"doodon2whls" (doodon2whls)
04/21/2014 at 07:59 • Filed to: Easter, debates
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"doodon2whls" (doodon2whls)
04/21/2014 at 07:59 • Filed to: Easter, debates | 10
| 15 |
A belated 'Happy Easter' to those that celebrated yesterday. I have been traveling like crazy for work and volunteering for a non-profit Veteran Service Organization in my free time, so it was nice to have a 'day off'...
I couldn't sleep Sunday morning and woke up in time to see the F1 race in the wee hours after which I zonked out on the couch for a few more hours. My bride slept in, too, so it wasn't like I was ignoring her all morning... I've got a 'honey do' list full of projects, but none of them shall be started on Easter Sunday - I think it was in John 19:28: Thou shalt not a project start on the day of Christ's resurrection, or thy will pay with thine soul. Therefore, Easter Sunday was my opportunity to wash the last remnants of winter salt off of the SRT-4 ACR for the summer season. While it does have 115,000 miles on it, I treat my SRT-4 right (like most of my toys). Regular sponge baths, synthetic oil changes, and maintenance have left me with a clean example of this oft under-appreciated car.
My bride understands my love affair with all things !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! & !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but she still can't figure out why I sponge bathe my toys. I try to explain to her - it's my sanity retention... She reads trash novels to escape and I twist wrenches on, sponge bathe, and regularly exercise my toys - this seems fair to me. Besides, she spent most of her waking hours today 'getting cleaned up' and 'picking out an outfit' for Easter dinner. These two tasks take me no more than 30 minutes and that's with a clean shave. She is lucky I didn't disappear on the VFR for a couple of hours today.
Anyway, on to the debate...
It seems like every time that we venture off to a family function (such as Easter dinner) on a clear-blue-sky-wonderful-kind-of-day, we engage in a debate: Which vehicle to take.
The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , while providing the greatest of enjoyment for yours truly, doesn't fit the bill because apparently, "deviled eggs don't transport well in a knapsack" and her "hair will get messed up". OK, fair enough.. If we _have_ to bring food, it ought to be presentable. Who gives a shit about her hair - that's what hair brushes and scrunchies are for.
"The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is surely suitable", I sustain... Four doors, A/C, room for deviled eggs to arrive unscathed... Nope. Apparently, I drive it too spiritedly for our precious cargo to arrive undamaged. This is bullshit, BTW, because while I do drive spiritedly, I do not drive digitally. Smoothness in speed is my M.O., not holeshots and brake stands. Her hair may still get mussed as I do enjoy a good open-roof-back-road-flogging. She protests.
The last choice - before walking - is the SUV. It moves along nicely with motivation from a 5.7L, but it doesn't quite exude the 'fun-to-drive-on-a-clear-blue-sky-wonderful-kind-of-day' kind of experience. It's certainly comfortable and spacious and could probably carry 700 dozen deviled eggs adequately if necessary, but F that noise. No. NO. NO! "The SUV I will not drive today" - and so it says in Dood 2.4L:5MTX.
I put my foot down and we drive the SRT-4. Initially, she protests - the eggs are getting jostled. I assure her, "The eggs are just fine." We get onto the back roads and begin rolling towards our destination and as the SRT-4 unwinds the tarmac, she grins. Grins are followed by giggles and blow-off valve noises. "Pass this guy already," she quips as I slow to follow a lolligagger on the road... I laugh out loud at her. She looks puzzled. I drop down a gear and squeeze the throttle down. The TD04LR-16GK Turbo spools and the long-stroke 2.4L is force fed enough fuel and air to generate glorious amounts of torque. We accelerate and the lolligagger disappears behind us. She and I smile for several miles and we eventually arrive at our destination. "That was a nice drive," she offers when we pull into the driveway... I let the engine idle for a minute to reward it's hard work. "Yup."
I think I won this debate, although I'm sure I'll pay for it down the road somehow. One thing she cannot deny: it was a great day to enjoy the open road.
I hope you all had a great weekend, whether you hunted for Easter eggs or just had a nice break from work.
Keep Calm and Oppo On.
-Dood
jkm7680
> doodon2whls
04/21/2014 at 08:08 |
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Nice words! I enjoyed the read.
JACU - I've got bonifides.
> doodon2whls
04/21/2014 at 08:19 |
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Did the deviled eggs make it? I just love deviled eggs.
And congrats on keeping your SRT-4 so nice. So many undervalue these nice cars and they end up being junked when a little TLC could have kept them on the road much longer.
KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
> doodon2whls
04/21/2014 at 08:20 |
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One of the neighbors on my cul-de-sac and I went on a ride after lunch. He just finished cleaning his Harley, so he was on his Cam-Am (they are nice). I had 955cc of Britishness to work with (955cc Triumph).
I found out two things. One, he rides very quickly (Can-Ams make that very easy). Two, I'm convinced that the fuel gauge on the Triumph is made by Smiths (i.e. a lying bastard).
yamahog
> doodon2whls
04/21/2014 at 08:39 |
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I know the feeling. My boyfriend won't take the passenger seat on my motorcycle either.
Lekker
> doodon2whls
04/21/2014 at 08:50 |
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This should be a daily post. Seriously. Give us more stories!
NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
> doodon2whls
04/21/2014 at 09:05 |
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Great piece, and well written. Thanks!
Tekamul
> KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
04/21/2014 at 09:39 |
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I've never heard of a MC fuel gauge that worked well.
I've never owned a bike with one personally, but I'm sure they were actually engineered by AAA, in hopes that you'll call them to bring you a gas can.
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KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
> Tekamul
04/21/2014 at 10:24 |
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The problem is that the one on my Triumph is alarmist. "OMG! You have gone one mile! You are clearly out of petrol!"
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Tekamul
> KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
04/21/2014 at 10:39 |
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Exactly! You know better, so you ignore it. That's how they get you! Then they can cover their asses when you run out. "See, we told you it was all gone! We've been telling you for 200 miles!"
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doodon2whls
> Tekamul
04/21/2014 at 22:57 |
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The fuel gauge on the VFR is pretty good, actually - not that I need it, really. That is until the fuel level sender dies, then it's not so cool... That hasn't happened to me.... yet...
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doodon2whls
> JACU - I've got bonifides.
04/21/2014 at 22:59 |
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The deviled eggs survived, natch.
It's really not that hard to take care of your toys in little bits of effort. It's when you neglect them for a long period of time that the equipment suffers.
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doodon2whls
> Lekker
04/21/2014 at 22:59 |
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Heh - if I only had the time and material... Thanks for the endorsement, though. ;-)
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doodon2whls
> jkm7680
04/21/2014 at 23:00 |
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Thanks ! I thought Oppo-land would enjoy a little story on a Monday morning.
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doodon2whls
> NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
04/21/2014 at 23:00 |
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Thanks for the read and leaving a comment !
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jkm7680
> doodon2whls
04/22/2014 at 06:37 |
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Stories on Monday are always nice!