Dreaming Big is Half the Fun

Well, I did what I could.

I bought a ticket. I didn't win the big money; that went to Florida and Maryland. My wife threatened me with divorce if I spent another dime on lottery tickets and did not buy my ticket in Florida; it seems that's where they sell all of the winners anymore.

There used to be a show on one cable channel or another about how a big lottery win had ruined somebodies life. Week after week of disasters. Millions gone in a few years; crooked family stealing, begging letters form all over the world, looking for a free handout form what you were lucky enough to receive. DUI's divorces, bankruptcies; trouble up hill and down dale.

Maybe the lucky ones were the ones who didn't win?

Or maybe that is just the class of people buying lottery tickets? Those out for more money in an instant than they could earn in a lifetime? Those who were poor because they thought poor, and having millions didn't change their way of thinking; they just thought poor with more money to spend.

There were success storied too that I remember. One group of guys hit a big jackpot and split millions. 3 of them retired right away. The fourth was still working. Although he was driving to work in a new pickup.

For me, winning isn't everything. The dreaming I get for a few bucks is worth the expense. I also get a dose of reality with it.

How would I spend $400 million? Or; How would I spend the $200 million the government would let me keep? $400 million gets cut in half pretty quick, with the cash value of the annuity being the biggest cut. And the IRS and the Commonwealth of Kentucky getting a share. Reality first; fantasy second.

Next comes the Deal With God part; the portions you would give to each charity, if you win. Surely God will look more kindly on your numbers, if you agree to give a portion of it away? It may help. Just because it hasn't yet worked for me doesn't mean it won't work ever.

And the Family clause; each family member gets a slice of the pie; a slice that varies- like the Charity part- when you realize just how far $200 million won't go.

Then comes the Spend it on Me segment; New Car!; Wait- New Rolls Royce!; Wait; New Ferrari!, no Bentley, No Bugatti or Lamborghini or Porsche or Wait!

New House! on Land; lots of land, with 5 bedrooms, no 10 bedrooms, and a game room and a pool and a hot tub overlooking the lake I'll build so I can see one from the hot tub.

And then the next morning there are two winners; Florida and Maryland.

And you shut off the alarm drag your loser carcass out of bed and start getting ready for work. On the way there you stop for a donut and a cup of coffee.

And a lottery ticket.

Need a Rocking Chair?

I'll bet he doesn't.

This video makes me feel like I have spent too much of my life sitting still, and I am few years short in age from the hero of this video.

I don't use the word hero lightly. Heroism isn't always a single instant; sometimes it is a lifetime.

A blogger I visit regularly- Sippican Cottage- tends to find videos like this; maybe he has time to hunt for them. 

Go ahead; watch the video. I'll be here when you get back.

Here we have a man who is working daily, just as he has for more than probably 80 years. Still going , and not intention of stopping. Working at a physical job. One that men 50, 60 even 70 years his junior wouldn't do. He has made a living working hard. He probably isn't rich by Wall Street standards, but he probably is by Arkansas standards.

He has a job he loves- I can't imagine doing something I hated at his age, and family around him.

There is a commercial I have seen on TV once or twice that talks about retirement, and defines it as paying yourself to do what you want to do, by saving for it now.

And then you run into Mr. Bump, who, at the age of 95 is still letting somebody else pay him to do what he wants to do.

Now that is what I would call an embarrassment of riches.

Something That Should Suck, Doesn't

I may have mentioned the other day that my wife was having problems with her vacuum cleaner. what it boils down to is she needs a new filter. I'll get into that later; right now I need to rant.

I have been working on vacuum cleaners for years. Its what a Redneck does; he fixes- or at least TRIES to fix things. Part of it is because usually it is cheaper to fix something than buy a new one, and part of it is the challenge of taking something that doesn't work, figuring out why it doesn't work, and then figuring out to make it work again.

With vacuums 90% of the time it is a clogged hose or a busted belt. Anything else and the cost of the parts is more than the cost of a new unit. But this vacuum is a new breed; for me anyway. No bag; it has a clear plastic tub you have to empty. And it has a filter! I figure the filter takes the place of the bags. Not as a dirt holder, but as something you need to keep buying to make sure the device functions.

