Can we talk about things crapping out again?
Because it is seriously a weekly occurrence in my life. On a recent Home Depot trip on Monday night I was passing the clearance section and spied a cordless phone system, 2 handsets, answering machine, for a recession-worthy price of $37. Now, our old one, has 3 handsets, one of which doesn't work because Nikki chewed the antenna part back in 2004, the second one doesn't charge properly anymore so you'll be in mid-conversation with someone and the phone will just DIE and you can't even get the dial-tone (so you have to run downstairs to get the other handset to answer the person calling you back). This left us with one working handset which is annoying in a 2-story house. This has been the situation for at least 6 months. So I snagged the system (which, by the way, at Target the same one was $84). I hook it up and the phone jack STOPS WORKING. This leaves us with only one easily accessible jack to plug the phone into which is in the garage. Yeah, phone in the garage. Luckily, last night, I was able to work my mojo with a new jack, wired it up, and it's working (woo hoo! and I didn't get shocked - turns out you can touch bare wires of phone lines - at least the ones I touched).
That was the minor crap out which was easily remedied for about 6 bucks. Unfortunately, the following crap outs will not be fixed for 6 effing bucks:
(1) Receiver of our audio system periodically shuts off and won't turn on until you get off the couch and WHACK THE TOP OF IT. Yay for technology. It's a Harmon Kardon, too. At least it lasted 10+ years. But still. This was not on my list of things I was planning on buying any time soon.
(2) The TV, which The Husband calls his Engagement Gift. Back story: he insisted that if I was going to get an engagement ring that he should get a TV (silly argument since diamonds have lasting value as an asset, a TV does not). Fine. We bought the TV, a 42" plasma that isn't even HD because at the time, in late 2004, a 42" HD plasma TV was $2500, and there was no way in hell I could agree to that. Still, at $1800 it was hardly cheap. Fast-forward 4.5 years later and it appears we are already losing plasma. We discovered a little spot last night that is green-ish and stays that way regardless of what is happening on screen. It's minor in the sense that it doesn't affect "watch-ability," but I suspect it will probably get worse. Hopefully not anytime soon.
(3) The doozy of all crap-outs that can't be remedied by whacking it or ignoring the green spot is my car's wheel bearings. I think the 2 years I spent driving the Ortega Highway (which some folks refuse to drive, as it's a ridiculously curvy mountain road with some points having no guard-rail) to work took a toll on my vehicle. Replacing wheel bearings is around $500. J, M, and also J (Jesus, Mary, and also Joseph).
(4) The Husband's check engine light came on yesterday and it's yapping about the Throttle Positioning Sensor (TPS). Again. The car drives fine, so I am reluctant to get it fixed right away seeing as my wheel bearings being shot is actually kind of a dangerous situation if I let it sit for too long (it's already been a month).
Did I mention I am tired of things crapping out on me? Did I mention my pockets are not bottomless? [sigh]
That was the minor crap out which was easily remedied for about 6 bucks. Unfortunately, the following crap outs will not be fixed for 6 effing bucks:
(1) Receiver of our audio system periodically shuts off and won't turn on until you get off the couch and WHACK THE TOP OF IT. Yay for technology. It's a Harmon Kardon, too. At least it lasted 10+ years. But still. This was not on my list of things I was planning on buying any time soon.
(2) The TV, which The Husband calls his Engagement Gift. Back story: he insisted that if I was going to get an engagement ring that he should get a TV (silly argument since diamonds have lasting value as an asset, a TV does not). Fine. We bought the TV, a 42" plasma that isn't even HD because at the time, in late 2004, a 42" HD plasma TV was $2500, and there was no way in hell I could agree to that. Still, at $1800 it was hardly cheap. Fast-forward 4.5 years later and it appears we are already losing plasma. We discovered a little spot last night that is green-ish and stays that way regardless of what is happening on screen. It's minor in the sense that it doesn't affect "watch-ability," but I suspect it will probably get worse. Hopefully not anytime soon.
(3) The doozy of all crap-outs that can't be remedied by whacking it or ignoring the green spot is my car's wheel bearings. I think the 2 years I spent driving the Ortega Highway (which some folks refuse to drive, as it's a ridiculously curvy mountain road with some points having no guard-rail) to work took a toll on my vehicle. Replacing wheel bearings is around $500. J, M, and also J (Jesus, Mary, and also Joseph).
(4) The Husband's check engine light came on yesterday and it's yapping about the Throttle Positioning Sensor (TPS). Again. The car drives fine, so I am reluctant to get it fixed right away seeing as my wheel bearings being shot is actually kind of a dangerous situation if I let it sit for too long (it's already been a month).
Did I mention I am tired of things crapping out on me? Did I mention my pockets are not bottomless? [sigh]
I feel most bad about the TV. It all sucks but TV is the warm and fuzzy you come home to at the end of a long day.
ReplyDeleteWell, it is like you are living my parents problems instead of a young 30 something's problems. Shouldn't everything you own be new and working properly? Why are your gadgets middle aged?
Yeah, it seems like we've been staring down a long line of 'misc' costs here latey. Sick. Of. It.
ReplyDeleteI'm with 'ya! Both cars need work all the sudden. And the Jeep needs to go to the dealership b/c the regular mechanic can't fix it! No more Jeeps for me...to many little problems.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the receiver would hurt the most b/c our last one costs 1K and I don't care one iota about surround sound...so for me it was unseen money. The TV...ya, that sucks.