It's November 18, and as I sit in my office writing these words, my mind is in a state of chaos, as I wonder how I will ever complete my list of wintertime tasks. With the stress of SEMA behind me and a few months of weekend free time ahead, it has come to that time of year when I begin analyzing all the goals I wish to accomplish. It has been more than three weeks since I took hose and soap to my '95 Chevy Silverado, and it is beginning to look pretty rough. Granted, it has been raining considerably, and this neglect is totally unlike me, but being fresh off the heels of SEMA and the completion of my slammed and flamed '85 C10, there simply has been no time. I now have another custom piece of equipment to take care of. Believe me, I am not complaining, since the truck turned out awesome, and I am looking forward to hitting lots of shows with it next season. Add to the list bringing the boat home for an oil change, application of a dual oil filter setup, installing a rev limiter, putting the carpeted rock guards back on the inside of the trailer fenders, and replacing one of the trailer taillights, and my brain begins to scramble once again. Let's not forget giving the boat a wash and wax job and polishing the wheels on the trailer. As if that wasn't enough, everyone can understand all the red tape necessary when acquiring a new truck.
With my Hill's Hot Rods-built '85 C10 completed and back in California, I need to take a few days and get it weighed, smogged, registered, and insured. That means go get the trailer, load it up, and commit to a day of standing in line and being bounced back and forth between DMV employees, while risking failure from the smog referee. Actually, this process will definitely be at least a three-day ordeal.
After analyzing this rough to-do list (guaranteed I have forgotten at least a few things), I am also faced with the holidays. Thanksgiving is a week away and Christmas will be here before you know it. That means Christmas shopping, family gatherings, and the normal hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Don't get me wrong - I thoroughly enjoy this time of year - but the growing list of tasks to be achieved on my equipment inevitably will be pushed aside.
Remember, this list has to be tackled around the one thing in my life that takes up the most time: work. Thankfully, during the winter, the show schedule slows considerably, leaving Saturday and Sunday to chip away at my list, but during the week, my evenings are reserved for sitting in the La-Z-Boy, watching TV, and flipping through magazines. Wait, there is another thing I need to add to the list. If you are a magazine junkie like me, then you probably have hundreds and maybe even thousands of magazines that need to be organized. I guess I better ink out a Saturday to get all mine in order so they are easier to revisit from time to time.
No matter what I do, it seems there is never enough time to get all the things done I wish to. I guess, this is a fact I'll just have to learn to live with. Until next month, keep hitting those switches, cranking good tunes (such as Firehouse and Whitesnake), and cruising until your heart's content.