June 30th, 2009 by Max
The other day I took the new car to Montezuma National Wildlife Center just to go there. Along the way I went through Homer, NY and the light was perfect. The houses there have been maintained particularly well and once again I was struck by the beauty of my state.
Posted in My New York, Photos | No Comments »
June 29th, 2009 by Max
I’ve got a ton more pictures and opinions … just trying to collect time to blog…
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June 23rd, 2009 by Max
You’ll see this and say, its really not that bad. And its true. There is a bend in the rocker panel inside the door, so that meant it would have to had been on a frame straightener, as well has having two fenders and a door and the back bumper maybe replaced too.
Anyway the guy said they stopped counting when they got to $6000 using Gary’s U Pull it parts even!
There's the bent frame. Doesn't look real bad does it?
Posted in Mustang | No Comments »
June 20th, 2009 by Max
Car’s done. I’ll post a pic soon. 02 Honda Civic. Its a step down from Mustang Sally in terms of looks 
but it gets good mileage and is the only seemingly solid, likely to be running next year, car, that I’d seen in my two weeks of looking, without getting a loan.
^ English! ?
Posted in Mustang | No Comments »
June 14th, 2009 by Max
“I danced form the moment I could stand.” -Anna Pavlova
Posted in Arts | No Comments »
June 13th, 2009 by Max
Hello internet:
I’ve just totalled my 2002 Mustang. I’m expecting somewhere between $2500 and $6500 in inusrance payments. I have no idea which they’re going to offer.
I like to drive the country roads and I sometimes go off road in search of birdwatching opportunities and fishing opportunities – so the Mustang (Did I ever mention I called her “Sally”?) was not the ideal car. But I loved her. [I think some women thought it was a cool car too!]
But now I’m serious. I want great mileage, off road capabilities [I don't need a hummer - well ok - I don't need a Humm Vee. Just a car that won't bottom out on dirt roads], real sleek looks all in a used car for around $2500. Am I asking too much?
What kind of car should I buy?
Posted in Changes in the World In My Lifetime, Mustang | 5 Comments »
June 8th, 2009 by Max
So, not only is dear ole dad struggling and dear little sis having troubles and they are having troubles – so that I miss most of Monday and all of Tuesday from work, but I get to work Wednesday, with no clue that would be my last day of work last week.
I go to the Mac Users Group meeting 20 miles up the interstate, with a McD’s fish sammich in my gut and some learning to do. On the way home, I’m still hungry – I don’t do the “meal” at these places because of the fat in the fries. So I’m hungry. Go to Wendy’s get a drink and a dollar double stack, pickles, mustard, catchup. And I hear this song. A song from WAY way back. A song I used to have on a 45 rpm single [no mustard or pickles]. So Roger Miller is singing away and I’m remembering the words. After the song I turn off the radio and sing to myself. I want to remember the words.
I try a low key. I try a high key. Its actually a song with quite a range. Third time’s the charm and I’m singing away following the speed limit on Rt 88 far too poor to dare go fast, I have fines to pay.
And there she is. And she is perfectly in the middle of my lane. Perfectly perpendicular to my direction. And its a long sweeping curve so my headlights don’t hit the 400 pound doe till just before I’m going to. And she’s not moving.
Its hard to know for sure if I was trying to save her, or trying to save myself by not having her land in my lap, but if I’d kept going straight the front of my low car would have passed right between front and back legs.
So I yank the car left into the passenger lane, but at 65 mph I go right across it, so I yank the car right and it starts to slide sideways. Again I’m not sure if it wouldn’t go back left, after all it was skidding sideways, the sound was like the movies, or if it just went left too slowly but I pretty much go headlong into the guard rail.
Up here in NY some guard rails are just three cables held by steel posts. This was one of them. It caught, I think, the right front corner, and the front center, then the front left where it ripped off the left front corner of the car. The Mustang then pinwheeled down the guardrail and ended up with the back of the car on the same guardrail. Now the nose is sticking out onto the right hand lane and a car has pulled up behind me to see if I’m alright. I drive off the guardrail and stop on the shoulder. I don’t see fire but I want out. Using my good right leg I push the driver’s door open and get out onto the shoulder. My knees wobbley and my back spasming, I call 911.
Ambulance ride. ER. Overnight stay which lasts fom 10 pm Wednesday to 2:30 pm Friday and I’m home. Thanks Kelvin buddy. Your rides and patience made my tough time much easier.
I had no bruises from the car, although I can’t say the same about the nurses at A.O. Fox Hospital, all of whom were cute. As was the P.A. who took great care of me.
The air bag never went off.
The place where the accident happend showed almost no sign of there ever having been an accident, and I couldn’t even find any skid marks which still puzzles me. I think I scrubbed off a lot of speed by skidding side ways!
The cop gave me a ticket, for damaging the guardrail, which really didn’t look that bad either.
I never ate the doublestack.
And the song I was singing?
Yep. “King of the Road”!
Posted in Changes in the World In My Lifetime, Mustang | 4 Comments »
June 3rd, 2009 by Max
This is the first installment of what my liberal friends might think of as me going over to the dark side.
The US Government (yes its us) holds a majority interest in General Motors (as well as AIG!)
I know President Obama wants to save jobs. I do too. But it just doesn’t seem fair to have the government competing with a business that the government can regulate.
Capitalism includes the opportunity to fail. More job loss means more jobs lost. What a mess.
President Obama is in a bad spot, and I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now, but just on general principles, I can’t help but feel that we should have let some of these businesses fail.
What a mess!
Posted in Changes in the World In My Lifetime, Politics | 1 Comment »
June 3rd, 2009 by Max
Not that easy to find bluebirds … even in this state funded housing project!
Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos | No Comments »
June 2nd, 2009 by Max
So there I was, driving home from trying to find good pictures of birds of prey, and the light is great and there, literally on the side of the road, was this ring necked (male I assume) pheasant. At 55 mph it took me a bit too stop, but, I put the car on the side of the road and grab the camera.
This one wanted to play games. He went behind the only bush in this field, then across the road and up the someone’s driveway. I chased him of course, waiting for that time when he would fly. Trying to get between him and the sun, in order to get a good shot. He wanted to run toward the light so while I took a whole bunch of pictures, most weren’t that great. A couple of these are fun though!
Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos | No Comments »
June 1st, 2009 by Max
This was fun. This is a killdeer. She’s fine. No birds were harmed in the making of this blog post. Apparently their tactic for protecting the nest is to play injured to distract a would be predator from the nest.
Posted in Arts, My New York, Photos, Science | 2 Comments »
Countless Screaming Argonauts