When it rains...

Today started off great!  I woke up feeling pretty fantastic after getting drained yesterday, and I made an amazing smoothie with yogurt, whole milk, frozen berries, cream, and a strawberry instant breakfast packet.  It was full of both calories and protein, and I really felt great after eating it, not to mention that it was delicious.  I was excited about feeling so good, because I really needed to go to the grocery store to get stocked back up on things, and it's always easier to tackle a Meijer trip when I'm not feeling fatigued.

Last night I noticed that I had a belt in my car that was pretty squeaky, so I figured on my way home I'd pick up the belt and replace it in the next day or two.  I had a car full of pop bottles to take back, which is probably my least favorite thing ever, but even that didn't get me down.  I get to Meijer, and pop my headphones in, which makes wandering around the store a lot easier.  For some reason, listening to music while I'm walking around doesn't seem to wear me out as much.  I found this out while at some recent appointments in Ann Arbor.  I did my shopping and just as I was checking out I was finishing the album, pretty great timing.  I was listening to Soul Coughing's "El Oso" for anyone wondering.  I get out to my car and unload, starting to feel a little tired, as I had just spent about an hour wandering around Meijer.  I start my car to let it start warming up while I'm loading, and the squeaking gets worse.  Usually it goes away after a minute or two of warming up, but it kept going.  I go to pull out of my parking spot, and I notice that the wheel is incredibly difficult to steer.  Great, the power steering belt is what's slipping, and this will make the drive home pretty laborious.  Just as I'm backing out I hear a snap, the squeaking stops, and there's smoke coming out of my hood.  I pull back into the spot, turn off my car, and pop the hood.  The belt melted through.  Not having any tools with me, I call up Jim at Muffler Man and see if they can fit me in.  I've had them work on my car a few times before, and they do really great work, at a really great price.  He said it wouldn't be a problem, but it would take about an hour to get my car in.  I ask him to reserve me a spot, and luckily, it's not too far from where I am.

I make my way down the road, with no power steering, and pull in to Muffler Man.  Jim remembers me, and I show him the belt I had plucked out.  I sit down and wait.  They finally get to my car.  The guy working on my car, Jake, runs in and says, "You'd better come check this out".  I come out to the garage with him, and he shows me that my water pump has seized up completely.  In fact, an hour and a half after pulling in, the bearing is still smoking.  I know that water pumps are fairly inexpensive, I helped a buddy change his on his Saturn.  The problem with mine, is that you have to take out an engine mount to get to the pump.  To compound this, in 1989 Toyota made 8 different models of Corolla.  Each one is the same basic design, but there are two different water pumps for the 8 different models, as well as 4 different belts.  Each car has two belts, but again, there are different belt sizes.  Ugh.  So, they have to order both pumps, and all 4 belts, as they don't want to tear the car apart, and then order the parts.  Don't worry, they'll return what they don't use.  Not what I needed to hear, especially when I've got groceries that have been sitting in the car for the last hour and a half.  Luckily, it was Dustin and Carrie to the rescue again.  Dustin came and got me and the food, and let me use some space in their freezer/fridge until HB got out of work.  The worst part, is that I left at 9:30 am, and we didn't get home until almost 6.  The dogs were stuck inside that entire time.  Luckily, no messes.

Ugh, what a day.  I had planned on surprising HB and getting a bunch of chores done before she got home from work with all this extra energy I had.  Hopefully they get the car done tomorrow, so I can go get drained again before the weekend.  Stupid cars.  If this car hadn't been so good to me for the last couple of years I may have just lit it on fire, while laughing maniacally as it disintegrated in the Meijer parking lot.

But hey, here's to a day of feeling really darned good.  Those don't come as often as I'd like, but hopefully they continue.