Morning coffee

[djfordmanjack]

and now, on to something completely different.

[Marc]

I always enjoyed that Bakersfield sound. Heard a lot of it when I was stationed in California's central valley back in the 80's, and back then I was not what anyone could call a country music fan.

[RICH MUISE]

One of my favorite Neil Diamond songs, even more so after what became the aftermath of a very infamous day in American history. It will always bring tears to my eyes. I'm sure our Boston area members know what I'm talking about, maybe not all others.

[CobraJoe]

↑ X2

[djfordmanjack]

wonder what you are referring to Rich.

Here is another classic, but not by the original artist. Waylon singing Bob. this version is beyond words imho. simple but great.

[mustang6984]

He was referring to the Boston Marathon bombings a few years back. Ugly day for Boston. Many killed and injured.

[djfordmanjack]

some more easy listening stuff. I wonder what's wrong with me, but that was one of my top favorites in the late 80s, when I was like 15 or 16 yo. had it on compact cassette, recorded from radio. By then it was just a 20 year old Evergreen type song. this is so easy to listen to and like. Great melody, wonderful voice and all around based production.

[djfordmanjack]

I thought about and remember that sad day, but I was thinking Rich was referring to something way back in time, because he left Mass many years ago.

He was referring to the Boston Marathon bombings a few years back. Ugly day for Boston. Many killed and injured.

[RICH MUISE]

It was about the Boston Marathon bombing, and the aftermath but more than that. As best as I remember......,
The bombing wasn't too far from Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. Sweet Caroline had long before been adopted as the theme song for the Sox, (although I'm not sure why). For Bostonians, and the "Red Sox Nation", baseball became an outlet to keep their minds off the horrors of the Marathon bombing. At a nationally televised speech in Fenway Park, Big Papi / David Ortiz a very popular Sox player, included the line that basically said "Boston is our town, don't F**** with us".
 President Obama commented on the language saying if there ever was a time that word was appropriate, it is now.
A short time down the road in the baseball season, Boston was playing their long-time nemesis, the New York Yankees, at Yankee Stadium. I can't remember if Neil Diamond was there, but before the game, the Yankees did a tribute to Boston then played Sweet Caroline, with the whole darn stadium joining in. It was awesome, particularly in view of the fact the Red Sox and Yankees were century-long "enemies". It was one of the most coming-together-in-times- of need I've ever witnessed.
On Netflex, They recently showed the movie they made of the bombing and the crazy hours hunting down the culprits. It was a hard to watch movie, but had to watch. I recently drove past the "highest security prison" in the country where the younger brother is serving his life sentence in solitary. It's in Canon City, Colorado..
It's remembering that whole experience that brings tears to my eyes, and yes, I was away from Boston for many years at that time, but it will always be my home area.

[CobraJoe]

 

[mustang6984]

For Rich...
Have to admit I also wondered given that Neil Diamond was from NYC. So...here ya' go...

"So how did this somewhat goofy tradition start? During a 1997 game at Fenway, Amy Tobey, an employee in charge of ballpark music during the season, played "Sweet Caroline" because someone she knew had just had a baby named Caroline. For the next few years, the song would be played on select occasions at the ballpark."
I just looked it up to see what I could find.

[abe_lugo]

Shout out to Alvin. Thank you.  Coco the 57 CS is back in action.  I got a replacement matchbook manifold from him and got it all in today.  Doing a couple heat cycles and checking the bolts.

I also did another flush on the radiator.  May move onto the new aluminum one asap.  I just need to clean any engine gunk out completely.

[CobraJoe]

Awesome! Great group of guys here! 

[RICH MUISE]

Well, I finally have mine in the final strides to total recovery. The 4.6 had been running well  but not 100%, and the A/C has been driving me nuts for months, causing the engine to stutter when turned on. These many days of 100+ temperatures we no time to be driving a car with an engine that generates tons of external heat, and without a usable A/C! Just a week ago, I noticed for the first time, when I turned on the A/C, my voltmeter would take a dive.

So, had two issues to figure out, and I was running out of ideas(and money) to try. Frustrated and stressed, my wife told me a few nights ago that one morning I'd wake up and have the solution to fix it. I'll be dammed if the next morning I had exactly that. I went to the garage and checked the pressure in the A/C system, something I hadn't done because I trusted the shop that charged the system after I got the replacement engine in. I only have a cheap gauge that comes with the recharge cannisters. The gage immediately went to the high end of the red zone! I bled it down into the safe zone, started the engine, turned on the A/C and VOILA!!. engine ran without even a wisper of an issue with the A/C.
I had finally found a remanufactured ECM, but didn't want to install it until I had the A/C voltmeter issue fixed. I got the new ECM put in yesterday, and I am in process of taking the car out for drives so theECM can relearn.
I did lots of other stuff that I won't get into, but I feel really good about the car finally being back to it's old dependable self.

[CobraJoe]

It's nice we we can figure things out on our own, congrats and enjoy!