Back home.
Didn't particularly want to come back, but it was time to move on anyway. It would have been nice to go a couple of hundred miles South and spend another week someplace else. But I had things to do at home.
The "Service Engine Soon" light has been on in the truck, so I needed to figure out how to make the light go out. The Westfalia has an electrical problem, and I need to figure out what it is. And Frankenhealey Beckons.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
V*A*C*A*T*I*O*N
In the summer sun.
The kids from Utah arrived last weekend and stayed with us most of the week. On Friday Mrs A and I dropped off the dogs and headed south for the beach.
For those of you that care, the place we are staying doesn't allow pets, so we couldn't bring them. they are staying with L, and last I heard, living it. Out of the city, big yard. They may not want to come home.
We are staying at the Rockaway Beach Resort. It is about half way between Cannon Beach and Tillamook, which will not mean a lot to most of you. Mrs A and I came down first. When I went to register for ourselves and our kids they said it was too many people.. Although this room has sleeping accommodations for eight, they only allow six (they claim it is fire code), so we had to rent a second room. Since we are owners, we got the second room for $50 a night. Not a bad rate for really prime accommodations right on the water. It's no big deal because I can afford it. If course it pissed off The Easily Irritated Mrs A.
It was actually fine with me. I was concerned about having everyone crammed into one room, so now Mrs A and I can have some privacy, just in case something comes up.
So I am sittin here eating apple spice pancakes, typing on my laptop, looking out at the Pacific Ocean. At the moment it is low tide the sun is barely up and there is not a person in sight on the beach. The sky is a light overcast, but no rain is predicted. Expected temperatures in the high sixties to low seventies.
So far we have no plan. We may go up to Cannon Beach and do the tourist thing, maybe just walk the beach. I want to hike the Tillamook Spit, take the kids to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream, Maybe the guys will want to go to the Air Museum.
An.d maybe I'll just read a book. For my birthday Mrs A got me "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Steig Larsen. The third book in his very excellent series. I just got the new prescription for my glasses on Friday, so this is the first time I can see out of both eyes correctly since January, I just finished reading "Ender in Exile" By Orson Scott Card, the latest in the Ender series. If you have never read them, and you like Science Fiction, by all means read them. The first book in the series is "Enders Game". Read it.
So most of the knots in my head have smoothed themselves out and I am content with everything.
At ease
light em if you got em
The kids from Utah arrived last weekend and stayed with us most of the week. On Friday Mrs A and I dropped off the dogs and headed south for the beach.
For those of you that care, the place we are staying doesn't allow pets, so we couldn't bring them. they are staying with L, and last I heard, living it. Out of the city, big yard. They may not want to come home.
We are staying at the Rockaway Beach Resort. It is about half way between Cannon Beach and Tillamook, which will not mean a lot to most of you. Mrs A and I came down first. When I went to register for ourselves and our kids they said it was too many people.. Although this room has sleeping accommodations for eight, they only allow six (they claim it is fire code), so we had to rent a second room. Since we are owners, we got the second room for $50 a night. Not a bad rate for really prime accommodations right on the water. It's no big deal because I can afford it. If course it pissed off The Easily Irritated Mrs A.
It was actually fine with me. I was concerned about having everyone crammed into one room, so now Mrs A and I can have some privacy, just in case something comes up.
So I am sittin here eating apple spice pancakes, typing on my laptop, looking out at the Pacific Ocean. At the moment it is low tide the sun is barely up and there is not a person in sight on the beach. The sky is a light overcast, but no rain is predicted. Expected temperatures in the high sixties to low seventies.
So far we have no plan. We may go up to Cannon Beach and do the tourist thing, maybe just walk the beach. I want to hike the Tillamook Spit, take the kids to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream, Maybe the guys will want to go to the Air Museum.
An.d maybe I'll just read a book. For my birthday Mrs A got me "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Steig Larsen. The third book in his very excellent series. I just got the new prescription for my glasses on Friday, so this is the first time I can see out of both eyes correctly since January, I just finished reading "Ender in Exile" By Orson Scott Card, the latest in the Ender series. If you have never read them, and you like Science Fiction, by all means read them. The first book in the series is "Enders Game". Read it.
So most of the knots in my head have smoothed themselves out and I am content with everything.
At ease
light em if you got em
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Vanaru? Subagon?
I had an experience last night that very few people have ever had.
Going uphill...at 70 MPH...passing people.....in a Volkswagon Vanagon Westfalia.
Of course I had just gotten it out of the shop where I had them remove the piece of c%@# 80 horsepower engine and replace it with a Subaru 2.5 litre fuel injected counterballenced four cylinder 175 hp engine from a 2004 Subaru Forrester with 40,000 miles on it.
The Westfalia has always been praised as a versitile, fun vevhicle with one glaring problem. The Engine. It was severely underpowered even in it's plain jane Vanagon version. When you add all the camping gear and pop-top it is not just anemic, it is embarrassing. The Subaru engine is the perfect answer to all of the problems. No more cringing as people flash you their "approval" while you return them the peace sign minus one.
