Nice day outside, wish I had brakes

Because the weather is so nice today, I've decided to stay in and update my blog.

Well, the truth is I did just walk the dog, so I was outside for about an hour. But I can't really go anywhere till I get my brake pads replaced tomorrow. I went last week to have my oil changed and tires rotated at Firestone, where I always go, primarily because 1) it's on my way to work and 2) it's next to Borders, so I can look for books I don't need and also get coffee - two very important aspects of my life.

So I come back and the guy at Firestone calls me to the desk. This always happens. Every time I go in they try to convince me I need something done. I say no thanks and then I go to AutoZone and do it myself (if it needs to be done). WAY cheaper to do it yourself. For example: You need new wiper blades. That will cost $40. AutoZone price for Bosch wipers: About $22. This time they tell me I need new front brake pads. It will cost a little over $250 to have them replace them. The guy puts the hard sell on me, saying they are almost metal to metal. I need to have it done immediately. I find the phrasing a little funny since they are semi-metallic brakes. They want to replace them with ceramic. No price give on the cheaper semi-metallic brakes.

This is a problem, because I CAN'T replace the brake pads. Wipers, air filters, belts, batteries - all these things I can do myself. Brake pads require jacking the car up, take off the tires, taking off the pads, putting on the new pads, tires, etc. Then repeating on the other side. Not having any air compressed-tools and only the jack that came with the car, this would not be impossible, but would certainly feel that way as I was doing it. The current brake pads on the car came from AutoZone and my dad put them on four years ago. Apparently Nissan Pathfinders blow through brakes like I do bags of coffee.

So anyway, I obviously do not have a spare $250 lying around. So I'm wondering what to do when the mail comes (I'm back at home at this point) and there is a coupon for a local tire/brake place that will do per axle for $69 metallic $89 ceramic. This is too good to be true, I think. I call them up and ask if labor is included. They say yes and can do my Pathfinder. Woo-hoo! Victory is mine.

Sometimes I get tired of being a girl and dealing with auto-related places. They are always trying to get one over on you, thinking you don't know what you're doing. Actually between this experience and the first dentist I went to up here, I'm just getting tired of people thinking I'm a complete moron and trying to rip me off. I should start a blog of places NOT to ever go.