Why the Heck do you do that?

I heard this a couple times after I layed my 4Runner on her side. " So why would you put all that time and money and work in you 4Runner then tear it up?"  I guess its all in how you look at it.  I enjoy working on my vehicles to prepare them for the trails, and I enjoy seeing what I can or sometimes (look at the first pic) can't do in my offroad vehicles.  So to me, while I did feel a little sad when she layed over, I knew it was an opportunity to improve it with new trick fenders and tube doors.  Its is hard for those who haven't or wouldn't try offroading to understand the feeling of accomplishment when you climb that obstacle or conquer that trail.  Some people will never understand the attraction, I guess like I will never see the thrill of a whole in one that took 10 years of golfing to accomplish, or the allure of "Black Friday" shopping.  I applaud you for your effort but don't understand.

 I think half of 4 wheeling is being away from the hustle and bustle, away from the drone of everyday life and hanging out with friends, sharing common interest, no matter your political interest, your religous background or your economic status.  The biggest disagreement you may encounter is Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, or Toyota, but they are done in good fun.  

 We are connected by the love for outdoors and being adventurous, a love for exploring the limits of our ability and our vehicles. The friendships and bonds that you build with others as you overcome challenging trails, or the bonds you build while avoiding disaster, or recovering from it.   

     All that to say this, I will sacrifice some sheet metal for the memories and friendships I develop along the way.  Those moments (our hours) are forever, you will carry the memories and lessons learned with you always.  I look forward to the next time I can go out with friends and explore the places few will see, to share lunch with those who, when the day started were strangers, but when the day is done will hopefully be new friends whom you look forward to wheeling with on the next trip. 

     One of the best meals I have ever eaten was sandwiches atop Cinnamon Pass in the Colorado  mountains.  Or Vienna Sausages outside a mine shaft at 11000 feet.  Those days will always be with me, and look forward to the one's to come.

Projects, Money Pits, or Molding a Man?

For as long as I can remember I have always enjoyed working on and tinkering with trucks and now cars.  I have lots of memories of my dad and me working on daily drivers to keep them on the road daily and on various projects that I have drug home over the years.  I look back on those days of my youth and see how important it really was that my dad took time to teach me the importance of working on and maintaining your own vehicle.  My earliest memories of working on vehicles was with my dad, not in a restoration or a modifiying sense, but because we couldn't or wouldn't pay a mechanic to do the things that we could figure out on our own.  I will always value the knowledge that my Dad has given me in all areas of my life but especially in autos.  He always took the time and had the patience to answer my thousands of questions. ( I just wish I was as patient and knowledgeable as he is)  I cant ever remember him getting mad at me for the things my curiosity made me take apart and not remember how to put back together, the lawn mowers and various other things I took apart must have made him bite his lip in anger.  In hindsight this is what made us so close, we enjoyed the same things and he took time to teach me, and keep me interested.  We are best friends to this day and he still comes over to my house and helps me with all those projects when I need and expert opinion.

     

 So when LeeAnn and I had Gunnar I started thinking back on all the great memories I had as a boy working on the family car or whatever with my Dad.  I saw that those things actually helped keep me out of trouble.  I wanted to have that same relation with my son.  I couldn't dig up a 64 Ford Falcon or a 75 Ford Station wagon so I kept my eye out for a cool project vehicle.  I have always been a Toyota lover and I have always wanted a 1985 Toyota 4Runner. (my wife didn't belive me either)  Since they came out when I was in highschool I have always liked them.  When I finally got the opportunity to get one it was ruff at best.  Tan with bondo and grey primer, my wife and son had their doubts.  Gunnar and I slowly started to shape it and figure out what we wanted it to be.  Of course my bank account wouldn't fund the grand ideas Gunnar had for it but we compromised and have built a nice trail capable rig, and we continue to test its limits. ( I will share pics of a little past its, or my limits later) 



 Gunnar has learned so much tinkering and watching me try to make since out of various parts laying before me.   He is always eager to use a rattle can of spray paint, to paint whatever he can get his hands on.  And the magnetic draw of power tools is more than he can stand.  To see him using an impact driver to put lug nuts on is enough to warm the heart of the toughest of rednecks.  Or to see him with a cordless drill with a circular wire brush attached to it cleaning rust of the frame of an old Ford pickup is pretty funny too, just picture big safety glass and a respirator on that little face, arms shaking away at the pull of the wire brush spinning at 1800 rpm's.  Or how excited he was at Christmas when he got his first toolbox from his Pa.

