14 Days Without A Car

Living through 14 days without a car was an interesting experience.

On August 13th, I was driving on the 73 fwy and while I was transitioning onto the 55 I heard a "SNAP". Immediately, my truck began to slow down and I came to a stop on the Baker St. off ramp. I knew something went terribly, horribly, and disastrously wrong. In my mind, I kept saying to myself, "I can't believe this is happening, I can't believe this is happening". Fortunately, I was with a friend and we had an unforgettable time waiting for the tow truck to arrive. It definitely was one for the books...After a long wait, the tow truck showed up and we were on our way. We left the truck at a local Firestone auto shop for the night because by this time it was 1 am. I would deal with it in the morning...

Firestone sucks. In my mind, they are not real mechanics. They could not fix my problem. My truck broke down because the timing chain failed. I don't know much about cars and I have a difficult time picturing auto parts. Timing chains are simple. Just imagine a giant bicycle chain wrapped around the inside of the engine. It regulates the timing and rhythm of the engine. All in all, its a very important component. And so naturally, when it brakes while driving, you are screwed. Imagine again, a metal chain snapping at 70 mph and the force created from the engine. Inertia had its way, and chunks of metal, like bomb shrapnel damaged all 8 cylinders inside the engine. I was right, and I knew that something disastrous happened to my venerable little truck.

I decided to take my truck to a friend's auto shop in Costa Mesa. Its a small shop. A sort of 'mom & pop' operation run by two brothers, Tim & Mike. Tim & Mike are good guys. I trust them. Its hard to find a good mechanic who will tell you the truth and who will do the right thing.

Not being able to do what you want when you want was a drag at times, but it allowed me to recollect myself and to slow down. I read more, played my guitar, and relaxed. I relied on family and friends for rides around town. Almost every morning, my mom would shuttle me to work (just like the old days). I could tell that she liked driving me around and I enjoyed our short 8 minute commutes to work. In the afternoon, my dad or mom would wait for me to emerge out of the office front doors and we'd head home. Through this experience, I learned that if you're lucky you'll have a family that will pitch in when you're in a bind. Friends are good and do help, but family will always be there. That is how a family should work.

Here are a few other insights: 1. Preventative maintenance is a good thing. Don't ignore the warning signs. 2. Save money. 3. Don't go into unnecessary debt 4. Most importantly, its time for me to get serious with life. I know God has intervened on my behalf countless times and this incident was definitely no exception. This story could have been a lot worse for me.

Looking back, I know that I grew as a person from this experience. 14 days without a car was a trial but God helped me along the way. And maybe one of these days I'll ask my mom for another lift to work, for old times sake.

While I Was Away...

I freaking love this story! The morals at the end are so true! hahaha Disclaimer: rated R for language.

Nancy Pelosi

Just watch this archive video of Nancy Pelosi talking to her loony constituents in San Francisco. In it she praises those who disrupt and who voice their concerns about the Iraq War.

Pounding

Its amazing when a long term friendship/relationship ends, the billions of thoughts that race through one's mind. The memories of my own mistakes, regrets, and missed opportunities are on a constant loop in my brain like the 11pm edition of Sportcenter. Even though there were bad times, there were many more wonderful memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life such as the laughter or those instances when there is nothing but silence and when it seemed that nothing in the world mattered.

Aside from the memories, there are the physical and visual reminders that can hijack one's mind. For me, those reminders are coca-cola, a particular car, a city, and even my own favorite baseball team! I am a very visual person. That is how I learn. And this is where I am tested every day. I'll be honest, I still have a hard time drinking coke and I avoid it if I can...I even shaved off my gotee tonight because of how much she used to like it. Maybe, I'll grow it back but not right now...

Tonight, as I lie on my bed typing its hard for me to keep my composure because my experience with love has been a turbulent one to say the least. Of course, if I could I would have done many things differently. I'm fine taking responsibility for my screw ups because I had my fair share. Nobody's perfect, but I feel that too often I tried to be and maybe that was my downfall.

I've learned a lot about myself and I know that I am growing as a result of this difficult time. I've been in agony when wrestling on whether to cut the cord. I'm not that type of person. When it comes to people and relationships I'm persistent. I don't want to give in but in this case, the emotional and physical toll was hovering over me like a dark cloud. Everyday, I walked around with a giant pit in my chest. I was unhealthy and every day would begin and end with a longing for something that ultimately would never be realized. It was a torture unlike nothing I've ever experienced before. Towards the end, I was growing bitter and I knew that a change needed to be made. I tried my best to remain a friend but it was just too much for me. Do I feel good about ending this relationship or making someone I cared for feel bad? No. I feel like shit. I hate the way I feel but maybe the healing process can begin for me...

If you know me at all, you'll know that I love music and the band Doves. I've adopted this song as my mini anthem during this period of my life. Its called "Pounding" and it does a good job of capturing how I feel right now. My favorite part is at 3:26 and the next three frames. I gleaned a bounty of metaphors from that sequence.



Its finally time to start a new chapter in my life. Its been hard ending this one but hopefully the next one will provide some sort of affirmation and comfort to my weary soul.