Torn up

I tore apart the Rabbit's dash today. Why you might ask - why for a super stealth sirius radio install of course!

Now I have Sirius in the Corrado, the Rabbit, in the house (boom box thing), .. and really I have it at work to because I can stream it online!

Lower Rabbit & Cleaner Corrado

Just a bit of a photo update, I've had the Rabbit for almost a month now and I'm slowly finding out all kinds of neat stuff about it. For example, it's an '07 (but its a late model '07) and it has all the new interior features schedualed for '08. These include a different cruise control stock, "AC" written on the AC button instead of "ECON", cloth in the map compartments instead of rubber, and "optimal" (further apart) pedal spacing between the go/stop pedals.

Newly installed (before I even made the first payment) are clear side markers and H&R sport springs.


Having the Rabbit gives me the chance to take on longer more involving projects with the Corrado (prolonging them over a day or two as neccessary to keep up with my busy drinking and video game playing schedual). Here it is after a full buffing/resurfacing and wax:


I'll learn to take decent photos some day, I promise.

Boarder line out of the ordinary... maybe

While in the airport I bought a book form one of the terminal kiosks. My choices were limited to the new Steven King (only available in hard back, with the outer dimensions of a calculus text book), various romance novels with people hugging and/or ponies on the cover, science fiction aliens, history of World War 2, and a NY Times best seller by an author I haven’t heard of titled The Accidental – with an intriguing picture of a girl holding a video camera on the cover. I needed something to read during my nine hour lay-over and The Accidental seemed to be my best bet.

Now having finished the book (it really was quite good), I’m thinking I need to read more books outside of my usual domain; that being action, murder mystery, eastern thought, religious philosophy types.

I picked up a new book from Boarders titled Middlesex. It caught my attention because it had an s – e – x in the title. It looks to be another best seller and I’m really excited to get started with it. Check out the Time’s review, My Big Fat Greek Gender Identity Crisis, the book definitely has some potential on the out of the ordinary front.

Just in case I it gets a little too out side of my comfort zone I also picked up The Te of Piglet (which I’ve been meaning to read for some time now), the sequel to The Tao of Pooh (which I would highly recommend).

… and because it’s my blog, and I can do what ever I want here, here is an excerpt from The Tao of Pooh:

"Just How do you do it, Pooh?"
"Do What?" asked Pooh.
"Become so Effortless."
"I don't do much of anything," he said.
"But all those things of yours get done."
"They just sort of happen," he said"

And one more (from the cover) just for good measure:

"While Eeyore frets ...
... and Piglet hesitates
... and Rabbit calculates
... and Owl pontificates
...Pooh just is."

Corporate “Seat-Savers”

My cubical walls are covered with post cards sent to me by my parents from their last visit to Colorado – one for every day they were there. These photos of mountain tops, ski areas, valleys, lakes, and narrow mountain roads take up the majority of my wall space. Also adorning my daily view is a trail map of the Mt Hood ski area, some pictures of old rusted pickup trucks set out in a field, an SCCA sticker (vintage 2002, circa my old Rabbit GTI racing days), and my “Corrado Classics 2007” calendar.

This is different from other cubicles/offices in the building, which typically include a poster of a Corvette and/or a 2-d wire drawing of a prototype part. The only thing my desk has in common with the others (and this is only recently) is a box filled with used diesel fuel soaked engine parts.

I purposely made the decision to decorate my cube so that it would appear occupied. I’m still the new guy here, with out a name plate, and when I pack up the lappy to go home at the end of the day the cube is essentially empty and appears un-occupied. This is a fast growing group that I’m in. Heck, Other New Guy (ONG) and I were two out of eight new hires that started June 1st. Thus by hanging things on the wall I’ve effectively made my claim in corporate “seat-savers.” This seat is taken, bitch!

ONG has not done this. His cube looks completely unoccupied when he’s out of the office. Today he was off for jury duty and I had someone ask me if this cube (his cube) was free. They asked in a way that didn’t make any sense though and it wasn’t until they’d left that I realized what the question was. So I’m guessing my response of, “uhhh, yeah” might not have been in ONG’s advantage. On a positive note it certainly would add some entertainment to his work day (he was complaining about being bored earlier this week) if he returns to find another new guy sitting in his cube. If you look at it that way – I’ve inadvertently done him a favor. You’re welcome ONG.

