Great Movie

It may come as no surprise to some of you, but I loved this.

Late Summer Doings

 Wow, where did August go?! A lot has gone on in the last few weeks. I was on the pit crew for a team doing the Vegas to Reno off-road races. The picture below is at the staging area at the start. We are dead center and are surrounded by Robby Gordon's 25 chase trucks. The other pictures is of our car waiting in the line-up to start. (We are the red bug and the thumb in the picture is mine)

The car ended up munching an engine bearing and only making it 200 miles into the race. Oh well.

For work I've been traveling all over the state. I've been on a 24/7 shift drilling a water well for the city of Pahrump.

I've also been inspecting the wrap-up portion of a tank project in the previously mentioned metropolis of Manhattan.

I know you always wanted to know what a water tank looks like on the inside. 

I've also been to Tonopah, Goldfield, Eureka, and other places I can't remember. All of this traveling went well until coming home from Pahrump on Thursday when the Jeep quit suddenly leaving me on the side of the road about 35 miles North of Las Vegas. I began poking around the engine bay only to discover that some mice had decided to strip the insulation off all of the wires going to the coil packs and use them to make a nest. This let the wires eventually short out and leave me stranded. The day ended with me spending 3 hours in a tow truck and getting to Ely around 10:30pm. Mice have officially made the list. Chrysler's choice of using a cheese based insulation on their wiring doesn't help and so they are on the list too.

In other news: I finally moved into the company house. Having my own space is nice, but it has reconfirmed my suspicions that a single person does not need 1500 SF of house. The plus side is that I do have extra room so anyone who wants to come and visit is welcome (because when I finally move into my 500 SF miner's cabin anyone who comes to visit is sleeping on the couch or in a tent in the yard). The days having been getting cooler, the August monsoons have left the countryside green, and fall (i.e. pumpkin flavored everything and Nevada Day) is right around the corner. I can't wait!

God Speed, Neil.

More Travels

WARNING: Mildly boring travel log with pictures of cars.

 

I went to the exhibit "Speed: The Art of the Performance Automobile" at the UMFA a few weeks ago. I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the neighborhood. 

 

I took this picture (above).

(it said not to touch, nothing about taking pictures)

10 points to whoever can tell me the make of the car in the picture.

On Friday Ginger and I went up to Camp Success to help make breakfast for the kids at Youth Conference. It was a nice morning trip. By the time I got back to town a small crises was brewing at one of our projects over in Eureka so I ran over.

I spent the rest of the afternoon taking measurements and talking on the phone with our engineer in Fallon. Also, let me know introduce you to the company car, a Jeep Navigator (... or Patriot, or something. I forget). It's white and resembles a Whirlpool Refrigerator in looks and driving characteristics.This morning I headed off visit a some friends in Garrison (a little branch of our stake over the boarder in Utah) so they could introduce me to someone. She seemed extremely uninterested, but the visit with friends was nice and morning drive was a great one with the windows rolled down and the wind from a distant rainstorm blowing through the car.

Where Was I

I couldn't help but notice that it has been more than a month since I posted. That being said, I then had to look back through the pictures on my phone to remember what happened in the last month. Bare with me...

So my boss picked up and took a job in Alaska and I spent the first half of the last month helping him wrap things up, getting the office moved, etc... and now I've spent the last half of the past month cleaning up his house and moving the office up there to get set-up all while trying to keep all the projects I'm responsible for running. This includes driving around eastern Nevada to places with no gas stations (I haven't run out of gas yet, but I've come close). Driving 6 hour round trips for 30 minute meetings has become the norm.

This is a water tank project I've had to visit

This is Manhattan, Nevada

This is a working phone booth in Manhattan

 

These are some valves and pipe

 

 

This is the mid-summer sky in Nevada

 

All very fascinating. In the middle of the office moving and my boss leaving the Robertson's had a big reunion. This is the only picture I have of the whole thing:

 

The Volkswagen club I belong to had their annual show during that same week and some of the family came down to see that. The Anti-Chrysler has been repaired, inspected, cleaned, had its glamour shots taken and it is now up for sale. 

The Blazer went topless for a few days, but sadly I have no pictures.

Here's the Blazer coming home after it's length stay in Provo for a transmission rebuild.

I had my 10 year high school reunion at the beginning of the month. I wasn't going to go, but a friend made me go and I was glad I did. The people I thought little of in high school were still miserable people only fatter. Total validation! Also, it was fun to see and catch up with some of the people I hadn't seen in 10 years. 

NO PICTURE

(I'm sure there must be some on Facebook somewhere, but who uses that?)

I can't believe July is gone. Hopefully August will be a little slower and I can take some time to settle into my new office and house! Moving is my least favorite thing in the world and July has been full of it. Thanks to everyone who has helped me out.

Adventures in Home Ownership

Well, long story short: the house closed. I now have my own space in East Ely. The house came with all sorts of treasures not the least of which is the lawn mower in the video above. It's like one of those Roomba Vacuums, if I let it go by itself long enough it will mow the whole lawn (it also chases any cats and the neighbor's kids away). So far I've replaced the kitchen faucet, fixed a window, and spent time watering the lawn. My new refridgerator should be in my kitchen this week if all goes well. 

Hawaii and Everywhere Else

Where to start. My last post was about the morning I was leaving for the Aloha State and I haven't said anything since. So to make a long story short Hawaii is great. I thought it would be dumb and touristy, but I had a real great time. I ate a lot of good food, saw a lot of great stuff, and got really sunburned. There are loose chickens everywhere, the beaches are beautiful, and the weather is perfect.

 

Hula Pie at Duke's on Waikiki

Me on Waikiki

Live filming of Hawaii 5-0 (I was suppose to be touring the supreme court of the state of Hawaii, but the court guards wanted to watch the filming.)

Hanging out with family at the Polynesian Cultural Center. (you know cause we're Tongans)

Laie Hawaii Temple (I took this picture. Yeah, I'm that good)

Graduation! 

(you may not be able to tell from this picture, but my stomach is the color of a Ferrari)

Some Beach we went to (Waimea)

Really, go to Hawaii. It's great.

In other news: The Jetta got sold to an old WWII vet from Ogden. 

This is the Jetta on it's last day. That makes three cars sold this year alone!

The Quantum had a its clutch hydraulics fail last month so it went to Salt Lake where I paid an insane amount for repairs on a 26 year old car. Somebody get me shrink!

 

 I don't know if anyone remembers this car:

It is currently in Blackfoot Idaho being rehabilitated after spending 30 years in an airport hangar in Kentucky. I flew up to Idaho with the owner a couple of weeks ago in this:

The car looks mostly the same, but they've been working on the engine which now looks like this:

To occupy myself in the mean time, I've taken on the recommissioning and sale of one of these:

This project will henceforth be known as "The Anti-Chrysler". I will probably be taking this one to a live auction which will be fun. 

I am also days away from closing on a house that looks a lot like this:

Yes, I know. It is stop sign adjacent. Pretty impressive. However, I may not be living there. I may be renting it out. (pink houses rent for a mint). Stay tuned for further developments.