Late Thanksgiving

Daughter and I had our Thanksgiving today. It came out great!

Happy to say it wasn't apparent it was gluten free except dinner rolls for daughter. Helps she doesn't like green bean casserole but loves green beans. Made gravy with corn starch. Instead of pie, made apple and pumpkin cobbler with corn flake crumb topping (mixed with brown sugar, white sugar and butter). 

Saw an idea online not long ago which I put to use, though it was posted as a joke. My mixer is old and getting weak. Wouldn't mix the mashed potatoes. So I inserted the mixer blade into the electric drill and used that. Worked perfectly, though only one beater. 

One problem I've been having I suspect is a return of Candidiasis. Fatigue, feeling dehydrated, decreased appetite and sense of taste. Started treating it like before but it does take a few days to have noticeable results. Fatigue is the worst part. 

Disappointed

Needless to say, today has been a disappointment. The whole issue with the car was the biggest issue.

I did still stay outside for several hours. Maybe a bit pointlessly. However, I cleaned up the parts for the car, laid down plastic, placed the parts in the car, labeled some of the brackets. 

Put a new hose on the truck PCV outlet, to try and divert the exhaust under the truck, so it doesn't enter the cab so much. 

Did some adjusting on the bike. It runs better and stronger. Now I just hope it starts better in cold weather. May try it before going to sleep. 

The other day, the ex ruined a surprise I had planned for my daughter. Cliff's Amusement Park is having their first Christmas season event this year. I've known about it for months and planned to take daughter but had managed for months to keep it under wraps. Then, when I was dropping her off, the ex starts asking about the exact same thing.. right in front of daughter. I got upset and hissed at her. Too late, it was blown.

Today, I bought season tickets for daughter and I to Cliff's for 2014, which includes the Christmas event. The ex had told me she may want to go. So I texted her tonight to tell her what I had bought but told her "Shh!" True to form, she sends me a text back, raging "Don't shush me! If you didn't know about that I would have been doing you a favor!" Then going into how I interrupted her dinner and in general trying to drag the whole thing into a Jerry Springer encounter. I just said, "Thanks" and let it go. So, 38 years old and she hasn't emotionally matured past the same behavior she indulged in her early 20's. Throwing insults she thought I would respond to and I just let them go. Tried again, I let them go. I know this won't be the end of it from her. She'll try to draw me out again tomorrow. I will still refuse. From there, she will try to threaten me. I won't allow it. It's old. Very old.

She even raged at me because I texted her "Happy Thanksgiving", saying I sent it too early, at 7:30. The same text went to multiple people and most of them replied "Happy Thanksgiving" back. 

And how the hell am I supposed to know what time she eats?

Oh, well. 

I have the turkey marinating in the fridge. Made stuffing and also in the fridge. Daughter can help me finish up the pies or cobbler tomorrow, maybe the mashed potatoes. I shouldn't have to cook for at least a week until I get sick of turkey and tamales. 

Ordered several Christmas presents for daughter. Mostly science and inventing kits. She loves science, so this may be something she enjoys. Hope so. 

Connecting rod

So, while trying to get the engine to turn, I took a block of wood, started using that and hammer to tap pistons. That was when one piston sank all the way down into the cylinder. Not supposed to happen. That means a connecting rod or at least a bolt or two for it are broken.

Crawled underneath the car to try and pull the oil pan. Seems I would need an engine lift to pull the oil pan.

Made the decision to just go with getting a rebuilt engine. Got an estimate earlier, just in case I would not be able to get the engine to turn. Best estimate was $1800 plus tax, which is including labor, 2 year/24,000 mile warranty. (Does not include towing or fluids.) Not a bad price. 

I figure maybe Jan or Feb I can manage it. The truck will probably be okay until then, since it doesn't usually overheat in cold weather. Just have to do something before warm weather comes back again. 

The car is still a good deal for the price. Body and transmission are in good shape. Decent tires, suspension, almost new battery and alternator. I just replaced the starter. I will buy a couple more peripheral parts, such as oil pressure regulator. I already got oil and antifreeze this morning. I figure around $2000 for the engine brings total to around $2700 and the car should be good for a few years. Probably spend some money on paint or even a full paint job. 

I will see if the shop may give me a bit of a discount, since the engine is extensively dismantled and possibly in trade for new parts which I bought but can't return. Full gasket set, new lifters and push rods. 

One reason for the decision is just not being sure what else I may run into. Blown head gasket, frozen lifter, bent push rod, leaking freeze plug (replaced already), bad starter (replaced). Between tools I don't have and don't have room for if I bought them, the time and effort required in the winter, mostly at night and during the holidays, it's best to let it sit for a while. 

Sucks it should happen so close to Christmas but if that's the worst that happens close to Christmas this year, I'll take it. Been through much worse. 

Waiting for warmth

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I am waiting for the ambient temperature to rise above freezing. Though I do have the space heater set under the engine compartment right now. Having my coffee as planned. Then get out and start work on the car. With no bolts broken, new head bolts on hand, I don't foresee any major problems. Once I get the engine to turn, as said before. Have a few steps to take regarding that. Unless the timing chain jumped (which doesn't seem likely), I should be able to get the engine to turn in fairly short order, whatever the problem may be. 

It would be truly awesome if I can get the car running by the end of the day!

If it's too cold, I will be taking breaks frequently to warm up but I do have my insulated coveralls and the space heater. 

Got a nice surprise this morning. My paycheck went in a day early and it was the highest check so far this year with this company! Nice! If all goes as planned, next check will be nearly as good, so last two checks before Christmas will be above average. If the last check of the year falls to straight average, I'll still be starting next year on a good footing. 

Weather report lags but still says 28 degrees. I believe it, with frost on everything. But sun is coming up and I'll be outside soon. Once surface frost melts that will be my cue. As said before, if engine block is below freezing, gaskets won't set properly and torque can be questionable.  

Addendum: It's 9:30 now and temp is stubbornly stuck at 32. But sun is higher and it's starting to feel warmer. Used the time to attack another item on to-do list. Kitchen faucet has been frustratingly slow on hot side. Took pipes apart, found huge amount of mineral deposits. Reamed those out and faucet is running great now.

