Mr. E30 and the Tales of the Bronze Bitch

So I picked up this gem of fine german engineering about 2.5 years ago now. This is a 1987 BMW 325 is. The official colour is Bronzeit Beige. It's really faded on the hood/roof/trunk areas.

A quick lesson in BMW's for those that wonder why all the cars have a number instead of a name.

The first number (3) is the body series. The last two digits (25) tell you how many litres the engine is. So this is a 3 series with a 2.5 litre in-line 6 cylinder. So essentially for a little car, it has quite a bit of torque. The "is" stood for "injected sport". This was the top of the line model that was available in country markets that did not get the ever coveted M3 shiped to their shores. Basically.........this car is all that and a bag of chips.

In the photo to the left you can see it as it sat the day that I picked it up. I found it on Craigslist at 1 in the morning and emailed right away. I had a reply by 6 am and was on my way to see it by 10.

Seemed pretty sound when I test drove it with the exception of the front passenger wheelbearing that needed replacing. It made a thunderous noise like a 747 at full throttle on take off.

The exhaust is rather melodic and has a low raspy sound. MMM I like that. It makes you know the car is something fun to drive instead of just transportation to get you from A to B. What fun is that? We spend thousands on cars so they should be fun. This one is.

Now after having owned the car of my dreams for awhile I'm finding that this car hasn't really had the care the previous owner should have given it. I mean the guy was a VP of his company and it's practically falling apart. Sure it has 230k on the clock, but still!!! It's still a VERY strong car and has a lot of life left in it if cared for properly.

To date it's had the following:

Front wheelbearing and hub assembly, new 4 wheel disc brake pads all around (only 5% of the pad left when I picked it up) , new brake caliper (one was dragging), two coolant hoses, thermostat, fan clutch and a Mass Airflow Metre.

Now it turns out that I may need to have more service on the coolant system. Seems I've been smelling coolant for the better part of the week when I do drive the car. It doesn't get driven daily. That is why we buy boring cars...........to preserve the fun ones.

I feel a bit like Han Solo in that scene in the hangar bay on the Hoth base where he yells at Chewbacca - "I'm trying to get this thing put back together to get us out of here and you're taking her apart". It's really frustrating to have to pick up someone elses mess when they have the money and the resources to care for their things in the first place, but don't. All I can do it piece her back together one stage at a time.

Like Han Solo and his strange love affair for the Millenium Falcon I have that same love affair for my Bronze Bitch (and I mean that in the endearing manner) and feel that one day I will have something to show for all my labour (and the labour of the fine technician named Tan at Europa) that my car will be the pride and joy (not that it isn't already) that I know it can be.

Futebol-One of the most engaging physical activities on the planet

So Karen and I went to the match at the Quest Field last nite. The Brazil national team and the Canadian National team.

Yes I'm a fan of soccer. Futbol to the rest of the world, soccer to us yanks. Don't worry, I'm sure that it will catch on here eventually. Note to thank Drew Carey for bringing an MLS team to Seattle.

We decided that we would get downtown early to beat the crowd and have a little snack before heading in to watch the match. This was going to be an exciting one in the sense that Brazil had not been in Seattle since 1975, but not so exciting as they were playing the Canadian National team. We all know how that was going to turn out. Even if Brazil sent the "B" squad, we know how that was going to go.

So we get downtown a full hour and a half before the match starts and it's already crazy. We find parking (easy enough) but at a price that really hurt my wallet and my pucker. Note to thank Paul Allen for building a fantastic facility and funding it with over-priced parking.

So we decide to eat at a place called Jimmy's. They have so much alcohol there it's like looking at the bar in the hotel in The Shining and I swear that as I'm sitting there with Karen and drinking our dirty martini's and eating our appetizers that I could see the reflection of Jack Nicholson staring at us and smiling amid the throngs of Brazil fans there to see the match of a lifetime.

No you didn't read that last part wrong. I didn't leave out the Canadian fans b/c I'm biased. Far from it. I love my neighbours to the north. They just didn't happen to be there to support their team. Although before we paid have a years salary for our 4 drinks and plate of 3 appetizers, we did find that there was a fellow wandering around outside in what appeared to be a viking helmet and shorts and a Canadian flag as a makeshift cape. Please note that I did not leave out the part about his shirt on purpose. There was no shirt. I was a little scared at first b/c he was pounding on the glass of the restaurant. I thought that the sight of so many Brazil fans was sending him into a frenzy, but there was no foam coming from his mouth. Turns out the bloke was just trying to get the attention of others to let them know he had arrived to support his country. (insert deity of choice) bless patriotism. He certainly had his going that nite.

