The Perfect Line

So my good buddy, the Perfect Line, is moving south to LA LA land. Very bummed out. He'll be throwing a party in a couple of weeks and I'll be sure to see him off onto the next chapter of his life. I wish him well.

BTW, after checking out "Paul's Photo Blog", I've decided to start adding some pics to my crappy blog. You'll start seeing them soon. Don't worry, all efforts will be made to keep the guilty from incrimination....that means YOU Discourser...hehe.

We'll see most of you this weekend at the GOG convention.

Dream Theater

Damn! The Discourser called me last night to tell that Dream Theater will be headlining a show in Granada Spain on the night of June 22nd...sooo sooo close...we're leaving Granada the morning of the 22nd!!

So our cat is doing much better. The car parts are on order and being shipped as I write. I've overseeded our lawn and hoping it'll fill in. Tonight is the season finale of Heroes and next week is Geekfest with the GOG.

Nothing else to report for now.

Spain Trip

So we've finally finalized our Spain trip. After hours of scouring the web for hotels/hostals/hostels/pensions/B&B's/Inns we've nailed down our itinerary.

1. Fly into Madrid in central Spain and stay for a few days in a Hostal in the heart of the historic center. The place is run by an older Spanish couple and has only 4 rooms...really cool location.

2. Pick up a Hertz Peugeot Mini with manual (no auto's in Spain BTW) and air and drive south into Andulacia and to Cordoba...stay a couple of days there as well.

3. Then make the long drive to Seville, an ancient city and the historic heart of Moorish culture. We're staying again in the heart of the old town.

4. Drive through the Sierra Nevada to the southern coast. I hoped to make a detour to Gibralter and maybe take a day trip to Morrocco but we couldn't work it in. Instead we're stopping at Malaga, a beach town on Costa del Sol, and hangin out on the beach...and NO I'm not wearing no speedo's.

5. Then drive up and stay at Granada to see one of the wonders of the world, the Fortress Alhambra. Luckily and again we're staying at a place right next to one of their many ancient Cathedrals, with veranda views of the Plaza and the Fortress.

6. And finally the long drive up and back to Madrid with a short stopover at Jaen.

Two weeks simply does not cut it for a country the size of Spain. I wanted to see Toledo and check out some of their centuries old Sword-forging facilities but we couldn't work it out. My wife wanted to check out Talavera for their world renown and forever copied Talavera tile and pottery. We both though it would have been cool to somehow fit in Barcelona, the Spanish Reviera, Portugal and Lisbon, but simply could not work it in. All of it will have to wait.

Gotta refill my coffee cup...later

The Warriors finally lose

1. The Warriors have finally lost. The game last night was hard to watch but all in all, I'm utterly pleased with this season...a total emotional roller-coaster ride...and entire season encapsulated in that fourth quarter BTW. No regrets, I've been on the bandwagon since 85 and don't see myself jumping ship soon. Now for next year, well it's the same old story really going back to Nellie circa 92...they need a big man who can run. He doesn't need to score; just defend, grab rebounds, and give them a physical presence down low. Howz this for a crazy rumor,..a Monte Ellis plus Beidrins trade for Kevin Garnett!!...that would do it.

2. Our Slate walkway is in. Looks awesome..waiting for the cement and morter to cure, then I'll be sealing the surface.

3. Our poor little cat, super sweet little guy, has been a bit ill as of late. It started a month ago with unabated puking, then moved to relentless fur-shedding, and finally a little growth showed up under his right fore leg-pit. My wife had him see a Vet and they've recommended a different diet, gave him some pills (which to our worrying horror might enduce diabetes), and provided a spray which he hates and tries very hard to lick off. He's looking much better, gained a bit of weight, and appearing much like his old self...a little scaredy cat.

4. The car parts are on order, and the install is looking very daunting. The idea of replacing the entire front suspension freaks me out...but the thought of hyper precise, teeth rattling performance makes me giddy. I'm already looking at some track days in August and/or late July.