The filter is where the problem is. I will say this for this little thing; it can suck up some dirt. I'd swear  the basement is cleaner after vacuuming the living room carpet; it is that efficient. But the tub is small, and needs to be emptied after each use. which isn't really a bad thing, or a hard thing.

But the filter; it needs to be cleaned almost weekly. It has a foam pre-filter, and then a paper HEPA filter. Trust me, no dirt escapes this thing. If it picks it up, it stays picked up. Unlike some other vacuums I have used, that manage to not really clean the room, but just redistribute the dust to areas other than the carpet.

Like my lungs.

Anyway, I usually clean the filter every weekend, just as a precaution. Last weekend I forgot; hey- it was a busy weekend. Which is why on Tuesday my wife cleaned the filter. The paper, HEPA filter. With water.

Yeah; it killed it. And I don't have a spare.

Surely A local store will have one. Wanna bet? Apparently this is a rare beast. I haven't been to a specialty vacuum shop yet, but nowhere else I have stopped has one.

The Hell with this running around bit. That's why they invented the internet, right?

Bissell has a website- a great website, by the way- I found my part in less than a minute. $3.99? Lets buy two! On to checkout; lets find out how much the shipping will be. And the website crashed.

Not a problem; redoing everything took only a few seconds; on to checkout.... and the website crashed.

Well that sucks. Ummm; no pun intended.

Wait a minute; they have an 800 number, and they are open on a Sunday; all is not lost!

I get right through - to some one who speaks English as a first language; another plus! But that was the last of the good news. Since the website was down, so was their phone in ordering system.

Well that sucks. Okay; maybe I did intend a pun.

But; they expect everything to be operational shortly.

Shortly? Whose got time for shortly? On to Amazon! I should have gone there first; probably cheaper too.

Yes the do have them; for $8.95!?!?!?!

Wait; here one for $2.95; that's more like it. $4.95 for shipping?!?!?!? This thing weighs less that a first class letter; shipping should be $1.95 tops.

But the $9.00 version has free shipping. So... 4 bucks for the filter and 5 bucks to ship it. Those sound like familiar figures. Maybe I can find a better deal; Hell; it looks like everybody has this filter. No wonder I can't find one at Wal-Mart; the internet has all of them... For $8.95 each. No wonder we got such a great deal on the vacuum; it looks like they are following the Lexmark example- FREE PRINTERS!; expensive ink.

Maybe I do have time for 'shortly'.

Back to the Bissell website; this time they are up. I have to 'join the Bissell Club' before I can order; do I want emails about their special offers? Uh. NO?

Then the obligatory method of payment screen, and BOOM; I have two new filters on the way for about $6.50 each, including shipping.

And they should be here in 5 business days.

D'oh! that's what I hate about internet shopping; no instant gratification. But that is another story.

Okay; He Did What?

Okay; I had a few minutes while the water was heating up so I could do the supper dishes- Have you ever seen a 7 year old girl burn through every drop of hot water in a 40 gallon tank in ONE flippin' shower?

Any way; took a minute to visit a few friends; Sippican Cottage and its companion site, Borderline Sociopathic Blog for Boys, where I ran into this.

And all it took was a $2.00 yardsale shovel. And a little know how. And a few extra parts. And the guts to pull the trigger when he was done.

Amazing; ain't it?

Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

The greatest 6.5 minutes of Thanksgiving television ever filmed.

Courtesy of Instapundit.

Way Too Much Time On His Hands

Just when you think you've seen it all, you see something that makes you wonder.

Take a look at this machine. First; who figured they needed this: second, who figured out HOW to build it, and Third; who ever built it did one hell of a job.

But they all had way too much time on their hands.

I found the video put perusing a site I usually use to figure out home repairs; There; I Fixed It.

Lots of good fun over there for a Redneck.

ReStore Score

The Cincinnati Chapter of Habitat for Humanity has a series of stores that sell home goods and building supplies they call the ReStore. Some are new, others used or antique. They also have appliances, both new and used. Until today all of the stores were on the Ohio side of the river, and since the only thing I buy up there is Yuegling Beer, I never had the opportunity to visit.

