IN WHICH A BOOK IS REVIEWED (BADLY).....

.....by Me, with could be quite catastrophic,   I don't know:  I'm an Archaeologist, Not a book critic.  All that follows makes sense to me.   

Sorry.

That said, you need to read this book.   I mean, look at it:

It’s a snorkel equipped Land Rover, on not depressing skinny tires.  Right off the bat, that should speak some tall volumes right there.       And the title is an intriguing one too….certainly does not initially conjure the notion of what the book is about, but makes perfect sense.   And if the truck and interesting title don’t catch your attention, how about the fact that the cover image oozes that honeyed word that has lured so many out, some to gristly ends……

..ADVENTURE…

Yes, that is my desk.  Yes there is a gun on it.   And a cup of tea.  And an old airplane toy, and line level string.   And keys.   It was not posed.   I am not that clever.   Don’t judge.

ANYWAY….

We Will Be Free, is a book written by Graeme Bell about overlanding with his family (which I will come back to) and his truck, a Land Rover Defender 130, or what we in the states would call “a quad cab truck”.   

First, I should explain “Overlanding” because some people who read this (all….7...of you, if I’m lucky) may not know the term.

AHEM: “Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal.”   Shamelessly stole that from Wikipedia via the Google.    I’m not bashful to say it.    It’s pretty sound.

So, this book is about a guy and his family toodling around some places where not many people go, and that’s about it….

EXCEPT IT SO ISN’T!

Here is me being critical:   The book is not always eloquent.    Sometimes, you find the thread interrupted.   Sometimes you have to go back and re-read parts to understand something further in the book.  Graeme is a man who writes, and writes like a man would, which is roughhewn at times, like old wood buildings.  

And that is why I LOVE the damn thing.    Really.    Allow me to elaborate before Graeme shows up at my door to have a discussion (Dude, He’s big. I know I’m pretty big, but dude….no brawling with him.)     I love this book because it is exactly that:  Rough.   And REAL.   I have read books that are written by people who write as their living and their absolute passion and are self-conscience about what they put on a page.    You can tell because it affects the truthfulness of their work.     I said Graeme writes a roughhewn book?   Yeah,   roughhewn like the timbers holding the walls of a renaissance cathedral.  It’s majestic.

Graeme writes a book that makes you pay attention.   It makes you think about what they are doing as you read it.  It conveys a sense that it is too vital and real to have been made up. Visceral, is almost a good word.   The amount of meat consumed in the book’s gestation would allow visceral as a good word, I imagine.

We Will Be Free reminds me of the old journals and transcribed diaries of soldiers and immigrants coming out into the American west with covered wagons 150- 200 years ago.  Except less of “Timmy has died of dysentery.” Anyone who played Oregon Trail will get that.    It is something that you know is special because the book is not why he is doing this…he is doing this because he is the record keeper. 

 

DAMN IT, MARGE!

And that brings me to his family.    I really feel that they ALL wrote this book.    Graeme, his wife Luisa, and their two kids Keelan and Jessica, are on this amazing journey together, and if the four of them were not in the story together, it would be a completely different book.   Started in South Africa, and trundled about that continent a bit.    Then onto a boat (very immigrant/new world-ish)   went the Land Rover, because it fits poorly into overhead luggage, and the Bell family find themselves in South America,  where their British-Midlands built covered wagon had trundled them about a continent that, dare I say,  is still very frontier.     

Graeme, as the family’s chronicler,   paints the pictures of their life in vivid, splashes of literary color:   You know his wife is a force of nature,  that his kids are experiencing things from a perspective that we as kids would have been lucky to see,  and that he himself can reckon with the defiant human spirit that every origin of man has that has allowed us to explore and exist on this planet.  Gets in touch with his “inner Viking”,  which is apt as hell.  They all are such an integral part of the book, I always want to say “The Bell Family”  as being the authors.   And if you want a book with a Pioneer soul?   Boom,  right here.    The Bells have removed themselves off the grid in such a fashion, a loopy militiaman on a mountain could pick up some tips.   What’s better, they have done it in a way that makes them happy, so it’s proof that you can live on a shoestring, with kids!   They don’t always need Corn Pops you know (I shamelessly love me some Corn Pops, which make me a bad, fat person).  

Graeme also doesn’t bore you with describing scenery you can look up on the internet, he tells you a bit about it, then describes the detail of dealing with people, broken parts,   and the anxiety of stepping out into what could be described as “a blank page”.   When was the last time YOU traipsed along in an old truck in another country, 5000 miles from home?   This is an adventure of the highest order,  in a world that many, myself included,  has lamented about “having no more adventure left.”

This book reminds me of another adventure book that I read many years ago, and actually bought after the man who wrote it came into the bar I worked at and told me some of his great stories.   Thomas Goltz’s Assassinating Shakespeare:  The Tale of the Bard in the Bush is the riveting tale of an American man from the boarder land of North Dakota/Montana finding himself in Africa, travelling the length of the continent in the late 1970s, performing Shakespeare with wooden puppets, while being pretty much destitute in a place he knew nothing about.  He became a minor celebrity over there…Graeme and Luisa may have heard of him in the paper or something.     I have had the pleasure of drinking and dining with this man,  and Mr. Goltz  is every bit the “swashbuckling adventurer/academic” that you’d expect.  He’s earned the Victorian Adventurer Moustache.    His book is very much like Graeme’s:  gritty,  unpolished,  and real.   The detail in the mundane is fantastic, and you see the parts of a story that are, in my opinion,  so much more important to me as an adventurer.   The liberal use of profanity is really the only difference.

I cannot state that enough.   Real is a big deal.  In this day and age,  its less “who you are” and almost always “The image of who you want to show the world”.  There is too much disguise, too much padding  to hide or muffle the realities of the world.     We Will be Free is a tale that removes those blinders, and says “HERE IS A TALE OF HIGH ADVENTURE!”   I could hear the drums in the opening credits from Schwarzenegger’s Conan the Barbarian playing with gusto when you open the book.    They have breakdowns!  They deal with shady folk!   They get  caught up in troubles that catch them off guard!   And they roll with the punches like a prize fighter and come out swinging.  Then into the teeth of the unknown again! 

I am sadly living the adventure life vicariously through them, at the moment,  but damn it,  It is gnawing at me to get out and do more traipsing about myself.   The Bells,  after this book was written,  have managed to drive all the way north,  to Alaska,  and back down again (I’ll apologize for the US some other time...it would take a while)  to Baja,  I think,  at the time I’m writing this.   

