The Three Amigos... Sage, Dixie & Wingnut!!!

That's the little varmint right there... he should've just knocked on the kitchen door, I would've gladly given him a plate o' pasta, Lord knows there's enough of it, LOL.

Holy Cr@p!!! Looks like I'm FINALLY going back to work, and wouldn'tcha know it, two separate outfits wanna hire me at the same time, go figure. I've been AGONIZING over the decision, since each outfit has good points & bad points, so to speak. Meh, y'all can read about it in my "Got Chrome??? How about Armor???" thread in the General Truck Forum at Truckforum.Org, it'll be easier than trying to rewrite it all here. Maybe I can post a link here shortly, I'll hafta go back and get the info, and I'm on a mission to jack up the Camry and see exactly what's going on with this minor yet annoying oil leak which has developed. Tell ya what, I'll go handle this Camry mission first, then post a link to the page I mentioned. Took a drug screen this afternoon for the first outfit, hope I'm making the right choice... I'll be back later after I deal with this Camry problem.

Congrats SW. You need to get outta the house anyways.lol

Ya got that right... going stir crazy here, LOL. So I swapped out the valve cover gasket on the Camry, thing gave me grief at first but it *seemed* to eventually get seated properly... thought I was gonna need an extra set of hands there for awhile, 10-4? Anyway, it's one of those Chinese "Perma-Dry" gaskets, when I started the car it seemed to stutter a bit, but I eventually drove the car for a few miles and it felt alright. Do these Chinese gaskets take awhile to get properly seated, or what? The original gasket was freakin' SHOT, hard & crumbly in sections, which explains the annoying oil leak lately... I just hope this Chinese gasket isn't setting me up for failure on my first day with the new company. Don't want the car to take a dump on me when I set out for the yard, ya know? By the same token, I didn't want the p.o.s. leaking oil all over the company yard either, THAT doesn't look so good, especially when you're supposed to be a "driver."

MEH, I'M TELLIN' YA, I SHOULD'VE BEEN BORN RICH, THIS FINANCIAL CIRCUS JUGGLING ACT IS FOR THE BIRDS...

Sidewinder - good for you. Glad things took a turn in your favor [pun intended]

I do the know what year your Camry is, but that's a common issue... I've probably done about 40 of them over the years. Normally I blast the valve cover in the parts washer, dry with compressed air (the gasket channel), spray brake clean into the spark plug holes, with plugs still installed, and then a long air gun with compressed air 2-3 times over (see: safety glasses) to get the residual oil out. That causes the miss that probably led to your stutter. Your rig doesn't have an electrical ignition so maybe it's something you're not used to. Going back together I put the little rings in place first around the plug tubes, and then dabs of RTV inside the gasket channel to hold the outer section of the gasket in place while I bolt everything up. Depending on the severity of the leak into the plug tubes, maybe a good idea to get a new wire set (pre 2004 I think) or new coil boots. Good luck getting back on that horse. I just took a temp job for the first time in years... in fact I'm "working" right now....

Keep the rubber side down

Guess I spoke too soon... or I had a false positive on the drug screen, which would be just my luck the way things have been going lately. On the plus side, I might have found a good roommate, this guy is 67 so if he gives me any trouble, I'll beat his geriatric @$$ to death with my bare hands and dump him in the forest, LOL. Just kidding, that is NOT to be construed as a "criminal threat."

Been watching some cool videos to lighten my mood, y'all may have seen this one before:


But check out these other two, I think the video links are somehow protected, so just Google the following line and select the first video to see some heller footage:

Jeb Corliss Best of Projects

Once the first short video is done, it will automatically roll into the next one titled:

Jeb Corliss and Luigi Cani - Balls Pyramid

THAT video is INSANE, and it has a cool soundtrack too... I think Ennio Morricone would've liked it, so EngineDoctor, that one's for you.

Watched two good movies last night, "THE STALKING MOON" and "BATTLE OF BRITAIN"---excellent lineup of films. That little spread in the Western was AWESOME, that ranch under the high cliffs... what a cool place to live. And the aerial combat flick reminded me of all the aircraft models I made back in the days of my youth. I mean seriously, I think I built just about every plane shown in that flick: Ju-87 Stuka Dive Bomber, Ju-88 Bomber, Heinkel 111 Bomber, Me-109, Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, ALL OF 'EM. I think the Heinkel was the 111, it has been SO LONG that my memory is shot, and I've killed a number of brain cells over the decades...

MEH, ANOTHER FRIDAY NIGHT, MAYBE MY BACKLOGGED KARMA WILL COME THROUGH IN THE FORM OF A LOTTERY WIN, LOL...

