These Blues is Killing Me

Not a ton of progress as of late as I am stuck with nut on the driver axle that is preventing me from removing the CV and Rotor. This sucks as I have broke a breaker bar, heated it up 20 times and now am facing taking it in to have an impact wrench remove it. A 37 year old rusted nut is a drag.

Some new toys arrived and I am excited to start welding!

We are starting to get into a lot more of the serious (and hard) work now. I dropped the engine and transmission and we finally got a solid look at all the work there, I will postpone even talking about it for now, it is daunting. I spent the weekend working on the critical areas of the body, removing the wiring harness and prepping all rust areas in the trunks. My short term goal was to get all surface rust and prep with POR-15 so we can move onto the other more serious areas that require welding of new sheet metal.

In the above shots you can see some pinholes from rust, but for now I am going to just put POR-15 on them and come back and do some cosmetic fiberglass as this area is so small and not critical.

The boy was in charge of removing floor pan tar…

Today I made a lot of progress. Removed the entire interior, all front glass, etc. Looks like I have some floorplan rust I need to attend to, not terrible, but still, dang. Next is the rocker panels and that will be the last area before I can really assess all the welding and replacement I will need to do.

I have been working my way from the front to the back of the car. I finished up the removal of all of the front end stuff and a good portion of the interior. The good news is that there is nothing in the front that requires welding and all rust is on the surface.

My Father and I just wrapped our visit to this year’s Twin Peaks Festival. Like a lotta fan-fests, you have some obsessive people and lots of other folks who are just interested in the memorabilia, the history and lore of the show. Twin Peaks is a unique for it’s locations and ties to North Bend, Preston, Fall City, the Salish Lodge, Snoqualmie Falls and the Kiana Lodge where most of the interior shots occurred. We met some nice folks, ate donuts and had damn fine coffee. Click here if you are interested in the all the places associated with the filming of the show.

Me and the boy managed to get in a couple late hours after dinner tonight and we made progress on the front of the car. I removed the front bumper (which looks not worth saving, but they are so expensive to replace), the hood and the totally useless and never to be used again… GASTANK! The rust in the front is all surface with a little more invasive rust around the pillars, but there will be no need to do any welding or structural work here in the front and I am so relieved.

I have procured two cars now and I am ready for starting my EV-AC/DC Porsche 914 projects. Each car has it’s own challenges which is so typical for these cars as they are pushing 35 years out in the elements. When you purchase a “project car” you have to be prepared to deal with it. The blue Porsche is a 1972 1.7FI with 38K original miles. It has been parked under a carport since 1993. It shows rust damage in the “hell hole” and it is mostly contained, but serious enough to require a right inner longitude replacement. The sails on both sides need to be replaced and the front and rear trunk pans. The yellow one is a 1974 1.8FI and many years ago had the battery moved to the trunk and the hell hole repair done. The badness is that the rear floorpan is shot and this also implies the longitude and a right rear suspension console and the firewall. Most everything is doable but skills I will need to build.

I have the blue car ready for the engine drop, it may take me past the weekend as I am only fitting in about an 1.5 hours a day with my work schedule.

I have had the idea of getting a project car for a couple years. I was a bit of a gearhead back in my HS and Post-HS years mainly out of necessity as I was poor and had terrible cars, but also because the father of my best friend owned a Porsche repair shop and we lived next door to the shop for many years. The best part of course was sneaking into the shop and driving the cars at night. I ended up driving and surviving with Jon many crazy drives in 911’s all through the south end of Seattle. Ahh the folly of youth!

I always had a soft spot for the Porsche 914 which was much maligned by Porsche enthusiasts because of it’s VW engine. I liked driving the car because it was lightweight and drove like a go-cart, your butt was only 10 inches off the ground in the thing. Plus it was manageable compared to the other cars, easy to drive and super easy to service.

Another attraction for me was that the 914 has complete kits on the market dedicated to converting them to pure electric cars. I started putting the plan together after finally seeing one up close in Portland last weekend. I talked to the owner and there is some hassle involved, but nothing anyone with mechanical aptitude should be intimidated by and so I decided to go for it.

Everything starts with a good project car and I started hunting Seattle for the right car. My rule was to stick to a conservative budget on the initial purchase of the car because basically every aspect of the car would need to be touched, restored and upgraded. So I wasn’t even interested in anything more than a solid shell with minimal rust and no history of wrecks. The 914 is a uni-body car and so even a small fender bender can cause the car to be useless.

