Wax On, Wax Off

stripe-accents

The CBTNL needs a washing and my plan is to do it tomorrow evening. I’d like to throw a coat of wax on it too, but I’ve got a small problem, my fancy matte stripes. Everything I’ve read is don’t get wax on the matte finish, it”l make it shiny. That’s all well and good if the whole car is matte. Or your whole hood. Or even a couple of accents. But I’ve got 4 straight lines that run the length of the entire car I have to wax right up to, but not over! I was not to good about coloring in between to lines growing up, so this will be a daunting task.

No way I was going to mask the stripes off every time I want to wax the car. But the word tape keyed an idea, why not apply a 1″ gloss vinyl stripe along each side of the matte blue stripe? That would would be enough of a buffer and if I got wax on shiny vinyl, so what. Above is a mock up using my Windows 10 profile picture. The dark blue is nice and the white ain’t bad, but I’m partial to the black. I even did a little experiment, I laid a stretch of black electrical tape on all 4 sides on the trunk. Nice.

When I put the electrical tape away I noticed that I still had the sample of matte blue vinyl that was tested on the trunk lid awhile back. I had stuck it to the cabinet door in the garage. So I took some masking tape and covered half of the sample square. I then squirted some of the Ice Liquid Wax I’ve been using recently on the unprotected half. Let it sit for a second then wiped it off with one side of a micro fiber cloth and buffed it with the other. When I peeled off the masking tape, I couldn’t see a difference. I’ll have to try it on a not so noticeable spot on the car in daylight, but maybe this wax won’t be an issue.

I still like the black accents though, maybe that will be one of my Christmas gifts…

Politics as Unusual

Usually every 4 years around this time we here at Life of Brian headquarters announce our endorsement for President of the United States of America. Usually it is a third party candidate based on the car they drive or their stance on marijuana legalization. This year we have no one who falls into the correct automobile category, but we do have one that is head and shoulders above anyone now, or anyone previously, on the “Cannabis is OK” front. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson would be perfect for our endorsement, except for his seeming propensity for firing up a doobie before giving interviews, policy statements or town hall meetings.

So this year we will will take the unusual stance of not endorsing anyone for President. You are on your own on this one.

Happy Halloween

 

 

me-as-asco-al
Or: Will The Real ASCO Al Stand Up.

Several years ago our company nurse commissioned the son of an employee who is an artist to create a series of twelve safety posters, one for each month depicting different monthly safety subjects, featuring a fictional person called ASCO Al.

Every year the company has a Halloween “Spirit” Week which include guessing how many candy corn are in a jar, a pumpkin carving contest and a costume contest. Over the years I’ve thought that maybe I would join the fun and come in costume. I’m almost perfect to come as Obi-Wan Kenobi (from a New Hope), I even have the plastic lightsaber handle. But every year I did nothing.

Until 2014 when I discovered Steve Wintercroft’s beautiful paper low-poly masks. The first time I scared people with a giant skull. The next year I tried a two for one, I made a jack-o-lantern mask and entered it in the carving contest and then wore it as a costume (winning neither.)

Sometime early this year I decided to put up or shut up and come in a “real” costume. And I knew just what it would be, the real life representation of ASCO’s Safety Guy, Al. I already had the ear plugs and safety shields that fit over glasses. The white gloves are stocked in our tool crib and blue jeans were no problem either, I just needed a red beret and a white polo shirt. The beret we found in a costume shop in Charleston when we got stripes put on the CTBNL and polo shirt came from the local Goodwill store. I was going to use a green Sharpie to put the ASCO logo on the shirt, but in the end I had one of Donna’s fellow MRP Planners create them in iron-on vinyl because she does that sort of thing as a side line. I’ve got a real white mustache already, but because of the beard it needed enhancing, so we bought a 99¢ stick-on ‘satche at Party City that I shaped to fit.

Friday was dress up day and voting began today. I’m fairly sure I’ll get at least three votes, me, Donna and the company nurse, but after that who knows. ASCO AL appears on at least a dozen posters scattered all around the plant in different scenarios every month and is also featured in the company’s monthly newsletter which is posted on every table in the cafeteria and in every bathroom stall, yet still at least half the people I talked to on Friday had no idea who I was.

Tell me who you would have voted for in the comments below:
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Weekend Round Up

Saturday the CTBNL got an oil change and tire rotation at 49,149 miles.
Saturday the Purple Whale got a bath and a massage at Lulu’s.

Sunday the Miata stayed home and the Sonata went geocaching.
Sunday the fantasy football team named after the Sonata went down for the fifth time this season.

Demolition Men

demolition-men

Donna and I went to the Western Carolina State Fair this evening to watch the Demolition Derby. Judging by the crowd, so did a lot of people. The show was scheduled to start at 7:00, but it was well after and there wasn’t any action. Donna said, “If it hasn’t started by 7:20, we’re leaving.” I think they started playing the National Anthem at 7:19. We watched the first heat of six cars, but after that 20 minute session we had had enough.

We then roamed the fairgrounds looking for the 3 for $10 Mini-Funnel Cakes that one of Donna’s co-workers had told us about. This option seemed ideal as we could get one I wanted, one she wanted and another to share. The directions that we were give:, “Once through the main entrance hall it is the first one on the right.”

I asked the girl at the window for the Mini-Funnel Cakes and she said, “We don’t have them, they’re on the other side.” We walked across the fairgrounds to another funnel cake booth, the guy inside said, “We don’t have them and I don’t know of anyone who does.” I recommended circling around one more time. The third funnel cake booth we found didn’t display anything like small cakes and there was no mention of them on the menu so I didn’t even ask.

We didn’t check at the non funnel cake booths, so maybe they were at one of the cotton candy places or corn dog emporiums. Possibly they were available and it was like a speakeasy thing where you have to have a password. Or maybe the Mini Funnel Cakes are like one of those things that pranksters send rubes for that don’t really exist, like blinker fluid or a left-handed monkey wrench.

Sonata Profile Picture

Purple Whale Profile Picture

When I made the profile picture for the CTBNL I was so proud of it I used it nearly everywhere. I used it on Fuelly to replace a Miata photo. So over on the left there was one “icon” representing a Miata and one picture representing the Sonata. The Purple Whale was crying for its own icon. I hated to see him so sad, so…