2021-08-21 - 6:39 a.m.

Cars need maintenance. Part of good planning skillls and fiscal management is planning for and being ready when your car needs servicing.

Oh yeah....

Replace the Catalytic converter has been on my bucket list.

I didn't want to drop over $2000 in this project, so was going to just wait a bit and have my mechanic do it for me WAY cheaper.

My car got sluggish and was creeping when driving. I pulled into a lot and it got stuck...

and I was reminded

"OH yeah; I MEANT to follow up on that need for service."

I wanted to take it to the OTHER dealer (one of two) rather than the ones near my home because the one near my home was obviously not honest with me.

I mean when it had performance issues and they PRETENDED to not see them

and then suddenly the issues stopped after bringing it to them twice but then never accounted for that. There was that "Product Improvement Campaign" hmmm.. regarding a sensor detection system..

HMM.. in the world at one point they would have called it a "Warranty recall" for service needed.

But no one died from this malfunction apparently and there has not been sufficient litigation apparently....

it seems so sad that unless there is a push for accountability avoidance and deflection and downright deception is more profitable and profit of course drives companies.

I am happy to have a decent refinance in process. I was going to shop around further to see if anyone would give me an appraisal free refinance with decent interest rate but frankly don't have energy and time to do so - I did some; enough and am happy with the one lender still working with. ( I have been working with three different lenders, and called a fourth that my neighbor and friend Dr. Fauci was happy with using.) I need to find my HIDDEN credit cards to pay for the appraisal. I put them somewhere safe so as to not be tempted to even use them for gas in my car but to be really careful with my budget and of course have no idea where the one I now WANT to use is! It is here somewhere... but not in the place I stashed the AMEX card.

I really do have to pay for an appraisal which is ludicrous considering the ltv of my home;
and considering they do "on line" appraisals now which really consist of comps of other comparative properties and looking at recent activity. My neighbor just sold the house two doors down from me which is as fair of a comparative estimate as can get.

I didn't want to have to pay for an appraisal but the latest mortage specialist I spoke with I think is not going to move as quickly as I have patience for.

Now of course I moved quickly at first but then wanted to shop so am keeping the bank mortgage agents at bay... stalling til I make a decision. I did lock in at rate with one, but hoped franly could get even lower. That agent said will adjust down one time with no charge if rates drop. (He said that two weeks ago I think when I started this process and was locked in, so I am not very optimistic as they DID drop this past week to my understanding and are to trend upward I believe.

In other words I think I did the best I can.
I had a BETTER rate from one working with but the review of their servicing say steer clear. A midwest mortgage company that does great with interest rate but then is a mess operationally it seems.
I was not going to sign an application that had one of my KIDS names on it for starters and the agent acted incapable of changing that saying it was prepopulated by pull of credit info.
In other words a dude using a third party software who either has not figured out how to use it OR using a third party service and has not figured out that GOOD customer service includes FIXING issues for accuracy even if a PIA and takes time. A decent service provider of that software and system either has support and you can call to have them correct pre-populated info that is WRONG OR had a good operations manual playbook and you as a user can figure it out.
But maybe the mortgage company is not investing is paying for ongoing service from their provider-- being cheap
Penny wise pound foolish and getting support they pay for... none if won't pay for it.

So when he could not correct the application or wouldn't that was the first red flag. I had found great reviews for the initial loan initiation process. I dug further then to do more research to find the abysmal servicing history of not paying insurance in time out of escrow; not recording a payment and loans going into default when shouldn't have; folks being out MONEY And crappy credit with mess ups like that.
HECK NO
Steering clear and taking the loan with a .27 higher interest rate. It is better than what I have on current loan and worth the refinance.

I initially planned on ONLY a refinance; however since I accidentally somehow (wow surprise surprise.... ADHD moment of the YEAR) paid my AMEX late at some point that card carrying stupid balance on has a ridiculously high interest rate. DUMB financial move
and I relied on it in order to pay for professional training ( $1200) necessary to keep my accreditation so worth just doing last NOV; then for my hotel for travel to see my son (another $1200) . I really could not find anything cheaper easily. He doesn't know the area THAT Well and I was not going to have a car there so random Air BNBs in a place where they are not legal did not seem a prudent idea. After the last bad Airbnb experience I was hesitant as well.