SO much adventure,  that Graeme and Luisa have put together another book!    There is more info here on their kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1423033955/travel-the-planet-overland-a-photo-book-and-guide    A how to guide on how to actually break free of the social bindings and be free on the trail?   YUS PLZ.      I say check it out.   Check out all of it.   I’m throwing my coin in soon as I have some!   New jobs take time to pay, you know?

LOOK! A BLOG/WEBSITE THING!  http://www.a2aexpedition.com/   If you get the book,   get it here.    I suppose you could get it from AMAZON,   but that outfit takes a bite out of what the Bells get…   Links to their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all there.    What?  I am not as computery as most.   Not going to past all the links.

Yes, I have a copy.

No.   You can’t borrow it.   No.

Other things to do,  if you want to know more?   

The Centre Steer Podcast has a few fantastic interviews with the Bells from last spring and just this past winter (look, links!)

(http://centresteer.com/podcast/centresteer-25-visit-with-the-inlaws/     http://centresteer.com/podcast/centresteer-30-drop-the-mic/  )

I actually listened to the first while driving to Wilcox, Arizona for a job.   Sad Fact: if I was not on that project, I would have been in Flagstaff at Overland Expo 2015,  with the specific goal to meet the Bells and shake their hands. 230 miles.    I could have done it…

  And to look at cool rigs,  because, be honest,  they are all cool.   Couldn’t ever afford one,  but cool.  Can’t go this year either.    Le Sigh.

Anyway,  yeah.    Read the Book.    Support some adventure.    Get a slice of your own, and use the Bell’s as your inspiration.    Really,  Be Free.

Cheers all.

  

The Peace of Wrenching.

Lately,  I have found myself in a wasteland of stress, anger and frustration.    I have returned home to Montana,  two months after setting out for what was to have been a 2-3 week project in Arizona.   This delay was largely due to the issues with my Toyota 4Runner,   which were highlighted in the previous blog.

If you can believe it,  the situation got even worse....   A thousand times so.  

A Uhaul that was powered by asthmatic chihuahuas..  

 As you can see,  this is what I ended up having to do after a total of 39 business days that The Engine Builders of Glendale, AZ,  had my truck. They misdiagnosed it twice, ended up ignoring my request to stop work,  and finally, when I got my truck back and they agreed to refund me my money,  I received an engineless 4Runner with a couple of buckets with parts just thrown in.   I had to lose my collective shit on the guy on the phone, in front of his customers at his shop,  to get the engine block and cylinder heads.  However,  there were two other 3rd generation 4Runners like mine there when I picked all this up, so chances are they gave me the old crap from one of them. Still,the shop came away with stealing the 3.4L V6's pistons,  crank shaft, water pump, oil pump, connecting rods and timing belt.  
I did get a radiator cap from something large,  probably a V8 truck, thrown in the box.
On top of this, I had to stay an extra week to get my refund, which was promised that Friday.

Naturally, it did not happen.
 I still am waiting.

 He has deposited $2500 of the $3130 he owes me, but is taking his sweet ass time about it.  This does not include the cost of the stolen parts ($800 bucks near abouts)  the Uhaul and Trailer ($1400)  or the fuel and hotel stays on my way back to Montana (did not even want to look)

BECAUSE PUZZLES!

In the grand scheme of all this bullshit, I managed to not straight up go over to the shop and murder the man.  I had the gun,  but I was in such a state that I would have found a way to stab him to death with something like a cardboard box or an egg carton or something.  
I was that angry.
Still am, actually.

Anyway,  there is a new(ish) motor awaiting me in Missoula at the Toyotas Only shop,  that they found for me and have resealed and done the complete Toyota service on a 72K mile donor motor.  Plug and play,  complete and ready to go.   Soon as I pay for it, of course.
 

Its a 7/16ths bolt...

The thing here is,  after all this time, I look forward to it.     I enjoy the fixing and building of things.
There is a sense of peace and harmony that goes along with the frustration and broken knuckles and stuck bolts.  Or, in the most recent case,  broken bolts...    That one broken bolt..literally a week of my life went into getting it out.....which never did happen.   I broke,  count it,  THREE cobalt drill bits,  three titanium drill bits,  one hardened steel screw extractor,  one tap and die set,  and all of my patience.   On a 7/16ths bolt used to hold a choke thermostat in the exhaust manifold.

I ended up swapping the whole thing out, which to do the exhaust manifold on a Dodge 225 Slant Six means taking off EVERYTHING (carb, intake,  ect). Luckily I had a spare manifold (because we all have spare manifolds) from the barn (because we all have barns), and now the truck runs perfectly.

The replacement...covered in birdshit.

Perfectly-Ish.

Its 32 years old...It did sit nearly two years before I pulled the whole truck out of the barn and got it running for a few weeks last summer.  I imagine I had it coming.   She's angry.

But,  to be truthful, it was all worth it.   The last day,  where everything started going back together,  bolt by bolt,  I felt a sense of relief.  That kind of relief you get when you realize you are not in trouble, or when a weight is lifted from your shoulders.  

Pictured:  Barn recovery last summer.

    Its a fair bit of peace.    And I sorely needed it.  Nothing felt better than putting it all back in place, tightening it all down,   feeling things seat.   The initial start and roar of a proper working choke and warm up was gratifying as hell.  

Like I said,  the Dodge runs perfectly-ish.    It still has its quirks. It still has a clutch issue where i have broken every part of the clutch, and don't know why (would you believe the shop that did the clutch on it 2006 put in the WRONG pressure plate?  I do. Now.)
  And its been a source of thousands of headaches.

 But at the same time,  it has been the source of one of the more unique forms of meditation that I have ever experienced.   I love working on it.    That goes for my toyota as well.   I have put all new brakes,  suspension and servicing on it since I bought it (and now I get to put in a new engine!  *facepalm*).   I sat down the other day and looked at all the parts that I now have to figure out,  and I felt a calm roll over me.    A place of Zen (of sorts).   I knew that I could do it, and that I will do it when I am finally able to pay for it.    But,  amidst the sea of stress and such,   I am still able to feel like I can achieve some peace...by picking up a wrench.

Why I need a garage...

So, as many of my friends know that I have been having some vehicular issues lately.    I've decided to give pretty much everyone an update, and inform those who don't know the situation.

So you can laugh at me,  or tell me I am a moron.

