Rally: Canceled. Party: On.

Well as the snow continues here in lovely northern WI, my back hurts from so much shoveling and the rally for this saturday has been postponed.

I spent approximately 2 hours this morning shoveling a maybe 100 foot driveway. by the end I could have been doing it in a T-shirt and there was a small snow bank in my hair. ah so much fun!....NOT

And Scott's Kewenaw TSD is postponed until the 17th...likely due to a lot of people not wanting to brave the elements. I was about to leave when Joe called me to let me know...good timing I guess. Sadly I won't be able to visit Mum this weekend, which i was kind of looking forward to.

There has also been some disturbances in the Arrowhead SCC group lately concerning the season point standings/apointments. They put this Dave Courtwright guy in like 3rd place even though he DNF'd the first rally of the season...rather rediculous. Brian and Joe seem rather up in arms with Tim (the MAN) and I voiced a little concern on the forum as well since I think it is TOTAL bullshit. *shrug* unfortunately I like Tim and everybody and I think they will take it rather personally. which sucks because it makes drama.

anyway thats all for now from up north in snow country Wisco,
-gabe :)

So a celebrity died this week...

and I honeslty didn't think much of it. I felt the pangs of death at a younger age but no sentiments over somebody I never met and do not envy very much. I frequently scoff at celebrity figures and they way they act or operate. I think they are so far removed from reality in their own little bubbles that there is no coorelation between them and "normal" people such as myself.
I came across this blog post and it seems to about sum up my feelings on the subject:
"Mirathon: ANS dead at 39"
The one person in this whole bit the really, authentically, and wholeheartedly deserve good prayers and best luck is her daughter. I am the son of divorced parents and that was dificult enough...I can't even comprehend what the future holds in store for that girl; But I wish her the best and hope she can perhaps salvage some sort of reality better than her parents (whoever they end up being).
so best wishes to you, Dannielynn, for leading a life more stable than that of your parents.
-G

Blah,..

admittedly despite my cheerful, hopeful, and optimistic last post things have slowed considerably on the Jeep projekt. Last night i did nothing in the garage...I watched The Transporter (with commentary) instead.

Tonight I wrenched for about 1-1.5 hours before deciding I was gettign freakin cold fast. thanks Wind. :( On the upside the venison cheesburgers I made were very tasty. Peter stopped by and had one on his way through and also thought they were alright.

Other than that nothing much is happening aorund these parts. I want to go down and visit my brother in MI...

-G

Jeep Update

Good News! (for me!) the cherokee engine now resides in the comanche shell! after much persuasion the tranny crossmember came off the body to allow the transfer case to fit and the motor mounts lined right up.

So about 3.5 hours of work went a long way tonight. I began work on the Novak Adapters Sk2X Tcase shift but when I discovered I didn't have the correct alan wrench I decided now would be a good time to quit.

Tomorrow is time to finnish up the shifter, reconnect all electricals, and reinstall all structural bits and pieces that hold everything in. WooHoo

-G :)

Red Bull isn't as bad as it used to be...

Well...after discovering the disaster zone which is my BMW this weekend, work on the Jeep projects has increased many-fold. The short of the Bimmer story is that after the -30F temps of this weekend when I did not drive my car anywhere, the entire coolant system appears to be frozen solid and possibly have wreaked more extensive damage than just the radiator holes increasing...more on that at a later date when I have the Bimmer in a less windy garage than my driveway.

About the Red Bull-
After sunday nights Jager-bombing there was still a case of RedBull left over. So I took it home for later use. When Monday rolled around and I needed to work on the Jeeps I thought "hey, I could use a little ambition" TA-DA: RedBull.

I recall days past when RedBull was the new and cool thing to drink and I thought it tasted horrible. Now these many years later I have grown to rather enjoy the taste. With so many highly caffinated, rediculously named, self labeled energy drinks on the market it is nice to be able to enjoy the Original. (...which would be coffee of course, or that drink in the black can with the jaguar on it that always boasted abou the guarana, which sounds like guano to me) Oh the humorous fun!

On the Jeep note- the replacement engine is out of the cherokee and nearly ready to be put back into a Comanche. A couple more bits and pieces from NAPA and an exhaust once its all bolted in and it should be golden....for at least once off-road excursion. Total budget spent to date- way to much...somewhere approaching the $800 range I believe.

-G :)

I called in Cold today...

Well for the first time in my career I called in Cold today. I knew it was cold outside from the feel in my bed, but I didn't know till i got up and fired up weatherunderground.com that I found out it is -26 F!! And the forcast is for sub -10F temps until noon AND 10mph winds.
I simply do not have the proper outdoor wear to handle temps like this, nor do i even want to be out in weather like this. I know its no -50F but it is well over 100 degrees difference from the temperature of my body, and that is important to me.

And yes I did use the internet to look up the temperature; because to read my thermometer I have to go outside my back door.

So yeah, if anybody is bored today gimmie a call...im going to be bored out of my mind at home. Did I mention that my car didn't start last night when it was a measly -15F? I'm not even gona try this morning. LOL
-G

The Right Tool?

I am watching one of the great car movies: The Fast and the Furious. And in the scene where Brian drops off the Supra at Torretos shop an amusing thing happens.
Dom-"If you can't find the right tool in this garage, Mr. Arizona, you don't belong near a car."
And while he says that he shakes a crowbar/wrecking bar at Brian.

A WRECKING BAR. granted I have used one in my own garage on rare occasion but that is just too funny. I doubt many people have wrecking bars in their garage to begin with!!

Along the same lines is a rather amusing add from when the Saturn Ion Red-Line was just released that featured a picture of a "car-guy" standing in front of a peg-board wall with a jumble of tool outlines on it. In the "guy's" hand is an adjustable crescent wrench. Another of the actual auto enthusiasts anti-tools.
Link To Said Saturn Ad