Old Reliable

Well, crap.

So it's not the "made-by-a-mac", "iWeb-produced" cookie-cutter blog that you're used to. Yeah, I'm back to using my old blog, but you know what? It's not so bad.

Sure the other blog was more trendy, more pleasing to the eye. But you know what? This blog format never let me down. That's right, in a word - this one's been the most reliable. And in this crazy, mixed up world --- what more can you ask for in blogs or life in general that reliable things?

Blogs aside, among other things that I had once thought reliable, our beloved SUYM video camera tops the list. For years it seems like this camera could be leaned on heavily to produce mid-quality, serviceable movies for SUYM. I know we've certainly fallen short of our "video hayday" but hell, its not like we just ignored the camera. We used it from time to time to record haircuts, fireworks dissection and occasionally used it as a type of "analog Tivo" whenever our VCR broke. I guess you can say it didn't really see "regular use" but by no means was it ever overworked. So yesterday comes and we're to film our motion picture extraordinaire high atop Mount Uniontown. Everything appears to be going well until what I like to refer to as "The Brownsville Incident" occured. While driving through the cursed borough of Brownsville, I turn the camera on to get some sweet footage and notice we're getting a message on the LCD indicating the lens cap needs to be removed. We haven't used that damn lens cap since we got the camera in 2004. Further troubleshooting revealed the camera in BUNK-MODE which means its broke real good. No camera, no video. Now we've gotta pour our very limited funds into a new camera. Here ends the reliability of our first SUYM camera. We're set to have a viking's funeral for it, once we get another camera with which to film it.

Reliability further spits directly in my path on Friday when I was driving home from a brisk midnight shift at the Help Desk for Consol Energy. At the time I owned a relatively reliable 2000 Plymouth Neon. Sure it had 82,000 miles on it, but it had to get to that mark SOMEHOW, and the only way to achieve big numbers and long distances is to remain reliable. For some time now, my car has been struggling for fuel it seems when I first start it up, or whenever I come to a stop after a steep incline, or (more recently) at stop lights on route 19. Welp, after three stalls coming home from work that fateful Friday, I decide I'm done funneling money into a car thats bleeding to death. I don't know about you but 82,000 miles scares the shit out of me. A Neon is a cheap ass car to begin with, and wheel bearings and transmissions aren't built out of Jesus. They won't last forever. This, once reliable, Neon had to go. Happy travels.

Saturday I complete a deal (with my terrible credit leading the way) for a brand-spanking-new Dodge Caliber R/T. Since my credit is so shitty, I had assumed it would be best to try to get into a used vehicle, like a Stratus (I drove one of these for two months in 2004 and I thoroughly enjoyed it) so that's where I started. Rotolo's Chrysler Jeep Dodge did my mom a real solid a few months back when they helped her purchase her Liberty, so I began and ended my search with them. They informed me that since my credit isn't the best, it would be easier to get into a new vehicle rather than a used one. Chrysler Financial told me it was because newer vehicles are less likely to break down, come with a standard warranty and I won't have to go looking for another car loan in two years. I had no argument whatsoever for this. If I could get a new car (not to mention some peace of mind for the first time in many years) then, damnit, that's what I was going to do. Now, its officially called a "Crossover SUV" by Dodge but traditionally I'd call this thing a station wagon. Hell, I call Rollo's Vibe a wagon, and its defined by GM as a "Crossover" so what the hell do I know? I'll take my crossover (wagon) and my 230 total miles on the car and gladly not worry for the next six years.

To completely grasp the amount of fretful worry that I have generated sicne I was 16, I'll document each and every car I've owned since then. To date, I've probably owned more cars than some people own in a lifetime. The reason I got rid of the vehicle will appear in ITALICS directly after my comments about it.

Crock's List of Rides (through 2007)

1. 1988 Ford Ranger 4x4 - This was a very special truck because my father, brother and I completely rebuilt it from the ground up. The front driver-size wheel flew off and over a hill while I was about to trade it in due to the engine slowly fading. FUN!
2. 1996 Chevrolet S-10 - A two wheel drive truck didn't fit me too well, so upon Jake turning 16, he inherited it. I chose to finance a used car in the meanwhile.
3. 1999 Ford ZX2 - A quick trip to the family excavation business during college made me realize that this isn't the vehicle for me. It was an awesome blue color so - I chose to keep it (mom liked it) and I bought another Ranger.
4. 1999 Ford Ranger 4x4 - My first extended cab vehicle! It was completely paid off at the time I decided I needed to get a Mustang.
5. 2002 Ford Mustang - This vehicle hung around for a good while before the payments became overwhelming shortly after my old man passed away (RIP). It also got t-boned by a dude who ran a stop sign before my shift started while I was working for the illustrious Calltech Communications, LLC. Let's pick it up from the accident.
6. 2003 Dodge Stratus - I got this little number as a rental for a few months while my 'stang was being repaired. It was easily my favorite vehicle ever. The mustang didn't handle the way the Stratus did, and was harder on gas. Unfortunately after two months the 'stang was back on the road.
7. 2002 Ford ZX2 - Another ZX2? For the love of God... This was the black one (sister wrecked the awesome blue one) and yeah, I had to use this for a greater portion of my college years (mom had the 'stang) since I needed to save on gas. It turns out that my old man was the primary borrower on the loan for this thing, so when he called it a life, so did the car.
   
8. 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 - Skip ahead a few years and the Mustang payment (I was using it again, mom took the ZX2) was too much for a kid who is working part-time at Canonsburg Hospital and knee deep in debt. So I traded out of the Mustang for a SUV for very little money.
9. 2000 Plymouth Neon LX - After replacing the entire intake system on the Grand Cherokee, I decided that the gas mileage in the V8 was too much for driving to Pittsburgh every day. Not to mention the transmission was SHOT in the Jeep. My old friends at Three Rivers Volkswagen (remember the guys who almost hired me?) hooked me up with a Neon for very, very little money and my trade, of course. To this day, I thank the stars that they had that Neon as my Jeep would have certainly died in a week.
10. 2007 Dodge Caliber R/T - The Neon was good to me, probably the best out of all the vehicles. Intermittent stallings coupled with an odometer that read 82,953 at the end of it's time with me, scared me enough to plead with Rotolo's to get me approved for SOMETHING. Well, they pulled through with flying colors. When they first showed me the vehicle, I told em "Ain't no way I'm driving a wagon." but then I got to drive it. This thing is loaded to the TEETH. Its even got an Autostick - a huge plus since I was torn between getting a 5-speed (to save gas) rather than sticking with an automatic. In all, I couldn't be more happy, and the price was low enough that I could add two more years onto the warranty comfortably. Hopefully this will be the last in a long line of vehicles. Even more hopefully, it'll be the most reliable of them all.

There. Reliable in a nutshell. I'm also realizing that a few other things are reliable. Here's a very short list:

• Rollo not being on time for anything, ever.
• Satellite Radio
• Crock & Murph episodes without guests
• Payday (thank God)
• Pregnancies (babies havin' babies, daily)
• Excellent Friends
  

I hope you can take something out of this and appreciate anything reliable in your life. Hug a friend. Kick an enemy. Call your mom. Appreciate what you got.