Stuff 'N' Nonsense
Jun. 2nd, 2009 03:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyreI had a great time at Mt. Gibson. 3 new birds, including Major Mitchell's Cockatoo which I really wanted to see. A few species that I missed, but you can't have everything. The weather was remarkably nowhere near as chilly as I'd feared it would be and I had the presence of mind on the last evening to pack my tent and sleep in the old shearing shed (which had about 8 beds arranged upstairs) due to the ominous looking and sounding storm on the horizon. My tent would have been quite wet otherwise.
I took lots of photos of ant mounds and landscapes and no photos of birds, which is normal with my little camera. I even took one video.
And then there were my car issues. Last week I put my car in to get it's brakes fixed (they suddenly stopped working - we thought driving over a certain branch had done it, but it would seem that was just co-incidence, one of many) and to just get a general service. The master cylinder was busted despite my dad having only replaced it a few years ago. Another hose was also leaking so that also got replaced. The parts place sent the wrong master cylinder initially. They didn't have the right one so my one had to get reconditioned instead. Once the new cylinder was on one of the brake lines was leaking fluid so THAT had to be replaced. $700.00 and a lot of stressing later my car was ready (I was only able to pick it up around 9am on the day I headed off, and I wanted to be on the road by 10:30, as it was I got off around 11:15).
I filled the tank at Wanneroo and when I got going again I smelled something oily which faded quickly. I shrugged it off as having a source other than my car. After I'd stopped at Bindoon for lunch I got back in my car and there was that smell again. Hrm, maybe residue from the service, it went away once I was going along the highway at 110kph again.
By the time I reached the gravel road into Mt. Gibson I was tiring and concentrated solely on the road rather than the scenery. I had to brake heavily when a steep, slightly washed out slope followed by some pretty nasty corrugations snuck up on me but the rest of the road was pretty good. I arrived to find the person behind me had picked up one of my hubcaps that had fallen off on the way - at least that was the only thing I lost. I vaguely mentioned the strange smell, but didn't worry about it.
On the way out Marie and Conrad were later leaving than planned, so we decided to go in convoy to ensure our two little 2WD cars got onto the bitumen okay. We stopped off at a pond to look for dotterels, chats, pipits and the like. We got out of our cars and Conrad remarked on the strong petrol smell emanating from my car. Indeed it did pong, and I felt a bit silly for thinking it was oily when it was so obviously petrol. Luckily he knew a bit about cars and we quickly located a fuel leak. Great, after $700 worth of repairs and servicing THIS starts happening! We tried to seal it using chewing gum but it didn't work. Others had come across us on their way out and eventually it was decided that John and Ruth - the camp leaders - would tow my car to Wubin (about 100km), I would ride in Marie's car with her and Conrad would steer my car, he had had experience with being towed whereas I hadn't.
Got to Wubin to discover that the only payphone in town wasn't working (much to the service station owner's chagrin) but they allowed me to use their phone and I called mum to see what my RAC membership covered me for. She put in the call to road service for me and I was soon informed that a contracter was being sent out of Wongan Hills (about 100km away). Being a public holiday contracters were few and far between - there were none in Dalwallinu about 40km away). He would see if he could repair it and if not I was covered by a tow into Wongan Hills where I would have to have it repaired. I was covered for a night in a hotel there and I also have rellies there that I may have been able to stay with (I haven't seen them since I was 12). But I just really wanted to go home.
Luck was on my side, a girl who worked for the contracter in Wongan Hills was in Wubin for the long weekend. She arrived quickly and had a look at things and was able to call him up and tell him exactly what he needed to bring. It was at least another hour until the actual contracter arrived. I settled down in my camp chair with John and Ruth who stayed with me until we knew what my fate was. We chatted and watched the caravans and trucks come and go, I possibly saw 3 Mulga Parrots. Marie and Conrad had had to leave once I knew a contractor was on his way because they had to work the next day.
