Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Mini Madness!


This is the car we can expect in about eight to 10 weeks. We went with the Cooper S hardtop, sport package, limited-slip diff, 10-speaker upgraded audio package and bluetooth/ipod ready.
We'll get a confirmation number in a couple of weeks and then be able to track the car from the factory in England to the ship, across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal, to the port of Los Angeles. Hopefully end of March or so we'll drive it home.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Squishy-Nosed Goddess

It's how Gina hopes the villagers in Bolivia see her. It was too weird not to post.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Redneck Medical Devices

Yeah, with that title I'd be scared, too.
Here's the deal: My second toes stick out past my big toes by a substantial amount. A quarter-inch or so - and the left is worse than the right. And every winter, it gets sore and inflamed simply because everything hits it - blankets, socks, winter boots, etc. It's painful and very slow to heal because I don't think there's anything farther removed from my heart - so it gets less bloodflow.
Last night I'd had enough. I took a spare utility shelf brace and cut it down with tin snips. Smoothed the edges on a grinder. Bent it with a ball peen hammer on a vice, lined it with moleskin. Taped it over the affected toe and to the two next-door toes, so now nothing can actually touch the toes itself unless I really kick something hard. This is the result:

So far, so good. I'm trying to get my manufacturing process ISO certified now...

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Snow Way!

Just in case anyone was missing weather or silly dog photos...






















Saturday, January 05, 2008

Go Speed-o-meter Go!

How about a break from puppy pictures just long enough for a few motorcycle parts.

This was the instrument cluster when I bought the bike. The tach (on the right) worked fine, by the speedometer/odometer did not. (The trip reset dial did work, but since it didn't ever register any miles, there wasn't much call to use it.)



It took a while to find a decent cluster on the eBay that went for what I wanted to pay, but a while ago I did. It required complete disassembly, lubrication and reassembly. I relocated my working tach into the new cluster housing, painted both needles and put it back together.


That's when I discovered that the speedometer cable was also bonky, but that's been replaced.


Here's how it looks now. I'd go test it, but it's sleeting outside, and riding in the sleet doesn't sound like much fun!

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Dogs Is Funny

Gus went to the vet today to get fixed. (38.1 pounds...) He'll come home tomorrow, and if he's in a cone-head, I'm sure we'll post pictures.

I was in Stockton today for my first day, so Diane and Idgie had the house to themselves. Without the boys - especially Gus, of course - it was quieter around here.

So at one point this afternoon, Diane was in the kitchen cooking and Idgie carried in Hedgie and dropped him on the floor beside her. Diane said Idgie carried Hedgie like she was trying to avoid getting cooties, and kinda snuck away after she dropped him.

Idgie does not play with toys, period. So you have to wonder what she was saying. "I know you miss him, here's his toy?" "Where's that annoying little dog you brought home?" Some combination of the two?

Dogs is funny. I like 'em.