We found the car and closed the deal today. We bring it home next weekend and start the process of stripping it down. The good news is the body rust is minimal on the surface, the engine runs and the integrity of the car is good. Better yet, the price was right!

Soon to be vilified Arthur Skolnik proposes historic status for the Viaduct. To be clear my position is that we tear the whole thing down and eliminate all vehicle traffic through the Seattle Waterfront and create a people only zone for walking, biking and parks.

The Viaduct…

• Is built on unstable ground fill. When Seattle leveled (regraded) in the early 1900’s, it was a combination of dirt and sawdust from Yesler’s sawmills.
• The design has been discredited as proven in the Cypress freeway collapse in 1989 in San Francisco.

Look at these shots, they could be Seattle!!!

So Arthur, please go away as you are not helping the people of Seattle!

I have days where I am just blown away by events and circumstance. June 7th 2008 is one of the great days for sure that I will remember for a long time. I passed the mid-point of my 40’s and the gray in my beard shows it, but that age has brought comfort and a small measure of wisdom in my choices to take a gamble on a job 15 years ago that has paid out, recognizing that my wife was a far better catch for me than what she ended up with and the fortunate experience of having two polar opposite careers. I love cooking and still fraternize with my chef buddies and occasionally romanticize what it would be like to step back in and work in a kitchen.

It was the inaugural event at the newly updated Corson building that Matt and Wylie built with a lot a sweat equity with a nod to sourcing thing from local artisans and it was fantastic. We started in the late afternoon with champagne and walking around, checking out the grounds and the new kitchen addition. Tony arrived around 5.15pm and we started dinner service. Lucky for us, Mary and I sat right next to Tony and he was really down to earth and he told some great stories. Lots of folks asked him questions about their favorite episodes and I got him to tell a little more about the filming in Beirut right when Israel attacked.

Dinner service consisted of…

• Fresh Scallops with basil and olive oil
• Thinly sliced Serrano Ham
• Fresh Peas tossed with a light dressing and sauteed Morels
• Argula with sour cherries
• Sockeye Salmon with greens and onions
• Leg of Lamb with Greek Yogurt
• Fresh Strawberries

All of the preparation was done in a minimal fashion, served family style and absolutely fresh and local. Nothing was overcooked or over seasoned and I get why Matt’s reputation continues to grow.

Then we went off to the Moore and sat in the front row. We were joined by Mary & Marvin and Sean & Rhonna for a few libations and then the VIP after party on stage with the food from our buddies at the Culinary Communion and Gabriel was there having a great time. Tony worked the crowd signed autographs and you can tell he is digging this gig he has made for himself. He is the ultimate celebrity Chef with none of the trappings or bullshit. It was a truly memorable night for me and a great birthday.

I have really been enjoying SIFF this year. I have had the pleasure of attending the opening night Gala at the McCaw hall and seeing the Battle in Seattle, meeting Andre 3000 and ignoring Charlize Theron. It was fun watching a movie with 3000 people, albeit a very, very liberal group of people who hissed at Howard Schultz and applaud the activist/terrorists against the WTO.

The next big event was a screening of Sir Ben Kingsley’s new movie with Penelope Cruz called Elegy, a slow, steady movie that was really good. Later we attended a VIP dinner at Volterra Drawing Room in Ballard with my dad. Great evening.

Last night we attended the showing of Cecil B. Demented at the Egyptian on Capitol Hill. John Waters did a pre-show interview and it was hilarious. We then went to his talk at the Benaroya Hall, again, the guy is so funny and engaging and yes… twisted and not to everyone’s taste, but diversity makes the world of art what it is.

Tonight I cut out after work and headed out to the SIFF theatre to catch a debut film that was shot entirely on Orcas Island in the San Juan's (one of my favorite places on earth!) called “The Dark Horse” which was quite moving. The director and all the actors were on hand and answered questions afterwards, only at SIFF do you experience these great moments.

Back in my chefing days, I hung out with Steve and some other buddies playing guitar, cooking, drinking beer and dating waitresses. They were good times. Sadly like many things in our lives, we lose touch with people and regret it. Steve was one of those people and I always was amazed at how he pursued a lot of diverse things in his life that he cared about.

We say goodbye... http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/obituaries/2004449410_claussenobit31m.html

Magnet picks up the new David and Jennifer Lynch flick named "Surveillance" for US distribution at Cannes. This movie will also be the one playing at the SAM for Twin Peaks Fest (although SAM is still noting "Elephant Man"). Staring Bill Pullman and Julie Ormond, this appears a much more straight-ahead thriller than her last outing 15 years ago that kept her away from making another movie until now...

