So I go to Chinesezone and get motor oil and a filter. I said, I need spark plugs. We have Motorcraft double platinum. 8 bucks apiece. I said, do you have regular Motorcraft? No. Do you have Champions? No. Everything they had was [something] double platinum. I'm not spending 8 bucks on one sparkplug. I'll go down to Advancetochina tomorrow. I also needed a trans filter kit, didn't want to push my luck. Five quarts of semi synthetic Motorcraft oil and an STP filter was $38.

Beautiful night out. Overcast, but the moon is hazy. Warm. I'm in for the night. Getting up early tomorrow to go to Tallapoosa to pick up that trailer I went to look at a month ago. Should be a fun ride home. Not.

Chris the diesel in the Suburban is a very good motor. It's actually a Detroit, and has been used a very long time. It's what GM put in their military vehicles. Strong. Dependable. Slow as a dog.

 

Hmmmm. You haven’t seen my dog. He’s really fast.

 

Mike- You usually go to Walmart about once a week, why don't you buy basic maintenance items there? Walmart brand SynTech 5-quarts of full synthetic oil (just about every weight) is $25 or less, and I'd bet you can get the standard Champion plugs there too, along with multiple brands of filters. Couldn't get the trans filter there though. I use the Walmart brand SynTech full synthetic in my daily driver and my truck with never an issue. Why use semi-synthetic when you can get full synthetic for less?

Good deal on on the diesel in the Suburban, it should serve you well! Do you have an actual mileage on the vehicle?

Edit - Mike, the Walmart brand full synthetic is called Super Tech, not SynTech. A five quart jug of full synthetic is $17.12.

 

Sometimes I do get things at Walmart. The owners manual calls out Motorcraft semi synthetic, and I really like that stuff. I had a Lincoln some years ago, an 01 Continental with the 32 valve 4.6. That thing would move. Anyway, it was my Mom's car and she took it to some garage to have it worked on and hard telling what oil they used. When I got it I started with that Motorcraft oil and it was like night and day. I had a 14 Mustang that also called for it. Really nice oil, if you can say such a thing. Not sure what you're asking if I have a mileage on the Suburban. The odometer is just shy of 81000 miles. It's a 6 place odometer so it says 080xxx which I would assume makes it original. Much too nice to have a million miles on it!

Kenneth that's an expression I use all the time, and I shouldn't because I don't know where it comes from. I know dogs aren't slow. Weird.

I think we'll have our treat early then hit the sack. I had Krystal's tonight, they weren't terrific. I'll probably dream about indigestion.

 

Mike - Just trying to save you a few $'s. You know what you like, and what you like to run in your vehicles, and that's all that matters!

 

Wal Mart also sells Mobil 1 full synthetic oil for around $25 for a 5 quart jug. Mobil often has a rebate for $12 which brings the price under $3 a quart. I’ve been taking advantage of that for maybe 20 years, started way back when and used it in the 93 Cougar 5.0 HO, the 95 Thunderbird 4.6 SOHC, and the 97 Lincoln Mk VIII 4.6 DOHC. The Cougar went 180,000 miles on that Mobil 1 with 10k mile oil change intervals before we sold it, and at that mileage it didn’t use oil between changes.
I currently use Mobil1 10w30 in the Jeep (145,000 miles) and the Volvo V70R (133,000 miles), both on 12 month change intervals (max 7k miles per year).

 

Mike,
Whomever came up with that saying must have been a cat person and didn’t know anything about dogs. Every dog that chased me was way, way faster than I was, even when I was on a bike. An Afghan easily chased me down while I was reaching max speed with the wind at my back. Another time a Rhodesian Ridgeback caught up to me and let me know who was faster before triumphantly trotting back home with his tail proudly held high.

 

Mike - Kenneth is spot on about Mobil 1 full synthetic being a great value when purchased through Walmart. If you're ever looking for a great oil to use in a classic or older car with a flat tappet cam motor, Mobil 1 full synthetic in 15w50 has 1300 ppm of ZDDP (Zinc) and 1200 ppm of Phosphorus, and the Mobil 1 Specification Guide states it was specifically formulated for flat tappet cam applications, and/or high temperature, high stress conditions. It's what I'm running in my '67 4-4-2 and at $25 for a 5-quart jug it's a great value.

 

Wet in the mountains. Calling for comfort food

 

James - Your stew looks mighty tasty, could use some of it around here. Cold (36°) and wet here, and only supposed to get up to about 40°, but at least the rain is moving out soon. Maybe a pot of chili is in order here today, along with a big pan of cornbread. Have a great day!

 

Chris, glad to hear Momma is home and all is good. Mike I have found that buying maintenance items,( oil,filters,etc) at Auto Zone and the like is stupid pricey. I think they know people are going to come in for parts, and they know it's convenient to get oil, etc. there so they rape you. I really like Walmart, Family Farm and Home, TSC, etc for oil. I usually go in and look around at oils, and if a good deal I put it buy it for when I need it. Though Walmart has Fram filters which I think I don't like. I get filters at Napa or Carquest and get good ones- probably pay to much for them....

