“What would compel you to post, slacker?” you might ask. Auto lust. I’ve seen images of some fantastic machines lately, and couldn’t help but compile just a few awesome pics. What else am I going to do with these pics, eh?

Aston Martin DBS Volante

Audi R8 GT

Camaro Hennessey HPE700

Porsche 911 GT3

You may have noticed from Malin’s posts that we’ve gone green. Last weekend we spent most of the day Saturday working on readying the ground for a garden. Malin has been spraying grass killer for a few weeks on a couple of big, square patches of land in the back yard. This past weekend saw the legwork of preparing the ground. We rented a big ol’ tiller, tilled up the dirt, raked out the dead grass and weeds, and hoed the dirt into lanes.

Malin’s mom and her boyfriend (her mom’s boyfriend, not Malin’s) came over to help out. Since we sold the Blazer (months ago) we no longer have a way to get a tiller home from the rental store. Heck, I doubt this thing would have fit in the Blazer anyway. Randy has a trailer for his work which pulled it to our home more than adequately.

The tiller was very large and had lots o’ power. So much power that it really seemed poorly designed overall. It didn’t have the kind of features needed to easily handle the power. For one, there was a single gear shifter and single clutch (hand operated pedal) that controlled both the drive wheels and the tines. This meant that there was no way, for instance, to engage the tines without the wheels. It was possible to do the other way around, however, because the transmission offered special gear selections that did not engage the tines. Add to that the fact that there was a center open differential between the two axles. Yes, this means that when the tines were not moving at all that the wheels were moving doubletime. So, when you hit a lump of hard dirt, the tines want to stop because they can’t chew through it and zooom!!! the things takes off like a go cart as the drive wheels start spinning double speed. And it zooming around like a go cart is bad. You need it go slowly so that the tines thoroughly till the hard, virgin earth underneath. So Randy gave me a hand with it. We must have looked ridiculous: two full grown men man-handling this piece of lawn equipment. And even with both of us hanging on to it and keeping it on mission, it still tried to get away from us a couple of times.

If only it had had a second pedal for engaging the tines and wheels. Then you could engage the tines and make them dig and only engage the wheels often enough to keep the thing moving forward without letting it zoom off. A hand brake lever may have been suitable, too. I wonder if there is any money in inventing better yard machines… It doesn’t seem like it would take much to greatly improve the usability of these things – all the way to the point where even an older or weaker person could handle it without assistance.

So we got the yard all dug up. We’ve also added some fittings and splitters to the outside faucet so we have hoses that lead to the garden as well as a natural area in the front yard all on one timer, a dedicated hose to the back deck for use with an immersion wort chiller (for making beer), and two extra spaces for any additional watering needs…

The three weeks prior to our garden-creating excursion was filled with lots of automotive maintenance – everyone’s least favorite subject.

• Week 1: Malin’s car needed new brake pads and new rear rotors.
• Week 2: My car needed new brake pads and had to have the front calipers rebuilt. Malin’s car needed four new tires.
• Week 3: My car needed a new clutch.

And the saga continues… This week, I had to take my car back in because the mechanic put my car on the lift improperly when replacing the clutch. The result was a bent piece of metal connected to the chassis to which the plastic fenders bolt. This caused the passenger side fender to have an unsightly gap as it stuck further from the other body panels than it should have. Also, the clutch pedal felt funny – the pedal’s travel would stop/slow right as the clutch was fully engaged and then pop out the rest of the way. So this week they had to fix the fender, and they were able to fix the pedal by bleeding air bubbles out of the hydraulic lines (which should have been done when they put the clutch in last week).

And next week, Malin’s car has to go in to get a radiator leak fixed and have a CV boot replaced. I’m not looking forward to that since I know it could be expensive depending on where the radiator leak comes from and whether or not the CV joint has already gone dirty or dry from the torn boot. And to top it all off, the A/C in my car isn’t working worth a crap. Luckily, it’s nearly Autumn. I’ll put up with the miserable heat for a bit longer, and then I can wait until next Spring or Summer to fix that (which could also be expensive if, for instance, the compressor has to be replaced).

It wouldn’t be so bad if gas prices weren’t so high. So the cars are basically taking moolah from us in two ways lately: more expensive fuel and more-than-usual repairs this year.

Speaking of cars, I was looking earlier in the week to replace the desktop image on my PC at work. Currently there is a pic of a Nissan GTR thereupon. I ran across this picture of a Maserati Gran Turismo – it is a smokin’ hot car:

I put it on my desktop at home for the time being – until I get around to putting it up at work and then finding another picture of Will for the home desktop (Malin disapproves of not seeing Will’s smiling mug on my screen).

Speaking of Will, he is now back at school. July 28^th was his first day back. It is nice to have the place to myself in the morning when I work from home, but I wish his school were closer (driving out there and back twice a day isn’t the best way to conserve fuel…). He enjoys it, and Malin needs the morning time lately because she has been busy as all heck… (two photo shoots this past weekend, one earlier in the week, and two today).

The other day she saw The Dark Crystal on sale at the store and picked it up for Will. I almost forgot how crazy and creepy that movie is. It is slow – slower than I remember from seeing it as a kid. Also, the puppetry isn’t nearly as awesome as I remember (like the fact that when the Gelflings talk, their lips barely move at all…). But some of the other visuals are fun and cool – like the Skeksis and especially the Garthim, which are wicked cool antagonists… Will only watched about half of it before he got tired of it and decided to turn it off. He still hasn’t returned to it to finish watching the rest of the movie…

Speaking of Will finishing something, we will be finishing Harry Potter and The Sorceror’s Stone this week. At the rate we’re going, tomorrow night’s the night. Tonight we read the next-to-the-last chapter. Often when I read it to him at night, he seems like he isn’t paying attention, but sometimes he surprises me by jumping up and saying something about what I just read. Only a few times has he fallen asleep while I read.

And now to wrap up our tale: it all ends with disease, as does so much else in the world. Will brought home some nasty germs from school that have had all of his feeling like trash for the past couple of days. I went into work yesterday, thinking I’d get over it once I got my mind off it. But that didn’t happen like I planned. I actually felt worse and worse as the day went on and ultimately had to leave early. I think the end is finally near. I feel much better now than this time last night, so I’m hoping that one more good night’s rest will heal the whole crew here.

That about sums up our past few weeks. Hopefully everyone else’s went at least as well (for instance, just as well but minus the car troubles and sickness).

We took Will to see the Nights of Lights at Lake Lanier a couple of weeks before Christmas. Will really enjoyed all of the lights, and he enjoyed the carnival rides at the end even more. He rode a children’s ride all by himself, and he had the most intriguing, mischievous look on his face the whole time. We rode a merry-go-round, a roller-coaster, and bumper cars, too. I was really impressed with how stoic he was in the roller-coaster. He wasn’t scared of the rickety, unsteady, high-G turns whatsoever. While riding bumper cars, we had to fight over the steering wheel – which was apparently quite funny for Malin to watch.

Also a couple of weeks before Christmas (or maybe it was more like three weeks…), Malin and I received our Christmas gifts from one another. We bought each other stuff to open on Christmas day, also, but our main gifts were wrapped up well in advance of the big day.

Malin’s early gifts were a fancy new lens for her camera – a Nikkor AF 85mm f1.8D – and a new PDA phone – an AT&T 8525 Pocket PC Phone (with Windows Mobile). Unfortunately, I don’t know how to use her camera (the D200 is not for casual, point-and-shoot photographers), so I can’t show you a picture taken with the new lens. I can post, however, a picture of her new phone. It’s fancy (and was less than a 100 bucks, refurbished):

Malin’s gift to me was allowing me to buy new wheels for my Camaro. It was in desperate need of a full set of tires anyway, so what better time to buy new wheels, too? I didn’t actually take a “before” picture, but I found this picture online of a car that looks just like mine. So here is the car’s old wheels:

Here’s a shot of the new wheels. Will is there, pointing out a train going by (there are train tracks not too far from our house that, because we live on top of a hill, can be seen from our yard):

The difference may be subtle in appearance (though they stand out to me…), but the biggest difference is their size. The old wheels were 16×8 with 245-series tires (meaning the tire’s contact patch with the road is 245 millimeters wide). The new wheels are 18×9.5 with 275-series tires. That means the sidewall is one inch narrower, and the width of the contact patch is over one inch bigger. Both of those facts add up to one thing: better handling. They aren’t quite as good for fuel economy unfortunately because the total weight of the bigger tire and wheel is greater than before, but I haven’t really noticed a difference so far (and I’ve gone through three tanks of gas with ‘em).

To make sure you get a good look at the new shoes, here are a couple more shots:

The Weekend Before Christmas

The Saturday before Christmas, we went to dinner with my mother-in-law. This was our main Christmas gift to her: a fancy-schmancy dinner.

We ate dinner at the Dining Room at the Buckhead Ritz-Carlton. Our friends Scott and Karyn watched Will for us that evening. Dinner was awesome. We had a very nice bottle of wine (a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley in California – I can’t remember anything else about it right now, I’m afraid), and a fantastic eight-course dinner. The menu indicates only five courses, but that doesn’t include the amuse bousch or pre-dessert. It also didn’t include an impromptu course that was described by the server as a “gift from the chef.”

Dinner was phenomenal. Highlights follow:

• Butternut Squash Soup with Maine Diver Scallop, Date Cream, and Apple Shavings.
• Beef Tenderloin with Duck Fat Potatoes, Robiola (a type of goat cheese) Gnocchi, Osso Bucco Carrots, and a Confit Shallot
• Peppered Goat Cheese (lots of black pepper) with a Celery and Arugula Salad with Piquillo (sweet red pepper) Jam

The next night, Malin and I went out with several friends of ours. Scott and Karyn (our babysitters from the evening before), Bob and Christine (newly-weds whose wedding we attended in July), Jake (my brother), and a few other friends of friends. Christine and Karyn are both pregnant, so Malin coached the two of them through much of the night, assuaging their fears and anxieties, no doubt.

We took this large group to one of our favorite places in town: the Brick Store Pub in downtown Decatur.

A good time was had by all, and the next day was Christmas Eve… (you’ll have to wait until part 2 to hear about that)

My Camaro has now been in the shop for nearly four weeks. I’m getting very tired of this. I took it back in because the new differential started making a loud noise again. The mechanic thought it might be a problem with the new parts and bearings he installed and was trying to get the manufacturer to cover re-repairs as warranty work. I need to call tomorrow to find out what the hell is going on…

Speaking of cars, I figured I’d put a link to some images of a truly hot car from Alfa Romeo:

This is the sexiest concept car from a manufacturer other than Aston Martin in quite some time.

I recently received a package that I sent myself from Seattle – full of exotic and rare beers. Many thanks to Malt & Vine in Redmond: a bottle shop that can legally ship to consumers in Georgia. They also have a phenomenal selection of amazing craft brews and imports. They will soon be opening up an online store to sell rare beers to consumers all over the country via mail order. Tonight I sampled a 2002 bottle of Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine and a more recent bottle of Elysian Dragonstooth Stout. Both were pretty darned good.

Even more recently, Will, Malin, and I went to a baptism. A friend of mine at work, Rex Arul, became a father just a couple of months ago. His daughter’s baptism was at the Christ The King Cathedral in Buckhead. It is a very impressive church, and they had a garden where Will and Malin hung out (Will wasn’t behaving in church, so Malin took him to walk around). There was a fantastic party afterwards at an Indian restaurant in north Atlanta (named Bombay Grill). There were lots of kids for Will to play with, and Malin and I chatted with many co-workers – particularly Nick and Lumi Dumitriu (Nick used to be my manager, and Lumi is currently on the same team as me). They have two children that were at Will’s second birthday party and at this party also, and it was very nice to talk with them in a social (instead of business) environment.

