year.. and unfortunately it escapes me now..

Not regret, more disapointment.. 

Should have been better..but was way less than I thought.

.. should have kept it just friends..I tried too hard and blew it..

As always...

...there was more..but it is gone..

..

R

kicks

Not the fun ones..

Kicks in the butt..kicks when your down..kicks to the curb.

Etc..

..

This past year was full of kicks..

Even the scheduled fun.. my cross country trip.. was a series of kicks..

..

Im still here..and so are the people close to me.

You have to be thankful for what you get..

..

Yea, I can bitch as much as anyone..

I have endured a bit..some self induced, most out of my control..

..

So, I should not complain about.any of that..

..

I was never a desired result.. mostly an afterthought..if a thought at all..

I even pressed it..and got kicked in the end.. my own fault..should have left it alone..and just stayed friends..

..

Just par..for that course.. galloped away and left me sitting in the stirrups.. .

..

I had close friends..and once i announced a decision.. crickets..

I did not mean to burn a bridge..

Now I am here..on this island..alone..with no way off..

I guess I need to start swimming.

...

I can barely help my self..and am useless to my friends.. 

House issues, car issues.. work hours.. I have nothing left for me.

..

I still have to work and pay bills.. fix whats broke..and get up every day and keep doing it tomorrow.

... 

And now..its time to work on my primary car.. swap motor and transmissions..rebuild the front end..and clean the catalytic converter.. 

..

I will do what I must.. 

I always have.. 

..

..

.

I made a will..I need to get two friends and get it notarized.. 

L wont have to worry about all the legal crap with taking over or being able to sell off what they wont need.

..

I have no one else to leave anything to..

..

Just dont kick me in

.

R

gathering parts

The engine and transmission have arrived. I just ordered bolts and nuts.. I have oil and coolant. I need transmission fluid and an oil filter. I think that is it.. I will fill the transmission and engine, replace the oil filter housing after I pull the original engine.  I will bolt the engine and transmisson together. I need to get a box of gloves.. and some rags. 

..

I need to find the torx socket for the axles.. 

I think I have the rest of the tools I need.

I will be trying to clean the catalytic converter.. the code keeps coming and going.. was gone for a few weeks after the oil change and restore additive.. then I washed the car and it came back.  A week later its gone again.. 

I will also replace the clamp with the new one I bought.

Im gonna do the struts and the control arm bushings.. I have those already. 

... 

..

.

I had a cute text conversation with Cathy.. slightly flirtatious.. and well received...

Might be worth a visit.

..

Of course it all looks good in texts..

Face to face may be a different experience..

..

Been pulling cables this week.. 

Too much fun.. 

. 

R

R

fast,

It is June already, the last few months have screamed by,i have no plans,nothing scheduled,  yet im hurtling toward something..I need a vacation..some.  Time away..

Im doing an engine swap, hopefully that fixes what needs to be done

..maybw a road trip is what I need..

Hmm..

pause

I figure I need a brain dump..

Im alone.

My live in daughter and roomate.. are busy with their lives.. they include me on dinner night..saturdays..but mostly just touch base in passing..

Im by myself the rest of the time.

I work.  And do house and car stuff. Yard work..but not much else.. this month was over as soon as it began.

Nothing notable for me..just car stuff..

No one wants my attention or presence.. i should have just bought. A new car..yet..im replacing the motor.. it only matters to me. I am happy to keep Betty to keep on

.but.. it ends up being just a learning event.. and a way to keep it going.

No one cares but me.. its my ride.

Ive spent the money..i will do the swap..if I get another 200k miles.. id be happy.

..

But..no one to share that with..no one cares..just me...

.......

Ive had vivd dreams..lately..im not sure if its a reason to contact..or just cause im thinking about the failure..my failure.. I do not have anything to replace those thoughts..so I dwell on that. .. what could have been..

I need a new distraction..

Any..preferably..a hot chick..not a car or motor issue...

..

I guess Karma wont help me

..

Maybe next month someone will be available to help me feel human..

...

Im glad May went by quick..

.. 

R