My Day

[OzzyKP]

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to bother with going in to the office today or work from home, but since school was canceled and our interns (Luke & Spencer ftw) didn't have school they were coming in to the office. So I had to go too.

Didn't have any real issues getting to work. I had to dig out my car and deal with ****ty DC drivers who act like they've never seen snow before every fricken winter. And the stupid government around here who does a piss poor job cleaning the streets. But besides that, it was fine.

Put in a good day at the office, got a lot of stuff done, etc. Come home only to discover... my locks are frozen. Crap. I just went through this YESTERDAY. Ugh. Frozen again. It was above freezing this morning, everything was warm and melting, so I didn't think there would be a problem. But I was frozen out again.

Yesterday after struggling with my doors for a while (another fun story) a friendly neighbor came out of his house with two buckets of hot water to poor on my door and unfreeze my locks. This time, I was in the metro parking lot (and good thing too, that same neighbor would have thought I was an idiot if I had my locks freeze in front of his house two days in a row). So I went in to the metro office and asked the guy if he had hot water. The only container he had though was a 12 oz water bottle. I tried it, it didn't work, and no doubt that water just made the lock freeze more.

Since I was out of ideas at this point, and I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, I decided to go help this guy a few cars down who was stuck in the ice and the snow. He had his car lowered (ya know, cause it is cool) which doesn't help when you get plowed into a parking space. So after a bit of struggling I was finally able to push him out of his space.

He was a really nice guy, and said there was no way he was gonna leave me locked outside of my car after I helped him, so he drove me to the gas station to find some lock deicer. No dice. The gas station didn't have anything. So this nice guy drove me like 10 minutes to the nearest auto parts store. I bought a can of lock deicer, he drove me back to the metro lot, I thanked him profusely and he drove off.

So I go to my car and.... the nossle on my can of deicer is broken. It is totally useless and unuseable. UGH.

By this time I've been there almost an hour, and I'm an hour late for tutoring. I called them and explained my situation. The guy I tutor for's dad offered to drive out to get me.

While I was waiting I helped push out another two cars.

My tutee arrived with a can of WD40 and a kitchen lighter. Neither did any good.

So they just drove me back to their house, I tutored for an hour, they made me dinner (and hot cocoa). And I was gonna just have them drop me off at home and I'd worry about my car later when it warmed up, but his dad said it wasn't supposed to warm up until Monday... ugh.

So we filled 3 buckets of hot water and drove back out to the metro lot. Finally, at long last, my lock was unfrozen! It opened! Yay!!

Not only was I an hour late for my tutoring, but I was an hour late for a housemate interview that started at 8. I was lucky the guy was still there, so I had a chance to talk to him. In fact I didn't even get a chance to take off my coat, as soon as I walked in the door I was there with my housemates talking to my potential new roomie. He and my housemate Cora both seem to be talkers, so they didn't finish till 11.

So this is the first time I've actually fully gotten home and sat down all day. Ugh. Happy Valentines Day to me.

[Harry Tuttle]

I shoveled 4 feet of snow, all the way down my driveway. Eat me.

[Kuciwalker]

wtf pekka?

[Drake Tungsten]

How the hell do your locks freeze? I've never had that happen before.

[PuddlewatchHQ]

Drain the door.

Drain the door. Drain holes in the bottom of car doors can get clogged. Make sure they aren't clogged or well you're going to be a very frustrated driver. Something sounds off with those locks. Get them looked at.

editted for clarity

[-Jrabbit]

Ah, complaining about the idiots who can't deal with the snow and cold, yet flummoxed by the fact that water freezes. And yet, solving the problem by pouring hot water in the locks. Two days in a row. When it won't get above freezing until Monday.

And you were so close with the Good Samaritan de-icer! Next time, check the nozzle, I guess. I agree you should have the locks checked.

Tough day, Ozzy. Ain't nature grand?

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
How the hell do your locks freeze? I've never had that happen before.

Then obviously it doesn't get cold enough where ever you've lived. I've had it happen a couple of times here in Reno. Frickin' annoying is what it is.

[Drake Tungsten]

Then obviously it doesn't get cold enough where ever you've lived.

Dude, it's 4º outside right now. -10 with the wind. Supposed to get down to below zero/-20 by morning...

[DRoseDARs]

Consider yourself lucky that you HAVEN'T had this happen to you yet, certainly not multiple times.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
How the hell do your locks freeze? I've never had that happen before.

I guess it depends on the car. Maybe the new-fangled electric locks don't freeze, I dunno. But they sure as hell do in THABOAT. I think they are working fine, this is just something that happens with older cars.

1989 Mercury Grand Marquis:

[OzzyKP]

My baby :

[PuddlewatchHQ]

Yeah that's a boat allright.

I was about to suggest a new lock but after learning its an 89 i'm just going to suggest a new car. And a fixed trunk mount for the antenna. One of the clamp mounts that goes underneath the trunk. Mag mounts scratch the paint way to much.

[Drake Tungsten]

Consider yourself lucky that you HAVEN'T had this happen to you yet, certainly not multiple times.

I don't know anyone who has...

[PuddlewatchHQ]

Living in NY i've only had my locks freeze

three times in about a couple decades. It doesn't happen often but it always seems to happen at some of the most inconvenient times. I'd be surprised if after this cold snap you had another problem with lock freeze for the rest of this winter. But well this has been an unpredicable winter for weather.

[OzzyKP]

Re: Yeah that's a boat allright.

Originally posted by PuddlewatchHQ
I was about to suggest a new lock but after learning its an 89 i'm just going to suggest a new car. And a fixed trunk mount for the antenna. One of the clamp mounts that goes underneath the trunk. Mag mounts scratch the paint way to much.

Heh, I've got a transmission that is nearly shot, I don't care about a little scratched paint (or dings & dents). The above pictures are several years old, she is starting to show her age now. I could keep her up, and one day I hope to, but finances are just too tight to do so.

I do hope to fix the car up eventually and keep it running as long as possible. Maybe get historical plates on it one day.

But if that isn't realistic, then I'll just drive her till the wheels fall off. Its the only car I've ever owned, I've had it since I was 16 (I'm 25 now). I'm in no hurry to replace it.