The end of September through all of October

September 29-October 3 – Nationals in Iowa.  We tried packing up most of the things for the trip on Tuesday night but only got the car on the trailer.  Tia’s blower motor stopped working the night before and its dash needed to be reassembled so Susan could drive it to work on Wednesday.  I also managed to damage one of the rear doors on the Suburban which caused it to pop out the passenger side rear lights.  On top of this I pulled out the wires from the trailer hookup.  Yay me.  So after work on Wednesday Susan worked on fixing the trailer hookup while I adjusted the back door.  We both had middling success.  I was able to get the door to stop knocking out the rear lights but it still scraped and popped audibly (we decided I would probably do more harm than good if I kept messing with it).  Susan was able to wire up the trailer hookup but discovered that the right blinker wasn’t functioning (it’s an issue on the Suburban which we decided was something we could figure out after the trip).  It was starting to get dark but we thought it best to still leave so finished packing up and headed out.  We drove to North Platte and stayed in a Comfort Inn.  Not long before we got to the hotel one of my dental crowns fell off eating gummy life savers.  Luckily it didn’t hurt much and I was able to wedge it back in its spot. 

On Thursday morning I called a local dentist and had my crown cemented back into place.  Then we finished the drive out to Indianola, Iowa.  After checking into our hotel (Quality Inn) and dropping off the evo and car trailer at the race site we went to dinner just up the street at Cal’s bar and grill where we got to hang out with several other competitors.  We got house wine and ate greasy stuffs whilst we talked racing. 

Friday was the day before racing and we had to check in and have our car tech’d.  After this we headed over the practice course for a few runs to acclimate to the conditions.  The course was very short and overly tight but was still worth driving.  Susan and I went to lunch at a pizza and steak place with a diverse menu (Italian, Chinese, Middle Eastern) which was very good.  Saturday’s courses were set up so we could walk them and we did so before it got dark.  Susan was the chief of timing and had to figure out the grid and run order for all the drivers.  This ended up being a pain and we were late heading over to the dinner provided by the SCCA (held at a winery across the street from the racing venue).  We tasted wine before getting in line for BBQ which ended up being tasty.  After eating there was a town hall held where various rallycross issues were discussed.  We were going to hang out and play card games with fellow Coloradan-racer Dan Hipwood but I was too tired from the day so we went back to our hotel room to sleep. 

On Saturday morning I was up well before our wakeup call at 5:30 and excited for the day.  Our run group was last which normally would mean we’d have a lot of time to hang out but Susan was stuck working during the two other groups (I was the designated writer for the stock classes (meaning I was to write an article for the club magazine “Sportscar”)).  I watched and took notes of what was going on.  Unlike last year there was no rain the night and morning of the event but morning dew made the course slick for the first run group.  By the time the second group was racing the ground was mostly dry and the cars subsequently got faster.  When we finally got to run conditions were great.  Unfortunately for me I kept hitting cones (a big no-no at national events) which immediately put me far down the standings.  I was driving frustrated and five hit cones had me in 12^th place when we broke for lunch.  Susan put down consistent runs throughout the morning and was in 9^th place. 

With the help of Susan and a pulled pork sandwich I felt better in the afternoon.  I figured I had nothing to lose and drove more relaxed and climbing up to 3^rd place by the time we were done racing on Saturday.  Susan fell two spots to 11^th place as some of the other drivers found their pace. 

We met 25+ other competitors at a downtown tavern for dinner.  Homecoming was happening so most of the restaurants were packed with high school kids.  We occupied a long table at the back of the place.  It took a LONG time to order and get our food and drinks but time went fast as we talked about the exciting day.  In the end Susan and I filled ourselves up on tasty food and headed back to our hotel. 

Sunday began with heavy fog that didn’t clear until the late morning. 

