Stories on the run

I bought a car Wednesday.

No, not a brand-new car, but one that’s new to me. Besides, it’s essentially new, anyway.

It’s a 2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5l wagon with a five-speed manual transmission. It has 7,500 miles on it and 27 months left on the factory warranty. It’s supposed to get up to 32 mpg on the highway (compared to 16 with the Beast). And I bought it for $14,750 (plus tax).

Thank you, Craigslist.

But I can’t drive it yet. The seller’s bank has yet to mail the title to my bank. I can’t register and license it without the title. So for now, I’ve got this new car in my driveway but I’m still driving my ‘88 Suburban.

My most recent assignment from my editor was to experiment with what we can do for the Spokane sports teams on video. His edict was to try something with a beat reporter on camera, telling the viewer about whatever team the reporter covers.

Apparently, the two youngest reporters on the sports desk are the only ones who were — at least the other day — open to experimenting. So Jessica Brown and I set off to make a video on the Spokane Shock arena football 2 team. This is what we came up with.

It’s very much like a TV report — but better (in my opinion). It gives readers the chance to put a face with a byline, and it solidifies that reporter’s position as an authority on the subject. Jessica did a great job, but many reporters would not be so good in front of a camera or doing voice over. It’s also longer and more in-depth than a 30-second TV spot.

Then again, it’s very much like a TV report. Is this really innovative for newspapers to do, or are we just recycling an older form of video and posting it on our website? Most everyone in the newsroom this morning loved the video, and most of the readers did, too. But is it the best we can do?

That’s why I’m viewing all of this as an experiment, just like my editor said. We’ll see what works. This apparently does, but maybe something else will work even better.

Since getting back to the Spokesman newsroom, I’ve been talking with our multimedia guys a lot about my new video-priority job. The idea is that I will get new, better equipment so my videos can be of higher visual quality. And to give me some street credit.

Have you seen what I’ve been toting around to basketball games and sporting events? This little guy looks ridiculous next to a huge TV camera.

Approximate scaling.

Well, soon I should be getting a sleek, high-def, microphone-friendly Sony A1U, shown below. The only drawback is that it uses tapes, unlike my current consumer-grade camcorder. So, for the breaking news stuff I do, I’ll still be using the little guy.

Isn’t it beautiful?

As far as I can tell, my Suburban is now fixed.

I got an intake valve replaced Wednesday to fix the leak that had coolant bubbling out of my engine block. Because I gave them so much money the other day, and because they didn’t think the valve would need to be replaced, they gave me a flat rate of $300 to finish up the work. After tax, I paid $323.

That brings my total for this round of repairs up to $1,074.

If you take the perspective that I traded my parents a can of Cougar Gold for the Beast (yes, there’s a story there), $1,074 for a car doesn’t seem that much. Also, the original $751 was for repairs my car needed anyway.

In December, mechanics at a shop in Spokane told me I would need to replace my radiator soon. I gambled and stretched my old one as long as I could. Presumably, my car’s subsequent overheating this past weekend blew the intake valve in the engine. So, one could argue that my gambling cost me $323.

That’s better than most people’s trips to Las Vegas. (Or is it Los Vegas?)

EDIT: Oh, the story about the Cougar Gold.

When I was home in Seattle this winter, my step-dad, Brad, signed the Beast’s title over into my name. The idea was they were just giving it to me, which was awesome. However, the cost of a new title was $20, which I didn’t have when Brad and I were at the licensing place.

I had just brought him a can of Cougar Gold from Pullman. Those cost about $22. So, I didn’t pay him back for the $20 title, and he didn’t pay me back for the cheese.

I traded a can of Cougar Gold for my Suburban.

I lied.

I got home tonight, got out of the Beast, and steam was billowing out of the hood.

Not fixed.

It turns out, coolant is indeed leaking out of the engine block, precisely where it was the other day. Imagine that! Jerry’s Auto Repair was wrong.

At least the engine wasn’t overheating. It was just leaking water and, hence, steam. The temperature gauge said it was a-OK all the way home.

So, it looks like I’ll be spending that extra $350. Gotta take the Suburban back into the shop Wednesday and keep this saga going.

Goddammit.

The leak. Notice it’s in the engine. Not good.

A surprising development in the saga of my Suburban: The shop finished work on it early and found the engine block is not leaking.

So, I have my car back and in good condition again. The mechanics said nothing else is seriously wrong with it — just the stuff I know about, the A/C and the parking brake.

In all, replacing the radiator, flushing the transmission fluid and changing the oil came to $751. No small change, but not as bad as I foresaw. I put it on my Alaska Airlines Visa. Some good miles.

I heard back from the mechanics working on the Beast, and the expenses will be high but manageable.

• $550 — Replacing the radiator.
• $200 — Flushing out and replacing the transmission fluid.
• $25 — Oil change. I might as well; it’s at the shop.
• $350 — IF NEEDED, replacing a head gasket if the engine block indeed is leaking coolant.

Yeah, it sucks, but there’s no alternative. It’s not like I can sell the car with all this stuff broken on it. Oh, also, the radiator work should fix the heating problem — but, obviously, not the busted air conditioner.

Jerry’s Auto Repair should be done with the first phase about 1 p.m. Tuesday. If the mechanics pressure-test the Suburban again and find the engine block is indeed leaking, that’s where the extra $350 come in.

I’ll keep y’all posted. I know you’re on the edge of your seats.

What’s happening to us, Jacob?

First, Jake’s old, reliable (really?) ‘66 Tempest broke down a few weeks ago. Now it’s my ‘88 Suburban’s turn.

On Saturday, my truck started overheating. Pretty bad. The temperature gauge was reaching way past the “oh crap” point and the radiator was steaming and smelling like hot coolant.

So on Sunday, I poured more engine coolant in. Not enough. I added another gallon of water. Perfect.

I turned the engine on and green water started bubbling out of the engine block, near the intake manifold. NOT A GOOD SIGN. That’s, uh, not just your average $200 brakes fix.

That’s what I did on Wednesday. I took my Beast to Les Schwab (I didn’t get any free beef) to get my brake pads fixed. Of course, as soon as I fix something on my car, something way worse goes wrong.

So today my Suburban is in the shop. I’m crossing my fingers the damage isn’t too bad. Hopefully just a couple-hundred dollars.

With this new issue, here’s what’s currently wrong with my truck — which only has 123,000 miles on it:

• The radiator is shot (it seems).
• Something is wrong with the transmission, some Spokane mechanic told me.
• The air conditioner is busted and, hence, disconnected.
• I think the rest of the air system is wonky — doesn’t warm up.
• Needs an oil change (which is easy).
• The parking break doesn’t work (and hasn’t for seven years).
• Probably some other horrible stuff.

Port Angeles, Washington. A beautiful village nestled between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains. A quaint town of 20,000 where the local newspaper has a website poll that asks readers, “Do you believe aliens have visited Earth?“

Also home to a police officer that used a Taser on a toddler.

Oh, but I am misleading you! The officer used a Taser to help a toddler unlock a car from the inside!

Afterward, [Officer Glenn] Wood chuckled and said, “I can’t believe that worked.”

Article here.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LISA!

For some reason, I had the sudden urge to share with you the basic tools I use every day to do my job. Unlike a scientist who uses beakers and test tubes, or a carpenter or janitor who uses actual tools, I use some old-fashioned stuff (pens, paper) and some newfangled, high-tech gizmos (laptop computer, cell phone, voice recorder).

By the way, Sunday was my best day ever as far as blog viewership. Ironically, most of it was because of my “worst day ever” post.