Monday, September 29, 2008

A 914 Porsche Story: Smoked!! Keep an extra rotor!!


914 Porsche Distributor Rotors do not come in three pieces.

Too bad my camera sucks balls at close range but this is what I found under my 914's distributor cap. I spent the afternoon investigating why my 914 stopped running on the freeway a couple of Saturdays back. Not fun racing up to 70 MPH and have nothing left but burning smell and gas on the side of the road. I had it towed home and could not get the thing to turn over.

After checking the plug wires this afternoon to see if anything was loose, I decided to take off the cap since it was the only other thing I could look at without tools. I swear to God, Porsches must be made by little German elves with like stubby little fingers made of hard rubber. You can't take off one thing without taking off another unrelated part or without a few "Awe Shits!!" when you jam your fingers into the side of something. As soon as I finally got the distributor cap off I immediately thought, "Hey where is my Rotor?" It wasn't there. It was gone! I found it in three separate chunks seen in the photo and the rest of it was dust. I am not a mechanic for cars. Car Washes maybe. You know mechanics and engineers, when they see something wrong and people are around who don't know any different, they sort of freak out leaving the bystander going, "What, I don't see it?" This was pretty obvious that most novices would spot. But you are talking to a guy who rebuilt his fuel system from under the car by touch so... perhaps there is some knowledge.

Of course, I immediately had to post my findings as something really cool on the 914 BBS I belong to. Turns out it isn't that special. Avid 914 drivers keep two or three rotors with them at all times. Shit... it wasn't really that cool. It's one of those parts that just go out. A mechanic's dream... bad rotor? Hmmm... no labor hours but we'll charge you 3 hours at $90 an hour for a $8 part.

I have undone and replaced lines, hoses, and other things without really thinking about it at work for years. It doesn't matter what it looks like, I am always good with flows of fluid, air and electricity. I re-installed everything on the Porsche and jumped in the front seat. And the car was trying to start and would keep trying after I turned the key off. I wondered if my car was really screwed up beyond the rotor. I kept starting it and it kept trying but I noticed the battery power was low. I threw this super charger I have on the roof and tried to start the car that way. Nothing!! WTF. I looked under the hood and found all kinds of smoke and shit. I wondered WTF Now! I thought this had gotten expensive. I kept staring at the distributor cap... Wait a minute!!

I had crossed the two plug wires on the driver side spark plugs. I just crossed them back and POOF!! My little car came back to life. Seems to run a whole lot better too. So I can spot a bad rotor but not a crossed wire...

I drove it around the block twice going, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"


Moral to the story: Yes I Can... I can do it on my own.

(Note: The above statement is not an endorsement of Obama, if I did endorse him a few months back, I was miss-guided)


Sunday, September 28, 2008

Thoughts on Stuff...

I think McCain beat Obama in the debate. Unfortunately where McCain beat Obama was in national security. Unfortunately, the Economy, which really took a back seat because they both didn't explain shit about it is the issue that is dominating this whole cycle right now. McCain schooled the man-elf on Russia, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. Americans are not tuned into this crap though because they hate Bush so bad. It's the most important issue and it sucks we are not paying attention to it. It can solve and hurt our economy both at the same time. Yet, we all just want cheaper gas. These past few months, me and my family are finally feeling this.

Speaking of that... October 7th looks like the day we are filing to split up. I am sure I will say more as time goes on but I have been quiet around here about it due to commentators that I do not know saying shit about stuff they don't have a fucking clue about. It sucks because I really liked having open comments around here. There are some great sites though out there where I can track IP addresses so I can find out who these people are. This all was the last thing I'd ever thought I'd go through. Hopefully I am on the back side of it. Perhaps it will help with my pain and stress. Mostly that is what I hope ends.

I am spending a lot of solo time with Elijah. Thank God for the parents I have because I have been taking him out there and imposing on their lives a little. Despite all the travel I do and I am in 4 states this next week (including Illinois for the first time) and am having a lot of fun. We went to a car show yesterday. Sadly there were only 5 Porsches there and nothing really really cool except for the Super 1500. I would love to put mine in a show sometime after I fix the windshield and trim pieces. Last weekend we went wine tasting with my parents and saw the pond on the post below. We have had fun swimming. Playing in parks. Playing fetch at the lake with a dog.

Lastly... I am so happy that after 14 years apart and almost 10 of those years not even speaking to each other, I was able to rekindle the greatest friendship with one of the sweetest people I ever have known. She is genuinely the most gentle person you can possibly meet.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Careful Feeding the Ducks



I took this video last weekend at Indian Rock Winery. It's all quiet and peaceful at this pond until you feed the ducks!!!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Something Kind of Inspiring

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

--Steve Jobs of Apple

Friday, September 19, 2008

No The Sunshine Never Comes



So yeah... what have I been up to lately? Besides listening to the new Metallica album.

Dreaming it all up again is what I have been doing. Radical changes to my life. Shake up... Ch-ch-ch-changes. Holding onto my center. Knowing in my heart what I believe is the truth. Actually leaning on some faith, for once.