All is right in the world again

Dude's windows are finally working again!

Hellish Swamp Conditions

Sometime after Justin left on Sunday the mercury started rising; fuckin 92 degrees outside right now, with little relief at night. It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t 43% relative humidity.

So I’ve been lake-back/swamp-mustache all hard core these last two days. It sucks.

What the french, Toast?

Justin is a lost ass motha fucka

This is is current route. the balloons marked with a pause symbol indicate his position when he called me for directional help.

Jake Shimabukuro

This is AMAZING!

The Fleet

I got the Corrado back today from the shop. This is the first time the two cars are together. Holy 4x4 Rabbit compaired to the Corrado!

The New Rabbit Pic Post

A letter to the editor

Raven,

We are very happy for you with your new rabbit!
We wish you many days, years of great driving fun.
Enjoy! Be safe! No farting in the new seats!

Let her rip!

I know it's a "she", she'll take care of you.
The rabbit and the corrado will be a good match for you.

Mama, Papa

I am Mike Fox Volkswagens New Best Customer

There’s more than one way to skin a cat. There’s always another side to any story. The grass is greener on the other side. Star fish have no brains. Don’t operate heavy machinery after use. Here now is the story(s) about how I became Mike Fox Volkswagens new best customer.


Life is too Short for This Shit (part 1 of 3)
After some previous trouble the day before my car broke down in front of a Volkswagen dealership. I didn’t pay to have it towed. I left it to get fixed at the dealership. I did not call a taxi or accept their offer for the free shuttle. I bought a new car. I drove it home. I am Mike Fox Volkswagens new best customer.

A Day in the Life (part 2 of 3)
I was driving through Road Kill Country yesterday when the Corrado broke down for the first time. The car lost all power and I pulled off the highway when I came to a stop on the shoulder. I thought nothing of it at first. No big deal I said to my self, just a boost tube come undone. Inspection yielded the opposite, it wasn’t a boost tube come undone. Weird, I thought. Next I thought I’d try to start the car. Vroom, it said, starting right away. That was a relief.

Skeptical and mindful of what had just happened I proceeded through RKC, dodging venison and also minding the thickly wooded shoulder for suicidal Bambi.

Ninety-nine-point-six miles from home the car died for the second time; same symptoms. Once again, it wasn’t just a silicone coupling and hose clamp kind of fix. This time the car refused to start, and I thought, fuck even if I do get this thing started what’s to say it wont die again, and what’s to say it wont happen in a more formidable neighborhood. A quick call to Triple-A and the car was on the back of a flat bed - well within the allotted one-hundred-mile free towing coverage that my membership affords.

When we got home and parked safely back in the garage, I had the awesome suspicion that that it would start. Sure enough, no problems. How frustrating indeed. This morning it even made it to work, no problems.

This afternoon I knew I was going to have problems getting anywhere on this all time record braking high ninety-eight-degree day. Regardless, despite my better judgment I ventured a few extra miles from home to Mike Fox Volkswagen, located less than three city blocks from VWoA headquarters.

In the median, about to make a left hand turn into the dealership, the car died. I tried a few things to get it to start, including but not limited to popping the hood and using numerous variations of the word Fuck. Seriously, Fuck!

I walked into the dealership dripping in sweat and explained to the guy at the front desk that, “My Volkswagen is broke down in the median right outside!” Never before has a dealership reacted so quickly to my requests. They had a guy in the shuttle car (a Eurovan) with a tow strap out there in seconds. Once again safe, the Corrado found itself in the garage of Mike Fox Volkswagen. I explained that it was most likely the fuel pump or the fuel pump relay; they concurred and agreed to take a look at it. I got an offer for a ride home from a tech, just ending his shift that I’d met at Motorstad. I declined and, now at my destination, I proceeded to conduct business as was the original intent. I said to my self, “Self, I think we should still look into a new Rabbit.”

I wanted a 5-speed, 2-door, silver Rabbit. I was sold on a 4-door silver Rabbit. I went for the 4-door mostly because of the side molding – like the GTI the side molding on the 4-door model is body colored, not black textured plastic. Also it turns out that the four door is more aptly equipped with such creature comforts as heated/power seats and an mp3/CD player. We went on a test drive and I was sold.

