[billybob_jcv]

The '69 Boss 429 is my favorite Mustangs. It just has bad @ss written all over it. The fact that it is also incredibly rare and valuable just makes me like it even more.

 

[Magick Man]

I hate funerals, and weddings, and pretty much anything that requires me to be around my extended family for one moment longer than is absolutely necessary. They're a bunch of ungrateful, illiterate, self-centered ***holes.

Okay, now that I have that out of the way, my uncle died. No big shock, he's been dying for months, this last weekend he simply decided to call our bluff. I didn't particularly like the man, he was a cruel, sadistic redneck, who had no compassion or love for any living thing, other than his two children who are just like him. That said, he made of me a last request, on his death bed, to help get his daughter out of trouble with "the wrong people". See, she's into some nasty men for >$20000, pills and pot, and they're going to do bad things if she doesn't pay. So, we talked, I'll get her out of hock, if she goes to rehab and gets cleaned up, no more drugs and booze. Well, she says that's unacceptable. That I should help her because we're family. I explain that not going to rehab is like throwing the money away, unless she commits to change she's going to repeat the cycle. That made her angry, so she runs to the rest of the family and feeds them garbage, further turning them against me. Now we are uninvited and restricted from all extended family functions, indefinitely.

That's the best outcome I could have ever hoped for. I'm so happy I'm beside myself, I literally danced a jig.


[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGWIFlDVv1M[/VIDEO]


On the issue of funerals and such things, my wife loves them. Her second career choice was funeral director, back when she was deciding on her path. She's fascinated by the whole process; embalming, makeup, and the ritual of it all. This even extends to mummification and taxidermy, she has a full-size stuffed raven in her art room (Edgar), a pair of crows in the den (Heckle and Jeckle), and an adult lynx in the library (we didn't have it stuffed, it's been dead for ages). Anyhow, she loves anything like that, and even wrote out her own Book of the Dead on a papyrus scroll 40 cubits long (try locating that much some time), in hieroglyphs and Eastern Syriac, with an Ibis quill. It's all freaky, but it suits her and it's part of why I'm crazy about her.

So, there we are, in the funeral parlor during the receiving friends. We didn't bring Emma, no reason to and she was enjoying her time playing with her nanna. The whole time we're there "the family" is staring daggers at us, except my immediate family who are trying to stay neutral and keep the peace. This is a funeral home that the Mrs hadn't seen before and she wanted to explore, so we did. In fact, we got one of the directors to show us around, looking at all the equipment, caskets, and fixtures. It isn't my thing but it was interesting. While scoping things out she finds this cool Egyptian urn for cremation, cast in bronze. Something like that is unusual, here in the South. So she asks about the price, the guy is a little surprised but he looks it up and she buys it.

After that, I'm carrying it around and my aunt asks what it is, and I tell her. That causes a stink, because we're supposedly being disrespectful and insensitive to those mourning (this from the people who had arrived in sweat pants and were burping and telling dirty jokes all evening). Well, that was enough. So I went to the casket and paid my last respects, I threw in a pack of Marlboros that I'd bought for the occasion, since smoking 3 packs /day for the last 45 years is what killed him (and there probably aren't any in Hell). I told my aunts, uncles, and cousins they can go join him tonight, for all we care. Then we went and had a nice steak dinner at Ruth's Chris. What a pleasant evening.

 

[warrenpchi]

Quote:

That's the best outcome I could have ever hoped for. I'm so happy I'm beside myself, I literally danced a jig.

I told my aunts, uncles, and cousins they can go join him tonight, for all we care. Then we went and had a nice steak dinner at Ruth's Chris. What a pleasant evening.

 
LOL!  So overall this has been a pretty good year then!  I was a little bummed last night.  So I decided to finally pick the Q701 I've been wanting for over a year now.  Amazon dropped them to pretty much it's lowest price ever, so I bit the bullet there.

 

[billybob_jcv]

As I have said many, many times - you get to choose your friends, but you do not get to choose your family. The idea that you owe something to someone because they share some of your genes is ridiculous. If you even *like* some of your relatives that should be considered a miracle. I help people because: 1) I like them, 2) They deserve it. Emma would fit into both categories of that formula - but your skanky cousin? Fail + Fail = GTFO.

My advice: Next time send flowers, bypass the drama, and go straight to the steak dinner.

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

That's the best outcome I could have ever hoped for. I'm so happy I'm beside myself, I literally danced a jig.

 

 
On the one hand, it's sad that it came to that.....but on the other hand, sounds like you've freed yourself from an enormous headache.....so I guess congratulations are in order. 

