TWTW January 2nd through the 8th: Rattle rattle thunder clatter boom boom boom

My Engine is Consuming Itself

 I went out for lunch on Wednesday. Half way to my favorite taco place I sat at a stop light. I huge racket seemed to be coming from a mechanic shop next door. It sounded like the really had some machine grinding away at a bunch of metal. I got stopped at the next stop light where the exact same cacophony was going on. I realized it was coming from my car and that it wasn't good. It sounded like the engine was destroying itself.  It seemed to stop when I accelerated and came back whenever the car idled. It seemed to be running fine.  Once I got back to my office I searched online for what could be causing the noise. A bunch of results that didn't seem to apply came up.

The next morning before taking the car to the mechanic I tried to see If I could figure out the problem. I started it up and opened the hood. But it wasn't making the sound. I drove around the parking lot and still it was fine. So I decided just to drive to work. When I got to the second stop light on my way to the office KLATTER BANG SLAM CRANK!!!!!  So I drove back home and opened the hood. I could barely hear the sound at the front of the car and didn't seem to be coming from the engine. I looked under the car and there was the problem. The heat shield had come loose and was banging against the exhaust. I tried to do a very subtle and precise repair by kicking at it to try and finish knocking it loose.  I have just left it down there rattling around until hopefully the temperature climbs about 15 degrees and I can actually climb underneath the car and try to either tighten or remove it.

I Feed a Deadbeat

I checked the weather before going out to my car to head to work. My phone mocked me saying -4 degrees fahrenheit. I had one layers. I pulled my parka on and zipped it tight. I wrapped a scarf around my neck and mouth. Put on my knit cap, pulled up the hood, and stuffed my gloved hands into the pockets. As I started out the door I looked over at Jobu. He lay in a tight little fuzzy ball in his nice warm bed. "You just lie there and be warm while you sleep all day. I'll head out into the freezing cold to work so I can buy you food."  He didn't even open an eyelid.