Off topic: Pros & Cons of my day(s)

[Wife'nHubby]

I'm in a slump today, ignore my rant if you think it's posted in the wrong forum.

Pro: Just hauled in about 2 cord of hickory rounds
Con: The house roof is leaking

Pro: Have around 1-1/2 cord of well seasoned silver maple and around 2-1/2 cord of elm will be well seasoned for next year
Con: Rear brakes went out in my SUV yesterday (totally wasted, repair cost $1,000, calipers, rotors, pads, etc.) - hmm, been smelling something like rubber burning the last couple of weeks....

Pro: Have around 2+ cords of locust & hard maple to split for next season
Con: Mechanic working on my truck says he found something else wrong in my truck's rear end (cost unknown)

Pro: Hubby is doing well
Con: We get more phone calls from collection agencies than we do from family.

Pro: Interfaith is coming out Saturday to shovel dirt around where the sewer line went in our front yard
Con: Still owe the plumber around $4,500

Pro: Sears has a good sale on the refrigerators this week
Con: Good thing they do as ours took a dump

Pro/Con: Wind storm blew some aluminum trim off the house but I found the piece.

Pro: Good day to work outside today
Con: Feeling my age today

(change that sign to "Give Me Bailey's Irish Creme"

Shari

 

[myzamboni]

Keep your head up! Just imagine if you had the truck repairs and didn't already have the wood?

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Yeah, I know. At least a 'pro' is we will be warm next year.

Shari

 

[just a dave]

Pro/Con: Wind storm blew some aluminum trim off the house but I found the piece.

Pro- scrap aluminum is about 55 cents a lb

Con- there's only about 17 cents worth

 

[savageactor7]

You still have your health...that's a very good thing.

 

[LumberjkChamp]

I am sorry to hear of your recent string of bad luck that cast a shadow on all of your good fortune. As stated above, your health is very important.

Also, $1000 for a brake overhaul caught my attention- seems pretty steep. Why do you need new calipers? Are the seals leaking? You can sometimes get reconditioned calipers for a resonable fee in exchange for your old ones. And, if you're lucky (which you seem to be right now) you can get rebuild kits which are very easy to install. An automotive repair shop's cost for rotors and pads shouldn't really exceed $40 a piece and $30 per pair, respectively. That and not much more than a couple hours labor you should be out of there for around $300. Some shops will also let you purchase parts yourself and they will just charge labor to put them on. I hate to hear of good people such as yourself being potentially taken advantage of.

 

[CWME]

I am sorry to hear of your recent string of bad luck that cast a shadow on all of your good fortune. As stated above, your health is very important.

Also, $1000 for a brake overhaul caught my attention- seems pretty steep. Why do you need new calipers? Are the seals leaking? You can sometimes get reconditioned calipers for a resonable fee in exchange for your old ones. And, if you're lucky (which you seem to be right now) you can get rebuild kits which are very easy to install. An automotive repair shop's cost for rotors and pads shouldn't really exceed $40 a piece and $30 per pair, respectively. That and not much more than a couple hours labor you should be out of there for around $300. Some shops will also let you purchase parts yourself and they will just charge labor to put them on. I hate to hear of good people such as yourself being potentially taken advantage of.

:agree2: Brakes should not be that expensive.

Cheer up, you have your wood home already I am 3/4 of the way through clearing a lot and my brakes went. I have to fix the truck now before I can get the rest of my wood

 

[Wife'nHubby]

I guess I was just venting fellas. Normally I just go 'ho hum, another day' but today was the corker with the brakes. I've been noticing very little 'coast' when I'd take my foot off the gas pedal but didn't put 2 and 2 together that it might be a brake problem. There was no warning squeak or anything just all of a sudden on Sunday there was a terrible scraping coming from the passenger rear tire area which I just assumed was brakes. Turns out the bill was a tad over $1,100 but he did all 4 sets. One rear and one front caliper were hung up - and the fronts were just done about 1-1/2 yrs. ago. We put on less than 8,000 miles per yr. so who knows what happened. Turns out there was nothing else wrong with the truck so at least that put a little sunshine back in my day.

Sorry for venting guys - it has just been a bummer week.

Shari

 

[s37d]

That dark cloud seems to be lingering around longer than it should with us too. My father got laid off recently, which is kind of why I joined this forum. We got a wood stove and I helped him this winter by learning how to use the saw and gathering as much wood as I could for him to save money on heat. That part in your post about the collection agencies...we can relate. I've had a few $500 repair jobs on my car over the past 6 months, just when I needed a break from repair costs. I just hope this economy turns around sometime soon, but with our current "leader", I'm not too hopeful.

 

[kyle1!]

Turns out the bill was a tad over $1,100 but he did all 4 sets. One rear and one front caliper were hung up - and the fronts were just done about 1-1/2 yrs. ago. We put on less than 8,000 miles per yr. so who knows what happened.

No wonder the public looks at auto mechanics like they do. Next time ask on AS there probably is someone who would come over and do your brakes for a pizza. I know I would if you were closer. A set of shoes and pads <$100 and a caliper and a brake wheel cylinder <$100 depending on what you drive.

Brian