300th Blog Post · 12:51am Nov 2nd, 2015
Well, it looks like I've spent a perfectly good three years on this here site.
I love Minty
Source
Also, it's my 300th blog post. How about that?
Y'all might have guessed by the relative silence this last few weeks that I had a lot going on, and you'd've been right. I was in a play for starters. Nothing really special or spectacular, and I didn't exactly have a leading role, but it still took up a bunch of my time. That's over now.
Of course, when one project ends, it seems another starts up to take its place. In my case, that begins with me taking nine ASE tests. Since most of you don't know what those are, they're professional mechanic's tests.
Some states have certifications (Michigan is one), but—at least in the case of Michigan—the test is pretty much a joke. Really, the only thing that they prove is that you have a vague understanding of how a car works,* have $6.00 you're willing to part with, and can deal with waiting two to three hours at the Secretary of State's office to take the stupid test. Anybody who hasn't got the patience to deal with that hasn't got the right temperament to fix a car.
ASE tests are the real deal. You have to have two years experience, and you have to answer real questions (and fork over a lot more than $6.00).
The project started yesterday. Luckily for me, eight of the tests will be recert tests: I used to be an ASE master mechanic, but since that gave me no benefits at my current job, I let my certifications lapse (you have to renew ASE certifications every five years, since automotive technology keeps changing).
Well, now there are benefits. We're changing our brand (this all goes back to when the two local parts stores decided to change their brand), and one thing we're supposed to have is ASE-certified technicians. The boss called up and wanted to know if I had any current certifications. No; the most recent one expired in 2012 (which, for what it's worth, is more current than his). None of the guys at his shop do, either.
He's not likely to do it, and none of the guys at his shop are likely to, either. He could require it of them, but what's he going to do when they don't? Fire them all? Not very likely.
Since my new job requires me to deal with customers, I started with the Automobile Service Consultant test. I skimmed through the sample questions, figured that I could probably pass it . . . and I did. Tellingly, I got 100% on the product knowledge section (I'd better; they were questions about what certain things on a car were for), but didn't do so well on the customer communication section. Probably, part of that was because the questions were about how work should flow in a large shop, with multiple service writers, a shop manager, different levels of technician, and so on. I work in a two-man shop. About half the time, I don't give the repair order to a technician; I do it myself.
Meh, whatever. I passed.
Let's hope I do as well on the next eight tests.
___________________________________________
*As proof that the state's tests are a joke, I have an airbrake certification. I have never worked on an airbrake system, nor have I ever taken any classes about airbrakes. My only knowledge of airbrakes comes from reading NTSB reports.
Also, I finished my mini-One-Shot-Ober. 31 new bite-sized stories; the shortest is 35 words long, and the longest is 2,160.
Mostly they're comedy, but a few aren't.
For my loyal, loyal readers, I put in a Sam and Rose one-shot, as well as a Highway 502 one-shot. Since I'm an utter bastard sometimes, I won't tell you which ones they are, so you have to read all of them to find the stories you're looking for.
I wanted to do Novelember this year. I had the perfect idea for it, too: a re-telling of Die Hard, starring Applejack.
I totally could have stretched that out into 50k, too.
Buuuuuuut . . .
It's really not that great an idea. One of those things that seems better in my head than it would have turned out on paper, sort of like my Being Flash Sentry idea. I probably could have made it work as a one-shot, but 50k? Nah.
And it wouldn't be fair to my regular readers. I've got two unfinished stories which might as well be on hiatus, as long as it's been since the last update, and OPP isn't exactly blazing along, either.
While it's true that my situation in life isn't the same as it was last year, and I'm unlikely to have the free time I used to (at least in the foreseeable future), I ought to be getting focused back on the projects I already have, rather than start yet another new thing.
So what I want to try is 50k of updates.*
That may be an unachievable goal.
I can already hear you saying, "But Biscuit, you did 60k last October." Yeah, but it's one thing to bang out a one-shot, and quite another to keep a long-runner going. If nothing else, the editing process is longer—it usually takes a week from when the draft first goes to my pre-readers to when I'm ready to publish, and that's if things are going well.
But I'm a stubborn cuss sometimes, and maybe I can reach that goal.
________________________________
*also probably some new stuff which totally counts towards the goal
So I think I mentioned up at the top that I've been on the site for 3 years. One of my goals was to have written 100 stories by now.
Depending on how you count, I either did or didn't.