In any case; OH yeah the last bit of car work on the credit card...
that too, there were some expense that I did rely on credit for. Practical ones of course, but still....
I decided to take a bit of cash back at the refinance and then pay of the AMEX in full (its about 2700 now; not obscene) and my one other credit card (1500 I think?) then go ahead and get the AC unit fixed on the house.

Rather replaced is more like it I think as it is a bad compressor and these systems are the old ones with freon which are a PIA actually.

I have to shop around for that.
OH but back to the car.
So I just parked it; but awoke thinking "Wait- the gas light was on. YES it said 44 miles to empty!"

To backtrack- the car died WHILE I was on the way to a metro station to pick up one of my lovely household members who took the bus then train into DC. They missed the connection to the train back early enough to catch the bus line they intended. The next bus was not for two hours so I agreed to come pick them up, OF course I had to wrap up just a couple of things- work item and timesheet and then was intent on trying to RELAX to get back into my locked out phone.

It was quite a week.

I TRIED to port my work cell phone number to the new cell phone I finally bought a few weeks ago. I didn't want to mess with it during the work week; so put it off. I just did not want connectivity issues to impact my work responsiveness.
SO I actually waited.. but then was working my part time job last weekend and frankly had no time to sit and do it. Between NEEDS of cleaning house; shopping ( YES I SHOP despite fact the kids ACT like I NEVER do... which makes me really annoyed); volunteer work responsibilities that did take time I just did not get to it.

I think it was Monday when I thought what they heck I will just go ahead and do this as I didn't want to put it off too long.
I mean I avoided this long enough.
SO I think I tried this ( I forget now if it was EARLY AM before work Or Later in day AFTER working Monday)...
but sometime Monday I think it was finally tried to set up the new phone moving my number.

I was listening to the prompt on a call to my current carrier and somehow.. the ADHD Brain reacts quickly and sometimes TOO Quickly...

heard prompt "Click 2 to get a new number assigned" and I clicked 2

I MEANT to just get a person and talk to them to find out the Account # and PIN needed to port the new number to the new service.
I had already put in the request to port and it did not work.
The message was I needed the ACCOUNT number and PIN and I had no idea,

I mean I have been using a TRAC phone HAPPILY FOR YEARS

Its $15 a month. YES STILL

See why resistant?
AND good service. REALLY

NO complaints.

AND on a phone without ANY OTHER SOFTWARE RUNNING.

I reconfigured it.
That means EVERYTHING TO me To be able to go sit at my desk with a phone next to me that does NOT have beeping and ringing and notifications or texts from anyone but work related...
I mean I hate distractions.
When I drive to the office I leave my personal cell phone IN THE CAR. I check messages after I leave work,
That has ALWAYS been my habit.
(But I had a desk line for emergencies the kids had).

I just want to go to work, or go to my desk at home to work and not have distractions.
I NEED To do that frankly.
So I really did not want to HAVE To get a new cell phone. But my boss told me that she is hearing clicking on the line.
I asked again if it is regular or intermittent and she said every few minutes five to seven clicks and noise sometimes.

I just hope the issue is on my device and not the phone number.

I mean the only complaint is when Verizon Wireless ( who in my area is the actual service provider reselling to TRACFONE stops supporting equipment which actually still can be supported and I know that is BS)

So until recently it did not occur to me these old phones could have some security vulnerability

I mean I know there is something funky...
I even see screen captures of my current lap top.
I MEAN I JUST SAW IT AGAIN- a flash like the PRINT SCREEN flash; as if there is a capture of this laptop.

I don't imagine these things.
I just don't fucking care.
As there is nothing of interest to anyone at all.

Surveillance is something I feel like part of my world and don't give a damn. Maybe part of OUR world but what they hell, if the conspiracy theorists we all think are off their rocker nuts end up right is there REALLY anything anyone could actually do anyway? Perhaps I should not be so reticent but I think those folks storming the Capitol were guilty of treason and our democracy is really important. If there is surveillance I trust our DOD to know what the hell they are doing and I trust if there is US govt surveillance it is in the interest; but trust if there is just personal surveillance of me it is just some narcissistic ex with a freaky bizarre lack of boundaries and obsession; OR some concern about someone somehow in my world at some point that makes someone in govt feel justified and frankly if they are wrong and it is Patriot Act overreach I don't really care that much. YES that would be a concern, the loss of civil liberties.. but I suppose this view is consistent with my view of vaccination and wearing masks..
I care less about my own civil liberties and more about ability for us all collectively as a society to be ALIVE and co-exist peacefully.
I care about HUMAN rights and decency.

