Ace-Garageguy

Ball bearings made in space may be rounder.

Laughed so hard I started choking once, I did; turned a nice blue too.

I'm almost finished with the year-end paperwork. It's been a hard slog, but just a couple more hours tonight and a couple in the morning and I'm done. Christmas with a clear conscience? Maybe some real bench time? Too good to be true.

Good man. Building a stash.

"Stranger things are in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio old buddy" isn't exactly what Will Shakespeare wrote, but it gets the gist across.

Interesting thought...however, my local Hobby Town sells used HO scale model railroad stuff so cheap...like $8 for a nicely weathered Kadee-equipped freight car that would list for about $40 new...they must be buying collections for pennies. EDIT: And though I'm not certain, I THINK they specify "AS IS, NO RETURNS", which suits me just fine. I'll take a $30+ saving on the same piece of rolling stock and not whine if it's not perfect any day.

That's a point, but still, in an age when "Mustangs" and "Mavericks" look kinda like hippos on wheels...

Yeah, they did. Gorgeous car, everything absolutely right, every curve and line and volume perfect. Doesn't look like it was designed by a committee of people who didn't really like cars.

Forgot to look. I will later in the week. Promise.

"Neat" is the way I prefer my single malts.

Nothing "hokey" about that at all, sir. Enjoying simple, traditional holiday pleasures is something a lot more folks could probably benefit from.

One of the things I really like about Publix is their rolling "buy one, get one free" specials, and they don't force you to buy two to get the 50% off deal. So I kinda plan my meals around what's on special. Pork stew is on the upcoming weekend's menu, because pork loins were the most recent meat special. Sometimes the deals are really great too, like when it's coffee. Anyone who buys it knows that 50% off is a lot these days...and I'm stocked up for at least a couple months. The other thing is that I NEVER buy any "junk food" or "snacks" unless it's 50% off, and then limit myself to only one of whatever it is. It's a good way to keep the creeping bloat in check without feeling "deprived" and save a few bucks at the same time.

Of course you could also look at this section as a healthy way to blow off steam. Some of us have no family or close friends to talk to who get some of the things we rag about (kinda like some of us don't have anyone to share our modeling interests with other than on the forum either, ya know?), and dumping petty annoyances here gets them out of our systems. It's a lot cheaper than paying a therapist $100+ per hour just to listen non-judgmentally, too. I frankly believe that the "complainers" DO INDEED appreciate fully much of what's in their lives. I sure as hades do, and say so fairly often. Respectfully though, YOU don't have to take any of it to heart. EDIT: Google's free AI seems to understand. "It's valuable to express appreciation for the good things in life, and many people who voice complaints also have a strong sense of gratitude. A person can hold both perspectives simultaneously, acknowledging aspects that could be improved while still appreciating the positive elements they encounter daily. The two sentiments are not mutually exclusive."

"Assembling" models brings me very little satisfaction, but hacking something up that was previously bodged, getting it half done (so I have a good idea of what it would look like finished) and then quitting work on it for years...yeah baby, that's my kind of modeling right there.

Not a bad view for an old car geek who still has to make a living. This is what I see today from the bay where I'm finishing up the '66 Chevelle. '74 Caddy in the foreground belongs to the shop manager, just got a new engine and gearbox, waiting for paint (single stage urethane), real wire wheels, some mild customizing, and a little lowering job. '70 Riv recently acquired by the shop owner when it had been left to rot for years after also getting a new engine and gearbox (because of relatively minor issues like clogged, rusty brake lines and some simple electrics). Coming back nicely, runs great. Will be sold on as a 100% driver, but will need paint and minor interior work. Chopped steel '32 Ford on the frame rack, customer job. '56 Continental Mk II in the second to last bay, just got new leather throughout its interior. Last bay holds what may be the straightest mild custom '59 El Camino on the planet, currently getting Inglese 8-stack injection. I made a pair of custom AC outlets that match the design of the instrument bezels for it. It's bagged with custom tubs in back, too. Bed interior is finished just as straight as the rest of it.