What are you doing today?

[Mikej]

Update on the Chevy Volt. Its at 47 MPGe. I think this number is in relation to the cost of the miles per gal of gas and electricity. Our fist trip was about 1200 miles and we got 37 MPG. New car not broken in. I went on a trip a couple week go of 300 miles and got 43 MPG. Getting better. It is rated at 38. We have driven 50/50 on gas and electric. The winter has been cold so the gas comes on to help heat below 15 deg. It should do better as it warm up. It is fun to drive. As for being a hotrod, its not, but all bet it quicker off the stop lights then most cars. It has 5500 miles on it and no problems. The wife loves it. It goes good in the snow. Weight almost 4000 lbs. Our driveway is steep and she has had no trouble. Total MPG is currently at 60+ and is climbing as the weather warms up.

[idrivejunk]

MPGe, now theres one I haven't heard yet! Mine knocks down 21 in heavy traffic, bless it's heart. No mercy.

Waiting for a break in the clouds, been riding the round Pontiac pretty hard in crummy weather for weeks but the snow is about gone. Spending weekends swapping parts onto this GTP off another that I rolled last year. Also got run into three times last year. A total of four totals in a year so I'm glad its 2014, 13 wasn't my lucky one! Shop projects- currently blocking a 40 Ford cab but have been working on square Broncos and a 63 T-bird most recently. Thank goodness there are some GM things in there, too.

After all the road salt, I found some inches-deep butterscotch pudding to run through. It was like racing on the beach, Ha.

[wayne petty]

i as just asking friends who live around LA this evening if their gas tanks are full.. as i was looking at the pattern of small quakes around so cal..

then this happened tonight..  at 10:18

[purplepickup]

There's quite a pattern going on there. Matches the San Andreas fault pretty closely.  The map says 719 earthquakes on the map since last week.  Hmmm.  Like you say, Wayne, keep your tank full, meds handy, and a bag packed.  Californians that I know don't seem to have much concern however.

By the way, I just checked that map and the number has gone to 733 since you posted that.  I guess that's normal though, eh?

[kb426]

One of my racer friends told me in 1978 that if the big one happened, they'd all be an island and be just like Hawaii. I know he wasn't serious but that was his response to not worrying.

[wayne petty]

everybody who lives in the middle of the country should really not feel safe from quakes..

http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/animations/23


its just that there are over 20 million people here on the southwest side of the san andreas fault  in southern california..

when the quake happens..  

interstate 10 will be sheared out north of palm springs..

interstate 15 will be sheared up in the Cajon pass..

highway 14 will be sheared at palmdale.. just south of the palmdale blvd exit.. where you drive thru a road cut..  check out the strata in the road cut on google maps street view.. looks like marble swirl ice cream or partially blended taffy..

interstate 5 will be sheared at gorman. gorman ,  lebec where the flying J station is and frazier park  are IN the san andreas fault ..  last time it broke there.. it broke off mature oak trees just above the roots..

the 101 north will more than likely be washed out in ventura.. there are several reservoirs above santa clarita .  that might fail during an extended shaking..

even the hollywood reservoir might fail.. it has been damaged since just after they built it.. so much so. they piled up 400,000 yards of soil across the front..  it was the first of the dams built by mullholland..  the second was built using the same blueprints and it failed washed out newhall santa paula and some areas of ventura..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Francis_Dam



read the pop science link at the bottom of this page..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulholland_Dam

this is the same dam shown to break up in the movie earthquake..

thats only about 2 miles from where i live.. will flood waters get me.. perhaps.. but unlikely..  i would not want to live a mile west of here..

mom (rip) told me that her aunt and uncle went up to the mullholand dam and found it cracking.. they got the dam keeper to start dumping water to relieve pressure..

somebody will eventually figure out that the earths orbit is because we are sling shotting around the sun as the sun moves around the milky way.. the sun is moving in its orbit at 220KPS.. that's kilometers per second..  or 792,000 miles an hour.  what am i talking about..   jump out of the passenger side of your car while your friend drives along.. start running circles around the car.  try to make them round..  what happens..  now. there is the effect of gravity bungee cord.. guiding your circles..  if you start out running along side.. in the same direction. you have to run faster to pass the car.. and you move out in front of the car.. you are moving across and the car is coming nearer.. you pass out the far side and the car passes you. then you sling shot around the back bumper stretching that bungee tight.  and snap back forward to go  past and around again..  this has got to effect the earth..

[58 Yeoman]

Wayne...you have to get 10 million people to move to the NE side of the San Andreas fault to even out the load...

You know how when all the passengers go to one side of the ship to look at the dolphins, and the ship capsizes...

[WZ JUNK]

I was able to get the old truck out today and go for a joy ride.  They were doing some test and tuning at the airport with this little truck.  The same guys do a lot of shows with the jet Peterbuilt "Shockwave".

John

[WZ JUNK]

I have a friend who is entered in the Mint 400 this weekend.  He runs the BAJA races also.   I have learned a little bit about this type of racing and I am really impressed.  They are very tough individuals and they go very fast.  I will try to post a picture of his car.

John

[enjenjo]

Cleaning up the snow from the latest storm. 7" this time.

[348tripower]

Cleaning up the snow from the latest storm. 7" this time.

We must have gotten about 10". I am so sick of snow. Plowed most of the day yesterday and again this morning.

[tom36]

We are close to the coast, so we had rain yesterday 'till about midnight then sleet and finally snow.  Got an inch or two.  Inland and the mountains got 16 to 20 inches.  tom...

[Arnold]

Beat. Winter has beaten me.
Last Mon. I d/h skiied quite well.
This Mon about a 2 month series of explosive pain/stiffness/unpredictable on off arthritic attacks in my knees FINALLY left me unable to walk.Mo.Tue I caned around..yesterday we got hit with another storm.

Today I am in no shape to deal with it and will either have to wait for it to get warm..or pay someone to deal with it.
Or get better.

As one of my 4wd trucks is stuck in my lane . The other 4wd truck is parked on the road.My blower sits in my shop.

 My g/f boards dogs. One of them is a Shepherd. This thing does not let me out of her sight..or let me close to her.Hasn't mauled me YET
  Last night my g/f and I had BIG LAUGHS
  This dog was laying on my feet..stood up and really let me pet her.
  This dog has known me 2 1/2 years.

  The dog said.."YOU are OLD..with your white hair and beard
                        NOW you are no longer a threst"

[kb426]

I'm going to say this not with any negative intent to anybody. It appears that winter broke about a week ago here. We had snow on friday night a week ago. It got into the 40's on saturday and then into the low 70's on sunday and monday. It still won't be good here for 2 more months but I don't expect continued cold spells. That said, it was 18 this morning and it's 71 right now. I'm truly sympathetic to someone that gets so much snow that you don't see the ground for 6 months.

[phat46]

Leaving China today, it's Friday morning here, Thursday evening back home, I won't be back there till Friday night at home. Have short day at the shop here today, just checking that the things we want changed are implemented, then a couple hour drive to the airport in Shanghai, then the 14 hour flight home. We were able to change our seats at the last moment to three adjoining bulkhead seats...BIG SCORE! Not looking forward to the weather at home, but it sure will be nice to get there! Can't wait to drive a vehicle again.