Whatever anyone else's agenda I feel like it is their issue and has nothing to do with me personally so I don't take it personally

AND I also know there is no reason for any actual concern as no actual vulnerability or threat or concern

Whatever they are concerned about I haven't' a fucking clue nor care...
I mean someone is barking up the wrong tree and wasting their resources.

AH when I hit copy this is all I see, the last item copied. I wanted to test if it WAS A print screen or not- the flash and actual image I swear I saw of this page- but the last item this computer itself shows copied is the link below.

https://www.claspauto.com/does-it-harm-an-engine-to-drive-with-bad-catalytic-converters/

So back to my main point of starting this morning page of rambling..

After the car stopped driving but for a crawl I pulled into a parking lot and parked it. I assumed it was the catalytic convertor or the engine.

I parked it and took a Lyft to go to the metro and pick up my kid and had the Lyft drive us home.
It was 8pm for goodness sake when we got home. I was TIRED and needed to get the kid waiting on me and figured would deal with the car today.

I have AAA.

I knew they don't come to a car abandoned ( I think?) I figured if all else failed I could take the bus there on Monday as can take public transportation to where the car is and then have it towed to my mechanic.

BUT ALas I woke up and realized TWO things I did not realize in the moment.

THE GAS light had just come on.
MAYBE, just MAYBE the car just ran out of gas? The guage light came on and said 44 miles before empty.
BUT MAYBE nothing ELSE broke and it is the cat converter and maybe that affects the gas effeciency and the car can't run on the small amount

I mean usually if the car says 44 miles I don't worry as have time to get to a gas station.

It encouaged me actually to think this as perhaps I don't need to tow it. EVEN IF it moves only 5 MPH if I can move it to the gas station and fill it ( or bring a gas can and fill that then fill it) perhaps I can then drive it to the mechanic. That would be simpler.

The other things I realized that I had not thought of at all are:

My college student visting HAS A CAR! She can help me. ( This did not occur to me until this morning.)
I can ask her to drive me to the car to put gas in it and see if it runs.

And the other thing that occured to me as I work this morn was "Oh shit I forgot I CAN"T go to Zumba this morning!"

The short term memory being shitty for an ADHD person is really annoying.

I forgot once home all about the car issue as was eating dinner and in the moments of being back home. I mean for real it was just NOT IN MY MIND AT ALL. I decided to take the Lyft to not leave my kid hanging and get us both home and worry about what to do about the car LATER.
And then forgot about it momentarily,.,, well for the evening. I mean I invited my visiting college student who doesn't really live her and only visits, to go to Zumba this morning at 7:45 ( for an 8:15 class well worth driving to for me! I LOVE This class!); FORGETTING I don't have my car here!
That astounds even me!
That I can forget something like that so quickly in the short term.
She said "No that's too early for me".

I was happy she agreed to sit together watching a couple episodes of The Arrow last night. She said no to coming to watch a movie in the living room with me but YeS to coming to watch the show she had on her laptop.

Families used to watch TV together; then with DVDs movies together. NOW each family member has their own devise and watches their own content ALONE.
I think it is really lonely and sad.

YES I want to be left alone when I am working; but that is only so I can focus and SUCCEED at work to be able to get it done well.

When not working I want to enjoy my family's company so I appreciate the moments when any of them want to do the same (or at least indulge me).

With college girl home it was they typical blow up arguments, siblings getting angry at each other or at least irritated then avoidant of each other. A couple pack together and bond over the shared perspective they choose. Its an annoying cycle to watch.
But then while some hid out to steer clear of the others, a couple actually were cooking together.
They are making the Spanakopita I used to make.
I am happy about this. The young folks cooking when I am tired and haven't the energy for it. A couple days ago they did walk to the store to do the shopping for ingredients.

They did not read the package and did not realize you need to thaw the philo dough before working with it. That was actually helpful I think as they started cooking after 8pm last night! I had commented it was so late they might want to wait until today. So I was glad when after they cooked down the spinach and made the filling they realized the dough was frozen and the package said "Thaw in refrigerator overnight".

TODAY they will finish that project!

Today I am going to do something I have been meaning to do for a long time:

pull out my bike and go for a ride. I will need it for transportation for the shot term so need to get it out and clean it and fill the tires with air.

I will do that this morning while my oldest kid here still is sleeping and have her help me go take care of the car once she is awake.

�

