I was just going to leave the top up, but peer pressure is a terrible thing. Of the 12 cars gathered for our Club's Holiday Light Tour, about half had their tops down in the rapidly diminishing temperature since sundown. It was cold, but not that cold and sure makes for better light viewing. Amazingly enough we kept all 12 cars together for 95% of the trip. We lost one for a moment in the last subdivision we they went straight instead of right at a stop sign.

We all had a nice time at the ensuing party. As we traditionally do, we did the ol' swaperoo gift exchange thing. Everyone gets a number, you pick a wrapped gift or one that has already been opened forcing that person to pick another gift, etc. Because we are a group of mostly couples there was an even mix of girlie Christmas gifts and manly gifts, with a smattering of loony gifts. I actually hand my hands on a talking tire pressure gage for a minute or two. But when someone took it away from me, I made what my wife calls a classic mistake at things like this, I opened a wrapped gift. As soon as I opened it I knew I was going home with it. It was "Floozie." A couzie (foam can drink cooler) with a gaudy tie-dyed covering and the top surrounded by hot-pink feather boa.

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Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 335

A nice day today, so a lunch time ride was in order. While I was out I stopped at the Screenprint Factory to order the next batch of Barndoor Fan Club T-shirts. They should be ready just in time for Christmas giving....

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Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 332

Well, so long Blogger, so long Blogspot I'm on my own now, Moveable Typing along. Ditched the haloscan comments, dumped the blogorama listing and lost the counter stats thing.

The comments are built into MT, so I don't have to rely on some outside service. Has anybody found me from blogorama, nope! Stats, Schmats. Who cares how many people read this and if they are, where and why are they here, I don't.

Come see me.

The Life of Brian

My Blogger Shirt arrived today. As a matter of fact I have it on right now. I wanted on a long time ago, way back when I started this blogging gig, but the were closing out the shirts and didn't have my size. They never re-stocked. I guess flush with some new Google money they made up some more shirts, so I got me one. Kind of ironic though, I just moved one of my blogs over to Movable Type and I'm work on converting the other.

Purchased Today: nothing
Money spent since 03/03/03: $705.02
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 126

In spite of the dire predictions of more of yesterday’s weather today, the top stayed down all day as the rain didn't show until after 6:00 PM. And even then it was a 10 minute sprinkle. Of course folks 5 miles in another direction could have gotten soaked, but I didn't hear any thunder.

This blog's reserved parking spot may be moving soon. The transfer of Brian's Daily Rant from Blogspot to MT on a domain of my own went real smooth, so look out.

Purchased Today: nothing
Money spent since 03/03/03: $705.02
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 125

Went out at lunchtime to walk around the parking lot for a bit of exercise and fresh air. Two steps out of the building it was apparent that it was going to rain big time any minute. As a matter of fact it was raining lightly as we pulled the cockpit cover off and raised the top. Lightning was visible to the south as we walked back in. Smug with the satisfaction of dodging a bullet, we returned inside. Well Mother Nature doesn't like smugness, so she made it not rain at all over our company's property all afternoon.

When we left work it still looked like rain in spots so we left the top up. Good thing too as at about the halfway mark on the trip home we ran into literally a wall of water. With the windshield wipers on high a forward speed at 20 MPH was too fast. The lightning was flashing all around us like we were Madonna and Guy Ritchie entering an LA eatery. Then about a block from home it throttled back to just a normal light rain. I bet we had 3" of rain in the 20 minutes it took us to drive 3 miles.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $705.02
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 125

Took advantage of the frighteningly scarce sunny afternoon weather we had today and went for an aimless drive around the back roads of Aiken County. After about 150 miles of driving, I'm liking these Toyos more and more. Haven't really had a change to challenge any serious twisties with them, but from the few tight curves locally I've attacked, they seem to grip very well. Plus, even pumped up to 35 PSI, the softer side walls smooth out the rough roads nicely. The old Bridgestones were rock hard at 29 PSI and had a tendency to trammel all over the lane at the slightest provocation from any slant in the pavement surface.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $705.02
Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 124

Washed off the car in the garage using some Mequiars Quick Detailer. Vacuumed the car out. Washed the windshield. Even touched up the scrape marks on the front air dam with some semi-gloss black paint. Why you ask, because we were going over to the Sno-Cap Drive In for a Miata Club gathering. About 15 minutes after we got there the rain started and didn't quit until about an hour after we got back home.

