WHO WHAT NOW?
Brie Gainer fierce single mother, resident of Texas, but heart in Hawaii. Old enough to be your mother, so don't mess around. Working in insurance for 8 years. Life in AUSTIN for the past decade has been very pleasing indeed.
I don’t consider myself to be a film geek, but I find myself inserting movie quotes into my daily life. Like most people, I love to get to a movie theatre any chance I get. My taste in movies is akin to my taste in cheese or chocolate: I prefer bitter films with a creative, mysterious undertone. I can usually find “my” kind of movies on IFC, at Alamo Drafthouse and Angelika Film Center.
That said, try not to throw up when I tell you: my favorite movie is “Titanic.” Yes, THAT one with Kate Winslet.
Other faves, in no particular order:
“Traffic”
“Amelie”
“Jindabyne”
“Little Children”
“Paris, Je t’aime”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Darjeeling Express”
“Stranger Than Fiction”
the “Life of David Gale”
the “Royal Tenenbaums”
“Things We Lost in the Fire”
Favorite Artists // Michael Franti, Tina Dico, Nya Jade, Regina Spektor, Oren Lavie, Imogen Heap, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright
Right now, I’m listening to Yes, Maria, Yes by David Wax Museum on Pandora.
I am not one of those people who has to have 10,000+ songs in my iTunes library. I don’t feel the need to pirate MP3s. And I don’t have a hoard of old tapes and CD’s.
Basically, @Pandora has simplified my life. I can explore, favorite, and be practically guaranteed that the music I hear is music I WANT to hear.
I also listen to various online radio stations, such as KPIG, KUT, and KGSR.
In regards to Pandora, I am all over the place, but some of my fave stations are: Seasonique Cheer Up Radio, Worldbeat Radio, Les Nubians Radio.
During Christmas, you cannot go wrong with Merriest Hawaiian Christmas Radio!
…working!…coming soon!..I know you can’t wait! LOL!!!
Skills // Over 15 years' administrative, secretarial experience, applicable to any office setting. Effectively supports team needs, helping productive work environments by fostering quality professionalism and office etiquette. Not easily offended. ;-)
Keywords // Creative, Lead By Example, Reliable, Discrete, Keyboarding, Efficient, Effective, Resourceful, Excel, Word, Wordpress, Twitter, Facebook, Hippie Austin Mom, Blogging, #SoMe Fan, Art Supporter
Guess what else? // I know how to type. On an actual typewriter.
About this Blog // Here is where I insert my little disclaimer. This blog is primarily a place where I ramble on and release my inner demons. Don't even think about taking it too personally or firing me for anything I have to say here. (So there!)
I’m not sure if there was divine intervention, or if the mechanics are practicing good ethics, but my car was fixed yesterday for $55–the price of a new wheel hub. So, over the course of a couple of weeks, I spent a total of $200 getting the passenger side hub and hub bearings replaced. Not too bad!
I was completely worried and aggravated yesterday. Shortly after I posted my previous ranter, I got a call from the mechanic.
A couple of weeks ago, I (finally) brought my car into this little garage run by a dad/uncle/son(s) and the son, who is still a little green, told me that the major squeaking and teeth-cracking bumpiness while on the road was caused by worn hub bearings.
Naturally, I don’t know what hub bearings are. I Googled it, but I still don’t have a clue what their purpose is. I guess you could say they are like ball bearings in your rollerskate wheels.
I was charged $50 for parts, $50 for the wheel guys to compress(?) the bearings (mechanic did not have the equipment at his garage to do this, so their wheel expert friend installed(?) the bearings,) and $50 for labor. Not too bad.
This all happened while my boyfriend was out of state, and he let me drive his truck all I wanted. Man! Driving a nice, big, smooth running truck vs. driving a little car in need of TLC…let me tell you, I didn’t want to give up the truck when he returned.
“I’ve had that truck for seven years, and never had to have it worked on once,” he reminded me yesterday. Yeah, yeah, rub it in. He is all about keeping a maintenance schedule, and buying new tires when Lincoln’s head is no longer covered. (Check it out: here.)
He just doesn’t get it when people don’t maintain their vehicles. Augh. I guess the quick excuse is that, hello, I don’t have the extra funds to keep a car in tip-top condition. Yeah, yeah…excuses…
Anyway, after the first trip to the mechanic, the PT Cruiser ran alright for a couple of days before a new, more scary sound was produced.
