Sunday, September 13, 2009

Vehicle Report #2

You know how racehorses are named with phrases, things like "Hot Little Number" or "Sail on Sunshine"? I've decided to name the Volvo the same way, it's name is now "My Life Savings". We'll call it "Mary" for short.

Mary is getting around 25 mpg. Her odometer read 111633 Saturday morning. Her check engine light came back on shortly after the last repairs, but has mysteriously turned off. The funny melted plastic smell at start up, the loud exhaust and the strange whining sound when we accelerate are still with us.

The AC/DC adapter we bought for $55 at a RadioShack south of Chicago fell apart and then melted when I put it back together (apparently incorectly). So we are now without means to charge laptops on the road, which means we're singing the choruses of songs and mumbling the verses to pass the time on the road. We looked into a replacement radio, but the slot isn't compatible with most car stereos and all car stereos are over $100 because they play CDs, even though what we (and anyone with an Ipod) needs is just a radio receiver, ideally with a headphone jack input. These would likely sell well, but you can't justify charging more than $25 for them, so nobody is manufacturing them. Our goal is to find a thrift store and buy an ill-fitting cheap stereo and get the adapter/connectors for it from radio shack.

We've slept in Mary 3 times, including last night. Sandwich tally: Kate 4, Ben 3. Jars of salsa consumed: 4. The windsheild wipers stick, the TRACS light comes on and off intermittedly, the AC came on and wouldn't turn off once. We spent hours getting lost in Boston/Cambridge this afternoon. Somehow this city (unlike every other city in the nation) does not have a wealth of cafes with free internet, and when you do find one, there is no parking near it, and then when you drive out of the city a little way you get to these weird roundabouts and crooked-ass streets, and boutiques and fancy cafes with no internet at all. Today has been a pretty hurnsy fucking day. But the show tonight looks like it's going to be GREAT!

2 comments:

  1. Hey guys,
    Obvioulsy I haven't seen the show....yet (stonefly). But, I have been following the blog. I am sorry to hear about the car being such a pain in ass. I hope the external problems aren't ruining your experiences on this grand adventure. I wish you the best as you continue, and am proud to know such dedicated and interesting artists as you two are. Much love to you both.
    Jason Hames

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Hames,

    We spent the day at Egan's today, you'll be glad to hear that there's still a red stain on his basement floor.

    ReplyDelete