From Oil Changes to Tornado Warnings: Life in the Fast Lane

Monday: From Oil to EVAP Purge Valves

The day kicked off with a surprise—an oil change booking came through the website. While I’m glad the site is functional, I realized it still needs tweaks to capture essential details. After a quick oil change on a truck in downtown Covington, I dashed to my scheduled appointment for a Buick’s EVAP purge valve. The client’s open availability worked in my favor. I scanned the car to confirm the issue and then ordered the correct part using the VIN. The repair took an unexpected turn—turns out the valve had been relocated from the front of the engine bay to behind the throttle body for that model year. No biggie. I wrapped it up, leaving the customer happy and problem-free.

Tuesday: Reviews and Relaxation

The Buick customer left a glowing Google review, which felt incredible. I made sure to respond right away—it’s always rewarding to see happy customers. After that, I gave myself a much-needed day to rest and recharge before tackling more work.

Wednesday: Business Cards and a Yard Sign Blunder

While at my other job, I worked on redesigning our business cards. Just as I was feeling productive, I made a frustrating discovery: our yard signs had the wrong contact information. How did I miss that? Lesson learned—always double-check. Despite the hiccup, I placed an order for 500 of the new business cards. It’s all part of building the brand, even if it comes with the occasional misstep.

Thursday: Family First, Mechanics Second

The day started with an unexpected trip to the hospital after our baby woke up with a high fever. Thankfully, it was just an infection, and antibiotics were prescribed. Between school drop-offs, hospital visits, and an oil change on a Toyota Corolla, I managed to squeeze in a trip to a rural area of Covington to troubleshoot the electrical system on an Alfa Romeo. The wiring was a tangled mess, but the car’s beauty made it worth the effort. After some detective work with continuity tests and diagrams, I pinpointed a broken connection to the ignition. I temporarily fixed it, bringing the Alfa to life. The owner was thrilled, and I scheduled a follow-up for free to properly tidy things up. The day ended with me rushing to make my other job by 3 PM—barely. Oh, and note to self: always double-check video recordings. A clip I filmed of the Alfa had audio of me… and nothing else. On the bright side, I tested both my lav mics and confirmed they can work simultaneously for future videos.

Friday: A Camper Topper and a Rear-End Adventure

This day was one for the books. I loaded up the Ford Ranger with tools and an incorrect rear end before meeting Kevin in Mandeville. Our mission? Head to Pull-A-Part in Harvey, Louisiana, and find the right rear end. The Ranger handled the trip perfectly, but we hit a snag when the yard staff wanted the receipt for a marked part. After some negotiating, I swapped the part without warranty—better than buying another. I finally located the correct rear end on a yellow taxi cab Grand Marquis, but not without some hurdles. One potential match was blocked by a fallen car, and another had a mini-lake underneath it (and I wasn’t ready for a swim).

While I hunted for parts, Kevin called me over—he’d found a camper topper that might fit my Ranger. After some impromptu measuring, I confirmed it would be a near-perfect fit. Problem? The Ranger still had a tonneau cover attached. No matter—I was determined to take it home. After securing both the rear end and the topper, we celebrated with lunch at La Carreta in Covington (taco cravings sadly unsatisfied by Pull-A-Part’s food truck). Back home, I couldn’t resist fitting the topper onto the Ranger right away.

Saturday: Rain, Rear Ends, and Tornado Warnings

I spent the morning working on my wife’s car, swapping out its rear end so I could finally reclaim my Ranger from her. Removing the old one took longer than expected because I had to disassemble the parking brakes to avoid cutting them. As I was making progress, dark clouds began to loom, signaling rain. I quickly packed everything up just in time to beat the downpour, which served as a good reminder about the tornado watch in effect. Exhausted from two days of moving heavy rear ends, I still managed to make it to my other job by 5 PM. Despite the long day, I also scheduled an oil change for Monday on that Buick and started discussing upcoming work with a potential new client about a Subaru Outback.

Sunday: Fuses and Final Touches

The Alfa Romeo owner texted about a gauge cluster issue, but it was just a blown fuse after the sudden power surge. Meanwhile, the website’s booking issues continued—another appointment came through with incomplete info. I followed up with emails and calls, determined to iron out these kinks. As the day wound down, I made plans for a packed Monday: three clients, five vehicles, and possibly a trip to Mississippi to move more of my dad’s things. I even ordered lights for the Ranger’s new topper, adding a practical touch to its fresh look.

Reflection:

This week was equal parts challenging and rewarding. From solving tricky automotive puzzles to strengthening my business, every experience felt like a step forward. The feedback from customers, the growing SEO presence, and even the setbacks all contributed to a sense of progress and purpose.