We then sat down and talked over financing and monthly payment options. I gave the go ahead, “lets do it,” I said. And the next thing I knew I was waiting while my new Rabbit was detailed and topped off with petrol. I am Mike Fox Volkswagens new best customer.

There is No God, Only Corrado (part 3 of 3)
It was a normal day for him, his short tracked mind was racing, he could have every thought in his mind all at once, his upgraded electronics saw to that. “I’m tiered. I’m thirsty. Ouch, a bug – right in my headlight. What is up with this cheap 91 octane, why cant I have 93? Can we please pass this mini van now? Stupid old people – can’t drive. This high way is boring? When do we get to the twisties? How about a top speed run? My wheels hurt. Let’s race this Audi!”

He’d been getting great gas mileage the entire way back, he was proud that he was not like the other cars on the road. “Thirty-six em-pee-gee’s bitches” he said as he passed a slow moving group of cars. It was then that he got to thinking, he was tiered of his state of disrepair. “I’m the coolest car on the road, and I’m not going anywhere until my windows get fixed”, he said, cutting out the power.

Now on the side of the road, he observed his best friend and compatriot frantically fumbling with a screw driver, attempting to fix a non-existent boost leak. “Bless his heart, but that guy sure is dumb if he’d just fix my windows already I wouldn’t have to resort to this.” The Corrado was rivaling is the success of his protest when the man started to beg, “Please Corrado, we’re so far away from home, it’ll cost a fortune to get a tow from all the way out here.”

The Corrado thought about it for a while, he came to the conclusion that money spent on a tow truck would be money that could go to repairing his windows. And so he decided that it would be alright if they continued, but only if his windows were fixed.

After a long conversation with a dragon fly that had become pinned to his front license plate Corrado decided he deserved better. The dragon fly got to fly free any time he wanted, the dragon fly got to race other dragon flies across the lake any time he wanted, the dragon fly was living a better life than he was. “I want my windows fixed, and a new fuel pump!” He said out loud as he once again cut power in his engine, just as they became within one-hundred miles of their new home. This time he was not going to budge. “Call Triple-A, I’m not going another inch tonight.”

The next morning Raven came into his garage, he was dressed for work and began to explain how important it was for him to make it to work. “Alright, I’ll let you have this one, you probably do need to go to work, we’ll get you there” he said. “But don’t forget; the windows and a new fuel pump.”

During the day, parked outside in the hot sun in a field of crazy Americans and an obnoxious Korean mini van who thought it was funny to sound her alarm every 10 minutes, the Corrado decided he wanted a girl friend, “a nice German girl maybe, someone he could relate to.” So when Raven came out after work, instead of taking him home he darted straight to the nearest Volkswagen lot he didn’t need a map – he just followed his instinct.

As the two neared the lot he formulated a plan to insure he got his way. Once again, just as they were sitting in the median, about to make a left turn into the Volkswagen lot, he killed power to the engine and sat there – refusing to go anywhere until he had his windows fixed, a new fuel pump, and a nice German girl.

The Corrado got what he wanted (she’s a sexy beast) and I am Mike Fox Volkswagens new best customer.

photo updates, some new and some old(er), but not necessarily in that order

Leif and I in St Lewis, at the arch:


If my intercooler had arms and legs and could walk around wearing a baseball cap, this is probably what it would look like:


Here's a picture of the Corrado at my parents house the morning before we left for Michigan:


Familly Rotsaert:


... and two tall goofies (me and em):


Brother's Rotsaert standing in the rain at Indy:


The Corrado in Canada with the downtown Detroit skyline in the back ground:


The Corrado's new home... at night:


A car that needs no introduction, I was like whoa:


v-dub porn:


pure sex:


The R8 again, the day after the above pic - parked next to some '08 TT's:


My house during the day time, it sits on 5 acres:


There's a shuffle board court in the basement!!!


This pic was taken some where out in the middle of the back yard, looking at the back side of the house:


There's all kinds of interesting vegitation growing wild in my back yard. Some wild asparagus:


... and even some wild tomato plants:

And We're Back

Yeah, I am one with the internet once again. I've been wanting to post something here for some time now, but hell its been busy here. Pictures are easy tho, and this one's money!