On the ground re-fuel in Alaska and no I cant see Russia from here

On the ground re-fuel in Alaska, and no I cant see Russia from here

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Hail and Farewell Part 3 (The Hail)

For years I have considered myself a non-conformist. So again I will say to those of you that don’t know me, purchasing a Honda Anything (Outside of an NSX) is really not my style.

Having dealt with a German Car in an area like Augusta GA is akin to having the USS Enterprise. No one wants to touch it and everyone wonders what it is (or so it seems). So when I got to the Cleo Bay lot in TX I was immediately drawn to the 2007 VW Jetta GLI. Sleek, turbo and fast as all hell, however that wouldn’t stop my German car maintenance blues. As a matter of fact with it being a turbo it would most certainly add to my “who can fix it” problem. So after the flogging of the test drive to Copperas Cove I pulled on the lot to look for something more “responsible”.

Well Dillon (the salesman at Cleo Bay good looking out!) asked what it was that I was looking for. I told him that I would really like a V6 and leather. Everything else that usually falls within those lines has what I look for in comfort. Even if it doesn’t I know that I will more than likely do enough work to the car to make it what I want it to be. So he pointed me to a 2006 fully loaded Accord EX. V6, creamy leather interior, Satellite radio……………….hummmmmmmmmm this thing shows promise.

Well they maxed me out on my trade in of the Passat (of course) and this is a certified pre-owned Honda which means that it comes with a 100,000 mile power train warranty along with other perks and bonuses. Truth be told, unless you just like throwing money down the drain or you are one of those “I have to have it first in my neighborhood” types. I really don’t see the benefit of buying brand new anymore with all the certified pre-owned programs out there.

While not as smooth as the VW Passat that I had it had more than enough punch and with the upcoming modifications I am sure that I will be well within the 275-300 hp range in no time. I will start with the visual modifications first and go on to the sound system which will be tricky as the climate controls are integrated with the head unit. Stay tuned as this will no doubt be just as interesting as the last 2 babies that I had.

Hail and Farewell Part 2

Wow. I really don’t know where to begin. Well in 1997 I got to Ft Hood from Germany and needless to say I was in need of a car. Around that time Civics were all the rage but for some strange reason I was always drawn to the style and torque of American cars.
So I fished around a few lots and there it was in all of its Bright Red glory. The 1997 Pontiac Grand Am GT, Sunroof and all. (Any and everyone that really knows me knows that I would be the last person on earth to actually buy a bright red car, as red was my LEAST favorite color) It was at the time a huge 4 cyl car by all accounts at 2.4 liters. Brash and not shy on power. It was listed at 150hp and 150 ft.lbs of torque but bone stock it ran 15.4 in the ¼ mile so I figure that for some reason Pontiac felt it necessary at the time to downplay the actual numbers. (Yes I had the pink slip from the track to prove these claims) I put 6000 miles on my car the first month that I owned it.
Well if there ever was a labor of love then this car would become my obsession. At the time no one was really doing any modifications at all to anything outside of the Honda/Acura crowd. It would be a few years before the Dodge Neon and others would start seeing aftermarket support. So I did what any other car nut would do…………….I improvised.


First things first. It was TX so Window tint isn’t an option, it’s a necessity! So of course I went with the titanium blend that has a silver sheen during the day and is black at night. Then there was the installation of the Iceman Intake, the painting of the valve cover to match the car along with the brake calipers. I began to tidy up the loose wires in the engine compartment with yellow wire loom. The next mod was the strut tower brace to prevent body flex in heavy corners. Then came the JET air/fuel module (that was later stolen along with the aftermarket radio. Ignorant bastards probably thought it was an EQ). While in GA for school I had a set of BMW M3 mirrors color-matched and installed. Upon my return I had a set of Intrax lowering springs installed to set the car 2” lower than stock then bought a set of 17” Konig Appeals in Onyx (no one in Killeen had them at the time). I installed cross drilled and slotted rotors in the front. By the time I finished with the suspension I could take “the loop” at 70mph (the loop is a stretch of road as you leave the Ft Hood Hospital exit that’s rated at 25mph. With the PROPER suspension I was able to take it at 70 mph with no tire squeal what so ever) Later came the second Sony Xplode Head unit with the 2 Legacy 10” subs with the 1000 watt Power Acoustik Amplifier. While I was in Korea I would come back on leave and Install brand new black carpet, BomZ Racing seats and had the dash, center console and door inserts red.

