This beautiful day, I want to go driving. With the windows down, and the warm breeze. A day to forget all the ugly things going on in this country, all this sudden destruction of our stylish industry... the automobile. It has gone from a loved part of life to an evil that some people want to see destroyed. That destruction is here, big, terrible and bright. The other side, the aftermath, looks bleak and cold from my desk.

So I'm going driving. It could be to the beach, or to the city. I don't know yet. But I'll take my camera.

I'd do the same here in Lisbon, but the weather is cold and cloudy...

We're going to leave for St. Louis in half an hour or so. I wanted to rent a convertible, but my only options were a Solstice (kinda need someplace for my son to sit) and a Mustang, which would have been crazy-expensive. Looks like its another cross-state trek in the Mini.

I'm going to finish my door handle upgrade, at 3 or 6 a friend is coming over and we're gonna work on installing some 3M protective film.

Oh and I really need to clean the Prizm.

The Jeep is at the shop this morning, oil change & filter and getting a new battery (old one was 4 1/2 yrs old, but in AZ they normally last 2 years or so at most). Dropped it off and walked home (only a mile)...nice day so far. Going to go get a car wash later. Going to take it easy today, maybe go to a model car show and swap meet this afternoon.

Worked here at the property this morning, and now I need to go get the race cars pasted back together for action next week.

I wanted to do the local cruise night, but that's not going to happen.

Man it's hot out there! (87). Finally finished installing all four door handles...and replaced a plastic fastener I broke the other day.

Cleaned the junk out of the Prizm (except for the trunk). Need to vacuum it. Gonna go wash the Intrepid after I cool off a bit.

Yeah, it's a calm and semi-sunny day here. Had plans, but needs changed that. I used the loader and tiller on the garden yesterday and drove my friend's PT Cruiser to his place while he had another loader spreading topsoil for a small city-size garden plot. (Those Cruisers aren't half-bad... but it's tough to really tell because my friend doesn't spend the time keeping his vehicles tidy) Then we figured while we had the loader there, we might as well get ambitious and remove the concrete slabs from his front yard walkway. I got home at 11:00 am to continue to work on my son's bedroom reno; BUT, my wife needed to go out so I stayed with my son and played. I had planned on taking a rip in the car since I swapped on the summer rubber. I really should post how fun the valley roads are around here; a real blast for spirited driving.

Not all is lost since a day with my son is the best I could hope for. ...Though, I still wanted to have my taxes finished today. Grr.

Edited April 25, 200916 yr by ShadowDog

Got the Jeep back, had the oil & filter changed and a new battery installed. Went to a model car show & swap meet, picked up a couple sweet restorable 49yr old AMT 1:25th scale models--both '60 Buick Invictas--a ht and a convertible.

aaaaaaaaaaand the Intrepid's clean. Will save thorough waxing for a cooler, maybe overcast day.

I'm still tied to my desk until my last final on Monday but next week I'd like to spend a sunny day driving about rural Alberta.. and maybe get around to test-driving the MKS.

I biked. 25 miles. I'm tired.

Went with some fellow art students to Pittsburgh to visit the Andy Warhol Museum and The Mattress Factory.

Friend came buy and we installed some 3M protective film over the area where the clear coat is coming off a little and over the better of the two headlights. Then we took it for a spin and went and bought a couple lottery tickets for fun, then went to the local ice cream shop and got some ice cream. Great way to enjoy a very summer-like evening.

Well, I went to Rehoboth Beach, DE. On the way, I stopped at PCS' BPG dealership. I asked the nice heavyset black guy there if he had a Solstice Targa to look at. He said he had one, but it was a sold factory order, already picked up by the lucky new owner... "he built it himself! He's a GM employee." I said "Yeah, I know." PCS was too fast for me, so no pics of his metallic red Solstice Targa. I did take some pictures of some other things while I was there, though:

window sticker, G8 GXP manual -

the gorgeous, sad, soon-to-be orphan -

a whole line of hot G8s (haha, I tried to keep my shadow out of the pic to no avail) -

a nice looking new style G6 GT coupe -

just to prove I was really there -

Further on the way to the beach, I stopped by one of caddycruiser's many dealerships (those three shadows on the pic are splattered bugs on my windshield, they represent GM's treatment of Pontiac enthusiasts) :AH-HA_wink:

my hard-won parking spot in Rehoboth... it took me half an hour to find this spot -

the beach (the women are at one end, families in the middle, and the men are at this end) -

the end of the boardwalk, it was a nice day -

Edited April 26, 200916 yr by ocnblu

The G8 GXP is gorgeous. I will admit, from that angle, the G6 looks pretty good too.

