Random stuff that made me giggle lately....

[BuzZz]

For those who don't know, my life this year has been one disaster after another... Dad had a heart attack and then a stroke shortly after, I came home from work and found most of my stuff (and all my money) gone with my soon-to-be-Ex-wife who left without warning, Mom got cancer and passed away in less than a month, got layed off work, I had to move back to my home town to help Dad since he has a few issues from the stroke and losing Mom.... every time I turn around, another issue is there waiting to boot me in the 'nads....

But the past month or 2 has been pretty calm. Life continues and I'm finding stuff to laugh about here and there.

First of all, Dad decided to buy himself a motorcycle. He has been talking about it for years, but Mom was against it, so he never did. Now he can, we we have spent alot of time bike shopping for him. But I insisted he take a rider training course before he bought one. So he signed up.

The course was 3 consecutive days, and the last day they took the test and got a bike license if they passed. The first day went well even though it rained most of the day. Dad was wearing my Alpinestars Drystar jacket so he was fine. The rider training place is only about 2 blocks from the new job I got, so I went over at lunch to watch a bit and see how Dad was doing on the second day. There was nothing going on, no bikes, no people, no nothing... when I got home that night I asked Dad what was going on. Seems anther student had a brainfart that morning and ran down the instructor. I know it speaks badly of me, but I found that to be fairly humorous (sorry Mister Instructor Guy... get well soon). The instructor had called everyone in to gather around and talk about the next exercise and one older student got confused and nailed the throttle coming in, and then nailed the instructor, taking him out for the duration. So the class got canceled and has yet to be re-scheduled, so Dad is bikeless at this point.

That was a couple of weeks ago. Dad has been looking for a sporty car to play with in the meantime. But he loves to car shop and haggle with salesmen, so it kept him occupied and that's a good thing.

Now usually I go out the front door to where I park the car to go to work in the morning, but Fridays is garbage pick-up day, so I go out the garage and take the bins out for collection. Yesterday I open the garage door and instead of having to sidestep the big Lincoln SUV that was Mom and Dad's primary vehicle, I nearly tripped over a brand new '08 Corvette. Dam near broke my ankle on the front 'bumper' that sits 6 inches off the ground.

Seems Dad finally decided to trade in the SUV because it reminded him of Mom too much, so he went 180* the other way and got hisself a toy he always wanted. Very unlike him. That's all well and good, but he got a ZR-51 package and some other modifications and this car cranks out over 550 hp at the back wheels, is mostly carbon fiber and has plastic windows... it weighs about the same as I do. And goes like Fluck! Last night we went out for a test drive, and he let me drive at first. I had fun and scared Dad for awhile, then we stopped and had a burger. I told Dad to drive home, but he didn't want too. Seems he is a little scared of his new car, lol. So I got to drive home too and showed him a bit more of what his new car can do. Now it is looking like I might inherit a very low mileage Vette without having to lose Dad in the process.

Sure, I'm easily entertained these days, and these things wouldn't normally tickle my funny bone so much, but after the last year or so, they do the trick just fine.

Now I'm out the door to go back to the house I still have in Stettler where I keep all my furniture and stuff we have no room for here to mow the lawn and check up on things. It's 120 miles away and I may take the Vette just for shitz-n-giggles.

Keep on smiling.... even if it hurts.

[Wrider]

Wow bud... Seems it's been one hell of a year for you! You're a strong man, being able to take all of that in stride like you have. I'm glad you're able to, and thanks for sharing with all of us!

As for the instructor, you're not the only guy out there! That is rather funny, but poor instructor!

As far as the Vette goes... Need a co-pilot???

I'm glad you're doing ok bud, if I ever get up there, rounds are on me!
Wrider

[Thumper]

Dang...I think you might want to invest in a steel cup to wear. Might make those blows to the nads a little easier to take.

Seriously, I truly am sorry for all you've gone through. One thing is bad enough, but all that...I think I'd be a drunk at this point.

And I'm going to h3ll, too, 'cause I did chuckle at the idea of a rider coach getting run over. As long as he wasn't really hurt...

[Shorts]

BuzZz, hang in there. I know, easy for me to say as I'm not in your shoes. But me and my family have had our proverbial 'nads kicked often for the last year and a half as well so I sympathize.

Take care

[blues2cruise]

but...but...you missed the most important information....

WHAT COLOUR is the Corvette?