Money spent today was for a hydraulic jack at Wal-Mart. A 2-ton unit with two jack stands, 2 wheel chocks and a shiny chrome cross lug wrench. According to the instructions on Miata.net I'll need to put a groove in a length of 2 x 4 so I can lift one whole side of the car at a time. Downside to this is I may have to drive up on some 2 x 6 to get the required clearance to put the jack under. It is a step in the right direction, maybe after 5 or 6 years I'll be ready to step up to the $200 aluminum race jack.

Purchased Today: $31.55
Money spent since 03/03/03: $705.02
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 123

$50 was spent on getting the new tires mounted and balanced. For future reference the mileage was 116,050 at the change. Fourteen twenty-five was for petrol. Made a lot of transitions today. Rain was all about and there were extended stops for work, tires and shopping. Sears had a 2-1/4 ton hydraulic jack on sale for 50% off making it just $19.99. I finally decided to break down and get a nicer jack. For ever I have been using the scissors jack that comes with the car and when I did the brakes a couple of weeks ago I decided that that was enough. They were all gone when I got there. This started me on a hunt for a jack. The first place I looked was for advice on the Miata.net Tool Talk forum. lots of advice there, so much so that I'm now convinced that I should buy an aluminum race jack for $170 from Harbor Freight. Or I should just go to Wal-mart and spend $60 on a jack and some stands - Jeez, thanks guys.

Purchased Today: $64.25
Money spent since 03/03/03: $673.47
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Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 122

The screen printer called to tell me my next shipment of the gray Barndoor Fan Club T-shirt was done. I picked them up after work. I owed 2 larges out already, one for the winner of the Roadside Attraction Photo Contest and the other for a fellow in Italy who ordered one a ways back before I had a chance change the web page to reflect I was out of them. He paypaled me the money and when I offered to return it, he said no he'll just wait.

So if you have been waiting on the restocking of ash gray shirts, go order one!

Purchased Today: zip
Money spent since 03/03/03: $609.22
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Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 115

Went I came up back up front to my office this afternoon I was met by a friend who said, "You better go put your top up. Russ already did." (Russ is the other Miata owner where I work) I went to my desk and fired up the Weather Channel's radar and after watching the radar loop for a bit almost decided not to go out. But something told me to go ahead and do it, just in case. Good thing I did, about 5 minutes after I did, it rained big time. Too much for the cockpit cover to have held back.

While rummaging around in a draw looking for something, I stumbled onto some Miata logos in blue reflective tape I had hand cut out a few years back. I already have some on my car, so if you would like these (two 7" and one 4-1/2" long) let me know and I'll mail them to you.

Purchased Today: diddly
Money spent since 03/03/03: $609.22
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Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 112

My new tires are HERE! they will probably get mounted on Friday. That is the day we have a half day off because of working 9 hour days Monday through Thursday.

Purchased Today: nothing
Money spent since 03/03/03: $609.22
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 110

Posting here tonight using the new Blogger interface. Everything has a different look, but all the function is still there with a couple added things, like a preview and there is a tab labelled ":Publishing" that I haven't hit yet. The bottom half of the page keeps refreshing on it's own, which is kind of annoying. And it is now called BloggerBasic, well, that puts us freeloaders in our place.

My new tires are in Atlanta, the website still say delivery on 6/10 (tomorrow.)

