Crash, Boom, Bang!

... also know as how we spent our New Years. Now that a few day's have passed and everything has been worked out and everyone is officially alright, here is the story of how we began 2013, in with a bang! 

Shortly before noon I get a call from NiBo frantic saying he just had an accident and wrecked his car.. it's pretty bad he said." Without hesitation I fly out the door still in my pj's and try to make my way towards where he was at. I wasn't speeding at all because the back roads were slick... but I still managed to go in the ditch and mess my car up too. 

Simon's first boo-boo

Thankfully NiBo is ok, just a little scraped up and sore, and a little bit of chemical burn from the airbag. The probe was not so lucky. Sadly we had to say goodbye to the '94 Ford Probe. Affectionately know as 'Herman' when he was mine, 'Taz' by A.Drama and NiBo knew him as 'Frank' short for Frankenstein (because at this point there were several swapped parts and nuts and bolts holding a few pieces together)

Herman came into our lives the fall before my 16th birthday, back in 2001. But this wasn't the first rodeo for Herman, back in 2004 he was totaled after a Jeep Cherokee got a probe in the rear-end (haha, get it?!) but with a few repairs he was back on the road. In 2007 when I upgraded the torch was passed to A.Drama, then on down the line to NiBo. 

My first accessory was a purple fuzzy steering wheel cover, which you can kinda see in the first picture. My upgrades to Herman included an upgraded bitchin' new stereo (it was a CD player, no need for a stock cassette) another convenience upgrade was a remote starter. I've never been lucky enough to have a garage so this feature came in very handy for several years. When I was in high school gas prices were not nearly as high as they are now and every Friday or Saturday night everyone would just cruise up and down main and make the loop. It's kinda sad that kids these days don't get to experience that. 

I have so many great memories of cruising main with my girlfriends blasting Backstreet boys and singing at the top of our lungs or stopping through McDonalds to get fries or through DQ to get a cone. Those days are gone and I basically just use my car now for travel back and forth to work, don't really have the leisure time money to spend just to go drive around and listen to music. It's kind of bittersweet losing the first car. But I'm glad Herman 'Frank' went out with his boots on and his legacy got to be experience by all my siblings. I chose good when I picked the shiny red Probe with the pop up headlights, that's badass when you're 16.

You were good to us Herman, may your belts never squeak and your oil never more leak. You will be missed (especially by NiBo since he is in a borrowed car now) Thank you for the great memories and may you enjoy that big parking garage in the sky! 

16 and can finally drive alone! February 8th, 2002

Cruisin' the town 

Herman weathered a good storm or two 

October 19, 2001 - January 1, 2013

Bad Simon!

You know how you think oh finally the day is getting good 3:30 is here and I'm outta this place, leaving em in my dust suckers this day if finally getting good.... today was not that day.

I walk my happy self out to the car thinking to myself it's a little warm was planning to go to the mall to use my Victoria Secret coupon in the car, turn the ignition... nada. WHAT WHAT WHAT?! I'm thinking I left something on, nope sure didn't. My car will beep buzz and hoot at you if you leave something on open or don't have the car all the way off. This was not my fault.

Luckily a midwest girl is always prepared had jumper cables in my car (brand new never been used, but there in case) none of the guys had any. A helpful friend game me a jump and on my happy way I went, confused none the less as to how your battery can go from juicy to nada in a single work shift.

So after a good 45 minute drive you think the battery would be charged and hope it was just a fluke. I had called ahead and had dad on hand to take a gander so straight to the 'rents I went. Car in park, ignition off, a hail mary and pray for a restart... Houston we have a problem. No go. Frustrated that Simon has once again let me down we run scenarios inside. Dad say "alternator" I hear ca-ching $$$. Or it could be just a worn out given up on life battery (hoping for choice B here).

Another jump and we are on our way to the family mechanic. Diagnostics ran and the alternator is charging (good news) check the batter yep, sure enough. It went all Harakiri on me, a noble death. Three years old and given up all ready.. shame.

Short story long: I got a new battery and am down on the cabbage again.. bad Simon. You've cost me my camera moo-lah. BAD SIMON! I still love you but let's not make this a habbit, if I give you more washes can we not be so selfish with the few dollars I have to my name. Thanks.

So needless to say I didn't have much time after work to catch up on Bachelor Pad, and no I didn't get any farther into Eat, Pray, Love. I'm a last minute girl, that's how I roll... don't judge. I work well under pressure.

Silence IS Golden

Ahhhh the joy of no noise. Hopefully I succeeded in being stealthy and none of you actually heard my car and it's noise. I don't have the best luck with exhaust systems apparently. My three year old Simon (my Nissan Sentra) had a growing grumble to him, then there came a day when the noise was not pleasant then came the constant tapping.

Well the exhaust pipe had officially rusted in half and was now clanking on the bracket. Called a few places and apparently Nissan does not sell parts to third parties or something like that so a call to the dealer yielded a heart stopping estimate (over the phone) of $411+... cue the heart attack. I call BS. Then after a few more calls and a converstaion to our family mechanic, after a few cuts and welds and an "unoffical" fix and only $35 we are quiet again.

Thank you America for boys that aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and make something... and on the cheap. Today we drink to you mechanics of America!

Simon and a handsome brother posing for a photo