PennSilverTaco's "Perfect 5-Lug Regular Cab" Build, Aspergers, and General BS MegaThread!

Maybe I wasn't reading it properly then. My copay/deductible is $150; I saw $3,000 on the paperwork, and that could have included everything (X-Ray, crutches, etc). Amanda and I both live in a relatively affluent area full of stupid people, with more dollars than sense, who are willing to pay out the ass for things like medical procedures and used cars. Seriously, the Toyota dealer in Doylestown had a 2004 Solara listed for ten grand, when the car was worth less than four grand (68K miles, RARE 5-speed manual, and in mint condition; I was shocked when I found out how much it was actually worth)!

 

On another note...

So, I NEVER go to the stealership if I don't have too. My neighbor has a loaded 2020 Honda Pilot with 72K miles on it; I have been trying to get her to go to my mechanic for months, but she "trusts the dealer". My mechanic is literally within walking distance of the Honda dealer where she bought the Pilot and has it serviced. He is also within walking distance of the Toyota dealer, Lexus dealer, and BMW dealer (all Thompson; the Honda dealer is Faulkner). For example, dealers seem to charge anywhere from $120 to $150 for a diagnostic scan. My mechanic will do an OBD2 diagnostic scan for free. When my dad's Yukon was having trouble starting, I drove it to my mechanic and he plugged in his scanner (he found nothing, but it was later determined to be the starter, and he replaced that). The CEL in Amanda's PT Cruiser came on less than five minutes after she picked it up at my mechanic, so she called him, and he told her to bring it right back. An '02 Chrysler is obviously OBD2, so he was able to plug in his scanner, and find the fault. Turns out that the power steering pressure sensor was bad, and that was triggering the CEL. He cleared the code, and we brought it back to get fixed like a week or so later. The total cost for parts and labor was $92, which is probably the cheapest CEL occurrence I've ever had to pay for!



Another time, when my late friend Jim and I changed the spark plugs in my truck, we disconnected something that we weren't supposed to disconnect and it made the CEL come on; I drove it to Pete's, he cleared the code free of charge, and the CEL didn't come on again (at least not for that issue; I don't even remember what it was)!

In my opinion, the best way to get through life is to be the best person you can be, but to network and make connections with the right people so your ass is covered in the event that you fuck up or something unexpected happens; I would especially recommend making friends with attorneys and mechanics, as people in those two professions have helped me out A LOT over the last decade or so!

 

In late 2002 (October or November, I believe), I sprained my ankle. It was so minor that nothing showed up on the X-ray, and it was the first orthopedic injury I'd ever had. The doctor put me in one of those huge walking braces that resembles a moonboot. Insurance covered pretty much everything, but I'm pretty sure that my parents had to pay a deductible. I remember my mom being in shock when she saw the breakdown of the bill, and learned that the walking brace was like $200 or $300! This was in 2002, so more than two decades ago!

 

I do whatever I feel comfortable doing, and my mechanic does the rest. The biggest reason I go to a mechanic instead of doing everything myself is because I live with my parents and my dad doesn't want me working on the truck in his driveway; I haven't changed oil in a vehicle since I was in auto shop back in 10th grade, but I do know how to do it! I know how to check fluids, and use a code scanner. When one of the O2 sensors in my truck's catalytic converter went bad, I actually found Denso sensors at AutoZone and bought both sensors; I was going to replace them myself, but the old ones were rusted in place. My mechanic had to use a blowtorch to get the old ones out, and rethread the holes for the news ones!

 

The same is true for car insurance, and goddamn shoplifters. The Walmart near my house has condoms and lube locked up! They also have makeup and fake nail locked up, because in 2024, shoplifters stole about $250K worth of cosmetics! I wouldn't be shocked if the bastard who stole a scrap window A/C out of my truck last December is one of the Walmart bandits!

 

I can really screw on the cheap because Amanda had a hysterectomy four years ago for legit medical reasons, she got an extensive STD test at her doctor before we got serious that came back 100% clean, and as a result I don't have a use for condoms!

The thing is that Warrington (where I live and where the aforementioned Walmart is located) is a really nice place. Houses are obscenely expensive and there's nothing out of the ordinary in terms of crime. There's a lot of high-end shopping and really nice restaurants in addition to the Walmart and the fast food places.

In this area, someone is far more likely to die of natural causes in their home (which I unfortunately stumbled upon less than a month ago) than they are to be murdered. There are drug overdoses and fatal car wrecks, but this isn't a violent or even high-crime area! Warrington PD also routinely drives through my neighborhood; I know most of the cops, and the cops all know drives what and who lives where. If anyone or anything is out of place, they will spot it!

 

No Home-Owners Association???

 

Where? My neighborhood? Yes, there's an HOA, but they don't have onsite security...

 

I just wasn't sure if they forced that on you.

 

Yup they ain't cheap..

Could have been, I see them fall around 2000 or so in my little slice of life that I can recall. And yes sometimes it's cheaper to buy them like that re DME. Though Amazon is another good option..Walmart wanted $100 for a commode that was $40 on Amazon delivered in less than 24 hrs.

Hell I work there and my deductible is about $2500 for the both of us total.

 

That moonboot today is $400, can confirm..so said Cupcake.

Yup. In terms of that plus our taxes subsidizing free care, though in some ways that's understandable.

 

Whether they did or not (which I honestly don't know), I kind of like it, because if the police catch someone breaking into my truck or my parents' house, I'd rather the police arrest them then get arrested myself for giving them the ass-kicking they truly deserve!

 

It's still possible for her to get pregnant.
The kid won't make. It'll die a fetus.

But it's possible.

The chance it happens are RARE. But I could....

Is it worth worrying about? (Probably not).

And now I can officially say, I learned some more useless information. Thanks to you and TW.....

 

Amanda has one ovary that may or may not still function, and literally nothing else...

 

I'm not a person that belongs in an HOA.
I don't like being told what I can and can not do with my own things.