Anyway,  I have a 1997 Toyota 4Runner  (also called a Hilux Surf) with an automatic transmission and a 3.4L 5ZFE v6.   I bought the truck in 2012 with 210K miles on it,  and it has been an amazingly reliable  and all around useful vehicle for my growing family, for work, and exploration.    So much so.  that I decided, when faced with the choice of purchasing a newer vehicle,  or putting a new engine and transmission in the 4runner to bring it up to new,  that I would Zero hour the 4Runner and have a reliable,  sound truck that is less complicated than the newer counterparts,  and not have a $350-500 dollar monthly car payment for something that is far to electrical for my taste, and far too expensive to fix.      

SO,  that's what I did.  My poor 4Runner has been called a Lemon,  but 40K and three-4 years challenges that statement. The Toyota had served me well for 41,000 miles,   having only two issues in three years:  A leaky radiator hose that I replaced,  and in doing so,  cracked the plastic upper radiator tank,  which resulted in a new radiator,  and a stripped spark plug.   It served faithfully in Montana and Arizona,  and it really could, In my mind,  not be replaced by a newer version that would be as reliable or cost effective.
October of 2015 saw the 4runner's  transmission develop a small shudder, to which I was prepared:  the truck was over 250K at this point.   stuff is bound to wear out.    So I had the transmission replaced with a manufactured unit.   Which suffered from a stuck valve, and resulted in me having it warranty replaced by the original transmission that the shop had reconstructed.    This works wonders.

THe engine,  however.....   Well, This is where it will be the LONG read.  I am literally going to copy and paste from the document I have written documenting the whole goddamn process that I have dealt with.     I am fully aware that I am being too nice of a guy, and that everyone else by now would have called their lawyer.

Which I am going to.

Anyway,  read on...

4Runner was delivered by shop on Nov 18th, with 251,522 miles on it. Speaking with Tanya in the office,  I was told to drive it kind and not to overstress the 4Runner.   Shop was aware of the 4Runner’s pending journey north after break in.   Vehicle break in on the new engine to last 500 miles.   Directions to baby the 4Runner for the first 500 miles very direct, attached to invoice and explained to me on Saturday  Nov 21.   4Runner driven short trips,  within Phoenix and Mesa,  staying below 55mph and alternating acceleration and braking.   4Runner finally reaches 252,022 miles,  the break in point,  on Dec 12th.

Nov 6th: Vehicle is dropped off at The Engine Builders.

Nov 18th,  4Runner is delivered Engine Builders.  Dropped off at airport on Nov 21st.   Picked up Nov 25th.   4Runner is driven smoothly,  lightly,  and without stress until the 12th of December.

During the break in period,  NO leaks were observed from engine and cooling system.   Oil is checked every day, every drive.   Oil Change is done on December 13,  after 4Runner drains and cools the night of the 12-13th.   Oil Change is Completed with a Wix 51348 oil filter and Castrol 10w-40 oil.    Oil is still checked every day.  No warning lights during break in period  After oil change,  4Runner is driven on highway.   All fluids remain at good levels,   no leaks, and nothing to suggest seal or gasket failure. Oil change reported.  

4Runner sees transmission replacement on Dec 19th.   

4Runner is loaded and on the road for final move to Montana on Dec 20th.     Morning saw oil and coolant levels checked before hitting the road,  all of which checked out.   No leaks observed, no warning lights.

4Runner driven on highway north toward Wickenburg.  40 miles north of Wickenburg,  4Runner starts experiencing shudder,  power loss, and lower speeds.    Pulling over and doing a walk around while vehicle  idling showed no leak or issues.    Turning off and restarting of 4Runner resulted in a billowing cloud of oil smoke.    4Runner is shut off.      7 mile walk is taken before cellular signal enough to reach 911 is found to call AZHP and call for a tow truck.   When Tow finally arrived and 4Runner loaded,   closer inspection reveals oil on frame and exhaust manifold on right side of engine,  and oil blowback along the frame and belly of truck.  No warning lights on dash when this issue occurred.

Cost of tow to Wickenburg from mile 163: $275.00

Hotel in Wickenburg for the Night of Dec 20-21: $65.78

Tow to Engine Builders on Dec 21, covered by AAA.

Dec 21: Inspection of 4Runner at the shop revealed a possible leaking/failed valve cover gasket, a possible ring issue and a PVC issue.   Oil is checked,   ¾ of a quart low on oil.     4Runner is started,  let idle, and then moved back into the shop area,  billowing oil smoke.  Removal of air intake pipe connecting the air box to the intake to gain access to the right side revealed the pipe and resonator chambers were full of oil. Inspection of Air filter shows saturation of one corner of Air filter with oil, and significant oil blow by in airbox.   Oil is poured out,   pipe is disassembled,   cleaned and reassembled.   Airbox cleaned out to the best of mechanics ability without removal.    Brake cleaner used to clear oil off of air filter.  Valve cover gasket was not replaced  but valve cover bolts are so loose that the bolts are able to be tightened by hand before the ratchet can be used to tighten them.    PCV valve is replaced, along with the PCV hose to the intake.    Oil is topped off.    Shop charged $20 dollars for the oil, and the PCV/hose.    4Runner is driven around block,   running roughly,  then clearing up as oil in intake, exhaust and cylinders is burned off.    4Runner is driven from Glendale to Mesa,  then back north.   Hiccupping near Wiciup Arizona results in an inspection of intake pipe and intake butterfly, revealing more oil in pipe. Engine is over a quart low on oil. No leaks are visible. Phone calls between myself and the Engine Builders results in several conversations with Greg, the owner, about the possible problem.   The suggestion is that there is an issue with the PCV valve and PCV system.  Following the directions of the shop,  I inspected all the hoses and lines, all of which seem to be clear.    Shop suggests replacing the PCV valve,  Greg not knowing that the valve had already been replaced 4 hours earlier.  Discussion of possible crank case blow-by issue is deemed not possible by shop.  Notified the shop of my intent to drive to Kingman, AZ, 53 miles from Wiciup. At no point was I told not to.  Purchase of another quart of 10w40 oil at gas station (5.49),   engine oil is brought up to normal level. 4Runner is limped to Kingman,   stopping at O’Reilly Auto parts.   Purchase of a new PCV valve  ($2.69), two quarts of Castrol 10w40 oil (5.99 each) , two cans of Brake Cleaner to flush the intake pipe out (5.79) and two feet of 3/8s vacuum line for PCV system (that was not replaced and remains in the 4Runner currently,  3.49)  brings total to $35.23 in oil and parts to address the problem.    Stayed in Kingman AZ the night of Monday, Dec 21.  Motel cost in Kingman is $55.57.   