If you took two large china plates and rubbed them together, bottom to bottom, that’s the sound. And, it would get louder the longer you were on the road.
This time, there was no bumpiness, but the sound (and more squeaks) was frightening. Regarding bearing problems, one of the comments on a PT Cruiser forum said that a wheel could fuse if you didn’t get it fixed. “A $200 problem could become a $500 problem.”
Eck! The whole idea of my wheel fusing while driving freaked me out!! I’m really not sure if that is possible, but everytime I got behind the wheel, I just imagined sparks and smoke coming out of the wheel. (That never happened, but you know me and my imagination.)
So, back to the young mechanic.
Yesterday afternoon, he called to tell me that the bearings they installed went bad.
“Say what?? That is so weird. You just put them in.”
“I know, but the HUB was bad. So, I am getting new bearings. I won’t charge you for them because they are still under warrantee, but you need a new hub.” It would cost about $50+/- and he said he wouldn’t charge me for labor since “I should have caught it the first time.”
Brent wasn’t so convinced. “Any good mechanic would be able to spot it.” He reminded me that this garage primarily did bodywork anyway. “You should have gone to a wheel specialist.”
Augh! Again…you know, it’s all about the $$ to me. Brent has a point, but when it comes to his vehicles, he spares no expense. He can afford it. It’s so funny to me when people like him don’t really understand the ways of the poor.
I may have it all wrong in my head, but that’s how he comes off sometimes. And, it’s not just him, I know plenty of people who are the same way. That is not a bad thing, but I feel terrible having to justify everything with “I just can’t afford it.” And I mean everything!!!
Want to go to this purse sale? I can’t afford it.
Let’s go to Vegas. I can’t afford it.
Let’s try that new place for Happy Hour. I can’t afford it.
Premium gas? Forget it.
Name-brand anything? Yeah, right.
I mean, really? I am happy if my car is running right, we have food in the kitchen, and the electricity bill is paid.
Anyway, when I got to the garage, I was told the car was running smoothly.
“I heard that noise you told me about, I really did!” said the mechanic. He was amazed at the noise–he had never heard that before. I chalked it up to his inexperience.
I could also tell that his dad wasn’t playing around when he popped out of one of the bays and pointedly commanded his son to show me the old hub.
Just FYI, you can Google all this. I have learned too much about car failure from my own experience with the cars I have owned, but the Internet really has helped me to understand the nuts & bolts of things. God Bless Google!!!
I didn’t really think anything about it, and the mechanic said he didn’t think anything about it either when he first looked at it. LOL! I appreciated his honesty!
Basically, there is a spindle on the hub and it should all be one shiny level.
My hub was halfway worn down and dark. The other half was lighter and shiny. The part that was worn down was worn so perfectly and evenly, it looked like it was made that way. The mechanic admitted that he thought it was supposed to be that way.
Boy, was he wrong, and did he ever learn a lesson. His father was not amused either.
Anyway…I drove home after picking up the car from the garage, and drove to work this morning. The ride was sooth as can be, and no squeaks! All is well. For now. 
I could sit here and yammer away about my current issues, but I have to remind myself that things would be shit tons WORSE. I am grateful to have paid my rent and have a job (in which the new position I am still struggling to accept) and I have clothes that fit…yadda yadda.
Right now, my BIG problem is my car. Augh! It never ends. Right now, it is at the garage again. I took it in a couple of weeks ago after the passenger-side front hub bearings went out. (Not “wore” out, but totally went out, squealing, thumping, etc.)
The driver-side bearing are out now, too. With three more payments left on this thing, I am considering keeping it and having all its problems fixed…or just getting another car. Frankly, ever since Ilona’s accident, I have felt super nervous driving this car whenever she is in it. It’s not a bad car, but it’s just a small PT Cruiser. If I had my druthers, I would drive a big, honking truck with a lot of steel and padding around my kid–the kind of truck that can run over a smaller vehicle without you knowing about it. ha!
As it is, my father’s truck, an enormous Chevrolet Silverado (with every bell and whistle available,) had been sitting in his driveway for a couple of months before David finally sold it.
I thought about possible borrowing it for a while–mostly for sentimental purposes–but it wouldn’t have made economic sense. I would still have my car payment, I would still have to get my car fixed, and in the meantime I would be putting a lot of $$ into atruck which got about 2-miles-per-gallon.
On top of that, Brent pointed out the fact that I would have to learn to be comfortable driving something with such a huge mass.
Oh, well…I would have liked to drive it around at least for a weekend.
