It's Brake Time!

This weekend has been exhausting even though it feels kinda like we didn't get much done even though we did.

Yesterday we got the screw removed from the tire. They were able to repair it, and we didn't even have to pay a service charge thanks to the warranty, thank God.

It might not seem like that's much, but it kinda is. Had to drive all the way around the mountain to sit around for about two or more hours in a place where they didn't have AC they had swamp coolers and with the setting sun directly on the windows, the swamp coolers weren't doing that great.

Today we worked on the truck. We wanted to replace the front right rotor and barrings and the front left brake pads, as well as replace the stupid tiny hose that's leaking on the water pump. Well, we got all but the water hose done. We were just too exhausted.

After half an hour or so of showering using dawn dish soap to scrub all the brake dust off, we were thoroughly exhausted and totally done for the day.

Just finished watching The Sorcerer's Apprentice as it happened to come on on a cable channel tonight. I don't really care how people feel about Nicholas Cage, I'm able to enjoy his movies whether his acting is good or not (for the most part -- Ghost Rider did pretty much suck). And I do rather think he played this particular part well.

So this photo is of the brake pad that was removed on December 5th, when I blipped our truck up on the jack stands. The brake pad is on the rotor with a nice big chunk missing from it, and we replaced the rotor today.

I'll just give you a moment to stare in horror and wonder how the hell we're still alive.

After working on both front brakes on the truck, we took it for a test drive. Oh my God, it's hard to even try to explain the huge difference the work we did today made. The vehicle stops on a dime, well, not quite, but as much on a dime as a large pickup truck can stop. After all, it's a very large and heavy vehicle, and momentum is a thing, after all.

But it stops so much better. I'm not nearly as worried about B driving to and from work in it now. And when I was driving it (First time I've driven since getting back from Alabama, and first time I got to test our work immediately after completing it -- and I drove it before B did!) it definitely felt much better to drive. Less nerve-wracking. Much better response from the vehicle, much less force necessary to brake.

We only have $5 to live off until Friday (I'm posting this late Sunday night) and maybe not enough gas to get B back and forth to work for five days, but our truck is now safe to drive, and that's incredibly important, all things considered.

I'm really tired, so I'm gonna go try to pass out now.

Love you all. Take care.