So, the contractor arrived, took a look at things, cleaned off the dust and petrol and chewing gum residue, removed the air pipe so he could reach the problem area easily. The girl from earlier arrived back at the scene to discuss things. He unscrewed the leaky joint, removed a buggered O-ring and replaced it. And that was it. All that fuss over an O-ring, at least it wasn't quite the drama that the Challenger shuttle was. I was 4 hours behind time, but I was on my way home.
On the drive home it was drizzly and I got in behind a road train, he was doing 100kph so I didn't really worry and just slipstreamed for a while. Until we came across a small car puttering along at 70kph. The road train overtook him eventually and I did not long after just before New Norcia. After New Norcia we were finally in the land of overtaking lanes and I overtook the road train.
I arrived in the outer suburbs to a spectacular lightning show (a little unnerving because I had dreamed on Friday night of being struck by lightning). It was also rather blinding and distracting at times. Then I got onto Wanneroo road, a bolt of lightning turned the sky turquoise for a few seconds and then the rain PELTED down. I eventually decided to stay in the right lane to avoid the large puddles forming near the kerb. Some of the worst conditions I've driven in for a long time, and I had to deal with other traffic while I was at it, when I was still in country driving mode.
I made it home around 7:30. Not long after I got home I asked Matt, "What's up with Bella's tail?" He gave a noncommital grunt, "I dunno." Bella always holds her tail upright, but last night it was drooping, I had a feel was pretty sure that the lump I had felt a couple of weeks ago and hoped was just a scab that would heal, had turned into an abcess. Well, at least I knew what I was up against this time.
I took her to Balcatta Vets this morning and was delighted to find no-one else there so I was seen right away (being a no appointments, emergency vet the waits can be long). It was an abcess. I was glad that the vet was able to just take her out the back to drain the crap out, give her a shot of anti-biotics and painkiller, give me a course of anti-biotics to give her and sent us on our way. I had expected I'd need to leave her in for surgery on it. It still cost me $167.00.
So, I hope this is the end of my unintentional spending. Bella is doing okay now (after sleeping under the futon most of the afternoon and ignoring me, which is very unusual for her). I have to clean her tail soon, she'll probably hate me for that. She won't like it when she realises the cat door is locked and that she's housebound for the next few days either. But her tail is already perkier. :)
I took lots of photos of ant mounds and landscapes and no photos of birds, which is normal with my little camera. I even took one video.
And then there were my car issues. Last week I put my car in to get it's brakes fixed (they suddenly stopped working - we thought driving over a certain branch had done it, but it would seem that was just co-incidence, one of many) and to just get a general service. The master cylinder was busted despite my dad having only replaced it a few years ago. Another hose was also leaking so that also got replaced. The parts place sent the wrong master cylinder initially. They didn't have the right one so my one had to get reconditioned instead. Once the new cylinder was on one of the brake lines was leaking fluid so THAT had to be replaced. $700.00 and a lot of stressing later my car was ready (I was only able to pick it up around 9am on the day I headed off, and I wanted to be on the road by 10:30, as it was I got off around 11:15).
I filled the tank at Wanneroo and when I got going again I smelled something oily which faded quickly. I shrugged it off as having a source other than my car. After I'd stopped at Bindoon for lunch I got back in my car and there was that smell again. Hrm, maybe residue from the service, it went away once I was going along the highway at 110kph again.
By the time I reached the gravel road into Mt. Gibson I was tiring and concentrated solely on the road rather than the scenery. I had to brake heavily when a steep, slightly washed out slope followed by some pretty nasty corrugations snuck up on me but the rest of the road was pretty good. I arrived to find the person behind me had picked up one of my hubcaps that had fallen off on the way - at least that was the only thing I lost. I vaguely mentioned the strange smell, but didn't worry about it.