Since pay went in early, going to Auto Zone for oil and antifreeze, so I have it on hand. It would suck if I actually get the car together and then they're closed and I don't have those items. Note I still don't really approve of the car parts store being open on Thanksgiving Day. Could buy those things somewhere else or wait if they were closed. Fact is, I hope their business is really slow today, so they will close next Thanksgiving for the employees. 

5 short

Rather disappointed. Almost got to my goal of 90 cases today. Made it to 85. However, tech problems came up and took 40 minutes to resolve. Chances are highest I could have gotten those other 5 cases and possibly more in that 40 minutes. 

Oh, well. Made a few extra dollars each of the past three days. Just in time for last check before Christmas. 

Went to Auto Zone to borrow the torque wrench and they had a torque wrench on sale for $8, so I just bought one. It's analog scale, not the click type. Some people claim these are more reliable. I do know the click type has to be calibrated and these don't, so these last longer. Went ahead and bought a breaker bar, also. That means I won't have to worry about having those in the future. Also no worries if the engine takes any longer than expected.

Got the tubing I needed. So, I have all the parts needed to put the car together except oil. I'll buy that when the engine is together. 

I already took Melatonin and Benadryl to help me get to sleep early tonight. 

Nothing done

Didn't get anything done this morning. Like I've said before, it's not the work itself that tends to deter me but getting dirty before work. Most of the things on my to-do list entail getting dirty to some level. 

I slept later than I meant to. I do think I would be better off if I kept a space heater on low near me when I sleep. Don't think it's an issue of waking up but just not wanting to get out from under the covers. 

Day before Thanksgiving and I was thinking of the things I am thankful for. Too many things to list. At the top of that would would be my daughter, her health, my health, a home, food, water, gas, electricity, a good job, good supervisor, transportation, not living in fear for my life, lucid thought...

 Tomorrow is biggest shot at getting the Camaro put back together. Going to start on it soon as there is enough light and hoping temp is above freezing. However, if I wake up early I can turn on the space heater under the engine compartment, so it will be warming while I have my coffee. 

Last trip to Auto Zone today to borrow the torque wrench and return the borrowed valve spring compressor. Which didn't work, any way. I'll get oil and antifreeze Friday morning, I guess. I have the money for them now but would prefer waiting until after I get paid. Just trying to maintain a level in the bank.

Forward movement again

It may not be a lot but I'm making forward movement again.

After work, cleaned the top of the engine block with the drill and brush attachment. Pulled the old lifters out. By then it was getting dark. Seems to be ready to reassemble on Thur. Last thing before that is getting the engine to turn. Once that happens, I think I can get it together in a few hours. Not overstating that idea. Call it being hopeful.

Bought some more file folders for the filing cabinet and started putting those to use tonight. Cleared all the ancient papers no longer needed out of the folders and went through piles of papers to get them organized and properly filed. Still have papers in other places but now that I'm getting it in a set order, it will be much easier. 

My early shift today started off really well. I was averaging 11-12 cases per hour for the first 3 hours. Then the callers with DT's started in. After that, I got stuck by one after another. Multiple calls which lasted 15 minutes or more. So, started the day looking like I would hit my goal of 90 cases. In the end, wound up with 73, which was less than yesterday. Oh, well. Still more than 70. So, still slightly more money, just not as much as I was hoping for. I do note that my starting time still misses at least an hour of the busiest time of day. However, I was busy enough to not be able to get written cases done. Calls did come in back to back nearly all day. 

 Had one caller today who was a real hassle. I tried really hard to take her case through some route which would meet approval. I tried at least six different pathways but none of the information she gave me would work. Then she insisted to speak with a supervisor. I transferred her to a supervisor. Then was morbidly happy to check the case later and find the supervisor was unable to bring it to approval, either. (She did put it in urgent status, which I didn't think of. It only went to urgent because it was Medicare, which I forgot I could do. I was a little embarrassed I didn't think of that but I only think of urgent in medically necessary terms, which this case was not. Still a difference between paperwork side of medicine and clinical side. My mind is still stuck largely in clinical mode.) 

Have a long to-do list. Better get to bed and try doing some of it before work in the morning.

Early shift

I'm up early for my shift today. Went well doing the earlier shift in training, so have decent hopes for today. 

Got word last night that one of my classmates isn't yet up to 70. Another quit, one more may quit soon and nobody has heard from another for a few weeks. Two quit so far and one MIA is a third of the class. My supervisor told me I was doing well and I guess she was telling the truth. 

High temp today is 42. Not toasty but should be nice enough that I can get the engine block cleaned after work fairly quickly. Then try turning the engine by hand again. If I can't, have to go buy a breaker bar when I get the torque wrench tomorrow. Have to pull all the old lifters out. 

Okay, have to crank up the work computer. Takes a while because there are so many functions to log into. 

First day on case rate

Today was my first day on case rate instead of hourly pay. My fear was that I wouldn't reach my 70 cases. I made it plus a few more. Made an extra $15. Not fantastic but sure not turning it down! Means I made extra money in the same time frame. 

Then got offered an earlier shift for one day tomorrow. Which means a chance for a higher case count, depending on how the calls come in. (Not sure of that on a holiday week but was happily surprised today.) It also means I get off work while there's still a little sunlight left. So I can finish cleaning the top of the engine block, so it will be ready to put back together on Thur. 

Guess I'll work on inside projects at night. Would have done that tonight but had to go to Walmart. Ordered some new file folders to help get things more organized. That was a bit of a mistake. Wound up standing in line for about an hour because of someone in front of me with their head up their ass. I actually walked away, went and shopped for a few other items and took my time at that. Came back and they were still there. For another 10 minutes. Then two more people putting things in layaway. Of course, the first one waited to get to the counter and then pulled out her cell phone. 

Going to take daughter to Cliff's amusement park this weekend. It was going to be a surprise. I've known about it for months and held it back from daughter. Then the ex opened her mouth this weekend and spoiled it. I hissed at her. Oh, well. 

Meanwhile, my older brother's killer was convicted of manslaughter rather than murder. This, after he stabbed my brother twice in the chest and twice in the back. His mother lied in court about the events that day, surprising even the defense and prosecuting attorneys. Her testimony went completely against the statements she had made for the past 1 1/2 years.

