PartsGuy Book Review

So, I heard about a book entitled " 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America( And Al Franken is #37) " It's by Bernard Goldberg, used to work for CBS.

Sounded like my kind of book, so I ran out and snapped it up.

I was not disappointed in his choices.

I won't ruin the book by tellin you who #1 is, but I will say I completely agree.

Personally, were I to have written it, the title would have been " 100 People I'd Like To See Get Thrown To Lions, But I'm Not Sure The Lions Wouldn't Throw Them Back & Tell Us To Go Pound Sand".

Probably too long to fit on the book's spine, though.

Friday night and I'm home bloggin'

how jedi are you? :: by lawrie malen


All must bow and acknowledge my awesomeness!!!

Random Saturday Thoughts.

(BGM: 'Take The Money & Run'(live)- Steve Miller Band)




Some of my more faithful blog readers(all 7 of you) may recall reading of my earlier adventures a couple weekends ago with the DNR. My neighbor joked about me framing the cite.

Guess what?

What? Don't all rebels frame their tickets?

So, somehow I got conned into hauling CDB to Walmart so he could get his fried chicken. Never mind that there's a Hardee's less than a MILE from freaking Stately PartsGuy Manor, with perfectly good fried chicken, it has to be from Walmart, on the other side of town, because he saves a freaking DOLLAR. Cripes, he could STAGGER to Hardee's and back!!!

Oddly, the dollar he saves never seems to make it into the gas tank of the PartsMobile.

BTW, the next granola eating hippie who spews crap about "No blood for oil!!!" is going to get my size 10.5 shoe square in the nuts. a 1/2 tank of gas for the PartsMobile ran me $32 the other day. If we're stealin their oil, why ain't I got cheap gas???

Sorry. I digress.

A question popped into my mind as I was ferrying CDB home from Walmart.

Why do some people INSIST on pulling out in front of my car, instead of waiting 3 freaking seconds for me to go by them?? Seriously, WHY???

And don't give me any crap about road rage either. Not a one of you can say you haven't felt the same at one time or another.

Boat news:

I sealed the stuffing tubes on the Chris-Craft a few days ago. Tomorrow, between running around doing other crap, I'm going to try and find time to toss it in the tub for a leak test. If it passes, I'll start securing the electronics, and haul it out for a quick run. I'll try and get some snappies of the maiden voyage.

Workroom

Woohoo!! I am seriously diggin' having a workroom. I managed to get a couple of windows made for one boat, another one for the Chris-Craft, and I got a couple trim pieces almost ready to be reinstalled.

At this rate, I might have to get more boats so I'll have winter projects!!

Workroom Update.

So, I got the workroom finished for the most part. I haven't scored enough posters of scantily clad babes yet. I'm working on it.

The workbench came out better than I thought it would. Turns out the 2 1/2 boards I glued together have more than enough strength for my purposes. I set the board on 2 sawhorses, so I can either sit and work on stuff, or walk to the other side and stand if I feel like it.

The rudders have been installed on the ChrisCraft model, and they work. How well they work is yet to be determined. I siliconed around the stuffing tubes, so I'm letting the hull sit and dry for a few days while I attend to a couple other boats.

It's VERY nice to have everything in one area. Makes grabbing tools and such less of a hassle. Given enough free time, I might get a couple boats finished!!

I promise to post pics in the very near future.

Things you wish you didn't hear.

So, once upon a time, I was at PartsMom's place moving things for her. (I'm strong like bull, smart like tractor.)

I started moving a dresser, and decided to remove the drawers to make the thing lighter and easier to manuver around her place.

I got to one drawer and was just about to open it, when she says, 'oh, that's the drawer with all my fun underwear.' in the most nonchalant voice you can imagine.

Meanwhile, I'm going 'AHHHHHHH!!' and running off to wash my hands in boiling water or something.

My GF at the time found this most amusing.

As PartsMom and the GF are talking, I'm digging through cabinets and drawers, and muttering.

Finally, she abandons the conversation and asks "What on earth are you looking for?"

I replied, " A blunt object. I don't wish to remember this."

I'm a rebel, baby...keep yer daughters away!

(BGM: Scream; Seven Nations)



Little background here.

My neighbor across the street was out on his roof about a week or so ago cleaning his gutters. He saw me walkin through the yard at Stately PartsGuy Manor, and jokingly asked if I owned a pressure washer.

Imagine his surprise when I replied 'Yep! Sure do!, I'll be right back!'