    All that to say this, I hope the small investment of all these project vehicles and the parts and goodies that go with them (less than the price of a new KIA) is enough to mold a boy into a man.  To give him the confiedence to take on challenges that he has never attempted before.  The confiedence in himself to do things on his own that most people pay others to do.  To teach him patience and pride in what he does, and to take care of the things he does have.  I want him to feel confident that if he sets his mind to something that he can achieve it.  I realize that I have big ideas, and high hopes of keeping him busy with projects to try to keep him out of trouble, to have his time and money focused in areas that will improve his life and not harm it.  Some people will not agree, or think that I am being silly, but a boy with interest and goals is better than one who is bored and looking for something to do with his time.
     I can only speek from my experience, and how well my dad prepared me for life by teaching me these things, while at the same time having fun.  My dad was so good at keeping me interested in working on old 4 wheel drives that it spawned into a hobby, and something I can pass along to my son.  I guess I never really realized it at the time but my dad was directing my interest and energy into something that would shape the person I am today.  He taught me that I have the ability to do whatever I set my mind to.  My wife brags on me all the time saying "Is there anything you can't do?", she is biased but I do surprise myself sometimes.  I can only say that it is because I had such a great dad, teacher, and friend that took time to teach me to belief in myself and not give up.

the planet is warming, why is a third of America locked in a deep freeze, with record-low temperatures as far south as the Mexican border, where the thermometer in Ciudad Juarez plummeted Wednesday night to a bone-chilling 9-below zero?
Self-proclaimed planetary climate czar Al Gore thinks he has answer.
"As it turns out, the scientific community has been addressing this particular question for some time now, and they say increased heavy snowfalls are completely consistent with what they have been predicting as a consequence of man-made global warming," Gore write in a blog post. The Nobel Prize-winning former vice president was responding to a question posed by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, who wondered on air why global warming was such an urgent science policy priority when the New York City area had become a “tundra” this winter.
Gore also indicated that he believes a rise in global temperatures is creating “all sorts of havoc,” from hotter dry spells to colder winters and ever more violent storms. This is even endangering certain species of animals and leading to forest fires and floods. (From Story on FoxNews.com on 2/3/2011)

Really.......realllllllyyyy. A rise in global temperature is causing the harsh winter. Should'nt winter be getting less and less severe if we a moving toward a more tropical state. Or Mr Gore could this be the earths normal cycle to balance its climate out. If you are going by the scientific approach here Mr. Gore, then we had nothing to do with the first Ice Age, there were no SUV's touring the planet that caused the "Climate Change" to shift is such a dramatic way.
If you look at weather patterns over the past 100 years we have had record Hi's and Low's in the same 100 years. And as they would like us to believe all the lows were'nt in the first half and all the hi's were'nt in the second have. Here is a couple paragraphs I took from NOAA, I think they are very accurate in weather prediction and historical trends . I think it shows clearly that Al is just out for a paycheck.

