So the Z had been dormant for a couple of years, because the dash lights were all out and it had developed an alarming "thunk" in the rear end.
It has been back on the road for a couple of weeks now, and I had really forgotten how much fun it is. I have slowly pushed the performance every day to just a little quicker, a little faster, until today I was back a the point where I remembered why I love driving this car.
The acceleration, while not neck-snapping, does push you firmly back in he seat. It doesn't take long to go from 25 to 60, and on up. Top end is around 140, but I've never had it above 120. With the ground effects kit on, it is firm on the road with plenty of pedal left at 120.. Some people may not like the removal of the bumpers and addition of the ground effects kit, but I hated the look of the enormous ugly front and rear federally mandated five MPH bumpers. And it is much more stable at high speed.
The handling is superb. It hugs he ground and corners like it is on rails. The car itself is a little on the heavy side, but no ponderous. The power is adequate to pull through the corners, and one of the joys of driving it is hitting that point riding on the edge of control, when going around a corner you can just feel the rear tires just beginning to break loose, feathering the gas to retain control. Hyper alert, senses at their peak, knowing you are riding the edge of disaster. Pulse racing.
Oh yeah!
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
On the Road Again
Well, after a couple of years of sitting dormant, the Z is back on the road.
I had put it out of service because all of the dash lights had blown. Since I work ten hour days, starting about now it is dark when I go to work and dark when I go home, so interior lights, while not being absolutely necessary, are a definite plus!
It is not perfect. They two immediate things are that the Brake light that comes on when you set the emergency brake is always on. It is mildly annoying, but no big deal. I need to fish around under the passenger's seat and see if I can find the wire.
Also, in my hurry to get it back on the road, I neglected to hook up the speedometer. As I tend to drive by the tach and engine sound, this is not a big deal. If a cop stops me and asks how fast I was going, my reply will be "3200 RPM in second gearr" Sounds perfectly good to me.
I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to drive.
But it sure came back in a hurry! Definitely not the best car in the snow unless you put some superior tires on it. I have a set of spare wheels, I wonder how much a set of Blizzaks would set me back?
I had put it out of service because all of the dash lights had blown. Since I work ten hour days, starting about now it is dark when I go to work and dark when I go home, so interior lights, while not being absolutely necessary, are a definite plus!
It is not perfect. They two immediate things are that the Brake light that comes on when you set the emergency brake is always on. It is mildly annoying, but no big deal. I need to fish around under the passenger's seat and see if I can find the wire.
Also, in my hurry to get it back on the road, I neglected to hook up the speedometer. As I tend to drive by the tach and engine sound, this is not a big deal. If a cop stops me and asks how fast I was going, my reply will be "3200 RPM in second gearr" Sounds perfectly good to me.
I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to drive.
But it sure came back in a hurry! Definitely not the best car in the snow unless you put some superior tires on it. I have a set of spare wheels, I wonder how much a set of Blizzaks would set me back?
Monday, September 16, 2013
Court
Today was the custody hearing for placement of R's two kids. My grand daughter and her husband have been trying to get custody, but it has been an uphill battle.
Her hubby has a record from back when he was a kid. It was all a long time ago, and minor stuff. His last charge was seven years ago, for carrying a pocket knife. He would have been about 16, Certainly not reason to block their placement. Bu CPS had a wild hair up it's ass.
I wrote a letter of recommendation for them. My recommendation matters because I am the grandfather, and I have been approved by CPS, since I adopted and raised one of my grandkids. I also
helped them write a letter to the court.
Court was this morning. They agreed to place the kids with Amelia and James. They called me just over the moon with happiness. They will pick up the kids tomorrow.
I hope they know what they are getting themselves into. "i" is five and has some behavioral problems from being dragged around by his drug-addict mother. The little girl is only six weeks old. This is a life changing event. I wish them all the best.
Her hubby has a record from back when he was a kid. It was all a long time ago, and minor stuff. His last charge was seven years ago, for carrying a pocket knife. He would have been about 16, Certainly not reason to block their placement. Bu CPS had a wild hair up it's ass.
