Eclectic mix of stuff...

I have a few things that are worth blogging about, so I'm gonna get em all out there at once in chronological order.

A few weeks ago I went to Denny Aubaugh's charity car show. He opens up his personal car collection to the public once a year, and donates all the money to Ankeny schools. I think he raises about $50,000 which is pretty good for a 1 day show at $10 / head. Denny is a billionaire who made all his money with something to do with chemicals. He's a BIG Chevy convertible fanatic, and has one from every year starting back in 1912.

This is his underground garage facing one direction:

And here's a pic going in the other direction:

It's absolutely unbelievable to see all these cars in mint condition. Pictures don't do it justice.

He also hosted an outdoor drive-in car show that brought in some pretty good stuff as well.
This one is for sale, and let's just say I'm glad I left the checkbook at home, or I would have driven it home.
(For obvious reasons)

Last Friday my team and I donated a day to Habitat for Humanity. Our tasks for the day were to cut down a bunch of trees (chainsaw work!!!!), paint, and set up some scaffolding for another Habitat house going up nearby. We had a great time pretending to be blue collar workers for the day, and even managed to get out early for a few cold ones. Here we are at the end of the shift in front of the house we were working on.

A couple days ago I stopped in to see the newest member of the Wierson family. Caden Elliot.
He's an 8 lb beast with size 10 1/2 feet already.

Congrats to Chad on Linz on this wonderful addition to their family.
I look forward to seeing him grow up in Jack Trice Stadium.

Having a blast with a gem from the past....

After a couple nights of wrenching, and some help from dad today, I finally brought Tin Lizzy back to life. New coils, battery, spark plug, plug wires, a good carburetor cleaning, and a tow behind the Explorer is all the elbow grease we needed to get her back into fighting form. I didn't capture the initial firing up, because I was too busy trying to figure out how to actually drive the thing and not run into the back of my Explorer.

Left hand has to advance the spark, right hand has to control the throttle. The left foot has to depress the first pedal to get it into first gear, then you let off the pedal and slam the hand brake forward to get it into 2nd. The middle peddle is reverse. The right pedal is the brake. All of these things need to be probed and moved and pushed and pulled at the right time to get this thing moving.

Sounds simple, right?

You would be incorrect.

I have a video of Dad driving the T by himself after we just got back from making a complete loop around the block. After that loop, we both got out of the car and had a good hard laugh. Lot's of neighbors enjoyed the spectacle as well. I can't seem to get the video clip off my phone, and onto the computer at the moment, so that will have to wait. As soon as I figure it out, I'll post it here. Very cool stuff.

Victory... at last!

This is how you give your wife the sign that she doesn't need to call the ambulance:



This is how the conclusion of a 5K should be celebrated with Carol and Rudy:


Since everyone seems to be into quotes lately. I read something pretty cool today that I think is worth sharing: "You don't need the best of everything. You just need to do the best with everything you have."

...and I gotta tell ya, that PBR was the best thing I could have had.

Stimulating the Economy...

Doesn't Obama want us to buy cars and houses to help stimulate the economy?

I'm doing my part. Check out my new ride. (Well, new to me anyway)


Just in case you aren't 100+ years old and have no idea what this is.... It's a 1924 Ford Model T.
Miles unknown. Pulled out of a barn in Whiting, Iowa on Valentines Day, just for me. It really makes a fella feel special to bring home a car full of mice skeletons (and one cat skeleton, sorry Linz) on February 14th. ;-)

Fasten the non-existent seat belts, cuz as soon as I get this thing running I will be giving rides at a blazing 29 mph. I guess I need to figure out how to drive the thing first. It has 3 pedals, two hand controls, and a hand brake, and they all play a part in making this beast roll. There's one gauge on the dash that displays Amperes. Ummmm... OK. The gas tank is under the driver seat. It must be the "suicide bomber edition" of the Model T.

There aren't many cars around that are as cool with as much character and history as a Ford Model T. I dare you to even try to name one.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a parade to participate in.

What now?

Deer season is over, and it makes me a tad bit sad. Deer hunting gets me through the better part of winter. I don't mind the cold weather when I have deer hunting to look forward to. The snow doesn't bother me because it helps the deer stand out.

As I reflect back on another year in the books I must say that it was a very successful season. We shot a total of 110 deer, and I managed to shoot the nicest buck. Can't complain about that.

Just in case you're wondering what 52 hindquarters look like. See below.


Hollie, I bet that makes your mouth water, doesn't it?

So, what's next? Motorcycle season of course.