Pinewood Derby **UPDATE**

We've had such a great response to our pinewood derby campaign that I thought it would be nice to keep you all posted on our progress. (I apologize ahead of time if this is a rather long post, but I want it to be detailed so everyone knows what's up!)

We ordered some special speed axles:

Super Speed Axles
The fastest axles on the market, guaranteed!
Polished, nickel plated, with secret cuts to reduce friction and
eliminate wobble.

• Better than polished!
  - These axles are machined perfect, then polished, then nickel plated for a super smooth, mirror-like finish
  - Just insert these beauties and you are ready to race!

  • Friction eliminator!
  - Cut in middle of wheel so less axle rubs on wheel
  - Wheel does not contact axle so you have no friction (none, zero!!!) in this area
  - Provides a cavity to hold graphite during the race

  • Friction Reducer!
  - Tapered head so only a small amount is rubbing on the wheel

  • Wobble Eliminator!
  - Axle shaft is undercut at the head to create a perfect 90 degree edge which eliminates wheel wobble...fixing another problem that slows down your car.
  - Undercut at axle head also eliminates friction in this area because less wheel surface is rubbing on the axle.
  - Undercut also provides another secret cavity to hold graphite during the race

  • Optimal Performance!
  - Axles are machined perfectly round and straight for optimal performance

These axles have been shipped off to Boston to be coated w/ Dicronite, which for those of you who don't know is (in simple terms) the slipperiest stuff known to man. It has a co-efficient of friction of 0.030 (whatever that means... I just got if off the site http://www.dicronite.com/ If you want to know more feel free to explore).


We have also ordered the following speed enhancing items:


PRO Speed Wheels


These have been lathed seven different ways for trueness, weight reduction, and friction reduction; further coated with a "secret multi-step moly-graphite coating" for the ultimate speed advantage.


Tungsten Weights

And I know what you're asking... Why tungsten? Here's why:

Tungsten gives you an advantage because it is about 1.8 times denser than lead...
so tungsten is about half the size for the same weight.


The single tungsten cyclinder on top (.5oz) weighs nearly the same as the three lead cyclinders (.7oz) on the bottom.

This gives you ore flexibilty in your car design,
while allowing you to place weights more precisely in a smaller area for speed.

Since pinewood derby cars are so small it is important to place weight exactly where you need it.

Tungsten - maximum car design flexibility,
and
precise weight placement for speed.


Hopefully in the next week we will have the car designed and cut.

Just to clarify ALL who help out are going to receive credit for their contributions. The names of all contributors will be displayed on the car!

It's definitely gonna be one of those days...

I went to the Riviera Village this morning to mail a package, and so I had to park and put some change in the meter. Well of course I would pick one of the parking spots that had...bird poop dripping in a straight line DIRECTLY over the buttons you have to press to select which space you were in. I summoned all my ingenuity and used my coin to press the right parking button...and then dropped the coin in the slot.

happy, happy birthday...breakin' stylie!

the long road to mammoth base village

saturday night itinerary: dinner @ Hennessey's Tavern @ 7 PM

P-Dub Crew: Hey, we're all walking over to Hennessey's now...are you coming?
L: No, go ahead you guys...I just have to put some make-up on...i'll be 10 min. behind you.
P-Dub Crew: Are you sure?
L: Sure, not a problem...just tell me where to go.

...15 min. later, L leaves the condo.
L: hmmm...i think Hennessey's is down the street to the right. i'll double check on my GPS just to be sure.
GPS: turn left on Canyon Blvd. Straight ahead - 0.9 mi.
L: dang, 0.9 mi. that's a long way. did they really walk that far?? i guess so.
L @ 0.5 mi marker: this is crazy...i'm sure glad i have the GPS, though. i would have never walked this far if it didn't tell me to.
L @ 0.7 mi marker: hmmm...it's got to be just up around the corner.
L @ 0.9 mi marker: hmmm...empty chair lifts, empty base village, no Hennessey's Tavern.

go-go-gadget-sucky-GPS!! can you believe i walked a mile in the wrong direction and then had to walk all the way back?? ...i couldn't even get a break hitch-hiking! needless to say, two miles and about 40 minutes later i finally arrived at the destination for an evening of drunken co-worker merriment!!!

bald eagles spotted in calgary...

i arrived at the carriage house inn of calgary last night around 2 AM. the plan for this morning was to meet my client-counterpart at 7:15 AM in the hotel restaurant before heading to the local client location. after rolling out of bed at 7:10 AM and rushing to get downstairs while leaving the "just-got-out-of-bed-look" behind, i quickly sauntered down to the cafe area. as i came down the hall, i saw my client-counterpart sitting at a table straight ahead. big smile, big wave...and the dude just stared at me. i quickly started to question the assurance i had so excitedly expressed in my wave as i kept walking, nearing the gentleman. as i was about 20 ft. away, the hallway opened up, so i had a clear view of the full dining area, including the client i was intended to meet...on my left...not in front of me. same friar tuck balding pattern, though. ...how awkward do you think the guy in front of me felt as i turned my head, saw the other balding guy in the room and made a not-so-subtle beeline straight for his table?!? you know his feelings transitioned from, "why the hell is this chick waving at me??" to "oh, hell no, that didn't just happen!!" when i realized the situation i just created, it was so incredibly awkward and hilarious at the same time!