Then my younger brother, whom I have not spoken to in years, contacted me on FB. Claims he doesn't understand why I won't talk to him. Says he doesn't remember the phone call he made accusing me of things I never did, talking about writing a book (You have to be literate to do that, don't you?) and talking about going on Jerry Springer. With him, that's no surprise. 

Seeing better thermal gain from the solarium now that the winds have calmed down. Peak temperature in the solarium today reached about 90 degrees, while the ambient temperature was under 50 degrees. 

Been seeing a lot of dead mice around lately. Not sure just why. One was inside the house and probably ate some of the mouse poison. Another was in the back yard and may have been killed by the dogs. Then I saw another one in front of the house, where the dogs couldn't get to it and it's not likely from the poison. Haven't noticed any signs of any more inside the house. 

Okay, I need to get to bed.

Thanksgiving week

Plans for the week. Of course, I have to work Mon through Wed this week. Daughter is off from school and will be spending time with her stepfather's mother. She has fun with her. She's the only little girl (actually the only child) in the family.

They're going to have a family get-together on Thur, so daughter will come over here on Fri.

That works out best for me. That gives me an actual day that I can work on the car. Going to get it all cleaned up before then, so all I have to do is put it back together that day. Not sure I'll have it running that day because I need several small parts, mostly vacuum and water lines which came to pieces during dismantling. I'll see if I can get the new parts before then, so I'll have them on hand. Have to borrow a torque wrench on Wed from Auto Zone.

I have fresh apples and pumpkin cooked and ready for pies. Chicken and pork ready to make tamales. Made a couple dozen chicken tamales yesterday but ran out of husks. Picked more up on the way home last night.

I start on case rate for work this week. Hope it all goes well. May be frantic or may be really slow. 

Sucks, I've had nightmares about making mistakes at work. Some honest mistakes can carry strong consequences. Think it's just paranoia. Last year, I thought all was going well and got messed over twice. Most notably a week before Christmas. This whole year has been playing catch-up. 

Because of the massive amounts of paperwork and job changes this year, my organized chaos system isn't so organized any more. I need to go through the filing cabinet and completely reorganize things. 

Snowing

Started snowing today. Most has melted but temp has dropped, so expecting to have some built up in the morning.

Winds continued most of the day and even got worse for a while. Loosened the rod of the solarium. I took some steps to help stabilize it more but limited success. Getting ideas for improvement for next year. Not starting over this year. Actually not so bad. Loose sheeting blown by winds shook snow off instead of letting it accumulate. Winds have died down, temp has dropped and snow picked up. I expect to be knocking snow off solarium in the morning. 

Daughter wanted to decorate more inside than out this year. So front room is all lit up and will be more so before we're done. Probably paint the windows tomorrow.

Going to go to Cliff's amusement park next weekend for their first Christmas event. 

Wind damage

Wind did do some damage today. Main frame of the solarium held together completely. However, the plastic sheeting off the frame in a lot of places. So, I have repairs and reinforcements to do in the near future. 

Worst part of all of that was that it seriously reduced the insulation properties of the solarium. Before the winds, the house was really comfortable. Today it's been pretty cold in here. 

Wind has died down. Hope it stays that way. Long as the wind isn't too bad, the solarium does a lot of good. 

Got screwed on renting a car. Hotwire allowed me to reserve a car through Alamo car rental. When I called to confirm the rental, they told me I would have to have a major credit card to pick the car up. So, I was refused the rental. My debit card was charged but neither company would refund the money. 

Tried reserving a UHaul truck from a place nearby but when they confirmed the reservation, they changed the pick-up location to a place miles in the opposite direction. Since I would have to either ride the bike or take a taxi to pick it up, I just canceled it. Just going to have to drive very carefully this weekend. At least the feeling I had has diminished a bit.

My 90 day work evaluation was today. It was all good, either meeting or exceeding standards in all areas. So I don't have to have another evaluation until January 2015! Nice! 

Today was my last day n hourly pay. Monday, I go to case rate. That does mean I am going to change a few practices. Become a bit more of a hardass. I've been nice about being placed on hold but gradually changing that because of the huge number of people who abuse it. I do have the right to transfer the call back into the queue after three minutes. I'm going to use that right from now on. Can't sit there on hold forever. Also going to pick up extra hours whenever I can. Been keeping a good average, above 70 cases per day. I do have Thanksgiving and the next day off with hourly pay.  

Battening down

The forecast for the winds picking up changed to later and not quite as strong. May bypass the metro area but I'm not counting on it. Winds were supposed to have picked up by now originally and hot up to 60 mph. Then it changed to later and 50 mph. No winds yet.

Got out and anchored down the solarium a bit better. I think it should stand up to things now. 

It's been raining a bit last couple of days. One problem was the slack in the plastic sheeting wasn't tight enough, so it gathered water. Had to keep going out and lifting the sheeting to drain the water off. It's tighter now and, while it has been raining, hasn't gathered any water. 

Been having a strong feeling that I needed to rent a car this weekend, rather than drive the truck. Hard to do with a debit card. I did manage to reserve one but going to call and confirm things tomorrow to make sure. Some issues are questionable. They had some requirement about having a round trip airline ticket which I have to ask about. If the car fails, I'll rent a UHaul truck if one is available. I just don't want to go against my intuition when it's this strong.

Cleaned the cylinder heads, intake manifold and exhaust manifolds last night. Used the drill and a brush attachment, which did an awesome job! Mating surfaces are pretty well polished and no carbon buildup left. The cleaner they are, the better the seal you achieve. Still have to do the same with the engine block mating surfaces but not while it's raining. 

Picking up another 2 hours extra tomorrow morning. That makes 6 hours of OT this week. Means a little extra money for the holidays. 

Right now, need some sleep.

Windy weekend

Well, looks like something else is going to divert some energy away from the car this week.

Forecast says the winds are going to pick up drastically this coming weekend. Like up to 60 mph. So, going to have to anchor the solarium more once again. It's not up to those kinds of winds yet. Have to anchor a few keys sections more strongly. 

There's also a 20 degree temperature drop coming in which seems like it's here to stay for the winter. If that's the case, by January we will probably see temps below 0. 

The temperatures I can handle. The people driving in it, not so much. Makes me really glad to be working at home.

One problem is the car. Gaskets won't set properly in temperatures that low. Means I need to get a couple more tarps to place over the car and run the heater well in advance when setting the gaskets. Low temps will also affect proper torque readings but using tarps and the heater will help with that as well. 

