Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Frost nipped

Well it took nearly three and a half years but I finally managed to frost nip myself. Rather stupidly as well, I might add. One of the tires on the truck has a slow leak. Nothing serious, but every two weeks or so it starts getting a bit soft and needs some air. So today it was only -40 or so, naturally making it an excellent time for me to be holding metal in my hands without gloves. I was in a rush and not thinking. I figured it will only be a minute or so of me handling the air nozzle to pump up the tire. What's the worst that could happen?

Yeah, there's a reason my bachelor's degree is in history, kids, and not physics or biology.

Still, it's only a nip and it'll heal up fine in a few days. Besides, it was a cheap and only mildly painful lesson to be not quite so stupid in the future. Count yourself lucky up here when you get these lessons on the cold quite so cheaply.

Although I am going to have to get that damn tire fixed. And the truck will have to go back in the garage again this week or next to get a new remote starter put in.

When I was growing up, there was never any doubt I was going to university. None. The mere idea I would graduate high school and then go work full-time or even go to trades school was a non-starter. I wasn't even allowed to discuss it. I was going to university.

Now, I'm sure my father would have preferred I graduate with something other than a history degree (business and pharmacy were pushed, although he was happy with the journalism degree), but he was still glad that I was the first in our family to graduate from university.

Why am I mentioning this? Because if we ever have kids and one of them graduates high school and announces he or she is going to become a mechanic and then move up here, I will have the calm of knowing they will never hurt for money for the rest of their days.

$100-plus an hour. Getting a new door handle installed, a new remote starter put in and probably getting a tire fixed is probably going to cost in excess of $1,000. If anything serious happens to this truck, that's it for motorized vehicles and us in Iqaluit for quite some time.

There you go, from frost nip to a little family history and a gripe about mechanics. That's quite the journey for one evening.

Oh, one last thing. An anonymous posters complained and wanted to know what kind of bastard I was talking about Christmas decorations and music. I've taken that to heart and resolve to try and be more of a bastard, at least online, in the New Year.

In the meantime, should you need an immediate fix, I recommend wandering over here, where Elvis is being a decidedly grumpy, scrooge-like bastard. Bravo, Sir. A high quality rant indeed.

Last Five
1. I melt with you - Modern English
2. Haiti - The Arcade Fire
3. Speak the word - Tracy Chapman
4. Toast - Tori Amos
5. Silver lining - David Gray

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Late at night, I stand over my sleeping children and whisper, "Skilled trade ... skilled trade ..." and hope that it will stick.

towniebastard said...

Not whispering "law school?" ;)

Unknown said...

i am 15 year old and i am appaled yes i used appaled that you parents would try to in fluence your kids that way have you ever stopped to think that your kids would want to do something they loved instead of something you wanted them to do ever think of your kids happpiness in life and not you expactions.