Repairs In Progress

I mentioned recently that my car is in the breakdown land with a bad transmission. That's right, I have to go through life backwards, because my car won't go forward.

Seriously, this is a time when being in my career field pays off (so far, it seems). I called around and found that having my existing transmission rebuilt could cost as much as $1400. Buying a transmission that has already been rebuilt would cost me approximately $1000. Picking one up at a junkyard would run me $450 to $500. But a customer I deal with on a regular basis at work was able to procure a used transmission for me for just $200. Admittedly, I'm taking a chance with a used transmission, but I would be taking chances with a rebuilt one, as well. The way I look at it, this used transmission was at least installed in a vehicle at one time and actually worked when it was taken out. A rebuilt transmission has never been tested. And how could I pass up the savings?

And there's more. One of the individuals working at my store does major vehicle repair in his home -- he actually has a garage equipped with a full-service vehicle lift. He'll be replacing the transmission for me. Not for free, of course, but for much less than having it done by a professional repair shop.

All of which left me with the issue of how to get the car from my home to work (a 2-hour drive). My wife's Jimmy has a hitch, but it is not rated for pulling a 3400 pound car. And, we don't have a trailer. Luckily for me, my father-in-law is on vacation, and he left his truck behind. More importantly, he left the keys to his truck with my wife. And my brother-in-law's best friend just happens to have a nice, large trailer that the car would ride on nicely. Did, in fact, ride on nicely as I towed the broken down car into work this morning.

Now I just hope that the repairs are done quickly, and that the transmission I saved so much money on will actually work when it's installed.

Joe

President Bush's Weekly Radio Address

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In his weekly radio address President Bush said, "Reforming our immigration system is an important opportunity to show that elected officials in Washington can work together to find practical solutions to the problems that matter most. ... I am optimistic we can pass a comprehensive immigration bill and get this problem solved for the American people this year."

Joe

Tony Blair Announces Resignation

British Prime Minister -- and stuanch Bush administration ally -- has announced his resignation effective June 27, 2007.

What will this mean for American intersts abroad, and in the war on terrorism? Tony Blair has clearly been the strongest ally President Bush has had throughout his administration, even standing with the U.S. at times against the general wishes of Brits in general.

With Angela Merkel in Germany, and the newly elected French President both being pro-America and in favor of repairing ties with the U.S., will the friendship of the British PM become less critical than it has been for years? Will the Brits even choose a new PM that is so pro-American?

And with our own Presidential election to take place in November 2008, how much will the world stage change with so many political changes in the world in such a short time?

It is more important now than ever that you stay focused and aware of what takes place on the world stage and in American politics. We must not put the wrong person in the White House in 2008. Our very future could depend on the outcome of these crucial events.

Joe

In The Breakdown Lane

Things just never seem to happen at a convenient time. It's the story of my life.

Last night, while driving home from work, I noticed something funny with the way the car was driving. Every time I applied the brakes, it acted like one of the rear breaks was either grabbing to hard or too little, and the back end of the car seemed to pull a little for a moment. I decided to have someone look at it later today.

About five minutes from home, as I pulled to a stop light, I heard a loud clunk sound. Then I couldn't move. Every forward drive gear was completely unresponsive. I pushed the car out of the street, then discovered that I still had reverse. Not that it does me much good -- I can't go around town backwards everywhere I go.

It seems that what I thought was the brakes must have actually been the transmission slipping, or some other related problem. I don't know yet -- I hope to have someone look at it soon. As for now, I'm stuck driving my wife's gas-guzzling SUV to work, and she's stuck stranded at home. I hope to make the situation as temporary as possible!

Joe

Back To Work

I'm back at work today after a six-day vacation break at home with the family. It's a pretty sad thing, really. As I left the house this morning, I stopped in the hallway just outside my son's bedroom and quietly said "goodbye" to him. Of course, he was asleep and couldn't hear me, but it was a pretty sad moment for me. Vacations are never long enough, and they're especially short when you have a commute as long as I do and go from spending LOTS of time with the family on vacation to hardly any at all when you return to work. I'll probably be a bit bummed about it for a few days.

Joe

Average Joe on Redstate.com

If you're a Conservative, and you haven't checked out Redstate.com yet, well, maybe you should.

And I've recently joined the Conservative team at Redstate.com. You can find all of my Conservative ramblings at averagejoeblogs's blog | Redstate.

"Wow! It's great to be among the Redstate Conservatives!"

Hop on over there today and check it all out!

Joe

Quote of the Week

THE GIPPER ON RELIGION AND POLITICS

“Politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality’s foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they’re sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive.” —Ronald Reagan

Joe