What's everybody up to this Labor Day weekend?

…as for me, went to the Allegheny Co. Rib Festival with my stepson. It was just outside of Heinz Field, and there were two ballgames (Pitt and Pirates) in the general vicinity, and I decided to forgo paying $20 and getting stuck in traffic…so SS and I parked the truck 3 mi out and biked the trail from Millvale! (Gotta love making an adventure out of saving money…)

BEAUTIFUL day, good food, got to go in the stadium and see all 6 Lombardi trophies, too. We also happened to leave just in time to catch the 9th inning of the Pirates game on the Jumbotron (which they won, 3-2.)

Been a while since I’ve been into the city proper, and I was impressed. I think if the weather wasn’t so frequently awful, the N. Side would be “Georgetown North.” The only real annoying thing about the whole day was the $6 [censored] lemonades! (But you can’t ask the kid to bike three miles, eat ribs, and not get something to drink…)

So…what has everyone done this weekend? What are you planning to do? I hope moderation can tolerate a thread not (directly) mentioning automobiles–considering who we all are, it’ll probably wind up with ~50% automotive stuff, anyways. (I promise not to bring up poltitically-divisive issues, like the recruiting work I did for “Down With People!” and “Save the Stinkbugs!”)

~Bryan.

Had some friends stop by coming back from the up, dinner, a walk on the beach boardwalk and out the pier to the lighthouse,talking about old times, classic car show tomorrow, Wounded American vets sponsoring it, looking for toys and kids books as a donation. The other classic car show today, they block off the streets and park the oldies all along, it was fun! It was like going back in time for some, but it did not look odd to me except the cars were in a lot better shape than when I was younger.

Local nursery had a sale on trees & bushes this weekend, so I planted 5 yesterday and 3 today. Planning to take the Mustang out tomorrow if the weather cooperates, and maybe BBQ on Monday.

Take care all, and enjoy the holiday.

Chores saturday during the day

helped my brother with a house project in the afternoon/evening

going to a concert sunday evening

Going to do a water pump for someone tomorrow. Whoopee.

I’m out in the sticks and there’s not a lot going on anywhere close around here. The Corps of Engineers lake and state park is 45 miles away and it’s such a dump no one goes swimming, boating, or even fishing there anymore. They even shut down the restrooms last year and the beach is always empty.

In the government’s infinite wisdom they’re talking about spending a 120 million dollars to make it user friendly again by dredging it and revamping things: and then shut it down for public use permanently when done. Go figure.
That’s like rebuilding a car and sending it straight to the crusher.

My wife and I rented a cabin in the Smoky Mountains last Thursday and we just got back. The fishing was terrible but the sight seeing was unbeatable. We plan on visiting family this afternoon for dinner and will drag out the grill and barbecue something tomorrow. The rain has knocked out any chance of mowing the front and back yard for a couple of days so…thank you rain.

Spent yesterday cleaning the garage, and then a surprisingly quiet afternoon and evening when the neighbors took along our kids for mini-golf and dinner. Wife and I don’t remember the last time we had a Saturday afternoon without kids around.

Today friends over for pancake breakfast, then an afternoon of school shopping.

Tomorrow, friends over for homemade fish and chips by yours truly, for a pleasant afternoon of eating and drinking. As if you could spend an unpleasant afternoon eating and drinking.

Then, next week a much needed vacation with a few days at the Oregon coast next weekend.

I’m going to rotate the tires on the Cobalt today to see if that cures the shudder in the steering. If so, it’s time for new tires on the back. It would be the front, but after the switch, they will be on the back.

Saturday I worked. Replaced a mid pipe and muffler on a 1992 Corsica and then helped a friend’s son replace both lower control arms on his car. I pretty much just guided him thru the removal, but I had to get the new ones in place and all the bolts started and recheck his work.

His dad had just bought two new 40 inch upper and lower boxes, so we were playing with the new toys.

Today I’m just laying around.

