Muffler Straps & Sick Cats
Today was an...interesting day.
About a week or two back, whenever we were out driving around last, we ran over this huge-ass rock that clunked up into the back bumper area of the car. Nothing went awful when it happened, just a loud, noise, so we didn't think much of it. Until today, of course, when we're heading up to Ravenna for Tony's therapist appointment and we get up to Walmart and there's this scraping sound as we're driving. First assumption, the rock did a number on the muffler.
So we pull into the plaza and I get out to investigate things.
Turns out the muffler strap was rusted on the one side and, when we hit the rock, it broke the strap and the lower half of it was just dangling around under the car. Lovely. I couldn't do anything about it at that moment, because everything by the muffler was still hot.
So we walk over to Walmart to find something to jury-rig it with. We end up, after awhile of wandering to find proper tools (in this case, an adjustable wrench - which I needed anyhow - and wire cutters) and some galvanized wire. I ended up lacing the wire through a small hole in the end of the muffler (one that was already there, as part of the muffler design) and bungee-ing it to the trunk. It holds well enough for now and it's not like it's the worst looking car in town.
My real ingeniousness comes from the fact that I needed something to hook the loose piece of the strap to (since it's welded on in a spot and I couldn't get the bottom piece off). I ended up tearing apart an old cell phone holder with a belt strap so I could use the strap part to, essentially, clip the loose piece to the bumper of the car.
The drive home was fine, which is good. We're still going to need to replace the muffler strap and I'm SO thankful that a new strap is only around $10. It shouldn't be too difficult to switch out and, worst case scenario, I can ask the neighbors for help.
Slightly off topic, I was really surprised that NO ONE in the parking lot asked what we were doing/what was wrong/if we needed any help while I was half under the car fighting with things. I don't know if it was just Ravenna or what, but it was kind of weird.
In other news, Sammy cat has a cold. I believe his nose it actually chapped and it's not his acne spreading. His acne has actually disappeared for the moment. But he was all kinds of miserable the other day, spent the entire day in my lap and just waited in my chair when I had to get up and do things. So I've been putting him in the bathroom in the evenings with wet food (because he can't smell the other food) and the warm heater. He's been cool with it and, generally, when I wake him up, he's in much better spirits than he is in the evening. Actually trotting around with his tail up and purring and kneading me.
I discovered today that the kitten, Finnick, will wear clothes. I was putting one of Jem's stupid shirts on him and I threw one on Finnick and he didn't even bat an eye. Wore it for quite a few hours before rolling around out of it while he was in the bathroom eating his kitten food. Now he's sleeping on my mousepad.
I gave Tony his second testosterone shot today. I am...not very good at it. I did it right the first time, but I didn't think I'd actually got it in because his skin indented. So I was an asshole and pulled back, pulling the needle out. Herp derp. Then it was difficult the second try to get in. I AM NOT GOOD WITH NEEDLES. I'll get better though, I was just really nervous and I have this subconscious thing with needles where something in me gets faint-feeling and I don't like it.
In other, other news, I haven't been drawing and it's been butts. Everything just looks the same, same faces, same poses, same stupid lines on the same stupid paper. It's frustrating. I need to branch out, try something new, maybe go back to a more simplistic style, don't be afraid to draw dumb shit.
I've been planning for NaNoWriMo. Sort of. Kind of. I still don't have a solid plot line. I think it's a lot because I want to start/end the story with one specific scene and the rest is full of flashbacks and such. I guess, considering where I'm starting/ending the story, the whole bulk is technically a flashback. But, ah, the incidents leading up to the climax, I suppose. The ~foreplay~ of the story, I shall call it. I have, like, three pages (in my little notebook, so that really isn't a lot) of questions to myself on how things happen and why they happen the way they do. Stuff that's plot holes at the moment and need filled with some kind of bullshittery. But if people are interested, my NaNo account is obliviousally and my NaNo tumblr is lace around the wound. I'm still not sure what to categorize my novel as yet, though. Horror/Supernatural? Adventure? Mystery/Thriller/Suspense? UGH. Choices.
Aside from all that, I've been dicking around roleplaying and making forum graphics between putting in applications and laughing at how little work there is in the immediate area. My life is so exciting, I know.
Oh, and I made this for my web design class (there's more to it, you can click through to see the full page):
We did laundry with Angie on Monday and, basically, spent a few hours dicking around, lulzing about character stuff, and starting some Superwho shenanigans.
