Gato_Solo
Out-freaking-standing OTC member
Greetings from Robins AFB somewhere near Macon, GA. I've been here, at the NCO academy, for about 2 weeks. The classes are 'fun', but getting here was an adventure...I'll explain.
My Audi and I left on this 4-hour trip at around 5 at night. I'm tooling along at a brisk pace of 60 MPH, when I hear a rather strange sound, followed by the smell of burning rubber. I pull to the side of the road, and discovered that my alternator belt had broken. I open the trunk, take out the spare belt I keep...for just such an emergency...replace it, and go about my merry way. It's now getting dark, but the car is running great...until I reach the junction of 17 and I-95. Belt number 2 goes south. Sheared. I mumble to myself about my stupidity, and my forgetting about 'shimming', and call the fiancee. She drives out (2 hours), with a new belt. I shim the alternator, replace the belt, and I take off, once more, into the night. It's now about 10:00 at night. I stop off at a gas station, get some coffee (I'd been up since 5:30 that morning), and head back out onto I-95. I'll make this short, and say that I'll never buy cheap gasoline again. I get, maybe, 1/4 mile past the exit, and the Audi starts bucking. My first thought is "This sounds expensive", and I pull to the side of the interstate. I wait a bit, restart the car, and make my way about 1/2 mile, when it starts to buck yet again. For some strange reason I'm grinning...mostly because I'm sure the fuel pump is okay, and I'm just dealing with, crossing fingers, sediment and a clogged filter. About an hour later I pull into another gas station, buy 2 bottles of STP fuel injector cleaner, dump those into the tank, and start making my way back to the interstate...no good. Now...I'm about 130 miles from home...late at night...on the interstate. No problem. I call the fiancee, then call AAA for a tow. It's only 12:30 AM, and I'll still have plenty of time to get to my class. 3 hours later, my fiancee arrives. I'm still waiting for the tow truck. I call again...24 hour service my ass...and I wait for another hour. Now I'm running on caffein and nicotine. The truck pulls up around DAWN, and I have the lovely option of having my car towed to the local shop for $150, or towed back home, and placed back in somebody trustworthy's hands for $250.00 No problem. I took out a $300.00 advance. Go figure. I am now officially late, but, planning ahead, I had already called, and let them know about my car. I finally pull into the academy parking lot at 11:00...just in time for lunch.
I check in with the folks in charge, get a room, and have just enough time to get into a proper uniform to join my class at noon. Did I mention that there's no sleeping allowed in this classroom setting. I had to stand...for 3 hours with 15 minute breaks on the hour...with no coffee, and no smoking during duty hours. Then came the test. I remember taking it, and I remember snickering coming from the direction of the instructor. I had learned something I never knew about the human body...you actually can fall asleep standing up. I caught myself keeling over. Anyway...I'm having a wonderful time since the first day, but the weekends here...without a vehicle...are dull. Anybody want a beer?
My Audi and I left on this 4-hour trip at around 5 at night. I'm tooling along at a brisk pace of 60 MPH, when I hear a rather strange sound, followed by the smell of burning rubber. I pull to the side of the road, and discovered that my alternator belt had broken. I open the trunk, take out the spare belt I keep...for just such an emergency...replace it, and go about my merry way. It's now getting dark, but the car is running great...until I reach the junction of 17 and I-95. Belt number 2 goes south. Sheared. I mumble to myself about my stupidity, and my forgetting about 'shimming', and call the fiancee. She drives out (2 hours), with a new belt. I shim the alternator, replace the belt, and I take off, once more, into the night. It's now about 10:00 at night. I stop off at a gas station, get some coffee (I'd been up since 5:30 that morning), and head back out onto I-95. I'll make this short, and say that I'll never buy cheap gasoline again. I get, maybe, 1/4 mile past the exit, and the Audi starts bucking. My first thought is "This sounds expensive", and I pull to the side of the interstate. I wait a bit, restart the car, and make my way about 1/2 mile, when it starts to buck yet again. For some strange reason I'm grinning...mostly because I'm sure the fuel pump is okay, and I'm just dealing with, crossing fingers, sediment and a clogged filter. About an hour later I pull into another gas station, buy 2 bottles of STP fuel injector cleaner, dump those into the tank, and start making my way back to the interstate...no good. Now...I'm about 130 miles from home...late at night...on the interstate. No problem. I call the fiancee, then call AAA for a tow. It's only 12:30 AM, and I'll still have plenty of time to get to my class. 3 hours later, my fiancee arrives. I'm still waiting for the tow truck. I call again...24 hour service my ass...and I wait for another hour. Now I'm running on caffein and nicotine. The truck pulls up around DAWN, and I have the lovely option of having my car towed to the local shop for $150, or towed back home, and placed back in somebody trustworthy's hands for $250.00 No problem. I took out a $300.00 advance. Go figure. I am now officially late, but, planning ahead, I had already called, and let them know about my car. I finally pull into the academy parking lot at 11:00...just in time for lunch.
I check in with the folks in charge, get a room, and have just enough time to get into a proper uniform to join my class at noon. Did I mention that there's no sleeping allowed in this classroom setting. I had to stand...for 3 hours with 15 minute breaks on the hour...with no coffee, and no smoking during duty hours. Then came the test. I remember taking it, and I remember snickering coming from the direction of the instructor. I had learned something I never knew about the human body...you actually can fall asleep standing up. I caught myself keeling over. Anyway...I'm having a wonderful time since the first day, but the weekends here...without a vehicle...are dull. Anybody want a beer?
