BMR Lite

[vendic]

I've been so used to dealing with idiots for years that I generally come out sounding like an asshole. Comes with the territory after explaining what not to do multiple times and they do it anyway and nothing changes for years.
When I first got married, the wife was like, "you don't need to explain simple things like that. I'm not an idiot. Why do you do that?". Then she went with me to my work.
I still suffer from PISD. Post Idiot Stress Disorder.

[SciFi Chick]

I've been so used to dealing with idiots for years that I generally come out sounding like an asshole. Comes with the territory after explaining what not to do multiple times and they do it anyway and nothing changes for years.
When I first got married, the wife was like, "you don't need to explain simple things like that. I'm not an idiot. Why do you do that?". Then she went with me to my work.
I still suffer from PISD. Post Idiot Stress Disorder.

I will never, ever, forget the time you "taught" me how to wash a wooden knife holder...

And yes, going to work with you explained everything.

[Thumper]

Having no second car sucks. I feel for you Thumper.

You feel for me?? You're the one that has to mine for ore, smelt it down to the proper alloy, then machine your own parts...

Got the new switch, got educated on Youtube, then plunged into the replacement yesterday morning. For some strange reason, it wasn't that difficult at all. Only a couple bloody knuckles. The truck has brake lights, all is right with the world.

Gonna have the shop look at Mrs. T's car sometime this week. Preparing for bad news. Also both vehicles due for oil changes and service at the same time right as we're preparing to head out of town.

[vendic]

You feel for me?? You're the one that has to mine for ore, smelt it down to the proper alloy, then machine your own parts...

Funny you should say that. I really was looking at making a small forge so I could melt aluminium and make my own castings.

It's something I've just always wanted to do and isn't that hard but lately I have to justify everything I do in terms of finances as well as if it's going to be able to fit on the boat and have realistic purpose. A diy forge is very cheap but I just can't justify the wasted space for something I would only use on land and likely just for education purposes rather than necessity.

I will be oil hardening my own tool bits soon which is pretty close. Technically I could justify a small forge to do that as I need to get to about 1400F before quenching. Hmmm... lol

I wish you luck on the car adventure. I used to love working on cars. Now it's just a pita. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the way I worked on cars before. A group of guys would all turn up and we'd drink beer, talk shit, smoke cigarette's and sometimes even fix the thing. The good ol days.

[Thumper]

You feel for me?? You're the one that has to mine for ore, smelt it down to the proper alloy, then machine your own parts...

Funny you should say that. I really was looking at making a small forge so I could melt aluminium and make my own castings.

I can't make this stuff up, people.

I now also need to look into the backup light issue, but it's not as pressing as not having brake lights. I'm hoping it's the switch or the switch needs mechanically adjusted. The switch doesn't cost much. Just need to figure out where it is and how much of a b|tch it will be to RandR.

It's always more fun to work on stuff with one or more buddies.

[vendic]

I've never as far as I can remember had to replace a reversing switch or had a problem with a reversing light. I've had to disconnect a few when pulling down gearbox's but never a problem with them. Lucky I guess.

Oh, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIRTcmR6sSk

[geonuc]

I've solved a couple of rear light issues by ensuring a good ground at the rear of the car. It's amazing how many bizarre electrical problems can crop up if you have a high resistance ground.

[SciFiFisher]

I fixed an entire POS car problem by changing the radiator cap once.




































POS Car Fix: Remove radiator Cap. Put radiator cap on entirely new car. Problem solved.

[vendic]

I've solved a couple of rear light issues by ensuring a good ground at the rear of the car. It's amazing how many bizarre electrical problems can crop up if you have a high resistance ground.

Wait till you work with trailer wiring! lol

[Thumper]

I fixed an entire POS car problem by changing the radiator cap once.


POS Car Fix: Remove radiator Cap. Put radiator cap on entirely new car. Problem solved.

I got it before scrolling down. The last person to use that joke on me we CiD. Thanks for making me think of him and smiling.

[Thumper]

I've solved a couple of rear light issues by ensuring a good ground at the rear of the car. It's amazing how many bizarre electrical problems can crop up if you have a high resistance ground.