I wrote a letter of recommendation for them. My recommendation matters because I am the grandfather, and I have been approved by CPS, since I adopted and raised one of my grandkids. I also
helped them write a letter to the court.
Court was this morning. They agreed to place the kids with Amelia and James. They called me just over the moon with happiness. They will pick up the kids tomorrow.
I hope they know what they are getting themselves into. "i" is five and has some behavioral problems from being dragged around by his drug-addict mother. The little girl is only six weeks old. This is a life changing event. I wish them all the best.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Power Without Accountability
By God, I hate CPS.
They are a perfect example of what happens when you give marginal people power without accountability.
The individual who is working with R. to arrange for care for her two kids told her (rightly so) that because R was not in jail and not yet in care, she has the legal right to have a say about where her kids are placed. Think of it this way: It is legally no different than if she asked someone to babysit her kids so she could do something. That is her legal right.
The people from CPS took violent exception to this. After all, they had not approved of the placement. They were still doing background checks on my grand daughter and her husband.
So given the conflicting information, she went down to pick up the kids. Everything was going along fine, when CPS shows up with the cops, and demands custody of the kids.
They tell Amelia that it is not her, it is her husband that they object to. They refuse to say why or what he has ever done to cause such a disturbing display of jack boot Nazi trampling of of basic human rights.
It is my opinion that they were just pissed that they had gone down to pick up the kids before they had been given the official OK. In other words, a childish temper tantrum of monumental proportions that had absolutely nothing to do with the welfare of the kids.
And will anything ever be done about it?
Of course not.
Power without accountability.
They are a perfect example of what happens when you give marginal people power without accountability.
The individual who is working with R. to arrange for care for her two kids told her (rightly so) that because R was not in jail and not yet in care, she has the legal right to have a say about where her kids are placed. Think of it this way: It is legally no different than if she asked someone to babysit her kids so she could do something. That is her legal right.
The people from CPS took violent exception to this. After all, they had not approved of the placement. They were still doing background checks on my grand daughter and her husband.
So given the conflicting information, she went down to pick up the kids. Everything was going along fine, when CPS shows up with the cops, and demands custody of the kids.
They tell Amelia that it is not her, it is her husband that they object to. They refuse to say why or what he has ever done to cause such a disturbing display of jack boot Nazi trampling of of basic human rights.
It is my opinion that they were just pissed that they had gone down to pick up the kids before they had been given the official OK. In other words, a childish temper tantrum of monumental proportions that had absolutely nothing to do with the welfare of the kids.
And will anything ever be done about it?
Of course not.
Power without accountability.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Another Little Piece of my Heart
One of THOSE phone calls yesterday.
It was my Grand Doughter, Amelia.
She called to give me some information
1) My daughet was going in to in-hospital rehab for drug addiction. This is not news, I think this is the third time, In between she is just a junkie.
2) The reason Amelia knows this is because CPS called and wanted to know if Amelia would take the kids for a month or os while R was in the Hospital. KIDS as in multiple. Tha last time I saw her was at Christmas and there was only one. I heard rumors about a second kid, but have not heard from my daughter since Christmas Eve. Now there is a six week old Grand Daughter I have never seen. I don't even know her name.
My daughter can kick the crap out of my without ever even talking to me.
Why do I continue to let het do this? I have been told that she isn't even mine, something I was always pretty sure of, but figured in the end made no difference.
But she stilll sneaks in there ad breaks another little piece of my heart.
It was my Grand Doughter, Amelia.
She called to give me some information
1) My daughet was going in to in-hospital rehab for drug addiction. This is not news, I think this is the third time, In between she is just a junkie.
2) The reason Amelia knows this is because CPS called and wanted to know if Amelia would take the kids for a month or os while R was in the Hospital. KIDS as in multiple. Tha last time I saw her was at Christmas and there was only one. I heard rumors about a second kid, but have not heard from my daughter since Christmas Eve. Now there is a six week old Grand Daughter I have never seen. I don't even know her name.