5. "Heroes" rocks....even my wife loves it.

6. Continueing my Spain vacation research. BTW, Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.etc. SUCK when in comes to international searches. Don't be fooled into thinking that they contract with EVERY hotel in a given city....cause they don't. They work with big-box chain hotels, out in the boonies at that, with ZERO character. Check out Venere.com and Tripadvisor...they rock. They list EVERY hotel; from Hostel to B&B to Pensions to Hostals to Boutique Inns, AND they provide REAL reviews (and not just one, but at times over 70!) AND they rank each Hotel based on these reviews (sorry for the yelling). We've found some rediculously gorgeous accomodations, clean, safe, in the heart of the historic centers, with veranda views, on 500 year old cobblestone streets for half the price of an Orbitz offering. The only downside being you have to scour the web and contact the hotel directly. I'll post some pics at a latter time.

Gotta go. I'm hungry for some Popeye's Chicken.

Car Work cont....

So, I've checked the play in both front wheels. There's play in the 9 and 3 position indicating tie rod end problems and movement in the upper control arm units, but luckily none in the 12 and 6 position which would mean problems with the bearings. Check out this youtube vid as a demonstration.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tbeBvu49ts4

So I'm biting the bullet. After some major research and tapping into my connections over the years, I've decided to purchase the Meyle/Bilstein front suspension kit. Luckily I can pick it up at nearly 70% OFF!! WOOHOO!! It'll include the following:
1. Front Left Upper forward control arm
2. Front Left Upper rear control arm
3. Front Right Upper forward control arm
4. Front Right Upper rear control arm
5. Front Left Lower forward control arm
6. Front Left Lower rear control arm
7. Front Rignt Lower forward control arm
8. Front Right Lower rear contrl arm
9. Front Roll bar bushings
10. Roll bar end links
11. Tie rod ends left and right
12. and all mounting hardware.

Here's a pic of most of the kit:



What I'm most excited about is that this German manufacturer produceses both Audi and BMW OEM parts and replacements...meaning they know their shit. In the above case, they've decided to uprate the OEM units with polyurethane bushings, helical bearings, and in cases where poly bushings would simply be TOO teeth jarring (considering my car is NOT a dedicated track car), they've used rubber bushings with poly boots to reduce friction and extend boot life. The kit can be purchased at any high-end BMW/Audi aftermarket distributer. Needless to say, I've never taken on such a DIY undertaking. I've enlisted the CASG/car-goober crew for help.

Get back to ya....

Car work...

Ahh the joy of owning a high performance german car. It's closing in on 70,000 miles and a bunch of work on wear and tear items as well as regular maintainace stuff is looming on the horizon,...it's penumbra bristling with dollar signs. You see, my problem is a problem most Car guys deal with...why replace a part with an original part?...why not take this oppurtunity to, in the parlance of the car tweaker, MODIFY. But given I'm married, have a mortgage, going on a vacation to Europe, and working on home projects, and essentially, NOT wealthy, I've had to beat back this incessant urge and appease it with some comprimises. After a little research, I've discovered that OEM (that's factory original parts for you Noobs) replacements can cost as much or MORE than aftermarket modifications. So here's my To-Do list:

1. New rear tires....I'm past the wear bars and on the steel belts. OEM, Perilli P6000's, the "P" stands for "piece of shit". Total garbage tires. The only reason they use Perillis is because they're NOT uni-directional...so if you have a flat tire on any corner of the car, you can use the spare in the trunk. My choice; Goodyear F1 GS D3's. Awesome tire, great treadwear, rediculous dry traction and sidewall integrity for transition and cornering stability, and totally rediculous wet traction...in fact, it has better traction than Potenza's Wet UHP flagship tire, the SO3....AND it's CHEAPER! This one is a no brainer. But then again, if after they put the tires on the car and I discover my wheels are bent, then I'll have to replace them with new rims...and THAT can get rediculous. Then again, my wheels can be replaced at 100 bucks a pop...I might be able to find a set of used BBS's for a bit more!...I can dream, can't I?

