Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

[Geoff289]

Best buffet I've ever been to (https://ichiyamisushi.com/gallery). Only the Yum Cha (Dim Sum) restaurants in Sydney come lose.

I presume you mean come close Bob? Melbourne is the fine dining capital of Australia, and was back when you were here. Did you ever come to Melbourne? (Not that I would want to get into the somewhat traditional Melbourne v. Sydney cultural thing. I'm reminded of going to a Keb Mo and Buddy Guy concert here in Melbourne some years ago and in his banter after the first song Keb waxed lyrical about how pleased he was to be in Melbourne, then asked the rhetorical question as to what the best thing about Melbourne was to which he answered himself "it ain't Sydney". Clearly done his homework)

 

[Craptain]

I'm late to the game again, but I have to congratulate you both on reaching a milestone anniversary. One that I will never live long enough to see.

 

[rmack898]

I'm late to the game again, but I have to congratulate you both on reaching a milestone anniversary. One that I will never live long enough to see.

As Andrew, I'm a little late too.
Congrats to you and Liane.

 

[harley jim]

Bob I really miss my Chinese buffet, it was new when I moved here and the Lady/ owner didnt know much English and she was a ball of fire, (like the soup natzie). She didnt have a (the customer is right filter) some couldn't take her but we did become friends and I watched her two kids grow up there. Rona about killed the buffet business here in Tennessee but the daughter runs it now as a carry out only.

 

[Bob Heine]

Congratulation, Sir! And too, Congratulations to that woman in your life that has been right so many times over the years!

Happy Anniversary!

All the best,

Odis.

Thank you Odis! She does keep me on an even keel.

I'd like to add my congratulations and best wishes to the chorus above.

@zanyad, thank you for stopping by and for reminding me how lucky I am.

5 dozen roses, one rose for every year, is a very inexpensive way to demonstrate your affection. Keep up the good work.

@nadogail, Liane likes frugal better than lavish and that has made a huge difference in our lives.

I presume you mean come close Bob? Melbourne is the fine dining capital of Australia, and was back when you were here. Did you ever come to Melbourne? (Not that I would want to get into the somewhat traditional Melbourne v. Sydney cultural thing. I'm reminded of going to a Keb Mo and Buddy Guy concert here in Melbourne some years ago and in his banter after the first song Keb waxed lyrical about how pleased he was to be in Melbourne, then asked the rhetorical question as to what the best thing about Melbourne was to which he answered himself "it ain't Sydney". Clearly done his homework)

Geoff, sometimes my fingers work with my brain and sometimes against it. We got to Melbourne twice in our two years down under and the food really was fabulous. Because we spent so much time in Sydney and had friends who recommended great places to eat, Sydney won by sheer volume. We were in Melbourne for a week the first time and most of it was recorded in a monthly letter home that I dubbed The Manly Misfits Monthly. This is what I wrote about the visit (click on the thumbnail to see it full size):

I'm late to the game again, but I have to congratulate you both on reaching a milestone anniversary. One that I will never live long enough to see.

Andrew, thank you and never too late. As close as I came to ending our time together just shy of four years, making it to this milestone is really wonderful for me.

As Andrew, I'm a little late too.
Congrats to you and Liane.

Mac, as with Andrew, never too late. Thank you and keep up the great work on your new home and shop. Not sure how hard trenching was in your former place but I don't think it gets any easier than Florida.

Bob I really miss my Chinese buffet, it was new when I moved here and the Lady/ owner didnt know much English and she was a ball of fire, (like the soup natzie). She didnt have a (the customer is right filter) some couldn't take her but we did become friends and I watched her two kids grow up there. Rona about killed the buffet business here in Tennessee but the daughter runs it now as a carry out only.

Jim, for many reasons I have a hard time duplicating decent Chinese food and finding safe raw seafood to bring home is too frightening to even think about. We made a weekly trip to the Sydney Fish Market and bought raw seafood that came out of the water that morning. A good Chinese buffet is a true blessing and having to settle for carry out is sad. It has been our lot for two decades because the other good buffet is too much of a drive and always too crowded and noisy.

I apologize for showing that photo of the sushi bar -- I'm sure it triggered some sad memories.

 

[GeddyT]

Not sure how many slingshot dragsters had the drivers' legs under the diff but it's the scariest looking setup I've ever seen.


My other hero was Smokey Yunick...

