You know these days when all odds are against you?

[Skybird]

I wanted to kwiggel today, little trip along the canal. I find my Kwiggel in the garage with a flat tire, a plant thorn in the front tire: a marvel of evolution in terms of an organically grown shuriken: three thin 4 cm long legs like those of a weaver's gnat (that spider-like thing) , and a fourth upright leg, that was a thorn, 4 cm long, half as thin as a pin, very sharp but flexible as wine gum. It was not only in the tire, no, this rubber-soft damn thing was with its entire length of 4-5 cm stuck deep in the tire's rubber!

So trailer coupled to my ebike, Kwiggle folded and loaded, and off to the bike repair shop (I had no things in stockto rapir a tire of that small size). The bike shop was first baffled, a Kwiggle he had never seen before. I go back, put ebike and trailer back into the garage, do not want to get lost of the day so soon and decide to drive the tour with my normal mechanic touring bike. I get as far as to the traffic light 150m before my house, then it makes Bang, and a tire is flat: valve rupture. And back to the garage it goes, the tire - 28" standard size - marked for self-repair.

My sunny disposition cannot be clouded. I get upset about politics, but not about the waves of a stormy life. I start undaunted attempt number three, with my E-bike. I get about 6 km far, then suddenly the rear wheel makes ruckus ruckus ruckus and then silence: Flat tire. Saturday early afternoon. I push rushing the wheel to the said repair store to hand it in before they go into the weekend. It is 32 degrees. And I remember that I forgot to put the beer in the fridge. I HATE room-warm beer. Ekelhafte Plürre.

Back home I fix my simple touring bike after all, it's simple mechanics with simple derailleurs and no big deal. But it is hot. I drown in my sweat. It runs into my eyes, it burns, it really hurts. I get it done and go back to my apartment. My eyes red as that of a hungry vampire.

Great. The fan has stopped working. Room temperature is already 26 degrees, rising. And there is a puddle of water in front of the refrigerator. Also broken since - well, since not longer than 90 minutes.

Next week the craftsmen come, at least two days to pry open the walls and renew the water pipes, I have for weeks no cold water in the kitchen, the pipe is 50 years old, and tight. The weather forecast predicts 33-37 degrees. The craftsmen will be happy. I am already looking forward to it right now.


"Ich haben fertig wie Flasche leer." Scheißsommer.

[Reece]

Sorry I had to laugh!! I had one of those days last week. I took a nice day off for a drive with the wife and the car starts to die, air bag light comes on and starts beeping, then the dash lights go out. I got to a small town, pulls over, leaves engine running pops bonnet and car dies!! After checking for bad relays/fuses/battery connections all seems ok. Battery now dead. We walk for a kilometer and luckily found a place that sold batteries, they gave us a lift back to the car jumper started it and drove it back to the store where they fitted the new battery!! That wasn't 2 cents!!
Decided to go back home, on the way the battery light comes on, at this stage I knew it was the alternator, got home, checked everything and yes definitely the alternator. Booked the car in at the Ford dealer, charged the battery and took a spare battery in case it died on the way.
Got a call from dealer to let us know that there is a problem with front suspension that needed attention so currently don't have a vehicle, lucky we only live 45kms away!!
So yes I know how you feel, hope your problem is over soon Marc!

[mapuc]

I guess it has been one of these days where one should have stayed in bed.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Not wanting to add my frustration to this thread but my car 'died' on my drive last night and is currently at the Ford dealers undergoing repairs.

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Not wanting to add my frustration to this thread but my car 'died' on my drive last night and is currently at the Ford dealers undergoing repairs.

Another case of "Found On Road Dead"

[Aktungbby]

I don't have those problems since, with a recent second attack of "night seizures" last Tuesday (not a TIA stroke after all) and 'coming to' in yet another MRI tube, my neurologist is required to report this form of frontal-lobe epilepsy, an electrical short of a sort!?? to the DMV which has suspended my driver's license, probably for a year... both of my indestructible Toyotas: an '05 stick-shift Corolla and an '86 Camry LE, had 280,000 + miles apiece, so I'm seriously considering donating them to Cars for Kids or Cars for Cancer which will reduce my AAA auto insurance costs considerably. I'd even considered an E-bike, but technically that's a vehicle also; and it wouldn't do to keel over while pedalling on the mean streets...at age 72, as gravity is not my friend these days!

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

Another case of "Found On Road Dead"

FORD - Fix Or Repair Daily.


No thanks, Like Aktunbby I’ll stick with ‘J’ model Toyotas.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Not wanting to add my frustration to this thread but my car 'died' on my drive last night and is currently at the Ford dealers undergoing repairs.

Turns out the flat battery was down to the interior courtesy light being permanently on and not having driven for a while during the hours of darkness I hadn't noticed

The wife who is the only person I've ever seen switch it on knows absolutely nothing about it of course!

[Reece]

Yeh it's all your fault Jim!!

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Turns out the flat battery was down to the interior courtesy light being permanently on and not having driven for a while during the hours of darkness I hadn't noticed

The wife who is the only person I've ever seen switch it on knows absolutely nothing about it of course!

I had a similar problem with my wife's 86 Camry LE, (our first married new car) which is in nearly mint condition, always garaged, and stilll a pleasure to drive: except for a hanging bicycle sprocket paint scar that fell on the hood following the 2000 quake that epicentered 500 yards from the house and destroyed my brick chimney-now used to trim the garden! The vehicle is a complete electric monster with power windows, sunroof, constant clock, locks, etc...and a dead-short somewhere (probably the driverside armrest window/lock console) that drains the battery within two days, if not driven. The solution was simple: a $40 bronze kill-switch across the batt terminals that saves the batt charge 'twixt weekend drives and prevents auto-theft which is big issue these daze! The local dealer has even offered to buy the thing from me for 2k!!?