Went to the one automotive junkyard on the island today. Wanted to see if I could get the dome-light socket for my truck. I have one, but there’s a modification I want to do and I need a second one to do it. Given how common my truck is and how many parts went into various models, it was likely I was going to find at least one.
The 2nd truck I poked my nose into was the winner. I got the light socket and then I started noticing other bits-&-bobs I wanted. The latch-mechanism to the glove box because the door on mine closes but doesn’t latch. And then it was the glove box light that my basic-model truck didn’t come with — and in truth the glove box is so shallow, like a lot of people, it really doesn’t need one. And then I saw that there was a support bracket for the stereo, which whoever monkeyed with my truck before apparently saw as unnecessary and removed it — gone — bye bye! I also saw this under-hood light thing and some Sony dash speakers, but I need to conserve money right now and not nickle-and-dime myself on splurges.
So I got all these bits and bobs and their accompanying screws and my few tools and headed for the door — to find out that they were closing. I asked what I owed them and planned to pay quickly, but they said (essentially) ‘For that, don’t bother — come back when you need a real thing.’ COOL — THANKS!
Got in my truck, put my parts down, got my keys in the ignition, and then went to put my (prescription) sunglasses on ….. no sunglasses. Not on the collar of my shirt, not on the seat, the dashboard — NO WHERE. OOPS — I set them down in the cab of the truck I pulled the parts from! I hopped out of my truck to see that the last employee was leaving — the front desk lady who was covered in the requite junkyard-front-desk-lady-tattoos. I quickly explained the situation, she even more quickly handed me the key to get back in the yard. I ran in hoping that I was not wrong and actually HAD left my (prescription) sunglasses in the cab of the junked truck and didn’t just make a jerk of myself (because I had already been having one of those forgetful days).
SUCCESS! Run back out, lock the gate, hand the keys back, hop in my truck, sunglasses on like Detectives Crockett and Tubbs from Miami Vice, and Away I GO!
IT WAS A GOOD DAY AT THE JUNKYARD!!!
… now I just wonder if I should have grabbed those speakers and that engine light thing?
And if you ask why I put that in here, it’s to boost the visability of my sites on the web. But seriously, if you don’t know about my book — now you do!
But don’t take my word for it, 
I worked for 3 hours in the snow, with and sometimes without warm gloves. I got the bumper, bits, and grill on but didn’t have time to get to the jerry-rig. Last night I returned the sandbags to the truck bed, today I put the tailgate back on.
The wrap up on my truck repairs produced a comedy of errors. I went to my truck — now parked outside — to install the face-plate that goes over the gauges. To get the space needed to put this in you have to put the vehicle in gear — to put it in gear you have to insert your key into the ignition and turn it part of the way. Since the truck started rough last night I thought I would run it a bit now to charge the battery. It cranked some and then konked out — dead battery, no surprise. Back to the face-plate…
Today I plan to get the front bumper back on my truck — to get my truck in our garage I had to start with taking off both bumpers. Lately our temperatures have been as low as the upper teens and as high as the mid-30s — and we (finally) had our first round of snow. Right now we’re getting our second round of snow. For the next few days it looks like we’re supposed to get more of the teen temps to lower-30s and snow. Snow began to fall again this morning, and so far it’s sticking however it is our warmer wet-snow … and now I’m going outside to work on my truck.
Once I got this truck and started going over it, I found the wet and stinky floor and the rust. I got the flooring to be not wet and the cab of the truck to be not stinky — then I started working over the floor. I exposed all the rust and even found a few pin-holes in the process. A car-guy friend patched the holes and told me what to do to kill the rust, how to paint and further seal the cab floor. This would have been nice to work over during a summer but things haven’t worked out that way. Why summer? I could work outside, it’s warm and dry, and venting fumes isn’t a problem. Right now I’m figuring out if I can work over the floor in the off season. There are some tricks to it though…..
Today is my birthday, and it’s a bit of a milestone — call it a half-milestone. Most people are cool with their birthdays while some folks get weird — self-conscious about aging, resentful about past celebrations, attention seeking … whatever. And then other people poo-poo the B-Day folks for wanting to acknowledge their birthday, passing judgment that it’s childish to observe or celebrate. In the end it is what it is to the B-Day boy or girl, and if you can’t say something nice then keep your garbage to yourself … 
For years now I’ve liked the idea that if I had the money I’d take a trip for my birthday — hell, I’d take myself out to dinner but I can hardly afford to do that. I might tell people where I’m going & when I’ll be there — be it dinner or the trip — and if I see them there then good. Sure, the trip asks more expense and I wouldn’t expect people to show up, but when you tell folks enough in advance that you’re going to be at this restaurant or that bar and they don’t show up, can’t show up, have some excuse … then are they real? Are they really in your life? Are you really a part of theirs, or 