Today they opened a store on the good side of the river out on US 42, on left just past Mall Road. If you're local, those are enough directions. If your not local, what the Hell do you care where it's located? Since I was out in the Florence area anyway dropping in to see the grandsons I decided to stop by.

I probably shouldn't have. I could have spent $500 in there today. As it was, I spent just over $100. But what a deal! I also agree with the premise; donate the used stuff that still has life in to save space n the landfills and to allow cheapskates like me access to inexpensive, quality goods. Plus, whoever does the donating gets to cheat Obama out of a few bucks. Win-Win- WIN!!!!!

I have been needing a new garage door. The old one is still serviceable. Meaning it does go up and down, and does at least block the hole when its down. Somewhat. More or less. Its an old wood door, probably from the late 1960's, so it has done its duty and ready to retire.

But I was having issues buying a new one. $250 for a cheap one; $5-600 for a decent one. Chunk of change, to replace one that still worked. Somewhat. More or less.

Then today walking around the ReStore between the $15 ceiling fans and the $5 fluorescent light fixtures are new garage doors. Brand and style aren't important, but the doors that I have been seeing at Lowes and Home Depot in the $600 range are here for $145.00. Now that's a deal!

But wait! There's MORE!!!

Because this is the inaugural weekend, they are giving you, GIVING you I say, another 20% off of that price! Okay; I thought I had a deal before, but now's it's REALLY a DEAL!!!!

But wait; there's MORE!

IF you donate a can good too the Freestore Foodbank, they will take off another 10%!!!!

So I grabbed a garage door and two cans of green beans from the trunk, called my son- who lives close and has a minivan, and purchased myself a $600 garage door for.....

$107.00, tax title and warranty; out the door. I also couldn't resist, and bought 2 fluorescent light fixtures, complete with 4 bulbs, for $7.42. 8 bulbs would cost twice that at Home Depot.

Plus they were giving away free hot dogs, metts and brauts, so I was able to chow down on a hot dog and a couple of brauts while I was at it. No sauerkraut or horseradish, but still, for that price, who am I to complain?

So to recap: I got a $600 garage door and $80 worth of light fixtures for less than $120 bucks, plus a free lunch, and I helped out a charity that actually does good work that I support all in one afternoon.

I am hoping you stopped reading a few paragraphs ago and have already grabbed you keys.

If you haven't, then you must have more money than Romney.

Wanna See Something Cool?

This is, as is sometimes said, Wicked Cool.

Especially if you like sciencey stuff.

And really fast airplanes.

I was over at one of my guilty pleasure sites, trying to climb up out of a massive idiot inspired depression, and found this video.

Yeah; it helps.

The Borderline Sociopathic Blog for Boys; check it out!

Day 3 of The Remodel

Today we finish the drywall finishing and start laying the tile floor; should be another busy day.

With luck, I will have enough time and energy to do a real post tomorrow.

And no, that's not our remodel; neither was yesterday's picture.

I ain't got time to take no pictures!

Friday Night Didn't Get a Movie

This Friday was one of those bittersweet occasions; a going-away get together for a co-worker. He had been with the company for more than 15 years, and was quite popular to boot. The interesting thing was I think there were more former employees there than current ones. That says two things to me; this old boy had a lot of friends, and our company had shed a lot of people the last few years.

I also ran into some interesting conversations; things that are tracking with national data, but provided anecdotal evidence of the collapsing and retracting economy.

Saturday was busy as well, I spent the entire day helping the oldest boy redo his bathroom. More later on both topics, but right now I am late for another day Redneck Renovations.

If It Says Lite, It Ain't Beer

Okay; I had to share my thoughts on this post at Hot Air.

We can take this one of two ways; either Republicans are finally growing a pair (figuratively ladies) or we have an influx of new folks with a pair who are now identifying themselves as Republican.

I think we are looking at an influx of new Republicans, and we starting to out number the namby-pamby Republicans.

Me? Sam Adams is one of my lighter beers, and I ain't touching any beer with a fruit flavor. If I want a fruit flavor, I'll drink Kool-Aid.

As usual, the comments are worth reading.

One comment I had to agree with whole heartedly, from a commenter called coldwarrior:

Next week at this time I’ll be in an antiseptic environment surrounded by all sorts of folks who will be looking to examine, cut out/off body parts, radiate and flush chemicals all through me…and I think I finally figured out why.

That whole frat years, college days, early Army beer drinking, womanizing, day-old pizza eating lifestyle.

But…was it worth it?

Ohh, yeah….sure was.


It's like I always say: After all the fun I've shown this body through the years, why is it betraying me now?

Reminds Me of The Good Old Days

I was looking for something to blog about tonight, and was having trouble. So much to talk about, but then, so much of it is horrible. Iran and their nuke program; Israel, as the target of said nuke program; Obama and...., well, Obama and anything he says or does is horrible.

So I went some of my 'Feel Good Sites'; like Sippican Cottage; The Duffel Blog and Sippican's companion site, The Borderline Sociopathic Blog For Boys.

That's where I found this video.

I'll have to admit I have done a few engine changes in my time. I have even done a few swaps, where we took out a V-6 and dropped in a V-8, or pulled a small V-8 and dropped in a honkin' big one. Sorry; went back to my old days there for a minute.

My sister had a VW Bug that required what seemed like constant maintenance. My brother and I had it down to a science. We could drive the bug into the garage and have the motor on the work bench in less than 10 minutes flat. But I have never done an R&R (remove and replace) on an engine in 42 seconds.

Wow. But then, I never did any of my engine swaps with a squad of Royal Marines.

And none of my swaps were on a specially prepared car, like this one. But that being said, this is still an impressive display of team work. And they may be able to drive that car, but they wont drive it far. No Radiator, no coolant, no transmission grease. The 10 meters they drove it is probably the limit of its distance; any more than that and you'll be sweeping up pieces of it.

I am trying to think about what would be my favorite engine swap. I guess it would have to be the one we did on the 1977 Lincoln Town Coupe.

Dad bought the car with a bad motor in it; a 400 big block with a spun main crank bearing. But the car was beautiful. Black, with a black leather interior, and every option Lincoln offered, including the factory CB radio.

We happened to have a 429 laying around from a 1969 T-Bird we bought for parts, so we through a few gaskets on it and dropped it in the Lincoln. This thing went from a 166 horsepower 400 to a 390 horsepower 429. Yeah; we doubled the horsepower. But then, this car weighs about 4200 pounds bone dry and empty. It was a flat dog with the 400. I mean a SERIOUS dog; I got beat off the line one time by a school bus. A FULL school bus. Being driven by a nun. Okay; that last part was a bit of an exageration, but not by much.

I think she was actually a former nun.

But, I digress.

Afterward, we had a sleeper. A sleeper is a car that doesn't look like it is fast, but is wicked fast. Like a 400 horsepower, 4200 pound Lincoln. I wish I had a nickel for every Honda that was expecting a snail, and ran into a jackrabbit at a traffic light.

I miss the good old days, when a weekend a couple of bucks would be all you would need to swap an engine. Now it damn near takes that long to disconnect the damn wires.

Well, maybe not that long, but a damn sight longer than 42 seconds.

Sunday Will Be a Day of Rest

Because Saturday sure wasn't.

We hit the road yesterday around 1:00 and didn't get home until 10:00 last night.

In between we drove almost an hour to hit a going-away party for a family member leaving for Army National Guard training, drove another hour to Mom's house for a family get together, and then left there to hit a fireworks display.

Which we had to leave early because we had the Young'un with us, and she suddenly announced that she 'had to good to the bathroom real, real bad', and refused to use anything but the bathroom at home.

The fireworks display was probably a once in a lifetime thing. and what we saw was spectacular. I tried to get a few photos, but things were too dark for my camera. I did manage to get one shot (yeah, that's from my phone camera), and you can see the Ohio River in the foreground. The colors were phenomenal. Some of the displays had an almost LED brilliance and color tone. Others were Gold and Orange; colors unusual in pyrotechnics, to me anyway.