If I can set the tarps to block wind from under the car, it will make it less uncomfortable to do work on the ground, like the exhaust and the starter. 

What does suck is that I still haven't gotten the ceiling insulated. Keep trying and things keep happening which block my time and finances from getting it done. 

Apart

Finally did it. Got the cylinder heads off. Now comes the part I hate most, cleaning all this stuff. Need to make a run to Auto Zone for more engine cleaner and borrow the hydraulic lifter puller. 

Going to make one more try at turning the engine. If that doesn't work, have to drop the starter again and make sure the stupid spacers didn't get lodged in the flex plate. 

Picking up a couple extra hours of work tomorrow morning. Means less time to work on the car but more money. The hardest part of the car is done for now. Most of it should be much easier to put back together. I was really, really, really happy none of the head bolts broke! Had that happen before and it is no fun at all. 

So, not going to finish the car this week, either. Long as I can turn the engine, can get the heads back on within a couple of hours, including exhaust and intake. Then it's all a matter of peripherals. But first have to clean it up and get the engine to turn.

Final push

Okay, making the final push to get the engine apart today. I have the space heater warming the engine now. There's frost on everything and online weather says it's 34 degrees outside. My work clothes are in the dryer, warming up. Washed them yesterday.

One reason for the pause yesterday was shoulder pain. Did some exercise this weekend I shouldn't have done and it affected my shoulder condition. Right shoulder hurts from neck to elbow and sometimes to the fingers. Condition never goes away completely, I just have to give it consideration when it flares up or the pain lasts for weeks. 

It feels good that I have paid the bills. Still have enough money to live on. Last bill paid was the garbage service. First time that has been current this year. 

I'll still be able to afford Thanksgiving next week, which is better than some previous years. One year I was able to afford it but only by raiding the change jar. Another year daughter and I had chicken. In each case, I was still happy to have those things. I've had previous years I only had hot dogs but was happy for those, too. (I was usually able to add cranberry sauce to whatever I had. It does go with a lot of things.) 

Time to stop writing and get to work on the car.

Better day

Today was a better day for me. Though I will admit I did not work on the car. Sometimes you wind up with a better day by attempting less because there are fewer chances of failure or mistake.

Talked with my supervisor this morning and she calmed my fears about the negative experience on Friday.

Not so great was the knowledge of the trial for my brother's murderer beginning today. It has weighed on my heart knowing my nephews must testify, reliving the experience. There is nothing which will help that pain for them.  Keep focusing on other things to keep my mind off of that but it's always there. I really hope the trial is short, to minimize the damage. Asshole could have just pleaded guilty but no way he would spare anyone else the pain. I really hope he is never free to walk the streets again in his life.

Texted the ex this evening to check on daughter. Ex says there have been no problems since I dropped her off. So, guess the medication helped. Really happy to hear that. 

Received the new parts for the e-cigarette today. They work much better than the old parts. Found out there are batteries which provide a stronger output, also. In all cases, results in more vapor. Probably order one of those batteries in the future. Have other concerns to think about before that now. 

Something big about adjusting to e-cigarettes for me. Regular cigarettes calm my nerves but wake my body up. (Not going into the medical explanation.) Electronic cigarettes calm my nerves without the other aspect being included. Therefore, they are extremely sedating to me. That's something I have to get used to if I'm going to quit smoking. 

Okay, skipped working on the car today. Have to make up for it the rest of the week. By Friday, a deep cold front is supposed to blow in and not much hope for warm weather after that until spring. Have to at least get the cylinder heads and intake manifold back in place before then. (Which includes lifters and push rods.) Should be able to do it. 

Better energy?

Really hoping for better energy for me and my daughter this week, starting now. 

Found out last night the trial for my brother's murderer starts today. 

Weather is supposed to be warmer this week than last. Make it easier to work on the car. Forecast says it will stay warmer and calmer until Friday. Should be enough time to get the engine apart, cleaned and put back together, at least primarily, if not completely. Reassembling does involve torquing and I have to borrow a torque wrench, just hoping it's in stock for the loaner tool program. 

However, I'm not working on the car this morning. Supposed to have a conference with my supervisor this morning. No desire to get dirty and stressed out before that. I'll work on the car this evening. 

Moon became full this weekend. Always been my observation things go crazy starting three nights before the full moon and by the time the moon is full, people start calming down. 

However, the holidays are coming on fast and the closer they get, the crazier (and more rude) people become. Quite ironic, that. 

Sick kiddo

Daughter was sick today. Stomach problems. Nothing contagious or severe. No fever. Pain on and off. Not much energy. 

She's always brave and has a high pain tolerance. Sometimes it worries me. It can be hard to tell when something should need more attention. However, with the combination of symptoms today, it was simple constipation. Got her a laxative. Pain subsided a while after taking that. 

I felt really bad for her. Felt worse for her when I dropped her off at her mother's and it turned out she still had homework to do. She didn't complain about it, though. 

She had wanted to decorate the tree today but couldn't manage the energy. We'll do it next weekend. 

Hope that was the end of the bad energy from the past week. Somehow, I feel like it was and this week is going to be different. 

Finally

Daughter and I went to Harbor Freight today. Got the tools needed to get that distributor bolt loose. 

After we got home, I could not wait. Went out to. Get the bolt dealt with. Took about 5 minutes to get it loose and pull the distributor. Didn't go any further than that. No desire to steal the whole weekend from daughter for the car. Think it should take under 30 minutes to get the intake manifold and both cylinder heads off. Hoping it won't be too hard to get the engine to turn after that.

Spent some time at her favorite park. Walked all the way around it. Good size park. We had stopped at a Chinese food place and took lunch to the park with us. 

Just been watching movies this evening. Think we'll go to an open space tomorrow. Before it gets too cold.

Crappy day

Today was a really crappy day. 

Woke up with stomach cramps and chills. Those mostly went away but not entirely.

Couldn't remove the intake manifold or cylinder heads because I couldn't get the distributor off. Have to buy a universal joint adapter to reach the hold down bolt. One single bolt holding up the whole project. Can't remove the entire intake manifold because the distributor is blocking access to the last manifold bolt.

Had a rotten caller at work who may mean trouble for me. Copped an attitude because I could not give her an approval on the spot. I tried explaining the reason but she just would not hear it. 