 

[obobskivich]

Magick - sorry to hear about psychopathic/sociopathic family members. I can empathize more than I'd like to be able to (however I got the last laugh - they've all died by now!). I think the whole "irreverence about death" thing due to appreciating the art and ceremony of funerary riturals is a little nutty too, but I'm guessing I don't need to tell you that. Speaking of - see any cool rides on your tour?

Warren - if you're underwhelmed, remember that I warned you.

Billy - A very big plus one goes out to you good sir.

 

[veyrongatti]

Quote:

lol, They're the "lifestyle" reporters for their papers, they do vehicle reviews as part of their jobs.
 

You should be an automotive reporter ^^ 

 

[Magick Man]

LOL!  So overall this has been a pretty good year then!  I was a little bummed last night.  So I decided to finally pick the Q701 I've been wanting for over a year now.  Amazon dropped them to pretty much it's lowest price ever, so I bit the bullet there.

I'm not nuts over them, but they're not bad (Q701s). Another to try in the bracket are the HE-300s or a used set of HE-400s, they're epic for the price. My tuned HE-300s kick the crap out of anything even remotely in their price range. The detail and clarity is amazing.

Good year? Oh yeah, it's been a great year. I've spent a terrifying amount of money on hobbies, pi**ed off my family, and have a new kid, what more could I want?

I'm pretty sure my wife bought me a car for Xmas, but I have no idea what it is.

As I have said many, many times - you get to choose your friends, but you do not get to choose your family. The idea that you owe something to someone because they share some of your genes is ridiculous. If you even *like* some of your relatives that should be considered a miracle. I help people because: 1) I like them, 2) They deserve it. Emma would fit into both categories of that formula - but your skanky cousin? Fail + Fail = GTFO.
My advice: Next time send flowers, bypass the drama, and go straight to the steak dinner.

Emma does deserve it, few children are born into the hell she was. I think tonight was for the best, finally it's all out there and there's no more dancing around the issue. More or less I've disowned them and it's good riddance.

 

[obobskivich]

what more could I want?

A second liver in place of your heart so you can drink more and care less?

Also, gonna giggle when you get that Ferrari from a few pages back, and go N64 kid over it. h34r:

Emma does deserve it, few children are born into the hell she was. I think tonight was for the best, finally it's all out there and there's no more dancing around the issue. More or less I've disowned them and it's good riddance.

Aye. And she didn't have to see any of that happen, and hopefully never has to "know" those people in any capacity and instead gets to grow up sheltered from it. Like children should be.

 

[Magick Man]

A second liver in place of your heart so you can drink more and care less?
Also, gonna giggle when you get that Ferrari from a few pages back, and go N64 kid over it. h34r:
Aye. And she didn't have to see any of that happen, and hopefully never has to "know" those people in any capacity and instead gets to grow up sheltered from it. Like children should be.

Which Ferrari?

I don't drink at all now, except a single glass of wine with dinner sometimes, it mixes badly with my meds. No, she'll never know those folks, ever.

 

[warrenpchi]

Quote:

Warren - if you're underwhelmed, remember that I warned you.

 
You could never underwhelm me bro, never. 

 
Quote:

I'm not nuts over them, but they're not bad (Q701s). Another to try in the bracket are the HE-300s or a used set of HE-400s, they're epic for the price. My tuned HE-300s kick the crap out of anything even remotely in their price range. The detail and clarity is amazing.

 
Oh it's not the pinnacle of anything, but I've just wanted a pair for a really long time.  Then I realized that I've denied myself long enough this year. 

  I've also got a pair of HE-5LEs that I need to restore, but that can come after the holidays.
 
Quote:

Good year? Oh yeah, it's been a great year. I've spent a terrifying amount of money on hobbies, pi**ed off my family, and have a new kid, what more could I want?

 
I dunno, maybe a business or something?
 
Quote:

I don't drink at all now, except a single glass of wine with dinner sometimes

 
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! 

 

[fuzzyash]

great read magick!

 

[obobskivich]

Which Ferrari?

The one that cost more than a McMansion (with fries and a shake).

I imagine your reaction will be something like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFlcqWQVVuU

 

[Magick Man]

The one that cost more than a McMansion (with fries and a shake).
I imagine your reaction will be something like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFlcqWQVVuU

Oh, you mean the Daytona? Frak, I'd throttle her for that, then kiss her say "thank you". lol Reminds me of the "verge of panic" feeling for the first several months after she received her credit cards. "What are their limits?" "Limits?"

Then later you're thinking, "I love her, I trust her, buuuuut." Luckily, I've found that she's quite paranoid about overspending. Much more so than me, for instance.

-----------------

Alright then, 4 coats of US Racing Blue (with pearl finish added), 2 coats of clear, white "champion" stripes, some re-chrome, a little body work (thanks to a dumba** shop assistant), and...






A few interior touches left to go.

 

[obobskivich]