NIKON D70 - 1/50 sec, f4 at 50mm
For the last 12 months my car has been leaking oil onto our garage floor. It hasn't really been a big deal and you've got to expect that from a car that has traveled 320,000 km and that turns 19 this year. But over the last 2 months that small leak has turned into something that is now embarrassing me when we're out in mixed company.
Every hour it drops oil about the size of about a NZ50 cent piece. For my American friends (you know who you are), that's about 2 quarters every hour. For my Chinese and UK friends, you're on you're own ;-)
Given the car sits for long periods of time, that's quite a noticeable amount. It's like the cat vomiting on the carpet. It's gone from acceptable to downright disgusting.
I took it in for an assessment yesterday. The diagnosis was very bad. Very bad. The surgeons thought it was a leak from the head gasket. Both at the back and the front. This was most distressing. Not as distressing as Steve Irwin dying suddenly and distressingly (more on that at a later date), but soul melting nonetheless.
Today I went to pick the thing up from the mechanic and while chatting, I managed to convince them to put it up on the hoist for second opinion. With me hovering like an expectant parent, the blue overalled car geeks prodded and poked with flashlight and mirror and swab the one true love of my life. Bugger me if they didn't come to a new conclusion. The leak is coming from the oil pressure sensor. The potential invoice just reduced from more than NZ$2,000 (US$1,293.15) to NZ$38.50 (US$24.89).
All this afternoon I've been walking around thinking I've just been handed an extra $2000 in my pay. I'd already resigned myself to paying out a wodge of cash and now it was like I'd found that much money in the pocket of a jacket I hadn't worn since last winter. I've been on a money high for the last 6 hours.
The Photo
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz. I wonder where the birdies is. Spring bulbs have erupted all over our place. Apart from down our driveway where our completely fucken retarded neighbor has driven over them with his wank SUV because he can't reverse like a man. He is a fricken cross dressing, couldn't back a car to save his life dick.
Ian - Tuesday, 5 September, 2006 22:58
bon bon - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 1:06
Mo - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 6:21
Rik - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 8:55
BC - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 9:05
Dave - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 9:58
Rik - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 10:09
Michele - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 11:27
Tim - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 12:45
Debbie - Wednesday, 6 September, 2006 22:09
sandy - Thursday, 7 September, 2006 2:37
bon bon - Thursday, 7 September, 2006 3:25
Mr Crewcut - Monday, 11 September, 2006 14:03