We didn't go to Coney to watch the show; why pay to stand close to something you can see from across the river? For those who don't know, Coney Island is one of America's oldest Amusement Parks. Started as a picnic grove in the 1860's, by the 1950's Walt Disney was using Coney Island as a prototype for the original Disneyland. Located in a bend of the Ohio River, it is possible to stand on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River and watch the displays. I figured we would be pretty much alone watching the fireworks.

Boy was I wrong. An hour before showtime the spot we picked was filling up. By the time we left- just about halfway through the show- cars and people were lined up for miles in either direction. And it wasn't just the road and the railroad right of way that was crowded; the river was so full of boats I almost think I could have walked to the other side.

And that was only part of the drama. During a break in the show we all heard a loud 'THUMP'; a noise that brought a police response a few minutes later. Rumor was a plane had crashed just up the road. I found out this morning that those rumors were true.

I have been searching the news all morning, trying to find some video of the show, and to find out who won, but no luck.

 I'm rooting for whichever country had the gold colored shots; they were incredible.

If they hold this competition here again next year, I'm there. 

Had Some Fun This Morning

I was directed to this site by an email from my Aunt. I thought it was interesting, so I had to share.

My first time I was a Bobbing Bobcat; the second I was a Rocketing Rabbit.

How about you?

Out and About on the Internets

I was visiting at The Borderline Sociopathic Blog For Boys when I ran across this post of his, and I just had to share, for several reasons.

First, it is a wooden model. Anybody with access to a couple of trees and chainsaw could make one. Okay, that maybe a simplification, but you know what I mean.

Then there is the way the video explains the entire process, as they add parts to the model to make the next step of the firing process happen. they manage to take a hundred years of weapon development and make it seem like this was all a logical progression.

If you think about what they were trying to do with this video, you have to marvel at the genius behind it.

In the 1940's they had to take men from all walks of life and introduce them to semi and fully automatic weapons. Not just to fire, but to maintain, troubleshoot and depend on, up to the cost of their life.

The pace is a little slow, but then was done 70 years ago; well before the invention of the music video.

Now I've got the bug; somebody may get one of these for Christmas....

I meant the gun, not the video.

Cars I Have Known VII

Here is one of those apparent good deals that requires close study. I know what this guy is talking about, Been there, done that.

Well, still doing that actually. Several years ago a guy offered me a 1988 Mercedes 190e for 300 bucks. I thought it was a steal. It was only after a few repairs that i found out which one of us was the actual thief.

Don't get me wrong; it is a fantastic car. It'll hit 70 in a heartbeat, rides like a cloud and still has some sport manners in the corners. But it has..... ISSUES. Some are because it is 24 years old. Some seem to be designed in.

Like the fuel pump relay. The electric fuel pump will quit randomly, and usually at the most inopportune time. Usually where there is no where to pull over and you have a line of cars behind you. It is a simple fix. Open the hood; pull the cover off of the relay housing; pull the fuel pump relay; jump pins 3 and 8; replace the relay; start the car; replace the relay cover, close the hood. Except sometimes you have to repeat steps 3-6, as the car won't start the first time.

So why not just replace the relay? Because the problem could either be the fuel pump relay or a separate relay that controls voltage to the automobile. each relay is $120, and I have a problem throwing $250 at a $300 car. Luckily I am still finding a few of them in the junkyard. So between finding used parts cheap and doing the work myself I have been able to keep it going.

But I can see where paying somebody to maintain an old MB can bet expensive. Parts are available to repair almost every aspect of the car. But those parts are expensive, and a good MB mechanic is at least $75 an hour. You can count on dropping a grand each and every trip to the shop. If you have that kind of money, paying somebody else to keep your old car on the road may be worth it.

But you can easily see how a car that a few years ago sold for 50k new, is now worth $300; if you can get it.

The picture is not my 190e, but mine is red. And I think it is that red color that has attracted the attention of the local constabulary.

I have been stopped by police exactly 4 times in the last 20 years. All four times I was driving the 190e. all four times I got a ticket for not wearing my seat belt. All four times it was the same cop.

Yep; driving a Red Mercedes can get expensive.

Sunday Night at The Fair

The Sunday before Labor Day is always our day at The Fair. I say THE Fair, as if there is no other fair in the world. Around here, The Fair is more important than the State Fair, any other County Fair, or even a Worlds Fair. When you are asked in Campbell County if you are going to The Fair, everybody knows what you mean.