IF IT DOES, I'LL SAIL TO BALLS PYRAMID MYSELF AND MAKE THAT WINGSUIT FLIGHT WITH A CHARTERED HELICOPTER, AYE???

WTF, I'VE RAPPELLED OUT OF CHOPPERS, FALLING OUT OF 'EM SHOULDN'T BE TOO DIFFICULT...

Y'ALL BE GOOD, AND ENJOY THAT BALLS PYRAMID VIDEO, THAT IS HELLER COOL...

Read up on the stack and it is actually called Ball's Pyramid, named after a Royal Navy Lieutenant who first sighted it and recorded its position. The tallest volcanic stack in the world, it lies in Australian waters somewhere near Lord Howe Island, and it sits at the center of a huge underwater shelf, which is why you see relatively shallow water around it in the video. Climbers have ascended to that gnarly summit, and weird endangered stick insects dwell high on the cliff walls. Pretty cool place, huh? BTW, in the mountaineering world, that sharp ridge you see is known as a "knife-edged arête"---there's a French phrase (don't quote me but I think it's "au cheval") for the technique used to climb such a ridge, you straddle the darned thing and work your way up it like you're riding a horse. As you can imagine, it is NOT the most comfortable technique ever invented, but it offers heller exposure and views sloping down and away... I used this technique while soloing the South Ridge of Indianhead Mountain in Anza-Borrego, and it actually works, LOL. Gnarly drop to one side on the South Ridge of Indianhead, due to a thrust fault which creates a huge overhang farther up the mountain. Excellent view, but this knife-edged arête on Ball's Pyramid looks to be gnarly on BOTH sides, and I mean STEEP AS F#%. I'm thinking OLD CT would be gripping that arête for dear life, wishing he were back on his monkeybike, LOL.

OKAY, YOUSE HEE-ROES, I'M OFF TO DRINK BEER AND WATCH A MOVIE... CHEERS!!!

"Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you???"

"UM, GEE, CLIMB INTO MY RIM ROAD 300 SPECIAL AND LEAVE THE F@@@RDS IN THE DIRT, AYE???"

Nice solo shock on the rear end, the thing is BURLY ENOUGH, LOL...

Meh, sometimes less is more, especially on the freakin' Rim Road, "10-DASH-FO'???"

Um... what happened to the photos??? Meh, one more time:






Okay, maybe they'll go through this time...

That looks like fun!!!!

Well, I gotta tell y'all, I think I'll be moving to eastern Oklahoma here shortly, I'm fed up with this bull$h!t going down in Mormon Country, time to get where there's some real trucking action, or even some other prospects without dealing with these pogues. I spent the entire day cruising through listings in various states... ya know, I can buy a Catholic church in Liberty, KS, for $20K or less, and the sumb!tch would be ROOMY too at 2400 square feet, not to mention the tower I could use for rappel practice, but the yearly taxes are $500, so no dice. Damn, I would've liked to drink beer in church, LOL, but there probably ain't much going on in Liberty, KS, 10-4??? Had there been JOBS available in that burg, I would've been layin' out BBQ items on the altar... and making a climbing gym out of the tall interior, holds attached everywhere including the overhanging ceiling, LOL.

MEH, I FEEL THAT MY DESTINY LIES IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA, OVER THERE BY THE LAKES... BUT CLOSE ENOUGH TO TRUCKING ACTION TO HOPEFULLY SCORE A JOB.

CROSSROADS OF AMERICA, BOYZ, THOUGH MOST CONSIDER OKLAHOMA CITY TO HOLD THAT DISTINCTION... TOO MANY MURDERS THERE FOR MY LIKING, GOTTA GO FARTHER EAST TOWARD THE LAKES AND FIND A HOME NOT TOO FAR OFF I-40.

WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS, I'M A LITTLE BUMMED ABOUT THIS ARIZONA VENTURE NOT WORKING OUT, BUT I'M ALSO TIRED OF THE MORMON BULL$H!T AND THE "SEASONAL" ASPECT OF WORK---WTF, TRUCKERS RUN YEAR-ROUND IN OKLAHOMA, AYE???

TIME TO PULL STAKES AND HEAD OUT TO WHERE THERE'S MORE JOB AVAILABILITY... THESE WHITE MOUNTAINS ARE BEAUTIFUL, BUT I'M TIRED OF BEING TURNED DOWN FOR JOBS JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT A STINKING MORMON.

SO THAT'S WHERE MY HEAD IS NOW, GO FIGURE... I LOOKED AT A BUNCH OF OTHER STATES TOO, BUT I GOTTA MAKE THE RIGHT CALL THIS TIME, THIS WILL BE THE ALAMO FOR ME AND I GOTTA MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE.