The thing that I look for in a car can be summed up in one word………..comfort. I mean if I am going to spend about 2 hours a day in traffic in my car then it should have all of the toys and entertainment that one would want. It should be comfortable to sit in for hours without having to get out and stretch. Basically I should feel as if I am one with the car. I could drive from TX to GA and only need to stop for gas. Never feeling out of place or getting those phantom road pains. Just let the windows down, open the sunroof and go.
Well as fate would have it, I would remain in Korea for 5 years. During that time my car would be looked after by various individuals who would keep watch in between deployments. Well as most of you know, letting someone “borrow” your car is always a BAD IDEA!!! Not just in the conventional sense but BAD from ALL angles. Needless to say the story gets rather hairy from here.

One broken AC compressor (between $800-$1200 for repair) a speeding ticket (going 89mph in a 70mph that was NOT mine) in the glove box pretty much told me everything that I needed to know). So there sat the GA, inoperable for no less than 18 months in a storage facility. Upon my return to the states I would not have time to wait for the repairs so I purchased the VW and drove to GA from TX all in the hopes of sending for my red child in TX.




That idea never panned out and now I am on my way BACK to Korea so in all fairness it felt that since the car was paid for and was not in BAD condition overall that it would better serve someone else. So I put it on Craigslist. Initially I was going to take all of my modifications and sell them individually while scrapping the car but something strange happened when I opened that storage unit and looked at my baby again. I began to wipe off the dust that had accumulated over the last 18 months to reveal what was essentially still a showroom finish and realized at that point that I couldn’t see it sitting next to a 1976 Pacer in Cletus’s Junk Yard left for dead.

On Craigslist I was asking for $900 for everything but the speakers and amp. A lifelong friend of mine from KC told me that he was looking for a car for his Daughter that was about to graduate so I told him that if he came to TX from KC to get the car I would only charge him $500 for the car with a clear title (since he would spend a good amount on gas the price drop seemed reasonable.) So now I can rest easy knowing that my long labor of love is in good hands. Hell If I could I would fly up and help put her back together.


Thanks for being there for me all those years. For being the one steady element during those hard times. Thanks for getting me not only from A to B but from A to Z. You were always in the background, always on the road and always dependable. When I picked you up from the dealership you had 6 miles. Now I leave you with over 120,000 miles of memories.

Thanks.

Hail and Farewell Part 1

For as many years as I have been in the Military we have always had what’s called a “Hail and Farewell.” This is an event where we greet newcomers to the unit and bid adieu to those that are leaving the unit and hopefully going on to bigger and better things.

Well it’s time for me to say Farewell to a few good friends of mine who over the years have served me very well and with honor. First I will start with the relative new comer. My 2000 VW Passat. When I got back from Korea in November 2007 there was limited time for me to make my arrangements in TX and report to Fort Gordon GA. Therefore I didn’t have time to get the Grand Am repaired to make the 1100 mile trip from Killeen to Augusta. So I did what most red blooded American Soldiers would do………..I bought a new (new to me that is) car. For me it was love at first drive. I have always been a fan of the VW Passat and the test drive didn’t disappoint. It was smooth and responsive. The suspension was firm and it handled well. Making my usual test run to Copperas Cove and back the car hit 130 mph (don’t judge me!) with no problems and felt like it really wanted to be in its home country on the Autobahn.

Back at the dealership all of my terms were met on Friday and they wanted to do a once over again and really detail it and I would pick it up on Monday. When I picked it up on Monday it was like we had known each other for years. One thing about me with cars is I have to “feel” as if I am a part of the car. Ergonomics are a big part of a car purchase for me. So my first stop was to Best Buy to take out the horrible factory (it was probably pretty good in 2000) head unit and replace it with something that was Satellite and iPod ready. At that point that was all that I needed.

On the drive to Augusta everything just felt so right. I was even running with a new charger thru ATL at about 120 mph at 3 am with no one else on the road and it never at any point felt like the car was struggling to keep up. The only problem that I had with my Passat was that it was so easy to speed in because it never felt like it was actually going fast. It was so comfortable at 80 and above. Good thing that I have a good radar detector!

Over the course of the next year or so I began to make small but meaningful (to me) upgrades. One was to switch out the American factory light switch with a European one. The difference is that the American version only has 2 settings; either lights on or lights off. The European switch gives the option to turn on just the parking lights if you wanted to. Then we had to get rid of those cloudy 2000 stock lights and replace them with something more clear and vibrant. Next was to replace the factory tail lights and then change the bulbs from regular to LED’s. Took off the tall center mount antenna and replaced it out with a stubby. I changed the stock side markers from cloudy clear to black. I installed an AlienTech window controller which allowed me to control the power windows AND Sunroof with the factory key fob. I installed a brand new coolant reservoir along with a brand new bank 1 catalytic convertor. Then was the mother of all upgrades. The silver carbon dash kit. The reason that this was the mother of all of the upgrades is because I originally had a wood grain interior. Well I couldn’t just overlay the carbon fiber on top of the wood so I needed to get all of the wood grain pieces in plain black first THEN overlay that with the silver carbon fiber. Well that task took me about close to a year. I had to order various pieces for the car from GERMANY!!! Since they didn’t offer the GLX in any trim other than the wood grain in the US.

