• Just a cool old convertible parked at Trader Joe’s

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    November 26, 2016 /  Cars, Other Stuff

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    I saw this cool convertible today while shopping for groceries at Trader Joe’s. Not perfectly restored. Just an old mid-sized General Motors car from the mid-60s. It’s yellow paint is faded and it’s front bumper is twisted. This one is a survivor. Most of it’s brothers and sisters have gone on to the wrecking yard. Somebody is still driving and enjoying this one. It’s not a 442 or a rare muscle car version of the Cutlass, but the top goes down and when you hit the accelerator the high compression V8 still roars. No GPS. No satellite radio. No computer in the dashboard. Fake factory wire wheel covers. But here it sits next to all the suburban SUVs and high tech bubble cars. It’s just nice to know that some of these cars still exist. olds_2

  • A different kind of doggie splash day

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    October 26, 2015 /  Other Stuff

    IMG_0909End of the summer doggie splash days are popular where I live in Dallas as they are all over the country now. Large waterparks put on huge events with live music and multiple sponsors to entertain the dogs. Local swimming pools have fundraisers for local dog rescue groups and foster dogs are invited to join the fun. At the end of the summer in August and September there are many choices for dogs to cool off, go adventuring and find new friends.

    The Splash Factory in Grand Prairie, Texas is not the biggest waterpark in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. It’s not like one of the huge Hawaiian Falls franchises or the even bigger NRH2O Megawaterpark. But this little waterpark hidden in an older blue collar neighborhood near Downtown Grand Prairie has a style all it’s own. There are water guns spraying everywhere almost like giant sprinkler world. Large metal and concrete sculptures dump buckets of waters on running dogs as they pass. Spray cannons shoot out and water geysers shoot up at different times, sometimes at random. Everywhere you look water is dumping, splashing or spraying in one direction or another. Bright colors are pasted all over the ground on waterproof turf to add to the excitement. The splash factory was a water playground made for kids, but dogs are even more excited by the water shooting from guns and other strange objects throughout the park. I brought Cody and Cherokee out to the Splash Factory this year and they had a great time running around the spray. Local people showed up with their playful dogs for the event IMG_0878making this like a neighborhood picnic. It wasn’t as overwhelming as some of the bigger events so if your dog is a little shy, this might be the event for him.

    The Splash Factory is at 601 E. Grand Prairie Road, South of Jefferson and West of Beltline. For more information, their website is here:

    http://www.grandfungp.com/aquatics/splashfactory.htm

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  • In the window at Neiman Marcus

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    December 6, 2014 /  Cars, Other Stuff

    There’s always something going on in Downtown Dallas. Especially during the holiday season. 005One of the most popular stops for downtown Christmas shopping is the display window at Neiman Marcus. Here’s a Quadski. A four wheeled ATV that at a flip of a switch pulls up it’s wheels and turns into a watercraft. James Bond has to have one of these stashed away somewhere. You can order his and hers versions out of the Neiman Marcus catalog.

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    In the next window they have slot cars. Not like the HO scale Aurora slot cars I used to have as a kid. Being Neiman Marcus, they have upscale slot cars. For $300,000 Neimans will re-create this 1/32nd scale slot car track at your house. They also promise to get Vic Elford and David Hobbs to host the grand opening party of your miniature road course. This is all from the glory days of road racing in the 60s and of course the setup has some cool cars.

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    Off in the corner sits a classic finback Mercedes Sedan from the early 60s. In the foreground a short wheelbase early Porsche 911 and a modified European Ford Escort. In the paddock sit a couple of Ferrari GTOs as a Mini Cooper flies by on the track. A real Mini, not the BMW made replica the sell at the dealer today.

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    Towards the back of the paddock sits a Mercedes 300SL, a Ford GT 40 and a race prepared MGB. I, myself, have owned two real MGBs in my lifetime and I want one of the slot car versions. The other end of the track shows elevation and vintage advertising banners. Just like a real road racing course from the good old days of racing. And that isn’t enough for us motorheads, Neimans also put an entire Christmas tree made entirely of car parts right down the street, complete with flashing taillights from many American cars of the 50s. Tis the season. Vrooom!

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