Year: 2019

Not a Charcoal Briquette

The CTBNL has returned from its stint in the car hospital. There was nothing really wrong with it, this was some much over due preventative maintenance. In the past 35 months and twenty-eight thousand miles in the family the only real service it has had is oil changes and tire rotations every 5,000 miles in my driveway.

With the car fast approaching 75 thousand miles it was time to do the real big 60,000 mile service. This includes changing practically every vital fluid on the car and replacing the timing belt. In the Miata it is pretty safe to extend the usage of the rubber timing belt because the engine is the non-interference type. If the belt breaks you don’t mash the valves into pistons or anything, you just end up coasting to a stop. Plus, in California the timing belt change interval is 90,000 miles because it is considered part of the emission system and has to be warrantied for that long, the part number for the California belt is the same as for everyone other state.

When the mechanic called to tell me the car was ready he told me that when they pulled the valve cover off to do the timing belt they noticed these large chunks of congealed oil on top of the cylinder head. He then asked me on what oil I used and how often I changed it, etc. He then dissed my brand choice told me I should be using a synthetic blend instead of pure dino oil. Whatever.

This car had only 40 something thousand miles on it when the previous owner bought it at 12 years old. I bet the original owner was a little old lady who drove it to church on Sundays. And church was only a half a mile away. I believe this caused the build up, but then again I believe UFOs exist an aliens walk among us.

Spray Paint Bounty

A project that has been on my Honey-Do List since I retired, “clean up the garage”, is underway. In cabinet number one I found a treasure trove of cans of spray paint. Several of these I have no idea way I have them and I’m giving them away, so if you see something you like, come on over and its yours.
 

1. Orange High Temp – Was I going to paint the Miata’s muffler? A portion of it is visible from the rear…
2. Red Wrinkle – I did use this to do the valve cover on the Emperor.
3. Custom Automotive Touch Up – Somehow I ordered 24V, a special Australia/Japan only color instead of the 22V Sunlight Silver of the CTBNL.
4. Automotive Clear Coat – I used a little of it to cover the wrong silver from above.
5. Metallic Gold – If I used this, I don’t remember what for…
6. Metallic Silver – Used to paint the black Konig wheel center caps. It didn’t come out nearly as shiny as the cap.
7. Dark Gray Primer – No clue.
8. Light Gray Primer – This went over the black center caps after painting directly on them wasn’t shiny enough. Still didn’t help.
9. Satin Finish Brown – Not sure why I have this either, but I did use a little the other day to turn a black planter pot brown.
10. Satin Finish Olive – This can may not even have been used. If it was, it was a long, long time ago.
11. Clear Top Coat – I think I used this protect a jigsaw puzzle that we turned into wall art.
12. Silver Wheel Coating – This paint is the perfect paint for the plastic center caps of the OEM Miata wheels that have yellowed over time.

Tempting the Wrath of the Whatever From High Atop the Thing

It is all but a given that Donna and are going to make a move to Oregon, we just need to sell the Bogardus Estate of Dunbarton Oaks at a decent price and we are going pack up our stuff and head west. Some local friends know of our plans, Donna’s side of the family is also been clued in, but my sister and brother have no idea yet.1

Somehow, every time I mention the move to a new individual, I feel like I might be jinxing it. Sort of like mentioning a pregnancy in the first trimester…

Wait here while I go outside, turn around three times, and curse! And spit!

Oh No Moto

My trusty Alcatel Idol 4’s battery was no longer able to hold a charge for more than a half a day. So after almost 2-1/2 years of yeoman service it was time to replace it with something newer.

Perusing the available phones on the Cricket web site and keeping the cost at the $200 led me to 2 phones, the Motorola moto g7 SUPRA or the LG Stylo 5. Last Friday I went down to the local brick and mortar Cricket store and I ended up going for the Motorola because of the larger battery, its higher rating, it was $50 cheaper and maybe because it was blue.

While installing an app this morning, the phone shut off. No warning, nothing, just a black screen. I tried turning it on with the power button, nothing. Held it down for 10 secs, nothing. Tried the hold the power and volume down button for 10 seconds, nothing. Tried the hold the power and volume up button for 10 seconds, nothing. Searched the web and found a solution that said hold the power button for 20 seconds, nothing.

One week later, it was back to the local brick and mortar Cricket store for another moto g7. Hope this one last more than seven days.