Some of the faithful readers of this meager blog might be wondering, “Where has Jacob gone?”  I had made it regular practice to post at least once a day, excepting weekends.  It has now been 13 days since my last post.  Sadly, my reading and translation has been as dormant as my blog.

Remember on February 7th when I unwisely bragged about my Weekend Warrior DIY Project?  While owning a Honda Civic might mean that I instantly become a mechanic, it doesn’t mean my mechanic(ing) powers are all that great.  Sure, I successfully installed the upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, and flushed the system, but I was not capable of diagnosing the following:

• Missing Wheel Bearings
• Dry Rotten Arm Bushings
• Oil Leak
• New Timing Belt
• New Water Pump
• Leaking Radiator
• Bad Aux Fan
• Break Pads

So…my car has been a great stressor as it has been in and out of the shop for about a month now.  As if this wasn’t enough, Mary Beth’s car needed new break pads and had some noises from the front axels.  When I took it in, I thought that these were the only issues that needed to be addressed.  It turned out that these were the least of our concerns.  Here is the list…just in case you are interested:

• Front driver’s and passenger’s side axels
• Oil pan leak
• Oil leak in the front or back (cannot remember where the second leak was)
• Break pads
• Rotors
• Hydraulic Leak
• Coolant Flush
• Break Flush

All of this came out to a rather sizeable but managable estimate…with one exception…the transmission is starting to go.  Any time you accelerate up a hill in a lower gear, the transmission starts to slip.  Well, with 180,000+ miles on the Nissan Sentra, it was time to bite the bullet and replace it.

The last couple of weeks have been dominated by trips to the mechanic and trips to both used and new car dealerships.  My time has also been consumed by extensive internet research on available cars in the area as well as consumer reports on said cars.  Finally, Mary Beth and I have been making do with one vehicle…I drive her to Durham from our home in Holly Springs, then I drive to work in Raleigh, then back to Durham in order to pick up back up from work, and finally return home in Holly Springs.

But, despite all this, it seems as if life is starting to settle down.  Today we finished purchasing a replacement vehicle for Mary Beth.  Tonight I will pick up the Civic from the shop.  Tomorrow I will detail the cars.  Monday, I will be back to reading, translating, and blogging.

Through all of this, we have simply learned to roll with the punches. 

Oh, before I forget, is anyone out there interested in a 1996 Nissan Sentra with 180,000+ miles on it.  Car is beautiful and runs great.  Best of all, I can give an unbeatable price!  Hit me up in the comments if you are interested 😉