Thursday at the Salt Mines....

Today is pretty much like any other day - you know, wake up, get up, make coffee, take coffee to wife, get breakfast, get newspaper, get in car and go to work, stop at 7-11 in Hampden for Washington Times and morning coffee - a pretty typical morning, and apparently a better morning than yesterday was.

Yesterday, I left my old Volvo at the shop for a radiator.  It has been loosing coolant, not a lot at a time, but Volvos have an annunciator panel that Tells You Things - and one of the more disconcerting messages will occasionally appear right after the engine is started.  The message says, 'COOLANT LOW - STOP ENGINE' which is a little disturbing.  It tends to make you think that the the next message will be something like 'ENGINE BROKEN - SHOULD HAVE SHUT IT OFF!' or something similarly expensive.

At any rate, I stopped in where I have things done to the cars one morning and asked them to check it before I drove to work. They took it back, and heated it up, then pressurized it, then took off some shrouds, then did some other stuff, and after an hour or so found a drip leak in the radiator itself - and suggested replacement. I went into the shop and looked, and it was not a fast leak, just a drop at a time, so it would not even leave a mark where it was parked - but knowing that Murphy lives here, I decided to get it replaced.

They checked the price and called me a few days later.  I choked for a bit, but decided it was better to have it done than for it to leave me in snow or something, so I arranged to take it in yesterday morning.  When I arrived they had a loaner car for me, and I left it and went to work.

In my Volvo, the headlights are tied to the ignition switch - they go off with the engine.  I learned last night when I went to get the car to go home that the loaner didn't work that way - and I had left the lights on.  You don't really need to know what I said to myself about this discovery, but it wasn't nice.  I did have the good fortune, however, that there was still someone in the motor pool who would bring me a hotshot box, and I got the car going and headed home.  Wednesday evening is choir rehearsal and I don't like to be late, because I live with the choir director, so I skipped a minimal dinner and went straight to rehearsal, then headed home, famished, and stayed up too late cleaning off the DVR.

This morning I stopped by the place, and my car isn't ready. Maybe tomorrow morning and oh, by the way,  we didn't get any surprises when we got into it, but the job is labor-intensive - the book allows 7 hours so figure on spending just north of a kilobuck.

I'm old enough to remember when it seemed like everything cost $100 - and have lived long enough that that number has increased to $1000.  I make more damn money than I have ever seen before in my life - but I don't see as much as we seemed to have when we were newlyweds.  Something is wrong with that right there.

The day yesterday finished with my buying another motorcycle - a 1999 Moto Guzzi V-11 EV.  I had about decided that someone else could bid higher and my bid wouldn't change, and I'd lose it - only nobody was bidding so I got it.  Now I gotta figure out how to get it here....  It only has just under 19,000 miles on it - a truly trivial amount for a big V-twin from Italy.  I have known a bunch of Guzzi riders, and they all loved their bikes, so the worst that can happen is I'll end up selling it.  Now I have to get it registered and insured and get busy selling Big Suzi because I have  this feeling that my wife will surely point out before long that I can ride only one at a time....

But this will be interesting - I have never owned a Moto Guzzi before....

I'm not going to talk about Our Governor and his current pissin' contest with Our Mayor - He created the problem when he was mayor, but as with all things involving large bodies, it didn't catch up with him - it fell on the next incumbent. Marty thinks he can run anything, and does quite a job of insinuating his personal toadies into any organization subordinate that he thinks he can run better (or will bring him glory.)

I shouldn't be unkind about our governor - but I am not being unkind, merely dispassionate and truthful.

Looks like the Guzzi will be showing up next Thursday evening. Or maybe earlier (that would be cool!) It is coming via uShip (ever watch Shipping Wars?) and I'll have to decide by tomorrow which of the bidders gets the business.

I've been here at work watching something run most of the day.  Some of the work I am doing for a particular consultant involves hue amounts of data, and there's just no way to make an elderly PC breathe fire (at least not without using a BIG torch!)  This iteration (hopefully the last) has been running for te last hour and 40 minutes and looks like it will probably run another 5 to 6 hours.  Happily I don't have to stay and watch it - it can do this all on its own, and I'll look at it from home late on into the night.

It i a beautiful day outside.  If I had anything resembling an excuse, I'd bail out and go home and start up Big Suzi and go for a ride - but, alas, I don't have the excuse, so I guess I will stay here and work a bit.

Just heard from the guys that have my Volvo - I can have it tonight or tomorrow morning - and it didn't cost quite the kilobuck that we expected - came in at about 2% under that. Will wonders never cease?

I have no further rants for today - maybe tomorrow, we shall see.

Be well, y'all.