Back says Ow, Car says YAY!

[ellenmillion]

I'm having an 'I did it myself' moment, so bear with me.

I just changed my alternator! Woo! And reconnected the new battery and checked the voltage, and it WORKS, and it's all better and I did it MYSELF! No help and no manual!

*ahem*

Better now.

I have to return my parents car tomorrow, and it's actually rather warm (about 15 degrees, which still makes bare fingers on metal say brrr), so I knuckled under and bought the stupid thing yesterday and put it in this morning. There were a few bad moments - like that time I was unscrewing one of the connections and something fell off the backside of the screw and went *ping!* down into the engine (I was able to recover it when the alternator was out), and that moment I found a part in my pocket and could NOT figure out where it went (Ah... wasn't a part from the car, it was the protective nipple from the nail gun that had been in my pocket since last summer!), but pretty much, it went smoothly, and only took about an hour from start to finish. I'm very chuffed with myself. Saved a bundle on mechanics fees, and didn't have to pay to have my car towed from the bottom of a very tricky driveway where it was parked wrong way in and we live far enough out of town that it would have been expensive.

So, YAY. I have a car again.

And tomorrow I get a harp. Nineteen years of wanting one, and tomorrow, FINALLY, I get one.

Comments

[rendergirl.livejournal.com]

Gosh is there anything you CAN'T do???
And you're getting a HARP??!!! I'm so jealous!! That's next on my list, since I got my violin.

[kirinqueen.livejournal.com]

You are a badass.

And a harp! How cool. I recently read an article about people with odd jobs in the city of Boston, and one of them is the harpist at the Ritz. It reminded me how I really need to get my act together on learning to play a musical instrument. The harp is one of the symbols of Celtic culture, so hober would appreciate it too.

[curvature.livejournal.com]

That's awesome Ellen - it makes me feel bad that I have to run for help whenever anything happens to my car. I did give Todd a chocolate fish for helping me with my tyre though >.>

Do you play the harp or will you be learning?

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Do you play the harp or will you be learning?

A little of both - I took some lessons *cough*tenyearsago*cough* on a concert harp - this one will be a smaller lap-style harp.

I found that a lot of what I know about piano playing translates directly to the harp in terms of reading music and finding notes. I'll probably play around with it a bit and see if I need a refresher course on positions or anything, but mostly I'll just be playing for fun.

[flasher.livejournal.com]

I hope hope hope it made it okay. I gave your parents some care & feeding instructions on it for going through different climates, though, so it shouldn't have warped on you.

[serenstar.livejournal.com]

Rawr! Woman power! :) I try to avoid cars

Reminds me, I need to get with you for the link to upload art for prints. I so cannot find it. I have several I want to get up.

[caronvinson.livejournal.com]

You make me laugh Ellen! I never know what I'm going to read in your LJ.
Now you are fixing cars. You are a handful! I don't think I could change an alternator if my life depended on it.
Good for you.

[cynnalia.livejournal.com]

Yay for a working car and double yay for a harp!!! ^_^

[ht.livejournal.com]

She builds a house, she fixes her own car, she runs a business, runs an e-zine, babysits, takes care of dogs and cats, draws, roleplays, is a devoted wife, daughter and friend. If the world had more Ellens, we'd be all the better for it!

[metasilk.livejournal.com]

You are so amazing.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

http://upload.ellenmilliongraphics.com :)

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

Oooh, what kind/make of harp? I have a Triplett 25-string wire-strung lap harp being kept by a friend of mine in Raleigh til I can get settled and retrieve it... I also have a "mystery" 25-string wire harp that I inherited from the estate of an acquaintance, that I'm in the process of restoring. [Yeh, Moss comes by his "tree of strings" love honestly! ^_^]

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

Awww, Ellen... an harp..

In this moment I really, really envy you, the Celtic harp and the bodhran are the two European instruments I'm madly in love with.
Do we get to see a pic? Does she have a name, yet?
...no way I'm going to call an harp 'it', and, like swords, each one should have a proper name...

Before I go off on a tangent I've better put on my Laurie Rasmussen CD and shut my trap...stares dreamily into the void while listening to 'Brigid O'Malley'...

[hippiechic567.livejournal.com]

You never cease to amaze me!