Watch the trailer here in German and be ready it is loud and typical Lynch. Seriously, unless you like a gritty thriller...

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" opened at Cannes and here is a review. It is mixed, but everyone is expecting that as Lucas and Spielberg wanted to keep some continuum to the effects and "the look" so it would not stand alone from the other movies in the series. I call that a huge mistake and it looks like the reviewers are agreeing. It matters not as I will be there to see it and I just wish I could eliminate the other indiscretions of Lucas like Jar-Jar...

All tickets are on sale now.

• Passes - http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/cruises_workshops/FestivalPasses.html
• Cruises - http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/cruises_workshops/blues_cruises.html

Get in now to the very best blues festival in the Northwest. Me and the family will be there.

They say it will officially be in the 80's this weekend and it is about friggen time. Seattle weather has sucked as of late like nothing I remember in the past and I have been here all my life.

Friday...

JP Patches at the Admiral in West Seattle

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/33240

Sat and Sun...

Seattle Cheese Festival - I will be on my bad-ass Italian, red motor scooter and there both days as I am in classes and helping.

http://www.seattlecheesefestival.com/

If you are around at any of these, ping me to hang out. I will buy <g/>

I do love to travel and I hop on a plane every month or so taking closer trips to the West Coast and to my favorite city of New York. I am also anal about traveling and always keep a very detailed itinerary down to the flight specifics, restaurants, activities, etc., usually maintained in Microsoft Word on my home machine. That is so yesterday... as I have been using TripIt now and it is an awesome piece of software. I can use OpenTable, TicketMaster, my work's Flight Reservation system, etc and every standard email response from these systems can be forwarded to the site and build my trip with every detail organized by trip date and all I do is add a few uber details. I can have that itinerary forwarded to my phone, get alerts, etc. I highly recommend this site as it has saved me a bunch of time.

I have lately been evaluating my habits and thinking more deeply about money, gas, food and my relationship with these vital things. I love good food, old Scotch and eating out and yet... I am sure you are seeing it too, the food bill is up 25% at the least. My wife and I have always been solid cooks and we eat little prepared food which saves us money and puts excellent food on the table. I have been doing things differently for the last year when it comes to meat (I am an omnivore) and ordering from local producers and only from farms with natural feeding and humane practices. So I am on track and being more aggressive in how we buy and who we buy it from.

Next is GAS! Whoa, my weekly commute costs have been pushing 95US bucks a week. I don't have the most efficient car, but it is more complicated than that as driving to work from "Seattle to the Eastside" makes me completely stressed and pissed off a couple times a week. Thanks to Microsoft, they have adopted a progressive approach and built their own bus service. This last week I started riding it from the south of Seattle and my commute has gone from 65 miles a day to 17 and the drive to work at 6:15AM is on back streets with little traffic. This has been great. It extends my day at work a bit to 10.5-11 hours a day, but it is more productive and I am feeling better.

That is a long winded diatribe on my Sunday dinner of Organic Turkey Tenders, Corn and Quinoa (Keen-Wa). I love Quinoa as it is my favorite protein grain (along with Bluebird Farms Farro) and it is super easy to cook just water, a Knorr-Swiss Vegetable pellet, simmer and you are done. I also pulled out my favorite quick grill, my Binchotan which requires just 3 oak lump charcoal hunks and in 15 minutes you are grilling with minimal hassle. Some Larouex BBQ Sauce (the Best!!!) on top and it was mighty fine.

Bumbershoot.org announced the first peek at the lineup and some real talent is coming this year. I am most interested in Lucinda Williams, Jakob Dylan, Joe Bonamassa, Neko Case and Beck. The Stone Temple Pilots will be there, but Scott...

So Tim is going to build a wine empire in Walla Walla and Jon has his extended family there and the place has grown to an amazing destination since the days of first mention of the town in 1953 by Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc). I spent a lot of time there when I was working as a private Chef for PJ Taggares (owned by Janet now after Pete passed) and it had 3 wineries and lots and lots of Sweet Onions. I have had a love-hate affair with arguable the greatest Walla Walla winery, Leonetti Cellars as the prices and difficulty obtaining the coveted vintages and I love them for their unique qualities.

The Taste of Walla Walla was hosted at the Seattle Center and sponsored by the Walla Walla Alliance to support Fare Start (a very worthwhile cause) and it featured all of the great wineries of the region. When you have the chance to taste so many fine wines, you really get a chance to pick the exceptional wines from the pack and focus on what you enjoy.

Here are my picks in order...