Pity from other angles it looks so bad.

I would've laughed my ass off if you got a pic of PCS's Solstice

Worked: replacement kitchen window for an original from '17 and some misc fabricated bits, and picked up greenboard & a tub surround for a partial bathroom demo on Monday. Out from 10AM to 7PM.

Buddy's son getting christened tomm- plus job estimate paperwork in the evening.

No play for Balthy, and no Buick work.

Tues/Wed : back on machines after almost 3 years (track hoe, skid steer).

Have to clean out Bay #3 for a '65 Riviera to bunk there sometime next month. Wish I had plenty of other space to store my COE fenders, engine hoist, and 2 disassembled Chrysler Hemis.

Hey, are you sure you don't want that silver LaCrosse in the background? :AH-HA_wink:

Hey, are you sure you don't want that silver LaCrosse in the background? :AH-HA_wink:

I'm really liking the Current-Gen LaX CXL in Cocoa for some reason...

Yay, no silly dealer installed pin stripes on this one!

Edited April 26, 200916 yr by ZL-1

I agree. Pinstripes were popular back in the 70's. Let's all make a motion to move on from the pinstripes.

I agree. Pinstripes were popular back in the 70's. Let's all make a motion to move on from the pinstripes.

Even though my '09 GT has one and I like it...I'll still agree just for consensus :AH-HA_wink:

Otherwise, ocnblu, cool to hear you were down here. I was in Lewes all day working a model home and some other things, and could have taken you for a thrill ride in a G8, let alone just dealer lot pictures

Edited April 26, 200916 yr by caddycruiser

Yeah I kind of made up my mind at the last minoot where to go yesterday. I'm coming down again for the Ocean City, MD Spring Cruise the middle of next month. Maybe I'll catch up with ya then.

Yeah I kind of made up my mind at the last minoot where to go yesterday. I'm coming down again for the Ocean City, MD Spring Cruise the middle of next month. Maybe I'll catch up with ya then.

Of course. It was a GREAT weekend to be down here, for sure. Very mid-summer like...but in April.

Nice weekend here in Phoenix...sunny mid '80s...soon it will be in the 90s, then 3+ months of triple digit fun.

I'm looking forward to next weekend, going to be back in Denver for 3 days...got some stuff to do back there, and a couple friends' 40th birthday cookouts/parties next Saturday to attend.

Stinking hot here - very wrong for April.

Stinking hot here - very wrong for April.

If it makes you feel better it's blizzarding outside up here.

It was 87 yesterday! Today it was 83, but it has cooled off. Tomorrow will be 71 but Tuesday will be 88.

On the bright side, teh warm weather is making the plants bloom quickly, so that's nice.

It seriously still feels like June or July. 85 degrees at 10:30 in the morning, and just has that "steamy" look and feel walking out in the morning. Not a bad thing, however.

Just that darn pollen...EVERYTHING is freaking yellow around here. I dust my car off 3 times a day, and literally within 15 minutes, it looks like a yellow storm has blown through without me realizing it. Argh.

It seriously still feels like June or July. 85 degrees at 10:30 in the morning, and just has that "steamy" look and feel walking out in the morning. Not a bad thing, however.

Just that darn pollen...EVERYTHING is freaking yellow around here. I dust my car off 3 times a day, and literally within 15 minutes, it looks like a yellow storm has blown through without me realizing it. Argh.

Ugh, I know what you mean. I just cleaned my car Saturday and by the end of the day it was green again...that's the only thing I diskliek about Spring. But hey, better pollen than salt.

So I'm going driving. It could be to the beach, or to the city. I don't know yet. But I'll take my camera.

Cool pics, ocnblu!

These types of road trips are the best ... good way to relax and have some fun and get away from it all. I need to do that MORE often than I already do.......

Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...RT 66 = Sept 5-16, '09

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"My heart is like an open highway" ... BonJovi ... 'It's My Life'