The Alexandria Fair and Horse Show has been running since 1856. It was cancelled 3 times in it's history, during The War, in the 1860's. It's still pretty much the same. The horse shows run all 5 days, and are  prime draw, and make The Fair unique. Other Counties have demolition derbies or tractor pulls. The Fair has a world class horse show.

Outside of the Horse Show, The Fair is pretty much like any other fair. A dozen rides or so, the hustler games lined up outside the rides and the food booths. And Beer; gotta have a few cold beers.

The food booths are as varied as the people at the fair. Over here you can get hot dogs, brauts- with sour kraut and horseradish-and hamburgers and cheeseburgers. In the mood for Chinese? Around the corner, next to the Pizza trailer. Philly cheese steaks? A couple of booths over, between the booth with the big alien drink containers and the one selling deep fried everything. And I do mean everything. Deep fried Twinkies and Oreos? Old hat now. Deep frying has gone healthy. How about a serving or two of deep fried green beans?

Yep; deep fried green beans. They taste like a deep fried onion, but look kinda like a french fry. Proof I guess that you can improve the taste of anything by deep frying it.

Last night was a typical Sunday night at The Fair. We usually go on Sunday night because of a competing event down on the River that draws most of the idiots. It makes the rides more accessible and the crowd is a little more genial. Last night we were able to take my grandsons for the first time to The Fair. They couldn't wait to hit a few rides and play a few games. They each caught a fish at the Fish Pond, and took home a stuffed Elmo, and rode the Merry-Go-Round twice. Number 1 and his Dad took a ride down the Big Slide, and it was hard to tell who was grinning wider; My Boy, or his.

They were just starting to go up for a second ride when the rain hit. a light sprinkle at first, so we abandoned the rides and went to find shelter in the Beer Tent, and then the Grandstand. The rain wasn't too bad, but all of the sudden we got hit with the remnants of Issac. Wind started blowing tents over, and started driving the rain up under the roof of the grandstand. Luckily the wind quit before the hard rain fell. Buckets of hard rain. It was time to hit the road. Through superior planning on my part we were close to the gate we parked near (it is also close to the beer booth; what can I say?), so we sent the too oldest boys out to fetch the cars, and we bailed with a minimum fuss and rain.

It wasn't quite a regular The Fair night.  We didn't see any of the Horse Show (the picture is from a few years ago), and missed stopping for a pair of Funnel Cakes on the way out. And we were home in time to watch The Fireworks in TV. The Fireworks are a lot like The Fair; we have the only ones around.

But that is another story.

Well, It's Time for a Palette Cleanser

The last two days have been too serious. It's time for a spot of whimsy.

Where better to go for whimsy than Jay Leno?

I have seen pictures of this car before, but did not know all of the details. I can't improve on Jay's video; take 5 minutes and have your day made.

To say this car is over the top in weird would still be an understatement.

But there are several features I like. I'll let you guess which ones.

But I will tell you this. Old Plymouth Dusters had a rubber bellows on the floor board that was used to pump washer fluid up to the windshield. One stomp on the device would shoot an incredible amount of water on to your windshield.

Back in the day- which is a great way of saying 'back when I was young and fairly stupid'- I had an old Chevy Van that was redneck to the core. The exterior had some  plumbing companies name painted on it, so the owner prior to me had covered it up with Contact Paper (remember Contact Paper?) that had a pattern of small red periwinkles. Yeah; it was distinctive. The only thing inside when I bought it was the drivers seat. I bought some cheap carpet for the floor, and a friend of mine gave me his old living room couch, side chair and coffee table. I was all set.

What does this have to do with the Swan Car, or an old Duster?

Well; This:

I took one of the Windshield Washer pumps and one spray nozzle from an old Duster and rigged it up on the old van.

But not to spray the windshield. I had it rigged to spray out the grill, through a corner of the radiator. If I was sitting at a traffic light or stop sign, and somebody was taking too much time in the crosswalk, I would stomp on the Washer Bulb, and spray them with a half pint of water. They would think I had a radiator leak. And would need to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at the strange reactions from the sudden spray of water.

