Still Alive!

I just wanted to drop a few lines and assure everyone that I am still very well alive. A couple weeks ago now I was putting the finishing touches on the next release of IZ2S when all hell broke loose just about everywhere. It's been a very, very, busy past couple of weeks at work. I have been battling new projects, old projects, phones ringing off the hook, upgrades gone sour, lost support, you get the idea.

Meanwhile, my car has been acting up. I have had some trouble getting the old VW started lately so I replaced the battery. That seemed to work for a day or two, and then I was right back to same issue. And so last weekend I replaced the starter. Let me tell you, this was NOT an easy task. In the process of working on the starter it appeared that I was leaking something. Oil? Gas? Of course I was laying in the wet street and I had some dirty old compacted snow stuck to my underbody. Once everything had dried out, it looked like I was in good shape.

A day or two later I was barreling down the road when my green dash light came on. Suspecting *another* electrical problem I got out the old multimeter and began testing my voltages. It appeared that my generator was putting out enough juice, and my battery was getting charged. Perhaps my voltage regulator was allowing too much juice through? I was getting about 17v to the battery, and that didn't seem right. Then as I was leaving work on Thursday my engine just stopped. And I mean, it stopped HARD.

That's when I realized that the green light on my dash wasn't an electrical problem at all. It was the "low oil" light. I did have a leak! I have seized my engine. Could this week get any better?

I tried a few quick fixes to try and get the car home, but I ended up having to pull out my AAA card and get it towed to my house. And now, I just wish it would stop raining long enough that I can pull my engine and get it into my basement. Of course, I will be doing all this while laying in the gutter on a busy public street because I don't even have a driveway for my house (let alone a cozy garage to work in).

So anyway, I am alive. And I miss developing for my Zipit. I hope to be able to get back to it soon.