Wind picked up and I was worried the solarium was going to blow apart. Because of the rotten caller, I wasn't able to get much done on the solarium during lunch. When I finally got outside to work on it tonight, it turned out the section I had hung up with extra sheeting for the final section had fallen down.. and been chewed up by the dogs. 

Almost afraid to eat for fear I'll get food poisoning. 

Later

Woke up later than I wanted to. Got up at 7.  Not sure if I'm fighting something off or what. Ran into a bit of a motivational brick wall.

Going to push past it and get out to work on the car shortly, at least for an hour. 

Finances aren't looking too bad at the moment. Long as they remain stable between now and first of the year, I'll be okay. January is when I owe a lump sum to the bank for the mortgage repayment plan. I have to lay money aside each check between now and then but it can be done without any big sacrifice at this rate. Even be able to afford a decent Christmas. 

Right now I'm nervous because of my past history of something drastic happening so often shortly before Christmas. Car breaking down, losing my job, etc. Things which I have no control over. Right now I have the Camaro to work on, I am going to pay per case rate at work and just finished my probation period. My third audit is under way. I'm being cautious.

I can start having medical insurance again starting Dec 1st. However, the way things go wrong in December for me, I'm not setting any routine doctor appointments until January. I'm also not going to feel very secure in my employment until then. After that, I can relax a bit.

Yep, break night

I did decide to go ahead and take the night off from working on the car. Body and brain needed a break.

I will get up in the morning and do more work on the car. 

We had an online meeting about insurance today. Instructions they gave were to enroll online. I tried to do so and got a message that I did not have access. Wrote to my supervisor about it. Though that is only for the month of December. I have to fill out paperwork for next year and fax it in. 

My insomnia has gotten so bad I can rarely get to sleep at a decent hour without taking something to help me sleep. Mostly Melatonin and Benadryl. Really sucks. Though the Benadryl is for allergies. (Maybe the allergies are a big part of the insomnia. Allergies increase free histamines which in turn increase cortisol levels. Cortisol is the main stress hormone.) Though the Melatonin does help me relax really well. 

That stated, I'm getting to bed. 

Break night?

Not yet sure but may take a break from working on the car tonight. Getting worn out by working before work, working, then working after work. I'd be a lot more motivated if I thought I would finish everything by tomorrow night. That's not going to happen. 

I still have to give one more shot at turning the engine before removing the distributor, now that the cylinder heads are loosened. If that doesn't work, just have to forge ahead. 

Forgot one thing. I need to double check and make sure the vehicle isn't in gear before trying to turn the engine. 

Talked with supervisor this morning. She says I'm doing well and I will go to case rate for pay next pay period. She asked if I wanted to change over now but too many meetings, training and so forth going on this week, so I opted for next pay period. With the calls I've been getting today, really glad I made that decision. I'm only halfway to where I normally am by now. Lots of people completely unprepared for any questions at all. Yeesh. Hope that doesn't continue.

6:15 (edited)

Managed to wake up at 6:15 this morning. Sunrise isn't until 6:40. I'll get outside and start working on the car in a few minutes. 

My third audit for work is in progress this week. Only one case audited of five so far. That case scored 100 but it only takes one case to drag my score down below a passing 95. Really hoping this audit goes well, so I only get audited every three months. It's stressful.

I have a feeling most of the people in my class are no longer with the company. Most are never logged in to the IM system. Of the 9 of us, one quit rather quickly. Two have had to go for remedial training (but they both live in CO). 

One good thing is that I have been experiencing fewer IT problems than I did for a while. Though I did have to have everything shut down at the server yesterday and reopen all of it because one screen locked, wouldn't open and wouldn't close. Guess they're working on it to improve things, so that's good. 

Update- So, it's almost 9 AM now. Stripped two sockets this morning. One for the cylinder head bolts after releasing tension on two bolts. If I left it that way, the head would warp and have to be replaced. With a little effort, got the bike started, went and got new sockets. Came back and released the tension on all the head bolts on both sides. Figured I may as well, since I had the tools in my hands. 

May not get the car put back together this week but pretty sure I can get it apart. Not too much more to go. 

Not this week

I am facing the fact that I will not be finishing the car this week. Too many brackets and difficult to reach bolts. 

It's not a surprise this thing blew a gasket. Probably not the cylinder head but this car has been worked on before. By somebody's grandmother. Some bolts which should have been tight were amazingly loose. It's surprising they didn't just fall off. 

Haven't gotten the engine to turn yet. Being cautious to not snap the bolt on the harmonic balancer. I was hoping to turn the engine before removing the distributor and avoid re-timing it. Guess that's not going to happen. Oh, well. 

I did run into a bent push rod. Not where I expected it to be. Of course, there is the question of which came first, the engine locking or the push rod already being bent. 

Well, get to bed and try for an earlier rise tomorrow. Right now the temperature is supposed to be warmer in the morning than last few days. 

Guess it's just as well it's taking longer than expected. If I push too much to do it in a short time, I may cut corners. Taking longer, long as all works well, will let me go ahead and throw in some other parts. Like new spark plug cables. May need them. 

Still, want to have it running by next weekend and definitely before the Twinkle Lights parade comes along. Want a more reliable vehicle to take daughter out looking at lights and go to holiday events this year.

Work sucked today. Kept running into people who were being highly aggressive for me to approve cases when they had no appropriate clinical information for the case to approve by any method. Hope tomorrow is better. I have a feeling it will be.

Not as early

Didn't get up quite as early today. Though wasn't feeling so hot last night. Think because of dust I inhaled from the wind yesterday morning. 

I have the engine down to the manifolds and one valve cover. Going to try and get it taken down the rest of the way by this evening. Going to remove the push rods this morning and try turning the engine by hand, see if I can loosen it up before taking the distributor off. 

It's 30-32 degrees outside right now. The shelter blew apart yesterday but I still have the heater blowing under the car to warm the engine with the hood closed, so hoping that does the trick. At least the wind isn't blowing this morning. 

Been slacking off too long this morning. Gotta get something done.

6:38

Managed to wake up at 6:38 this morning. Still trying to push it back further and make it a routine. I do think it's better to push it back gradually, rather than all at once. That avoids complete exhaustion and makes it easier to keep it as a routine. 

