The Signal (trailer)

Just watched this trailer for The Signal, which comes out in February. This looks really good, I'll have to see this one!

The Hobbit

At last! Looks like Peter Jackson might get to do The Hobbit after all. Check out this news story.

Service Engine Soon

It all started about four weeks ago. I'd planned to take my car in for a wheel alignment & balancing to try, once more, to eliminate a shake. You see, when I hit 70mph, my Mustang starts to shake.

Previously, 4 trips to NTB for new wheel bearings, brakes, shocks and struts, and a couple of other things (including alignment and balancing), failed to resolve the problem, so I gave up. This time I endeavored to bring my vehicle to STS, whom I remember previously giving me excellent service.

Then the dreaded Service Engine Soon light came on.

I've come to regard this as the Cold Weather Light, since it seems to come on every winter when we get the first cold snap. Every year it's something different: Oxygen Sensor (twice)...shit, it's happened so often for so many different reasons, that I can't remember them anymore!

So instead of going to NTB and finally resolving this shimmy, instead it's off to Pep Boys (who have the diagnostic machine and all that jazz).

Now this marks the 3rd Saturday (plus Black Friday) that my car's been in the shop for the same damn light. First time, a burned out spark plug. Last weekend, they figured it must be a bad fuel injector, which they didn't have. This weekend, we put the fuel injector in and see what happens.

Meanwhile, I've been working the usual 10hr or-so days at work, 5 days a week. The weekend being my only real time to take care of things, this means that absolutely zero X-Mas shopping has gotten done, not to mention going to NTB or doing something I actually enjoy. Instead, I've been taking long walks to-and-from the garage, and staying home to do laundry or other mundane things until I hear about my car.

I'm hoping this car makes it to next December, when I get top rate at my job and time-and-a-half, which will make a huge difference in my pay check. This means, new car for me! But now I'm starting to worry, not to mention irritated.