The New American Digest

submitted by Anne via Comments

I am a pretty calm gal. Don’t usually get upset–just try to take things in my stride as they used to say.
HOWEVER, when DH and I met (1981) he was driving a 1974 or 1975 two door Saab. We had that car until 1988. Gads I hated that car–no power steering, an absence of comfort that would have made a Swedish Lutheran pastor feel noble!

We moved to Seattle, and that thing began to not like to start. One day right down there on the main street that goes by the Ballard Locks, “we” (the car and I) had a nervous breakdown. I stopped at a red light–it just stopped. In the back seat was one of those rubber headed mallets. I popped the hood and began pounding on everything–anything–whatever I could reach!

Fortunately (or not), I was stalled in front of the woodworking shop, and the men there saw what was going on. One of them came out to explain that I was not using the appropriate strategy for restarting the car. He was very nice, and I cooled off a little. He didn’t get too close until I put the mallet down! Cars were honking as they had to pull around me and go into the oncoming traffic, just to proceed with their own lives! He got it started, and I jumped in and held the gas down while he shut the lid. DH finally got rid of that socialist piece of crap!

We had it for the two years before when we lived in West Texas. Everytime we left town and headed toward Montana we could only get as far as Ft. Sumner New Mexico before it just shut down. It would eat that west Texas dust and fill up that piece of equipment that you only access by taking all the luggage out of the trunk. There was a great Navajo kid who worked at the only gas station in that town. He got so used to us he was like family!

Oh, can’t forget to tell you that after we got rid of all the Texas dust we would continue our drive north to Montana, and every time we hit Casper we had to spend the night in the cheapest possible motel so DH could take something else apart, and clean it out, and put it back together.

One year on the way home for Christmas we parked in a covered parking lot at a hotel in Billings. Had two cases of Texas Red Grapefruit packed on the back seat for family Christmas presents. The temperature dropped down to -30 something that night. When we finally got home to Missoula the next day the grapefruit in the back seat were frozen solid ! Did I tell you the heater and the thing (defroster) that is supposed to keep the windows clear were not working together? Can you imagine how cold it got in that car!

Now maybe you understand why I finally broke down and took the rubber mallet to the carburetor, or the engine block, or whatever the H*LL else I could reach that day in Seattle! 🙂

Pray for us!

by SnakepitKansas via comments

Many, many years ago after my first divorce I had a well worn Datsun 210. I had the money in my pocket for NET worth only. I had driven from Wichita to Dayton to visit my folks, and was most of the way back to Wichita. This car as wrung out and I do not recall how many gobs of miles on it. I pulled into a gas station in Kansas City to fill up and afterward, the car would not start. Starter would not energize and spin. Nada, nucan wala, nothing. I’m 200 miles/four hours from home, it is late in the day and I am broke as a joke and my car will not start sitting in front of the gas pump.

Here comes some elderly man. He says “Owners of this gas station are not fond of broken down vehicles”. He asked the situation and I told him. He nodded then told me to pop the hood and turn the ignition. He pulled a heavy wrench out of his pocket and tapped on the starter while I had the ignition switch. Starter engaged and the car fired up just fine. I had the car in park so I stepped out to thank this man but he was gone. Nowhere in sight. Poof.

OK, the starter was worn out but so was my wallet. I was working full time, living with an uncle and going to WSU one or two classes a semester when I had cash to pay up front. I had recently gotten a second job at a liquor store to help make some savings for school and a newer car. I do not do loans on a car but had no credit score, so that was not an option either. When you have to make it, you have to look inward and decide what you have to do.

TO DO: I drilled a hole in the firewall of the Datsun. Through that I ran a clothes line. One end of the rope attached to a ballpeen hammer that swung on a pully close to the starter. The other end of the rope reached inside the car. I could turn the ignition with my right hand and yank on the rope with my left hand to make the hammer swing to tap the starter. Car started every time. I did this for six months until I had enough cash to buy a used 1988 Mustang GT. What a car that was and certainly is a different story.

I eventually put in a rebuilt starter then sold the car for $200, but not before I shot it twice with a Colt Gubmint Model 45. True story and I would swear on that with upon a stack of Bibles.

submitted by illinoisbeekeeper
pictures taken Oct 2014 EXCEPT the one of the Switchbacks lifted from the internet

We traveled [the Burr Trail] mid-morning to about noon, the drive thru Long Canyon was mostly in shadow and the contrasting light and dark were fantastic

The road is (or was in 2014) fairly well maintained and paved EXCEPT where it crosses a corner of Canyonlands National Park

Gas up in Escalante or Torrey, there’s no gas in Boulder.

(also,  from near Boulder, to Escalante, is the Hells Backbone Road….but…….another time)

A few where-is-it reference maps. This is some remote country – at least the road is (relatively) well-travelled if you break down … but carry survival supplies (water. and some more water. a bit of food; maybe two spares. perhaps a book or two) just in case.

When God wants to talk with you …

Plane crash. What happened? Released flight pattern looks … sudden.

I wonder if those in the white car made it …

“we’re out of ti …“