I know how you feel. I have been going through a bit of depression myself.

My youngest daughter is going through a divorce from the (I just found out) abusive A'hole she has 2 children with. I had no idea he was verbally and emotionally abusing her.
My girlfriend called it quits out of the blue.
It's been too hot to work on my truck.
The engine shop has just told me, after 2 months of waiting for them to figure out how to use the aluminum bell housing I found, that they won't dyno my motor with the alum bellhousing because they are afraid it will break and ruin their dyno.

Depressions sucks. Fortunately I have friends that are willing to listen to me whine a little bit.

I do know that when it comes to getting out of depression (and tackling an old truck) it's like eating an elephant. The way to do it is one bite at a time.

 

Jeff and Nicolle, there are a few things that might help you at this time... Make a list of what you want to accomplish (house, work, wife, kids, & truck) ask your wife for a "Honey Do List" of 5 things... Convert them to seperate the lists to catagories. The truck one put on the largest size paper, poster board, white board and put it in the garage... Each of your lists (including the truck) tape to your bathroom mirror. As you finish each thing on your list mark it as done... After a while you will have pulled yourself out of your depression and motivated yourself as you finish things. Your wife will be happy that some of her things are getting done too... Good Luck... And keep up the good work!

 

I know just how you feel Jeff. I lost my good job of 10 years in 2009. Since then I have had a couple of different jobs but they have barely kept my wife am myself above water. My 53 has set for most of the time since 2009. Been missing with the brakes. Rebuilt the stock mc but pedal still feels spongy so it still sets. I really only have myself to work on it. My son-in-law helps when he is not busy with school work but it just does not seem to get me very far on my truck. Hang in there, as I will be hanging in.

 

I am typically the upbeat kinda fella, but lately I have been quite down. I try REAL hard not to let it show but my last few posts have been extremely snarky, rude, and short. Being depressed sucks.

I have not so much as spun a wrench on my truck until last weekend. Allow me to spin some yarn for a minute. My good friend Matt and I spent last Saturday at the Relix Riot. After some less than friendly weather we arrived. My truck battery was dead. After a few jumps to try and diagnose the problem (to no avail), a very good fella named Brian lended me a battery, jumper cables, a jump box and directions to the nearest parts store. We arrived, and after a run in with a ***** who started to sour my otherwise positive outlood, I came back to the store to a couple in need of an alternator install on a newer truck. Well, being as I recieved such generosity I decided to pay it forward and my friend and I installed the alternator for free. What an eye opener. I am amazed how something so simple can be so profound. My friend and I spent probably 3 hours at a rainy car show, missed half the cars and 75% of the swap (which was a stellar car show)...yet it was the best weekend I have had in a while. Since then I have been all sorts of amped up to start working on the truck and the bug. The biggest kicker is time!

Don't let bad times sour your outlook. Even though things get bad (and they do get bad), it only makes the good times that much more real, understandable, and appreciated. It took me 7 years to spin one wrench in the positive direction on my truck...and even during the brief build I had spats of down, mainly surrounding a particular part I needed help with cause I can't weld. With the help of my friends I turned a non driving piece of **** to a driving piece of ****! It does no good to look at other people who have it worse, it does no good to sulk. The only way out of the hole is to put one foot in front of the other.

I wish you and yours the best.

 

Jeff and Nicole
I too used my 401k. Ihad a heart attack and almost took the big dirt nap. a 5way bypass later and your priorities change a lot. Wife said take what you need to get the 51 moving life is to short. Worrying about crap doesn't make it better or worse it is what is. Keep the faith. Dave

 

Hey Jeff, not long ago I posted a "What do think it's worth" because I was thinking of selling my F1. You were one of the many great people on this site that boosted by feelings. I feel I should return the favor. I still haven't found another job but I have a couple of interviews lined up for next week. Life just is, we have to deal with it the best we can. I get depressed and I worry too much. It's normal. All I can say is thanks for lifting my spirits, I hope we all can lift yours. "It's always darkest right before dawn" Hang in there, Dean

 

I have read each and every post here.

I guess things could always be worse, you have reminded me of that.

This has been a very rewarding thread for me and maybe for others as well.
I haven't replied to many of you individually because I would be typing forever! But I read your post probably 4 or 5 times now and will refer back to this in the future.

I started my list last night and am gonna work on it yet tonight.
takin the wife and kids out for a boating excursion all day tomorrow, then get the garage cleaned up, tools put away. (i can't find my butt with both hands in there!)

When thats done, I will get back to truck progress and will post pics!

Thank you again!

 

Jeff, I started reading the thread a few days ago but didn't have time to post a response. I'm glad I didn't, from reading the replies I do get one good feeling, I'm not alone. It may sound funny to say that it makes me feel good to know others are suffering hard times but part of depression, I think, is thinking you're the only one, you're alone. Like you did something to bring it on yourself, you did something stupid be a job choice or a bad purchase. It just feels better, at least for me, to know I'm not the only one, we're all in this together. I'm not the only one trying to stay afloat.

Some times when reading these discussion boards and reading posts about a person buying a new crate engine with all the doo dads and then the next guy posting about his show quality upholstery he's having installed or the guy who is traveling from shows from the west coast to the east coast and back again, it seems like everyone else has unlimited resources and time. Here I sit stuck at home because I can just maintain my house and feed my family.