More morning dew once again had the first run group going slower but the competition was fierce.  As is with this sort of thing the best drivers ended up taking the victories in their classes despite the wet conditions.  I was upbeat when we finally got to race as I only had a little over four seconds to make up to take the lead (1.5 to get into 2^nd place).  While I immediately got into 2^nd place I only managed to be a half a second faster than the leader.  Susan put down some quick runs and maintained her position to finish in 11^th.  19 competitors from Colorado made the trip out to Iowa for the event and many came away with trophies.  After the awards ceremony we hopped into the Suburban and started home.  We stopped in Ogallala, Nebraska for the night (another Quality Inn) as we were too exhausted to make it all the way to Denver. 

Monday had us driving the last three hours to Denver where we picked up our WRX (it was getting its axle seal replaced again) before heading home.  After unpacking we went out for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes and did a little necessary shopping.  We then spent the evening alternatively napping on the couch with the pugs whom we had missed very much. 

October 8-9 weekend – Twas a quiet weekend for us which was great.  I was going to be installing a newly rebuilt steering rack on the WRX but that had to wait as the shop we used was closed over the weekend.  We ended up relaxing quite a bit and trying out a couple of new (to us) breakfast places.  On Saturday we tried The Bistro which was fancy-schmancy.  The food was delicious and reminded me of breakfasts on past cruise ships we’ve been on.  We went to Breakfast Off Broadway on Sunday because they had bottomless Mimosas which Susan wanted to try (she did like them).  I think it was the best breakfast place we’ve gone to yet.  The food was tasty and the coffee was excellent.  They also had live music in the form of a bass guitarist jamming out with a looper pedal.  Very cool. 

October 10-11 – I picked up a rebuilt steering rack on Monday after work and headed home with the intent that I’d install it quickly.  I made a mistake when connecting the steering knuckle to the rack which essentially ruined the knuckle’s splines.  I spent far too much time trying to make it work just to give up at 10:00 that night.  The next day I went to our local awesome junk yard and found a couple of steering knuckles that could work for $10 a piece (a new one would have cost around $200).  It took me approximately 20 seconds to install the junk yard knuckle the correct way and I had the rest together after another couple of hours.  Susan and I then dropped off the WRX for an alignment and got dinner at Chili’s which was pleasant.  When we got home we discovered Sophie had peed in her kennel so she got a bath in the kitchen sink.  After drying her off Susan put her by the water bowel and Sophie fell on her side.  She arched her back and her limbs went stiff.  We’ve never seen Sophie have a seizure before and now are worried this is why she’s been making mistakes in her kennel.  Hopefully it was an isolated incident and not indicative of serious problems. 

October 14 – dinner and games at Kari and Alvin’s house.  They baked Costco food (ravioli and mac’n’cheese) and we brought salad.  Alvin’s sister (Emily) and husband (Kevin) were there as well as Jeff.  We ate and then cleared the table to play Cabo.  It was an epic game and Alvin came away the victor.  Emily and Kevin were first-timers but picked it up right away.  Kari and Alvin just adopted a puppy from New Mexico they named Ringo.  The vet thinks he might be a Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix but he’s pretty small and doesn’t look like he’ll get a whole lot bigger (little paws).  Whatever his pedigree Ringo is very cute and has a calm demeanor. 

October 15 – I had plans to do work on Tia in the morning but we decided to be lazy and went out for breakfast instead.  This time we went to a restaurant named Urban Egg which was south of C470 off Broadway which is closer to home than most any of the other breakfast eateries.  The name had me thinking it would be hip and modern but it was pretty standard (or what I think of standard for such places).  This is not a bad thing as the service, food, and coffee were all good.  I’m not sure it is our favorite place but its close location may help it become a standard weekend venue for us.  After breakfast we drove around town running errands before coming home to prep to race. 

While I swapped out the wheels on the WRX (our car of choice for the event) Susan took apart and fiddled with the wiring on the Suburban.  I managed to hammer the Suburban’s back door into better shape and it no longer scrapes and pops when opened or closed (win!).  After a couple of hours of checking the wiring and having a lot of dirt fall on her face Susan discovered that a blown fuse was the cause of the trailer blinker not working.  Next time we’ll know to check the fuses first when something like this happens.  We finished the day with the WRX loaded on the car trailer. 