Research into the problem on a Toyota specific internet forum ( http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/211623-oil-intake-intake-pipe.html  ) and asking other 4Runner owners netted a general consensus that the issue is piston ring blow by, and there is a need for a compression test on the engine.

Dec 22nd:    4Runner is picked up by AAA in Kingman and brought back to Glendale after waiting 5 hours.   4Runner is dropped off at Engine Builders owner Greg’s personal residence for security concerns due to arriving after shop closes for the day.    In order to return home for Christmas, and to allow the 4Runner to be repaired correctly, I leave the 4Runner and purchase a plane ticket for Dec 23rd to Missoula, MT.   My concerns about shop storage and repairs are answered with “We will take care of it”.

Plane ticket:  $174.00    Hotel near airport: $119.16, night of Dec22-23,  Taxi to airport: $18.06

Total costs,  not including fuel and food: $762.80

Jan 5th:  Call the Engine Builders at 2:57pm to inquire about my 4Runner,  having not heard anything.   Make contact with Tanya,  who tells me that the 4Runner was just brought into the shop to be looked and that she or the mechanic will call me on the next day, Wednesday the 6th.

Jan 6th: No phone call from shop

Jan 7th: Received confirmation on a work project starting the next week.   Called the shop three times, at 1:57pm, 3:04pm, and 3:53pm  reaching the message machine.  Left one message asking for a call back.

Jan 8th: No phone call from shop.  Called shop four times, at 11:05am,  2:17pm, 3:33pm, and 4:35pm, leaving two messages to inform them of my pending arrival,  and requesting a call back.    No calls are received from the shop.

Jan 11th:  Arrived at shop at 3:30pm to inquire in person after work, and to retrieve items from 4Runner for work.   Introduced to the new mechanic, who I believe is named Brian, who is working on my vehicle,  that he just now had a chance to look at.    His diagnosis is that Number 3 fuel injector has been spraying full blast the entire time (a theory NOT explored the first time I brought the truck in for the same issue on Dec 21),  that the oil has been thinned by fuel, and that carbon debris inside the engine has ruined the PCV valve, causing the engine to pull oil into the PCV system and,  the intake.   He also informs me that the spark plugs are not the correct plugs for the Toyota 3.4l engine,  which requires Platinum, single diode sparkplugs.  The plugs he found during his inspection are not correct, to which he says he will take care of it, and make sure that the plugs are replaced with the correct ones.  Insisted that I wouldn’t be charged for that.  

I was informed that Number 3 fuel injector will need replaced, at $173.00, and that the oil and filter will need changed due to fuel contamination.      I attempted to speak to Tanya in the office to get a total price,  only to find that she had left for the day.  I left a request that she call me the next day with the total cost of the repair.

Jan 12th:  Called shop to find out cost, then make decision  on when I can afford to pay it.     Made contact with Tanya who told me that the 4Runner was already repaired, and that her mechanic was out driving it.  Bill was $220.00.  I was told I could pick it up the next day.

Jan 13th:   Pick up my 4Runner close to 4pm.  Office was already closed.    One of the mechanics, Johnny,  called Tanya to confirm the bill and payment.   One of the mechanics, Byron,  said it was a Warranty repair, but the phone call confirmed the bill.   I spoke to Tanya on Johnny’s cell phone, and was informed as to why she had to leave early,  a confirmation on the bill, and was told that the shop had been starting and running the truck often, and that it had been taken out several times,   driven quite a distance.  If I recall correctly, she said something about 20-30 miles. She told me that she would email me an invoice with the repair breakdown.  I paid Johnny the 220 dollars,  which was witnessed by my coworker.    Placing my hand on the hood of my truck confirmed it was still warm from being driven,  but when I got in the 4runner,  looking at the trip counter on the truck only revealed 2.6 miles on the clock.   The clock at some point had been zeroed after I had dropped the 4Runner off at the shop in December.   Unless the mechanic who was driving the truck zeroed the clock,  my 4runner had only been driven a short distance.   

Driving the truck from Glendale to my lodging in Tempe, the truck drove fine.    The 4Runner was parked in the driveway, as a vehicle has been provided for the length of this project.

Jan 16th: I checked the oil in the morning,  which was a quart low.   The missing quart was replaced, and the truck was driven about 16 miles to test  the repair.    Truck seemed to be a bit low on power until reaching operating temperature,  but still didn’t feel right.   Upon returning from the test,  the 4Runner was allowed to cool down.   I removed the intake tube to inspect the throttle intake.  Doing so spilled more oil out of the one of the intake resonators.    Oil was drained into a bucket.   Inspection of the air filter revealed more oil contamination.  An engineer friend looking into the oil cap made note of the extremely heavy carbon buildup that is visible underneath the valve cover,  suggesting a potentially serious carbon burn issue,  or the possibility that the top end of this engine was not cleaned correctly during the rebuild., or addressed at all,  stating the carbon build up like that would be a result of thousands of miles of driving.   I was forced to clean out the intake tube of oil,   the throttle, Mass Airflow Sensor, and  air box.   I called the shop at 2:06pm, leaving a message asking for a call back on Monday to discuss the issue. 

Jan 18th:  Received call at 8:09 am from Greg at the engine builders,  who again told me that they would take care of it, and that the vehicle running LEAN on a cylinder would cause issues.    I needed to correct him three times that his mechanic told me the injector was running on full.   He was unsure as to why the office had not sent me the invoice for the injector repair, and said that his mechanic probably zeroed the clock when I asked about it.  I was told to bring the 4Runner back in so they can take care of it.

At 3:17, at the suggestion of family who utilize his shop, I contacted Jake at Master Technician Inc.  Toyota’s Only,  in Missoula, Montana.   I related to Jake the situation and issues with the truck,  to which his response was there should have been warning lights on the dash, Check Engine lights,  Misfire codes, and the vehicle  would have been running very poorly if one injector was running lean or pouring fuel.    I was also informed that, unless direct from Toyota dealership parts are used,  the engine will not run properly.  Jake also informed me that there is no rebuild “kit”  for the 3.4 from Toyota, that all the parts would have to be purchased piecemeal.   There is also no timing kit available,  only piecemeal parts for the assembly.   He said, based on what I have told him,  that it sounds like there is an issue with rings.   He said that there are 3 rings per cylinder,  2 for compression, one for oil.   Jake suggested that a borescope be used to see the inside of the cylinders to inspect if there is ring damage.   However,  based on what I told him,   he believes there is more than one ring issue, and in his experience, there is no way to correctly rebuild a 3.4 liter v-6 short of Toyota doing the job themselves.    His own company policy is to not rebuild a 3.4,  but to get a Toyota spec short block, or a low mileage unit.

