A Work in Progress

"It is my life goal to change my own oil today." The guy at the auto parts store stared back at me, a little befuddled, but willing to hear me out.  I had, of course, run into another snag trying to change the oil in the mini. I guess I should start at the beginning.  I have some admissions here, dear readers, admissions of ineptitude.  But, never stop learning, right? Back in the fall I decided that changing the oil in the mini would be a project that would help me bond with the me car and was some preventative maintenance that surely I could handle.  Well, so, I thought. I was full of fire and motivation one day and went out to buy the necessary items.  Bottle jack, jack stands, and fancy oil in tow, I returned ready to get this oil changing party started.  Okay, so after I figured out how to use the jack, I placed it in what I thought was the right spot.  Well.  "What I thought" is the key phrase in this sentence.  Every...

Top Gear advise never to meet your hero car.  Of course, they're talking about the Ferrari California, Butatti Veyrons and Pugani Zondas.  Despite their warning, I bought my hero car without even seeing it in person.  Here is my Top Gear style review. Just because it needed tons of bulbs, a new spare tire, lug nuts, new shocks, brake cylinders, ball joints, a front headlight, a radiator, and rear brakes, and just because it had a wobbly steering wheel, wing mirror, and muffler, and just because it has no air conditioning, radio, or automatic windows, and just because it has a few bumps and scratches, and a couple of rust spots doesn't mean that it isn't the most awesome car I've ever seen. Oh, and the interior light is falling out, and in a slight 40 year design flaw, the ignition coil is in the very front of the car, exposed to rain and susceptable to shorting. It is beautiful in its simplicity.  When a car is 10x5x4 it can't be complicated.   It has just a ...

Back in October I eluded to a 'new' 'commuter car' that never came to fruition.  Some of you may know that I have lusted after a classic mini cooper for some time now.  I have spent years trolling ebay and minimania.com looking for one in a reasonable radius at a reasonable price.  I stumbled upon one very near to my house and almost bought it.  That was, until it was hit by a state snow plow. So, the search continued.  A passive hobby, every once in a while scanning the sites until one popped up in Rhode Island.  That's not too far, and after my years of research, I know what the going rate is, and this one was cheap.  So, sight unseen (save some bad pictures) I decided to buy it. Last week I drove up there, and before I knew it I was sitting in the most adorable car ever produced by man.  I was very happy to see that it did in fact exist, was drivable, and that the seller was really selling it and not planning to murder me at all.  Every...

That's just silly.

Avalanche falls at The Flume in the White mountains The mini enjoyed the Kangamangus highway immensely.

The first two of many, may more to come of my new ride.