For this exact moment, it allows me to wake up, have some coffee and wait for the sun to rise a little more before working on the car. 

I've been spotting at least one mouse in the house last few days. Could be more than one. Biggest mystery was how they were getting in. Then I found a knot hole in the wood under the sink. Have to plug that. Hoping it doesn't mean I have a whole nest of them under the house. Had to set out mouse poison and they've been eating it. Haven't found any signs of invasion into the pantry or food areas, so I spotted them soon after they started getting in. That's a down side to the solarium. The mice are attracted to the warmer shelter as the weather gets colder. The solarium helps the crawl space become more comfortable for them. After they find their way under the house, it's just a matter of time before they find a way in. Sad part is that I think they're really cute and I hate killing them. However, they're too dangerous and breed too quickly. 

Sun is up. Little more coffee and I'll get outside. Can get at least an hour of work done on the car this morning before my regular work. 

Partial progress

Got some progress made on the car today. Not bad for under 3 hours of work on it. It was moving fairly quickly until I reached the fuel injection system. At that point, I mostly slowed down out of caution to avoid doing any damage. A mistake on this system would be expensive. 

I'm hoping to have both cylinder heads removed by tomorrow night. Then I should be able to have them reinstalled by Wed night and the rest of the engine back together by Thur night or Fri morning. 

I'm taking all the precautions I can to be sure the car goes back together properly. Been taking pictures along the way, tagging wires. 

Getting to bed soon, so I can get up early to get some more work done on the car.

I've been really happy for having the motor bike. If I need parts or tools, it takes a fraction of the time and energy to take a short ride to get them, as opposed to walking for them. The truck runs but has to warm up a bit before I can drive it and burns a lot more fuel. I only use the truck for things too big for the bike. However, I've managed to haul a radiator and a starter on the bike, so there's not much it doesn't handle if I plan for it. I've also carried 0 lb bags of dog food on the bike several times now. I just strap it down securely. 

I seriously need to buy more thermal underwear this year. Old ones are falling apart. Maybe I'll up the asking price for the truck to $350 when I sell it, since I went ahead and replaced the radiator. The extra money would get several pairs of long underwear, a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt or two. I need comfortable, not fancy when working at home.

Speaking of work, I did 86 cases today! That's almost to the 90 I am shooting for. 

Since I hit the 90 day mark this past weekend, I emailed my supervisor to request an earlier shift when it comes available. All the way back to 6:30 my time, if possible. (Which would be 8:30 AM on the east coast.) That would give me a higher chance of a high case count plus offer more time off work while sun is up. 

Third audit is under way. Only one case so far but that hit 100. Hoping that trend continues. Only a very few calls I hope they don't listen to. One of those I wrote to my supervisor about because the caller was so rude. If they truly pick cases at random, odds are low they'll pick any of the ones which I wouldn't want heard. In those cases, I really just responded to the bad attitude of the caller. And I have not lost my composure with them, just responded to aggression with my own solid wall. Some people think the more aggressive they become, the more likely you are to give them their way. I always make a serious attempt to work the pathways effectively, so their behavior does no good. 

Need sleep.

Still earlier

Managed to get up even earlier than Friday. Tomorrow, want to push it back further. Try for 6:30 tomorrow morning.

I have the little shelter set up for the car now. Timer plugged in with a space heater blowing under the car. 

Going to get out there and start working on it after some coffee. Not counting on a lot to be completed this morning. I'll probably get more done in the evenings than the mornings. Just not much of a morning person. Still, I should be able to strip off a lot of parts before work. At least the valve covers. Hoping down to the intake manifold. Tricky part is the distributor. 

Still behind

While I have made forward progress this past year, I still feel very much behind on many things.

My daughter's room is one of the biggest things I feel behind on. It's in much better shape than it was. However, I had really hoped to have had more furniture built for her room by now. 

I keep trying to get simple things into a stable condition where I can focus on things like building her furniture, completing pantry shelves and things like that. This year I have spent a lot of time out of town. Got past that and went into a schedule which is difficult to accomplish things. That improved slightly, now dealing with fixing the car. 

Hope to finish the car this week. 

Going to try and finish her closet tomorrow. 

The solarium is closed on the windward side now. It's doing a much better job of keeping the house warm. Last time the furnace ran was hours ago but the temperature inside is staying stable, though outside temp has dropped dramatically more than 30 degrees. 

Daughter and I directed traffic for the Air Dance Art Space tonight. She has fun doing that. In exchange, we get to watch one performance for free. It was too busy tonight, all seats were filled, so we're going to sit in on the performance Sunday afternoon.

I haven't gotten around to dismantling the garden from the summer. Have to do it over the winter for remains to compost. Probably not going to be able to collect leaves as I have the last few years. Just too busy with other things. 

Been getting lucky hitting the markdown lumber at Home Depot, finding items I can actually use. If it's somehow irregular, it gets marked down by 70 percent but is still useable in most cases. Just not so much as bare wood, as they paint the ends purple. 

I'm tired. Getting to bed in just a minute. 

Starter

Didn't get the starter in this morning. Hands went numb from the cold. Odd bolt sizes. Had to clean up and warm up before work. 

I did finish installing it this evening. Had to drag out the halogen lamp again. Tried to start it but the battery was too drained. No surprise there. Had the hazard lights on for a long time when the car broke down, tried starting it a number of times that day. Since then, it's been sitting in the cold without running. Have it on the slow charger now.

Battery on the truck was loose, dealt with that. 

Oil pan warmer for the bike doesn't do much good. I think the oil temperature isn't the problem. Instead, I may need to move it to the top end. 

Seeing a good thermal gain from the solarium, even though it's not closed up yet. I estimate the temperature this afternoon at about 5 ft and up was around 90 degrees F. When I took a bath this evening, there was no draft at all and the bathroom stayed nice and warm. 

Between the solarium and the added water heater insulation, the water temperature was scalding! Nice! Felt really good.

Think what I need to do for the car is get a timer and place a space heater under the car, so it starts warming the engine before I wake up in the morning. I'm not 25 any more and it's too hard to work with numb fingers. Other than that, it's not much of a problem. Not fond of the cold but never have been. At least the majority of the work doesn't involve being on the ground. 