Y'ALL BE GOOD, I'M OFF TO GRAB ANOTHER BEER...

Well, wouldn'tcha know it??? Now some other prospective employer is talking full-time, and it wouldn't be a bad job either, year-round and all. Ironically, it has nothing to do with trucking, but I don't care at this point, I'm about ready to toss the CDL-A in the trash can where it belongs, 10-4??? Funny to think of all that OTR experience and a clean MVR going to waste, but meh, I reckon that's the way it is in this Brave New Third World. I realize I'm fighting several negative factors up here, namely my age, the bogus "felony" out of CA, and the fact that I'm NOT a stinking Mormon, but if this other outfit offers full-time employment, I'm all over it, yeah??? WTF, I'm still free & clear on the house (paid cash for it), and I can always continue searching for the ever-elusive "good roommates."

MEH, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS... Y'ALL CAN READ MORE ABOUT IT AT THE OTHER SITE, IN MY "GOT CHROME???" THREAD IN THE "GENERAL TRUCK FORUM" AT TRUCKFORUM.ORG

MAKES ME WONDER IF IT'S THIS HARD TO FIND A DECENT JOB AROUND THE COUNTRY... THE LEGACY OF PAST SCUMBAG "PRESIDENTS" WHO SOLD OUT THE UNITED STATES YEARS AGO.

Y'ALL BE GOOD... AND WAIT FOR THE NEXT THRILLING INSTALLMENT OF MY SO-CALLED LIFE.

CHEERS!!!

And here it is, LOL... this one's for OLD CT, don'tcha know???


ENJOY, YOUSE KNUCKLEHAIDS!!!

LOL...

Well, Boyz, I'm heading to Oklahoma just as soon as I flip this house... signed the paperwork today with the realtor, and this is a good time to sell property in the White Mountains, not to mention the fact that there are a $h!tload of Kalifornian political refugees flocking here, as I did a year-and-a-half ago. Meh, no worries, it's time to bail outta Mormon Country for real... I mean WTF, I've taken TWO drug screens which I know were clean (haven't had a bong hit in months), yet still no job, not to mention all the other rejections which were probably based upon my age and the fake felony outta the Socialist Republik of KaliMexiFornia. Time to head deeper into redneck land, where some folks will see right through a fake Kalifornia felony... plus there'll be no Mormons doing the so-called "hiring"--- that'll be a step in the right direction. Live & learn, I reckon, and good thing I still have a second shot at making this relocation work, AYE???

I 've been looking at listings around Lake Eufala, largest lake in Oklahoma, but I'm leaning toward the northern end because I believe there's more opportunity there, compared to some of the smaller towns south of I-40. Remember, I drove through ALL these towns more times than I can remember, but that was back in the day and I don't know how hard these burgs got hit by Obama & crew... Interwebs research helps, but it doesn't always cover all the bases. Right now, I'm pinging on homes & lake homes near I-40, with easy access to multiple burgs where employment opportunities exist. Good recreational opportunities there as well, I've been to all those lakes in eastern Oklahoma and they don't suck, might even wind up in a lake home not far from Checotah, the boat ramp within spitting distance of my house, LOL. Gotta avoid the ethnic ghettos in certain parts of the area, no methheads either, they are VERBOTEN!!!

There's a magic number when it comes to real estate pricing in "The Sooner"---or at least in this neck o' the woods. Anything below $30K, the fixer money required negates the good deal---best options lie between $32K to $35K and up for cash buyers. I have my eye on a few properties which look to be in fair shape, though I buy NOTHING without pulling a full inspection, 10-4??? Some of the lesser-priced homes look like a freakin' bomb went off in 'em, or a goldurned twister raked the topside, LOL. Might have been an exploding meth lab in certain areas... gotta watch that bull$h!t too, and discreetly ask around once I get there and toss the kittehs into a boarding kennel for a bit, no way I leave the kittehs behind after all we've been through. Last thing I want is tweakin' crackerheads for neighbors, I went through that here in the White Mountains when I almost bought that home in the White Mountain Lake subdivision... turned out that subdivision was a tweaker ghetto, despite the natural beauty of the place.

REMEMBER, KIDS!!! DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!!! IT MIGHT BE WORSE THAN YA THOUGHT, LOL...

ANYWAY, I'LL LEAVE Y'ALL ALONE FOR AWHILE, I'M JUST GLAD I'M MAKING PLANS TO RELOCATE ONCE AGAIN... THESE WHITE MOUNTAINS ARE INDEED BEAUTIFUL, BUT THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS FOR A GUY LIKE ME, AND I'M NOT RETIRED EITHER, THOUGH I WISH I WERE, LOL.

