Well....

Ok, so the axle went in just fine, as did the seals and bearings. However, when I took it for a test drive, my abs system kept kicking in. We know the rotor needs to be replaced, but I was hoping that it would be servicable enough to get me to Silver Valley. No such luck, so I'm staying in GP tonight and I'll be putting in a new rotor tomorrow (the part should be coming in the morning sometime). Then I'll find out if that fixes the problem. I need to replace the e-brake on that tire, but I'll probably leave that for another time. I wanna go see Jen. It was kind of a bummer that I couldn't make it out there tonight. Anyway, I'm tired, so I'm going to bed (soon).

The Saga Continues....

So I'm just bursting to tell people about what happened with my car. I feel like I won a major victory and want to share it. I don't want to be assailing everyone with my story, because they've got their own lives too, so maybe by posting it here, that will get the bug out of my system, and I can actually get to work.

Ok, half the decision was just to try and fix the car myself. A friend of mine who works at a tire shop invited me to come work on a hoist they've got, and he got permission to use one of the mechanic's tools. Note, my brother, my former roommate and myself have not had much training or experience in this field (but we're learning). Taking the brakes off was easy, been there, done that.

Opening the differential wasn't too bad either, we drained it, and then wondered how we were supposed to get at the little bolt that holds the pin in place (this pin we have to remove, and then try not to let all the gears fall out). Adrien (roommate) went off to find a tool to reach it, while Jonathan (brother) & I waited. Then I wondered what would happen if I put the car in neutral, and voila!! The diff now turns. So then we waited a while yet for Adrien to get back, but we were able to get the pin out. Long story shorter... the axle didn't move like it should. After much prayer, and with some fear and trepidation, we took a mallet to the axle, and beat on it (isn't that what being a mechanic is all about??). The axle moved in enough for us to release it, then it wouldn't come out. After more wondering, we bolted the disk back on, and then pounded it out. By this time we were pretty sure something was wrong (our consultant said the axle should just slide out easy, and he was right).

When we got the axle partly out, we could see that the seal was toast, which was comforting, because up till this point, we didn't actually know that was the problem. Then we got the axle out further, and we could see the real cause of the problem. The bearings were all messed up, jumbled up, and chewed up. While they should have looked like nice little barrels, most of them had sides worn flat, and one was actually more banana shaped! We could see some wear marks on the axle, but didn't know exactly what it should look like. So we pulled out the other axle, and found out how easy it should really come out. I then realized that not only my bearing, but my axle was shot as well. So we called it a night, backed the bearing back in as best we could, put the axle and tire on, and rolled the car back into the parking lot. Today we get a new axle, and learn more about cars, spend a bunch more money, and hopefully I can still make it out to Silver Valley tonight to spend the weekend with Jen & her parents.

To Infinity...

And beyond! Well, that's kind of how I feel anyway. And no, I'm not talking about my wedding (wow, only 9 days!!!!) although that would apply too.

I'm delving into the depths of my car. My axle seal on one side is leaking, so I need to replace it. This involves taking the brakes off, (which I've done) and locking the differential (which I haven't), removing the axle (new again) and replacing the seal (which looks to be the easy part). Hopefully this will be a good learning experience, and not a "I'm never touching that again in this life, or any other".... We'll see.. stay tuned.

Job's Done

Well, one of them anyway. I got the carpet in the bedroom cut to fit the bedroom. I was dreading the job because of the pressure of not screwing up and making it look ugly. Jen was a great help on that one, reminding me not to worry about it. When I got going, it really wasn't that bad. I did mess up, and one closet has a little less carpet than it should, but "out of sight, out of mind" my father-in-law to be said. Now I just need a carpet cleaner to go over it, and try and flatten it down (there's a few ripples). I also need to clean the living room carpet, seeing as I killed the cleaner I borrowed from my neighbours (thanks Chris) on Monday.

I think tonight I will tackle the car though. Yes, more car troubles. I think I have an axle seal leaking on the rear left side. There was oil all over the place on Sunday, so I just parked the car and ignored it, after determining that it didn't' seem to be the brake lines. I took it into the shop on Friday, for the strange noises it was making. They figure its just the tensioner on my serpentine belt, and that's livable for a while. That inspection, plus figuring out that the 'check engine' light was just some little emissions thing (nothing to worry about they say) cost me $140. What do I have to show for it? A little peace of mind, and a big fat nothing. I hate not being able to understand my car... Now I've got to figure out this seal, and I was hoping to go to Jen's place for the weekend. At least I don't feel stressed about it. A little frustrated, but life goes on, and God's in control.

Does it mean anything?

Maybe not... but it can't hurt anything. Go to www.referendumcanada.ca and make your voice heard on the same sex marriage debate re: Bill C-38. I don't know if it will actually hold any water with our MPs, seeing as its promoted by United Familes (who are doing all they can to defend the traditional definition of marriage here in Canada). Not that I disagree with them, not at all, but with them promoting the referendum, its obviously going to be more widely dispersed among the 'no' camp. Still, we should be doing all we can, and I know I haven't done very much.

Frankly, I'm kind of skeptical that all these mass emails (from a template) really make that much difference within our government. Perhaps the skepticism is broader, in that I doubt that our government is really concerned with obeying the will of the people. Actually, its even broader than that; I doubt that most of our government is concerned with governing our country to the honour and glory of God. Who knows, maybe we need some serious persecution in this country to purify the church. Do I like the idea? No. But that's just my flesh talking. If losing status, prestige (which I don't have anyway, lol), liberty, or freedom brings me closer in my walk with God, then I should embrace it whole heartedly. Hmm... maybe we should vote in a repressive regime that will ban the Christian faith and torture all its practicioners... But we're just too comfortable.

18 days to go....

I can't believe that my single days are drawing to a close...... I don't think I'll miss them too much.

Not that life hasn't been good, but who wouldn't want a lifelong companion to continue to experience the great adventures that God has in store for us. I think I'll have to change the name of the blog to include both of us. Jen likes to write, so maybe we'll get more regular postings in here again.

I've moved. I no longer rent a basement suite, I now own (well, President's Choice Financial & I) a trailer (ok, mobile home... but really, its a trailer) on the campus of PRBI. I've moved in as of the end of last week. Now I just have to find the place (its kind of buried in stuff). Jen painted the bathroom, living room, and hallway. I'm tearing up the carpet in the bedroom, and we've already got the new stuff in a big roll in the living room. I'm not looking forward to laying it, but its gotta happen in the next week.

Work has kept me fairly busy, there's lots of amendments to the school website (www.prbi.edu) coming up, and I will be getting a few new responsibilities due to office shuffle. I must say that I'm looking forward to my honeymoon/vacation time.

The weather here has been pretty awesome, it almost reminds me of south America, with beautiful mornings, and then thunderstorms in the afternoons. I hope we get another one soon.

Well, coffee break is beaconing, so I'd better answer the call.