Ford Recall Update

In the case anyone is interested, I finally got my car back. The service team installed the new "clutch package" and I was on my way.  However, driving home from Atlanta three days later, last Friday, the same thing happened.  I was on I-75, in DRIVE, and the gear jumped to a neutral state. This time, I took out my phone and recorded it. After safely parking on the shoulder, I was able to shut it down, let it rest and reset (I guess) and drive it home--slowly. I called Pam at Pugmire Ford, and she told me to bring it in first thing on Monday.

When I arrived on Monday, I showed Pam the video.  She called a guy over (I think he might have been the lead mechanic, or something of that nature).  I told him my problem and he quickly identified it as a transmission module (or something like that). They put me in a loaner and I got my car back on Wednesday evening. It seems to be running better now.

My problem with this is I originally brought it in because of the transmission issue. I told them my Focus was shutting down and jumping to a neutral state and wouldn't catch a gear. They jumped to the conclusion that the problem must be the clutch package, since there was a major recall.  They didn't really listen to me when I described it until it happened again. All it took was the "lead mechanic" to hear my story in order to identify the issue. Luckily, I bought the extended warranty when I purchased the vehicle. The warranty covers transmission issues until I reach 100,000 miles. So the transmission module repair didn't cost anything additional.

Hopefully, this will be the last blog post about my Ford Focus recall issue. In conclusion, I'm a bit disappointed with Ford. After the initial issues, and me calling and complaining to the corporate office and airing my grievances over social media, everything has been relatively smooth.  Pam has been extra nice and helpful. I don't remember his name but the finance guy at Pugmire in Cartersville went out of his way to help me.  So I appreciate the assistance- it's just too bad it didn't happen until I squeaked about it. You know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. 

Songs Never Recorded- Sunny Days

Sunny Days, J. Fredrick Clark

(Verse 1)
Thinking back to what was said
A reeling thought; comfort shed

Friendship lost then what a night
Darkness falls to squeeze the light

And I said my two cents
A fog has just rolled in

Confusion sets, disoriented
Confessed my heart, then repented

But the problem’s worse than that
I lost my mind; I want it back

Nothing left makes much sense
A dog, a bone- climb the fence

Bloody water; brain erasing
Hill and bathwater misplacing

The darkness then is known
A beam of light has shown

Deep within I can’t forget
Two from one and then we split

(Instrumental)

(Verse 2)

It’s like I’m someone else
I flame the fuel and want to yell

Liquid peace the rock will move
At the fire I caught a groove

Now she is my life
I found what was not inside

Inside, inside my soul resides
I tuck it in because of pride

Be the best or fall behind
Although I wish I could rewind

Sometimes I miss the days when
We had so much time to waste

Night has left but grey remains
And I dream of sunny days

Things are good; a holding time
‘Til breath depletes, then you die

(Instrumental Bridge)

(Verse 3)
The first time that we kissed
Like yesterday I remember it

The moon was out and it was bright
You said, “Come here.” I said, “I might.”

I then remember kissing you
Oh my god, oh yes I do

Keeps me grounded you see
Back down to reality

Keeps my feet touching down
All upright, I’m on the ground
(Standing upright, I'm on the ground)




---I wrote this one without a real chorus. It was written in stream of consciousness for the most part- then I cleaned it up so it would read better. (I actually did record this at one point, and it's terrible.  Perhaps I'll share it one day....)---

Songs Never Recorded - High Tide

High Tide, J. Fredrick Clark

(Verse 1 )
Do you not remember;
Do you not recall;
When I ran into you
Last year in the fall?

It was a new beginning,
Like we would never end.
All this time I’m lending
So much time to spend.

Autumn love surrendered,
Parting ways; a new life.
Now without your warmness
I cannot get high----

(high) tide, rolling from afar.
I saw you and God
He was in your car.

(Chorus 1)

There comes a time when turpentine
Won’t do anymore

But when she went and loving she sent,
Walking right out the door.

Combusting love with flutter doves
And the radio a-scat.

When she leaves you will not believe,
(when she leaves you cannot conceive)
It would all go down like that.

(Verse 1 repeat)

(Chorus 2)

Raining winds and time begins
To slow down even more.

A sorrow sent ‘til my descent
A silky browning galore.

A lively group who’ve got the scoop
On all the pleasant sights

With teary eyes from lullabies
On all those homeless nights.

(Bridge)

High tide.
Trembling, rumbling through your mind.
People just don’t remember,
Crooked then divine.

High tide.
Shaking me, waking me
Keeps me alive,
And taking me-

On a ride
Lifting me, shifting me,
Holding up
And gripping me.

I got a friend,
I got a friend.
Someone....
Who won’t pretend

The bottle.
My head.
My pillow.
My bed.

Pretending
They'd die
The lights off
But why?

High tide.
Trembling, rumbling through your mind.
People just don’t remember,
Crooked then divine.

(Verse 1)

(Chorus 3)

There comes a time when true divine
Is what we’re looking for.

But it had meant my descent.
Turn the lights out close the door.

