So The Wifely Unit wanted to go out to brunch for Easter and had made some reservations for 10:30 this morning. As I had envisioned, I was sore as a motherfucker this morning from all the exertion yesterday, re-arranging the entire garage.
We head out and are supposed to meet The Kid and his girlfriend but of course they are running late because she didn’t have her shit together.
We finally got sat down, ordered had a nice meal and was working on dessert. The place had filled up after we had gotten there and everyone was just loud as hell for some reason.
Probably the never ending Mimosa’s they had along with their breakfast special.
One poor girl waitressing for over 30 people, she was getting run ragged and I felt for her.
Time seemed to fly by and as the rest of my group were starting to think about ordering shots of Tequila to wash it all down, I noticed that was already 1:00 in the afternoon.
Yeah, you guys do whatever the hell you want, I gotta go do the front brakes on The Wifely Unit’s hoopty.
So they all agreed that The Wife and our oldest boy would get a ride home with The Kid and his GF.
Works for me. I hauled ass outta there but had to stop and get gas on the way home first.
Have some sticker shock Phil.
Sweet Jesus, gas had gone up 75 cents in a week!
$85.50 for 19 gallons of Regular.
Fuck You Biden. Fucking Commie Bastard.
After that little ass raping, I ran home, got changed, opened up the garage door and started hauling tools out front.
Her car has been making grinding sounds for over a week and I was dreading pulling the wheels off to surely find no brake material and wasted rotors.
I already knew the back brakes are completely shot but I was hoping to save at least another $500 on the repair bill that Les Schwab was going to hand us next week because I am not doing the rear brakes again. My body can’t take it anymore and just replacing the front pads was going to push it.
I had to order the front pads yesterday because my parts store didn’t have them in stock so just in case, I called them to see of they had rotors in stock and yes they did.
I got everything laid out, pulled up my little Mechanics rolling stool that was my Dad’s and went to sit down to start in.
About half way down my legs just started screaming at me.
I finally just flopped down on the seat and then had to sit there with my eyes squeezed shut and my teeth clenched together while I rode out the massive wave of pain.
I’m telling ya, it sure felt good when it quit hurting.
Off with the hubcap and wheel and started taking a peek at the rotor on the driver’s side where it sounded like the grinding was coming from.
Looked good on the outside so I gently ran my finger across the back side. Miracle of miracles, it wasn’t eaten up.
Since the wife was home by then I ran up and bought the pads and skipped the new rotors.
It hurt like a bastard every time I had to get up and sit back down but I finally got both sides done.
Just, in time too.
Not much left there before it started eating the rotors.
We got our monies worth out of that set for sure.
I took it for a test drive, came back and popped off the left front plastic hubcap because I was hearing a chirp every time that wheel went around . Some of the retaining tabs have been broken for years and sometimes it makes noise as it rotates.
Took off again, no noise anymore and tested the brakes several times.
No more grinding from the front and no more chirping after I put the hubcap back on either.
Yay me.
Tomorrow it goes in for two new front tires, a complete rear brake job and then we will see if they come back with some front suspension/steering issues because it certainly needs an alignment too.
The inner edge of the drivers side front tire was worn pretty good but not dangerously so.
I had to take several breaks but I finally got everything put back away and then came in the house to collapse in my recliner.
I can’t wait to see how sore I’m going to be tomorrow, the second day is always the worst.
But for right now I can just chill out and enjoy the rest of a nice day.
Phil- I had to go take a Tylenol just from reading this. If your legs cramp, drink some pickle juice. No joke.
If you don’t like pickle juice, there is a product called LMNT. A dry powder you mix yourself. Replaces electrolytes. Unsolicited testimony from me, I ain’t got a dog in the fight. It seems to work for me.
I was so sore every time I did anything. I knew magnesium worked to soothe angry muscles years ago. My Dr. gave me IV magnesium. It’s vital to many functions, including detox of nasty stuff, of which I had plenty. Lead,mercury and several other things were very high. She got me functioning again. I finally started taking magnesium daily, up to bowel tolerance. When my gut was able to handle more, I took more. The last week I have been lifting, bending Doing much more and I’m able to get up without making noises and stand up straight and walk. I’ve been taking the magnesium religiously now for about three months. I’m seeing the benefits, Finally. The cramping in my legs at night is only a rare occurrence now. Supplements from Wal-Mart? Not for me. I go to a health food store. Solaray, Source Naturals,KAL, magnesium citrate is less expensive but finding Gut tolerance is Easy with that one. If you’re low on magnesium you will be crapping like a duck from small magnesium intake. I’m up to 350 mg/day of Source Naturals
Magtein. I moved nine forty pound bags of garden soil today and I’m Fine. A month ago I would be whining. It was magnesium Taurate that I used until a coupla weeks ago. I’m going back to it,it’s 400 mg in two capsules, the Magtein is Magnesium L-Threonate, 147 mg in three capsules. It was recommended because it is supposed to cross the Blood Brain Barrier. I’m gonna keep taking it along with the Taurate. I’ve never been a real fan of supplements, but I am now.
A Serving is not a capsule, it’s two or three, so read carefully.
Nolan Parker: thank you for the tips.
Phil – Have you also noticed that what you remember as one hour jobs take half a day and two days to recover from it?
Oh, my heart bleeds for you over the price of petrol. That $4.50 a US gallon works out to £0.94 a litre. Latest prices hereabouts are- cheapest (supermarket) £1.41, motorway services – £1.60.
Random note about a waitress working on a holiday: back in the days of dinosaurs my folks took college-student-me to a restaurant during the Christmas holiday season. Yep, they’re run ragged. Orders were placed via a speaker at the table. We got ours figured out and I hit the call box. I could see the waitress who answered from where I sat. After giving the order she asked if there was anything else and I said “Yes, Merry Christmas”. She lit up and was smiles all over. Just a few words that didn’t cost me a dime, but it was worth it to see someone’s day being made.
This getting old shit is just a barre of moneys. They’re not supposed to have ball peen hammers are they!? WHY DO THEY HAVE BALL PEEN HAMMERS!!???
You made it to the end of the effort, proof that getting old is not for wimps.
Stops hurting? Mine don’t do that. 16 years & counting. The good thing is that lesser pains don’t even make an impression anymore.
Oh, and I bought non-ethanol gas for the mowers. $4.65 a gallon, while regular is $3.05.
Gas is $3.29 and Diesel is $4.29 here in Georgia onion country. The truck is staying parked as it only gets 20mpg unloaded. Put a load on it and the mileage quickly drops. The wife’s car gets 30 mpg so we both drive it.
Before I start a car service/repair project I take an Motrin 800. The wife’s car has 66k on it and the original brakes. I have a set of front pads on order from Rockauto. I still need to replace the Pittman Arm, steering stabilizer and front shocks on the truck. It is a Superduty Diesel and I have had the death wobble twice. I have had the parts for two months but can’t find the time to work on the truck and it is going to need tires in the next 7500 miles.
Phil,
Put those new tires on the rear. I know it’s counter intuitive and contrary to common wisdom… but I work in R&D for the major remaining US tire maker, I get to see the test data.
New tires on the rear axle, no matter whether or not it’s the drive axle, maintains control in a hard turn or under hard breaking in wet conditions. You always want the deeper non-skid (tread depth) on the unsteered axle.
Good to know, thanks.