Long week, big car problems

This has been a long week. On Monday my tire was flatter than a pancake, and no spare. Someone came to change it, and he said there was leakage and the rim had to be sealed, so I went to the mechanics and had that done.

Tuesday my car was making klunking noises. I had my son's auto shop teacher look at it. I was going to bring it back on Thursday, but when I woke up on Wednesday morning, my car was gone. I filed a police report and got a ride to work and home. They found it in the middle of a a road several miles from my house that day. I had to pay $120 for the towing. When I went to pick it up on Thursday, it would not start. I tried to jump-start it, but it wouldn't stay on and it made a horrible noise. I had it towed to my mechanic, and he pronounced the engine dead.

I missed a lot of work this week because of the damn car. I don't know who stole it, the police don't know (or at least they don't have any direct evidence as to who did it), although they are speculating.

Someone at church offered me a car for several months as it will be her son's when he gets his license, so hopefully that will work out until I can buy another one or find an engine for the minivan that isn't too expensive.

Hopefully this week is better.

Out With the Old...

in with the new not so old.

My dad came to visit last week. He helped me get a van similar to the one pictured. My car was about to fall apart. The van has a bit of rust on it, but it runs well, and has a lot less miles on it. Plus we have lots more room. I'm trying to sell my old car for a couple of hundred, it's not worth much.

More car woes!

I had to have my car fixed, but this time it wasn't anyone else's fault *cough*. I went over a hilly road in town a bit too fast and bumped my muffler. I'm probably lucky it only cost me $100 to fix! The car is even quieter than before, so I think it was loose before I made it come apart.

Anisah, can't hear me coming now

Dead Battery, what next?

I took Ibi to play at McD's yesterday, like I was planning. But after I got out to go home, the car wouldn't start, grrr! I went back into McD's, and I asked someone working there if anyone had jumper cables. Someone who just got off a shift did, and he tried to jump it, but it wasn't getting any power. He told me Auto Zone (which was just 3 blocks away) would charge car batteries for free, so he took my battery out and took it there. Then bad news, they said it was totally dead. So I had to buy a new battery from them. I didn't have a way to get around to check out prices at any other places. I wasn't in the town I live in. I was about 5 miles away and had no one to come and get me if I didn't get the battery, or take me around to look at batteries.

Nothing else better go wrong with this car. It's not worth putting any $ into, it's an older car.

Sigh, I am just glad to get my car back, and I hope my run of bad luck with it is over.

A.

Got wheels (Literally lol)

Well I got my wheels back (or rather new ones!). I bought some used tires last week (thanks Carol for taking me to get them!). A neighbor was going to take off my tires, then take them to have the new tires put on the rims and get balanced and put them back on for me. He kept putting it off and putting it off, then said he couldn't do it. I thought I'd have to pay an arm and a leg to get it towed. Then another friend (BIG Thanks Angie!) came to the rescue, and did it for me. I will let him know that a GIRL did it, he's very matcho. I had to have someone jump-start the car, I haven't run it since the tires were slashed.

I taped some plastic on the window (ain't duct tape great!), and I went to the grocery store yesterday. So today I'll take Ibi to play at McD's (McDonalds), he loves that. I'm also going to use a coupon for a video store for a free rental, and rent Click.

It's sooo nice having my car back. And great timing, since the "alleged perpetrator" just moved out.

A.

Update

Well I haven't posted in a while. Nothing exciting has been happening. We went to a Pow-wow in South Bend. It was interesting. The kids started school right before Labor Day. Mustafa is in 7th grade and Nabilah is in 4th grade. They are doing well in school.

Mustafa's birthday was on September 6th, and we had a little party here with us and my sister. He got a watch for his birthday. Now he has no excuse to be home late!

I've also had some problems with my downstairs neighbors. The day after I made a complaint about their music being loud (a week and a half ago), all 4 of my tires were slashed, and my driver's side window was busted out. Coincidence? I think not. The landlord didn't do anything about their loud music, so I had to do it myself, and that's what I get for doing it. The landlord, Bon Realty (of Niles, Michigan), of course thinks nothing is their fault. Even though I kept telling them the music was loud, and I had complained to the police before (and given them a copy of the police log). After I signed a complaint against the neighbors, I left the Realty a message on their after-hours line, saying what had happened and that I was afraid of retaliation. The next day, I found my car. I again left them a message. Did they even call me back or anything? No, of course not! Several of the police I had talked to about the noise asked me what my landlord had done, and of course I said nothing. The Realty agent kept telling me that the kid's bikes need to be up, even though we are about the only ones here who put our bikes up, but they can't take care of people violating other people's rights. And when we have to call the police to force our rights to be enforced because they haven't, property gets vandalized. Do your job for heaven's sake! I don't have much, and now I don't even have a way to get around. Thanks a lot. What's next, them breaking into my apartment? I'm sure nothing would be done by Bon Realty then either. A.