Lili Von Shtupp

She is a funny little 6 pound cat my friend Donna and I trapped outside her door in Washington Township. This little black and white cat looked as though someone put a blob of black dirt on her nose and slapped it sideways. Dear Donna thought she might find a good home for this kitty and our barn tack room was a "holding facility" until such time as a new permanent home could be located. That was three years ago.

We needed a name for this tall thin cat with her black hosery covered legs and slinky walk. A flashback to the movie Blazing Saddles came to mind and a scene where Harvey Korman (Hedley Lamarr) walked into the dressing room (or dwessing woom) of the femme fatale, Lili Von Shtupp. All Lemar could say was "Lili, Lili, legs Lili". So, our sultry kitty took that name Lili Von Shtupp.

We learned that Lili had at least two ferral litters in her short life, so the name seemed even more fitting for this four-legged seductress-for-hire.

Tomorrow, Lili goes to Cat Care for her yearly check and as always, a few laughs from the staff.

Almost Done

The restoration of "Big Red" is nearly complete. The Ziebart store in Utica gave the underside a nice coat of protection as well as the addition of a Rhino Liner spray-on bedlining. Greg, their ace at Ziebart, came up with a great idea for the nerf bars, which were slightly pitted with rust and chips. Why not give them a coat of Rhino too? After much strain to remove the bars and lots of sanding, the nerf bars were ready for their coating. The original paint was spruced up with a paint protector and we were getting closer to completion before the weather turns cold.
A new truck cover was ordered, since the original one was shredded to pieces by our "boys" in the vehicle storage building. Upon arrival, it was unveiled only to find it was a "cab forward" cover. O.K. Who in the heck orders a truck cover for JUST the cab? The order form asked the size of the truck, bed length and the other important questions. Back went the cover and "Big Red" had to sit outside.
Next it was time to mount the spare wheel. Do we put it on the front, in the bed behind the driver or just forget carrying the extra wheel altogether. While discussing our dilemma with our neighbor and his wife, who are extreme mudboggers, the wife made a comment which put to rest the problem. She suggested that if we were to mount the tire in the conventional manner, "it would look like an old person's truck". As a result, a "Fabtech" angle bed mount was ordered. Those who know me, can understand why it took three hours to drill four holes into the bed of "Big Red". Sweating bullets and making darn sure not to hit either gas tank, made for some white knuckles. There is no feeling quite like drilling that hole in the bed of a truck. Whew. It was worse than drilling for the gigantic mudflaps!
Today, we drove to Lake Orion Truck Accessories to pick up a crossover style tool box for the truck bed, just behind the cab. The color needed to be black diamond plate with a low profile, as not to block the rear window. Ron had ordered the perfect fit and carefully installed it. This was the second trip for the tool box, as the first one arrived with a small dent. It was noticed prior to the installation and Ron was happy to take care of the return. The new tool box looks great. (not pictured)
Tomorrow, just might be the day that "Big Red" gets tucked in for the winter. This time, I hope the cover fits. Afterall, why would anyone want to drive a 4x4 F250in the winter and get it dirty.