4/19/2014 [Discovery]

4/19/2014:

S: 7:21pm

E: 8:04pm

Today, I went to my church Easter event.  I want to write my discoveries because I feel it’s important.  There’s so much to write, mainly about the plot, that I don’t know how to write anymore.

To start, today was a semi-rainy day.  I had mixed feelings about that.  Part of me became happy because then it probably means the event may be cancelled.  That will give me more time to do my schoolwork.  But then, knowing D, they probably would have another alternative event planned.  I also thought since Easter isn’t really a Christian holiday, that probably God didn’t approve it so He made it rain.  Another side of me hoped the event could take place.  It would be a great experience not only for me but for my church community.  It would be good for the kids.  And, we spent a lot of time, especially D, on the preparations. 

I have to wake up early again today.  I feel like my life is changing… somewhat.  Yesterday, my HBSE (human behavior and social environment) group from class met to work on our pictoral assignments.  I suck at waking early.  I prefer to start my day later.  I feel like even though I value being alone, I am, probably through circumstances outside my control, becoming more social. 

I woke up early to take someone.  I made the time and, to a lesser extent, sacrifice, because it would be a good experience for that person.  Even though it was raining when I drove to his house, I am confident that we will have an Easter event.  At least, I am still going to show up at church at 8:30am and report and try. 

To save gas, I now listen to my music not on my car stero, unless I’m carrying passengers, then they can listen to some positivity encouraging Christian music, but from my mp3 player.  In the beginning it was rough because I would turn my car on first and then “oops, I forgot to turn on my mp3 player,” so I fumbled with getting my music player ready while the car engine is still running.  I probably use more gas in the beginning, but I got better.  The music quality is also much better.  I am less disturbed by the outside traffic and environment. 

So today, while getting there, my car hydroplaned.  It hydroplaned at 15-25mph.  I mean seriously?  My car tires actually hydroplaned and I lost control of the vehicle going 25mph (and it was under light rain).  Luckly, there wasn’t anyone on my left lane because I went halfway into their lane.  I could feel the tires hydroplaning and my instinct is to hit the brakes.  But, hitting the brakes made the skidding worse.  Then I remembered what I learned in the military that I should not hit the brakes but steer the wheel towards the skid and try to regain control.  It was too late for me to act on what I remembered but, praise God, I did stop.  I went the rest of the way being cautious and timing the stupid traffic lights.  Braking even 25mph towards a traffic light at a safe distance is risky so I told myself to go when it’s yellow when, in normality, I would’ve stopped.  My version of stopping is, if I can’t pass the intersection completely before the lights turn red, I will stop. 

Actually, all this could be preventable.  During winter break, I ordered a new set of tires.  Four in all.  I did some research on quality and price and brought what I thought was the best deal.  I brought them and had them shipped to my room because I thought I could put them on myself.  All there is to putting tires is just taking  the old one off and putting the new, deflated ones back on, right?  Wrong.  I quickly tried to learn how to install new tires straight from the box and I found it to be not that simple.  First, I need to set the beads or keeping the air in the tire.  For that, there are two methods.  First is what many mechanics call the “redneck” method.  Which is to line the circumference with flammable liquids and lighting it with a lighter.  The whole tire will momentarily be like hot wheels and will make a “voomp!” sound, filling and sealing the tire with air.  Other methods to set the beads requires advanced machinery, money that I can’t afford or don’t want to buy.  The second method involves driving the car tires onto the new tires, to break it so air can remain inside the tires.  Without these methods, any attempt to inflate car tires (and I was planning to use my bicycle pump) will just result in air leaking out.  I don’t want to risk my life setting my new tires on fire and I don’t have a buddy to help me watch when I drove over my new tires so both options are unacceptable to me.  Driving over my new tires in an attempt to break it might result in me damaging my tire rims if I miss, which are the only rims I have.  I thought inflating the car tires will just be like inflating bicycle tires.  I also brought some green slime to inject in to prevent future tire damage.  I was wrong.  It was a lot more complicated than I thought but at least I learned something from my efforts. 

The next part, even if I am able to add air to my new tires, is to balance them.  Something that is even more impossible.  Advanced machinery to balance car tires costs thousands of dollars.  I shopped around for a manual method and the best, coming from Harbor Freight Tools, costs around $100 (or $200?).  It involves setting and spinning the tires and adding tire weights so the rotation of the tires can go more smoothly.  Failing to perform this step may cause uneven tire tread wear and thus shorten the life of my tire.  Additionally, it would unbalance the weight distribution of my vehicle (?), damaging it.  And I thought installing new car tires would be easy.  Go me.  No, but I’m happy that I made an attempt.  Now I have four tires just sitting in my room, taking up space.  I thought about going to a professional to install them, but then I remembered my dad’s words that the car tires are relatively new and I should save money by not replacing them.  However, the car mechanics who performed oil changes to my car warned me, on multiple occasions, that my tire tread is running out.  Who should I listen to?  I wanted to save money, and I trust my dad’s judgment so I decided to delay changing my car tires.  Maybe I should get my tires changed now. 

I wrote so much and I didn’t even get to write what I wanted to write about!  Well, I’ll write later, maybe after I finish “dinner.”  I’m trying to eat only one meal a day now, short answer being I can be more efficient.  In fact, I think “efficiency” should be my middle name.  More on that later.  Let me eat.