See, last Xmastime, PartsDad sent me a Black & Decker* pressure washer. It'd been sitting just waiting for a chance to be used, so this was as good a reason as any. GREAT machine, BTW.

My neighbor was most happy to finish a task that usually took a couple hours by hand, in just 15-20 minutes with the washer. After thanking me profusely, he asked if I'd ever been on a PWC. (jetski, in other words.) Upon getting my negative reply, he said 'Well, then we're going to have to get you out there!!!'


So, it came up yesterday that I had time to actually go. We caught up with his buddy, whose machine I actually used for my adventure. He hooked up the PWC to my neighbor's van, hooked up a pontoon boat to his wagon, and off we went, to sail upon the mighty waters of Gitchegumee. (Look it up.)

My neighbor was up first on the mighty red machine, and took off chasing the wind, and givin it one heck of a run for the money. I rode on the bow of the pontoon boat following him, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It'd been FAR too long since I'd been on the water.

Soon enough, my turn came to hop on the beast. After putting on a life vest and getting a few instructions, off I went. Did a few turns, experimented with what the thing would do. I'm sure I had the world's biggest grin on my face.

So, for giggles, I straightened it out, made sure there was no traffic in my way, and let 'er rip.

I'm here to tell you, running across a lake mere inches above the water at 60 mph, engine howling like a angered banshee is one of the most intense experiences I've ever had. 30 mph seems fast enough, but 60 is just incredible. What a rush!

That, my friends, is what I call Big Dirty Fun, which is about as much fun as one can have while still fully clothed. W00t!!

So, after a great deal of fun, we're headed back in to where we'd put in.

Pontoon boats, while a great deal of fun in their own right, just can't keep up with a jetski. I knew this, so after I'd zipped ahead of them a bit, I just sat around and played for a bit, running around in circles as fast as I dared. Whee.

As I was making a circle, I looked over my right shoulder to see a boat headed towards me, with a guy in uniform standing up making motions for me to stop. DNR.(Dept. of Natural Resources) This is never good. So, after I got stopped, they caught up to me a minute or so before my partners in crime. After a few cursory questions, he asked if I knew that I was supposed to be off the water an hour before sunset.

I said something about being on my way back to where we'd put in, which was mostly true. We just weren't gettin there very quickly, is all.

Amazingly, they decided to give us a break and just issue warning cites for me and the PWC's owner.

The DNR informed us we'd have to tow the PWC back to the dock, couldn't ride it, which made the return trip a bit longer.

We got to the dock the same time as a group in a nice older Baja ski boat. Said ski boat contained some attractive ladies who were impressed with being in the presence of scofflaws such as ourselves.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera along for this adventure, as the PartsBoss borrowed it for a trip. Sigh.

So, I got my first PWC ride, and a warning ticket from the DNR. I'm such a rebel.


Ladies, if you're suitably impressed with a rebel such as myself, feel free to send your picture to the usual address: roccoguy@yahoo.com


Us rebels need love too, ya know.

Damned if this ain't the truth.

What pisses you off?

Created by ptocheia


I'll prob post something tomorrow. Ladies, I need FBW pics!! You KNOW you want to.

Day off!

Today, I finally got the boards glued together for my workbench. I even went to the Evil Empire and got a cheap shelf to hold some stuff, so things are coming along quite nicely.

When I got home, I was unloading my car and I heard a loud THUD. This kid had been walking along with an older girl, prob a babysitter, and he'd hit her. Damned hard too. I looked up and said " did he just hit you?" The girl said 'yes, and it hurt.'

So, me being just slightly cranky, I lit into the little bastard. I asked him how he'd like it if I was to go and smack him one. He wasn't too hip on the idea. I gave him a mini-lecture, and then they went on their way. I think the babysitter/older sister was trying not to laugh at the little monster getting hollered at.

Amazing. When I was but a young'un, I was always informed that if the sitter told us to do something, it was the same as one of them telling us to do something. We also knew that if we did anything wrong, there'd be consequences when they got home.

Needless to say, we behaved.

Anyways.

I got my shelf put together, and now 4 of my boats are sitting ever so happily on their new shelf. I've put up a few posters, none of women scantily clad, amazingly. I MUST remedy that situation ASAP.

I haven't decided whether or not to move my computer stuff out into the new BR. Time will tell.

