The saga of my journey behind enemy lines (New Jersey to visit relatives for Christmas)
Our story begins early last week. We are taking my GMC Jimmy to NJ and it needs two new tires and an alignment before we go. Due to the crappy alignment two tires are still ok for the trip and two are shot, I had rotated them cause the two bad ones were so worn and it was going to be awhile before I got money for new ones and an alignment. Go to the shop explain the fact the two messed up ones I want replaced are on the back not the front. Ok, no problem he says. What do I get? Two good tires removed two screwed ones left on, on the plus side the alignment is tip top. My debit card is also charged twice luckily it wasn't enough to mess my account up in the mean time.
Call the next afternoon as its the earliest I could due to work schedule. Bring it in we'll take care of it he says. Bring it in, alas used tires are picked up. Manager also isn't there and the second charge isn't in his system, come back tomorrow after I speak to manager. Come in and he gives me two new tires, I get a run around on the double charge he says company will have it back in end of business, naturally it isn't the next day I have to dispute it. Bright side I have money back right away and four new tires two of which were free.
All in all the mid part is pretty good, trip up family visit blah blah, most of the "grown ups" (I'm 21 and these are the grandparents to extended family so consider that one as you will) are all feeling old cause the "kids" now are all starting to have their own kids, I have to listen to stories about how I have puked on every one of the "grown ups" at least once in my early years.
Now the real fun part of our Saga, coming home. Trip home starts nice, but will it stay that way? Of course not. Stop for gas cause we are low, as we are getting back on the highway tranny makes a fun noise and slips. Hmm that's not good we start to say pull back into a gas station and figure we might as well get something to eat let it cool down and see what happens. Nope no good, have a phone pow wow with moms boyfriend the mechanic its decided to find an auto parts store get some Lucas come back and blah blah. Hitch a ride to the auto parts store walk back drain fluid from tranny etc. Still a bit of a slip in first and a slight one in second good enough though it seems to get home. I have a mechanic waiting at home with a garage and good relations with a tranny shop that can fix it on the cheap if he can't so I'm not getting anal raped by some mechanic seeing an out of state license plate if it is at all avoidable. Start back home again works a bit better as the Lucas works in but still apparent there are some problems, very drivable and I've driven worse.
Alas, it is not to continue. Three in the morning things go funny pull over to let it rest, rest for a half hour start it up no good to go and we are stuck about 2 hours from home. Lovely, at 3:45 wake up moms boyfriend, he drives out we look at it nah not going anywhere. Lock it up leave it blah blah. Get home get to work two hours late on a truck day when half the people already called out sick so boss aint happy. In the mean time moms boyfriend calls the towing company his garage uses since it should be cheaper I hear the figures and want to shoot something, three hundred (and yes, that's the cheapest rate found) Ok borrowed truck and dolly it is. Haven't torn it out yet but guessing a rebuild is what its gonna be. Through the tranny shop his garage uses looking at the 600 dollar range depending on if it needs a pump or not.
Anyone else have a fun holiday trip?
