I read this with sadness this afternoon: Spain Rodriguez died today. My Dad had a book about the history of comics, and one of the pages that always stopped me cold (besides Robert Crumb, Wally Wood, and Harvey Kurtzman) was a full-page reprint of Trashman.
Colorado Mike has been feeding me steady updates on his resto project via text. The other day he asked me for paint advice, and I sent him my collection of IH paint codes for the entire Scout II run. He’s leaning towards Lexington Blue, a bright shade offered in 1979. It got me thinking about the distant future, when I can strip Peer Pressure down to the metal, POR-15 everything, and paint it in a more pleasing color. Originally I wanted a shade of English green, but Mr. Scout has that one covered. My second choice is a color from the Scout in a movie called “Fools Rush In”. Based on the grille pattern, it’s a ’75 or a ’76, which could only make the color Glacier Blue (it’s the only light blue offered in the ’74-’77 timespan). Looking at the paint chip, it’s a light, flat blue which looks too powdery at first glance.
It could be the film transfer, the lighting, or wear and tear on the truck, but the blue here looks darker to me.
The other candidate is a shade called Bimini Blue Poly, which is a darker blue with candyflake. I can’t find a good example online, but I’ll keep looking.
→ This is a syndicated post from my Scout weblog. More info here.
DIY Lego key holder: HOLY SHIT THIS IS GENIUS
Ugh. I’ve spent the last week knee-deep in WordPress, resurrecting one site from the dead, building another, and preparing for a third. It’s actually going smoother than I thought it would, for having been away from anything under the hood more than a year. What I remember came back quick, what I forgot was easy to refresh, and what I’ve learned has been relatively quick and painless. I don’t know if it’s my mindset, if I’m cresting a mental peak, or if shit just got a little easier since last year, but I have a lot more respect for my own skills today.
Thanksgiving was great, as usual, and the house is quiet now that everyone is gone. We’re on the tail end of the leftovers, which is good because I’m getting sick of turkey, and bad because there’s nothing else in the fridge to eat. It was great to see the family. Renie helped me rake all the leaves up and throw them into bags or into the compost bins out back, and the very next day a strong wind kicked up and blew more back into the yard. So it goes.
The Saturn is no longer with us. A man with a tow truck came yesterday and pulled it out of the driveway, closing another automotive chapter in our lives. I was sad to see it go but happy to have it out of the driveway and off the insurance policy. Hopefully it will make MPT some money and kick back a little tax writeoff.
Speaking of cars, I found an iPod adapter for my Honda this afternoon, which appears to be compatible with my stock radio (I was under the impression I needed to have an XM-ready model). Apparently half the dashboard has to come off to access the radio, but once it’s in place an iPhone can be connected to and controlled by the radio, as well as the steering wheel buttons. Slick.
A few days ago, I was wondering why everybody talks about how healthcare costs are rising, but nobody will actually explain why. Here’s someone giving that explanation a shot: The True Cost of Healthcare.
Wow, this is pretty fucking amazing: RotopaX.com. I love this idea. The fact that they are lockable is a bonus. I’m gonna measure the side bed in Peer Pressure and see how much room I’ve got for a gas can and maybe a storage container.
→ This is a syndicated post from my Scout weblog. More info here.
I’ve never owned a new car in my life. By “new” I mean “walk into the dealer, pick out a model, choose a color and engine and asswarmers and 8-track player and floormats, write a check, and drive out with 10 miles on the odometer” new. All my cars have been hand-me-downs, used and abused orphans, auction items, or classified ad purchases. I don’t trust dealers all that much based on anecdotal evidence and first-hand experience.
It was with some trepidation, then, that I handed my keys to the service guy at our local Honda dealer this evening. The dealership itself is clean, and he certainly was friendly. I began telling him my problem and he finished my sentence, assuring me the car was still under warranty. He even asked if I’d like the car back by tomorrow evening, if they confirmed the issue.
A couple of years ago, my 3-year-old MacBook Pro battery began swelling unexpectedly. The machine itself was a refurb, out of warranty, so I was expecting to have to buy a new one, but on a whim I brought it in to the Apple Store and showed it to the Genius behind the bar. He took one look, went in back, and exchanged it for a brand-new one. No questions, no hassle.
It feels good to get that kind of support for a purchase. I hope this Honda dealer follows through like the Apple guy did, because I really want to believe loyalty is worth something these days.
Update: They called this afternoon and they’re replacing the actuator under warranty.
Update Update: Got it back on Saturday, and it seems to be working correctly. They didn’t vacuum the floor mats, though…