[BuzZz]

The Vette is a lightish blue metallic.... sorta like Dodge trucks had when they changed body styles in the 90's.... and it looks good on the car. The stripe down the center of the car is black with silver accents on each side of the center stripe. The striping is almost a bit bit much, but it works overall.

I didn't take the Vette yesterday, I drove my own car.... a dinky little Hyundai. After driving them both back to back over 100 miles or so each, I find it more than slightly humorous that my little Tibby is a far more refined car than that Vette. Better build quality too. To be fair, the Vette is easier to get in and out of than my car, you really get in my Tibby, and it wraps itself around you. Somehow sitting in the Vette is more like sitting on a bench seat, which I find odd for such a car.

Yes, stomping the Go Stick on the Vette is sexual, plain and simple. Right up until it's time to change gears, then it becomes an S&M experiance. It shifts like the farmer-4 rock crusher I had in my '89 GMC grain truck, but with 6 gears to find-n-grind instead of just 4. And the clutch is exactly the same as that old truck too. Very stiff action and an engagement zone about 1/2 inch wide.... cool cast alloy pedals though..... and the HUD is cool, but the rest of the dash is almost exactly like the POS Chevy van they just bought me at work to make service calls in.

I really want to love this Vette. It goes like hell, almost as fast a good bike (but not quite), it makes a wonderful noise and at 3500 rpm the active exhaust kicks in and sounds even better. Speaking of noise, Chevy makes alot of noise about how great the Bose stereo is in this thing. But the stock Clarion in my car is way better, has more features and looks cooler too. The Vette handles pretty good for live axle chassis, but it can't catch my Tibby in the bends. I suspect that once the runflat tires are swapped out, that gap will narrow, and I can only assume the ride will improve as well... right now it rides alot like my old graintruck did 20 years ago. I can't say that I love this thing just yet.

There is alot to not like about the car. But that lump up front makes up for alot ..... right now I call it a draw..... some new rubber and some suspension work could swing that in it's favor.

Of course the same stuff done to my Tibby will do the same for it..... and it is still a better driver than the Chev, while getting over 40 MPG in town and thumpin' tunes like a punkass kid's first ride. 1/4 the price too.....

[Nibblet99]

Sounds like a fun ole car alright, but doesn't it use an antique leaf spring type suspension? Might be why its not so great in the corners... But then what do I know....

[BuzZz]

Another snigger yesterday...

If you're going to hire a sign company to letter the side of the big, white van you just bought for me to make service calls in, make sure the guys you hire can both speak and write English.

Otherwise you'll get things like 'Air Cumpresser Sales amb Service' and 'Control Ottomation' written at the angle of the driveway it was parked on while being lettered slapped on the side of your van.

No shiit, that's what and how the guy lettered up my van yesterday. He even got the company logo cocked up at the same driveway angle as the lettering.

And he didn't get why I was unhappy with it. He even used a level (on a hill ), so he was positive it was right.



He shoulda dropped the level and picked up a dictionary.



He seemed miffed when I stayed after work and watched him redo it all.



He was downright pissed at me when I made him peel off the second
attempt halfway through because he was still angling up.



He was ready to punch me when I suggested he stop using his level (and why) and just measure off the dam body line that runs poker-straight and the entire length of the van instead.



He calmed down when it worked correctly my way.













So I raised his blood pressure back to where it ought to be after such a performance by suggesting he wind his turban a bit tighter to keep it from sliding down over his eyes in the future. (my first thought was to tell him wind it a bit looser as it was cutting off blood-flow to his melon, but I'm all about inter-personal relations )

[BuzZz]

Sounds like a fun ole car alright, but doesn't it use an antique leaf spring type suspension? Might be why its not so great in the corners... But then what do I know....

Hey, I missed this when you posted it. Oops.

You're right about the rear suspension, it's often called a 'live axle' over here, but everything I've seen or read about this car says that Chevy got this system to work surprisingly well here. Personally, I've never driven a Ferrari or Lambo or any such super-type car to compare it with, so I have to take the experts word that it is at least comparable to such company. And the car does stick pretty good (on-board 'G' meter has seen 1.1 lateral G's with me in it... I take that with a grain of salt...) but my light little Tibby still feels like it pulls more and sticks better to me. The tires on the Vette are stupid hard/stiff, being run-flats and all, I'm sure some better rubber would help tremendously.

[Skier]

Hang in there, BuzZz, this too shall pass.

Now on to fun suspension bits!

The Corvette has used a transversely mounted composite monoleaf rear suspension. Lot of fancy words to describe a suspension only vaguely related to a truck's leaf spring suspension.