About a week or two back, whenever we were out driving around last, we ran over this huge-ass rock that clunked up into the back bumper area of the car. Nothing went awful when it happened, just a loud, noise, so we didn't think much of it. Until today, of course, when we're heading up to Ravenna for Tony's therapist appointment and we get up to Walmart and there's this scraping sound as we're driving. First assumption, the rock did a number on the muffler.
So we pull into the plaza and I get out to investigate things.
Turns out the muffler strap was rusted on the one side and, when we hit the rock, it broke the strap and the lower half of it was just dangling around under the car. Lovely. I couldn't do anything about it at that moment, because everything by the muffler was still hot.
So we walk over to Walmart to find something to jury-rig it with. We end up, after awhile of wandering to find proper tools (in this case, an adjustable wrench - which I needed anyhow - and wire cutters) and some galvanized wire. I ended up lacing the wire through a small hole in the end of the muffler (one that was already there, as part of the muffler design) and bungee-ing it to the trunk. It holds well enough for now and it's not like it's the worst looking car in town.
My real ingeniousness comes from the fact that I needed something to hook the loose piece of the strap to (since it's welded on in a spot and I couldn't get the bottom piece off). I ended up tearing apart an old cell phone holder with a belt strap so I could use the strap part to, essentially, clip the loose piece to the bumper of the car.
The drive home was fine, which is good. We're still going to need to replace the muffler strap and I'm SO thankful that a new strap is only around $10. It shouldn't be too difficult to switch out and, worst case scenario, I can ask the neighbors for help.
Slightly off topic, I was really surprised that NO ONE in the parking lot asked what we were doing/what was wrong/if we needed any help while I was half under the car fighting with things. I don't know if it was just Ravenna or what, but it was kind of weird.
In other news, Sammy cat has a cold. I believe his nose it actually chapped and it's not his acne spreading. His acne has actually disappeared for the moment. But he was all kinds of miserable the other day, spent the entire day in my lap and just waited in my chair when I had to get up and do things. So I've been putting him in the bathroom in the evenings with wet food (because he can't smell the other food) and the warm heater. He's been cool with it and, generally, when I wake him up, he's in much better spirits than he is in the evening. Actually trotting around with his tail up and purring and kneading me.
I discovered today that the kitten, Finnick, will wear clothes. I was putting one of Jem's stupid shirts on him and I threw one on Finnick and he didn't even bat an eye. Wore it for quite a few hours before rolling around out of it while he was in the bathroom eating his kitten food. Now he's sleeping on my mousepad.
I gave Tony his second testosterone shot today. I am...not very good at it. I did it right the first time, but I didn't think I'd actually got it in because his skin indented. So I was an asshole and pulled back, pulling the needle out. Herp derp. Then it was difficult the second try to get in. I AM NOT GOOD WITH NEEDLES. I'll get better though, I was just really nervous and I have this subconscious thing with needles where something in me gets faint-feeling and I don't like it.
In other, other news, I haven't been drawing and it's been butts. Everything just looks the same, same faces, same poses, same stupid lines on the same stupid paper. It's frustrating. I need to branch out, try something new, maybe go back to a more simplistic style, don't be afraid to draw dumb shit.
I've been planning for NaNoWriMo. Sort of. Kind of. I still don't have a solid plot line. I think it's a lot because I want to start/end the story with one specific scene and the rest is full of flashbacks and such. I guess, considering where I'm starting/ending the story, the whole bulk is technically a flashback. But, ah, the incidents leading up to the climax, I suppose. The ~foreplay~ of the story, I shall call it. I have, like, three pages (in my little notebook, so that really isn't a lot) of questions to myself on how things happen and why they happen the way they do. Stuff that's plot holes at the moment and need filled with some kind of bullshittery. But if people are interested, my NaNo account is obliviousally and my NaNo tumblr is lace around the wound. I'm still not sure what to categorize my novel as yet, though. Horror/Supernatural? Adventure? Mystery/Thriller/Suspense? UGH. Choices.
Aside from all that, I've been dicking around roleplaying and making forum graphics between putting in applications and laughing at how little work there is in the immediate area. My life is so exciting, I know.
Oh, and I made this for my web design class (there's more to it, you can click through to see the full page):
We did laundry with Angie on Monday and, basically, spent a few hours dicking around, lulzing about character stuff, and starting some Superwho shenanigans.