Jan 19th:   Called shop at 7:45pm,  left message, and also sent an email to The Engine Builders requesting an invoice for the Jan 13th bill of $220, and also a copy of all the invoices, with part numbers,  of all the parts that have been put in my truck since November 6th.   Requested this information be sent to me by noon of Jan 20th.

Jan 20th:   Received the invoice for the Jan 13th repair via email. Date on invoice shows it was created on January 20th, 2016, and that the balance due is $0.00.   Repairs show no Oil change charges on ticket,  and a charge for a PCV Valve and Hose at $26.38.  PCV hose was replaced on Dec 21st, 2015 when the first PCV valve was changed. Still did not receive copies of vendor receipts showing the parts purchased for my vehicle.    Called shop at 8.46am to again request copies of these parts.

At 10:01am,  I spoke with Chris from Master Tech in Missoula, Montana,  asking about their experience with low mileage JDM engines,  and getting a 3rd opinion about the injector fault and the check engine lights,  to which I was informed that the Flooding Injector would cause the engine to flood out on that cylinder,  and NOT want to fire correctly at all.    The vehicle, he said, would definitely run rough and poorly if an injector failed,   either by dumping two much fuel or too little, and that I would definitely see an engine code and Check Engine light.

At 10:43,   spoke to Greg from The Engine Builders,   who was inquiring as to when I would be bringing my truck into the shop to be repaired.    I asked about when I was going to be able to see the vender receipts,  and was told that “We don’t do that.   We don’t write out the lists of every single part that goes into an engine.”  I pressed again,  to which I was told that the shop purchases parts at AutoZone, that they don’t use low quality parts, and that we can put a borescope into the cylinders to see the new parts.  The 7 minute conversation with Greg continued to the fuel injector running Lean issue again,   to which I again corrected him that his mechanic told me the faulty injector had been pouring fuel.     He explained to me how the truck would compensated in the other injectors to make up for the faulty one that was not spraying,   even though I told him again that his mechanic told me that the faulty injector was flooding out.     When I asked why the engine, as I have been told by two other Toyota Specific mechanics,  didn’t throw any Check Engine Lights,  I was informed that such an injector problem would only show up “Sometimes”.    Greg did confirm that the truck would run roughly and poorly on a lean/failed or Flooding out injector.     The conversation furthered to Greg asking if my wife had informed me,  during the drop off of the truck on Nov 18th, 2015,  that I needed to run a quart of acetone through the fuel system with the gas to clean the system and clear the injectors.    I informed him that she did not.    Greg then asked how many of these other mechanics and shop owners I have talked to since Monday give their personal cell numbers to their clients.   He requested that I bring my truck in so they can repair it,  and that they will make it right, and that they will take care of it.    I told him I would have the truck towed to the shop on January 21st, as I was not willing to drive it out to Glendale uncase of engine issues that may cause more damage.

At 10:52,  I called my wife to ask her about the acetone.   She told me that Greg had started to explain stuff to her, and she had stopped him and informed him that she was not a car person, and that he needed to tell me.    Greg apparently responded with “That’s Ok,  everything he needs to know is in the paperwork.”    Reading the paperwork again revealed no mention of Acetone in the fuel system.

Jan 21^st.   Called AAA for a tow truck to deliver the 4runner back to The Engine Builders.

At 1pm, I sat down with Greg at The Engine Builders.     He further explained how a bad injector could damage the engine,  and immediately threw his mechanics under the bus saying that they, as with most all other mechanics “only focus on one problem and don’t always fix the reason for that problem”.  He said it had been his intent to drive and diagnose the truck’s issues himself each time it had been in,  but had not had a chance too due to the fact that the truck was “repaired”  and released to me each time before he could test it himself.   When I asked about the parts being put in,  Greg told me that they put in what AutoZone sends them.   However, during my time at the office,   he had a discussion with his office manager about the Wrong spark plugs having to go back to AutoZone because “even though the parts store sent platinum sparkplugs,  the Dealership and the manufacturer requires a copper spark plug for the Hemi.”  Pointing that out to me,   he laid it out that he is able to catch such things in the shop only if he is able to see them or catch them.  If he hadn’t been there, that hemi powered dodge would have been given to the customer with the wrong plugs,  which would have in turn caused the care to run lean, and therefore damage the engine.   

When asked about parts, about why my truck was not equipped with Nippon-Denso plugs, he again told me that the plugs were the ones sent by AutoZone.    When I tried to get him to agree to giving me access to the receipts and invoices for the parts that have been put in my truck,  he told me that he does not buy “rebuild kits”   like other shops do,  but buys bearings,  oil pumps, rings,  pistons, etc from various makers, from the best companies he knows,  and that is how he builds engines for all of his customers.  While I was given the names of the companies he gets the parts from (Melling, Heliman, King), which Greg claimed were better quality than original parts.   I was still not shown the receipts.   I took him outside and opened the oil cap,  showing him the carbon build up in the top end.   His reply was “Let me show you how well things are cleaned” and brought me to the back of the shop,  to the workbench,  where he showed me an aluminum timing cover and oil pan,  both well cleaned and scrubbed.   However,  this did not answer my question about why there was so much carbon build up in the engine of my truck.  I feel this was a neglected part of my truck’s rebuild. I asked what his plan was in respect to my vehicle.   Greg wants to drive it,  see how the vehicle performs, and then will do a compression check of each cylinder.   It is in his opinion that there is a ring issue.   Worse case scenario,  there will be damage to the block, which will require another engine from a donor truck,  that the shop will build and install in my truck.    The engine cannot be bored out more than .30 over the original cylinder size.  If there is scoring on one or more of the damaged cylinders,  the block in the vehicle will be irreparable.  They will not be able to look at my truck until next week.   I will contact the shop Tuesday.   

January 26^th, 2016.     Called shop at 2:05 pm today.   No answer,  left a message requesting a call back.   No return call from shop.

Jan 27^th:  Called Shop at 1:30pm.   No answer.   Left message for call back.   Received call back within 3 minutes,   telling me Greg was on the other line, and that he would call me back when done.

Greg called me back 5 minutes later, and told me that they were having issues with an older chevy with a stroker engine,  which is different than other engines,  and that they will get to my truck tomorrow (January 28^th),  starting with a compression test, and, after the compression test is done,  start pulling the engine.

