July 8, 2011

So there’s this van in Denton. The guy who baby sits meetings for me heard I was looking and told me about this one. It belongs to a dude he knows who used to run a sprinkler system business out of it. It is a 1995 Chevy G30 one-ton. I don't hate it. He’s asking $3,000.00 for it but everyone thinks if I show up with $1,500.00 in hand, he’ll gopher it. Well, everyone but mom. She wants me to go see what he’ll take THEN go get the money out of the credit onion. I'm not going to do that. I'm going to ask her one more time this evening if she’ll transfer the money to my account so I can go look at the thing. If she balks at all, I'll just blow the thing off. Of course I'm about to drop around $800.00 having the windshields replaced on Fifi and Ms. Clio Tuesday so I probably otter just blow off the van altogether. In fact, that is what I told John I was going to do so we’ve planned on going to the shop Saturday morning. Hmm, yeah, I guess I really should just “dance with the one what brung me” and be happy with Fifi. It is a damned good truck and all. But I'm a van guy. I'd really like another van. It probably wouldn't be too terribly tough, or expensive, to convert a Chevy van from a slush-box to a Manuel. I'd probably have to settle for a four-speed, but I can live with that. “Why would you have to settle?” I think I heard someone in the back ask. Well, it’s like this, to get external linkage, Juan pretty much has to go with an older transmission. Older transmissions are moist likely going to be four-speeds rather than five-speeds. See? Oh sure, I COULD plop down $3,500.00 and get a Richmond six-speed from Summit. That has external linkage. But... I ain’t gonna do that. No, I'm thinking more along the lines of a junkyard Rock Crusher four-speed. Wait, is Rock Crusher the Chevy or the Ford four-speed? Well, whatever the heavy duty (tee hee, I said doody) Chevy transmission is called, that’s what I'd want. Wait, as if I'm actually going to do this? OK, back to reality. Like I said, I'll ask her once if she’ll transfer my money to my account and if not, I'll blow it off. I'm not going to try to sell her on the deal. I'm not going to try to convince her that we could sell Fifi for probably double the van’s buy in. I'm not even going to try and explain why Juan doesn't try to “Low Ball” someone without the money in hand. I'm just going to pose the question once, and if she says no, I'll blow it off and never mention it again. I'm actually hoping she suggests I go look at it and see what he’ll take. I'll acquiesce then when she asks about it later I'll get to be all passive-aggressive and say, “I didn't even look at it because I didn't have the cash to make him an offer.” Then I'll shrug and walk off. I mean, yeah, I probably don't need to go buy a van right now, but it’s the principle of the thing at this point. So, there’s that going on. Now, if we do go to the shop tomorrow, I'm going to put the new battery in Bobbi. Hopefully that will a) make the bike easier to start, and 2) make the horn work. I'm not going to hold my breath on the horn, but some juice in the coil when kicking the thing over really otter help that thing fire off quicker. I think, once the horn and high-beam indicator are sorted out, my bike otter be ready to be inspected. I sent the paperwork off to Las Vegas to register it in my name. Hopefully that will go off without any hitches. I'd like to get the thing legal so I can ride it. Well, I've been staring at the screen for a while now trying to think of more stuff to say. I'm having no luck. Oh, I guess I could mention the fact that there is another gun show this weekend. Larry and I are planning to go Sunday. I know I shouldn't, but I'm thinking I'll either wind up with a bullpup AK-47 or a tricked-out Mosin Nagant. I've seen, and lusted after, both at these shows. The MN is cheaper but uses corrosive ammo. The AK is cooler, and uses ammo I already have, but is more than twice as much. Sure, we’re talking $200.00 vs $430.00 but still. Yeah, I probably shouldn't buy either one. I know this. But I read in a book recently that while other “Collector Hobbies,” like cars and motorcycles, require a certain amount of upkeep even if the items aren't used, collecting guns doesn't have that same requirement... per se. Just give them a little oil and stick them in the cabinet. Basically he’s saying, “If you find something you want, and can afford it, buy it.” So there. And on that note.