I have become a statistic. My family. It is amazing where your friends suddenly all go... like they never knew you. You don't have that source of comfort.

Then the blame game. Finger pointing... I won't engage. I can't engage. It's done for me. But then you are out calming everyone else's emotions.

I hit a breaking point I guess. It was more than just constant pain everyday. It was more than just a little isolation. It was more than some hurt feelings. It was love that I needed to feel again. I reap what I sow. But...

Midnight is where the day begins.

I never let my back stay completely on the wall. I never let anyone really really get to me. I always look forward and never back. More later...

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The Ninja Cat

Monday, September 15, 2008

Just A Bottle of Water

Staying overnight on a business trip can be a bit fun. I grew up in the area I am in today, at least the first 14 years of my life and I know what the tap water tastes like. I want nothing of it.

So I go to the Coke Machine which has bottled water in it. A buck fifty...

All I had was a $5 bill. Great...

So I head down on the slowest elevator ever and get change.

Then... instead of waiting for the elevator to come back... I chose the stairs.

Ah... I got to the machine... exact change only.

Fuck...

I ran to my room and dumped my computer bag. My computer bag probably has 10 bucks in odds and ends change in it, mostly pennies. Stuff I toss into when I hit the security gate at the airport so I don't get taken aside and felt up by the TSA.

I found four quarters, all with some sort of gum or sticky stuff on them.

I ran back to the coke machine... Stick the first quarter in...

Fuck...

It dropped to the bottom change return thing.

I was like... Okay, I will drink from the tap and then just get cookies.

I stuck a dollar into the candy machine and then the second dollar wouldn't go in.

Fuck...

I hit return, got my dollar back. I decided to try the gummed up quarters... Wow!! Two worked.

I inserted a dollar bill and BOOM!!!

I got my cookies as a consolation prize. No water!!

Ah... I thought...

I grabbed my keys and scrapped the gum off my coins. Now I was ready for the coke machine.

I inserted the first quarter and it said I had 86 cents in it.

Fuck...

This thing, I thought, must be broken.

Well... I decided to let the dice roll and insert the second quarter... It now said 1.91.

Okay... instead of hitting the water button, I inserted the dollar, figuring the LED was just malfunctioning.

I hit the water bottle button and waited as the machine made beeping noises. I could hear the machine moving around internally...

Fuck...

I waited like 10 seconds and just when I decided to walk, thinking I lost my money, I heard the familiar boom of the water hitting the bottom of the machine.

At last... bottled water and Famous Amos cookies.

Friday, September 12, 2008

New Metallica Brings The Old One Back


I feel like I am 17, 18, shoot maybe 23 again. Waiting outside a record store at midnight before the release of an album. Only now, I waited from my bedroom with my iPod Touch in hand waiting for the album to appear on iTune's tonight so I could click Download.

Heavy Metal is back. This isn't Load or Reload or St. Anger. Hell it ain't even the black album. It's an updated Master of Puppets sound... sort of. This shit really rocks. The songs are long. I was able to get it at around 11:00 and then I was out looking for my lost headphones. I couldn't find my Bose one's as they are bumping around in my car somewhere. I found some old ear buds, cranked the iPod and I won't be able to hear by morning.

I can't until I am riding around with the top off in my Porsche this weekend with this album cranked up, ripping my ears apart some more. Kirk Hammet is totally shredding on this album. He's got his Wah Wah pedal back and some mean licks throughout these songs.

The songs are really long... I think the shortest one is six minutes long. The rest are seven minute jam fests.

Really cool shit... go buy it and vote Republican!!!

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Extreme Liberalism


Liberalism is a disease. This is how bad it can get for you!!!

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

It Goes Down Tonight...

I got my popcorn... I got my TV.... I am ready... Tonight is the night...

Sarah Palin, our future VPILF, speaks...

She is suddenly the future of the Republican Party and without her I would have for sure voted Democrat this time just because I thought Obama was gonna win.

Face it McCain is... old. I cannot relate to this man. I listen to him talk, I support him on my blog... but what is it that is going to push me over....

He could of gone with Romney... A great choice but for some reason our country as a whole doesn't understand Mormons. And that is a shame because we basically rule someone out over religion... a perfectly good religion.

Then there is Huckabee... Who? Didn't know the guy... Wasn't he a minister?

Then who else...? Guiliani? Womanizer... Thompson... dates young chicks...

Sarah Palin... great pick. What is really wrong with her other than being from Alaska? She made it to governor as a little known mayor. Alaska is a big state with lots of oil money and disparity between the haves and have nots. Somehow she makes it work with an 80% approval rating. So what she shoots Mooses or had a pregnant daughter... so what?? Is there anything really wrong with this lady. She has executive experience.

I just don't get the left... with their false claims and stupid posts about her. What is the threat? Seriously what does this lady bring upon you that is so bad?

She's a woman... That's what it is right? Or wait! Because it gives McCain a chance to win and win big.

I say she hits it out of the park tonight. Mark my words... the MSM will shut the hell up tomorrow.