MEH, F#% IT, FOR GUYS LIKE ME, DEATH IS RETIREMENT, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! DAMN...

CHEERS, YOUSE KNUCKLEHAIDS!!! MONKEYBIKING FOREVER, WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

My grandfather used to own a place at Eufala when I was a kid. My first ride on a minitrail was there.

Oklahoma isn't written in stone yet, I'm still researching other areas on the Interwebs, but it's a strong prospect as far as inexpensive homes AND opportunity go, be it employment or self-employment, 10-4? I reckon there's more going on there than here in the White Mountains, where the Mormon Mafia runs the table, LOL. Don't get me wrong, the White Mountains are beautiful, but natural beauty in the wilderness does NOT pay the monthly utility bills or the yearly property taxes, AYE??? Wish I had paid more attention to those negative comments about Mormons on the Internet before I chose Show Low, but what the hell, I'm gonna stay positive about my time here and be thankful for the GOOD EXPERIENCES, ya know? Nevertheless, it's time to move on and try my luck elsewhere, and Oklahoma is sitting squarely in my sights... I thought about buying a home farther up north, kinda in Kirrbby Country (LOL), but there's that same seasonal aspect to employment in certain areas, same way it's seasonal here due to elevation. I heard the Midwest is getting HAMMERED by a storm, and maybe that includes Oklahoma, but I know from truck driving experience that OK doesn't get the same snowfall as the Upper Midwest. Plus pipes freeze or break a heckuva lot more often up there in Kirrbby Country... I don't mean rockpipes, I mean the kind ya need for water in your freakin' home, LOL.

MEH, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS, SPENT THE DAY TAKING DOWN WALL DECOR AND PACKING BOXES, YEAH???

Checking more listings today... plus I gotta spackle nail holes in the walls and hit 'em with a lick of paint.

Well, looks like my listing is active on multiple sites, including Realtor.Com and others... for the first time in my life, I'm flipping a house. Didn't really expect to do this, but WTF, I gotta get to an area where there's more going on job-wise, 10-4??? It has been interesting up here, that's for sure, but now the par-tay is over, LOL... time to get off my @$$ and quit dealing with these ridiculous job non-starts, plus there's nothing wrong with living in a lake home in Oklahoma, AYE??? I've already talked to several parties over there about buying property, including one little old lady who wants to unload a lake home in that area... using a quit claim deed and all, I'll have to refresh my memory about those, in the right situation it would save heller money on title insurance. Be a lot quicker too, but I gotta check all the facts first before I commit to anything like that... I'll do that on the ground in OK after I inspect the property, might be a better deal through a realtor, even if that means camping out for awhile. WTF, I'll camp by the lake, LOL. Anyway, my realtor is already getting replies to the ad we posted today, maybe some rich rock star wank will want the property on sight, and we can jack up a "bidding war" to raise the selling price, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! We'll see what happens... don't forget all those not-so-poor "political refugees" who are bailing in droves from the Socialist Republik of KaliMexiFornia, gots ta give those fooliots a chance to buy the house, purely in the interest of fairness and democracy, LOL.

P.S. I looked again at listings in Kirrbby Country (MI) and the "Tar Heel" (NC), but the economy doesn't seem so hot up in Kirrbby Country, not where I'd want to live anyway, and there are too many Bible-thumpers in the "Tar Heel"---no point in exchanging the Mormon Mafia for the goldurned Southern Baptist Mafia, who would probably go even harder on an old truck driver like me, LOL.

ALRIGHT, BOYZ, TIME TO CRACK ANOTHER COLD BEER AND GET ON WITH THE TOUCH-UP PAINTING, WOOHOO!!! CJ, IF I MAKE IT TO "THE SOONER" IN THE NEAR FUTURE, YOU'D BETTER GET READY FOR A BOAT RIDE, LOL... THE TITANIC HAD NOTHING ON THIS KID, AYE???

HEY, OLD CT, YER STILL A KNUCKLEHAID!!! LOL... BUT YOU'LL BE WELCOME TO VISIT ME AND GO FREEBOARDING ON THE LAKE, WOOHOO!!!

WELL, NOW THEY CALL IT WAKEBOARDING, BUT I'M GONNA GET MY FRIEND "T-BONE" TO SEND AN OLD ROCKET FISH SURFBOARD OUT TO OKLAHOMA, SO I CAN RELIVE THE GOOD OL' DAYS, LOL...

WTF, AT LEAST WHEN YA FALL ON WATER IT DOESN'T HURT AS MUCH, AYE???

BEATS THAT FREAKIN' RIM ROAD 300 ABUSE HANDS DOWN... CHEERS!!!

NOW, WHERE'S MY GOLDURNED BEER?!?!?