Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Last week I talked about how I learned to back up (and fix) my car as a teenager. Lest you think that I believe myself to be some sort of superhero, let me impart upon you some of the stupid things I have done and some of the mishaps I have had in relation to cars, aka, how I learned the hard way. I probably could write an entire book, or at the very least, many chapters, on my car mishaps, but for now, here are a few to get started. 

Ka-pow. I blew up a battery by accidentally putting the red lead of the battery charger on the black side and vice versa. It made an explosion, and luckily I pulled it off super fast, and only messed up the battery itself, which is replaceable, and didn't set fire to the entire vehicle. The silver lining is that I was charging the battery, so it was probably on its last legs anyway before I killed it. Cost of new battery $100. Lesson learned: how to tell the difference between two colors. 

Beep. Beep. I backed up my Dad's truck, yes, the one with the beeper, into my parent's driveway and misjudged the length of the bed just slightly enough to run into his other car which was parked there. Cost of new fender: just a ding luckily. Lesson learned: how to back up a car properly. 

Dehydration. I was having some issues with the car overheating, which I figured out was because of the belt that runs the radiator. The TDLR is that the radiator keeps the car cool, and is similar to your sweat in that it moistens your skin and then the air helps keep it cool. However, the process requires a water pump and a fan, which require a belt. Have I lost you yet? I replaced this belt, and was very proud of myself. I then started a long drive from Sacramento to Novato, and was going over a causeway on I-80 between Sacramento and Davis when my car just stopped moving. On the freeway. Somehow I managed to get over to the right, where I was barely off the lane, and the cars were still whizzing by at 80 mph. I honestly cannot remember if I had a cell phone at this point (I think so? I think it was one of those old brick Nokias) but somehow I got in touch with AAA. They came and got me and towed me back home. Turns out that after you replace the belt, you are supposed to put water back into the radiator, so that the car doesn't overheat. The result? I blew a head gasket, which to put it bluntly, means I F$%^#ed up the engine. Cost of new engine: $2,000+ Lesson learned: painful.

This is me "helping" to fix the engine.
Yes, same photo as last week, but I didn't tell you the whole story, did I?

Toll booth Willie. After I blew up the engine on one car, I was borrowing a VW Rabbit from a family member to use when I was commuting from Sacramento to San Francisco for my new job (don't ask). It was an old little stick shift (weren't they all?) that made me feel like the poor relative when I drove it to meet my friends for drinks. 

It looked like this, except red and rusty
 and with a VERY loud muffler, which was 
 even more embarrassing than the backup beeper.

It was having some overheating issues (do we sense a pattern here? why yes, yes we do) and I often had to pull over to let it cool down or to put more coolant in the radiator. On this particular day, I was almost to the Bay Bridge toll plaza, which will take you over the Bay Bridge into San Francisco, and of course the traffic was stop and go, which was the worst scenario for the overheating problem. Each time I stopped, I could see the temperature gauge go up a little bit more, but here I was, in the middle of 18 lanes of stop and go traffic. Of course, it was rush hour and there was not much I could really do but hope and pray. I was about four cars from the toll, where the traffic would open back up a little and the car stopped and steam started billowing from the hood. Cars started honking at me, as if they thought this would make the steam go away and my car to start moving again, and all I could do was sit there. I could not get out of the car into the traffic, but I could not move forward. Luckily a tow truck came in about 4 minutes and towed me from the toll booth into the city and dropped me at a garage. Cost of toll and tow that day: $0 Lesson learned: If you ever want a free tow and toll, just pretend to break down in the middle of the toll lane. Just make sure you do it before you pay the toll. 

Thankfully, my Dad and Uncle are quite good with mechanical things and many of these mistakes were fixed by them with my help (but not too much of it after some of my gaffs!). I don't know what I would have done without them. I am pretty sure they were probably talking smack about me a lot, especially after the very expensive engine fiasco. Dad, are you reading this? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Where is the worst place you have ever broken down? What is the most expensive car related mistake you've ever made? 

