Not Doug
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Show Low, AZ
Posts: 12,230
Thanks: 7,254
Thanked 2,229 Times in 1,719 Posts
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My car died when I was driving Mom home from an appointment.
I had a CEL for a misfire and a bad coil pack.
I thought I was long overdue for replacing the spark plugs, but maybe not.
They were oily, but maybe from the bad valve cover gasket that I replaced 18-24 months ago?
I had already bought spark plugs and other maintenance items, but didn't take the time when working two jobs and then trying to move 3 adults when two had hoarded for 20 years and tried to prevent me from moving anyone's stuff.
I left them and my tools in Show Low.
I pulled Denso plugs, while the car, which only has 132,000 miles, would have come with NGKs.
They are supposed to last for 100,000 years, so they were probably still good?$259 for spark plugs, coil packs, and a spark plug socket and extension because I can't find mine.
I keep wondering how much a shop would have charged.
One mechanic volunteered that they upcharge parts and almost everyone would charge an hour labor, if not two.
RepairPal didn't give me estimates for spark plugs and coil packs, I don't even think that I could search for both through them, but I found the other through Google.
Neither suggested related repairs, at least not this one.
I believe that it estimated 2 hours of labor for each part, while I did it in my driveway in 10 minutes and 13 seconds.
I have not replaced the zip ties yet.
I have passed all of my classes with at least one A.
Last quarter, I had two.
Cs don't earn degrees in grad school, they are failing, so I have only earned As and Bs.
Curiously, my first site was with a male SLP at a school, and went well.
Then I was assigned a female SLP in a clinic in Chandler, and after two days, my coordinator sent me back to my first place because the second wouldn't work with me.
Then I was with a male SLP at a school, and it went well again, but then they tried to assign me to another female SLP in a clinic in Chandler, and I wasn't even able to start, they agreed to work with me in the spring, and when I followed up as summer was ending, and the first 4 weeks of the fall, they kept saying "We haven't finalized that."
Then they had me and a classmate come in for an orientation, where they told us a little bit about their company, and answered every question with "We haven't finalized that."
They had said we would probably do teletherapy with a school, but she told us that one SLP did that, but the one she wanted to work with the other one... did evaluations...
Does she do enough assessments for me to get enough hours?
That wouldn't be fun, but it would be great training!
"I don't know what else she does for us. She didn't respond to my e-mail."
An SLP who doesn't communicate well?
Not a good sign!
Two days later, the lady called saying that SLP doesn't see clients with them, she was sorry, they couldn't help me.
Then I had a virtual interview with two female SLPs with a third clinic in Chandler, 2.7 miles from the last one, and they started out asking what happened with the other agency--by name.
What did they hear?
They didn't seem to like any of my answers and I didn't expect to hear from them again.
I just wanted to get in somewhere and work lots of hours for free!
A few hours later, someone with a similar name sent a text and she assigned me to work with a female SLP in a school.
This was a month into my 10-week quarter.
I needed to get started!
I immediately e-mailed her "Great to meet you, Ma'am, I am excited to get started! What do I need to do?"
"Why don't you observe me in 3-4 weeks and then start working with kids the next week?"
I wouldn't start working with kids until finals week or fall break.
I told everyone that I would do everything I could to start as soon as possible, and she kept not answering questions and not even answering e-mails.
A classmate told me that SLP was difficult, that was her first site, but she also said "Your first e-mail was too aggressive. You should have kept it short and just said" and then she listed several things, which would have made a much longer e-mail than I wrote.
She also told me that I shouldn't have sent her tons of e-mails when she didn't respond, just another one, and been patient.
When I didn't hear back within 4 days, I e-mailed her "Hello, Ma'am. Is there anything I need to do to get started?" and she would reply, but not necessarily usefully.
She had suggested that I came in for 2.5 days a week, saying that most of her sessions were in the afternoon, but then said "Your school requires you to be here 25 hours a week, so why don't you come in (four days a week, including during class times that my school and I both shared with her) or (five days a week)."
"Ma'am, this is for maybe 10 clinical hours? Would it be possible to only come in 4 days a week?"
"No, you need to come in 5."
I asked my clinical coordinator about it, he ignored me, I asked again, and he said "You do need to be there 25 hours a week."
All of my classmates said they came in less than that, but the SLP insisted on spending that much quality time with me.
"Yes, Ma'am, I apologize, I misunderstood."
I told my coordinator when she first suggested that I didn't start working with kids until the last week or later, when she didn't respond to an e-mail, and every other red flag.
I told him "I really don't think she wants to work with me."
When I apologized for misunderstanding, she told him that she didn't want to work with me, and he was furious at me for a third party never wanting to work with me in the first place?
I had been doing hearing screenings with Audiology, but the first one happened before my placement fell through.
I wasn't able to make the second and then when I asked "Should I plan on helping with the hearings screenings because it is unlikely I will be able to start at my site first?" my coordinator responded "I will inform the audiologists that you are unavailable, you need to start at your site.
They had me come in for some meeting and then said "Actually, we are going to discuss how everything is your fault!" and blamed me for things outside of my control for 90 minutes.
I successfully argued that I wasn't to blame for everything, but to what end?
My professor just slumped in his chair, folded his arms, and looked away.
Then they had me come in for something else and the professor walked in yelling at me that everything was my fault.
"Sir, you claimed that last week, and I said [summary]."
He tried to blame me for the same things, I reminded him of what I said before, and then he slumped in his chair, folded his arms, and looked away.
Since I didn't get enough hours through hearing screenings, he had me do simulations, which are terrible, and we don't learn anything.
He wanted me to start before completing finals, I asked "Can I wait until I complete finals so I can increase my chances of passing?"
"Why are you blaming your professors if you fail?!"
"What? I suggested that the more I study, the better I should do."
So, I did 20 hours of simulations in the library, which wasn't quiet at all, in 3 days, and then they scheduled me to meet with them virtually for 2 hours on Monday, the same day that I had clinicals (at my previous school, with the male SLP)--and class.
Not only that, but the first day of class, I also needed a flu shot.
They kept reminding us and then said "We will offer free flu shots, but we haven't finalized the day."
They decided to do it on the first day of class, the assistant said that none of us would be able to come in, and only 3 of my classmates did.
I had always been able to go to the local pharmacy and the VA would cover it.
The VA said they still did and showed dozens of local pharmacies that should cover it, but to call and verify first.
I called 10 places and each of them said "The VA has denied everyone, you would need to pay."
Safeway would charge $60.
I asked my classmates if any of them needed to pay for a flu shot.
"No, you just go into [local pharmacy] and it is free."
"Not if you have the VA."
"We don't know who the VA covers! Why would we?! Figure it out yourself!"
"I am figuring it out, I just asked if any of you needed to pay. Apparently not."
I ended up paying Costco $20, but they made me miss my very first class, and I keep earning worse scores than I would like in that professor's class.
That is a rant for another time, I have class in 20 minutes!
I asked both ChatGPT and Google Gemini to summarize that and it was far too vague.
I may return and try to sum up, but I can't promise anything.
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"Oh if you use math, reason, and logic you will be hated."--OilPan4
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