A dreamless sleep, through death we weep.
The radio a-scat

When time ceases and life releases
(when you die without diseases)
When beginning then ending pleases
(please just never repeat this)
Never go out like that.

Collective Insanity- Is it me or is everyone crazy?

Is it me or is everyone else nuts?

If everyone else is indeed crazy, doesn't that actually make me the crazy one? If insanity is a state of mind that distorts typical perception, behavior, and social interaction- who am I to say what "typical" means?  I believe my "typical"- or "normal"- is standard.  But if everyone else's normal is different than mine, perhaps I'm the abnormal one.

For example: I am no "tree-hugger" by any stretch of the imagination.  Nor am I someone who thinks all non-human life is precious (I'm the first person who will murder a spider if it's in the house.). But when I hear about people hunting just for sport, it sickens me. Since I live in the heart of the south, it seems like everyone I know are hunters. If I bring up the "hunting just for sport" argument, they always say the same thing, "I eat what I kill." OHHH. OKAY.  That justifies killing something you didn't have to for survival? If you're doing it simply because you enjoy it, it's definitely for sport. I love the outdoors.  I love camping, hiking, kayaking, spelunking, etc. It's just hard for me to wrap my mind around why people would want to kill for fun.  When I squish a spider in my kitchen, I find absolutely zero pleasure in the process. Just go play paintball if you want to simulate a war zone, nothing will be killed- I love playing paintball. I like shooting guns too, just not at animals.

The next thing they ask me is, "Do you eat meat?" Indeed, I do. "Well, someone had to kill that animal so you could eat it." That's a fair point, and I struggle with it regularly. The thought that I'm somehow above the animal I just ate where I can take its body, consume it, and make it part of my own with complete disregard to its life disturbs me down to my soul- and feels extremely selfish. Also, I love Chinese food, Mexican food, hot dogs and hamburgers, seafood, and sandwiches- all of which are formulated specifically to taste delicious-- and don't even get me started on bacon (I own a bacon bowl for Pete's sake). It's easy to conform and push disturbing thoughts away when eating something tasty like Sesame chicken. So, I conform to my surroundings and vanquish my thoughts.

If I ask hunters if they eat deer, the answer is typically, "Of course!" If I ask if they eat cow, "I love me some beef!" Then I ask if they eat dog... "HELL NO, ARE YOU CRAZY?" So, what's the difference? The difference is simply this: an idea. The idea that dogs and cats are somehow sacred. We give them names, shelter, and food.  We genuinely love our pets. When they die, we cry. So what's the difference?  They're all animals, right? .....an idea. Everyone is so upset about Cecil the Lion. A wealthy U.S. man led a beloved animal to his death for sport. I wonder if the hunter would have said that he eats what he kills and he was planning on eating Cecil, would everyone have been fine with his actions?

I'm not saying it's more righteous or holy being vegetarian- I'm definitely not. As a matter of fact, the Bible points out that eating meat isn't a bad thing. Jesus eats fish in Luke 24:42-43.  In Acts 10:10-15, Peter has a vision where Jesus tells him that all foods made by God are not common and are clean to be eaten. If you give thanks for your food, God appears to be fine with you eating animals. I have a hard time believing a creature with eyes, a nose, two ears, a brain, and blood running through its veins should be killed just so you can have fun- that's all. In rural North Georgia, I am definitely in the minority with this opinion.

Another example: I drive to Atlanta from Cartersville every day for work. My daily commute is 44 miles. With traffic (and there's always traffic in Kennesaw, Marietta, and Atlanta) it takes an average of an hour and a half each way. I listen to music, sports talk radio, and sometimes pretend I'm a rock star.  Recently I've been attempting to teach myself the harmonica. When you have 3 hours on the road daily, you do all sorts of things to stay entertained. You also have a lot of time to think.

I look around and see the thousands of people commuting just as I am and wonder where they're going and what's on their minds. Someone is probably happy. Someone is probably sad. Someone is probably in-between. Someone is going through a divorce. Someone's struggling to make sense of a death in his or her family. Someone is dealing with cancer. This is what it means to be human. We have real thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. Then are bombarded with nonsensical news items such as the Caitlyn Jenner thing. Some of us are still pissed off that Grey's Anatomy's Derek Shepherd was killed off.  All the while, ISIS is beheading Christians. If the most important things in life are judged by how many viewers or how much publicity something has, we're in trouble.

Does everyone just live their lives not thinking about things the way I do?  Am I crazy? I feel like I'm a mad man sometimes....

Songs Never Recorded

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted to be a rock star.  I didn't focus on learning an instrument or on my vocals, but I did write hundreds of songs.  Check out the Poetry link as I will periodically post these songs.

School Again

It seems like Johnny is growing up a little, as most kids do from year to year.  Check out the poetry link for his latest update. (This will be his last update leading up to the new book!)

Ford Recall UPDATE

So, 30 minutes after sharing the blog post on Facebook and Twitter, the dealership calls me and will have a rental/loaner car I can drive first thing in the morning. Coincidence? You decide.