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Displacement Activity


So here I am with time on my hands. I'm waiting for my iPad battery to recharge so I can get back to the latest "Jack Reacher" novel I'm reading, Without Fail. It's great to order e-books. They're cheaper and delivery is immediate. The downside is you're at the mercy of your iPad battery.

So my choices to fill the time - or as I like to call it: displacement activity - were either solitaire on my laptop or write a post. I'm tired of solitaire - which I keep losing - so the blog wins out.

I was up with the birds this morning, taking my car to the dealership to install the winter tires, do an oil change, check the brake fluid level and look at the muffler which was getting kind of noisy.

So I'm sitting in the waiting room, reading my iPad book and BAM - or BLING, I guess - the power went out. So looking at my car took longer than I expected due to the lack of power. And, of course, I used up more of my iPad battery which I'd brought along to pass the time.

Finally, about 3 hours later - as opposed to an hour to hour-and-a-half - the car is ready. And there's good news and bad news.

Isn't there always?

The good news is the bill for changing the tires, the oil change and the brake fluid was all of $95. Well, gee, sitting through that power outage was actually worth it.

Ah, not so fast dufus. The bad news is the muffler needs replacing. I don't speak garageese, you see. As the problem was explained to me I kinda heard a voice like that of how the adults sound on the animated Peanuts TV show:

...mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah
 at least $500 mwah mwah mwah…

But they don't have one on hand and have to order it.

Great. I get to go back next week where the only displacement activity will take place in my wallet.
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Comments

Indigo Roth said…
Ah yes, the old "we noticed that..." conversation. I hope they find something reasonable for you. Buy pizza with what you saved, 'kay? You're welcome. Indigo
25 November 2013 at 15:34
nonamedufus said…
Last spring I went to a different garage to get my summer tires installed. Those folks told me my tie rods were loose and it would cost a couple of hundred dollars to fix. I didn't do it. Funny, six months later this garage didn't find anything wrong with the tie rods.


And I knew about the muffler. It was making a terrible noise, as though Keith Fowler had guffed.. And this garage says they'll repair it as cheaply as they can. Too bad they couldn't do the same thing for Keith.
25 November 2013 at 16:04
mikewjattoomanymornings said…
I hate cars. So expensive. iPads, too. Books aren't so bad, tho, especially when I can check the electronic ones out of the library.
25 November 2013 at 16:17
nonamedufus said…
Life's expensive, Mike, and then you die…poor.
25 November 2013 at 17:02
Shawn Ohara said…
I love my Kindle. Sat at Tim's on Friday reading and waiting for the dealer to change my tires.
25 November 2013 at 20:58
Jayne said…
What?! You can check out e-books? How the hell does one do that?
26 November 2013 at 01:31
Jayne said…
Sorry to hear about the car, Dufas. I'd recommend getting a horse, but they're even more expensive.
26 November 2013 at 01:31
nonamedufus said…
Bryan Robinson does that all the time too.
26 November 2013 at 08:29
nonamedufus said…
I've got an iBook app and a Kindle app on my iPad so if a book is unavailable on one I can get it on the other. And I take it everywhere I have to wait…like medical appointments.
26 November 2013 at 08:32
nonamedufus said…
These things happen. It's really the first major expense since I got the car in 2006. So not bad.
26 November 2013 at 08:33
Indigo Roth said…
I've known him all my life John; all things have been tried. We tried a cork, but he shot the dog.
26 November 2013 at 17:39
nonamedufus said…
I take it then standing behind him is to be avoided?
26 November 2013 at 18:27
Agent 54 said…
Ah, I remember the days about a thousand years ago when I could work on my own car. Now, even the muffler has a computer and must be properly installed by professionals and rebooted before use.
26 November 2013 at 18:36
ReformingGeek said…
I thought for sure you had one of those teeny-tiny smart cars. Do they even have mufflers? Sorry about the displacement of funds. Ugh.
26 November 2013 at 19:33
nonamedufus said…
Who knew it would come to this? Isn't technology great?
26 November 2013 at 20:31
nonamedufus said…
No, I'm afraid my car isn't all that smart, Ref.
26 November 2013 at 20:34
Bryan G. said…
Knock on wood, we've been good with our car the last few times we've taken it to the shop, but we have related to you in the past that it is always something. Never just one thing...always another...and then another. The cycle of life.
27 November 2013 at 11:40
nonamedufus said…
Who are you, the Lion King? Oh, wait, that's the circle of life. Carry on.
27 November 2013 at 11:59
Bryan G. said…
Oh, dammit. Thanks for THAT earworm. ;)
27 November 2013 at 12:05
nonamedufus said…
Yeah, you're welcome. And I think the cycle of life is a Schwinn.
27 November 2013 at 12:37
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