 

Greg - Thanks, the pups and I are really glad she's home safe.

I'm not a fan of Fram filters either, not because one has ever failed on me, but just because I've read so many horror stories on this forum and others from guys who did have them fail. One more tidbit about buying auto supplies from Walmart, I don't think they have them in the store, but you can get Wix filters from Walmart online. If you order >$35 worth of items in any given order, the shipping is free. I usually place one big order during the winter for different oils and filters for the 4-4-2 and motorcycles and then I have them in hand in the Spring when I get them all prepped for the new season.

 

Hi everyone.

Rain rain. Was damp and misting when I left here at 7 this morning, was spitting rain when I was at the trailer guy's house, and as soon as I left it poured. Pretty steady rain the whole way home. The guy called me when I was about half way home and said the sun was out. Great.

Sometimes paying an extra few dollars is worth not going to Walmart just for those things. I'll put them on my list if I can wait a few days and get them when I go for groceries, otherwise I try to steer clear of Walmart. I chose Autozone because of the three box stores around here they are usually the cheepest. But they are also the dumbest. Very hard to get good service there. I used Mobil 1 in the Corvette and the Cadillac when I drove them. Those are cars I felt I wouldn't keep forever, and if I told a prospective buyer I used Royal Purple in them it would send them into tilt mode. Mobil 1 is known by everyone pretty much, and it's good oil so it works. I use Royal Purple in the black truck, btw.

Kenneth, cat people. I don't like cats, but I know people on here do so I'm careful not to say anything bad about them. I will try to change my expression to "slow as a mother." Mother being short for mother f... because that is usually what I call people holding me up in traffic. Hm. I must have been one today. Took a lot of two lane roads home and never got above 45.

I think I will screw off the rest of the afternoon. Too late to start anything serious. I really do need to change oil in the dogmobile. Oh, I have a garage now(with a lift!!) and lights, I could go do that and not get wet. I'll have to think on this one.

Have a good afternoon everyone.

 

Mike - I've never heard of slow as a dog. I often say slow as a turtle though. I don't like cats. They can't be trusted. If other people like cats, that's fine - I have no issues telling others I don't like cats. I don't live my life to appease others who like things which I don't. Fine if they like cats - I don't. I don't harbor any ill will towards anyone who likes cats - did I say I don't like cats?

 

I'm going to bake a pizza. I'd rather cook something to eat but I don't feel like cooking so I'm not going to cook &/or bake - I'm going to eat a pizza. After I eat pizza, I'm going to turn my attention to becoming a couch potato the remainder of the day and watch movies on Netflix. It was gorgeous weather again today (mid-70s). I have a serious case of tennis/golf elbow and it hurts like a bitch when striking my irons. Tomorrow calls for rain the entire day as this frontal system moves through the area and behind the front the temperatures are going to drop. Nothing drastic, into the mid-50s for most of next week; then, back into the mid-60s afterwards. We should be able to play 18 on Monday then some rain again on Tuesday.

 

I have used the phrase faster than a scalded dog, which is just slightly slower than a raped ape.

I have also used the phrase slower than two turtles *******.

 

Norm - Before my wife went on her trip, we watched a movie on Netflix about a famous free solo climber. The movie is called "The Alpinist" and it has some absolutely terrifying footage of this guy climbing, so much so that it almost made me queasy and want to look away more than once, but I didn't. I won't give anymore away, but definitely worth watching, an incredibly unique story!

 

Chris - I reviewed that movie last week. I elected to watch some other movies. It looked OK, but it didn't strike my fancy.

 

Which is an order of magnitude faster than two sloths copulating!

 

Norm - To each their own. I had never heard of the guy, but after watching the movie found him to be a really unusual, unique character.

 

Norm I don't live my life to appease others, either, but I have enough respect for some people I don't go on about something they like that I don't. I wouldn't want anyone going on about dogs, so I don't go on about cats.

I don't watch movies, or anything, that has a lot of heights or closeness. I tend to be closterphobic and along with that is a fear of heights. And I can't control it. Sometimes I could be in either of those situations(like when working on an airplane) and I'd be fine, other times, no. And just watching that stuff on TV will set it off.

Koda I've actually seen two turtles *******. I was in some science class in college and the guy showed a film about Galapagos tortoises. At one point in the film two of them were going at it. Not real fast. But they were moaning alike a ***** who just came back from vacation.

Not sure what to have for my evening meal. I had Krystal's last night, don't want to go out two nights in a row. I have some chili thawed out, that sounds like a winner.

 

That my be true about the sloths. I've seen one in the wild eating. He was slow doing that, too.

Never seen turtles actually going at it.

Vertical Limit is the worst mountaineering movie I have seen. It uses "killing off other people by having three groups, the anchored on top, the dangling in the middle, and the really dangling on the bottom, and having the middle love those on the top so he cuts himself off to save the ones on top, and the ones on the bottom are just SOL" as a plot tactic a couple times.

