July 31st – August 2nd is the IT SPECtacular at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course and I’m racing this year. I’m both excited and terrified: over 30 IT cars have registered, including some of the fastest guys cars in the nation. I’ve never raced at Mid-Ohio before. Luckily, Chris from Angry Sheep Motorsports set up my Neon yesterday, which always makes me feel better.
As noted in previous news updates, Gina and I have been working on a mini-remodel of our den and kitchen. I’ve installed new recessed lighting, other lighting fixtures, run some complicated a/v wiring, and significant drywall work to prepare for our first experience with professional painters. I hate painting… hopefully seeing how easily the pros do it will make it easier to decide to go this route more often.
In other news, I celebrated my 34th birthday last Saturday. Gina made an awesome coconut cream cake, bourbon-glazed ribs and cheesy potatoes. I was able to relax a bit, play some games (finishing Ghostbusters and House of the Dead: Overkill), and get some work done on my race car and around the house.
- Duane
Tags: racing, remodeling
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Gina and I have been working on hiding the wiring for the TV we mounted above our den fireplace last winter and changing to the split system heat pump by Goodman. The process of hiding the wiring involves making several strategic openings in the drywall on several floors of the house, drilling through headers, floors, etc. inside of the wall, crawling around in the (incredibly itchy) insulation in our attic, snaking wires through the walls, and… inevitably… swearing. We’re trying to re-paint our kitchen/den area, and need to get the TV wiring done before doing so, as well replacing our kitchen light with a series of recessed (can) fixtures. Ah, the joy of home ownership.
- Duane
Tags: remodeling
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I called Brighton Chrysler to order some parts for my ITA Neon (race car) and found out that they’re in short supply. In fact, some of the parts that we replace as part of preventative maintenance are outright unavailable (ACR hub and bearing kits). I hope that Chrysler LLC comes out of this reorganization soon and starts getting parts back in stock. I’d hate to have to switch cars or classes just because I can’t get a $70 part…
In related news, I’ll be racing at Grattan Raceway this weekend. It’s my first race of the season and apart from a few maintenance parts missing (ahem), I’m just about ready to head out on my old tires and get on the track!
- Duane
Tags: Chrysler, Dodge, ITA, Neon, Plymouth, racing, spec neon
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I know I’ve already posted this to twitter and my moblog, but I gotta put it in here too: Degen Christian Leinninger arrived around 8:00 last night. Robyn and Christian are doing well and are very proud of their little man.
- Duane
Tags: baby, family, nephew
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While working on restoring our 20+ year-old lawn tractor and replacing the rear brakes on my WRX, the power went out in spectacular fashion. Wind gusts upwards of 70 mph and airsoft-sized hail beat up the Brighton area. Apparently, downed trees caused a transformer fire in Livingston County and left thousands without power. While I was able to continue with my projects in the shop, I had to make do without lights or the convenience of my air tools.
The hum of our neighbor’s generators made sleeping difficult and the next day (Sunday) arrived without electricity. After a quick check on our sump, I decided it was best to drag out our hand-me-down generator that is likely even older than our lawn tractor. I topped off the oil, added some fuel and it started right up. Emulating
Brad, we powered our fridge, sump, cable modem, router, and a laptop. We were able to download the Bahrain F1 race (since our Media Center was out of commission and unable to record it) and watch it before ending the day. Power returned by evening, and it looks like everything is back to normal.
- Duane
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Pictures