October 16 – rallycross at USTDS.  We got up extra early on Sunday and the sun wasn’t up until we were almost to the event site.  I thought there was a timing issue which ended up only being in my head.  Susan did her normal thing and the WRX got through tech with no issues.  I was excited to drive the WRX and was perplexed on the very first turn when I lifted off the accelerator but the car kept on accelerating as if my foot was pushed to the floor.  Apparently starting with our particular model the car’s computer keeps the revs high for a moment after you lift off the gas pedal to help the driver shift smoother.  This might be fine in daily driving but at the racetrack means that one can’t depend on the gas pedal to react in the way one would expect.  It really felt like the car was trying to kill us and it made us two frustrated drivers.  Predictably we did horribly but on the bright side I learned how to left-foot brake as doing so was the only way I could get the car to act like I wanted it to.  The front bumper didn’t approve of hitting cones (which we did a lot of) and we found out that it could come most of the way off the car if we weren’t careful.  The WRX also didn’t like being driven too hard as it almost overheated after one particular high-reving run (yikes!).  Also the power steering couldn’t keep up on the tighter turns.  Basically we should have driven the evo as it is a better car in every way.  Susan earned the cone-killer award for hitting the most of anyone competing by hitting 20 (her first!).  We did end up having a good time as we didn’t really have a choice but to accept our fate and deal with it.  Luckily for me the guy who I’m most competing with for season points also had a bad day.  The WRX had started the day with almost brand-new snow tires which were essentially destroyed while racing.  They were really cheap and came with the car so we were ok with the sacrifice.  After the event we attempted to get dinner with some friends but found the two restaurants we went to had wait times too long for us.  Susan and I actually went to a Wendy’s before heading back home. 

October 16 – both of us worked late and I got home to find Sophie had made a mess in her kennel.  I gave her a bath and then Susan got home.  While she was drying Sophie had another seizure.  This time she cried out as it was happening.  Maybe the saddest sound I have ever heard.  We don’t know what’s going on and wonder if somehow the baths themselves are somehow causing them.  After the incident she seemed like her normal self.  Susan took her to work the next day to watch her (of course, she was fine). 

Sophie has been staying in her own kennel the last week or two as she has consistently made mistakes before we’ve gotten home.  I had the feeling that she doing her business soon before we got home and perhaps would do better if she was with Tweetie again.  Sure enough, we gave it a shot and Sophie made it through the whole day without incident.  We’re glad as we were doing a lot of extra laundry.  Plus we do think something to do with the sudden drop in her body temperature after her baths was causing her seizures and no mistakes means no baths. 

October 22 – the morning started late with us driving up to Snooze for breakfast.  Unfortunately a whole lot of other folks were doing the same thing and the wait was 45 minutes to an hour.  I tried to take the edge out of my scoff as we left.  Unable to come to a consensus we ended up at Village Inn.  Besides having an obviously harried waitress it was a pleasant experience.  I think going to Village Inn worked to reset our breakfast expectations.  Susan didn’t agree but I think she just wanted Mimosas (which they don’t serve).  After we got home we took a close look at the evo’s suspension. 

The knocking sound coming from the passenger front side which started back in August didn’t go away when I reattached the side skirt and has progressively worsened.  We were very worried the strut was blow which would be a huge bummer as a replacement strut would be very expensive and the manufacturer (Bilstein) doesn’t rebuild them anymore (they used to until early 2015).  We found that entering our driveway quickly caused the noise so we took turns listening from the outside while the other drove.  I put the evo on jack stands and checked everything out thoroughly.  It was at this point I discovered the trailing arm bushing (a big hockey puck-shaped rubber thing) was completely trashed on the passenger side.  The driver’s side was torn some but in better shape.  Bingo!  We figured out the noise.  While I was doing this Susan worked to clean up the WRX’s interior (gear oil had leaked onto the passenger foot well – yuck).  Jeff came by in the evening for dinner and conversation.  I made marinated pork which exceeded our expectations.  We had a nice time. 