Anyway, at this point, David is working on downsizing, which is completely understandable. Living in a 4,400 square foot house by himself is utterly ridiculous.
So…problems with cars and money…it’s the same old, neverending thing.
But, I mean, it still continues to be ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER. Augh!
Trying not to complain too much…especially after last night.
I found out that a friend-of-a-friend whom I like a lot, was visited yesterday by who she thought was a friend in trouble. She let him in while her toddler was taking a nap and her husband at work. The older kids were at school.
You know where this is going, right? Yes, bascially, he raped her and wouldn’t let her leave the house or use the phone.
At some point, she was able to call 9-1-1 and when they arrived at her house, there was a standoff, the whole bit. I don’t know all the exact details.
I do know that the guy was able to make it out of the house and away from the police, and now there is a manhunt going on. The police aren’t being very forthcoming with details, and it is very difficult for the media and community to understand.
Friend is going to the hospital this morning, having a big breakdown. Augh…I feel terrible for her and her husband. And, how can you explain that to your kids? (I totally wouldn’t–I couldn’t have my children afraid to stay in their own house, but…it’s so difficult with the entire neighborhood freaked out.)
Yes, things could be worse, but why do they have to happen to me, much less the people I care about?
p.s. Boyfriend is acting a little ticked still–mostly likely over my behavior this weekend. Augh!
I admit that I have only been adding to the shiteous moments of today. There is no excuse for me being a big baby, but I guess I am just not being loved and respected the way I want to be. So, instead of going with the flow and working it out, I have been lashing out a little bit today…in other words, I have just been being a biatch all freaking day.
So, while we were out & about earlier, for whatever reason, my boyfriend decided to buy this enormous grill for his mother for Mother’s Day. It’s not just any grill–it is a large, pig-shaped grill made out of scrap metal patches. It is hilarious!!
By the way, that describes my boyfriend to a tee–Mr. Fun and Unpredictable. (And Mr. Go For It.)
You couldn’t tell by this picture, but it is a very long pig. He fits perfectly in the back of Brent’s truck–it’s snout nearly touching the rear of the cab, and its tail meeting up with the tailgate.
You would think that the actual grilling area would be bigger, given the size of this thing. Brent eventually tied the pig down with some borrowed chains and some wood poles (which his mother will use in a garden.) So, if you were to look at the truck, the pig poking out above a bunch of wood, I could see how you would expect a big ass BBQ to occur any second. haha!
This afternoon, we hit the road with Mr. Bacon. People on the streets were gaping, pointing, and staring. Man, we looked so Texas! Before we got too far, we stopped to eat. Of all places, we stopped at Mother’s, a VEGETARIAN restaurant!!! OMG–it was hilarious. The irony! Mother’s doesn’t have a lick of meat in there–they are VERY vegetarian.
Brent had parked the truck Right In Front of this restaurant, and I’m sure the manager wasn’t too pleased. ha!! Anyway, all manner of people kept stopping to check out the pig and take pics with their iPhones. I’m curious to know how many Twitter feeds and Facebook pages on which this pig will make an appearance.
Anyway, I don’t know what happened, but I got a severe stomach ache at Mother’s. I really don’t think it was anything I ate there because it started almost immediately after we were seated.
Oh, for the record, I ordered the Sloppy Momma Joe with a side of guac. They serve it open-faced, which is how I like to also eat my sandwiches. Man, that sammy was the shizz. Made me wanna slap my momma!
I thought having a cup of coffee (Little City Coffee, for you foodies) would help, but that just made it worse. Why did I think coffee would help? Someone slap me!! I just wanted something hot…I should have gotten some herbal tea.
Have you ever had one of those stomach aches where you start to get a little shaky and feverish? You know it’s going to all be over in a few hours, but you have to get it out–and when it does, you have to use a bucket AND a commode. Yeah, a little TMI there, but that’s how I felt after we were done.
(Again, it was not anything I ate at Mother’s!)
I felt bad for being a party pooper (haha–pun?) but I asked Brent to take me back to his apartment; I would have to skip the trip to his mom’s house.
That’s where I am now, alternately blogging and urping while Bakey-Bacon is being delivered to his new home.
I am using this as a little lesson to reset myself from being a jerk all day. I will skip the ways in which I was a jerk, but trust me…I was. A big one, too.
I need a little break from everyone, and I think Universe, karma, &/or Mother Nature is giving me a little kick in the butt. Rightfully so.
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