 

I hold a private pilot license fixed wing aircraft two engines or less and I would never jump from an airplane. I have absolutely no fears of heights when flying in a commercial aircraft or as pilot in command. I do have a dreadful fear of heights, however. Not only when upon a real cliff, edge, ledge or whatever, but even when watching a movie showing someone on the edge of building/cliff. It gives my body the heebie jeebies. I've seen a bunch of sloths in Costa Rica, Uruguay & Paraguay - up close first hand in the face type thing. I could stare at those things forever they are so damn cool.

 

I never heard" that car is as slow as a dog". But I have heard "that car is a real dog". Anyway I love dogs. Cats are ok, but generally not as good as dogs. It's funny though my granddaughter has a cat that is just as affectionate as a dog- loves attention and purrs, pretty cool.

 

Every week or so I create another list of movies to see. These are the movies I've watched in the past two weeks.

Uncut Gems, 2019, R-Rated, Drama Adam Sandler,
Fruitvale Station, 2013
Red Notice, 2021
Do The Right Thing, 1989, R-Rated
The Hateful Eight, 2015
There Will Be Blood, 2007, R-Rated
Midnight Run, 1988, R-Rated
The Unforgivable, 2021, R-Rated
Live By Night, 2016, R-Rated
The Power Of The Dog, 2021, R-Rated
Eye In The Sky, 2015, R-Rated

If you want a glimpse of the Network Monitoring & Management Software I implemented during my TS SCI engagements watch Eye In The Sky.

 

John - I didn't specifically spell it out when I posted about the movie "The Alpinist", but it's a true story documentary.

Norm - Based on what you posted about your fear of heights, the film footage in this movie would freak you out!

 

Norm - I definitely need to watch that movie. I was one of the Eyes in the Sky for +35-years!

 

Understood, Chris, I may watch it.

Norm, the Hateful 8 is Tarantino WAY high on his own supply. That man thinks gun violence, the "N Bomb" and typecast actors are the hot ticket. I dislike how blandly politically left and turbo woke his movies have become with their period alternative history plotlines against the established big bads of the past 200 years; I much preferred his lower budget gangster movies like his first 3, and Kill Bill was merely ok. Everything after seems to be him being a victim of his own success, in my opinion.

 

John - Curious about your opinion of Pulp Fiction, what I consider the best and most entertaining of Tarantino's films?

 

It's one of the first three movies which I consider his best; Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown being the other ones.

 

I wasn't sure about the order/timing of some of those films. I saw and really liked Reservoir Dogs, but haven't seen Jackie Brown, guess I should find that one and give it a go.

 

John - I agree with your synopsis of Tarentino. Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction by far his best endeavors and very poignant.

 

Ah, made me think about coming home from a holiday party a few nights ago. The wife didn't want to drive, so for the first time ever I was behind the wheel of her BMW Z4. We entered a single-lane HOV access ramp, with no traffic around, so I punched it from 60 MPH and held the throttle for 2 or 3 seconds. When I let off and looked down, the speedo showed 101 MPH. Holy mackerel, that thing has some awesome acceleration!!! If I drove that car on a daily basis I'd likely be in a lot of trouble.

 

Good morning everyone.

More rain. We must have needed it because we've gotten an awful lot in the past couple days but still no water in the basement. The ground is really soaking it up.

Kenneth that's awesome. I like the Z4. Heck I liked the Z3. There was a BMW that came out something like 20 years ago that I just saw for the first time over the summer. Can't think of what it was, a small convertible, but when I looked it up when I first saw it used ones today are still $$$. I'll have to look it up again. That's one car I've never owned is a BMW.

Roaring good time at the Awful house this morning. Won't see those guys for another few weeks. Next week I'll be at my Mom's, and the week after I'll be in da hills. Well, I'll see them Sunday.

Well I really need to change oil and spark plugs in the dogmobile today, because I don't see me doing it during the week and it's going to Florida on Thursday. So. I'll get the rest of my parts, put them in, then go get groceries. I don't want to come in and out too many time it makes Tiger uneasy.

Have a good Sunday everyone. It's a good Sunday for ducks.

 

The BMW Z8. Built from 2000 to 03, KBB says the average listing price is 173K. Must have been some car when it was new. I think it's also called the Alpina in some countries. London, when he showed up, had an Alpina. I wonder if this is what he had.

 

Two German manufacturers I've always admired are BMW & Porsche. I've never owned either a BMW or a Porsche, but I've always admired them.

 

I've owned several Porsches over the years. Dr. Porsche's "People's Car." Got one sitting out front right now.

 

Something flung a crav'in on me for chess pie, Haven't had one in years

 

James - I was not familiar with the term "chess pie", but after looking it up, it sounds basically like a traditional egg custard pie with a slightly crusty topping on it. I've made egg custard pies, lemon egg custard pies, and chocolate egg custard pies. I also enjoy just plain egg custard without the crust.

 

Chris, It's very similiar to a custard pie, only has corn meal in it [ to make it southern I guess] /very unique flavor