Trying to find the positive in a really bad situation

Everything else
1

Many of you know I have CF and often I don’t always have the most upbeat attitude towards things. The past few months have been really tough and the icing on the cake last week, was the fan burned out on my car. For some reason when it burned out, it also burned out my windshield wiper squirter thing as well. I’ll spare you the financial details. So this week, I’ve had to venture out in it, and there’s something madly ironic of a CF’er on Oxygen, driving around in 40 degree weather with their car windows down. I wanted to just cry, but instead - here’s some positive elements of this bad situation…

  • Might be able to save money on heating bill. Attunement to bitter cold makes 67* feel pleasant.

  • Liked the cold as a child. I’m reconnecting with my youth.

  • Each trip out feels like an adventure. Driving is no longer boring.

  • Fun with police. I pulled up at an intersection. Had my sweatshirt hood pulled up, the windows down, windshield wipers going in futile attempt to clear fogginess, O2 tubing running from my nose, and was breathing through a paper towel to reduce the fogginess inside. I looked to my left after I pulled up to the light and saw a police officer staring at me - jaw open. The look was priceless. I’m surprised he didn’t even pull me over.

So far that’s all I have.

2

Cripes. Hang in there.

3

Whoa, whoa, jp. You’re post is a little unclear. Did the HVAC fan brake and that is why your defroster doesn’t work? But why would you be running your wipers to remove fog on the inside of your windshield?

Anyway, try Rain-X anti-fog and a wool watch-cap.

4

Are you sure it’s not a fuse? It seems odd that the fan and the squirter would go at the same time.

5

I’m sure it wasn’t a fuse. When I turn the knob to either heat, defrost, or air conditioning - plumes of acrid black smoke pours in through the right side vents. The smell is fascinatingly… horrible.
Ed - I’d just turned them on to see if it’d help since I accidentally fogged it all up. It was of course, just before I pulled up next to the officer :)

6

JP, I’m not joking. The fan motor in the ancient Volvo 164 I drove in law school never worked. Rain-X and a watch-cap.

Keep your PMA.

7

Remember when jpinard was too hot instead of too cold? And what did Qt3 advise then?

You’re going to confuse the poor guy.

8

You’re not also the one-armed guy who plays shooters with a joystick, are you? Because nobody can be that lucky all at once.

9
  • Historically, Novembers in Michigan have been much colder and wetter. If you are going to simulate driving a convertible on another planet, by driving around with windows down and an O2 tube, at least you picked a decent fall in which to do it.

Hope your auto troubles soon subside.

10

Actually, last winter was far more mild than this one. We didn’t even have snow, not once, until January. This year, it’s already almost below freezing. It’ll be milder than 5 or 10 years ago, but not as awesomely mild as last year.