Yeah that it always SOP in the literature fixes to ensure good grounds. I'm pretty sure everything is okay there. All other lights work fine (especially now that I replaced the brake light switch). There were times when I shift into reverse and the lights wouldn't come on. If I took it out of reverse and slammed it back in a couple times, often they would come on. That's why I assumed the switch, especially if it's mechanically operated. The brake light switch is also mechanically operated and just pretty much wore out. Now the slamming thing doesn't work anymore. But last week, they did come on about 45 seconds after I started backing down the drive. I'd really rather they not work at all. That way if I end up not being able to fix it, my mechanic will be able to troubleshoot it.

[vendic]

Pretty sure it won't be a ground problem as such because most reversing switches switch ground while the light has the +12 on it. The switch is usually directly attached to the gearbox. It sounds like the switch to me but when working on these things it's a probability game more than anything and the odds change with the model car, the year it was made, who supplied the parts and what kind of driving it has been subjected to.

[SciFi Chick]

I've never as far as I can remember had to replace a reversing switch or had a problem with a reversing light. I've had to disconnect a few when pulling down gearbox's but never a problem with them. Lucky I guess.

Oh, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIRTcmR6sSk

Thanks for jinxing us.

[SciFiFisher]

I fixed an entire POS car problem by changing the radiator cap once.


POS Car Fix: Remove radiator Cap. Put radiator cap on entirely new car. Problem solved.

I got it before scrolling down. The last person to use that joke on me we CiD. Thanks for making me think of him and smiling.

You are welcome! He and I seem(ed) to share some common anecdotes about life and Murphy.

[SciFiFisher]

I've been so used to dealing with idiots for years that I generally come out sounding like an asshole. Comes with the territory after explaining what not to do multiple times and they do it anyway and nothing changes for years.
When I first got married, the wife was like, "you don't need to explain simple things like that. I'm not an idiot. Why do you do that?". Then she went with me to my work.
I still suffer from PISD. Post Idiot Stress Disorder.

I have a similar issue. I still struggle with explaining everything at about the 4th Grade level. It drives Brite crazy because she thinks I just love telling everyone how to "build the clock when all they asked for is the time".

The truth is that I have dealt with people for years who may not understand something as simple as how to use a copier. And I have to patiently explain the entire process as if they are smart, eager to learn, and not as dumb as a box of rocks that someone abandoned on the side of the road.

And I am supposed to pretend that it's perfectly ok to lie about skills when you apply for a job. One nurse they forced me to work with lied about being able to use a computer. She did not even know how to use email. When I suggested they terminate her during her probationary period they were like "Well, maybe she is not really that stupid. Wouldn't it be more trouble to hire another nurse?"

Trust me. She really was that stupid. I taught her some things as many as 5-6 times and each time it was as if she had never seen the material before.

[Thumper]

The truth is that I have dealt with people for years who may not understand something as simple as how to use a copier.

That made me think of THIS. My Dad sent it to me some time back. It's a little long, but when you realize that it pretty much happened as is, it's either funnier or makes you want to weep.

[Thumper]

Looks like there are two possible switch mechanisms: I think one is for auto trannys and the switch in on the steering column where the shifter cable runs down. I have a manual and I believe the switch is a plunger device that screws into the side of the tranny and is mechanically operated by the linkage when you move the shift lever. I'm hoping to find it Friday when I crawl underneath to pull the service. If I get lucky and find it where I think it is, I'll pull the connector and jumper across to see if I have good back up lights from there. If so, then hopefully it's just a replace or adjust the switch sort of thing.

[SciFiFisher]

The truth is that I have dealt with people for years who may not understand something as simple as how to use a copier.

That made me think of THIS. My Dad sent it to me some time back. It's a little long, but when you realize that it pretty much happened as is, it's either funnier or makes you want to weep.

Yes. And I don't know whether to laugh or bang my head on the desk. I can't decide if they really are that stupid. Which begs the question of how do they live to adulthood without inadvertently doing something like stepping in front of a bus on a slow Sunday. Because I am totally convinced that they don't have the brain power to remember to breathe.

[vendic]

Wow. That deposition sounds like some conversations I've had at work.

I wish you luck Thumper. Sometimes those things are a pain to get to. I also forgot that the US loves column shifts. They are really rare in Oz but were popular in the 60's and 70's.

[Rommie]

God I am so fucking bored.

I mean, this is really minor in the grand scheme of things. A lot of people reading this deal with far worse in your lives, and I feel like I should shut up. But, I am so afraid I have lost my motivation to do much of anything over the past few months. Unemployment for me has involved doing the bare minimum required, then dicking around on the Internet until I can hang out with my boyfriend, complete with people looking over my shoulder to give their input on how I'm fucking up when they want. Very little planning, or writing, compared to what I used to do.