Was he born Smokey Yunick, or was that a nickname given to him after the tragic differential explosion that happened moments after the above picture was taken?

Sorry, I had a lot of catching up to do on this thread, so that's a pretty old callback at this point! I did want to offer another late congratulations on 60 years of marriage. I hope the Mrs. and I both live long enough that we can pull off the same feat.

 

[cbacres]

Happy Anniversary! Congrats on the huge milestone, I thought 30 years was a chunk. Tell Liane we said Hi.

 

[Bob Heine]

Was he born Smokey Yunick, or was that a nickname given to him after the tragic differential explosion that happened moments after the above picture was taken?

Sorry, I had a lot of catching up to do on this thread, so that's a pretty old callback at this point! I did want to offer another late congratulations on 60 years of marriage. I hope the Mrs. and I both live long enough that we can pull off the same feat.

Tom, when he was growing up on the family farm in Pennsylvania, he built and raced motorcycles; this is where he got his nickname, "Smokey," derived from the behavior of one of his motorcycles. I suspect it had a 2-stroke engine.

Thank you for the congratulations and I have to warn you 60 years together is a pretty long haul -- longer than a lot of my kin lived.

Happy Anniversary! Congrats on the huge milestone, I thought 30 years was a chunk. Tell Liane we said Hi.

Craig, thank you and trust me 30 years is a chunk as well. Every year is a big deal and shouldn't be taken for granted. Liane says Hi back!

 

[Ford52PU]

Congratulations on 60 years!

 

[Grizz1963]

All quiet means all good for most.

In your case Bob, I am waiting to see if any dead iguanas make an appearance or what labour saving process you share next.

Happy Anniversary.

Almost the weekend.

 

[T-handle]

Happy Anniversary Bob and Liane!! Wow 60 years, that's quite a milestone

 

[Bob Heine]

Congratulations on 60 years!

Thank you Dennis!

All quiet means all good for most.

In your case Bob, I am waiting to see if any dead iguanas make an appearance or what labour saving process you share next.

Happy Anniversary.

Almost the weekend.

Rian, all is well here and thank you for the well wishes. My knee is slowly recovering and I'm tackling a few jobs.

The profusion of flowers in our yard, especially the Bougainvillea, is a testament to Jasmine's war on iguanas. When there are iguanas around, there are no flowers on these plants.

Last weekend I tackled two parts of the yard, the Florida Mahogany and the White Bird of Paradise stand, both in the front yard. Used an electric pole saw to remove quite a few lower branches that were aimed at the ground and blocking both breeze and view. I didn't take a before picture. The White Birds were full of dead fronds and there were way too many plants in the stand. Again, no before pictures.

Late last Sunday I took a photo of the pile of cuttings at the curb. The second photo is a photo of the pile after the crew cut down the Hong Kong Orchid. Florida is famous for its lush vegetation but with so much of the year supporting its growth, piles like that are a weekly occurrence in front of our house or our neighbor's house.

Happy Anniversary Bob and Liane!! Wow 60 years, that's quite a milestone

Thank you Tapio! At times it felt like we were just being stubborn.

 

[Bob Heine]

Liane discovered a visitor on the patio this morning. It's a young Great Horned Owl that is using one of the lights as a perch. Not sure how it got there but we've opened all the doors on the screened enclosure to give it at least three ways back out. Hoping it heads out tonight. Maybe a little raw hamburger meatball just outside one of the doors.

The telephoto lens on my little Canon SX410 IS surprised me. The bird was more than 30 feet away.

 

[harley jim]

I apologize for showing that photo of the sushi bar -- I'm sure it triggered some sad memories.

No apologies needed Bob, I keep hoping that another place will open up, actually one did but it's hard for them to get better than 50% on there health dept score, so I guess I'm holding out for some quality!
Keep Smiling,

 

[GeddyT]

Tom, when he was growing up on the family farm in Pennsylvania, he built and raced motorcycles; this is where he got his nickname, "Smokey," derived from the behavior of one of his motorcycles. I suspect it had a 2-stroke engine.

I see my Yunick/****** joke was a big dud. I'll get you next time, Gadget. Next tiiiiiime...

Man, between the tree fox and the house owl, I'm really starting to like your place! We have owls where I'm at, but they don't come inside, preferring to have shockingly loud and violent *** in the tree outside my bedroom window at 3:00 in the morning. I much prefer your cute little owl.