2. Windshield....I have two pocks, one 8 inch crack, and a new one splitting my windshield in half. I think it might be time for a replacement. OEM replacement, 450-500 installed, depending on the dealership. An exact copy, same thickness, dimensions, and even the same COMPANY for cryin out loud, 250 installed with lifetime warranty on installation. This one is also a no-brainer.

3. Motor mounts....S4 OEM rubber garbage, 60 bucks. APR RS4 Poly's, 49 bucks. Quicker shifting, more rapid power translation to the wheels, and no engine bucking in the engine bay....and the Polyurethane will last till the sun expends it's remaining hydrogen and shrinks into a white dwarf.

4. Brake Rotor's and Pads....this one is easy. Achtuning Brembo slotted rotors mated to PBR Ceramic pads. Or I can spend the same amount and get a rotor and pad combination that stops worse, overheats, and fades after 1 lap. But then again, I won't have as much brake dust...woo-hoo!

5. 75,000 mile service....I can't get arount this one. I'm going to DIY as much of it as I can. I'll: change the plugs, clean my filter, change the oil, bleed and bed the brakes, and check for play in the suspension. I'm fearing I'll need to replace my tie rods...but then again, I can upgrade to ECS adjustable tie rods with helical bearings...hehe. The rest I have no clue as to how to proceed. I've developed a good long-standing relationship with DynoSpot Racing. They do good work and they always charge me 20 percent less then anywhere else...and they're honest too...several times I've come by with symptoms that appear to indicate a catastrophic problem. They've looked it over and with what seems to me as a simple turn of one screw sent me on my way without charging me a dime...really good guys. They'll be: replacing the timing chain, rollers, serpentine belt, tortioner (if necessary), water pump, thermostat, and valve cover gaskets.

Now for the worst case stuff:

1. Play in the suspension: my upper control arm bushings look horrible. I'll need to replace both upper control arms just to replace the damn bushings...ugh!

2. Play in the wheel: Tie rods and/or wheel bearings. Yuck!

3. And if I discover I have gutted cats (called "Piggies") given my constant DTC's and error code referring to "Catalytic converter not to operating temperature", then I'll need new downpipes. Here again: Labree split mouth stainless steel down pipes with high-flow cats run 15% more than OEM. 15% more will get you and extra 15 HP and 40 foot lbs. of TQ.!!! That one is a no brainer as well.

4. My turbo and or wastegate is leaking/burning oil...that would be the worst of the worse cases...they'll need to pull the motor and swap the turbo's. Huge ordeal and huge price tag...several thousand dollars in just labor...my head hurts. I'm counting on my long history of completely over the top consistent adherence to properly warming and cooling the turbos, as well as avoiding rev-outs, to protect me from this one.

Anywayz, back to work...

Home Improvements

So our Insinkerator decided to separate itself from our sink. I suppose it's due considering it must have been 20 years old. My dad and I replaced it with a BadgerXP 3/4 HP unit....good stuff. We checked out the Home Depot's most high-end unit, a three stage 3 HP Disposer weighing in at around 50 pounds, sound shielded, and selling for 1200 bucks...total overkill. We checked out a video demonstration...my God, don't go anywhere near the sink when you flick it's switch...it chewed up an entire pineapple in 3 frickin seconds...nothing but pulp.

Also contracted a landscaper to build us a 45 foot long Ocean Green Stone Slate pathway. It'll run along the entire length of our house. It's gonna take several days with the first day invested in jack-hammering a concrete slab step as well as minor excavation to ensure a level surface. They've fortified the surface with 4 inches of gravel, laid down steel ree bar, and spilled out 4 cubic yards of concrete. The concrete hardened over the weekend and today the crew started laying out 150 square feet of gorgeous Slate. I've taken pictures of the process and might post it for your perusal.

