On the way home
On the way home I saw a giant sign on the front lawn of a house that read, "IMPEACH." Right next to it, on the adjacent lawn was a large flagpole with Old Glory flying proud. I wonder if the two neighbors see eye to eye or if the flagpole was in response and in protest of the sign. I wonder if they fight or if they have any pending lawsuits against each other. I think too much.
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On the way home my friend calls me up and starts her conversation with a description of two very fat, but adorable cats at her feet until the conversation meanders to the real reason for the call. I'm very sad for her and her boy problems. She's got a big heart and I hope it doesn't break.
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On the way home today I was meditating on a conversation I had yesterday with someone to whom I related my observation that it seems those who most often make use of free, well-intentioned help are those who could better learn to help themselves. I've noticed that since I've begun doing the car clinic at church. Then I got to thinking about why and if this bugged me and whether it should in the first place. I think too much.
One thing's for sure. Serving others is often its own reward. I looked at a '69 Mustang last night that made a metallic scraping sound when the engine was running. Could be anything, but it was coming from the back of the engine, maybe the flywheel. Turned out to be the starter gear was not retracting; it was just free-floating and occasionally impinging on the turning flywheel. I took the starter apart, bent a sheet metal part back into shape and the problem is now fixed. One hour's worth of work restored the owner's peace of mind and fixed a problem that would have cost her a pretty penny. Besides, from diagnosis to repair this was a nice, short, successful little problem solving exercise. Very satisfying.
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On the way home my friend calls me up and starts her conversation with a description of two very fat, but adorable cats at her feet until the conversation meanders to the real reason for the call. I'm very sad for her and her boy problems. She's got a big heart and I hope it doesn't break.
____________________
On the way home today I was meditating on a conversation I had yesterday with someone to whom I related my observation that it seems those who most often make use of free, well-intentioned help are those who could better learn to help themselves. I've noticed that since I've begun doing the car clinic at church. Then I got to thinking about why and if this bugged me and whether it should in the first place. I think too much.
One thing's for sure. Serving others is often its own reward. I looked at a '69 Mustang last night that made a metallic scraping sound when the engine was running. Could be anything, but it was coming from the back of the engine, maybe the flywheel. Turned out to be the starter gear was not retracting; it was just free-floating and occasionally impinging on the turning flywheel. I took the starter apart, bent a sheet metal part back into shape and the problem is now fixed. One hour's worth of work restored the owner's peace of mind and fixed a problem that would have cost her a pretty penny. Besides, from diagnosis to repair this was a nice, short, successful little problem solving exercise. Very satisfying.
posted by anchovy @ 4:13 PM
4 Comments:
At 2:54 PM,
mal said…
wow,,sounds like the way home is an adventure land ride
At 5:36 PM,
anchovy said…
I drive a lot so I use the time to listen to my favorite talk shows and think about stuff. Better then than when I'm trying to fall asleep at night!
Oh gosh, I wish it were adventure land! I really, really feel like spending the day at Magic Mountain or Knott's. No, one of the water parks. Even better!
Good to see you back. Adios.
At 10:15 PM,
jj mollo said…
I flew my flag today because of flag day. Nobody else did. People are very negative. The lady across the street always has a sign on her lawn, "War is not the answer." I am pro-war on Iraq, but my flag does not mean that I like Bush. It means that I like America.
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My car is in the shop. It's a Civic Hybrid. The battery drains itself overnight sometimes. I'm hoping it's just a short in the little starter battery. My usual mechanic is afraid of the Hybrid.
At 11:45 AM,
anchovy said…
People are very negative, perhaps, because they were never taught to be positive. What I would call "good citizenship", too many people in our public schools would call indoctrination or jingoism. Keep flying that flag proudly.
A lot of folks are afraid to touch the hybrids, including rescue workers at an accident scene. I'd love to get the chance to work on one, though I have to admit I'd want to be very careful too. I understand there's enough voltage, albeit DC, at some terminals to be deadly. Besides, those batteries can provide so much current that even a brief short can melt harnesses and cause fires. Not to mention the challenge of understanding all the electronic engine controls. Ya, I can see it being a very tough car to work on.
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