Oh gosh! What a couple of weeks! Just about two weeks ago my wife's father passed away. The memorial service was scheduled for the Saturday of the shop's 31st Birthday Party. We had no option but to cancel the Birthday Party. The weather just about would have cancelled it, too! Last year, if you remember, the weather was perfect on Friday, then abominable on Saturday, then plowed clear on Sunday. This year was a near repeat. It was just fine on Friday until the evening when it began snowing with a fury (flurry?). By Saturday everything was pretty well snowed in -- oh, the traffic was moving but it wasn't really nice. Then, by Sunday, all was OK. So what happened to us?
Friday we were coming home from my sister-in-law's house where we had received friends and relatives all evening. It was late, the weather was horrid, the roads covered with crunchy, icy snow. We were driving south on Buttrick, about a mile from our house. Up the big hill we went, about 35, driving slowly and carefully. Down the big hill, driving a little too quickly for conditions, came the 18 year old. Oh -- he ran off the road on the right. Oh -- he corrected by turning his wheel to the left. Oh -- his wheels hopped out of the shoulder and the car began sliding towards our van. Oh, Oh, Oh. He caught us at the left front, collapsing the front suspension, then crumpling the entire left side of the van. We bought that 1998 Toyota Sienna new, we had about 150,000 on the clock. Caroline's plan was to hold out until 200,000. The insurance company totaled it. But, the flip side is that we found another 1998 Toyota Sienna in the same color, with fewer miles, for considerably less than the payoff -- but it's in Minneapolis! My son and his cousin will drive up there in the next couple of days to collect it.
But you didn't come here to hear me whine about our misfortune!
When we're not working at the shop, we're having some fun. Here's Ken flying from the engine hoist.
The 1937 MG VA is all done, and here sits next to the shipping trailer which will take it home to Massachusetts.
Here, the 1957 MGA (MS) is nearly done. Just a couple of more days!
We're in the process of fitting a turned crank into this Land Rover's engine. I swear this is the same unit that was featured in "The Gods Must be Crazy."
