1/3/11

Well, Happy Friggin’ New Year. I wish there was a more to report about the New Year’s weekend, but there ain't. Friday I slept in and then went to lunch with mom. “On the way” to lunch, I stopped in at the court house and got tags for Fifi and Ms. Clio. We ate at Red Lobster. It was tasty. After lunch, considerably after lunch, like several hours after lunch, I went to see Gregg and finally take him his Miata parts that have been banging around in the hatch of Ms. Clio for the last month. Now, anyone who knows me knows I don't particularly like children, right? Well, I had to laugh about this, t’was cute enough to even get to me. As I pulled up at Gregg's, his five-year-old daughter was running around in the yard. She gave me the stink-eye as I pulled up until she recognized me. Then she started running around in circles yelling, “TIMMY! TIMMY! TIMMY!” I had to laugh. I hung out for a bit and when I went to go home, she grabbed a hold of my legs and wouldn't let me leave. That was cute-ish for a few moments... I guess. Gregg made some comment like, “Why don't we know any 29 year-olds willing to grab us like that?” I had to agree that it was a conundrum. I finally left and went home. Oh, right. I remember now why I was going to be at least halfway to Gregg's and why I “stopped by.” about this time last year, I checked the schedules of the two companies for whom I work to compare holidays. They all lined up except for New Year’s Eve. BNSF was to be closed but The Whitlock Group was going to be open. Well, damned if I'm coming in to the railroad when there is no one here just to hang out for eight hours because the folks at the home office were “working.” I decided I'd come in to the office around 1600 h and send in my time sheet. Well, I was about three blocks away from the office when I remembered that my access badge was on my dresser. “CRAP!” yelled I. I drove on to Gregg's and decided I'd send in the time sheet today. Well, on the way home from Gregg's, mom called to see where I was. She was out and wouldn't be in for another hour or so. I stopped in at the railroad and made the long trek to the police office to get a temporary badge. Instead of giving me a temp, the cop just followed me up here to the office and watched as I logged in and did my time sheet. Turns out, NYE was a holiday after all! It was already filled in on my form when I logged in. I could have done the sheet Thursday after all. Meh, what are you going to do? So, after that I went home and hung out until midnight then went to bed. Saturday, John had a family thing so no shop. Mom had received a Christmas card from China and wanted the church’s Chinaman to translate it for her. It was from his parents by the way, not some random card from China. She knew that going in also. He came to the house with wife, child, and father-in-law in tow around 1100 h. He read the card to her and then we all went to Red Hot and Blue for ribs. From RHB we swung by the TCU football stadium and picked up a couple pieces of broken concrete from the demolition and then went home. I didn't do anything much that evening either. Sunday I texted John and Pat to see if either was joining me and Larry for the gun show. They both had other things going on. Larry and I walked half the show then went to Dairy Queen for lunch. After doing the second half of the show we both went back to look at items of interest. I was a good boy. I didn't buy the $80.00 Mosin Nagant, because it had sold before I got back to it. Nor did I buy the $179.00 one with the synthetic stock. I also did not buy the $300.00 Kel Tec Sub 2000 folding carbine which may or may not use the same magazines as Katie. In fact, I did not buy anything. We finished up and he took me back to my car at the credit onion. I went home and had a quick nap before the Japanese Old School car thing. John called to say that Jeff wasn't going to make it and ask if I still planned on going. I said I did want some fried pickles so we agreed to go ahead and meet. I also said if Lil' Wiggly didn't fire right up I was going to bail and drive Ms. Clio. I walked out to the car and got the jumper cables ready. Ms. Clio was fired up next to Lil' Wiggly ready and waiting. I popped the hood and removed the air filter then filled the float bowl with carburetor cleaner through the vent tube. A quick yank on the choke cable, a couple pumps of the gas pedal, and I turned the key. She cranked three times and fired right up! I didn't even have to use the jumper cables! When I was comfortable letting go of the throttle and choke cable, I shut down Ms. Clio and put away the jumper cables. Once there was a bit of heat in the motor I took off to the Purple Cow. Yeah, there ain't no Purple Cow no more. As I was looking up the Pho restaurant John wanted to try, I looked up and noticed I was sitting right in front of it. When John arrived, along with the Honda guy, but not together, we all went in and had Pho. We talked about where we were going to move the event and decided on Pho King Way at Beach and Western Center for next month. I don't think it will be permanent, but we’ll see. When we’d all eaten, we went home. Now I'm back at work, gearing up for yet another year. Woo hoo.