Purchased Today: nothing
Money spent since 03/03/03: $609.22
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 110

Had a real nice turnout for our Meet and Greet with the writers from the German Miata Magazine, Blue Sky, with dozen cars and about 18 people. We hung out and chatted while Eberhard took photos of the cars. Afterwards most all drove into Augusta to eat pizza at the Pizza Joint. On our way back to our cars Rudy said too bad we didn't take them to the Blue Sky Kitchen a few blocks back. The only thing that salvaged us from this major missed opportunity is that after checking the web page Blue Sky Kitchen isn't open on Sundays.

Purchased Today: nada
Money spent since 03/03/03: $609.22
Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 110

Early blogging because we our going out this evening on a "baby" sitting assignment and usually don't get home until uber late.

This morning was Adopt-A-Highway trash pick-up day with the Aiken Bicycle Club. we got about half of 3 block area picked up when the rain started.. No problem as we brought an umbrella because of the weather. I held the umbrella and bag and Donna picked up the bits of stuff on the median. There were 4 others helping us out and 6 people is just fine for our little stretch. Best piece of trash today was a tie, 2 different plastic hub cap/wheel covers from 2 different cars.

Purchased Today: $zero
Money spent since 03/03/03: $609.22
Started up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 109

The deluge started at around 3:30 PM and we don't get off work until 4. Fortunately I listened to my wife, when at lunch time, she said, "Go put the top up." It has been raining pretty steady ever since.

As if I didn't need another way to waste time on the internet. started another blog today, aptly titled, MY FIRST GREYMATTER WEBLOG. It is mainly set up for my entries into Photo Fridays, but if I can figure it out, I may move this blog over there....

Purchased Today: $zero
Money spent since 03/03/03: $609.22
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 109

Nobody else wanted it, so I'm going to do it again, President of the Master's Miata Club. Elections were tonight and I won the election unanimously, of course, the fact that I was unopposed may have had something to do with it too.

Track my new tires - expected delivery is next Tuesday.

Added some stickers and a mouse pad to the store.

Purchased Today: $13.75 in gas
Money spent since 03/03/03: $609.22
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Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 108

I still haven't found the right script font I wanted, but I've got one that is acceptable. Made up a couple of designs for applying to mugs for the new Cafe Press store for this Blog. I'll be starting with just some mugs for now, at least until I get some higher resolution images for the T-shirts.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $595.47
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Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 108

Big purchase today, nearly $300. As mentioned a couple of posts ago, the Bridgerocks were fast approaching the wear bars. After poking my head in on the Tires and Wheels forum on Miata.net I discovered that Onlinetires.com is running a special on the much ballyhooed Toyo T1-S in my 195/50-15 size. $59 a piece. From the discussion I read they have a much softer side wall than the Bridgestones I'm coming from so turn in will not be as crisp, but the grip is right up there. Right now I think I would like a softer side wall, we'll see how long it takes to transition between these two tires. One thing is for sure, the Toyo's have a much more aggressive looking tread, I'll be the envy of all the rice boys. ETA, 2 weeks.

Purchased Today: $283.46
Money spent since 03/03/03: $595.47
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 105

Flush with my successful car maintenance this weekend I am now ready to tackle the leaking hot water shut off valve under the kitchen sink. It didn't leak until I used it the weekend before last when I installed the new faucet. It didn't even work completely as a shut off valve then. It let a small dribble loose, so much so that I had to go outside and shut the water to the whole house to do the faucet change out. When I turned everything back on the valve leaked around the stem. I tightened down the nut and I backed out the valve as far as it will go, but it still drips. There is a bowl under there catching the 20 drops a day it leaks for now. Tonight I bought a similar valve at Lowes in hopes that they are somewhat universal and I may be able to swap out the internals. I'll let you know how it goes.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $312.01
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 104

A nice ho-hum Sunday. Went for a hike in Hitchcock Woods this morning. Went to Zaxby's for lunch. Spent the rest of the day lounging on the couch watching movies.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $312.01
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 104