 

[Grizz1963]

Liane discovered a visitor on the patio this morning. It's a young Great Horned Owl that is using one of the lights as a perch. Not sure how it got there but we've opened all the doors on the screened enclosure to give it at least three ways back out. Hoping it heads out tonight. Maybe a little raw hamburger meatball just outside one of the doors.

The telephoto lens on my little Canon SX410 IS surprised me. The bird was more than 30 feet away.

Nicola, my delightful ex wife would have peed her pants if she had an owl visitor.

Privilege comes in all shapes and forms

Thanks for sharing.

 

[floridafarmer]

Bob,
Very belated congrats on the anniversary - I have 35 coming up this month so 60 is just a testament to your good outlook on life and being fortunate enough to have the right gal for you. I've not commented much on many of your recent posts that have been great - I very much enjoyed the "Manly Misfits Monthly" throwback - seems your writing and storytelling skills go back a ways...
Anyway, I was thinking of you today as the good doctor just dropped off my allotment of Kink-Ease - somehow I'm the clearing house for older inventory that needs a home! Let me know how your supply is holding out - I think he just dropped off over 150 containers!

 

[Bob Heine]

No apologies needed Bob, I keep hoping that another place will open up, actually one did but it's hard for them to get better than 50% on there health dept score, so I guess I'm holding out for some quality!
Keep Smiling,

Jim, 15 years ago we often went to an Oriental buffet south of us but it was shut down twice for health department issues. The third time the place had to be gutted and rebuilt. Never got deathly ill but never put on weight eating there.

I see my Yunick/****** joke was a big dud. I'll get you next time, Gadget. Next tiiiiiime...

Man, between the tree fox and the house owl, I'm really starting to like your place! We have owls where I'm at, but they don't come inside, preferring to have shockingly loud and violent *** in the tree outside my bedroom window at 3:00 in the morning. I much prefer your cute little owl.

Sorry Tom, it went right over my head. The transmission explosion tore up his foot so he would have to be really hung or sitting cross-legged Native American style.

Nicola, my delightful ex wife would have peed her pants if she had an owl visitor.

Privilege comes in all shapes and forms

Thanks for sharing.

Rian, apparently Liane has some kind of animal radar. She saw the owl even before Jasmine. On a visit to Yosemite National Park, the park ranger began enumerating the wildlife and a moment after she said "We have bears...", Liane said "Like that onee..." (a bear was wandering through the campground). A few seconds later the ranger said "...and coyotes...", to which Liane replied "Like that one...." and pointed to one lurking next to the lake.

Before the big freeze in 2010 one road near our house that ran alongside a canal was home to huge numbers of iguanas. One day Liane counted 44 on the side of the road sunning themselves. We were thrilled to see them -- until they moved into our yard.

Now we are privileged to have a member of the rodent patrol among us. I even forgive our little GHO sharing its digestive tract contents -- as long as it doesn't become a habit.

Bob,
Very belated congrats on the anniversary - I have 35 coming up this month so 60 is just a testament to your good outlook on life and being fortunate enough to have the right gal for you. I've not commented much on many of your recent posts that have been great - I very much enjoyed the "Manly Misfits Monthly" throwback - seems your writing and storytelling skills go back a ways...
Anyway, I was thinking of you today as the good doctor just dropped off my allotment of Kink-Ease - somehow I'm the clearing house for older inventory that needs a home! Let me know how your supply is holding out - I think he just dropped off over 150 containers!

Mark, thank you and congratulations to you as well. I believe there's a little luck involved in long marriages. Lucky she didn't meet someone less distasteful than me. I also believe at some point the time women invest in training us exceeds the time they have left to train someone else -- I think you've passed that point.

You are very kind and it occurred to me some of that storytelling goes back to grade school. Each day during our summer travels one of us had to write the 'dear diary' entry about what happened. The critiques were merciless but thankfully I only had to write one every fourth day. Somehow my mother lost all those diaries in one of her moves.

Wow, that's a lot of lotion. I feel both good and bad, because it works so well and doesn't require using much to be effective. It I haven't finished either of the two bottles but I would be grateful for a few extra -- once the achiest joint calms down, a new one starts complaining.

 

[xtremek]

60 years doesn't seem possible, I didn't think you were anywhere near that old. Anyway, if I didn't say it before, congrats, and if I did, it's worth repeating anyway.

 

[Bob Heine]

60 years doesn't seem possible, I didn't think you were anywhere near that old. Anyway, if I didn't say it before, congrats, and if I did, it's worth repeating anyway.

