NEW CONTACT INFORMATION

  HI All, and thank you for the many messages and phone calls regarding diesel engine questions and other Land Rover parts requests -     New contact information here.   If you want to know why,   read on after this paragraph.        PLEASE SEND ALL EMAIL INQUIRIES TO zombiewife@earthlink.net  -      AND USE THIS PHONE # TO MY SHOP :  503-505-7113  -      I CAN RARELY ANSWER THE PHONE SO PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE.  I DO NOT TEXT.  THIS IS A LAND LINE AND WILL NOT RECEIVE TEXTS.  IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE A MESSAGE, I WILL NOT KNOW YOU CALLED.


     My previous cell phone #   and the phone attached to that number is being 'retired' -     AKA, I am throwing IT of the bridge in my proxy. 

    A little about me  :    I am more-or-less trying to work alone at my shop here in Portland,  and I am ashamed to admit it, but I am a rather unorganized fellow by nature.    This means that I have a difficult time making a proper flow-chart of what to do with my time at the shop,  and my triage skills may be lacking logic at times,   and I am easily distracted by the many many projects which are all lurking around me as I try to work on finishing any one (even little) job.


   What this means is that I get behind with work.     Then,  I begin to feel very anxious.    THEN,   I begin to wish I could go to Hawaii or Australia,  or out into the woods,  or, when things get really tense I begin to wish I could jump off the bridge outside.      

    You see, I am trying to actually work on some of these trucks myself,   and the jobs are relatively long and complicated, despite the fact that I am very familiar with the work and feel competent and comfortable doing the jobs.  

    Every 15 minutes, on average,  I get a phone call that needs attention.    I get about ten calls a day with people asking about diesel engines;   they want to know which one,  how long does it take?   How much does it cost?  Why can't I use my own transmission?    How can I do it myself?  Can you talk to the guys at my local shop and explain to them how to do the job?     -      These calls usually last between 5-20 minutes each.     Times ten calls a day.      There is an hour or two on the phone every day, not to mention the time lost as I lose my train of thought and momentum about whatever job I was just performing when the phone rang. 

   I DO NOT TEXT.

   Then,  there are another 5 calls a day to parts stores locally, other shops,  etc -  Calls for me to order parts.    Easy calls.      

  There are always about 2-3 calls a day to England to talk to suppliers,   shippers,   I have to try to manage to get all my freight in one place at one time and provide addresses,  customs forms, invoices, etc etc etc just to keep that thing rolling.   This is not easy.   Read above,   I am not very organized.     These cals take about an hour every day.

   I get 3-5 calls a day from people who are good customers, and many have become friends.   They have a question about their truck.      They want to say HELLO.   They want to chat for a minute.    They want to know if I can 'fix something really fast' -- 

    I do not do any work on other peoples trucks.     Even if you bought a truck from me in the past,  I do not work on them.    I can recommend a good local shop for you if you like.      I can not look at anything 'real quick' for you.    I have to say this,  and do this now because I do not have time to do anything other than try to get caught up with the work that is already here and in front of me now,  and those things that are waiting to be finished have waited far too long already.

    - - - ALSO - --

   I have what appears to many middle-aged-men,  a lot of 'cool cars'  parked outside my front door, and just inside the roll-up-door.   I keep my doors closed at all times as I am trying to work.    I still get at least 4-5 people a day banging on windows in front,  banging on the door,  yelling through the back fence to me,   all who want to talk about cars.   Specifically, they want to tell me about their cars.   Often, they want to tell me about a car they owned 20 years ago.    They do not notice I was just working,   my hand is bleeding,  and I am holding a ratchet in one hand and a greasy car part in the other.    They talk.  They talk.   I eventually have to say I can not talk.      I have work to do.      This happens every day.    Every day.   Every day.     

    Then there are the emails.      A lot of them.   I try to answer them throughout the day.      I communicate best with emails.      A lot of people emailing and calling feel like they are 'only going to take 5 minutes'  and I must have that time for them.        I really often do not,  but I do my best.   I try.   

   I am getting HELP though!      My precious wife,  Eve,   will be taking over email and phone duties.    Otherwise,  I am going to wander off into the ocean and not come back.    I am very behind right now.     I do not have 'weekends'.   I do not go anywhere for fun.   I would like to be a guy who can go someplace for a day on the weekend without being riddled with guilt.       I am sorry,  but this may mean you will not get a personal response from me immediately anymore.   I have to do this.   Self-preservation, you see.      EVE will try to get back with you ASAP though!   And if I can give her an answer to replay to you, she will!     


     IN SHORT -   From now on,    PLEASE SEND ALL EMAIL INQUIRIES TO zombiewife@earthlink.net  -      AND USE THIS PHONE # TO MY SHOP :  503-505-7113  -      I CAN RARELY ANSWER THE PHONE SO PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE.  I DO NOT TEXT.  THIS IS A LAND LINE AND WILL NOT RECEIVE TEXTS.  IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE A MESSAGE, I WILL NOT KNOW YOU CALLED.

     My previous cell phone #   and the phone attached to that number is being 'retired' -     AKA, I am throwing IT of the bridge in my proxy. 

    I recently had a guy call me to ask about a car I had posted on ebay who immediately segued into a 27-minute monologue  (I timed it on the phone)   about how important he was,  about all of is Rovers,  how much money he has,   how his shop is the largest and best in the USA,   and he was not going to stop.   After 27 MINUTES,   I asked him if he had any questions about the truck he originally called me about.     He did not, it turns out.   I asked him if he was interested in buying it.   He was not in a position to do this it seems.     I told him I had to get off of the phone then,  as I had work to do.   He continued to talk.    About himself.    I did eventually have to become 'stiff' to get off of the phone.   He told me I was rude.     He told me that he had heard I was 'rude on the phone'.        I tried to explain that I have work to do and can not afford to be on the phone for a half-hour, CHATTING ABOUT NOTHING.     Then he called me a 'Dick'.     Or, maybe it was 'A-Hole' .      I felt bad,    but I was confused, I was not rude,   I just said I had to go.    Especially if we were not talking about business.       If I am going to chat with someone for 30 minutes, it may as well be my wife, or I would rather have the time to Play With The Baby.

   Go Figure.  
   
    Anyway, I just wanted to get all that off my chest.  Probably makes me look bad again.       I just try to be honest. 

   Baby is Crying.   I have to go.       Please use the above contact information, and this will make things run more smoothly, I promise!

   Z