• Long Shadows Winery - Spectacular wines with lots of attention to the details. Chester|Kidder was my favorite as I tend towards Meritage styles in Red Table blends and this one does not follow the formula, but the excellent blend of Cab and Syrah make this #1 for me and it is fantastic! The other wines they make are top notch too.
• Pepper Bridge - I really favor their Cabernet and it is an estate wine which differentiates this from the smaller, leased makers in the region.
• Da Ma - Total female ownership is the shtick they promote and the Syrah was exceptional.
• Bergevin Lane - Jon's cousins own this winery and I like the 2004 Cab.

There was a lot of great wines there, but these are the outstanding ones I enjoyed the most.

We managed to stay reasonably sober and finished the night with an incredible meal at Opal and this being my third visit to the restaurant, they have their game on and produced Tyler's menu perfect once again.

I have been distracted lately by an unfortunate injury to my left knee and I can really appreciate and empathize now with serious sports injuries and those torn ACL's. I slipped off a step ladder and hit my kneecap on the edge of the wash bucket and shot it up my leg. The surgeon was excellent and recovery is slow but proceeding ahead of schedule. So enough of that, it bores me. Here's a shot for the squeamish!

Yes! One of my favorite relief pitchers is on the team in 08. Hoping he is healthy and makes the big show, no one was more entertaining to watch intimidate hitters with his dueling diamond earrings and a nasty fast ball.

Nice write up on my friends at Cafe Flora in the Seattle PI. I have known the restaurant through my POS work in the old days and as supporter over the years with their efforts to help the community and many gifts of their excellent cookbook.

Self indulgent for sure, but worth noting the best bits for 2008 planning...

Music

• Wilco - Sky Blue Sky - A pure pop album from Tweedy and company. I had the pleasure of seeing the band at Marymoor in the summer on a perfect night and I come back to this album (on vinyl in my office) and at home over and over again. We got to see Nels and Glenn early in the year at the Triple Door, so it was a complete trip for me a a fan of Wilco.
• Feist - The Reminder - I hate the iPod over-saturation, but this album is really well crafted and you can't resist it.
• Bobby Rush - Raw - Best blues acoustic music of the year. Bobby is not known and appreciated for his musicianship in comparison as a band leader and this album puts all that to rest, he has such a great delivery and nuance.
• Led Zeppelin - Mothership - Okay it is redundant re-packaging, but a really nice set list and cool packaging for a 3 disc set.
• Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - Me and everyone else, listen to it with headphones and relax.
• Iron & Wine - The Shepherds Dog - An aching sound with great stories. I really liked this album and it matches Arcade Fire and other bands doing lo-fi with multi-layering of diverse instruments. Highly recommended.
• Brandi Carlile - The Story - I had the chance to catch her 3 times during the year and it making big strides to play a larger stage. The Story was a very solid sophomore album.
• Jake Shimabukuro - Hula Girls - I blogged his show early in the year and what are you waiting for? He is a phenom on the Uke and it is a solid bet you and your date will love this guy.

Movies

• Inland Empire - David Lynch - Completely inaccessible to most folks and it took a good three viewing's before I was able to get the interspersed stories and realities. But Lynch is generous and he shares the story for whatever we project on it and no one else makes movies this way.
• Knocked Up - Judd Apatow - A great night at the Big Picture, this movie is funny and dark.
• Ratatouille - Disney - Food, Paris, Chefs and dating the Wait-staff. I used to live that way!
• Grindhouse - Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez - This dual movie setup sent me to Amazon to pickup Vanishing Point, Dirty Larry and Crazy Mary and a few other '70's flicks. It was an awesome movie experience at the Cinerama.
• Black Snake Moan - The Blues and living on the edge. Great music and SLJ playing himself really made it worth it.

Shows

• Roger Waters - Key Arena - He did Dark Side note to note and was smiling the whole time. 5th Row seats.
• Eric Clapton - Key Arena - Wow and once again he proves why he is such a force in music.
• Memphis Blues Awards - I blogged the best of the shows for the Blues Awards. Again Bobby Rush was amazing.
• Portland Waterfront Blues Festival - Hotter than hell and lots of killer blues bands. We had a great boat cruise with friends and musicians.
• Wilco - Marymoor Park - I blogged this one and my buddy gave me the board recording from the show for Christmas.
• Shawn Mullins - Triple Door - See this guy next time he comes to town.
• Bumbershoot - Seattle Center - Another great bag of music and the exclusive stuff was the best. Private shows with Steve Earle, The Gourds and Gogol Bordello.