Sorry for an uninteresting post. Sometime soon, I shall turn my enormous writing talent(HUH??- partsguy research staff)towards writing something funny again.(yeah, THAT'LL happen- partsguy research staff)

Jeeze, I thought I'd locked the door to the dun-errrr, Secret PartsGuy Research Facility. Guess not. Bloody ingrates they are, asking to be fed more than 3 times a week. I mean, I showed them some nice pictures of ribeye steak last week! What more can I do??

Sigh.

No new news, really. Stately Partsguy Manor hasn't fallen down, The Partsmobiles haven't exploded, CDB hasn't managed to do something dumb and get himself killed, nothin'. Boredom, boredom, boredom.


But hey, my workroom's almost done! W00t!!

Workroom= almost done

Yepper! Operation Build ZRV A Workroom is coming to a close. I changed my plans in midstream, which caused some problems, but I will prevail. My roller toolbox is in now, I do need to get some shelving put up, but no worries there. All I really need to get done is to laminate 2 chunks of MDF together for extra strength, and my work table will be done. It now strikes me that it would have been a LOT easier to just find a folding table @ Menards or something. Ah well.


By this time tomorrow, I should have pics of the almost completed workroom ready to post. I've already started putting up various posters I have laying around. Priorities!!

Now I've just gotta get the LR rearranged. Wheeeee.

More later, if I feel like it.

I am the WaxMaster..Hear me roar!(or something)

So, after some careful consideration, the older PartsMobile has been given a reprieve and taken off the market. I managed to crack the windshield while cleaning it up(don't ask), so screw it. I'll keep the little beast around as a spare car, and something to tinker with, as if I didn't have enough crap around Stately Partsguy Manor to keep me occupied until June of 2008.

So, I took the new PartsMobile out to run an errand, then took it to the wash stall and gave 'er a bath. Nice and clean. Brought her home and pulled up onto the lawn, and got ready to get to work.

I've mentioned before that I use the Meguiar's* Deep Crystal 3 step system, and like it. This is still the case. I didn't finish the final wax until after dark, but CDB came out and helped me finish it, mostly because he was as curious as I to see how it'd turn out.

Very spiffy, as I'd predicted.


While I was waxing the car, I got to thinking.(This is NEVER good -partsguy research staff-)

Hush, you schmendricks! Get back to the dun- errr, Top Secret PartsGuy Research Facility!!

Rotten so-and-so's!! Next thing you know, they're gonna want to be fed!

Anyway.

I got to thinkin about a recent discussion I'd had with someone regarding whether or not the person's father was disappointed in that person. which got me to thinking, 'I wonder if I'm a disappointment too?' Moreover, how does one find out what their father thinks? Do you just walk up to him and go, "So, Dad. You've had time to watch me go through my own life. Have I disappointed you?"

Sometimes, I sit and wonder if I'm a disappointment.

I know I couldn't take the same path he did, I had to make my own. So far, I think I've done pretty damned good. I don't ask for anything. Everything I own, I worked for.

I've learned some very good lessons. Some lessons had a higher price than others, but the lessons learned are worth the price paid. Some of the things our parents said to us, i.e. 'you can't have your cake and eat it too.' AREN'T as much bullshit as we thought they were!! There's been more than one occasion where I've thought 'Son of a bitch!! They weren't kiddin!!'

I've also learned that every now and then, a nap is a damn good thing.

There's a lot more stuff, but you get the gist of it.

"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. "

-Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken


Ok, on to news of Da Partsguy's Fleet.

Operation Build ZRV A Workroom is coming near completion. The materials for a workbench have been acquired and cut to the proper sizes. Tomorrow, the assembly begins, and hopefully the workroom will be in move-in condition tomorrow night. It'll be nice to have all my boat junk in one place, instead of all over.

The rudders for the Chris-Craft have been assembled. Notches were needed for them to clear the propellers, and they've been cut. Assembly of the control arms is near completion, all that's needed is to drill and tap the hubs for the control arms. I plan on holding the rudders in place with a setscrew, this makes for easier disassembly later for repairs or upgrades.

Once the workroom is completed, I suspect that the backlog of projects will soon be caught up. Unless, of course, MORE projects find their way here. Maybe I should publicize my Tower Hobbies wishlist!! LOL!


That's about all for this time around.

Sometime this week, I might get off my ass and select the next Fabbo Babe of the Week. Or not. You'll just plain have to wait 'n see.


PS for Andrea: If ya see this, get ahold of me, willya? Thanks.