Kirk, I'm as surprised as anyone. We took a photo close to the one taken on our wedding day. It appears the kid ate that elephant two bites at a time. Having our 0 anniversary when I was 17 helps explain the surprise.

 

[gearhead1960]

Bob, you haven't changed a bit and that Sh*t eating grin is timeless....

 

[4 FN 27]

Having our 0 anniversary when I was 17 helps explain the surprise.

Back then (no better way to put this) people married young.

The Pastor that married my Wife and I almost 32 years ago was 16 when he married his 14 year old sweetheart. They did not tell anyone until after he enlisted in the Marines and served in Korea 1951-52.

You 2 haven't age a bit...

 

[floridafarmer]

Mark, thank you and congratulations to you as well. I believe there's a little luck involved in long marriages. Lucky she didn't meet someone less distasteful than me. I also believe at some point the time women invest in training us exceeds the time they have left to train someone else -- I think you've passed that point.

You are very kind and it occurred to me some of that storytelling goes back to grade school. Each day during our summer travels one of us had to write the 'dear diary' entry about what happened. The critiques were merciless but thankfully I only had to write one every fourth day. Somehow my mother lost all those diaries in one of her moves.

Wow, that's a lot of lotion. I feel both good and bad, because it works so well and doesn't require using much to be effective. It I haven't finished either of the two bottles but I would be grateful for a few extra -- once the achiest joint calms down, a new one starts complaining.

Bob, some serious wisdom in the lines regarding the effort required to train a new one..... Your comments on the Journal hit home for me as having lost both my parents in the last couple of years it's funny what your find as valuable in your inheritance... one of my most prized possessions (which I share with my siblings) is my mothers journal. Everyday she wrote about what happened on that day, who went where, etc. I can sit down and read and instantly be transported back to 1978 and have memories restored that I'd long forgotten. It is without a doubt the best gift ever. I've attached a few random pages - my daughter read one of the years recently and said why do most days end with my mom saying "mark went to work..."
I'll drop a package in the mail soon with a back up kink-ease supply. I'll throw in a few extra so you can share with your local friends or maybe fill a bathtub.....

 

[shortykorte]

17 uh. Awesome! Great pictures.

Craig will gladly relocate the owl to CB’s Owl House

 

[harley jim]

Great pictures Bob!

 

[mybigwarwagon]

I married Steph at 38. Probably won't make it 60 years.

 

[xtremek]

Gearhead1960 nailed. The grin is timeless.

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob, you haven't changed a bit and that Sh*t eating grin is timeless....

Mark, that's very kind and that's the same grin every time I win the prize!

Back then (no better way to put this) people married young.

The Pastor that married my Wife and I almost 32 years ago was 16 when he married his 14 year old sweetheart. They did not tell anyone until after he enlisted in the Marines and served in Korea 1951-52.

You 2 haven't age a bit...

Pat, had it been solely up to me we would have married sooner. She was my dream come true when she promised to let me get my driver's license.

Deep down inside we're still the same kids.

Bob, some serious wisdom in the lines regarding the effort required to train a new one..... Your comments on the Journal hit home for me as having lost both my parents in the last couple of years it's funny what your find as valuable in your inheritance... one of my most prized possessions (which I share with my siblings) is my mothers journal. Everyday she wrote about what happened on that day, who went where, etc. I can sit down and read and instantly be transported back to 1978 and have memories restored that I'd long forgotten. It is without a doubt the best gift ever. I've attached a few random pages - my daughter read one of the years recently and said why do most days end with my mom saying "mark went to work..."
I'll drop a package in the mail soon with a back up kink-ease supply. I'll throw in a few extra so you can share with your local friends or maybe fill a bathtub.....

Mark, I feel fortunate to have saved a lot of the stuff my parents saved. There are letters my father wrote, including one to his mother and grandmother from the day I was born. He and my mother were stationed in Arizona and they were living on Long Island. Both my grandmother and great-grandmother volunteered as nurses at the military hospital during the war.

Many days while traveling on business I wrote down where I was and what I was doing, including where and what I ate. I should probably throw that stuff out but mundane daily life is interesting to me. One of Liane's ancestors wrote home during the Civil War and his future wife transcribed all of them into a bookkeeping journal, along with articles from the day. The majority of his days were boring and repetitive with absolutely horrifying battles described in similar terms. He spent an entire day lying prone in a field near Vicksburg, ******* and shitting his pants because every soldier near him that stood up and tried to run was picked off by snipers.

