Policeman: What's in the car? Turkish : Seats and a steering wheel.

oh man, where to begin.....
so in the grand iverson tradition i've been having nothing but car problems since i've moved to simi valley. this should surprise no one that knows me, that's simply part of my persona, the guy with the car stories. anyways, the latest adventure involves a fire extinguisher, which is always a sign of a great car story. to keep things fun, and since i haven’t done one in a while i'll just do a top ten list of the stuff that has been wrong with my ride in the past few weeks.

10. one of the headlights went out, then mysteriously came back on halfway home
9. the paint is getting rusty in several spots
8. it's treating coolant like i treat pepsi
7. the shocks in the back are going to have to be replaced before too long
6. temperature gauge is on the fritz
5. needs new tags
4. needs a smog check (to get the new tags)
3. needs a new muffler (to pass the smog check)
2. the rear brakes were not put on properly last week, resulting in them not releasing from the rotors, resulting in a lot of smoke yesterday when i pulled into my apt complex, which resulted in me having to put the smoke out with a fire extinguisher, and having to rent a trailer to tow my truck back to camarillo where the brakes and work are under warranty and are being worked on as we speak (so i can take it to go get a new muffler)
1. the steering column is broken, so i have to hotwire my car anytime i have to go anywhere

hotwiring a car is actually kind of fun. it's almost like having an anti theft device. either that or its doing half the work for any would be thieves. oh well, if it gets stolen i'll let them take care of the aforementioned top ten list.

the only thing that really bugs me about the car stuff is the timing. i still haven't got my office set up and going since i've had to spend the last three work days pretty much focusing on my truck. it's a little frustrating. the good thing is that this may be the motivation to look over my finances again and look into getting a new car. the only problem is i really love my truck, and i know i'm not going to be happy in some new car (which is all that i'll be able to afford) that's too small and wimpy. this is one of the biggest vehicles i've owned and really seems to fit my personality better than a jetta ever could. does that count for anything?

some other silver lining about all of this is i have been able to rely on my preacher and elders here, and they have been nothing but extremely helpful and giving when it comes to helping me with all the truck issues. good people those simi folks....

other cool stuff... i finally picked up the keys to my new apt today. i'm not exactly sure when i'll move my stuff in, but i have a key in hand to my own place in my own name. i know this isn't a big deal to most people, but it is my first time, and i really am stoked. along with having a key to my own place, i am really feeling at home here in simi. i def miss seeing topgun girl around, and all my other san diego compadres, but the people and the town here are unreal at making me feel welcome. simi may even beat out tulsa as easiest city to get around. not a huge deal but it makes all the mexican hole in the wall restaurants easy to find and get to. they even have a surf shop in town. i haven't been able to go yet, but that time will be approaching shortly.

there's a lot more to say, but it's getting time to head out for work. i've got dinners every night for a few weeks with different families, and i've got to pick my truck up before i head out.

oh yeah, i've been meeting all of these kids and they've been asking me to tell college stories, which has me thinking about and missing my oc familia. one love and one heart to all of ya'll once again.