Monday, December 31, 2012

Time Slips Away

What a year.

Looks like I'm going to close 2012 with exactly the same number of posts as I had in 2011- which was a little over a double the number of posts for 2010.  Longtime readers may remember that doubling 2010's posting was an 'official' goal I set for 2011.   Although I never announced it here, I'd hoped to get up to 100 posts this year.  Obviously, that didn't happen.

What did happen, on January 12, 2012, was that I walked into a regular meeting at work and found out that the company I worked for was shutting down, and that my job was over as of 5PM that day.

I don't talk about work too much here on the blog because, frankly, who would care?  But, I'll get into it briefly to give you some context.  My dayjob had two parts: for over seven years I worked for Capitol Weekly, a newspaper that covers California government and politics; for five years I also edited a local arts and culture magazine about life in Sacramento called Midtown Monthly.  Both were gone, more or less overnight.

I managed to talk the publisher into keeping the magazine going for a couple of months so we could say goodbye to our readers, and, improbably, a small group of us spun off and created a nonprofit organization that has kept the Capitol Weekly afloat.  We no longer publish a weekly print paper, there's no office, and there were several months where none of us took a salary, but the coverage continues. Capitol Weekly is still here, and it's getting better.

That took time - time I usually reserve for thinking about tiny little cars and the crazy kooks who love them.

Not that I've completely let the moss grow: I got the '49 convertible running again; I started working on my '51 Super Sports project; and I did quite a bit more research on the Fibersport.  I also helped organize the Sutter Creek Crosley meet in September - which, I'm proud to say, was the best attended meet the West Coast Club has ever had.  And I started getting my garage into a much more functional state.

But, I didn't get the Super Sports on the road.  I didn't drive a full mile in a Crosley. And, I didn't get to 100 posts.

2013, here it is.  Goals?

The Super Sports. I brought it home in boxes 15 years ago. As I dug into it, everything got worse... turned out it's actually two cars welded together!  I just started putting it back together, and by the September meet I want to have a running chassis - at least.

The garage.  My garage is like a gag cartoon.  Junk everywhere.  Parts on top of and under everything. Cold in the winter, 100+ in the summer.  I want it clean, organized and functional.

This blog.  100 posts.  I should have made it this year, but something had to give and the blog seemed like the best place to loosen up.  But, it's time to get back in the saddle.

Thanks for checking in, and I hope to see you plenty in 2013!

4 comments:

TexasWagon said...

Just so you know, every post is appreciated.

Ol' Man Foster said...

That's nice to hear- thanks!

bkrsdoz said...

Tim, I enjoy reading your posts here in New England. I am still collecting parts for my '42 Convertible Coupe. Please keep up the good work, and good luck on your employment situation.
bkrsdoz

Ol' Man Foster said...

Glad to hear you're still at it - sorry Mike Stoner's parts trove didn't have what you needed!