October 23 – we finally dropped off Tia at the body shop to get fixed on the way up to have breakfast at Breakfast Off Broadway with Jeff.  It was pretty busy at the restaurant and we beat Jeff by 20 minutes but we were able to be seated immediately when he arrived.  Once again the food was excellent and Susan enjoyed her Mimosas.  On the way home we stopped at an auto parts store to pick up sway bar end links for the WRX (that one rallycross really took its toll on the car).  They didn’t take long to install and I also rotated the tires so the slightly-less-shredded tires would be on the front of the car.  I also noticed that the axle seal is still leaking.  Yay.  Our buddy Dan Hipwood came by with some clean and un-torn Miata seats we bought off him.  He has two Miatas which he is turning into one using the best bits of both while selling off what he doesn’t need.  Bonus for us.  He also picked up his rally wheels/tires we had brought back from Iowa for him. 

October 26 – Susan picked up Tia from the body shop.  We didn’t know how long it would take for Tia to be fixed and painted but were surprised when Susan got a call it was done only three days after we dropped it off.  Susan was so excited she left work to pick her up.  The shop did a great job as far as we can tell as one really can’t tell anything is amiss. 

October 28 – went to Alvin and Kari’s for dinner and car work.  I reached out to Alvin about pressing out and in the new bushings on the evo’s control arms as having a shop do it added a lot of potential expense.  Since I had to pull the control arms out I decided to replace the other bushing on the control arms along with the ball joints.  Taking out the control arms was surprisingly easy and I did so the night before having the new bits installed.  We brought marinated chicken (same seasoning packet as with the pork the week before) which Susan and Kari put in the oven while Alvin and I worked in the garage.  Getting out the bushing wasn’t the easiest thing but eventually we (mostly Alvin) prevailed.  We did find something unfortunate when trying to press in the new ball joint on the driver’s side control arm.  About a year ago I installed a new ball joint that was not an exact fit for the control arm (sometimes part stores have incorrect numbers).  In fact it was too big and now the hole was too large for the correct ball joint to fit snuggly.  Dang.  While it might seem sketchy I bought some JB Weld which we used to mortar the new ball joint in place.  This should work just fine except for when the ball joint eventually goes bad and we have to replace the whole control arm (there is NO way anyone is getting out the ball joint we just installed).  Such it is.  Dinner was tasty and I had the opportunity to help carry out some old couches to the sidewalk for craigslist peoples to pick up.  We stayed late which was fine as the company was good. 

October 29 – we slept in late and after taking care of the pugs I installed control arms on the evo.  With the ease of removal I was hoping the installation of the control arms would be simple.  I was incorrect.  The new hockey-puck bushings were quite a bit thicker than the OEM bushings and thus were larger than the space they were to occupy.  Grease, brute force, and a rubber mallet convinced them to go in their home (plus I had to disconnect the tie rods and pull the struts… fun).  I finished up around noon and we dropped off the evo for an alignment on our way to a late breakfast at Breakfast Queen.  Breakfast Queen is just north of Hampden on Broadway which was convenient for us.  We got their around an hour before they close and the restaurant was mostly empty because of it.  The food was excellent as was the coffee.  Amazingly the alignment on the evo was done before we finished eating and we picked it up on our way home.  This was after driving around trying to find a place for Susan to get her flu shot.  Our insurance says most any grocery store will be covered but we found this to not be the case. 

October 30 – we went up to Conifer Medical to get Susan’s flu shot as we knew it was covered there.  Since we were in the area we had a late breakfast with John and Karen at DW’s 285 Diner.  We had a nice time talking about this and that while eating way too much good food.  On the way home we decided that the remainder of the day would be a lazy one.  Susan ended up taking a nap on the couch while I played video games and we did not add anything of value to society for the rest of the night.  It was nice. 

October 31 – Susan took Bella to work for Halloween.  Bella dressed up as a bunny rabbit.  So cute!