Called shop at 3pm,  needing to speak to Greg.   No answer.   Left Message. 

Has a heated conversation with Greg at 3:40 concerning my vehicle.    At this juncture,  I am not terribly confident or happy with the job that had been done each time my truck was brought in.   I am not terribly confident with what I am being told in respect to the issues, and my confidence is shaky concerning the job being done quickly.

I point blank asked my truck was not a priority.   I was told that it was.   When I asked why,  considering the situation,  my truck was not at the TOP of their to do list,  I was told that it was…Tomorrow.    I was told that his “one guy”  he wants on this big project had to finish the blazer,  and then would be on mine, tomorrow.   When I asked for a time frame,  he told me he would not know until tomorrow after the compression test.  To address my query into my truck being a priority, and having informed him that I am no longer holding residence in the state of Arizona and that my time here for work was limited,   he pointed out the job that was done on Dec 21^st, saying that they did it immediately.   He told me each time I brought the truck in it was looked at immediately.   When I asked why the truck only just got looked at and fixed on January 11^th-12^th, AFTER I returned to Arizona, and the truck had been at the shop since Dec 22^nd,  the conversation started to devolve.  The conversation rapidly got heated,  with Greg talking loudly over me,   telling me again how well his shop builds engines,  how I could go out and talk to his distributers on how he builds “stronger and better engines” and about the quality of the parts used ( I still not have been given or shown copies of the parts  invoices for my truck to confirm).    He countered me on every focus I have brought up, from what his mechanic said,  what I was told by other mechanics was wrong,  seemed to be sticking to the story that the engine would NOT run poorly with a failed injector (he asked if his mechanic told me the injector was “bad”, to which I said yes,  and only seemed to validate it as the failed part,  but not HOW it failed) , or kick warning lights, and then debunked the possibility of a low mileage JDM engine due to their poor care.   He then told me I needed to “stop accusing him”   of building a bad motor (which I have not done).   He told me that the problems that they are addressing are something that any other shop would be telling me “are my problem,  not theirs.”     After ensuring me, again,  that TOMORROW my truck would be first on the list,  and that they would take care of it,  the phone call ended.

February 1, 2016:  Called shop at 1:49pm for an Update.    No answer.   Left a message requesting a call back,  asking what had been found out about my truck.

February 2^nd, 2016:   Called shop at 8:49am, 10:32am and 1:06pm,   leaving a message each time for the shop to return my call and to please update me with the situation regarding my truck.  

Received a return call from the shop at 2:21pm,  and spoke to Greg.     Greg informed me that he had been thinking about what I had said about talking to Toyota specific mechanics and to the parts counter at the dealership,  and wanted to let me know that he has built a number of the 3.4L V6 engines for Findlay Toyota in Flagstaff, AZ, and that if his engines had issues,  a dealership would not use his services.

Greg then told me that his specific mechanic that he has had working on my truck was in the hospital,  having gone in for Emergency Surgery for something (he did not know what)  and wouldn’t be back to work until next Monday, Feb 8^th.     This is the only one of his mechanics he is willing to have work on my vehicle.    Greg also informed me that his mechanic had told him that my truck had been “overheated”,   and that there was a crack in the passenger side Intake manifold, and that the passenger side head gasket had melted.     He told me he was unsure,  as he has been out towing cars every day,  and is not in the shop to speak directly to his mechanics.   He read to me a text message from his mechanic (who is still in the hospital)  that roughly read “About 97 toyota 4runner, maroon, cracked passenger side intake manifold pipe,  and melted head gasket.”      Greg informed me the shop would cover it,  even though the truck “Overheated”,  but he wanted to let me know.   He also confirmed my vehicle would once again be worked on Monday, February 8^th,  when his mechanic he had returned to work.

During the entire time since the rebuild,   my truck never exhibited symptoms of running hot or overheating.    The dashboard mounted temp gauge never went higher than the normal operating temperature customary for that truck.    The truck,  during break in,   exhibited No loss of coolant,  no sign of coolant in exhaust,  no coolant smell,  no signs or white smoke indicative of a failed head gasket,  and NO sign of issues relating to a cracked intake manifold,  which would, if I am understanding where the crack is,  would cause a massive vacuum leak that would compromise the vehicle’s ability to run smoothly.  Aside from the oil blow-by, the vehicle has NOT run poorly suggesting any of these symptoms,    including the before mentioned flooding and/or lean running failed fuel injector.

Due to my mounting concern about this, I called Findlay Toyota in Flagstaff to confirm Greg’s statement that they use The Engine Builders as a rebuild shop.   Using the 1 888 275-1721 number found on their Flagstaff Dealership website,  I spoke to Alec in the Parts department,  who I asked about their use of  The Engine Builders as an engine rebuilder.    Alec asked why they would do that when they are able to rebuild engines at their own facility, using off the shelf Toyota parts.   He told me that an engine swap would result in them purchasing either a used engine or a long block, remanufactured engine from a business like LKQ Corporation, an auto component distributer. I asked about the JDM imported engines, and if they had experience with using them, and he told me that the dealership avoids them.  When I told Alec that Greg had told me that Findlay had used The Engine Builders,   Alec responded that he had never heard of the company before.

The New House!

Well, big changes are happening, and have been happening.   With me working full time on an excavation near Queen Creek, AZ,   working on my masters,  and the simple fact the heat drains all desire and energy from everyone, my posts here have been few and far between.

Kathryn and I were officially married on July 18th in Missoula, Montana, surrounded by our friends and families.   Our daughter Juniper is going to turn 1 in a little over a month,  and it is time for another change.


As such, I give you,  the Overland!


Back in February, we were visiting the Arizona Renaissance Festival, and I made the comment to Kathryn  "Wouldn't it be nice to just quit being an adult and follow the Ren faire?  Buy a camper and do the gypsy thing?




Kathryn said "Yes", and took far more initiative than I did.     But,  it does make perfect sense.    Being an Archaeologist,  the majority of my work are temporary projects that rove the country.  These projects can last for a week,  they can last for a year.    Luckily, the project I am on now is located 20 miles from our apartment.   But once it is over,  there are chances that I won't land another project in Phoenix,  and I will have to travel.   It is difficult for me to do that and leave my girls.   Having grown up in a home where my father was often away for work,  I have this desire to not emulate that.