Tomorrow our town has the annual “Junk Parade” . http://junkparade.com/
The parade travels from one little town…4 miles to our town…and next year it will reverse direction. This way the towns take turns making money selling food and drinks to the parade watchers after the parade. There will be 4 bands, all three bars will be serving food and drinks inside and at booths in the middle of the closed road.
There will be a motorized toilet, a mototized bath tub, homemade floats, a few Rupe Goldberg machines, a few race cars, a few demolition cars (well used), a lot of lawn mowers pulling wagons of kids, a hay wagon decorated as an old west saloon, a lot of kids on bikes and mini bikes,
the local septic pumper is always there along bwith many local businesses.

It’s fun to just go and see what new fangled thing someone put together during the year, just for this one day. And people come from 50 miles around to attend.

actually I really live in a neighboring township. ours is so small that for the town picnic everybody brings a dish to pass and your own lawn chairs. Some people bring their kids “Little Tykes” houses, cars, and other toys so the kids attending will have something to do.
The town supplies the bratwurst and hot dogs, and some local vets do the cooking. A farmer that raises sweetcorn cooks his own corn, and the gas station supplies all the free icecream the people can eat. And it’s all free. We probably get 300 attending.

Yosemite

Friday evening after work I piddled in the garage organizing tools.

Saturday I played with my daughter, took a nap and went to my parents to celebrate my moms birthday.

Today I am going to work on Picking and freezing corn from the garden and hopefully spend some time outdoors.

Monday I have to go in to work at 730 and get the truck and the pager and then wait around the house for trouble calls or a drunk to hit a pole.

Oh yeah… Almost forgot, I am going to wash the riding mo… I mean car, What soap should I use?

I rotated the tires, and the shudder is much, much less. I also noticed a blemish on the tread area of one of the front tires. That is no doubt the cause of the front end shudder. The car is off limits until I get the two tires replaced and a 4 wheel alignment.

"then wait around the house for trouble calls or a drunk to hit a pole. "

Just had to bring up the booze again . . .

LOL

I am working; it is “labor” day after all.

I also rotated tires on my Mazda CX-9 the other day, the dealer had torqued them X2 specs I guess. I have to mow the lawn but is over 100 degrees, so I am not going to risk my life. Would try and squeeze in my 6 mile+ jog tonight (at the gym with AC and fans on!). What a wimp I am.

I’m outta coffee so gotta go cut the grass and chase those kids off before they flatten the grass blades.

And this just in…a friend of a friend is giving away a less than one-year old 16 foot diameter trampoline. Just come and take it apart and haul it away for free. Apparently now I’ll be getting a corner of the yard ready for this and then moving and assembling a trampoline. Sigh.

You’re not worried about kids getting hurt?

Around here, almost nobody has a trampoline. Many parents would like them, but worry that the neighbor’s kids will get hurt, and their parents will sue them into oblivion

Not trying to sound like a jerk, but no, not really. I have a tree in my front yard that kids like to climb, and one could easily break an arm falling out of that. The 8 year old next door has been learning to rollerblade using my kid’s set, skinned his knees a couple of times. Another kid got cut up trying to jump over the rose bushes next to the porch. Life happens. Kids get scraped up. But the families at my end of the street are all pretty common-sense people and we all look out for one another’s kids.

Hello, I do not relish being the wet blanket on this one. I’m glad you’re all enjoying the holiday weekend, but if you wouldn’t mind redirecting the discussion to more automotive territory, I’d really appreciate it. (I know a number of you did mention car stuff, but the thread started out entirely unrelated to the forum’s subject matter.) If you want to continue talking about primarily non-car things, please feel free to use other means to do so. At least please try to bump the needle up to about 51% car discussion so I can justify it, OK? Thanks for your understanding.

Yeah, guys. Get with the program!

I’m watching the guy down the street. Yesterday, like I said, he trailered in a 58 Chevy 2 dr, 283, in very rough shape but it belonged to his uncle so must be kept. The whole bottom both sides are shot so will need fenders, doors, and at least lower quarters, plus floor pans, etc. Its all there though and nothing bent up but he has a lot of welding ahead of him. Then today he’s unloading an old Impala. Haven’t ventured down there yet to see the details. Gonna move them to a hanger at the airport for storage I suppose after some prelim work.