The modern engine comes complete with a computer engine monitoring system, and utilizes the stock guages. However I did have them install a digital display that feeds you all of the information from the computer.
So what do you call such a creation? I like Vanaru since it looks a lot like a stock Vanagon, with a little bit of Subaru on the end, since it is rear engined.
Going uphill...at 70 MPH...passing people.....in a Volkswagon Vanagon Westfalia.
Of course I had just gotten it out of the shop where I had them remove the piece of c%@# 80 horsepower engine and replace it with a Subaru 2.5 litre fuel injected counterballenced four cylinder 175 hp engine from a 2004 Subaru Forrester with 40,000 miles on it.
The Westfalia has always been praised as a versitile, fun vevhicle with one glaring problem. The Engine. It was severely underpowered even in it's plain jane Vanagon version. When you add all the camping gear and pop-top it is not just anemic, it is embarrassing. The Subaru engine is the perfect answer to all of the problems. No more cringing as people flash you their "approval" while you return them the peace sign minus one.
The modern engine comes complete with a computer engine monitoring system, and utilizes the stock guages. However I did have them install a digital display that feeds you all of the information from the computer.
So what do you call such a creation? I like Vanaru since it looks a lot like a stock Vanagon, with a little bit of Subaru on the end, since it is rear engined.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Fourth and last day off.
Since I had Oral surgery on Friday, I had the day off. Then the weekend, and then today off because the holiday fell on Sunday. It was really nice having the time off, although the weather wasn't anything to celebrate. The sun finally came out this afternoon.
Saturday, it was Vinnie's birthday/graduation celebration. He raked in a fistfull of cash. The main reason I went was for the food. Dewi is a very good cook, and always has some unexpected dish. Saturday it was hard boiled eggs halved and covered with a red sauce that would set your face on fire. Plus the standard egg rolls and rice dishes.
Rick and Rachel and the kids showed up from Utah on Sunday. I made some killer spaghetti, and we sat around visiting and munching all evening. It was nice catching up.
Today, I took advantage of having another male around by getting Frankenhealey running. I needed help pushing the car out of the driveway so I could work on starting it in gear and breaking the clutch loose. It worked, and I spent the rest of the early afternoon giving rides. At the end of the street there is a very steep and twisty stretch of road. I love going down to the bottom of the hill and tearing up it as fast as I can go. Everyone (except me) comes away a little wide eyed and breathless.
ARISE FRANKENHEALEY!!!
Saturday, it was Vinnie's birthday/graduation celebration. He raked in a fistfull of cash. The main reason I went was for the food. Dewi is a very good cook, and always has some unexpected dish. Saturday it was hard boiled eggs halved and covered with a red sauce that would set your face on fire. Plus the standard egg rolls and rice dishes.
Rick and Rachel and the kids showed up from Utah on Sunday. I made some killer spaghetti, and we sat around visiting and munching all evening. It was nice catching up.
Today, I took advantage of having another male around by getting Frankenhealey running. I needed help pushing the car out of the driveway so I could work on starting it in gear and breaking the clutch loose. It worked, and I spent the rest of the early afternoon giving rides. At the end of the street there is a very steep and twisty stretch of road. I love going down to the bottom of the hill and tearing up it as fast as I can go. Everyone (except me) comes away a little wide eyed and breathless.
ARISE FRANKENHEALEY!!!
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Another week gone by....
Not only that, but it is JULY. Yes you heard me correctly, it IS JULY!
How the hell did that happen?
Thursday I went to see the optometrist, to get a new prescription, then to the dispenser for a new lenses.
Much to my surprise, they still carry the same frame style, so all I have to do is get one lens cut. I have the other eye scheduled for cataract surgery on August 30th. Around the end of September I will be able to order new glasses. I'll sure be glad when it is all over and I can go back to just taking sight for granted.
V's graduation party is tonight, and I guess I will push myself to go. I had three dental implants put in yesterday, and am in a quite a bit of pain. I have vicodin, but if I take that, I shouldn't drive. I think I will see if I can't get by on 600 mg of ibuprofen.
The kids from Utah are on there way here. So Mrs A will have to stay behind and wait for them while I go to the party. What, me unchaperoned at a party?
Guard the women and the booze!
How the hell did that happen?
Thursday I went to see the optometrist, to get a new prescription, then to the dispenser for a new lenses.
Much to my surprise, they still carry the same frame style, so all I have to do is get one lens cut. I have the other eye scheduled for cataract surgery on August 30th. Around the end of September I will be able to order new glasses. I'll sure be glad when it is all over and I can go back to just taking sight for granted.
V's graduation party is tonight, and I guess I will push myself to go. I had three dental implants put in yesterday, and am in a quite a bit of pain. I have vicodin, but if I take that, I shouldn't drive. I think I will see if I can't get by on 600 mg of ibuprofen.
The kids from Utah are on there way here. So Mrs A will have to stay behind and wait for them while I go to the party. What, me unchaperoned at a party?
Guard the women and the booze!
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