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  • Oh hai thar

    Hey there sex machines.

    Let's see... where did we last leave off? I think it was when I quit my job at the Whole (Whole Foods) last year, right?

    Lots has changed. I think I posted about sobering up, then kinda disappeared from here.

    So now I'm in college full time, working toward the degree I started in 1997. I'm finally a sophomore, after 14 years.

    About a month ago I got "hired" with a catering company that operates out of the back of a family owned BBQ place. Except they only used me for one job, then didn't call me for a couple of weeks. I finally emailed my boss there asking what was going on, then suddenly I'm scheduled for a job today (I find out 2 days ago). That's fine and dandy, but to be honest, I don't really care for anyone there except for my boss, and the place is absolutely FILTHY - right down to the long-time employees smoking in the kitchen (though not while handling food, at least).

    I told an old friend that I met while working at Papa John's that I was thinking of calling up my old store to get some part time hours. Well, he passed my number along to the current store manager (who I used to work with when he was a driver), and he called me yesterday.

    I put in my 2 week notice with the catering company yesterday (though I doubt they'll schedule me for anything else anyway). After this morning's catering gig, I headed up to my old stomping grounds, Papa John's. I've worked at something like 8-10 different PJ's over the years (either on loan or on transfer), half of which no longer exist - but this is the store I started out at.

    I put in 6 1/4 hours at PJ's and walked out with about $70 in tips and mileage (not counting wages). Used a little under 1/4 tank of gas, probably $15? Not too bad at all, especially considering this delivery area isn't ritzy. Not ghetto, but most of it is solid working class and lower middle class (with some new upper middle class stuff on the northern fringes and a patch of fairly wealthy homes that some developer dumped in the middle of suburbia).

    So I'm sure I'll have some stories for you guys soon. But for now... wassup?

  • #2


    Last time I remember seeing you here you were having problems with bigoted assholes destroying your stuff, right? How'd that all turn out?

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    • #3
      Oh god, that. I forgot about that. And I'd rather keep it buried, those are memories I'd rather not remember.

      The car was written off as a total loss, the property manager at the apartment complex "strongly suggested" I move. As in she wouldn't accept rent payments and let me out of my lease with no penalty. Though I'm glad to be out of there, the place has gone downhill a bit since it got sold. My insurance company... well, I had "rental coverage", but they would only reimburse me. I don't have credit cards, so I had to pay a huge deposit to rent a car, and since it wasn't an insurance-negotiated rate, I wound up paying through the nose. Budget gave me a shitty Chevy Cobalt instead of the "mid-size sedan" I booked (Cobalt = compact). The whole thing was a nightmare.

      I moved in with good ol' mom and (step)dad, still there (cheap rent, free utilities..... just can't bring hot guys home). Insurance gave me way, way more than they should have for my car, but I blew half of it on booze, the rest on a 1999 Nissan Altima that looked good, but had a lot of mechanical issues. Got it at the end of last August with 131k miles, it just broke 148k tonight. The car still looks great, it has some dings on the front bumper and the clear coat is starting to peel on one of the trim pieces on a door - but otherwise it looks great.

      So far I've replaced the water pump, belt tensioners, belts, hoses, spark plugs, cap, rotor (all of this stuff was original from the 12/98 build date), a wheel bearing, an axle (bad cv joint), two seals on the transaxle (axle seal and shift-rod seal - manual transmission), thermostat, every motor mount and the transmission mount, every hose for the power steering, and the alternator. But the worst it's done so far is the alternator light lit up on my way home from school a few weeks ago - and the alternator is really easy to change on this car (about the only thing that's easy to get to). Everything except the alternator can be chalked up to previous owner neglect though - the alternator is something you expect around 100k-150k miles. There's a couple more hoses I'd like to replace, but after that I think it'll be good for another 150k easily. The alternator I put in is a lifetime warranty unit from Napa, I'm 99% sure it'll outlast the rest of the car.

      Here's the Nissan I'm driving now if you're curious. The interior looks almost new aside from the headliner - the headliner has a tear in one spot, and it was sagging around the back window before I attacked it with a stapler. The paint still shines aside from the rubber trim on the LR door, the hubcaps are some crappy AutoZone hubcaps. It's been reliable and hasn't left me stranded, it's just had a lot of niggling issues that can be chalked up to neglect. It's also easily the most difficult to work on car I've owned - it's like they designed the car around a 3 cylinder 1.0L engine, then dropped in the 4 cylinder 2.4L engine from the 240SX (KA24DE).
      Last edited by bean; 09-25-2011, 06:43 AM.