Like I say; that was back in the day.

The Tree and The Acorn

I know you've heard the old saw about the acorn not falling far from the tree.

Well, Saturday my second oldest officially became a redneck.

Jeff Foxworthy defines Redneck as 'a glorious lack of sophistication', a definition I agree with. But there is also a individualistic, self-sufficient bent that I think is a requirement in a good Redneck. Here is my son's story.

Apparently Saturday afternoon he wanted to watch a few movies on DVD. But His DVD player wouldn't work. So, unlike your hipster-dofus, who would grab a credit card and his password to Amazon. my son grabbed a screwdriver. And started dismantling his DVD player.  After a few screws, he discovers the problem. The drive belt between the motor and the spindle that drives the DVD unit is broke, and laying in the bottom of the player.

End of the day, right? Not by a long shot.

Our intrepid young Redneck does not let a broken part stop him. He goes On the Hunt for a replacement. But where do you find a replacement drive belt for a cheap DVD player on a Saturday afternoon?

Why in the basement of course!

Not that I have a stockpile of old DVD players in the basement; I don't. But what our Redneck Repairman is looking for is flexible piece of rubber, like a rubber band, but a whole lot smaller.

When ever I replace a burnt out headlight bulb, I replace them both, and put the one that still worked on the shelf as a spare. That way, if a blow another bulb I can put in the old one until I can get to the store for a new set.

Well, something even I didn't know is that the rubber ring that the bulb maker uses to seal the bulb into the headlight housing is exactly the same size as the drive belt in cheap DVD players.

A few seconds to slip the seal off of the bulb and Voila! a new drive belt.

The player was reassembled and has been working steadily and well ever since.

For those of us with a special bent, this is a proud moment.

Almost enough to bring a tear to an old man's eye.

Except he had to go and ruin one of my spare headlight bulbs.

Nostalgia Ain't What It Used To Be

First; I have no idea why the picture isn't right side up. I changed it; saved it; reopened it, and it was right. I load it into Blogger, and it's wrong. Must be a Blogger thing.

At any rate, (oh yeah? how about 12 and a half percent? (Sorry; that's an old George Carlin joke I just can never resist)) the other night I had glass of New Wiedemann.

I made a special trip down to Newport to Pompilios, just for a cold glass of the old days. I wasn't the only one. The bar was packed, and I saw a lot of glasses with the New Wiedemann logo on them. You would recognize Pompilios, if you have ever seen Rainman. They filmed the scene where Raymond counts the toothpicks in the dining room just off the bar.

We finally got a spot at a table in the bar and I ordered the first glass of Wiedemann I have had in probably 6 years or more.

And I was disappointed. Kind of like the picture above; you could recognize it but it just wasn't right.

First sip told this was not a real Wiedemann. The beer I remember always started real smooth; ice water smooth, especially if the beer was real cold. This beer hit you with  flavor from the beginning. it was a strong flavor, and since I wasn't expecting it, it was a bad taste; almost skunky. Old Wiede-pop would always leave your tongue with a bite; like a flush of something bitter, that would fade faster than it came, and would disappear before the end of the second can. This beer finished flat; it kind of just ran off your tongue and disappeared.

It wasn't all bad; the beer was the right shade of pale, clear yellow, and wouldn't have developed a head if you shook it like a pair of hot dice; all old friends. New Wiedemann also had a different mouth feel; almost like it was a thicker brew, which is possible. It also left me with a dry mouth feeling after half a glass; something I never got with Old Wiedemann.

All in all; it was not a bad beer, just not the beer I was expecting. It also seemed a bit pricey; 5 bucks for the 20 ounce glass and $4 for the 16 ounce.

Back in the day, I could get a pitcher of Wiede-pop for 2 bucks, and a gallon to go- bring your own jug- for $3. Those were the days. a group of good friends, sitting around a fire out in the field, swigging cold Wiedemann from a gallon jug and watching the sparks from the fire rise to join the sky full of stars.

I was hoping Wiedemann's return would also bring back those nights too, I guess.

Maybe I was expecting too much from a couple of glasses of beer.