Catastrophic Thermostat Failure

Had some problems with the free minivan. Thought the temperature gauge didn't work, till I turned the heat on and that didn't work, and it gets really bad gas mileage. I don't have the actual mpg yet, but I barely got to the closest gas station with half a tank of gas. This was all a result of a failed thermostat. I paid $10 for a new thermostat, and then cracked the aluminum housing bolting it back together.

I drove Michelle to work yesterday, and borrowed her car to go to the wrecker to get a new thermostat housing. I bought 2, since they were only $2. I also got a brand new winter tire on the correct rim, and balanced, for $18, and the best score of all were shaw cable truck ladder racks. They just got a whole fleet of Shaw Cable vans in. I wanted the roof rack off one, and was up there taking it off when I realized the big rectangle shape that it was I could fit Michelle's car inside the rack. Or at least it would only be transportable by resting the front rail on the front bumper, and back rail on the back bumper, and the sides would be clearly hanging out each end of the car. I was going to cut it up, so I could modify it to fit my van, but its all aluminum, so I abandoned it.

I did find some really nice steel side racks ($20), that can be reworked to roof racks. They involved some cordless saws all action to remove, but I got them off, and I am so excited about not having to bungee my ladder down. There were 2 vans with large hydraulic bucket lifts on them, people were freaking out about how awesome they were, but nobody could get one off solo. There was one duo that tag teamed one bucket lift off the truck, for $150, everyone else was just full of cheap talk.

I really believe I have some amazing ability to make stuff happen. I go to this wrecker all the time. Never once have I seen even one key in a car, anywhere. My van, now with all my tools, has a key broken off in the drivers door, so unlocking it involves climbing through the passenger side. I ordered electric lock solenoids with remote from china, but they will be weeks getting here. Out of the thousands of cars at the wrecker I found 2 Plymouth Voyagers, which is what my van is. One had the key hanging out the door lock. $10, new door handle and lock, no visit to the lock smith.

I got a nice over head console off the more fancy dodge grand caravan, which gives me a place for my glasses, extra lights, and a place to plug in the ceiling mounted satelite radio and GPS, $10.

Since Michelle's curling game last weekend, I have had the hickups. Its been about 4 days, off and on hickups and heart burn. I did drink less than 6 beers over the whole day curling event. I do love beer, and I did know that it messed me up, which is why I chose to not bring any home from Mexico or the US. But the 4 days of hickups, that I am still not over is enough for me to say I am not drinking beer again. So if I am visiting, don't offer me a beer, cause I do want one, but its not worth 6 days of torturous hickups.