The year 2010 was marked by several notable extreme temperature events. During the beginning of the year, a strong negative Arctic Oscillation—a climate pattern which allows chilly Arctic air to slide south while warmer air moves north—brought snow storms and record cold temperatures to much of the Northern Hemisphere, including eastern North America, Europe, and Asia. Polar air reached far into the deep southern U.S. during January and February. The record cold weather caused ocean temperatures in the Florida Keys to drop below 15°C (59°F), bleaching and killing coral reefs, which cannot survive the sustained cool water temperature. Area coral experts reported that they had not seen a bleaching of this magnitude due to cold temperatures since the winter of 1977/78. According to the United Kingdom (UK) Meteorological Office, the UK experienced its coldest winter (December 2009–February 2010) since 1978/79. In contrast, warm air moving northward into Canada brought the country its warmest winter since records began in 1948. Among Canada's climate regions, the Arctic Tundra, Arctic Mountain and Fjords, and the Northwestern Forest all had their warmest winter on record. In the Southern Hemisphere, according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), the country experienced its warmest summer (Northern Hemisphere winter) on record, with average temperatures 0.2°C (0.4°F) higher than the previous record set during the summer of 1997/98.
Several exceptional heat waves occurred during 2010, bringing record high temperatures and affecting tens of millions of people. Warm conditions were present across India during April. On the 18th, Delhi recorded its warmest April temperature since 1958 when temperatures soared to 43.7°C (110.7°F). Another heat wave baked northern India and Pakistan at the end of May. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Service, a maximum temperature of 53.5°C (128.3°F) was recorded in Mohenjo-Daro on May 26th. This was the warmest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan and the warmest temperaure recorded in Asia since 1942. In mid-June, a strong blocking pattern settled over western Russia, bringing an unprecendented two-month long heat wave to the area. On July 29th, the Moscow Observatory recorded its highest-ever temperature—38.2°C (100.8°F), breaking the previous record of 37.2°C (98.9°F) set just four days earlier. Prior to 2010, the hottest temperature in Moscow was 36.8°C (98.2°F), recorded 90 years ago. That same day, Finland recorded its highest ever temperature as the mercury reached 37.2°C (99.0°F) in Joensuu, breaking the old record set in Turku in July 1914 by 1.3°C (2.3°F). The massive heat wave brought Russia its warmest summer (June–August) on record. At least 15,000 deaths in Russia were attributed to the heat

I am no scientist, and don't pretend to be able to disprove a scientific study. But I do believe I can see the wool as its being pulled over my eyes. I realize Mr Gore has to have some kind of income to afford his enormous electric bill every month, but doing that by causing confusion and being dishonest to the world is just wrong. I heard one scientist say that a volcano can do more in one eruption than we can do in 150 years. With this being the case should'nt Mr Gore being getting an injuction from the court to stop future eruptions. Would'nt that be as futile as trying to keep the planet from business as usual climate swings. Aw Mr. Gore you still keep us laughing, and by the way, thanks for inventing the internet so I could post this blog........nice job dude.

My Auto Insurance Idea, any good?

Okay, here we go. I know some of you may have been prisoner to my FaceBook rant about auto insurance and I am sorry for you contant message updates as the point was debated. I do not claim to be a smart man and dont have all the answers for sure. I do however have a weekness for old four wheeldrives in need of a good home and some TLC, and because of this I have accumilated quite a collection. I love them all dearly and for that I know my sanity is in question to start with. The problem comes in when I have to insure all the vehicles in order to drive them. This financial problem has raised a question in my........uh.....wallet. Why do we insure all the vehicles in our drive way when we are only able to drive one at a time, while the others are safely tucked away at home. When we apply for auto insurance they what to see our drivers licence, our driving record and for some reason (another rant all together) our credit history. If they are insuring the driver, why must we pay a premium on every vehicle. I understand that with safety ratings some vehicles will be less costly than others, in that case we could work out an average, of all the vehicles and pay a monthly average.

For example, if you owned 2 cars and the monthly premium would be $30, and $60, then your monthly premium would be $45 a month for the vehicles that you own.

I understand the amount of money that insurance companies spend on lobbying in Washington so insurance reform will never happen, but it would be a fair system for the vehicles you own and drive. I also understand the system would need tweeking, maybe a minimal monthy charge for vehicles that maybe damaged in hail storms at home that your not driving at the moment. Just something to think about that would help blue collar purse strings.

The smell of hypocrisie!!

Below are a few articles I have cut from different sources that make me laugh at Al Gore as he speaks of conserving energy. (yes I am poking fun by typing in GREEN!)

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research, an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization committed to achieving a freer, more prosperous Tennessee through free market policy solutions, issued a press release late Monday:
Last night, Al Gore’s global-warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, collected an Oscar for best documentary feature, but the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has found that Gore deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy.
Gore’s mansion, [20-room, eight-bathroom] located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).
In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.
The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.
Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.
Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.
Gore’s extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore’s mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year.
“As the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk to walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use,” said Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson.

