Friday, February 12, 2021

Now This Right Here...


...is what progress looks like.  Mandy and Co. from The Retro Revival are nearing completion on the restoration of our Philco V-handle classic.

coolest / most complicated door mechanism of its era



Finishing the detailing, a burn in for 48 hours or so, then ready to ship.

Cue wild cheering and applause!

yes, I know it's a repeat, but like this gif, especially the kid right up front



In the "Political Theater Of The Absurd" department, the dems have selected Eric "Sleeping With The Enemy" Swallwell...


...as one of their impeachment managers.

You can't make this stuff up.

L'imbécile, targeted by a Chinese spy because he's dumber than a box of rocks, is one of the leads for the dems in the sham impeachment of private citizen Trump.

If you tried to submit this as a screenplay -

"No, seriously...hear me out on this...we have the guy who's been sleeping with a Chinese spy, who's so compromised he couldn't get a security clearance from the Boy Scouts - we have him lead the charge on this impeachment thingamajiggy..."

- you'd be laughed out of your agent's office.

But...since the dems got away with the biggest political heist in American history, they're now convinced they're above the law...


...and accountable to no one...least of all you.

As the Scriptures say...




Recently we've been plowing through The Pacific as our nightly edutainment...


...and parts of it have been very difficult to watch.

What those marines endured in their gory battles with the Japanese defies...well, everything...imagination, human decency, conscience, the limits of physical, emotional and spiritual endurance.

Because this has been so compelling, I've ordered a copy of Helmet For My Pillow by Robert Leckie...


...and With The Old Breed: At Peleliu And Okinawa by Eugene Sledge...


...two of the marines featured in the series and upon whose books much of this epic is based.

Band Of Brothers evoked a sense of camaraderie in the midst of deadly conflict, but Pacific - well, this is permeated with the dread of sudden annihilation at the hands of a fanatical and merciless enemy who never surrendered, fighting to the last man, intent on taking you down to the bloody grave with him.

Not for the faint of heart, but must-see television to gain a sincere appreciation for just how much our freedom really cost.


Mr. T is back up for sale...


...a necessary sacrifice on the altar of this summer's pool project.


Assuming he finds a new home, next up in the classic car department may be one of these fellas...


...that's a 1980 Shay Model A...built by the Shay Motors Corporation with Ford's permission to use their Model A molds, and so registered as 1929 Model A's.


The fun thing about these cars - besides their classic good looks, of course - is they have modern engines and drive trains, so are easier to drive and maintain.

Karen has made two things abundantly clear:  if we buy another vintage car,  a) it can't be 100 years old, and  b) she has to be able to drive it (i.e., it can't involve clutches and shifting gears).

Won't be this year, but maybe when we move into that humble Art Deco cottage...


...a few years hence.

Can't you see it parked in the driveway?


For my friends on the GE Monitor Top forum...found this CK-30-C16 sitting in the Gateway Thrift Shop...







Right next to it was this 1927 GE Hotpoint electric stove with a double oven...


No doubt someone was cleaning out the former dwelling place of their pater familias and having no idea what they were really looking at, decided to drop them off at the thrift shop.

This is what's known as a crying shame.

Both of these are uber-cool and are crying out for someone with more space (and deeper pockets) than yours truly to restore them and give them a good *art deco* home.


Time for a quick skate around the frozen pond of parting shots...

another glorious winter sunrise



yep, we're still lighting him up at night



the view out our bonus room door



I love typewriters...this is a Remington Remette



be sure to get your cupid on...Valentine's Day is Sunday



feeding time at the Castle Frankenstein



It is with a heavy heart we must bid you farewell and adieu...

please tell me you know who this is

...and here's hoping your future does not involve being eaten by a Great White.

later, mcm fans...

* Crass Commercialism Corner *

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Friday, February 5, 2021

Winter Makes...


 ...its whole-hearted return...and guess who showed up for dinner?


It's been awhile, but they're baaaaack...so we're putting corn out for them again.

And like last time, the snow is very pretty...

lowered the flag due to 40mph winds



my view from the bonus room while enjoying a kentucky cheroot



the night before...



...the morning after

Temps are due to drop into single digits over the next week so they're expecting the lake effect snow machine to kick into high gear.




With all the balmy weather I figured it was the perfect time to take Mr. T for a spin...


...which was actually quite a bit of fun.

Cold and snow are not a Model T's best friend, but we kept it between the ditches and arrived only half, not completely frozen.


Next time I'll put some skis on him.


In the Mid Century Modern Appliances department, more good news from Mandy at The Retro Revival re: our Philco V-handle refrigerator...new wiring, freezer and breakers installed...








...ready for re-assembly next week, and hopefully in our my grubby little mitts by the end of the month (Karen objected to me referring to her mitts as grubby).

Next up may be a vintage Kitchenaid dishwasher...


...our 2017 GE dishwasher died and it's more than I want to spend to fix it...would rather take another step toward making our kitchen appliances match our mid century modern home.


Someone had a birthday this past week...

the Barbie Twins

...and I'm not allowed to say who, but here's a hint...it's the beautiful woman on the right.

We had a big ol' shindig...

{ shindig shĭn′dĭg″

  • n.
    A festive party, often with dancing.
  • n.
    A ball or dance; especially, a dance attended with much uproar and rowdyism. }

...during which time we did excitin' stuff like drink coffee, eat cake and watch our latest binge...


...a BBC presentation that extends Jane Austen's unfinished novel over 8 episodes...pretty good, too...worth a look.


A stroll through the parting shots department from some antique shops we visited on Karen's birthday...

a nice welcome



the Corona from 1912 is pretty cool



do NOT feed the plant



the happy couple



aww, thanks



In spite of the cold and snow, take heart...only 43 days 'til Spring...and you know what that means...




Can't wait...

later, mcm fans...

* Crass Commercialism Corner *

In the "so convenient you can't stand it" department, you can purchase my books here and on Amazon.com!

Get your paperback books here:



Get your ebooks here: