One Thing Leads to Another... (Karma?)

For those of you who have not heard me bitch/moan about my mishap with the TDi... your luck is about to improve!

It all started Friday morning re: Caffeine... . A couple hours pass since posting the blurb in which, for whatever reason, I was super crabby, unagreeable and proceeded to tear a strip out of Mike (In hind sight, over a seemingly pointless disagreement regarding a trucks layout). Once settling down and realizing what an uncharacteristic ass I've been over the last couple hours I decided I'd take off a couple minutes early for lunch.

...walking out the front of the building to my utter motification I find my black Golf TDi literally coated from grille to hatch in bird shit! *pause... heart skips a beat*


Now... most people who have known me for atleast the last six months know that (generally) I keep my car pretty clean and wash it on average once a week if not twice. So to have the car covered much less one drop of bird crap is completely unheard of.


Once the shock finally wore off I climbed into the car and started her up.
'Somethings not right...'
The thought sent panic racing through my head;
Something just wasn't right;
There was a new noise... a rattle.

Unable to do anything about it at the time and partially writing it off the unusually cold weather I went out for lunch. The remainder of the work day passed uneventfully.

I get home and after putt-ing around the house for abit I got bored... called Vince and made plans to hit up 'Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny'. Well... after starting up the car... the rattle is there again. Once again (foolishly) ignoring the sound, we make our way out to the cinema.

Blah blah blah... needless to say the movie was good got home and decided to call the shop the next morning.

'Our shop hours are from 8am - 5:30pm... Monday to Friday... please leave a message at the tone.' *click*
that's what I get Saturday morning from the shop. Frustration sets in and I decide to pull the engine cover off and atleast try to see where the noise is coming from. Weird... Its coming from the valve cover area... a rush of possible problems cloud my mind. Not knowing what to do... I proceeded to wash the car and give myself sometime to think things through. A couple hours go by and I still couldn't think of what the issue could have been. Later that night I got an invite to head into Langley and play pool and still unsure as to what the problem could be I decided it couldn't get much worse if I drove it one more time.

Little did I realize.

Before I even got to the Mt. Lehman exit the coolant level warning light starts blinking...
'...' *blink* *blink*
My response to the situation.

I pulled off at the next exit... pulled into a gas station and popped the hood. Sure enough... no fluid in the resevoir and steam rising off the passenger side of the block. The water pump is done for. Without even thinking to top up the resevoir with water I just drove the car home.

Sunday morning I woke up and dropped off my car at the mechanics... walked in the cold and snow to Starbucks and proceeded to drown my concerns with a Mocha Frappaccino while waiting for a friend to pick me up.

About ten in the morning on Monday... I get the fateful phone call from the mechanic. Now I was expecting it to be an expensive fix... maybe $700 - $900 tops! Like really... how much could a timing belt and water pump cost with installation?
...wrong...
'...and now the bad news...' says the receptionist at the mechanics. A sorry attempt at preparing me for what would be some unexpected news.
'The estimated cost will be $1,475.' she says hesitantly. I almost choke on my dismay.
...coughing and sputtering all I could manage was a gasp resembling '...what?!'

The [kind] receptionist went on to describe the damage and the cost breakdown. I told her to hold off on the work seeing as I don't exactly have $1,500 just sitting around. After hanging up the phone I took some time and thought the situation through. How I could get the money. Could I get Langley VW to pay for the work even though warranty was up.

I went for lunch.

After lunch I called the dealership I bought the car at and argued with them over who should be taking care of the situation. Over lunch I discovered that the dealership recommends changing the water pump if you get the timing belt replaced; that it was part of their procedure to ask if you want to change the pump at the same time seeing as its driven by the timing belt.

Apparently they don't take their own advice.

According to my papers the timing belt was changed 2 weeks prior to me purchasing the vehicle at which time the water pump was NOT changed. A little hypocrisy? I thought so... and argued my case for an hour over the phone (seeing as I cannot drive out there to do it in person). All I got out of it was 50% off the water pump and free coolant.

...this is me... not impressed.

...after hanging up the phone I then sit for about another hour trying to come up with various ways of pulling $1,500 out of my ass. The only reasonable solution... ...ask the parents.

I talk to my parents... ...with great regret they are unable to assist me. They just purchased a big screen TV and don't have that kind of money just sitting around.

...the stress is building... all they can suggest is to talk to my boss and see if they can help me out.

...