Old School Parking

Nance wrote a post the other day about parking and I nearly left a novel in my comment, and it was fun to see what the other commenters said as well. However, I did not even say everything that I wanted to say, so I thought I would make my own post so I could say it all. You should go and read her post (and comments) but if you don't the TLDR is that it was about backing into parking spots/spaces/driveways etc. 

When I first got my license and was able to sometimes drive, I often drove one of the two cars my parents owned. The first was a 5-speed manual Dodge Caravan that I did drive to soccer, even though I was not a Mom. Given that we lived on a windy mountainous road, I don't even think I even got into 5th gear for a while after I started driving. I drove this in all sorts of weather, including snow, and once even hit some ice, spun out, and did a 360 or maybe a 720 before luckily landing in a snowdrift and not careening off the edge of the canyon, which caused the engine to jerkily stutter and then stall. I sat there dazed for a few minutes and then did as you must do, started the car back up and carried on my way in the drifting snow. I don't think we put on snow tires in those days. 

I also got to drive my Dad's work truck, which was a 1980-something 4-speed manual Toyota flatbed stake side (the kind with wood slats on the side) truck that had a backup beeper and did not have power steering. 

It looked like this

So, coming back to Nance's post about backing into parking spots, I tried my hardest to NEVER have to back that truck up. It was so embarrassing to be parking in the school parking lot and have to back up, causing the truck to emit a high beeping noise, and everyone's head to swivel my way (or so I thought). I would do very creative things in order to not have to back into or out of a parking spot when any other humans were in the general vicinity. Plus if you had to "whip into" a spot, the lack of power steering made that incredibly difficult. There really was no whipping in this truck. 

Then I got my own car. It was a 1978 Mercedes 240D, which is a diesel car, very sturdy, accident proof, according to my parents, a tank, according to me. It got the job done but one of my conditions of getting a car was that I had to fix it myself. 

Working on the car (c. 1998)

Luckily a 1978 diesel engine car is actually quite straightforward compared to what is out there now, and I actually COULD fix it myself. However, when something went wrong with the starter, and I didn't get around to fixing it right away, I had to do a workaround to start the car, which was to pop the clutch. 

If you have ever had to pop the clutch you will recall that this generally involves one person driving and several people pushing the car until it goes fast enough that you can pop the clutch and get the car started. If you are alone, this is much more difficult, especially when your car is a tank. I cannot really push the car and pop the clutch at the same time, although I have seen some people with lighter cars or stronger muscles do it! This meant that to be able to start the car in case I was alone, I had to park backwards on a hill so that when I started it up I could roll it down the hill and pop the clutch all on my own (I guess this is how I became independent!) It actually was quite effective, if I could get one of the one or two parking spots that fit this criteria. If I could not, I had to beg people to push my car so I could start it. Let's just say that I did not make a lot of friends during this time of my life. Or maybe I did, since I had to talk to a lot of people whether I wanted to or not. 

I did fix the car on my own, but not before popping the clutch on nearly all of the hills in the town I went to school in. However, as a 17 year old, doing this was highly superior to not having a car at all. 

Also, I lived in San Francisco and other places where I had to parallel park*, and this honed my skills in that aspect. Not only that, but I learned to be aggressive. If you have ever driven around for several (or 40) minutes looking for a parking spot in the evening, only to find one, start parallel parking (backing) into it despite the fact that you are holding up traffic to do it, and then have some jerk try to pull into it while you are taking it, you will know what I mean. I guess I will chalk this up to yet another useless skill for my list: parallel parking and doing it fast, and even being willing to yell at someone in my way if I need to. I can also tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue if it is long enough, and can recite all the words to Freaks of the Industry or Baby Got Back without any backup lyrics. Three gold stars for me. 

*Actually I did not have a car when I lived in San Francisco, but I regularly had friends ask me to help them park their car. 