I know there's a decent chance it will come back- that most people would not be really motivated in my situation either, and I have good reason to be burned out. I am guarding my time pretty damn jealously over Christmas so I have a chance to recuperate, because I think frankly a lot of people don't get what an emotional and mental toll this past year took on me. Pretty much all I want to do during for two weeks is lie around and read, and cross stitch, and not much else.

Ugh.

[Swift]

because I think frankly a lot of people don't get what an emotional and mental toll this past year took on me.

I think I speak for all around here that we understand completely. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to say "fuck this" during my graduate work, and I didn't go through anything like the shit you had to.

Enjoy the quiet time as much as you can.

[SciFiFisher]

God I am so fucking bored.

I mean, this is really minor in the grand scheme of things. A lot of people reading this deal with far worse in your lives, and I feel like I should shut up. But, I am so afraid I have lost my motivation to do much of anything over the past few months. Unemployment for me has involved doing the bare minimum required, then dicking around on the Internet until I can hang out with my boyfriend, complete with people looking over my shoulder to give their input on how I'm fucking up when they want. Very little planning, or writing, compared to what I used to do.

I know there's a decent chance it will come back- that most people would not be really motivated in my situation either, and I have good reason to be burned out. I am guarding my time pretty damn jealously over Christmas so I have a chance to recuperate, because I think frankly a lot of people don't get what an emotional and mental toll this past year took on me. Pretty much all I want to do during for two weeks is lie around and read, and cross stitch, and not much else.

Ugh.

I think this response is fairly normal given the stress you have had for the last year. I coach veterans and their families all the time about the need to get away from all the stuff that life throws at us. I also encourage them to be sure they are getting good sleep, good nutrition, and staying active. I am sure I don't have to tell you that.

[SciFi Chick]

I got so sick over the last year, from what I assume is a combination of stress, a bad sinus infection, menopause, and possibly an allergy. When you wake up at 4:00 in the morning, and the only thing that keeps you from literally puking is aspirin, deep breathing, and sometimes liquor, things have gone too far. The symptoms are obscure enough that I didn't see the point of going to the doctor, at least not where I was living. She just likes to throw drugs at me. I decided, once I got on the boat, if things didn't improve, I would see a doctor in Florida. Well, we have been through hell, and things have still improved. I have bad days - today was one of them - but I have far more good days. The point is, I let it get way out of control before I admitted I just needed a fucking break.

You are in a position to take a break and my advice to you is ball the guilt up and chuck it out the window. If people don't get it, fuck them. I finally had to get that attitude in my own life. I mean, I second guess myself all the time, so I expect everyone else to do the same, but I've done the best I could with the resources I had, and a lot of times, my best just wasn't good enough. I'm not going to roll over and die, but I'm not opposed to binge watching shows on Hulu and Netflix and Amazon Prime all while playing stupid random casual games and reading lots of books that probably fall under the label of pulp fiction.

You have the opportunity to do that. Relish it! Enjoy the time with your boyfriend. Enjoy your last days in Amsterdam. Keep doing the minimum. I won't mention names, but that guy and his ilk can go fuck themselves.

And don't ever hesitate to bitch. I find venting quite helpful a lot of times.

[SciFiFisher]

You have the opportunity to do that. Relish it! Enjoy the time with your boyfriend. Enjoy your last days in Amsterdam. Keep doing the minimum. I won't mention names, but that guy and his ilk can go fuck themselves.

And don't ever hesitate to bitch. I find venting quite helpful a lot of times.

Excuse me. We do not discuss our little Rommie having a boyfriend. She is not allowed to have one of those. If she accidently found one of those she should turn it in to the "Lost and Found" immediately.

[code monkey]

because I think frankly a lot of people don't get what an emotional and mental toll this past year took on me.

i'm sure that's true but you won't find them here. like swift, there were many times during my graduate work that I was tempted to just walk away and your experiences make mine look like nothing.

I agree with everyone - enjoy the break. recuperate. recharge. lie around, read, do needlework. work in something physical too. i'm a couch potato but I know that I feel better for dragging myself to water aerobics every day. (even though the high point is the instructor saying 'that's it. have a good day.')