On the way out Marie and Conrad were later leaving than planned, so we decided to go in convoy to ensure our two little 2WD cars got onto the bitumen okay. We stopped off at a pond to look for dotterels, chats, pipits and the like. We got out of our cars and Conrad remarked on the strong petrol smell emanating from my car. Indeed it did pong, and I felt a bit silly for thinking it was oily when it was so obviously petrol. Luckily he knew a bit about cars and we quickly located a fuel leak. Great, after $700 worth of repairs and servicing THIS starts happening! We tried to seal it using chewing gum but it didn't work. Others had come across us on their way out and eventually it was decided that John and Ruth - the camp leaders - would tow my car to Wubin (about 100km), I would ride in Marie's car with her and Conrad would steer my car, he had had experience with being towed whereas I hadn't.
Got to Wubin to discover that the only payphone in town wasn't working (much to the service station owner's chagrin) but they allowed me to use their phone and I called mum to see what my RAC membership covered me for. She put in the call to road service for me and I was soon informed that a contracter was being sent out of Wongan Hills (about 100km away). Being a public holiday contracters were few and far between - there were none in Dalwallinu about 40km away). He would see if he could repair it and if not I was covered by a tow into Wongan Hills where I would have to have it repaired. I was covered for a night in a hotel there and I also have rellies there that I may have been able to stay with (I haven't seen them since I was 12). But I just really wanted to go home.
Luck was on my side, a girl who worked for the contracter in Wongan Hills was in Wubin for the long weekend. She arrived quickly and had a look at things and was able to call him up and tell him exactly what he needed to bring. It was at least another hour until the actual contracter arrived. I settled down in my camp chair with John and Ruth who stayed with me until we knew what my fate was. We chatted and watched the caravans and trucks come and go, I possibly saw 3 Mulga Parrots. Marie and Conrad had had to leave once I knew a contractor was on his way because they had to work the next day.
So, the contractor arrived, took a look at things, cleaned off the dust and petrol and chewing gum residue, removed the air pipe so he could reach the problem area easily. The girl from earlier arrived back at the scene to discuss things. He unscrewed the leaky joint, removed a buggered O-ring and replaced it. And that was it. All that fuss over an O-ring, at least it wasn't quite the drama that the Challenger shuttle was. I was 4 hours behind time, but I was on my way home.
On the drive home it was drizzly and I got in behind a road train, he was doing 100kph so I didn't really worry and just slipstreamed for a while. Until we came across a small car puttering along at 70kph. The road train overtook him eventually and I did not long after just before New Norcia. After New Norcia we were finally in the land of overtaking lanes and I overtook the road train.
I arrived in the outer suburbs to a spectacular lightning show (a little unnerving because I had dreamed on Friday night of being struck by lightning). It was also rather blinding and distracting at times. Then I got onto Wanneroo road, a bolt of lightning turned the sky turquoise for a few seconds and then the rain PELTED down. I eventually decided to stay in the right lane to avoid the large puddles forming near the kerb. Some of the worst conditions I've driven in for a long time, and I had to deal with other traffic while I was at it, when I was still in country driving mode.
I made it home around 7:30. Not long after I got home I asked Matt, "What's up with Bella's tail?" He gave a noncommital grunt, "I dunno." Bella always holds her tail upright, but last night it was drooping, I had a feel was pretty sure that the lump I had felt a couple of weeks ago and hoped was just a scab that would heal, had turned into an abcess. Well, at least I knew what I was up against this time.
I took her to Balcatta Vets this morning and was delighted to find no-one else there so I was seen right away (being a no appointments, emergency vet the waits can be long). It was an abcess. I was glad that the vet was able to just take her out the back to drain the crap out, give her a shot of anti-biotics and painkiller, give me a course of anti-biotics to give her and sent us on our way. I had expected I'd need to leave her in for surgery on it. It still cost me $167.00.
So, I hope this is the end of my unintentional spending. Bella is doing okay now (after sleeping under the futon most of the afternoon and ignoring me, which is very unusual for her). I have to clean her tail soon, she'll probably hate me for that. She won't like it when she realises the cat door is locked and that she's housebound for the next few days either. But her tail is already perkier. :)