So,  Kathryn and I discussed it at length.    In Arizona, it is easy to live in an RV.   Snowbirds do it all the time.     Why can't we?   It is essentially a Tiny House.  It would be our space,  and for RV lot rent with hookups and septic is an eighth of the cost of the rent we are paying now.    Seeing as financial freedom is something we want to achieve,  it would be helpful to pay on debts and keep ahead of our bills and put money into savings instead of dropping easily half of one's monthly pay on a place we don't much care for.  Yes, space will be at a premium,  but it is good to cleanse of the debris we all seem to collect.

So, two days before we left for Montana and our wedding,  Kathryn found and we checked out this..a 1985 Overland by Mallard.     33' of Class A motorhome with a Chevrolet 454 Big Block  and GM drivetrain.     It is in pretty fair shape,  but does need some work.     We purchased it free and clear,  then left it parked until we returned from Montana.


Now that we have returned,  we are able to go into it further.   It failed emissions,  which is probably because of bad gas and the "tune up in a can"  that I dumped in along with 5 gals of premium octane.
It also got a little warm,  and needs a complete cooling system flush and new rad cap.   Plugs, wires,  cap and rotor are all on the list.    I can do everything save for the flush (don't have a place to do it)  and the service of the Engine AC,  which i am sure is out of oil and is what is causing the screaming.

  We plan on taking out the folding couch bed because it, well, is gross,  and replacing it with a wooden bench with under seat storage,   The rotating chairs, Kathryn plans on cleaning and reupholstering,

The microwave does not work,  so it will get tossed and replaced with additional shelving.   The stove, fridge and water heater all run on LPG or Generator/battery/plug in.   We are planing solar panels to, at very least,  supplement the energy needs.    At the moment,  there are no deep cycle RV batteries in the Overland,  and we will need to get the wiring hookups for the batteries set up.

We will call someone for that.

The stove will get pulled as well, and we hope to replace it with a range top only,   opening more space within the kitchen.

Paint....for the love of the gods,  we need to paint...

The crappy tile stuff on the floor will be stripped out and replaced,  in my mind,  with laminate flooring.   Bamboo or something.     We are endeavoring to do this project as sustainable as possible, using recycled or reclaimed building supplies.   There is a large RV scrap yard here in PHX,  and we plan on making many trips.    Unfortunately,  the RV's generator is long gone,  and we will need to replace it.    I am going to get really good with electrical, I think.




















We will be getting a tow dolly or trailer for the 4Runner.   Due to my job,  I will need to go places that the Nissan would not be able to do.   Kathryn will drive the Nissan with the baby,  as there are no places in an RV to strap down a child seat.

But,   as it is,   We have a new House!    The Family is super excited,  and this new adventure is to be a good one.

A thought process, that has nothing to do with cars.

But has a fuck ton to do with common sense.    Forgive the profanity,  this entry will be full of it.   If that is a problem,  excercise your right to not be around and go elsewhere.   If  cold truth hurts,   well,  I don't want to tell you anything anyway.     I am not going to pull any punches here.  I am going to be blunt,   and I am going to be clear as a cold mountain stream.  


Ye been warned.

So.....I guess over the last two weeks,  my Alma matter, the U of M,  has had 3 deaths either on or associated with campus.  One suicide,  one (i believe)  sickness, and one fatal shooting.  

The  shooting is what is causing this rant.    

Right off the bat, I am going to state that, Yes, I am a gun owner.    I have a selection of firearms in my ownership and possession,  to which this automatically gives people the right to judge me for whatever their reason.  Good or Bad.    But I want to put that out there.  Someone will flip their shit and call this blog a "Hippy gun hater liberal fuckhead"  sort of writing.    This is my disclaimer.    I HAVE GUNS.  It is my right, and my (watch out,  big word coming) RESPONSIBILITY.      I shoot bambi and thumper and whatever disney moose people can remember because they are damn tasty, and it is to feed my family.   You want to argue with that, well fuck off, this has nothing to do with hunting.  

It has everything to do with fucking common sense and gun fucking safety.

The kid who "got shot".  A horrible accident.   Apparently,  he was at a house party (by the way,  booze is usually at house parties),  when out came a firearm for inspection and show and tell.    

Rule Number One:   Booze/guns/people you don't know  are a bad fucking idea.   That is the first thing that  you see in hunter's safety as a kid.   DO NOT DRINK AND HANDLE GUNS.    You aren't supposed to drive or fly or practice medicine all boozy either.

Rule Number Two.   THis is to the asshole who brought the gun out to show his friends.   Why was it fucking loaded?    Why was it not cleared of rounds before it was passed around?    Why did you need to show it off?   Handling guns give you a chubby dick?  Show you are a man?   Worse, are you trying to intimidate someone?    The kid who brought this gun out is 50% responsible for his friend's death,  right off the bat for even introducing the gun to the situation in the first place.

Rule Number Three:    When you aim a gun,  you commit to shooting the target.    This is final and applies to all guns.

OK...Apparently,  the kid who shot himself took the gun into his own hands, looked at his girlfriend,  and told her that if she ever left him, he would do this *placed gun to head and pulled trigger*

End of Story.   Now single girl gets to wipe brain matter off her face and live the rest of her life seeing her boyfriend commit suicide in front of her.

What the fuck.    Seriously, WHAT.THE.FUCK?    What in Sam fucking Hell did this kid think was going to happen?  the gun go click?   What the fuck...

Here is why I am all "WHAT THE FUCK".    My ENTIRE life  i have been exposed to guns.   My father has a good number of them.   From the moment I was old enough to concieve the purpose of a firearm,   I have been living by the rule  CONSIDER A GUN TO ALWAYS BE LOADED, EVEN IF IT IS NOT.    Always.      This is not a crazy notion,  is it?   You can drop the mag and eject the rounds and make sure the gun is completely dry, and you  don't think that putting it to your head is ok.   You don't look down the barrel of a gun you dont know,  certainly.

And this,  this was fucking doctrine for everything.   Squirt Guns.  Nerf Guns,  Rubber Band Guns.   BB guns.  ALWAYS TREAT THE GUN AS IF IT WAS LOADED.  NEVER POINT THE GUN UNLESS YOU MEAN TO ENGAGE THE TARGET.

Seems like common god damn sense.    But it isn't.  That is the problem.   The gun is not the problem.   It is the operator.   It is the people.    Kid one who brought out the gun should have cleared it.   He made a mistake.   He handed his friend a dangerous tool.    The kid who mishandled the gun and shot himself.....well,  he's dead.  Can't get more final than that.