I appreciate the Kink-Ease and suspect Liane will be asking for a small tub to soak in.

17 uh. Awesome! Great pictures.

Craig will gladly relocate the owl to CB’s Owl House

Shorty, I waited until I was 17.

I think Craig has already cornered the owl crowd. I look forward to our little friend taking care of the rodent population in our yard. The Black Racer snakes have been slacking off the last few years.

Great pictures Bob!

Thanks Jim!

I married Steph at 38. Probably won't make it 60 years.

Uncle Willie, as healthy a life as you live, you will still be going strong at 98.

Gearhead1960 nailed. The grin is timeless.

Kirk, the day our kids were born, the day I picked up our new '68 GTO, my first, second and third Corvettes all got similar grins but none as heartfelt as those.

 

[Bob Heine]

Started the morning in the garage, thinking it was time to replace the timing belt on the PT Cruiser. Chrysler's Factory Shop Manual calls for it to be replaced at 90,000 miles and ours has less than 49,000 on the odometer. I figure the belt is 18 years old so I'm going to err on the 'before' rather than 'after' the belt fails and takes out the engine. I also smell hot antifreeze when I get out of the car even though it has never overheated and there are no signs of anything leaking. If the water pump needs to be replaced, it's included with the timing belt kit, along with tensioners and seals for the cams and crank. If there's no sign of oil near the seals, I'll leave them alone. I originally only bought the timing belt but much later decided to do the whole thing so I have an extra timing belt.

As soon as I unpacked the box SWMBO asked for help taking down the curtains in the master bedroom. She washed them in two separate loads so the washing took longer than expected. Knowing I was on the hook to hang up the fresh clean white curtains, I decided not to start tearing into the PT's engine. By then it was afternoon and I didn't want to start such a long process. Instead I went to the kitchen and made a cake and bread.

Liane likes Angel Food Cake, more to watch the process of watery white fluid turning into a fluffy Blob. It's just a cake mix so it shouldn't take long. Got out our 35 year old hand mixer and as I assembled the beaters, the plastic switch crumbled into red dust. OK, whisking by hand isn't that hard and the cooking time allowed me to search for unbleached flour bread recipes.

I am not a bread maker and I only watched my grandmother make bread when I was 6 or 7. My granddaughter gave me a starter for sourdough with instructions on how to keep it going. I believe I have turned it into a biohazard but didn't want to disappoint my granddaughter. I bought 5 pounds of unbleached flour and some packets of yeast. Like my grandmother I don't have (and am forbidden to buy) a fancy mixer so I mixed, kneaded and ignored the bread dough long enough to have two loaves of bread on a baking sheet. I learned the key to crusty bread is steam so I put a pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven. I ended up with something resembling bread and probably saved myself 25¢ over the cost of two loaves of fresh baked bread at the store.

Hopefully I can now turn the tables and bore someone back with tales of my Covid-19 Bakery. life

 

[GeddyT]

Aside from a couple of pictures, I have one thing left of my mom: her KitchenAid stand mixer that may be older than I am. I absolutely love that thing, and not just for sentimental reasons. I know I lot of people who won't get one for some reason or another (cost, space they take up, etc.), but I always try to convince them that it's worth it (you can put an attachment on it that instantly and painlessly grates cheese!...).

My bread story wasn't nearly as successful as yours: I was trying to cut carbs and calories and in generally eat healthier, but I'm a bread addict (I've been known to wrap a banana in a tortilla before eating it...). Things got a little weird for me when I learned of einkorn flour. Way higher in protein and good stuff, low in carbs and gluten and bad stuff. It's that low-gluten part that's the problem, though, and I wouldn't learn this until after investing in a grain mill, bread maker, a tortilla press, and pounds and pounds of einkorn grain that can only be had from two or three suppliers in the whole country and for about one black market kidney per bag.

On the bright side, einkorn has a delicious nutty flavor and is healthier. On the downside, it's impossible to bake with. It doesn't want to rise at all. I tried recipe after recipe, but I eventually gave up on making bread. My bread machine has been a dust collector for years now. For a long time, though, I was making einkorn tortillas, and they were actually really good. Four ingredients: einkorn flour, coconut oil, water, a little salt.

Eventually, it just got old, so I returned to being happier and less healthy...