Good luck parking here

So, the question that Nance posed was, do you reverse into parking spots? I think after having to sneak into the parking lot after everyone else with the truck, then worry about popping the clutch with the car, then back into parallel parking spots, I got pretty good at backing into the spot (mostly so that I would not have to back out of it later). So even today, the answer to her question is yes, but the caveat is that I would do it in my own driveway, or maybe in a spot that has a wall behind it, but I probably would not do it in a pull through spot, like at the grocery store for example. The funny thing is that I used to make fun of my Dad for doing it, and it seems like it was mostly men that did it, but now here we are. (*PS I think my Mom usually pulls in forward and my Dad definitely still backs into spots!) 

So now I ask you: do you reverse into parking spots? What kind of parking mishaps have you had in your life? 

Twenty Questions (Finale): You've Come a Long Way Baby

Thanks for following along for the countdown to 20 years of blogging! This was my first post, on April 7, 2006. So today, exactly 20 years later, here we are. To celebrate, here are a few highlights and facts from the last 20 years. 

1. I started off writing about travel, but then at some point I just had fun writing! One of my favorite fun for me posts was this one I wrote about trying to save the environment. It is funny to look back at my mind 20 years ago, but also our figurative environment and to see what has changed since that post! 

2. When I first start training for my first half marathon in 2006, I documented it, as we do, and I wrote this post on my 4th training day, where I asked myself, "is this going to get any better, or will it only get worse?" Hah. 

3. I was also a financial guru from the get go. Like in this 2007 post where I talk about trying to balance spending and saving. PS I opened my first brokerage (non-retirement) account in 2006. 

4. Including this post, I have 1,208 published posts, or an average of about 60 posts per year. 

5. A whopping 22% of those posts were all in one year, 2011, where I published 265 posts. The reason for this is because that is the year I did a round the world travel trip for about 12 months. 

6. My three most popular posts in this time are one I did about the funny signs in Thailand, one I did about how to make cake pops, and a guest post by Mr. Lovely about why Nepal is better than India. 

7. In 2008, I was traveling in South America for most of the year, and I even did a Dia Normal (DITL) post about one of my days there.

8. In 2019 I only wrote one post, and it was this best of books post. These posts have been a regular occurrence, even in the lean years! However, I did not even do the Money Pie! 

9. In fact, I had a bit of a slump in a four year period, with total published posts per year of 3 in 2018, 1 in 2019, 11 in 2020 and 6 in 2021. I also skipped the Money Pie at the beginning of 2020, but luckily, it was back in January of 2021! 

10. My top three labels in order of most to least are Lists, Travel and Running. 

11. While blogging, I have lived in (and blogged about) the following cities: San Francisco, New Orleans, Santa Cruz. 

12. In 2022, I decided to get back in the game, so to speak, and I upped my number to 17! I also started cycling longer distances for the first time, and I wrote a post about that. 

13. In 2023, I talked a lot about decluttering, as this was when I had decided to sell my house and all my things and hit the road again. 

14. Since I started this blog, I have read roughly 1,700 books and blogged about many of them. I even created a bookshelf with some of my favorites. 

15. Like many of us, I went through a food phase, and took photos of food etc. I even created a recipe page. 

16. I only did NaBloPoMo once, in 2024, and I probably will not do it again. It was fun but I can't keep up with other people's blogs as diligently as I would like when I am doing it. 

17. In 2024 I took several weeks off from posting to race my bike from Canada to Mexico. 

18. I also had many great blogger meet ups over these years, including places as far away from home as Poland and Wales! 

19. 2025 was another great round the world adventure, mostly in the European region. 

20. Next up, the world. Here's to 20 more years of fun, community and learning new things! Cheers! 

Have you ever had a blogging slump? What is your favorite old post of your own that you  have written (feel free to put the link so I can check it out!) 