Turner domination has been called into question...

Blasto's elders quorum has decided to hold a pine wood derby contest as an activity. Blasto and I were excited to go back to our cub scout days and re-live the fun. Then after a certain Sunday we gained a better understanding of the competitiveness of this so called "just-for-fun activity."

Apparently the spirits of most participants have been deflated by a single engineer who apparently uses 3D CAD design programs to come up with the most efficient cars, and supposedly he always wins. Most in the ward have already conceded that he will win.

Not if we have anything to do with it...

We feel it necessary to not only establish the dominance of the Turner name in this new ward, but to also help defeat this pine wood derby-engineering-computer design mongrel to free the "little guys" from their dire, deflated state. "Turners Rule!"

Now we have done research, and we've discovered that the way to really win also co$ts! We could EASILY spend $100 and still be limiting ourselves. (If you doubt me go to http://www.pinewoodpro.com/ to see for yourself)

Obviously we are not going to spend $100. BUT we would like to ensure our victory, and we feel that this necessitates the expenditure of some limited funds. Hence, we are calling for everyone's help!

Blasto and I have committed $10 each, and we are hoping that we can rally all of your support and have everyone donate $5 each. (Just pass on McDonald's one time!)

All donations are greatly appreciated, and we will keep you all posted on our progress!

Just remember: "What we do in this life echoes in the eternities."

it's official!!!

i picked up lunch today from a local mexican restaurant, and the name they typed on the receipt was "Lincy." i think i'll be submitting my request to the DMV and social security-tracker-people to have the spelling of my name officially changed. any opposed?!?

the highlight of my week...

Wow...

I wish I had an exciting life but I don't.... couch potato+part time student=nothing exciting. We went to the golf range on saturday... I got a blister. I did go to a full 3 hours of church on Sunday for my first time since December that was pretty exciting. I have a month left of school then who knows what we are doing. We have to be out of our place by April 30th not quite sure where we will go next LA, SLC, Provo... who knows it will be an adventure. Pretty boring.... "I don't know what I'm doing with my life" (If you cannot attach a voice with this quote please speak to Lou IMMEDIATELY!!!)

ANNOUNCEMENT

Dad has a subscription to Men's Vogue. I saw it in his office with an address label on it. The transformation is complete. He is now officially metro.

followup...

It's been a week, and my abs still hurt. I think I tore somethin good...

Abs... who needs em?

So, now that I have my handy dandy membership to Gold's Gym we've all been trying to get our sorry butts over there to do some work. Mr. Blasto and I decide to do one of the classes that is a 1/2 hour ab workout.

While in the class it was blatantly apparent that we were not in the condition needed to participate fully. We were dealing with exercise balls, and a couple of times neither of us were even flexible enough to complete the exercises. Needles to say there were times where I was crying with laughter at the retartedness of the both of us. Anyways class finishes and we go home.

The next morning we both get up and walk out of our rooms and ask, "How is your stomach?" To which we both have a reply along the lines of, "Psh!... I don't feel a thing. That dumb class didn't work me out at all!" And we both went on our ways.

The following morning (this is Saturday now) I come home from spending the night at a friends where I slept on a love sac basically in the fetal position allowing my abs to tighten up. I'm walking like a freakin hunch-back because it hurts so much if I stand up straight. I get home and Mr. Blasto is the same way. Both of us are just aching! I try stretching out, whch is SO painful, multiple times, but it just doesn't go away.

It is now Sunday and there is definitely still soreness. I guess we are bigger pansies than we thought.

Ok, so I don't know if you've heard this, but there's this Madam that was convicted of prostitution that has written a tell all book that's being released like this week or something and she NAMES NAMES. And one of the names she names is Tommy Lasorda, which I'm sorry that puts a grin on my face. So I was reading a little blurb about it on Page Six, and then I come across this little gem in the article:

Lasorda's lawyer, Tony Cappazola, was also indignant. "He's very upset. It's a slimy book so full of inaccuracies. For instance, she says she called Tommy back on his cellphone and he didn't even have a cellphone . . . She's an over-the-hill, desperate hooker attempting to make a buck," said the lawyer, who scoffed at Gibson's claim that Lasorda paid $1,500 in cash. "You know Lasorda. He wouldn't buy lunch," Cappazola said.

How many TONY CAPPOZZOLAs (Page Six spelled it wrong) can there be in the world right? Well it turns out there are two: Tony Jr. that we know and love (beep beep) and Tony Sr., Lasorda's Lawyer. And here we are, full circle.