Anywayz, back to the Warriors...I can't say enough about how excited I am about the next series. This will shock you; the Golden State Warriors, the 8th seed, a team who hasn't gone to the playoffs in 12 years, or won a championhip since 75, had to go 10 and 1 over their last 11 games to get in to the playoffs are, as of today and according to the Las Vegas odds makers, 8 to 1 to win the Championship!...that is completely absurd.

Anywayz, gotta get back to planning my summer vacation. Will tell you all about in my next blog.

Told you so...

The Warriors WIN! Yes,...they're calling it the Greatest upset in NBA history. Twenty times in NBA history did a team with 25 more wins play the lowest seeded team...and NO team has ever upset the higher seed...in fact, only 6 times did the lower seed even win ONE game let alone win FOUR and win outright. And if you look back at my earlier blog, I predicted the Warriors winning it in six, didn't I. I was wrong about their next match-up though. It looks as if they'll play Houston and I believe they'll be Favored!..and eventually play the Suns or the Spurs which they've had very little success against.

Re. the crowd last night at Oracle, they were UNBELIEVABLE. Here is a short list of how journalist described the fans last night:

1. Sports Illustrated: "Deafening"
2. TNT Sports: "Insane"
3. Yahoo Sports: "the Best crowd EVER"
4. ESPN: "Psychotic"
5. NBA TV: "Ear Drum bursting"

The Mavs and the coaching staff never heard anything like it, even compared to last year's finals against Miami. Their bench coach talked about how he couldn't hear anything and the game hadn't even started yet!! The Mavs looked defeated even before the game started. And with Baron pulling his hamstring as well as his best Willis Reed impression, their utter destruction of the Mavs in the third quarter shattered the last semblance of hope and confidence within the Mav's players hearts....somehow they knew they were defeated and it was the Warriors who were the Destined team.

So it's on to the next round. This is completely uncharted territory for me. We'd have to go back to 1975 to see them go this deep...and I'm lovin it.

Friday: Missed the Warrior game. Watched my wife's highschool put on a Shakespeare play. Every year, my wife invites me to attend. I always initially turn her down but always end up going...and every year I am blown away by these kid's. I would have never thought they could ever pull off Shakespeare but to my utter surprise, they did, and the entire packed audience agreed. It gives me hope about our future generation...they're not all baggy pants wearin, wannabee gangsta, Hip/Hop talkin, conformist, nihilist losers. Many are thoughtful, respectful, ambitious, smart, and forward thinking.

Anywayz, what I missed was the Warriors tearing the Mavs a new one at the Oracle. From what I've heard, the crowd was a din of insanity.

Saturday: Gamed with the GoG at NTT's Brain's home. Played L5R...the current GM loves to toy with me. I suppose my current character is much to easy to pick on...he's not human you see...it's a long story. I'm what they call, in the parlance of roll-players, a "combat monster". I destroy anything I hit...but the problem is the current GM has it in his mind to teach me a lesson of sorts and has matched me against foes who are nigh-impossible to hit...they're simply too fast, ex. TN 86 and TN 55, the latter WITHOUT needing a full-defense manuveur! I'm saving my XP to raise my agility rank. NOTE: this has probably made no sense to anyone but my fellow geeks and I apologize.

Sunday: The 580 overpass was struck by some fool carrying a trailer full of Petrol and the commute in the East Bay has now shifted from "crappy" to "kill yourself". Can we bill the idiot?

Sunday Night: The Warriors are on the Cusp of Glory, now up three games to one. Let me put this quite possible upset in perspective.

1. The Warriors are up against a team possessing the 6th highest All-time regular season win total.

2. Only two other times in NBA history has a #8 beaten a #1 in the first round, and one of those were in a strike shortened season.

3. NO #8 has beaten a #1 in a 7 game post-season format.

4. In all, #1's are 167 to 8 in wins versus #8.

In other words, the Warriors should have been lucky to have won ONE game. But the team believes differently. No the Warriors have 3 chances to win 1 game...and if they win?..it'll be the biggest upset in NBA history my friends...and it doesn't surprise me one bit.