Restoration

WOW, 2 weeks since I wrote a journal!  I've been keeping busy as August is our busiest month of the year.... I have an old car that was wrecked and that I've been slowly rebuilding.  It is my favorite car of all time, and it was actually totalled and taken to a junk yard and I made them bring it back!  LOL....I can see myself clinging to the back wheel crying no, no when they come and get it for good some day  LOL When it was wrecked, I took the settlement and spent it on gambling.....so it never got fixed.  Over the past 19 months I've had gamble-free....I've been slowly working on restoring it.   I bought a used side mirror and  headlight assembly from a salvage yard...I fixed the rear hatch opener thingee (you can see how knowledgable I am about mechanics LOL).....I fixed the passenger door so it would lock again....I replaced a power steering cable and fluid....had the engine tuned up....doing just a little at a time over the last 6 months or so.   I also started collecting used parts; a fender, bumper covers, etc.....figuring it would be cheaper to have the work done if I got my own parts.   So, after saving all Summer, last week I took it and the parts to a body shop and they put my "baby" back together with a new paint job. It looks and runs fantastic!!!!!  I am so ecstatic that I was able to save for this.  I feel such a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.  The next task will be to replace the wheels and tires.  Three of the wheels are the originals, and one is a mismatched spare, as the original was damaged too much to be safe to drive on!  I will be so proud of it when I get nice new wheels that actually match LOL... For some reason, rebuilding this car has become a symbol of sorts for rebuilding my life. Other people might have given up on me, and tossed me away for junk....but I didn't given up on myself.  It has taken me a lot of time to slowly rebuild my life, piece by piece....a little at a time.  I get impatient and want everything to be perfect all at once, but I have learned to savor each little bit of progress.  I get so excited with every little thing that gets restored and repaired! The car, like myself, is still a work in progress....but it is worth the effort.  MY LIFE IS WORTH THE EFFORT.