What am I, flypaper for freaks?

About 8:30 this morning I went to Denny's for their free Grand Slam b'fast. Drove Gerta over. I saw the crowd outside, turned around and walked back to the car. At that point a Denny's waitress said, "I like your Volkswagen. What year is it?" She was standing among the cars taking a cigarette break. I told her it was a '67, we exchanged some pleasantries, and I mentioned I didn't have time to wait through the crowd around the entrance. She told me to go to the counter. "There have been empty seats there all morning." Sure enough, after pushing myself through the crowd first outside, then inside, I walked over to the counter and sat down at one of three empty seats.
I have no idea what marketing strategy leads them to give away what they sell but I'll bite.

I spent some time after b'fast working on Gerta. Germans can be stubborn!
I started with the driver's side seat belt (lap belt only) which wouldn't extend far enough to go around even my svelt waist. Lubricate, adjust the tension lever and, ta-da!
From there to the horn that won't work. There's a short somewhere because every tenth attempt gives me the slightest little beep. My research suggests it's the connection under the gas tank, and I didn't feel a lot like taking that tank out. So this project will wait for another day.
Next I removed and lubricated the speedometer cable which had been making lots of noise and made for a bouncing needle.
Then to the back of the car. One bumper bracket was broken and the two overrider braces were missing. I had ordered those three parts and spent the next too-many-hours installing them. The first time I had the job done I discovered that the engine lid wouldn't come up; it hit the bumper. So I took the braces off and bent, drilled, pushed and pulled. I got it all positioned so the lid will open but only if I pull out on the bumper as I lift it. The bumper was hit at some point and isn't straight, so I think that's the problem. But the other problem is that after after a good 30 minutes trying to get one of the bolts to go through the bracket, brace and into the frame I think I cross-threaded it. Oops! If I ever have to take it out I'll have some work to do to make things right, but at this point it holds fast and that's what I care about.
I'll keep tackling one thing at a time and by the end of the year the list should be shorter.

We're up to three of Pres. Obama's appointments with tax problems and the latest two have withdrawn. I don't think this is a particular pattern of appointees. I think it's more likely a pattern among Washington insiders (of either party) who get to think of themselves as privileged, above the rules that apply to the rest of us.
I think I'm going to fail to pay $128,000 in taxes and then "sincerely apologize." That should make it all OK with the IRS.

Amaze your friends with this:
Magic Trick

If you're missing one size wrench from your metric set it will be the 13mm, only because that's the one you need to remove a broken bumper bracket.

This Sunday in Foundations we're going to take the hour to talk about the differences in various Bibles. Back in the day there was one option, the KJV. Now we've got an alphabet soup of choices. It really does make a difference which version you use. Or are you using a paraphrase? What is a paraphrase, anyway?
I'm surprised the matter of which Bible to use doesn't get more attention, given what's at stake. So we'll take it up this Sunday.

I have a moral/ethical dilemma. I need a hydraulic floor jack and four jack stands so I can work on Gerta's underside. I have a conscientuous objection to shopping at Walmart because of their predatory business practices and treatment of their employees. But I don't know of anywhere else to get what I need. The auto parts stores don't sell jacks or stands except for the big ones capable of handling 3.5 or more tons. I only need a set that will handle one ton, and price goes up with capacity, never mind the higher price charged for anything at an auto parts store.
So where do I go? I need a Meijer!
Suggestions?