Once we were inside (which was quick and easy considering the number of people there) we quickly found the vagabonds that were quick to sell you their souvenirs and take your monthly pittance for it. I bought a Brazil shirt.

I happen to be a Liverpool FC fan. You'll never walk alone.
After the obligatory purchase we proceed to hunt for GOOD beer. That's the problem in Seattle.......we have so many micro brews, but very few are good. First off it has to be DARK. If I can see light through it when I hold it up, it's too light. Porter and Stouts are good. We finally settle on one of the few micro brews available and it's drinkable. We then start to make our way to our seating section and get distracted by a few folks.

First up was a group of Brazil fans. I just needed their picture.



Then there was this Brazil Super Hero. He was cool with his green hair, but his super hero weapon had me puzzled................Was he waiting to squirt condiments on over priced stadium food or was he going to use it on females that he picked up after his favourite team won? No matter. He was there to cheer for his favourite team and squirt something(one) and have a good time doing it.


Then I ran into a fellow Liverpool FC fan. I needed to have his pic for the simple fact of I'm not the only one in Seattle that can appreciate the ONLY Red and White team in Futbol.


Here is Karen posing for me at some point during the match. Hard to say what was going on here. It was 90 minutes of screaming frenzy this evening. The final at the end of the match was Brazil 3- Canada 2.



And then of course there is always some poor schmuck that runs out on the field and plays his retard card. Below is our lucky winner for that opportunity. He apparently was arrested and escorted off the field not for showing his support of Brazil, but because Quest Field security was really in need of publicly humiliating at least one person before the nite was over.

"And the take down is GOOD!!! They have him in cuffs fairly quick. This may be a fan take-down record."



"Hey mom I finally made it on international tv!!! Tell all your friends. Oh and can you get dad to send some bail money?"


So afterwards it was off to Molly Maguires in Ballard for yet another pint of Guinness before heading home to pass out from Futbol Euphoria. Ah yes I was dreaming about it all nite...........well ok I lied about that. I don't know if I dreamed about it since I never remember my dreams, but I will remember the experience and that is the most important thing. Life experiences.

Pushing Dwarfs in public after drinking.........................

So after a very long writing hiatus, I'm still up to no-good as usual. No I'm not some sort of juvenile deviant as the title of this would suggest and nor am I some sort of pub lush.

What I'm talking about is Cirque de Soliel. Karen (my wonderful wife) and I went to see Corteo while it was here in town for our anniversary last month. We had chatted about should we go, should we skip it, should we take the kids or should we go alone.

Well we decided we should go. We have been to the last 3. Next we decided to make it just us. The kids would be at their mom's dwelling that weekend and that was a good thing b/c my daughter didn't really say either way that she wanted to go and my son was not interested. Good enough for me.

Next Karen started looking at what it was going to cost to do this. She decided that she wanted to do the Tapis Rouge package: the top of the line model for everyone out there not familiar with Cirque de Soliel.

This little package was $400 + dollars and now that I've done it, I don't really need to do it again. All though I must say that the parking was totally worth it. Anyone who has ridden in a car with me knows that I like to park as close to my destination as possible. I hate parking so far from a fucking store that it requires a tram ride to get there.

Getting back to Cirque.............so b/c of this package we are able to park right next to the entrance (parking fees included in price package, thank you) and arrive one hour prior to start time for cocktails (complimentary thank you) and hors devours. The cocktails were actually Bombary Saphire Martini's ( I love martini's, but honestly they need to be dirty and they need to be vodka) and I believe that there was wine, but when Martini's are being served who cares? Wine takes a back seat to martini's.

After getting our fill of appetizers and free rocket fuel, we get to go and get seated for the show. We have some really cool seats b/c of the package that cost me my second born child. (sorry, not willing to sell the first born just yet). We are about 3-5 rows back from the stage.

The photo attached to this post is my "contraband" photo of the Corteo stage. Apparently we were not allowed to take pictures, but I had already done so before overhearing someone else being told to stop taking photos.

One of the highlights was a part of the show where a dwarf was in a harness attached to some kind of balloon that had her flying all over the inside of the tent. Well she came our way and as she did we gave the lil' gal a push and kept her going to other patrons at the show that day.

It was a good time and I always enjoy the Cirque shows, but this one was the best by far and having the seats so close was really very cool. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much from further back.