Mending cars
I had a major car blow-up yesterday. The old EB Falcon (aka the dinosaur) blew a head gasket. I was motoring down the Princes Highway when it spluttered, conked and staggered back home. This is the third head gasket in eight years and at 433,000 Kms, the old car desperately needs a huge makeover.
Today is decision day, do I get the head gasket fixed ($900), do it myself ($150) or go for a total engine transplant? I'm attached to this old car. I swore I would do at least 500,000 Km in the old bird, so with 70,000 to go, I'm kind of willing to push it over the line.
The guy who lives opposite came over yesterday as I was cursing under the bonnet (hood for you Yanks). He told me how he had rebuilt his engine. I thought, "you beauty, a neighbour who can do things useful". I pressed him for more information, "how much, what parts?". Turns out that he didn't actually do anything, his wife "organized" and paid for the whole thing. He didn't even know exactly where the work was done. I should have known when he said the whole job cost "around $700". Serves me right for believing that anyone under 40 has any useful skills these days, other than spending money on house renovations.
I used to have real mates, guys who could pull an engine out, drop a gearbox, weld a panel. Where did they go? I guess Colin died, so he's in the lap of the gods, watching over me and chuckling at my dilemma.
Today I have an interview for a $130,000 a year job. I just have to maintain some semblance of respect for what happened in my four years at Schwab. Tough call, but I can lie just like those bastards at Schwab did for those years.
I think they call it self-hypnosis.
posted by Wayne @ 4:19 PM
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