And now, the real tragedy is that people are losing their shit over this.   Its a tragedy,   he was so young,  guns are bad,   gun nuts are everything wrong with the world,  liberals and hippies are going to take our guns away.  Blah blah blah.  


The kid who brought the gun to the party should be punished.    Reckless endangerment.    He failed to do his part and make sure the gun was completely damn empty.
The kid who is dead,  well,  he's dead.   Learned not to point a gun at himself the hard way.

This is the problem.  Irresponsible behavior, and no accountability.    Guns,  as I was growing up,  were always a big deal.   It was an honor, It was a privilege,  it was my father's trust in me, and all the things he taught me.      The gun was just the tool.    The rest,  far more important.  I got my first gun and it was a big fucking deal.   Like my first car and license.    BIG DEAL, BIG RESPONSIBILITY.   IF I SCREW UP, I LOSE THE PRIVILEGE.

Today,  kids are given things for the sake of having things.   They don't have to work for it, they don't have to honor it or be responsible to it.  The dead kid was like 19.    He was a kid,  dont care how you slice it.   He should have known better.   An accident?  Not at all.   Gross negligence?  

Damn Right.  

Honest Trucks.

Well, it has been a good long while since I have posted anything at all online,  let alone in my blog.   Kinda terrible at it.  LOL  that said,  I figured I would come back with a topic that has been on my mind in recent months.  And that,  is my Honest Truck.

Blame it on a number of things: Roadkill on youtube,  any number of articles on TRUCK YEAH/Jalopnik,  the simple insane pace of life down here in Arizona.   I'm in Mesa,  which really is now just Phoenix East.   Its a city.   No animals other than pitbulls and pigeons,  asphalt and concrete and crappy drivers, etc etc etc... I could go on, frankly.   But no one gots time fo dat.    It all comes back, in the way my brain works,  to my Honest Truck.

Or Trucks.   I have two, both of which I love.
Number one is my 97 Toyota 4Runner.    It is a happy, go lucky little 4x4 that has gone everywhere (all 2 places) I have taken it with ease.   In fact,  I think it is happier on dirt than on pavement.   I must say that I agree with this notion.   Driving to and from the dig site I was working this fall, and up to the top of the nearby mountain was a lovely time,  the little toyota eagerly and nimbly going up and down the road like a happy coyote on the trail.   Its wagon body really is perfect for what I need,  its a perfect platform for a daily driver/overlander.  The 3.4 liter engine is efficient, makes good power and speed.  The ground clearance is great in stock form, especially now that I have replaced the rear coil springs.   The truck has 245K miles on it,  and shows no sign of stopping.   So much so that I will be replacing the motor with a reman unit the moment it dies.   This truck is so very good that I have no intent to be rid of it.   I couldn't replace it for what I paid for it,    and It is still superior in my mind than anything newer.   Namely, because I can fix it in the field if need be.

This brings me to my second, and the one that is truly my favorite.   The 1983 Dodge Power ram, swb with a stepside bed and a slant six engine that I have owned for 13 years.  Even though it has given me trouble (my fault for not just flushing the fuel tank), is not highway friendly (65mph at the most) and is a single cab, so rather small,   I have not gotten rid of it.   I have considered it for sure,  but I have also thought about tattooing my face.

Neither will happen.

My Dodge is another honest,  delightful old truck.   The toyota is an automatic,  electric windows and AC.  The dodge is all carburetors and crank windows,  with a simple bench,  factory stereo delete,  ex Forest Service truck with a torque monster 225 ci "Slant" six engine,  4 speed with granny low manual, and 4:10 gears.   It has ten moving parts from tip to tail,  is that awful-ly unique Forest Service green,  and is about as refined as a WW2 Bomber.   And I can't put into words how much I love it.

I am, however,  missing it terribly.  It is not the most feesible truck to drive around here in Mesa,  would be too slow on the interstate,  and cant carry me, the wife, the dogs and the baby like the toyota can.   So,  I left it back home in Montana,   parked in the barn with mothballs on the floor and on top of the motor,  a tarp covering it from the pigeon shit,  and several bottles of seafoam in the fuel tank. And there she sits.   She has been sitting since april,   and no one has paid her any mind until last weekend,  when the family and I went back to Montana for a whirlwind 3 day visit.   For the briefest amount of time, I was able to extract myself from relatives and banter to go out to the barn to see my poor old truck.   Hooked up the battery,  pushed in the clutch, and turned the key.

And she started.      Runs rough as hell,  with the bad gas and all,  but she runs.     i wasnt able to take her out for a drive,   due to 4 bald tires and the roads coated in ice,   but I was able to enjoy the sweet roar of that old six,   feel the truck hum and vibrate on its worn springs,  the cheerful rattle of the things in the bed.   And it just made me happy.       What is the point of buying a new car or truck?   they are nice, sure.   The mileage is better,  they go faster,  are more comfortable.....  but I just don't trust them.....I dont trust things I can't touch.   You can't fix a motor in a new Dodge unless you hook it to a laptop first.  You can't listen for a moment and know what is wrong.   There are too many things to fail.  And for what?  a car-like ride and a boost to your testicles?
   I find old trucks the best.   They are happier, more fun.   Less rat race,  more adventure.    I would so much rather have something older that I can fix than not.   Both my trucks,  mind you are also paid off,   are really quite perfect.

A simple word for a simple machine.   And its often the most simple machines that have the most complicated souls.

Back from the Non-internets

Tonight, on Aggressive Tread....

I eat some lettuce...
Adak eats a bunny at work....
And we come back from a long hiatus...



Seriously, that is the truth...I am, as I write this, eating lettuce.  Felt the need for greens and something not related to wheat, at all.    And Adak did get a bunny at work.... And summer has been crazy....
But Enough of that!  I HAVE LETTUCE!

Hell Yeah.

Anyway, It has been a while since my last post here on Aggro Tread,  mostly because I have been busy and not terribly in a creative mood to bring you all sorts of automotive wittiness.  Lots of stuff to recap, not the least of which is the new job.  YES, I finally have one in this town of no work.  And great thing is, I get to work with cars!   WOO.    Seriously...I get to pick them up with a giant forklift loader machine and carry them around.    This is seriously an 8 year olds dream job.   Is it mine?   Well......no....lets be realistic.  I am an archaeologist at heart and in training, and being the yard manager at an auto insurance yard is fun,  but not my calling.   And I can't buy anything there...which sucks balls...but that could be a good thing, seeing as I would be forever broke if I could.