My daughter can kick the crap out of my without ever even talking to me.
Why do I continue to let het do this? I have been told that she isn't even mine, something I was always pretty sure of, but figured in the end made no difference.
But she stilll sneaks in there ad breaks another little piece of my heart.
Saturday, September 07, 2013
The Gloves
Well, I got a lot of the information about the gloves wrong.
First of all, they weren't purchased by my dad.
My Uncle Father (Richard?) Clark was a priest on the Ute reservation in the early part of the 20th century, When he retired from his position he was presented the gloves by the tribe in honor of his service.
When he moved back east uncle/Father Clark gave the gloves o my dad, who was working for the Trading post and acting as Assistant Postmaster at Towaoc.
So that makes the gloves even more relevant, I guess.
First of all, they weren't purchased by my dad.
My Uncle Father (Richard?) Clark was a priest on the Ute reservation in the early part of the 20th century, When he retired from his position he was presented the gloves by the tribe in honor of his service.
When he moved back east uncle/Father Clark gave the gloves o my dad, who was working for the Trading post and acting as Assistant Postmaster at Towaoc.
So that makes the gloves even more relevant, I guess.
Thursday, September 05, 2013
Family History
I've been doing a little family history research lately. This all started when I came across my dad's silver and turquoise ring that he bought out of the Trading Post he worked at as a young man. So of course I had to find out which Trading Post it was.
I knew he had worked at a trading post on the Navajo Reservation, but on questioning my mom, I found out that right out of high school, he worked at Towaoc at the Ute tribal headquarters. He spoke Ute very well, and acted as an interpreter for the tribe. He was also the Assistant Postmaster at this time. He purchased a pair of beautiful beaded gloves there in 1938 or 1939. We still have them, and they are in excellent condition. They have beadwork roses on the back of the hands. It is the plan to return them to the tribe when my mom passes on. I figured I would personally deliver them so I could spend a little time in the four corners area where my family lived. The trading post is gone now but the Utes still have their Headquarters in Towaoc. The gloves are exceptional and belong in a museum.
In the early to mid 20th Century my Grandfather was farm manager for a Boarding School in Waterflow New Mexico, so this same train of thought got me to wondering about the school. My search turned up the Sacred Heart Academy in Waterflow. I doubt there was any other Catholic Boarding School in the area, so this must be the place.
Included in the short history of the school was a picture of the students in 1928. I figure my dad and a couple of Uncles should be in the picture, but I haven't seen enough pictures of my dad as a child to pick him out. The school was run by the Ursuline Sisters, who have an active web site. I have sent them an inquiry about Grandfather and the students in the picture.
I knew he had worked at a trading post on the Navajo Reservation, but on questioning my mom, I found out that right out of high school, he worked at Towaoc at the Ute tribal headquarters. He spoke Ute very well, and acted as an interpreter for the tribe. He was also the Assistant Postmaster at this time. He purchased a pair of beautiful beaded gloves there in 1938 or 1939. We still have them, and they are in excellent condition. They have beadwork roses on the back of the hands. It is the plan to return them to the tribe when my mom passes on. I figured I would personally deliver them so I could spend a little time in the four corners area where my family lived. The trading post is gone now but the Utes still have their Headquarters in Towaoc. The gloves are exceptional and belong in a museum.
In the early to mid 20th Century my Grandfather was farm manager for a Boarding School in Waterflow New Mexico, so this same train of thought got me to wondering about the school. My search turned up the Sacred Heart Academy in Waterflow. I doubt there was any other Catholic Boarding School in the area, so this must be the place.
Included in the short history of the school was a picture of the students in 1928. I figure my dad and a couple of Uncles should be in the picture, but I haven't seen enough pictures of my dad as a child to pick him out. The school was run by the Ursuline Sisters, who have an active web site. I have sent them an inquiry about Grandfather and the students in the picture.
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