I don't think I need to tell you that in certain parts of the United States, it has been hot. Really hot. Excessively hot. The heat wave has covered a large part of the Midwest and Northeast, as well as those areas where you'd expect it to be hot–like South Carolina. I was on the phone with someone is South Florida who said they were hot down there, until I told them that our temperature last Wednesday was 105–with the heat index it was 116. I know. I worked in it all day. And yes, we beat South Florida…
The past few years have seen heat waves the likes of which haven't been experienced for decades. Now, I'm not a gloom-and-doomer, but I can tell you that I've never, in my 30+ years of living in the South, experienced such hot summers. Today, to beat the heat, I decided to burn a vacation day–we're slow at work, and I couldn't see another 8 hours doing busy work in the hangar. I spent the day catching up on some well-deserved sleep and spending time with my wife and our two boys, Junior and Smokey.
Speaking of the Feline Units, they're getting along well. A few swats at each other with what appears to be closed paws (no claws deployed, thank goodness), and few hisses, but nothing to write home about otherwise. Smokey's still taking antibiotics as a prophylactic after his surgery, but we did move his dry food bowl into the kitchen, across from the Mighty Tiger's cafeteria. Now, Junior has been nicking food from Smokey–I caught him nose-down in Smokey's wet food bowl the other morning, and he keeps noshing at Smokey's dry food bowl. Maybe it is fortunate, then, that Smokey doesn't seem to enjoy wet foot (aka "Tigr Fud"), so maybe we can dispense with the extra bowl for him. Junior, though, is a fiend for Fancy Feast, and I don't see how we can take him off it cold turkey–he'd have to go to a Betty Ford clinic for cats, he's so hooked. The only remaining issue is going to be breaking Smokey of his late-night howling sessions. He'll stand in the hallway and howl if he feels he's not being paid enough attention, or thinks he needs food. Junior did the same thing at that age, and it seems to be one of those things you just have to be patient with–Junior saw many a night in the spare bathroom with his boxes and bowls and the door shut before he finally stopped. I'm hoping that Smokey doesn't have to go that route, but I will go that way if I have to…
And, I guess since Junior eats Smokey's food, Smokey only finds it fair to use Junior's litter boxes (another separate facility that will be combined shortly, by the way)…
On the model front, I made some limited progress on the Monte Carlo. One bite at a time, I keep telling myself…
Speaking of NASCAR, my wife surprised me with Power Slide's new decal sheet for the AMT 1/25 scale 2010 Impala that will allow me to add to my Tony Stewart collection. The sheet looks pretty good on the paper–the artwork is superb, and the printing is crisp. Everything looks like it is on the sheet, ready to be applied to the model. All you need to do is either add one of the resin nose clips floating around on cyberspace or make your own–2011 saw the distinct notched bumper/splitter combined and cleaned up a bit. For a snap fit kit, AMT seems to have hit the mark–the newer kits give you both the wing and spoiler–and do as I did, and get the "Plain" version marketed for use with aftermarket decals. You'll save a few bucks if you do. I'll give you a better rundown on both kit and decal sheet as soon as I have time to review them more in depth. This project may be one of the first I do after I tie up my loose ends on the bench.
In the next couple of installments, I want to look back at my modeling "career" and talk about some of the people I've met along the way who've given me guidance, instruction, and inspiration. I'd like to communicate with those who are still alive and kicking before I do, so be patient. I think most of them would have no problems being "showcased" if you will, but since they are my friends I'd like to get their blessings before I write about them. Stay tuned…
Have a safe weekend. Stay cool!
Thanks for reading. Be good to one another, and, as always, I bid you Peace.