*some how I keep thinking that if I didn't drink as many Mocha Frappacinno's the financial worries would be non-existant*

*Update*
...my boss graciously financed the work to be done on my car. *sigh of relief*

Caffeine...

I would like to start things off with this...
'My name is Trevor... ...and... ...I have a physical dependancy on caffine.'

I woke up with a headache this morning. I'm not sure if it was from the lack of caffine in my system or from the thought of how much I spend on coffee each month.
...I think I need an intervention.

*My friends reading this are probably thinking 'You don't even drink coffee!'*

Competitive Climbing...

'To climb or not to climb' competitively seems to be the thought constantly recurring over the last couple days, causing spells of day dreaming and mind wandering. I need to register by Dec.1 but am unsure if it something that I want to do...
...turn something that I've been doing for the last two years as recreation and my form of escapism into something that is [ultra-]competitive. I already have doubts about my abilities and do I really need to compete against others of a similar ability just so I can see how I compare to everyone else? Or do I consider it a personal test of the training I've been putting myself through over the last 2 months?

...of which I still have my doubts...

Additionally, should I compete, do I challenge myself and enter Advanced (V5+) and compete with the best locally or do I concede to my doubts and enter Intermediate (V2-V4) for experience only. I personally believe that the V5+ will be way out of my league... especially to flash on the first attempt... but it would be a challenge.

**Update**
After much mental anguish and probing of friends opinions... I have decided to enter the competition in the Intermediate catagory. The comp is on Dec. 2nd... feel free to come down and watch... The mens scramble starts at 11:30am.

Location: Cliffhanger (Coquitlam). 98 Brigantine Drive, Coquitlam, BC, V3K 6Z6

Women...

I still find it amazing how a single women can have such an effect on me...
even after months have passed since last I saw them...
a subtle thought of a single moment...
brings a flood of memories, emotions...

...desires...

I sometimes think... ...ridiculous

Parade of Lost Souls

Wow! The first thought that screamed through my head as we walked up the street towards the lights and sounds coming from a mass of people. Hundreds of ghouls, goblins, heroes and heroines amassed around 5 or 6 (I could quite see through or over the group despite my 6'2" height) well costumed musicians as they played random rythms and melodies in unison. The combination of people dancing in the street, the music, the buzz of energy through the masses spark a feeling of excitement that runs from head to toe... inspiring me to join in the dancing. All this energy and we haven't even reached commercial drive. Infact the group of us, consisting of Erin, Bob, Andrew, Melody and Myself, were still 2 blocks away from 'the Drive'!

The musicians finished the last melody with a cheer from the crowd and pack up to move on to another location. As the crowd disperses the group of us continue up the street getting closer to commercial drive. Weaving through the congestion of people, we stop occasionally to watch the mini-shows and admire decorations people have put together. Displays of stilted people juggeling flaming sticks while posing for pictures, Cerebrus with all three heads pushed through the chain link fence howling at unexpecting passers by.

After much wandering through the perimeter streets, chasing every distracting spectical, we finally reach the main event and what an event it was! Music, cheers, pops, bangs, the shuffle of people pushing through crowds of other people, dancing, dramatic displays of excitment ...quite literally ...no I'm serious, there was a guy costumed as a giant penis who had two younger women following him around occasionally rubbing against him 'causing' him to stand straight up and bounce around in excitment shooting silly string into the crowds of people! All five of us point and laugh!

Then came these creatures... stilted, dressed black with wings for arms and bird like skeleton heads (see above) sqwacking at seemingly random people. Dancing to the music playing around them, they move through the crowd as if there is an invisible force around them pushing people out of their way. There is something entrancing about the way they move as they dance... I can't take my eyes off them. Beautiful and eerie at the same time!

At this point our group splits up. Bob and Erin having been to this parade in past years, are more interested in meeting up with other friends while Melody, Andrew and I are content weaving through people, dancing and just having a good time... it was like being a kid again! Then at 10 o'clock (almost like Mother Nature was keeping track of the time) the clouds decided to open up and pour down rain bringing an end to the party. With Army Soldiers, Devils, Witches, Scantily clad female police officers (one of my favorite costumes) and the likes quickly vacating the area, the three of us decided to head back to the cars. We made our way through town to Subeez for some dessert and coffee where we deliberated what to do for the remainder of the night. After much talk I decided it best to head home instead of staying out, for I had a long day that day and had an even longer day awaiting me. We said our goodbyes and within minutes was on the road home.