Why is this here?

The answer to the question in the title is, "Who really cares where this is, it's FANTASTIC!"

I am, of course, speaking of a store called "Bonners Books". Now I have been to my fair share of bookstores, and this one is one of my favorites. Bonners Books is located in an innocuous enough town known as Bonners Ferry in northern Idaho. Some of you may recall that I journey up to the 49th parallel to visit the parents of the goddaughter. There are usually two things that I always make a point to do while visiting in the North (besides eat and nap), go to the Mennonite store and buy whatever it is that Mennonites make and go to Bonners Books.

Bonners Books is located in an old building in downtown Bonners Ferry. As you walk in the store you notice all the community announcements in the entryway. If it's a rainy day there may be a black cat lounging near the entrance. The store is well organized and decorated with mostly books both old and new. The wood floor is not level. There is an old grad piano in the middle of the store with books arranged on the lid.

One of the best things about this store is that there is usually no one else there. The books are arranged by categories that make me smile: Too Good for General Fiction, Sort of Metaphysical, True Biographies, Probably Less Than True Biographies, etc.... The selection of books is great. I usually come out of the store with at least five books if not more. I credit Bonners Books with finding me one of the best Volkswagen history books that I've read. In fact, I haven't bought a bad book there yet.

If you ever find yourself 30 miles South of Canada in the Idaho Panhandle then you are close. Stop in, it's worth it!

Blazer Report #2

Why I love working on cars:

I love the smell of old oil and the dingy sheen of old engines. I love how the rubbing of a slightly oily rag can clean the time and miles off dirty parts. I love being pleasantly surprised at the ingenuity of engineers and designers of times gone by.

This Blazer project has been none of that. I'm convinced that this engine is more dirt than oil. There is no smell of old oil. The smell you encounter is the smell of oil soak soil; like what you will encounter in a farmer's barn where he parks his tractor. The engine has no dingy sheen. I had to start scrapping away with a screw driver before I even found out that my engine had originally been orange.

I have taken the engine apart down to the block, scraped as much dirt off the outside as possible, and loaded everything up to be taken down and acid cleaned tomorrow.

In the aftermath I'm sitting in the biggest mess I've ever made and I'm not sure if I know how this whole thing goes back together (or if this garage floor will ever come clean). I will be relaying on the expertise of the friend that is helping me for assembly.

Within a week I hope to be putting things back together, but only time will tell....