What I Learned, Looking Forward, Looking Back: March 2026

You thought I only posted on Mondays, but I fooled you! Due to my 20 in 20 anniversary next week, this week I have a bonus episode for you. You're welcome! This is not a joke! 

Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? Japan

What new food did I try? There were a lot of things! The most fun one was Okonomiyaki, which is like a noodle, cabbage and oyster omelet of sorts. 

What country related books or documentaries did I watch? 

Read: Fifty Words For Rain <-- Japan (kind of strange)
Read: The Reason I Jump <-- Japanese author, who happens to be a 13 year old boy with autism *This one was my favorite of the three
Read: South of the Border, West of the Sun <-- Japanese author

Watched: The Unspeakable Things That Happened in Unit 731<-- covert biological and chemical warfare research unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and World War II.
Watched: Being Japanese Part 1 and Part 2 <-- identity in Japan (especially if you are not full Japanese)

Notes: I enjoyed The Reason I Jump, as it gives you an insight into some questions you may have about autism. I also found the Unit 731 documentary interesting in that I had heard about the Japanese being cruel during some of the wars, but not this specific part of it. I really enjoyed Being Japanese, as it talks about the struggles to integrate for some "outsiders" to the Japanese culture. 

Did I complete any other items on this year's looking forward list? 

✅New food
✅ Sent > 5 post cards
✅ Hiking in Japan
✅ Book about country
✅ Documentary about country

--------------------------------------------------------------------

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Devouring the Sweet Potato
February: Back in the Groove
March: Serenity Before the Storm

April will be busy, then...the summer will be busy...so March is the last calm month for a while! 

2. What did you learn last month? 

I learned that the reason the Japanese statues have little "aprons" on them is because they are an offering to the guardian of children and travelers, Jizō. Parents place these items on statues, often with hats, to ask Jizō to keep their children warm and safe in the afterlife, to ask for protection or express gratitude, or to ward off illness or evil.

Statues with bibs

I also learned how to wash before going into a Shinto shrine (use dipper to clean the left hand, right hand, mouth, then clean the dipper), and how to properly pray at the shrine (pay a coin for good luck, bow twice, clap twice, pray, bow again [and sometimes ring a bell]) and how you should walk to the side of the path as the middle is reserved for the gods. 

Washing station

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It was great! It rained a few days but mostly it was around 10 C / 50 F. Perfect running weather! 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

Hiking the Kumano Kodo was great. It is a pilgrimage over 1000 years old and it just felt so serene, walking amongst the tall cedar trees, seeing the shrines and temples and hearing the birds and the bugs. It was right up my alley. 

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month? 

Book: I really enjoyed Travels with Charley, in which John Steinbeck takes a road trip across the US with his dog. 

Movie/Show: I started the new season of Top Chef, which is in the Carolinas this year. 

Podcast: Don't be fooled by the title; this episode of Choose FI is of two women talking about getting used to not hoarding time, and about how hard it is to let go of perfectionism. I related to them very much. 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

Well it's not really "funny" but I had to get dental work done in Japan, a root canal and a crown, in two different cities, and neither of them spoke any English! It turns out, they have very cool machines and the out of pocket cost (total--> root canal: $90, crown: $375) was probably less than it would have been at home WITH insurance. Despite disliking dentists generally, it was probably the most pleasant dental experience that I have had in a while. Also the second dentist let me take photos of him and his machines while he was making my crown! 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

The girls! They will be joining me for spring break and we have a lot of fun things planned. Elephants, floating markets, eating all the street food, massages, mani-pedis, beach time, temples, buddhas, the works! I will need a vacation once they leave but it will be very fun I am sure. 

Your turn! To copy/paste, highlight the text below and click CTRL-C, then put the cursor in the comment box and click CTRL-V.

MARCH:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that?
2. What did you learn last month?
3. What was the weather like where you are?
4. What event last month was your favorite?
5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month? 
6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

APRIL: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! What was the worst dental procedure you have had?