9/7/10

I think I've fingered out why August takes so long. There aren't any three-day weekends. Most every other month has at least one, but not August. Speaking of which, we just had the Labor Day weekend. I did nothing productive. John had a family thing Saturday so we put off the shop for Monday. I think I did some stuff with mom but for the most part, Saturday was a wash. Sunday, I also didn't do much of anything. Mom and I went to Parton’s for the pizza buffet at lunch and then I wasted the afternoon waiting for time to go to the Purple Cow thing. Oh, I did get out Sunday morning and bought the latest issue of “Kit Car Builder” magazine. There is a two page spread on the new IRS Birkin and another two page story on Birkinstock, AKA The Southwest Sevens Festival. I am once again mentioned by name in a national publication and I'm front and center, well just off center, in the group photo. I made sure to show that magazine off at the Purple Cow event. John and I discussed whether we were going to the shop or to Not Texas to see “Mao’s Last Dancer,” the film John's car is in. We decided that he’d call Monday morning and let me know which direction to head out. When I didn't hear from him before 0900 h, I figured we were going to Not Texas instead of the shop. He texted at 0930 h and asked, “Odds of your being at my house at 10:30?” I said, “Pretty good,” and got up to get ready. I made it to his house at 1015 h or so and we rolled east. We found the theater and bought our tickets. We found seats and sat. then a lady in a wheelchair rolled into the spot right in front of me. It made reading the subtitles a bit of a pain. The movie was much better than I expected. We knew the scenes with John's car were coming up when the girlfriend was introduced. There it was! A bright blue, four door 510 with fender mirrors! John leaned over and told me what I already knew, “That’s not my car,” he whispered. I knew it was the Australian car because it was a scene we didn't shoot in Houston. Two or three scenes later, we saw his car. It was the scene in front of the Chinese restaurant. John was bouncing up and down like a little kid, he was so excited. We waited for the other scenes we’d shot in Houston, all the “trolling the ghetto” shots, but they never came. Three days of shooting in Houston for bout three seconds of screen time. The rest is on the cutting room floor. Now, to be honest, the scene wasn't missed by the movie, but it was a bummer. I'll still probably buy it when it comes out on DVD because, well, we were there for some of it and it really was a pretty good flick. After the movie, we went to Tokyo One for bait. I was very disappointed. The place was crowded like I've never seen it. We had to take a number and wait to be seated! Of course the buffet was totally picked over to the point where I was barely able to over eat. We paid up and left. I dropped him at his house and went home. At some point between the last time we spoke and now, some of my parts for the Auto 5 arrived. The mercury filled recoil reducing thingy and the brass friction piece. I installed them and had a look at where the barrel will be at full recoil after I cut it to 18 inches. Unfortunately, I'll need to cut it a little longer so the barrel is still ahead of the recoil thingy. It looks like 18.75” is going to be my tactical length. I can live with that because that is still almost eight inches shorter than it is now. I just need that barrel to arrive so I can cut it off. Oh, I also won the auction for the scope mount so I'm waiting for it to arrive as well. So, next gun show I'll pick up a scabbard and consider the tactical A5 complete. Unless I decide to attach that Picatinny rail to the bottom of the fore end for a flashlight. We'll see.