 

[RickP]

I like Bob's minimalist kitchen, without all the fancy appliances (even if that decision was driven by Liane). We own all the pasta stuff, like dough rollers, cutters, and driers, as well as a tortilla press and warmer. Each of which got used exactly twice, before gathering dust on the shelf ever since.

But my wife does use a stand mixer, and it certainly makes her job a lot easier. I think having the right tool for the job is invaluable, whether it's in the garage or the kitchen. Any chance Liane could be convinced?

 

[rharman]

Nice work all around, Bob.

I made homemade bread once many years ago - first time I cooked dinner at my house for my then girlfriend.
We'll be married 41 years this September so it must have been OK.....

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Steph makes great bread. She is the reason I am fat.

 

[Grizz1963]

Nommmm bakery.

 

[xtremek]

The bread looks really good. I'll take a loaf of fresh baked bread. I guess that means we can expect you and Liane as house guests in late June.

 

[Bob Heine]

Aside from a couple of pictures, I have one thing left of my mom: her KitchenAid stand mixer that may be older than I am. I absolutely love that thing, and not just for sentimental reasons. I know I lot of people who won't get one for some reason or another (cost, space they take up, etc.), but I always try to convince them that it's worth it (you can put an attachment on it that instantly and painlessly grates cheese!...).

My bread story wasn't nearly as successful as yours: I was trying to cut carbs and calories and in generally eat healthier, but I'm a bread addict (I've been known to wrap a banana in a tortilla before eating it...). Things got a little weird for me when I learned of einkorn flour. Way higher in protein and good stuff, low in carbs and gluten and bad stuff. It's that low-gluten part that's the problem, though, and I wouldn't learn this until after investing in a grain mill, bread maker, a tortilla press, and pounds and pounds of einkorn grain that can only be had from two or three suppliers in the whole country and for about one black market kidney per bag.

On the bright side, einkorn has a delicious nutty flavor and is healthier. On the downside, it's impossible to bake with. It doesn't want to rise at all. I tried recipe after recipe, but I eventually gave up on making bread. My bread machine has been a dust collector for years now. For a long time, though, I was making einkorn tortillas, and they were actually really good. Four ingredients: einkorn flour, coconut oil, water, a little salt.

Eventually, it just got old, so I returned to being happier and less healthy...

Tom, my mother never got the KitchenAid mixer -- she had the Sunbeam Miter and until I was a teenager she made everything from scratch. If we had a KitchenAid mixer it would have to reside on my workbench in the garage next to the two coffeemakers with buckets of coffee, sweetener and Coffee Mate. If I had one it would have all available attachments, including the pasta press, 7-blade vegetable spiralizer and food processor with commercial style dicing kit. Then I'd have to move one of the cars out of the garage because each attachment would have to be kept in its box. For big grating jobs I have one of those cheese grater boxes but prefer the armpit cheese graters (handle goes into my armpit and I lean over the target) that hangs over the sink.

I appreciate the heads up on einkorn wheat. It sounds like a wonderful rabbit hole but I'm already over my head with unbleached flour. I buy my tortillas in a bag. Around midnight I crisp one up in the garage microwave, throw a little shredded cheese (from the bag in the garage freezer) and squirt a little Cholula hot sauce on top. Full disclosure, sometimes its more than one.

I'm saving my kidneys for the down payment on a Corvette C8 Z06. Pretty sure GM has dialysis option that doesn't **** up too much power.

I like Bob's minimalist kitchen, without all the fancy appliances (even if that decision was driven by Liane). We own all the pasta stuff, like dough rollers, cutters, and driers, as well as a tortilla press and warmer. Each of which got used exactly twice, before gathering dust on the shelf ever since.

But my wife does use a stand mixer, and it certainly makes her job a lot easier. I think having the right tool for the job is invaluable, whether it's in the garage or the kitchen. Any chance Liane could be convinced?

Rick, Liane didn't like my suggestion to buy the appliances that hung from the upper cabinets. Black&Decker had can openers, coffee makers, food processors and toaster ovens that mounted there and none of them took up valuable counter space. When I suggested we make our own pasta, she got a friend to loan us their machine. I spent half a day making one small batch of something that resembled skinned garter snakes and tasted nothing like chicken or any other edible substance.

Nice work all around, Bob.

I made homemade bread once many years ago - first time I cooked dinner at my house for my then girlfriend.
We'll be married 41 years this September so it must have been OK.....

