Minor Win thread - Life is good!

Wife just messaged me at work to let me know the new central air unit is in and operating. After the 90+ temps last week with no ac im happy as hell its done before we heat back up this weekend. Worth every penny.

Minor win after T-shirt near-disaster!

Was bold (stupid) enough to wash a bunch of T-shirts with the top blanket (blue) off the bed. Two of my three Classic Motorsports shirts, my "I heart (where heart is shaped like the Nordschleife) Sabine" shirt, and a Bouncing Souls shirt a friend gave me were all light blue. Or a color I think Eddie Izzard referred to as "pants in wash".

Bleach to the rescue. They all appear back to normal. Whew.

I just got back from a periodic cystoscope checking my bladder for cancer. Doc said it was "clean as a whistle". At least that's what my wife Sadi he said. I think of some of my friends here who haven't been so fortunate and it makes me feel both sad and guilty.

Today I was cutting locks off some lockers whose users had long since left the facility. Found an ID from 12 years ago and 5 bucks. She bought me lunch!

$17 worth of heater hose fixed my rear suspension squeaks, and it looks like a $12 isolator pad will fix my uneven toe issue without needing realignment. Potentially fixing $200 worth of problems with $29 worth of parts sounds like a win to me.

I can't believe I got those bolts out!

Welp, it looks like I'm back in the land of the employed.

Its been 4 months after separating from the military. My "plan A" fell through so my "plan b" was to move back home. It turns out that you need money to live, so I ended up moving back in with the parental units (at 36 ). Its been a E36 M3ty 4 months; trying to survive on my tiny VA compensation and generally feeling like a complete failure.

I saw a "help wanted" ad on CL for a local garage needing a lube tech/helper/grease monkey. I apparently impressed the owner because the initial response was "we will call you in a week to do an interview" to "can you come in today for that interview?" to "can you start on Monday?". It starts out at $10/hr but I will also be working their tow/recovery side of the house which is 40% commission. It might not be much but at least I can get back on my feet and get a place of my own.

And buy more project cars

Got to finally play with the plasma cutter today, and it works on my E36 M3ty little compressor!

Coolest toy EVER.

RevRico wrote: Got to finally play with the plasma cutter today, and it works on my E36 M3ty little compressor! Coolest toy EVER.

Which one did you get? I borrowed one of these from a friend a few weeks ago and loved it. $269 Plasma Cutter that works just as well as a more expensive one. Planning to pick one up for myself soon given the price!

In reply to AWSX1686:

Eastwood versa cut 60 amp.

Went on one day sale the day before my birthday, so I sent the link to my friend and we split the price. It just lives at my house because he doesn't have 240v, which I think is a win in itself.

I now have a timeframe. I've got 3 years to figure out every loophole, regulation, and law involved in "remodeling" my house where it sits. That is when money will be available, and about the limits of what we can handle with living here. That will also mark 40 years since purchase, conveniently enough.

And now I can start figuring out a floor plan, electrical/plumbing needs, weatherproof and insulation, and how to do it all for under $60k. I genuinely believe it's possible to do, because I don't know how bad of shape my slab is in.

I'm calling this a temporary win, because I imagine the headache and logistics in this long term project are going to turn into a major rant before it's all done.

Picked up a welder off craigslist 2 weekends ago. Haven't gotten to try it out yet, but it is very exciting!

In reply to stanger_missle:

Kick ass!

Just finalized a bunch of code in a language that was developed and released when I was in elementary school, talking to three different databases, plus a large school bus sized one off robotic system, that makes decisions on the fly and then reports them.

It works. Yeah that is scary. Yes I am going to have my one beer for the month tonight after the Gym.

The used eBay kenwood hd radio receiver i got has Bluetooth. Ive never used Bluetooth before, or hands free anything. Works perfect! And is easy enough for my luddite ass to use. Even voice dials!

Corgi puppy on the brewery patio.

I got a call this morning for a customer stuck on a malfunctioning wheelchair lift. I was able to lower the customer quickly without getting too greasy, then I looked and saw I was next to Chik Fil A and it was the first time I was in the area and the line wasn't out the door. I finally got to try it, and get cleaned up in a bathroom that didn't didn't have anyone living in it.

I don't have to go to work tomorrow. I have a n actual capital W Weekend.

Our $4100 ER bill was reduced to $410. I'm counting that as a major win.

I spent more than a week convinced that the engine in my Tacoma was toast. A new truck wasn't an option, but I figured that I would have to spend at least $6k-$8k to find something to replace it. In a last ditch attempt to save it, I changed a timing chain tensioner and upgraded the alternator while it was out.

The death rattle is now gone. I think I'm going to reward myself with some new tools.

I have now given away 4 full truckloads of crap. Im finally starting to see floors and shelves and workbenches and shed space again.

The win? All of it is useful to the people who took it. Nothing has gone to the dump except for empty boxes.

I was able to run home for a few minutes from vbs today.

Return line in the duster no longer leaks!!!

My town's first Harbor Freight store is opening in the next few weeks.

All the guys I work with at the shop are equally excited

I've been dreading renewing my license because of wait times at the DMV.

Maryland does the best they can with this though, and has a pretty decent website that allows you to pre-register and check local DMV wait times.

Closest one was over an hour wait, the one an hour away was only 15 minutes...but didn't want to drive there because it's kind of a clusterberk in the rain. Then I decide to try the other neighboring county, where it's just a ten minute longer drive but only a ten minute wait.

Anyway, I got there and found the staff helpful and barely had time to get comfy on my bench before being called up and getting my license renewed in a couple minutes. I took the scenic route home and probably was nearly halfway home before I even would've been called to the counter at my local DMV.

I successfully heat shrunk rear window tint on dads tracker. Only two small creases. All 3 back pieces of glass are done.

And i got a brand new pistol, with a carton of ammo, for $250 from a friend of his.