Well, no party but I got the roadworthy certificate in my hand, which is a bit of a weight off my shoulders. Now the car is green-lighted to be picked up by its' new owner! Swoit!

A week and a half to go.....

Once I Get This Roadworthy, I Will Party Like It's 1999

Yeah, long time no post! Been pretty busy, sorry about that if you keep coming back looking for a new post.

Just listening to Hey Joe (Hendrix), and I feel reassured that I'd voted this in my all time top 10 songs, in the Triple J Hottest 100 of all time. Actually anything by Hendrix is easily in my top 10.

So what's news? Well a lot has been happening in the past month or so. Of course, been organising our South America trip ('America2009'). Booked a 7-day Salkantay trek (an extended version of the Inca Trail) which Scotty will be coming on. Cannot wait for that. Bought some thermals for that, as we'll be camping at over 4500m where it is down to -5C at night. Also we bought a iPod Touch (it's really Ness's) as that will be hell handy when on wireless networks for Skyping, emailing, blogging. Currently trying to get a flight to Cuba from Lima too, as that would be wicked. Well, trying to get one without spending an assload. We leave in 2 weeks and a bit (13th July) so it's all a bit wierd at the moment. That feeling where you know in a couple of weeks you're going away for a bloody long time but you haven't started packing and you dunno what to pack and you think there are heaps of things that still need organising. Yeah, I still feel like it's all about 6 months away. Ah well, shit will work itself out!

Actually, speaking of organising, can anyone suggest what to do in Vegas on my 30th? Hit up the casinos? Get wildly drunk? Get married? Or all of this? Nah I will not get married but maybe the others. I'd like to stay somewhere special. Maybe the Luxor, or the Bellagio? Today a dude at work told me Vegas is real cheap, if you don't gamble! Because they try to lure people using the casinos, so they make food and accom cheap. Sounds good to me, but I'll blow money gambling too!

Other news is in selling my 180SX. Turned out that the starter motor had packed up for a holiday so I pulled it off and got it fixed up. Then the horn was not working properly, then this then that. Anyway I have now sold it (yay), for a good amount for me and the buyer and in good time before we go away. But the mandantory roadworthy is proving to be quite a difficult and ongoing affair. Have taken the car to 3 different places, all of which quote me totally different, non overlapping problems which result in unhappy unroadworthiness. The first place said it was too loud, too low and had too many intake mods, but I knew all this so I went to fix them by putting on the stock airbox and exhaust on, then I couldn't find anyone with an exhaust. The second place said 13 things, from steering rack boots to windscreen, to something with the right indicator (I can't read this guy's writing anyway). And that was from a dodgy brothers place in the western suburbs which I was recommended to. I then took it to a nice little local suspension place which said 4 minor things need replacing: wiper blades, rear brake pads and it dripped a tiny bit of oil and the wiper washer water bottle leaked. Easy! They are top blokes there, a real old school mechanic joint which doesn't cock about like the other places. I'm fairly sure that loud exhaust and too many intake mods are an EPA issue, not roadworthy issue. So anyway yesterday and today I fixed it all except leaking oil, and took it back there. They are going to steam clean it underneath and maybe fix the oil if they can find it. Swoit! Hopefully by this time tomorrow, I'll have a RWC in my hand! Then it will be delivered to the happy buyer on the weekend!

The Audi is going great. I drive it to work every day now which has turned me into a lazy sod but we started going back to the gym again after not going for a month or more. It is great to drive a diesel and know your CO2 emissions are low, fuel usage is low and fuel is actually often a lot cheaper than petrol! Some times of the week I see diesel at $1.17/L and petrol is $1.26/L. I still look at it and re-fall in love with it. That low, wide stance, wide tyres, soft lines... with German engineering... all in a practical 4-door hatch with lots of room... ahh. I'm really over my 180. Anyway.

Well, I suppose while we are away, this will be a bit of a travel journal kinda thing. I might re-do the decor a bit as I never meant to leave it looking like an orange juice icy pole for more than a few days. Will be putting up photos on Flickr whenever I can too. So, leave the dial tuned right here!