It’s A Terrible Thing

Peer pressure or maybe just the power of suggestion caused me to blink this afternoon.

Two days ago my boss’s boss and fellow Miata owner had to go home and remove his seats so the wet vac could get all the water out from underneath them. He had his cockpit cover on, but the intensity and duration breeched that shield. We speculate that the reason mine survived the downpour on Saturday and his didn’t the other day was because my higher 2001+ seatbacks form a better tent. So, Russ is now just a little gun shy when the afternoon skies start to darken.

Today he came and told me that he put his top up and maybe I should consider it too. This is standard procedure between us, when one puts their top the other get a courtesy notification. It would be kind of nasty to put your top up and not say something, only to have it rain. After a quick peek at the Weather Channel radar online confirmed thundershowers in the area, I told him I’d walk out and see what the skies looked like. He volunteered to join me. Sure enough, the skies did appear nasty off in the direction that the rain usually comes from, but my gut instinct told me that it wasn’t going to make it to us before I went in 90 minutes. I did say I’d check again in about a half an hour just to be sure.

About 45 minutes later I went through the same steps, radar and then a walk into the parking lot. I reached the same conclusion, it wouldn’t rain before I went home, so I headed back into the building. But the dark skies were a little closer and more prevalent. The wind was a little brisker. It felt cool. Then there were those thought seeds planted earlier, I turned around and went back out to raise the top.

Of course, it didn’t rain.

Comet Gestation Counter: 2 days

Tiptoeing Through The Checkbook

The wait began in earnest today. I would like to say that I could put the spoiler out of my mind and then like magic, one day, it would appear. But that probably won’t happen, mainly because I will be adding one each day to the counter at the footer of each post.

I just raised the wrath of the CFO by spending big bucks on a plastic bit for the car in the middle of her major debt reduction program. I want to finish off the package with a set of the small Mazda side sills, but was waiting until next year when the things had cooled off before brining up spending $350 on this item. Of course, now, wouldn’t you know it, I have a line on some used ones for $150. This is a tempting offer, but I’m not going to try it just yet. I may be stupid, but I’m not crazy.

Comet Gestation Counter: 1 day

Spoiler IV

I did it. Today I gave some stranger in a whole other country on the other end of a phone line my credit card number and ordered the lip spoiler. I have been looking for something to keep track of or count in my daily entries, well this is it. Because this item is coming, probably by boat from Europe, through Canada, probably by train, and then probably by truck to me, the ETA is 2 months. From now until the day the Comet’s orbit reaches an intersection with mine, at the bottom of each entry will be an ever increasing number. Watch with me now:

Comet Gestation Counter: 0 days

What?

Count that day lost whose low descending sunViews from thy hand no worthy action done.
– Author unknown

Dreams grow holy put in action; work grows fair through starry dreaming,But where each flows on unmingling, both are fruitless and in vain.
– Adelaide Anne Procter

It’s A Love/Hate Relationship

Watching ESPN’s intro to last night’s Red Sox/Yankees game there was a bit on the rivalry between the two clubs. Interesting piece (well, if you are a fan of either club maybe), but the best part was one Red Sox fan’s comment, “It’s a love/hate relationship. I love the Red Sox and they apparently hate me.” Amen brother.

The Best Miata Accessory Ever

And it ain’t a front lip spoiler.It is a cockpit cover. I don’t have this particular one, but when I have to replace the current one, this will be it. This is a little fuller to cover cars with rollbars, but the added height will be better for getting over the new taller “surfboard” seats. The current one fits kind of tight and around the doors it doesn’t overlap too much. If there is a big crosswind some rain might get in there. We went out to eat at Chilis this afternoon and while there was a 30% chance of showers the skies didn’t look threatening. But it is summertime in the south and pop up thundershowers can happen at anytime, so the cockpit cover went on. Good thing too. About the time we were finishing up it started to rain. Once it starts you are better off waiting until it stops before trying to get the cover off and the roof up while the drops fall. We ducked under a shopping center overhang and decided to go shopping some in Target. While inside there, it really started to come down. It was really pouring because the sound was extremely loud. It stopped and started several times with the same intensity. Donna and I just looked at each other hoping that the cover would hold. When it finally stopped, we headed back out to the parking lot. Sure enough the inside of the car was dry. Only the tops of the seats were damp where they were in contact with the cover. This is at least the tenth time I’ve been saved from having to turn on the bilge pumps after a rainstorm by the cover. As a bonus it helps keep the interior from getting cooked in the hot afternoon sunshine.

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is not my birthday, it is actually in September, but I bought my gift today. Well, actually we bought Donna’s gift to me. That’s not entirely true either, we ordered the gift today. It doesn’t even come out until a week before my birthday. Bought Pre-ordered it from Amazon and it was available for free super-saver shipping, so because I saved 2.98 on shipping, I spent 3.49 on gift wrapping. Happy Birthday To Me