my name got's to be butter

I tackled making my own pixel car from scratch...with one near and dear to me, my own truck. Granted, my truck doesn't look quite like this now, but it will in due time, espically after I get a daily so that I can actaully do the more extreme and extensive work to the truck. I've got two versions, a nice parked lookin' bad-ass version, or a complete badd-ass (with two 'd's') draggin' ass version. Enjoy:

maybe a 12-step program would help

So this whole pixel car thing appeals to me in a strange sorta way...in the past, I've tried to be as realistic as possible, but now, realisim isn't the primary concern...it's...liberating. So I've got three more cars here, well, one car, three versions:

04 GTO:


05 GTO:


GTO w/ Action Package:

egads watson

That drift carrer thing? I had a bad idea about that to begin with, and now I know why....it's just plain screwed up. The people who are doing it aren't sticking to thier schedules, and worse yet, aren't sticking to thier points system. Eh, I'm not complaining too bad, as it was free to join with nothing to win other then bragging rights. I'll look for a more organized outfit next time.

Ever wondered what my drift car looked like? I've come across the unique art of pixel cars. Basically you make a car, in a fairly small scale, with front, side and rear shots, but the idea isn't to be absolutly (I can't never spell that....) make a realistic looking car, but kinda a cross between real and cartoon. I made an example of my drift car in Forza, an A1 Silvia S15 Spec-R Aero:

please, let it continue

Wow, I'm running on a good high right now. No, my latest shipment of the SSS didn't come in from Amsterdam; not only did I PASS my physical test this morning, I WON the drift contest yesterday. Well, I TIED in the drift contest, but TIED for FIRST...so that's a WIN in my book.

The physical test wasn't too, too bad, but I'm not wanting to do it again any time soon, I'll tell you that right now. It went linke this, put 50lbs on your back, pick up a length of fire hose (about 20 lbs), carry it up three flights of stairs, drop it, go back down; hit a weighted sled with a dead-blow sledge hammer and move it ~5 feet (VERY difficult, much harder then it sounds); extend the fly section of a two-piece ladder and retract it, twice (weighs about 40 lbs); pull a 15lbs weight down 25 times; crawl through a 3' colvert (slippery as crap), lift a 30lbs weight from 2' 6" to 3' 6" and back again; carry a pressurized hose 75 feet (I screwed up this part...didn't sling the hose as much as I should've), discahrge the hose the drop it; and finally drag a 175 lbs (at least) dummy 75 feet. You've got a 7 min time limit. My time wasn't too, too impressive at 5:01, but I paced myself so as to not burn out. The fastest time was 3:16 put up by a 40 year old British guy....lol. Hey, at least I passed.

Now only if I could ride this high as long as possible....hopefully I'll get a few more breaks coming my way, about time my luck changed.

set your self straight and go sideways

I called up Human Resources yesterday to find out if if I passed my written firefighter's exam....yup, I passed. Dunno what I got specifically, I was only told that passed, not my actual score. So you know what that means....I get to get up bright and early tomorrow morning to do the physical portion. I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I can't say I'm nervous either. I'm more scared that I'll fail then anything. But, all I can do is the best I know I can do and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, I joined up in a "Drift Career", an online competition using Forza Motorsport for the XBOX as the base. Basically, it's a three month long mini-season of drifting events and special events. Tonite was the first session, S-curves down hill, Road Atlanta. Since I only found out about this whole deal yesterday, that didn't leave me much time to practice....The drift settings and car I had been using were just for playing around, but these guys are serious, so I had to step up. The event started at 6:30 EST, and all the way up to 4 I was struggling to find a set-up I was happy with. But finally, I found one, and found my groove. I go into the room and bust out some amazing drifts, I was docked some points for loxing momentum, but I got a 25 out of a possible 40...tied for 1st currently. I feel I could've done better, I fell flat on my face for the final turn and barley pulled any angle....then I spun out my second run....but eh. I'll see how this whole thing works out in the end.....go me.

2,980

124- P
64- AA F:77
40- UA F:93
343- NYFF
75- NYPD & NYPA
92- AA F:11
65- UA F:65
2,177- TT

back from the dead

Get this....those people in that car that ran under the bus? ALIVE. The three in the rear seat have non-life threatening injuries; the two in the front seat are critical, but last I knew, expected to live. Story from the local paper here.

Yesterday I took the 140 question written exam for the fire department. It wasn't all that hard really, mostly "what would you do in this situation" type of deal. There were only 5 math questions and maybe 20 grammar type questions. I feel I did really well. I have to call Wednesday to see if I passed or not. There were like, 40 people or so in there taking the test, and only 9 positions open...it's gonna be rough. But on a good note, starting pay went from $26,000 to $33,000...not too shabby.

...

Now this is no laughing matter. I was sitting here in my room, just watching some TV...I heard a loud crash, I thought somthing fell downstairs, so I checked down there...everything was fine. I happened to go out to the garage to get a drink, what I saw wasn't pretty, a four door sedan almost completly UNDER a school bus. The rear bumper of the bus was at the rear window of the sedan, the rest was flat under the bus. Worst yet, there were 3 children on the bus. I immediatly had my mom dial 911 while I went up to the scene. There were already a few civilans on site, just maybe 3 mins after it happened, two people from the car were lying on the ground behind the car, someone pulled them out (I assume), one person was very bloody and not breathing too well, and the other person didn't look as bloody, but they looked to be barley breathing.

About this time fire, police, and EMTs were arriving on scene, only trouble was, traffic was at a standstill and with people trying to turn around, they had a difficult time getting there. Air lines and compressors are taken out to operate the Jaws. Turns out, there are still THREE more people INSIDE the car. Wreckers arrive to lift the bus off the car so workers car rescue the people. Not one, but two life-flight helicopters landed in my neighbors yard to airlift the two more serious victims away. Luckily, it appeared as if no one was fatal when they were taken away, although how many will make it through the nite is anyone's guess. The three children were OK, although one (my neighbor) was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Certianly a very severe and unhappy scene.

just to see her again....

I finished up my shaving of the tailgate....and it really completes the rear end. I'm not saying much cause I don't feel like it...

if only i could forget teh sad times

Am I gonna talk about gas prices? No, not really, kust this little blurb...one station was already sold out as of ~7:30PM, with another one quickly heading down the same course. Insanity I tell you.

I shaved the 'gate today...took awhile to perfect the handle filler panel, but it effort was worth it, it welded in nice and I'm having to do minimal body work. Now the emblem on the other hand.........well, that didn't go so well. The holes welded up fine, but I warped the tailgate in the process. Not too, too bad, but bad enough to where it's taking a lot more effort and body work then it should. I've only myself to blame. The area around the old handle warped ever so slightly, but then again, I'm not sure it wasn't like that to begin with. I'll be done with it tomorrow, it'll be in primer (I found another can, hooray!) and back on the truck....which means the ass end will be all shaved out. I'll snap a pick or two and post 'em up. Glory be the days when the body work is over.