Roger, you are brilliant! Lure her in with skills few of us have and then tie her up.... Oh, you mean she said yes. Congratulations on a long marriage -- mine has given up and puts up with my nonsense.

Steph makes great bread. She is the reason I am fat.

Uncle Willie, I think Steph is the reason you aren't fatter.

Nommmm bakery.

Rian, I enjoyed myself but as much time as it took, I could have pulled an engine and mounted it on a stand. My avatar is me in my happy place, cleaning up an empty engine compartment.

The bread looks really good. I'll take a loaf of fresh baked bread. I guess that means we can expect you and Liane as house guests in late June.

Kirk, you've got a deal as long as I can play with your dozer.

EDIT: I thought spellcheck was annoying -- typing Mi-x-m-a-s-ter puts the Santa icon in the word in place of what I typed!

 

[xtremek]

Kirk, you've got a deal as long as I can play with your dozer.

I'm sure Robin will let you play with the Girlfriend and the dozer, and I'll let you play with the Old Mule. Heck I'll let you run the mill, lathe, or any other tool I have.

 

[PugetDude]

EDIT: I thought spellcheck was annoying -- typing Mi-x-m-a-s-ter puts the Santa icon in the word in place of what I typed!


I thought you did that on purpose because she got it as a Christmas gift!

 

[Bob Heine]

I'm sure Robin will let you play with the Girlfriend and the dozer, and I'll let you play with the Old Mule. Heck I'll let you run the mill, lathe, or any other tool I have.

Kirk, sounds like a combined Street Outlaws demolition derby and Michigan Chainsaw Massacre episode.

EDIT: I thought spellcheck was annoying -- typing Mi-x-m-a-s-ter puts the Santa icon in the word in place of what I typed!


I thought you did that on purpose because she got it as a Christmas gift!

Scott, first time I've noticed this. I thought emojis required some HTML code. I posted a message on Facebook to a family member today and it included a link in the message because I mentioned a Dot Com site. Now I have to type [dot] to avoid the nonsense.

 

[Bob Heine]

Speaking of nonsense, I think I've been tricked into an insurance scam.

We have two Sony 400-CD changers in the garage that are part of the garage surround sound system and connects to the house intercom system. We use one of the changers every day to help Liane get to sleep and that machine has been acting up recently. Rather than remove all 350 CDs and then take the changer apart to fix it, I decided to buy another one that needed a little work (like new belts). I could work on the new machine without pressure and then swap it for the cranky one. Found one on eBay that looked decent in the photos for $130.

The eBay listing had an interesting description: "Sony CDP-CX455 Mega Storage 400/ CD 400 Disc Changer Player PARTS OR REPAIR. The door doesn’t open and the unit doesn’t turn off without being unplugged. Maybe it needs a belt? There is something rattling around inside, as well. Cosmetically, there is a scuff on the door, as seen. Otherwise, very clean!"
Our dear Russian friend, @Vieux, has shown that these are opportunities to salvage something broken.

UPS delivered a large box with lots of Fragile stickers on it. There was not a single mark or sign of damage on the box.

The Sony changer inside was covered in bubble-wrap and all spaces stuffed with crumpled paper. I carefully removed the machine and set it on the workbench. It looked a whole lot worse than the eBay ad. The front was seriously busted up and one side crumpled badly.

I filed a return claim with eBay and in no time at all they indicated I received a full refund. The seller provided no instructions about returning the item and I thought that was that. My curiosity got the better of me and I started taking the machine apart. Sure enough, the carousel and CD drive belts were disconnected and laying in the bottom of the cabinet. Then I found a chunk of the gear that attaches to the front door. OK, that's to be expected but then I found the CD reader/drive mechanism just laying in the area where it had been mounted. None of the mounting hardware was there and the drive mechanism's ribbon cable was all the way over on the opposite side of the machine. I believe someone tried to fix the changer and gave up, throwing all the parts inside and slamming the machine on the floor. There's no way the drop disconnected both ends of that ribbon cable or took the little nylon drive gear out of its location.

Obviously the buyer (me) would file a return claim based on the thing delivered not matching what was advertised. Sure enough, after they refunded my entire purchase price, they filed a claim with UPS. I know this because UPS called me, wanting photos of the box and contents. I had already provided the photos to eBay and the seller so I went to the UPS site to see what was going on. The exact words I had used to file my claim with eBay showed up in the seller's claim with UPS -- except for the part about the box being in perfect condition.