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      • #4
        I'm honestly surprised that an Altima, even a '99 with 131k miles, had so many mechanical problems. Someone must have been very rough on that thing...yeesh.

        And sorry to dig up bones better left buried. :/ But I'm glad things appear to be working out better for you now.

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        • #5
          Yeah, like I said, most of it has been pure neglect. Even if I'd ignored everything, it'd still be running, but would need constant attention (specifically to fluid levels).

          Truth be told, it's actually rather fun to drive. It doesn't handle that well (lol 90s economy sedan), but it has a lot of power for what it is, plus it has a manual transmission (hate automatic, haaaaaaaaaaate). The engine and transmission are in excellent condition at this point, so it should be good for quite a few more miles.

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          • #6
            We have been beaning... Just not up your alley.

            Uncle Ernie @ Tommy's: "Welcome!"
            I am not an a**hole. I am a hemorrhoid. I irritate a**holes!
            Procrastination: Forward planning to insure there is something to do tomorrow.
            Derails threads faster than a pocket nuke.

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            • #7
              Oh! I remember you! Glad your doing well. ^_^ Welcome back.
              Driver Picks the Music, Shotgun Shuts His Cakehole.
              Supernatural 9-13-05 to forever

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              • #8
                Welcome back!

                Good work on the cleaning up and getting back to school.

                Quoth bean View Post
                Yeah, like I said, most of it has been pure neglect. Even if I'd ignored everything, it'd still be running, but would need constant attention (specifically to fluid levels).
                I ended up with an Altima as the only car the loan company would offer. I'd have never chosen one normally, but so far I adore the thing.

                ^-.-^
                Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                • #9
                  Welcome back, Bean. We've missed you. Glad you're well.
                  "So, if you wanna put places like that outta business, just stop being so rock-chewingly stupid." ~ Raudf, 9/19/13

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                  • #10
                    Bean! I remember you!
                    welcome back!
                    "Is it the lie that keeps you sane? Is this the lie that keeps you sane?What is it?Can it be?Ought it to exist?"
                    "...and may it be that I cleave to the ugly truth, rather than the beautiful lie..."

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                    • #11
                      Quoth Andara Bledin View Post
                      I ended up with an Altima as the only car the loan company would offer. I'd have never chosen one normally, but so far I adore the thing.

                      ^-.-^
                      I'm assuming it's a newer Altima - the 1st generation (93-97) was very much an economy car with the KA24DE out of the 2nd generation 240SX dropped in. The 98-01 used the same driveline, the interior was almost identical to the 1st, but got a much nicer looking body. The third and fourth generation Altimas are squarely in midsize territory and much nicer cars in general; the 2.5L they used in the third generation had issues with the catalytic converter breaking up and somehow getting sucked into the engine and destroying the valves. Supposedly they've fixed this with the latest models, and it didn't affect the V6 version. My 99 is like driving a similar year Civic with a bit more interior room, a lot more power, and better a/c - but much worse mileage - my best is 26 MPG, my last tank was 21 MPG. Definitely a lot smaller than an Accord.

                      Mine's a 99. The engine is a tough bastard, as is the manual transaxle. But the car is a complete whore to work on. For example, this is what has to be removed just to reach the water pump (along with a motor mount; the engine is being supported from below by a floor jack). An example of the previous owner's neglect (that's one of two original 13 year old belts; the other belt shredded while driving). And here's the engine bay in one piece.

                      It's like they designed it around a 1.0L 3 cylinder engine, then dropped in a 2.4L 4 cylinder. There's not even enough room between the crank pulley and strut tower for a pencil, and the power steering pump is under the intake manifold (it was fun changing one of the power steering hoses!).

                      But enough bitching and photo whoring, it runs good, it's paid for, and looks damn good for a $2500 beater. Just rolled over 148k miles, hopefully it makes it another 148k. Got it 13 months ago with about 131-132k.
                      Last edited by bean; 09-27-2011, 10:41 AM.

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                      • #12
                        Oooh... you have a transverse engine. Those things make working in the engine compartment a total pain. The compartment wasn't big enough for the engine, so they turned it sideways and crammed everything in that way. It's such a pain when you have to pull the engine out to replace anything. But, yeah, $2.5k is a nice price for what is a generally solid car.

                        This is the promo pic for my model, only I've got the moonroof, too; it's the '03 3.5 SE. We paid too much, but the history of on-time payments is what got us into our house.

                        ^-.-^
                        Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                        • #13
                          I did not hit her it's not true. It's bullshit. I did not hit her.

                          Oh hai Bean.
                          To right the countless wrongs of our days... We shine this light of true redemption, that this place may become as paradise...Oh, what a wonderful world such would be...

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