"When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half." - Gracie Allen

That's my second Gracie Allen quote in as many days. I realize many (most?) of the people reading this have no clue who she was, but those of us who remember her can't help but smile. We hear her voice when we read that. And picture George, never changing facial expression. Ever.

I'm pretty self-disciplined most of the time, but some days both my mind and my body say, "We're not going to the gym today." I always fee guilty at dinner, like I don't deserve to put calories in that haven't been earned through exercise, and then go a bit overboard the next day making up for being a slacker.

We're getting lots of campaign literature in the mail, and ads on TV. Several of the Republican candidates use the line, "I'll stand up against President Obama." What does that mean? Just exactly how does a state Attorney General stand up against the President of the United States? They're playing in different ballparks.

Today is our anniversary - 43 years. That seems like a long time until I think about my folks, who are on #69 I think. We'll go out to dinner, but we usually do on Thursday night. So tonight we may go someplace where they have a menu they bring to your table instead of posted overhead, behind the counter.
Top drawer, baby. Top drawer.

One in five women who wear yoga pants should.
(Starbucks observation)

My sermon is done, but I want to spend a lot of time with it between now and Sunday. It's on something I feel strongly about, that I work hard at, and too often don't know if I'm really getting it right.
3 of 3 on "Verses I Wish Weren't in the Bible"
Next week, 1 of 3 on "Verses I'm Glad are in the Bible"

I've been up since 2:30, and working most of that. I don't turn the TV on anymore; haven't watched Mike & Mike since before we went on vacation. I read the news online, read one of the three books I've got going, and as it begins to get light (about 5:30) head out to the garage to work on the truck. With the counsel I got from the truck forum yesterday I took my propane torch, a hammer, and a monster Phillips head screwdriver and got the two screws that hold the cam shaft in place to come out. Then I very carefully (per the manual's advice) pulled the cam shaft itself out.

Next: the pistons. Their respective parts have to be kept together because they also wear as a mated set. Never removed pistons before, so I went slowly and carefully, and 45 minutes later had them laying on the garage floor. As #5 and 6 each came out the top of their three rings fell out in pieces. OK, that explains the black buildup in each cylinder. They've been burning oil for want of a good ring seal.
(Those pieces on top are the main bearings.)
I could see some of the rod bearings (inside the holes at the bottom) were scored. Not good. New bearings are part of a rebuild kit so I don't care, except that the crank may need to be turned so the same thing doesn't happen again.

Speaking of the crank, I couldn't get it out. There's a plate on the front end that has to come off first (to the left in this pic) and I could NOT figure out why it wouldn't break loose. Same thing: post a query on the truck forum, and in a few hours had an answer: there's another screw hidden under the gasket. Yep. Peeled off all the old gasket, used the torch again to get that screw out, and the plate came right off. So why don't I have a pic of the crank out? Because that sucker is heavy, and dropping it or letting it get nicked up would be an expensive disaster. So I'll wait until Pam can get one end and I the other. Then the block, head, and crank can go off to the machine shop where he'll work his magic...if the engine isn't already too worn.