Earlier

Up earlier today than yesterday. Waiting just a few more minutes for temp to get above 40 degrees, then go out and work on the car. First thing I have to do is replace the starter. That may make other parts of the work easier. Maybe, maybe not. 

I think one reason the engine died the other day is that it burned off or leaked out all the oil. Then the starter stripped. In any case, lost oil pressure because the oil was gone. Have to install the new starter and make sure the engine turns. If not, I have a problem.

Not much else which requires being under the car. Hoping I can remove the exhaust from the top. 

Okay, need to get moving. Can only get one hour of work done on the car this morning before having to start work for the job.

Today ends my 90 days and was assured yesterday I am doing well. I will be employed on Monday. Real happy about that!

Up early

Managed to wake up before 8 this morning. Trying to push myself back earlier than that as a matter of habit. Hard to do for someone who has over 25 years on the night shift.

However, for the next week it will be important. Not working on the Camaro today but will start on it tomorrow. Temps rise above freezing in the morning starting tomorrow morning. For one week. By next Friday morning, temps drops back to freezing in the morning and remain there. I need to get at least the majority of the work done in that week. I'm sure I can do it.

Other things going on this weekend. Have to close up the solarium. Daughter and I are helping at the Air Dance Art Space. We direct parking and get to watch the performance for free. 

This morning, I do need to brave the cold for a few minutes. Install the oil pan heater on the bike. Take pictures of the Camaro engine before starting work on it. That will make it much easier to put things back as they belong if I have any problems. 

Only one part of the job that I know of involves being underneath the car. Installing the starter. Time to drag out the long johns. That one shouldn't take long but it doesn't take long on the ground to get really cold. I may go ahead and do that this evening. Maybe, maybe not. Decide later. 

Radiator

Picked up the radiator last night. Installed it during lunch today. After work, put water in the truck, then went to Family Dollar for antifreeze. So, the truck is up and running again.

Helped a family, including a sick child get home. They got stuck because the bus near their home stops running so early and they had just gotten the girl out of the hospital. Glad things happened the way they did or I would have been on the bike and it would have been more difficult to help them. They had asked a lot of New Mexicans for help and got nothing but blank stares. The family was from Mexico. Glad this Texan came along to help.

The oil pan heater for the bike came in. I'll install it tomorrow. The irony is that I can't install the heater when temps are freezing because the adhesive won't dry properly. However, the heater only uses 25 watts, so I'm happy with it. 

Haven't gotten started on the head gasket yet. Too cold in the morning but supposed to be warmer over the next week again. Long as it's above freezing, I'm okay. This is the kind of job I hate breaking up into short work periods. Would prefer getting it all done start to finish. That's not gonna happen with my work schedule at this time of year. Oh, well.

Not seeing much thermal gain from the solarium yet but it is helping slow thermal loss from the house. Been several hours since the furnace kicked on. Outside temp is about 30 degrees and inside temp is still about 70 degrees according to the thermometer in the kitchen. Only heater on is the little space heater next to me in the living room, quite some distance from the thermometer. Solarium will definitely help more once I get it closed up better. 

Yes, I'm obsessing. But this is getting so much closer to something I have been attempting at various levels for years. Been through 3 previous incarnations for testing before going this large scale. I'm rather excited about it! If I can get this to work year round the way I am hoping, it will be a huge accomplishment. I am planning on installing some form of heat pump system which will pump warm air under the house through pipes at some future point. Possibly adding more thermal mass (rocks and such) to help retain the heat. Be even better if I can make the whole system solar powered. Though that may not be necessary if I install a smaller solarium on the front of the house, using more clear covering material. There I can use clear plastic because I don't have to worry about the dogs. Not happening this year, though.

Day one

Semi-complete solarium day one. The solarium is still open at each end where I need more materials to close it up. Can't use the plastic sheeting because the dogs will just rip that apart. However, while temps dropped below freezing outside, the dog water inside the solarium did not freeze. Definitely cold but not frozen. 

In current form, it does retain some heat and does deflect wind. During the day, it should collect solar heat, as well. Meaning it will work better tonight than it did last night. I got the last section of sheeting up in the dark, so there was little or no solar gain. Experience from last year told me it takes a couple of days for thermal mass effect to kick in and that whole side of the house to warm up. 

Really glad to say no strong winds in the forecast for a few days. Which gives me the chance to get materials to strengthen the anchors for the sheeting. It's just stapled in place now and really strong winds would probably take it off. Still better than previous years. I've learned from past mistakes. 

I am going to extend the solarium by 4-5 more feet. So, 2 more posts to set. That makes the planting and "no dogs allowed" section larger. I was thinking of moving the picnic table in there but now thinking I may just build a smaller one instead. I did include enough plastic sheeting on the section last night that I can just raise the posts, then pull the sheeting over the new posts. The more contiguous the sheeting remains with fewer breaks and seams, the more stable the whole top will be. 

With sheeting left over and one more roll, I can double the sheeting later on the inside, for more insulation and solar gain. In spring, I just have to add some vents at the top and roll up the lower sections. Which will then help keep the house cooler in summer. 

Covering

I put the rest of the plastic sheeting up tonight. Not done very well but it's in place. Have to tighten it up and make it more stable later. At least it will help keep the house and dogs warm. 

Something I always forget that I like about the solarium is that it helps soundproof the house from noise. Almost completely eliminates noise coming from Isleta Blvd. (Like subwoofers.)

Too bad I can't pull the Camaro inside the solarium to work on it!

Went and picked up the parts for both vehicles from two stores this evening. Getting cold to be on the bike, even for a few minutes. Only transportation I had for picking up the parts, though. Not complaining at all. Really happy I have it!

So, now I just have to get the parts into both vehicles. The truck won't be too hard. Can install the radiator in a few minutes. The Camaro is a whole different game. Especially with a few mornings below freezing.

My 90 days at work ends this week. Looks like I'm doing well enough that I don't have to worry about keeping my job. I do need to try hard to hit 70 cases a day the rest of this week. After that, I can request a schedule change. If I can get my schedule pushed back to starting at 6:30, I'll be off at 3 PM. That will give me a couple of hours of sunlight each day during the warmer part of the day. 

At least, it's worth hoping for.

Mild insomnia

Seems like I have mild insomnia every Sunday night. Though tonight isn't nearly as bad as usual.