On Friday, after giving a stirring speech about global warming, saving the planet, bad George Bush, Katrina, etc., the former Vice President, who was subjected to massive FReeper verbal abuse in 2000 with "GET OUT OF CHENEY'S HOUSE", actually walked out of the Moscone Center, looked at the display of hybrid vehicles, and got into a Cadillac Escalade.
There was some question as to whether Gore had control of the vehicle chosen or whether it might have been a Secret Service requirement for his protection at a crowded event. I made calls today and left messages at the field offices in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. I don't know which office returned the call, but I got the answer.
The agent told me that Al Gore is a private citizen. He would have had Secret Service protection for no longer than six months after his time as VP.
DemocRATS sometimes make it so easy to mock them. Gore is the featured speaking at a major Sierra Club event in a major green left wing city. He arrives at the event and leaves the event in one of the biggest vehicles on the planet. Just amazing.
For good measure, Arianna Huffington departed in a gas guzzling Chevy Suburban after her speech on Sunday.

Jeez there is so much of this stuff out there coming from credible sources, such as Larry King Live, USA today, Business week, so on and so on. This guy makes it to easy to bag on him. It seems that Mr Gore is not at all conserned with the Global Warming thing, its the money he makes from it, which apparently he needs to pay his freaking utility bill. Probably add more to this later, it is pretty fun digging this stuff up. Sorry Liz I am sure you are a big Clinton/Gore fan.

NEAR MARJAH, Afghanistan – U.S. Marines fired smoke rounds Wednesday and armored vehicles maneuvered close to Taliban positions to test insurgent defenses ahead of an anticipated attack on the biggest militant-controlled town in southern Afghanistan.
A NATO spokesman in Brussels called on Taliban militants holding Marjah to surrender. But a Taliban spokesman boasted that the militants were prepared to "sacrifice their lives" to defend the town against the biggest NATO-Afghan offensive of the eight-year war.
The date for the main attack by thousands of Marines and Afghan soldiers has not been announced for security reasons. However preparations have accelerated in recent days, and it appeared the assault would come soon.
I am not a military genius, don't plan big assaults nor do I plan to, but I have serious doubt about this strategy. So now we are giving warning to the enemy that we are going to attack them in the near future. We probe them and then release statements to the news media that we were just testing there defenses for an up coming attack. What happened to the surprise attack, I am having a hard time with this. We are already in an area that we are not familiar with, the locals aren't real keen on us being there and now a third strike against us, we let them know we are planning an attack. Whats the big deal right? We have the most advanced military in the world, what are we worried about. These people are not the usual enemies, like the Taliban spokesman said, they are ready to sacrifice their lives, lets not give them time to prepare their IED's and ambushes of our armoured convoys by announcing we are coming. I will be praying for our soilders in the weeks to come, I fear this will turn out........not as good as we would hope. God be with those troops.

My Vote for Governor has CHANGED!!

Medina's message includes some pretty drastic changes to state laws because she says private property ownership, and gun ownership are the essential elements of freedom.
"In Texas, we don't own anything because we pay these exorbitant property taxes," she explained. "So protect property by eliminating property tax in Texas.
Medina also says Texans should be able to open carry and not "have to jump through a bunch of hoops."
Debra Medina is looking pretty good to me now. She was a longshot when she entered the race with Rick Perry and Kay Bailey, but with talk like this she has risen to 24% in the poles. I am a big supporter of Open Carry in the State of Texas. The same Concealed Carry course could still be required for persons open carrying to weed out the people who shouldn't or couldn't be trusted. Along with the 8 hour course and shooting portion of the course there is also a background check of each applicant that is done by the FBI. This requires 2 passport pics and two sets of fingerprints and $140. I feel that all of these things are a good idea, some kind of control should be set forth to protect us from those who don't need to carry a weapon, period. I will be following this issue closely in the months to come as well as the property tax issue.