Is teaching for me?

I was just offerred a full-time position, teaching dance for the Oklahoma City school system.

--Edit--
I guess I should clarify. I'm not actively looking for a position. A friend of mine is putting together this program in OK City, and she wants me to teach with her.

Why I need to head to the eastern block

The engine is out. I still haven't decided what to do. I keep wavering back and forth. I just came into some info that the stock ecu and injectors will most likely not be able to handle the needs of 11:1 pistons. So for the moment the idea of overboring and going to 11:1 pistons is out. However, overboring and going to 9:1 or 8.6:1 pistons is still a very real possibility. However, I'll probably just replace the head gasket, maybe get some headwork done, and put the sucker back in.

And for your comedic viewing pleasure.
http://videos.streetfire.net/hottestvideos/2/7F70B3F8-BF22-40F7-AB0C-8533292AB744.htm

The demon bolt has been removed.

It took a two foot breaker bar and another foot and a half of pipe on top of that to break it, but it has been done! I feel on top of the world. All my patience and prayer has paid off. That bolt was so corroded you can barely tell where the threads start. As I was pulling it out, I was amazed at how "muddy" it looked.

I still haven't been able to get the power plant frame off, but at least I can swing it out of the way now (that's the ladder brace between the diff and the transmission).

All this means one thing, the engine will be getting pulled Thursday. I plan on pulling the engine around 6:15 or so for all of you who may want to help. I'll provide pizza for all, once the engine has been pulled.

Masters of the Universe....

and I am apparently He-man. Here we have displayed not the first, but the second 6 pt socket that I broke today on "the bolt". I didn't even use a cheater pipe. All I used on this one was the 24" breaker bar I've been using on everything else. Now before you go yelling at me for buying crappy tools you need to know that both of these are/were Craftsman and as such are covered by a lifetime warranty. The down side is that these were the last 6 pt, 17 mm 1/2" drive sockets at Sears Grand (yes this "the bolt" is as big as the last one). So due to the fact that I had broken the first socket, taken a trip to sears for a replacement, and then proceeded to break the replacement; Chris Travis and I decided to remove the main drive shaft instead. I'm happy to say that in spite of it fighting us every step of the way no additional tools were harmed during it's successful extraction.



On a side note, I was also able to successfully remove the filler bolt from the differential, and was pleasantly surprised to find it quite full despite what appears to be a leaky oil seal by the drive shaft.

All this pain hasn't come without it's benefits. I've been watching much less TV, and I'm quickly learning the virtues of patience (whether I like it or not).

So the demon bolt still lives. If I ever get this thing off I think I'll cut it into tiny pieces and leave a piece with friends in every city I visit. Ooooh, demon bolt I like that. It's much more fitting. The demon bolt has taken 3 days of my life, and I want them back.

And then there was one.

Well for the greater part of the weekend I've been complaining about the two bolts at the back of the power plant frame. I need to get them off to free the transmission. I had been dowsing them with Liquid wrench for the greater part of the weekend, but it wasn't until today that I made any progress. Under the careful eye of my roommate (with fire extinguisher in hand) I took a propane torch to both bolts. Then I used a two foot breaker bar with a 3 lb sledge to get the reamer bolt freed. I plan to take the propane torch to the remaining bolt again in the morning. Then I'll soak it in liquid wrench. I've already gone through a full can. Hopefully by the time I get home Monday, it can be loosened. So if all goes as planned, and I can actually get the bolt out, I'll hopefully be able to pull the engine tomorrow.

This is one of the problematic bolts I've been complaining so much about. As you can see 8" long and quite corroded with rust. There is still one more bolt remaining that is very similar to it.

Look ma no hair

The before. Notice the bottle of liquid wrench on top of the intake manifold. What a bad hair day.


The after. The smile is from just having loosened the reamer bolt.


Basically I made a deal with a friend from work. If he could grow a gotee, I would shave mine. Considering he's asian I didn't feel I had much to worry about. Regardless, I'm pretty happy with the change and am considering keeping it this way for a while. I haven't really gone without a gotee since I was 19, so this is a pretty big change for me.

Oh, and mom if you are indeed reading this you'll tell me how you've missed my chin in the comments. Just click on comments directly below this post.

I have failed you.

Rather, the pvr has failed you. Or possibly it was just windows that failed us. I'm still not sure what exactly happenned that made everything go so wrong for Grey's. Was it the president and that schedule change? Was it my hard drive that has always had a bad temper. Was it instead a power problem with the power supply? Anyhow, I'm sorry. I don't usually have these problems when I watch by myself. Then again the computer usually isn't as loaded as it was tonight. The computer just seems to hate company. To all of you who left after Grey's. It did successfully record 24 without any real hick-ups.

In related news I will be tossing in fedora core 5 later to do it's dirty work. Windows shall be banished from the beast!

I'm planning on obtaining another recording of Grey's, and will probably be watching the season finale again later in the week. (well at least the parts that we missed tonight).

Fruity and gooey.

I just got back from what we affectionately call "the airport store" here at work, where I discovered that all things fruity an gooey have been banished. No skittles, starburst, or even Swedish fish remain. In their stead has been placed all things chocolate. A plethora of hersheys, Baby Ruth, and Reese's Pieces now lie in place of my beloved candy. Now I'm by no means offended or against chocolate candy. It's just that I like to mix things up on occassion, and that requires options. Some days I just need something that is sweet, fruity, and gooey. So please, oh maven of the airport store, bring back my tooth rotting pieces of joy.

The nightmare

So I was hanging out with a few friends *(both the Lauras). Then this gorgeous stereotypical "Italian" girl shows up with long black hair. She smiled at me, and, naturally, I smile back. Then one of the Laura's asks me if I was ready for our date Tuesday night (me and the Italian girl). Oh crap, I had completely forgotten. The dread. The horror. Oh the humaniy. I had asked this girl out two nights before. Now I couldn't even seem to remember her name. I couldn't even remember how I met her. Did I meet her at Laura P's b-day pool party? Did I meet her at church? Nonsense I never meet girls at church. Then my focus shifted to who the other girl was. Who did I double schedule over? Who would I break the date with? Then I realized I was faced with three girls, two of which were probably good friends. I can't remember Italian girls name! They are going to gang up on me. Then I yelled good-bye to the ladies, and ran out the front door.

Then I woke up (and the Nightmare continues). I spent a good 30 minutes trying to figure out if I really had a date on Tuesday or if it really was a dream. Who was the Italian girl? I think I really did ask that Italian out, but it was in a dream two nights prior. Why must this fantasy relationship torture me so?

Additionally I'm still a bit disturbed that I ran. I'm not typically someone to run from that sort of situation (not that I'm usually in that situation despite the impression some of you have). I don't think I've ever run from a situation like that. I've always wanted to run, but I've always successfully repressed those fears. Things almost always work out better when you stick it out.