I am seeing a cumulative effect of various things which have happened and which I have done. These are all helping to control the winter temperatures in the house and even parts of the yard. 

One part is the solid gate as opposed to the old chain link gate which used to be the rear gate. This has helped deflect cold wind from entering the back yard at high speeds, which used to be funneled into the yard by the solid fence and block wall in that area. 

The little insulation I installed in the bathroom ceiling has helped. 

The crawl space cover helped keep some cold air from entering under the house. Adding carpeting helped deter wind even more. 

At this point now, just the lower section of the solarium wall is helping to deflect cold wind from hitting the back wall of the house. That's helping to keep the house warmer so far. However, the weather hasn't gotten really cold yet and daytime sun does help warm the house. 

Replacing the thermostat has done some good. May or may not save energy but has definitely illustrated that the old one was not working efficiently at all. The furnace seems to run a bit more often but for shorter periods. Basically, it keeps the temperature more stable, resulting in less severe temperature swings and so makes the house feel warmer overall. I only have it set to run during certain hours of the day. Mostly when first waking up. I may change the program as it gets further into winter. For now, warming the house when I first wake up and then using a space heater for work is what is most comfortable and efficient. Though I need to start using a space heater which doesn't heat all the time.
 
Watched the weather forecast this evening and the temps are supposed to drop below freezing on Tue night. It will warm up after that but going to be a mostly cold week. I don't want the dogs to get too cold and would prefer keeping the house comfortable without running the furnace too much. 

Car repairs

So, took the truck radiator back for exchange on warranty this evening. Then went to another parts store ordered or purchased all the parts needed for the Camaro.

Spent more than originally planned for parts but decided if I'm going to do it, may as well do it completely right. Ordered a new starter (rebuilt), head gasket set, so I'll have one new head gasket installed, one spare, all new gaskets for everything attached, new head bolts, all new hydraulic lifters and push rods through the whole engine and new valve cover gaskets (since those are in the set and I bought a set a few days ago, I'll have a spare set of those, too).

Grand total has come out to about $300 for parts. However, I am looking at it this way- When added to the price of the vehicle, it's still coming in under $1000. Though I admit I'm cheating. Price of new oil and antifreeze is not included in that total. I consider those normal maintenance. However, I did just change both of those. Not complaining, with no car payment.

Got the lower cross beams and the extensions for middle solarium supports installed today. Only the door, dog door, 3 upper cross beams, 2 wall anchors and the rest of the siding and sheeting left to finish the whole thing. I think I can finish the whole thing in the next two days, while waiting for car parts to come in. 

Had a surprise today. I hadn't even checked the tomato plants for a couple of weeks. Figured any fruit that remained would be frostbitten and no good. Glanced at the plants when I went to the shed for concrete dye and saw there was a lot of red, ripe fruit on the vines! Daughter helped me pick all the ones that were good. Some was dried up because the vines have died off and some attacked by birds and insects. Still, we picked about 6 lbs of good tomatoes today. 

Started setting new tile on the ledge in front of the fireplace today. I still have to cut some pieces to finish and set the rest of the mortar. Let it dry a couple of days and seal it. The tiles mostly match the coffee table but are smoother. 

I'm not really sure what daughter is feeling about her room. She seems excited about her room but also wants to sleep in my room. She seemed ashamed of wanting to sleep in my room last night. Not sure if she feels like I'm pushing her out. Made sure she knows I'm not pushing her out of my room. (There's about 2 ft of space between us on my bed plus I've had her mattress on top of mine since I bought it.) She's just more comfortable emotionally in my room. That's okay with me. I know she feels like she was/is pulled away from me most of the time. I have no urge to make her feel like I am pushing her further from me during the little time we have together.  

So much for forward movement

Knew I shouldn't have written that post the other day.

Today, the Camaro blew a head gasket. Had to have it towed home. 

Again, the parts aren't expensive but it's a time consuming task. In addition, the starter gear seems to be completely stripped. That's more expensive than the head gasket. However, long as I'm at it, going to go ahead and replace all of the lifters and push rods. Prevent having to take it apart again for a long time.

If I had the money, I would just replace both cylinder heads. Can't afford that right now. 

Of course, the time spent on this will take away from the time needed for the solarium. 

Going to replace the radiator on the truck this week. Just to have something to pick up and drop daughter off until I'm done with the car. 

Picked up a new space heater dor daughter's room today. It's a good one, false fireplace kind that blows heat out the bottom. We have one of those currently in my bedroom. She finds it calming. 

She's in her room now, reading. Wanted to stay up late tonight. That's okay, since the time change is tonight. Getting accustomed to her room and excited about it. I did make sure the painting is all soothing colors. 

Got some tile to lay in front of the fireplace. The stucco is too hard to keep clean and looks ugly. I can work on that at night. Should only take one evening to finish. Under $20 including sealer. 

Noteable progress

I am really happy to say I am finally making forward progress. For so long, I felt I was spinning my wheels, only repairing things without making movement from the point where I first bought the house. It's slow going but I don;t mind that much. Keeps me occupied for a longer time. 

This week, I installed a new programmable thermostat for the furnace. Not sure how well the old one was working. I feel rather certain it was over 30 years old, probably the original thermostat. Possibly even from an older furnace.

Got the roof beams up for the solarium. Still need to do the cross beams and two attachments to the wall before putting up the covering but none of that should take long. Few more days. 

Daughter's room is nearly complete in basic form. Wired, new floor (except the closet yet), painted (still some completion to do there) and bed is built, with a decent mattress.

The Camaro is far from perfect. Needs work. Still better than anything I've been driving for several years. At least, since I finished fixing the leaking freeze plug. 

Not skipping meals to make ends meet. Which I am definitely no stranger to.

If I can sell the truck for $300, that will finance insulating the ceiling space for the main house and maybe a little extra left over. Which I can use for lumber to build furniture for daughter's room and some more shelves. 

The new job seems to be going well. I'll be going to being paid by the case in a couple of weeks. That has the potential for higher pay but is much more likely if I can get my shift changed to start earlier. Can't enter the request until after my 90 days are up. 

I did figure out if I can average 90 cases per day, it will mean $1200 a month extra before taxes. Think I mentioned that before. If I can do that, can pay off the student loan plus get a lot more fixed up in rather short order. Even more so if the solarium works as planned and reduces the heating bill.