Also, realize that although many of us post in our signatures or state in our posts that me have multiple old trucks, many, like my self, have these old truck but most are just sitting unfinished and won't be road worthy for a long time. Two of my trucks are road worthy but still need work. I've been working on my F-2 for over 30 years and just recently one of the front springs broke so it's on the side lines right now. Thanks to Stu and his generosity I have a new used spring that I hope to find the time to install before the driving season is over. The panel is drivable but really could use a paint job and other cosmetic repairs but my kid enjoys driving as is so that's the way it will probably stay for a while.

A while back on one of the board I frequent, not this one, a person posted about some bad times they were having, something like what you posted and the members chimed in about not whining, that he should be glad to have his health. It kind of a tough board. One or two members with cancer even gave the guy a hard time. I agree, a financial set back is nothing compared to a horrible health problem like cancer but at the time in each individual's life the problem he's experiencing is extremely hard. To that person, at that time, it may seem the worse it could be.

Right now in my own life I am in a position that is just draining me. I am self employed and the last few years have been hard. We've run ourselves into debt trying to keep the business afloat by using credit with the hope that just maybe if we can keep the business going just a little longer maybe we can make it through. Well, business in the last year has really picked up but now we have to dig ourselves out of the debt we incurred. Although business has improved greatly we're still living like we were two years ago. A few of you have stated problems with kids, my major problem is also with my kid. Long story short, my in-laws did some ill planned and stupid things with my kid that are costing me huge amounts of money, at least for me, and huge amounts of times, which I don't have much of, to help keep my kid from financial ruin. Although I tried to avoid being sucked into this mess it's my kid and I have to help, even though there is a very good chance I will loose a lot doing it.


Good luck to all of you that have posted.

 

The group of guys here on this forum, directly and indirectly, have helped me immensely, though they all don't know it. I do want to say thanks!

Jeff, this thread alone is evidence of the support. I've said it before, everything seems negative out there in the world, but we are surrounded by good people. I try to surround myself with as many as I can. Isolation sux. I've spent days at work talking to nobody, as I suffer depressive anxiety pretty bad. If I can at least talk some BS with a coworker about, oh say, maybe the new paint he got on his Gran Prix, it tends to steer me into a better day. It's little things like that.

As far as the truck goes, about 8 years ago, I thought I could get mine done within a year. Oh, how I learned. A small house fire, a new house the contractor bailed on after he took the money, wife's heart attack, car accident, recession and layoffs, wife's permanent layoff, MN's reinstating my child support after 8 years (she moved out of the country, long story), friend's suicide, family members passing, credit card debt to keep going while hoping things turn around (just like Bob), and now things are starting to get better. All the while, my F1 lays a bare frame waiting. And like Bob said, those of us with several trucks, aren't getting show stoppers, these are free, or less than $500 parts vehicles no one in their right mind would want to tackle, lol.

So I have to thank the FTE group for allowing me a place to come to, to give me something stable to rest on, at the end of my long day. So Jeff, that's what we are here for.


PS: The Julie/Dan debacle almost ruined it for some of us, and I'm glad it's passed. Looking back, it shouldn't have affected me so much like it did. Live and learn, I guess.

 

I'm glad to hear you're going to get back up on that horse!

 

Hope you and the family had a great day out on the boat.... Did you get the garage cleaned up?

 

Ok heres how it went, a little different than planned, but...
Was goin out on the boat with the family, the girls didnt want to, so they went shopping
My son Jesse(17 year old dabbling in pot) and I went out on the boat and caught some fish. nice fight but in the Illinois river I practice catch n release. Not the cleanest river...not even close...
That was a good time, relaxing. ok that was a wrap for Saturday!
Today...I started to clean up the garage...15 mins or so, I get a call, my brother-in-law wants to use the boat...its a good thing he is a good car salesman cause has the mechanical ability of a blade of grass. Cant pull the boat. So I meet them at a boat ramp, setup the whole thing and launch the boat even! I went over as much common sense stuff as I could think of. And the whole time he acts like I am wasting his time. not wanting to seem insultive of his intelligence, I just generically say be careful and have a great time! and smile and walk away
5 mins into the trip, he gets the boat stuck on a sand bar( I think its called a beach!) Well...long story shorter...chewed the prop up pretty good and bent a pin used to adjust the plane of the outboard motor.
theres more but its a longer story and i am tired of typing
but i did get the rear axle off the truck to start cleaning off the rust, so thats something. I guess...

 

Some days the only thing I could physically do was sit in my truck and make noises...it was progress to me.

I stopped frequenting many forums because of what you said Bobj49F2...it seems people have unlimited resources to complete a full on frame off project whereas I am fortunate if I can afford gas. When days like that come along (often), all you can do is put one foot in front of the other and walk on. My idea of progress isn't much to some and I am ok with that. I can only do what I can do...even if it is just making noises.

 

As long as you enjoy it.... I have a running truck that I drive around once a month early in the morning because it's just to hot to drive all the time... Can't wait for hell to freeze over or atleast cools of to under 100 deg

 

It drives now...but back when I was building it funding was very tight. Not that it's much better now but it was bad then.