They found that they needed to replace a strut and ordered the part on Wednesday. When they got it in the next day, they found that they also needed to get a new spring plate and some other things. Of course, they don't have that in stock either. Brings us to today, where they have it almost all fixed up.

They went to align it again after they thought they were done to find there is a little shimmy being caused by one of the rims. Remember I got those replaced already?

So my insurance agent shows up at the same time I do. He doesn't seem very happy that two wheels were purchased already and now we need a third.

I find it strange, myself.

Either way, my service manager at Motorworks had a fun story to tell me about this insurance agent she called an "asshole" and a "total prick." Apparently the conversation went like this:

"What's the labor rate?" "$110." "No, what's our labor rate?" "$110." "No, what is Progressive's rate?" "$110." "No, you don't understand..."

That was fun to hear.

So now I am driving it to Duluth for the weekend, and the steering wheel is rattling a bit. Grrr.... At least I get this other wheel replaced next week.

Maybe I will be get to be done with my car woes then.

After caching we headed to Moose Country for beer. They gave us free Guinness pints. Note these were 591ml / 20fl oz pints. Hrum.

So starting from my pothole hit on Monday, Feb 14, I brought it to the Lake Street Tires Plus, thinking I had a just a flat tire. Ends up I needed two new tires and two new rims on the passanger side. Figuring it would be simple, I decided to have them service it.

I was out of my car until end of day Friday. The car drove poorly after I got it back, and I find that it wasn't even aligned! I am also now missing my geocaching headlamp I left in the car.

I am able to bring it in the next Wednesday, and they gave me a runaround about having to pay them for it, being I (and my insurance agent) already did. Finally at the end of Wednesday I get it back again.

I notice that it still shakes and drives poorly. I look at my alignment papers that they gave me, and noticed that the fronts are fine, but the back was out of wack, and there was a handwritten note saying they couldn't do the back because they needed a "special tool." I am irate at this point, because they never told me this when they gave the car back, and they tucked this sheet away without showing me when I signed off to get the car back.

So I call them up Friday and they tell me they can't do it, but maybe another store will. I ask them about the one in Apple Valley, as I will be there anyway... They said they would call me back.

They didn't.

I call them back, and after sitting on hold for 15 minutes they tell me they now can do it and ask if I can bring it in. By this point, I am already in Apple Valley, and I make them call the Apple Valley store and tell them to expect me.

When I get there, they tell me I have to leave it overnight. Ha. Not an option. Eventually, I get them to side with me that these people at the Lake Street store are idiots and they got me in and out quickly. They showed me what they found:

The back was actually aligned. The front was actually really bad. What the Lake Street store apparently did wrong, was make sure there was a full gas tank and 150lbs in each seat during the alignment. Worse yet, the front right, the one that hit the pothole the worst, was so fucked up that it was hitting the road at a 2 degree angle. The damage is beyond their ability to align. None of this was noticed by the Lake Street store. The funny thing, is that after knowing this, I gave it a good look over, you can actually see the tire leaning out at a 2 degree angle.

This explains why it drives so poorly!

So as a result, I call up my dealer, Motorwerks MINI, to get it taken care of there. Wish I would have done this right away after I found out it was more than just a tire repair.

I think my insurance agent is sick of me now.

Hopefully I will get my car back in time for my trip to Duluth on Friday.

From last night.

Out at the Muddy Pig with Rob and Andy for some good Belgians.

We do a much better job here. Had to replace the roll of tape twice.

WTF! At least this one doesn't seems to be damaged. Hard to determine considering the box, though. I was supposed to return my old one using this box. Heh. Morons.

I am now part of The National Map Corps, which is a part of the United States Geological Survey (which is part of the United States Department of the Interior). I am requesting that my first assignment be the Marine on Saint Croix 7.5-minute quadrangle of Minnesota.