I've got 87 on this account, 4 in Collab Cage collections, and 4 under a different username, which is only 95.
Still, a bunch of those are collections; even if you only count collection stories that are over 1,000 words long—and therefore able to be published as their own stories—I'm past the hundred mark, and probably have been for a while.
If you count everything, no matter how long . . . well, I have no idea what that comes out to. A lot. Anybody who wants to count, feel free, and remember I only get credit for three in Fimfic Authors are in Your Bed.
Oh, I also picked up some new pony swag yesterday. Got me a copy of Friendship Games, as well as a Peachy Sweet action figure. She's got cute little hoof-boots and a ten-gallon hat. The girl at the checkout was snickering when she rang them up, but I didn't care.
If the image doesn't appear, open this in a new tab
From the Wiki
And I think I may have mentioned that I got the big collection of Power Ponies; on top of that, I also picked up all the small brushables, too. I had to go to two Targets in order to get them all. Totally worth it.
Oh yeah, and I was lying before about not telling you what chapter was what.
The Highway 502 story is Solo.
The Sam and Rose story is November.
Yay!
THIS. IS. SPARTA!!!!
Happy three years. Good luck with your stories.
And I didn't forget about your "challenge" (but you probably did lol). I just can't write things right now.
~Corporal Waffle
I think I'll have to find an online copy of that seminar style video on dual airbrake systems (most every straight truck or bus made in the last 20 years) that work shows us bus drivers. It is pretty thorough, and to my mind, pretty cool.
Three years of your life you'll never get back.
Real trick questions. Bastards make the tests more about taking tests than actual mechanic-ing, if you ask me. Fortunately, one of the things I was good at back in school was taking tests. I don't mean like the level of studying or retention or anything like that, what I mean is the ins and outs of tests in general. So I had no problem with the tests because I'm good at tests, but the thing is, I know a lot of people, mechanics included, that aren't. And if you ask me, test-taking ability doesn't count towards repairing vehicles.
3514941 well obviously the customer is hot and bothered by the failing air conditioner, it's gotta be that one!
Liking Minty is nothing to be ashamed about. :D
3514535
I found it! but it costs money, aside from the preview.
Here it is, the preview is under the "quick view" tab and is about six minutes long, talks about a bad crash.
3514389
3514397
orig05.deviantart.net/54b0/f/2015/086/6/6/this_is_sparta_by_miszasta-d8nabid.jpg
3514405
I do remember my challenge.
3514941
Eh, there are worse ways I could have spent three years.
Believe me, they're way better than Michigan's tests. At least it's relevant knowledge for modern cars. Michigan's engine performance test still has carburetor questions on it. Who needs to know that?
I agree that there are a lot of good mechanics that suck at taking tests, and a lot of not-so-good mechanics who aren't bad at taking tests (and I fall into one of those camps, but I won't tell you which one), as well as good mechanics who are also good at taking tests. Short of actual practical, hooves-on testing, though, the ASE tests are probably the best, most-professional certification we can get.
B is more likely to be right, because it's possible that compressor engagement/disengagement could change the engine load enough to effect shifts. Valve lash would likely affect the car throughout the whole performance range. FWIW, my Grand Marquis has an undercharged AC system and slams into second gear.
[Although, the shift problem is because the trans is at max adaptive, and has nothing to do with the AC]
3515408
What's always depressed me is a customer paying to fix some non-essential system on their car (like the AC), while refusing to repair the grinding brakes on their car.
3515565
Damn straight. Minty rocks.
3515916
Yay!
I'm not paying the money.
3516645
3516645
On technical-type questions, even if I don't know the answer I can usually at least tell if someone is screwing with me. I admit you've got me here.
3516645
Oh, of course not. (Though, your shop might possibly meet their requirements for receiving a copy on indefinite loan, assuming you were interested)
The short segment they have on the page is kinda neat though.
Oh, and carburetors aren't totally irrelevant. Olds V8s were carbureted all the way to 1990...
Though, out in road salt country, i guess the average '90-or-older car is scrap, or driven so little that it also doesn't see the shop much.
( all my roadworthy stuff is carbureted...)
3516645
Lel, my favorite code!
3515408 You'd be surprised how often it's... well not that particular case, but still something so far unrelated that the customer is simply confusing for something else. Like the other day it was a complaint of harsh shifts, but the engine was running SO bad that you'd be lucky to tell what was a shift, let alone the quality of the shifts.
When can we expect 500?