Tonight there was a special on CNN, God’s Warriors, about the influence of the conservative Christian movement on politics in America over the last couple of decades. It is very interesting, but also a bit frightening. Only one person on the show actually made sense and convinced me that he is really living and preaching the word of God. Everyone else was so blindly right-leaning, pro-war, and anti-homosexual that it is downright depressing.

Last night Malin and I watched The Prestige. I felt that the last bit of the movie was a little too slow (you knew how everything would play out about 30 minutes prior to the end, but they took their time wrapping everything up). But overall, it was a very inventive and quite macabre twist on magic and magicians (i.e. illusionists) in the nineteenth century.

Last week we watched 300. I was very impressed with this piece. I knew it would be a visual masterpiece, but I enjoyed everything about it. Despite its incredible violence, it was somehow beautiful and imaginative at the same time. It just goes to show what a genius is the mind of Frank Miller (though I was less impressed by the disturbing images in Sin City, from the same brain).

Things have been crazy (i.e. busy, sometimes unpleasant) at work. There are a lot of signs that things are on the verge of improving and that leadership and management are listening to things being said. And then there are rumours going around that suggest that it might not matter and that the future could be very different from today (by some accounts, the company may have some new stakeholders in the near future).

On the up side, I was promoted at work this week. I’ve been acting in my new role for a couple of months, but it was made official this week. Whether the promotion will make work more rewarding is questionable, but it is good for my career. It definitely means more responsibility – most of which consists of management duties. On the down side, a new opportunity (outside of my current employer) is not going to work out. This isn’t really a bad thing as the decision was mutual: I was not really impressed by them (which may come as a surprise to their many fans). But the fact that they weren’t begging me with a seven-figure salary left a bruise on my ego.

On a similar note, a long-time friend of mine, John Weathers, is leaving my current employer for another opportunity. By coincidence, not only did I work at the same company as this elementary school friend of mine, but his wife, Melinda, works there too. She is sticking around, but he will be starting Ruby-on-Rails development with a new firm in September.

Another long-time friend of mine, Jason Adams, has started a blog recently. If you are interested by science and technology with a slant towards computers you will likely find it interesting, too. He posts frequently on a wide range of topics, including a good bit on Computer Science and Linguistics (which happen to be interests of his that are related to his research work in his graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon University). I’ve found it quite interesting.

And now, as I wrap up this lengthy post, I am watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I am disappointed by the overwhelming attack of advertisements for the upcoming Halloween movie. But at least I can be entertained after the commercials end.

Sayonara.

If they offered it in my color:

Speaking of blue Camaros, I got a used tire for my Camaro this past weekend and have driven the car to work all week because the Blazer is having issues. In fact, it is having so many issues that I’ve decided to sell it. After fixing it up and getting new tires for it, I should be able to sell for a decent amount. It is worth enough to payback the repairs and (hopefully) have enough left over for a full set of tires for the Camaro plus another commuter car (about $2k for something old and small that gets decent gas mileage).

If anyone knows someone who wants or needs an SUV for about $4500, let me know!

I must confess that I’ve encouraged this interest a good bit. Sometimes we’ll sit at the computer, and I’ll search Wikipedia for cool cars and show Will the pictures. He really gets a kick out of seeing pictures…

So I’ve decided to post some of these pictures – all exceptionally nice rides. As you can see, I’m teaching Will to appreciate the classics.

1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB

1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB California

1964 Ferrari 250GT Lusso

1964 Aston Martin DB4

1966 Ford Mustang Fastback

1967 Lamborghini 400GT

1967 Volvo P1800 S

1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

1967 Pontiac Firebird

1967 Pontiac GTO

1968 Dodge Charger

1969 Chevrolet Camaro

1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302

1970 Plymouth Barracuda (’Cuda)

1970 Dodge Challenger

1971 Chevrolet Corvette