After effectively putting about 39,000 miles on the car from November 2007 until the great trade-in on May 29^th 2009 (got max value on the trade-in thank you!!!) it was time for me to say goodbye. Many of you know about the follies that I had here in Augusta with the dealership and the money that they would charge for certain services. One reason was because they were the only VW dealership within at least 100 miles and they were the only ones in town with the tools to work on a VW. You know that you can only hear someone tell you that such and such service will cost you $800-$1200 so much before it starts to get on your nerves. So that’s why the car had to go. It was to the point that I would hemorrhage money for simple things like a damn coolant flush because for a VW you need special tools.

Well now it’s in the hands of someone in TX and I can tell them that they are getting a hell of a car and I know for a fact (I called around) that they have no less than 7 VW dealerships in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area and a few more VW tuner shops. Getting work done for the next owner would be a snap. So to my friend I say goodbye and thank you for your service.

Jake the Great

Jake the Great

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Jake the Great

Jake the Great

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Deeper Than You Think

Kal Penn is an actor that you might only know from the Harold & Kumar series. Silly, campy and over the top; it was basically Half Baked for the new age. He has done other notables to include Superman Returns.

My favorite character of his was Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the TV series HOUSE. He was smart and brought a lot of wit to the show. Well last week (spoiler for those that didn't see it). They found him dead in his apartment with a gun shot wound to the head, presumably a suicide. They never showed Kal himself, only a lifeless body in a pool of blood with his head turned away. At the end of the show they showed a memorial that led some to speculate that Kal Penn the actor had indeed died prior to the show.

Well of course the internet ran rampant that he was really dead and that's why they didn't show his face..............to he was murdered on the show and both in real life.

Well for all of you out there that are fans of the show here is the REAL skinny (if you dont know already) from Kal Penn.

In short he has accepted a job with the Obama Administration. So no matter how a character is played understand that its just that, a character. As far as civil service goes, it pays pennies on the dollar compared to what he was making on HOUSE so that just shows that passion will trump money in terms of happiness much of the time.

Well played Kal well played.

Here is the video response to his untimely demise:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Project Passat Pt. 2

Easy Install My A$$!!!




For those of you that know me well, you know that I love my cars. One of the reasons that I dig cars as much as I do is because you can make them extensions of you. Plain and simple. From the interior to the exterior no matter what. Seats, steering wheels, dash kits, rims, paint etc. The list goes on and on.

Well I found that some modifications are easier than others. If you go back to some of my blogs last year you will see that I switched out my head lights and taillights. Well about that same time I wasn't really feeling the wood grain (cause I really am not the wood grain type). So I scoured the internet looking for carbon fiber dash kits that were REAL carbon fiber. Real carbon fiber has a deep almost 3D when its flat look to it. Also it isn't cheap.

Well after finding and purchasing my Silver Carbon Fiber interior trim kit and receiving it in the mail I tried a few test fits in the car. Well during the test fitting process I came to realize that the wood was not at all for show. No decals here. These were actual pieces. So I couldn't try and cover the wood with the carbon fiber cause that would look tacky as all get out. So I set out on a quest to find all of the wood grain pieces in my car in all black. Surely they make them right?????

Well here it is a full year and $200 later and I have finally finished. What you are about to see loses EVERYTHING in translation. What it took me to get from Wood to carbon is a story in itself however I will spare you all of that and just post a few pics of the old vs the new look.

I personally love the new look. That's my thing though. Some of you might dig the wood grain (prudes, lol) It was just too common and boring all at the same time. I felt like I was inside of a casket half of the time sitting in rush hour traffic.



Enjoy!

No Pain, No Gain

No Pain, No Gain

There is a certain amount of irony to what I have been going thru for the last 10 weeks or so. Understanding that there are 52 weeks in a year I know that I have a long road ahead of me. I know it’s been a while since I have written a blog and this one will not bring any more clarity to anyone that has been a part of my life since 2009.

The Build-up

This is more for those that for whatever reason I have not been in contact with. As everyone very well knows I love the gym. I love to work out. I love personal competition. So to know that about me you know that after my surgery I was effectively robbed of one of my life’s great pleasures. The Doc told me that it would be rather hard for me because I was into bodybuilding but the truth of his words never really hit home until I woke up in the hospital bandaged up with a sling/brace that would be my personal prison for the next 9 weeks.

