Shine on

Gidday.

I nearly had to wrap my laptop in a plastic bag to type this update, we were up to 98% humidity at one point today. That is pretty damp. And at about 30 degrees, you know your alive. Even if you are soaked to the skin every time you walk outside.

The locals are blaming us Kiwis for bringing the rain with us, there is a lady at work who hasn't seen it rain like it has in Gladstone for about 30 years. A couple of weeks back was the first time her kids had experienced rain of that consistency. Yup, we are definitely in the tropics...

Fairly interesting day today... par for the course really. We had left some large bits of cardboard at a place after completing a job yesterday, and I decided to take the work experience boy with me to go and collect it. I decided the flatdeck landcruiser (with about half a million km on the clock) would be just the ticket. Foolish mistake. Loaded up the ropes and gear for carrying cardboard on the back, jumped in, went to start it. Click. Click. Flat battery. Righto, no major, just jump start it. So I went and got the Mazda Bravo (bounty to kiwis) to jump it. Hooked her all up, started it, no worries mate. Got to the gate at work, fuel light comes on. Hmmm... can't be good.
Got to the first set of traffic lights, about 200m from work, noticed the engine revs were becoming slightly irregular. Lights turn green, go to accelerate, and the engine bogs down and there is no power. Confirm that I am indeed in first, which I was. Manage to get a little momentum up by slipping the clutch, enough to get off the intersection, and once clear I kill the ignition and coast to the side of the road. Yup, you guessed it... out of diesel. Just my luck.

Rang work, they sent the other cruiser to tow me back... and forgot the tow strop. Rang work again, they sent another landcruiser with a tow strop. Hooked her up and towed it back to work. Took the battery out and stuck it on charge, so that's a step in the right direction.

Thought "righto, I'll go and get some diesel then have a crack at bleeding this fuel line (good old diesels...)".. so jumped in the corolla with a jerry can and shot round the road to the fuel pump. Loaded the can with diesel, and went to pay for it with the fuel card. "Fuel type not allowed on this card". Turns out the card for the car is locked to the fuel type for the car. IE, not diesel. So, back to work to get a fuel card for diesel...

I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow, when I have a go at restarting it...

I ended up just taking the bravo, and wishing that I had just done that in the first place...

In the words of "Merrie Melodies"... That's all folks!