Christmas Magic

Dear Whoever I Had to Steal the Nativity Figures From:
   
      Please forgive me for taking your light-up nativity scene from your yard. I had planned this Christmas display last year and I ordered my own light-up Holy Family several weeks ago. However, after sourcing a suitable Volkswagen Bus, transporting it to my yard, and getting all the lights I needed FedEx lost the package containing my nativity scene. With frustration mounting and nowhere else to turn I borrowed your yard decorations. They will be returned to you after the holiday. Thank you for your contribution to this holiday tradition. You have provided joy for many (mostly just me).

Sincerely,
The guy who puts decorated VW's on his lawn for Christmas.

Really, I think this is the most magic I've been able to muster for any Christmas to-date. Is that rotting 1977 Volkswagen Transporter on your lawn?  Yes. Is that the Holy Family you kidnapped? Yes. Are those old milk jugs or luminaries? Yes.

Should you feel your Christmas just wouldn't be complete without seeing this vision in person, just follow the star.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

That Just Happened People!

Should you find yourself reading this you are probably one of those who I have subjected to my long and horrible rant about how much I hate computers. The other week, my arch nemesis (a.k.a. my HP Pavilion DV 9000, a.k.a. the bane of my existence, a.k.a. satan incarnate) decided to zonk out. The lights on the board would come on and the fan would turn on and then it would turn off and start all over again. So what did your intrepid hero do? (After pitching a fit and swearing off computers forever) I went to another computer, researched the symptoms, found out that it was a motherboard gone south, found a new motherboard from the internet, and (against my better judgment) dismantled my laptop and replaced the motherboard.  AND IT WORKED! That's right, I (mister manual typewriter) fixed a computer....and I still hate it.

Great, but not really

I LOVE this commercial. I mean really; what red blooded, slightly sentimental, American, gear head doesn't get a little misty eyed when watching this?



 Or this?



I do own a Chevy product and I will admit that it has wiggled its way into a small corner of my inky black--predominately VW occupied-- heart. (as a side note, said Chevy gets summarily kicked out of that corner every time I visit the gas station, which is often). Over the years Chevrolet has made itself a great brand and has had a large number of great designs, but Chevy's story isn't really a great one. A great story would be that of its rival, Ford.

The story of one man building an empire on his ingenuity and vision, and then decades later his decedents investing millions of dollars for the sole purpose of developing a racing program to settle a grudge match with an icon like Enzo Ferrari is only part of it. Such a tail of dreams, ego, and triumph doesn't always make for great brand building or bean counting (except for the time when Ford was the only domestic automaker that didn't take a government bailout), but a great story like that does inspire. In all honesty it's probably a more inherently American story then Chevy could ever muster,.... but the commercials are great all the same.

The Roaming Wagon

Any guesses where (or what) this is?

The winner of this contest is only entitled to the singular joy of making me mildly impressed. 
Best of luck! 

Verterans Day in Santa Monica

Not only was I not expecting to see this on the beach, but the homeless guy who insisted on arguing with the memorial's organizers over the actual number of dead veterans was too good not to watch. 

(actually, I found the number of homeless people sleeping on the beach shocking)

A Better Car Tale

In my continuing quest to be associated with all things having to do with car collecting I hauled a Jaguar XK120M up to a specialist in Blackfoot, Idaho of all places.

This place is actually located 15 miles or more outside of Blackfoot. It sits out in the middle of a field and as near as I can tell it used to be one of those ill conceived, self built hillbilly mansions. The interior is now gutted and contains all the trappings of proper garage. I wish I would have gotten a picture of it, but outside there were, literally, 50 cats or more. You may, in fact, have called it a heard. The man and his crew are geniuses though  and I can't wait to see what they do with it.

On a side note, the iPhone failed me on this trip. I had it look up the most direct route from Ely to Blackfoot and it led on a winding and tortuous route down supposed highways that turned out to be barely paved. Have you ever wondered what is hanging out in the Northwest corner of Utah? Well I now know.

FYI: TV is NOT Real

A month ago or more I put up a 1980 Volkswagen Caddy (Rabbit Pick-up) for sale on the inter-web. I got a quick response from an estate buyer in Southern California. I mentioned that the person I was selling this truck for also had a significant stockpile of vintage car parts. The guy got excited and we set up a day for him to come up and get the truck and then go picking in the warehouse. In my mind this was going to go just like the History Channel show "American Pickers", i.e. this guy would come up and be excited and load up his truck with a bunch of stuff and I would be left with a big stash of cash and it would all be done in about 45 minuets (not counting commercial breaks). Well, the guy was tired and a little cranky due to the fact that he spent all night on the road and my time estimation was way off. He spent ALL DAY pawing through stuff. He did load up his truck with a bunch of junk and he did leave me a big stash of cash, it just took forever and wasn't nearly excited as I had imagined.

Live and learn I guess.