The Reckoning

I will say that not being single at the moment that I woke up didn’t suck at all. My wife was right there by my side as I opened my eyes for the first time to realize the true extent of my condition. It took me all of 3 minutes to realize that it would REALLY suck to have to go thru this alone. Having half of your body taken away from you in an instant isn’t something that you could get used to with ease. At first I had very big plans of what I would do to stay in some sort of physical condition. That was ceased when I was told by the Doc that under no circumstances was I to move my arm or let the muscles in my shoulder fire for any reason. For those of you that work out……….this is almost an impossible task. I have spent the better half of 20 years training my muscles to fire. To learn my body to the point that I could focus in and feel like I am working each and every fiber at a singular level. Now I can use them at all?

The Reality

WOW!!! That was my very first sentiment as the pain killers wore off and the scaline block allowed the nerves in my arm to feel once more. The pain was as intense as I have ever felt and I knew at that point that any attempt to try to be Johnny Fitness was out the damn door. All I could focus on for that first week was not to miss the appointment with my pain killers, lol. Having never been put to sleep I didn’t know what to expect. So I came out of it looking and feeling way way bloated. I was told that they stick a tube down your throat to ensure that you stay asleep. Well apparently because of my size they decided to put more gas in me than could come out. For the first 3 days I had hiccups nonstop and had to return to the ER.

At 3 years old hiccups are cute………………..at 30 years old they become violent and painful after about 12 hours or constant jerking of your internal organs. I won’t take you through the long version of that ordeal only to say that I hope it never happens again.

The Substitute

Week one after the surgery I had my follow up with the Doc and with very little convincing he turned my 4 weeks of convalescence leave into 6 weeks. Dr. Dalleyrand is a good dude by all measure as far as being understanding when he realizes that you are a gym rat that will be house bound for 6 weeks.

Like everything else about me I like a good challenge. After about 2 weeks and realizing who my REAL friends, were I started to cheer up. (Nothing like a lil’ old personal tragedy to separate those who REALLY care and those that SAY they care. But later on that….) I decided to focus my energy on something more in a positive direction. I decided to create another division of my company Physical Innovations. I won’t disclose too much right now but those that are in the know are VERY excited about the opportunity to be involved in something that will be very lucrative. As my wheels started to turn and various trips to the book store yielded me unlimited power I began to forget about my deteriorating physical condition. I got smarter on the things that I needed to be successful and it looks to be paying off in spades. Now my obsession is not with the gym and what it can do for me, but what I can do for the gym and other individuals who have the same passions that I have. These are exciting times indeed.

The Support

This is that part that is kind of hard to talk about. It forces me to eat a very large slice of “humble pie”. I am EXTREMELY appreciative for everyone to include those that called daily, those that called occasionally, those that called very little those that called once and those that called none what so ever. I will explain this in depth right now. There is a certain amount of comfort in sharing a laugh with a friend, especially when you are going through a very rough time. I had friends and acquaintances that called me just because they knew that I had surgery. Those that called daily understood that I wasn’t the type that needed daily support but appreciated it never the less. Those that called occasionally wanted to let me know that I was on their mind and I had their support if needed. Those that called very little didn’t want to bother me because they know I don’t like being looked at as a liability. Those that called once wanted me to know what was going on outside of my 6 week bubble and keeping me in the loop. (I really think they coordinated the calls, lol). Those that didn’t call at all during that 9 week period (especially on my Birthday which was beautiful thanks to a very gracious 9 year old host and her helpers) really forced me to look at the nature of my relationship with them and realize the actual level of importance and the value of my friendship to them. Touché’ BTW E-mails count as communication, lol. So those that at least e-mailed are off the hook HA HA.

When someone finally reveals themselves to you, believe what they are SHOWING you and not what they are TELLING you. -Leeola

Somewhere I know Lee is smiling because we talk about this a lot, lol. I will say that I have learned a very valuable life lesson. I guess that the old adage is true that you NEVER stop learning till our dead. I wonder how one would have felt knowing that I had surgery and lived over a thousand miles away but I decided to never answer a text or a phone call and never returned a message? Would they have wondered if I had actually survived? If I had complications? Hummmmmmmmm…………. Food for thought for those of you that DIDN’T seem to care very much even when I was the one doing the calling.

The Finale’

I know that this is going to sound cliché’ however I feel that 2009 will be one of my best years yet despite my physical setbacks. I already have motion back in my arm (even though due to atrophy its 2 inches smaller than my left at this point) and I am expected to make a full recovery sometime this year. I will pick up my son for the summer and we will have a blast (hopefully get some serious road time in) and I will return him to TX feeling like a million bucks. By the time august rolls around I will be in decent condition and well on my road back to the condition I once held and probably even better. My new division should be growing like a weed with no signs of being affected by the so called recession.

Hang on to your hats folks…………………once this train picks up speed, it has ZERO intentions of slowing down until it reaches its destination. TBD

Nine