"I spend money on weird stuff" is pretty much this site's motto, isn't it?

I had to look up the specs of an old job today, because we're working on something similar, and I got curious and wanted to see how it looked on Google street view. Yep, there it is:

So I started checking out some of my other signs, and found a few. Most of the signs I design are interior ADA/Braille type stuff, but the exterior ones are way more fun to work on...

These two are cooler looking at night; the letters are halo-lit on both.

And this monster is 13 feet long and weighs about 400 pounds. We had to hoist it into place with a forklift.

A year ago today, I bought my '95 Corolla for $500. I gave myself a challenge to see if I could keep it on the road for a year only spending another $500, not counting fuel or insurance. Well, today is one year, and I'm still under a grand, at $962 total.

I've only put about 5000 miles on it in that time, granted, but that's daily use for most of the year (I only worked form home for about six weeks), two trips to the Gorge, and one trip to the coast. Average fuel economy over that time has been around 28 mpg, which means I've used about 178 gallons of gas over the year. Figure the average price has been around $2.50 a gallon, and that puts my fuel costs at around $450 for the year.

Insurance is nearly nothing; I think our multi-car discount almost makes up for the basic liability insurance on this thing.

What surprises me most, however, is that I acually like this thing. It's kind of a fun car to drive. It handles pretty well, in that loosey-goosey old-car way, and while it's not what you'd call quick, the engine has a good growly note to it that makes it fun to wind out in second and third gear getting on the highway. Hell, I'm even getting used to the "Toyota Racing Taupe" color.

So what now? Well, I think I might start throwing a little money at it when I can. It's just a couple hundred shy of 250,000 miles, and I think it's got a lot left in it. Fixing a few things rather than living with them (the non-functional high-heam headlight switch, for example), and refreshing some functional-but-tired mechanical bits (struts and suspension bushings) would make it even nicer to live with, I think. I'll probably leave it ugly and beat-up on the outside, at least for now; it's relaxing to drive a car that I don't need to care about in parking lots.

It's a new feeling for me: I own three vehicles, all three run, drive, and are street-legal, and I don't want to get rid of any of them, and I don't want to buy anything else. (At least, not until I have more garage space, then it's Fiat X1/9 time.) So I guess I'll just keep driving them and fixing stuff.

So happy anniversary, little Corolla. Glad you're here. Long may you run.

...but damn, look what these kids are driving! Both of these are a good 10 years older than their owners. Hope the little shits appreciate them... (j/k, they're both good guys.)

Usually my job as a "sign guy" is pretty dull. But occasionally, I get to work on a big cool intricate project, and it is such fun to watch it come together. This is a monument sign for a new high-end hotel being built. It's a powder-coated steel cabinet with a tongue-and-groove cedar face. Ths cedar will be stained a medium brown, and then the name of the hotel will go on in polished stainless steel letters.

I've been working on this project for over a year now, from design meetings with the architects and owners, to getting permits from the city, to working with the metal fabricator. I designed the whole sign package for the entire building, from this big monument right down to the restroom signs, but it's this big thing I'm most proud of. I can't wait to see it finished and installed.

The only trouble is that seeing this come together kinda makes me wish I was still working out in the shop, instead of up front in the office...

@kleebrz Every time this "but modern cars are so much faster" argument comes up, I have the same thought: So what? I'll take cool over fast, and engaging over predictable, every time.

Friend of mine posted this on FB. More than a little truth in it.

That's not a Jeep. This is:

If you can't hose out the interior, or stick mangets to the dash, it doesn't count.

This is what trucks are for:

And in case you're wondering what the river rock was for, new driveway lights:

So we're adopting another pug. We can't get her for 2 or 3 weeks, she's at a pug rescue down in California recovering from hernia surgery. She came from a shelter in Vegas with a HUGE hernia on her belly, and it had to be repaired. She's about 8 years old. The rescue has been calling her Neptune. We're thinking of renaming her Sweet Pea (if she's ok with that).

I only have the one small photo for now, but expect to see more when she arrives:

@whoistheleader No kidding. Even a ride in the "tamer" ones (like the Fiat 131 and the Lotus Cortina I just noticed lurking in the background) would be a dream come true. But the Group B cars... I just want to stand in their presence.

@dusty-ventures Yes please to all, but dibs especially on the 205 T16. I'll lick it if I have to.

@musashi66 I wouldn't bother with it at all if it were an automatic, but a smallish mechanically simple box on wheels with three pedals on the floor will always get my vote

@flatisflat Everybody on here wants it (including me), but the general public can't fathom who would want a nearly 30 year old van with a stick. Most used car buyers would see that it's a manual and keep walking. It will sit there on the lot until someone with the Oppo mentality shows up with the cash.

@just-jeepin I love those Del Sols. My wife had one at the same time I had my Miata, until we decided that two tiny 2-seaters was a bit of an impractical fleet. But what a great little car. Hers was a '95 Si 5 speed, in white.

@hooker Sounds like a good deal to me. You can do a lot worse for a comfy runabout than a garden-variety GM marshmallowmobile. AC should be fixable without too much trouble, as well.

@highlander "Needs TLC, ran when parked."

@taylor-martin I can't judge. I used to have a brand-new Mazda Protege, and I went out and bought a $300 K-car just to have something that needed wrenching on.

@taylor-martin The big trouble with these is that every time you pass another one, they feel compelled to fight each other to the death...

Seriously, though, if it's cheap enough, you have a place to put it, and you want to learn how to wrench, then fixing this up could be a great experience. I love tinkering around with old beaters, I think it's one of my favorite car-related activities. A gray Toyota SUV doesn't really push my buttons, but if it does yours, then there's no harm in making a phone call.

@krustywantout Just don't burn your calves getting out...