The neighbor is now convinced i am wacky!

[Paul A.]

I have a very good neighbor next to me who is occassionally amazed at my OCD. This is the same neighbor who, some years ago, came out with the classic line "jeez, you're gonna wash the paint off that thing!". To which my standard reply is "well, the doctor said if i was gonna wash my hands 200 times a day, turn it into something useful". Don't get me wrong...great neighbor and a really good guy and we get along famously. For that i consider myself lucky. But he still thinks i'm nutzoid.

I do the baggie test ALL THE TIME. I do it on my car about once a month, the wife's about the same (ok, like the confessional booth at St. AutoGeek, not really. DON'T tell HER) and i do returning customers about 4 times a year. I had a returning customer this morning (in the rain no less) and i grab my zip lock baggie out of its zip lock baggie...that's right, i have my baggie tester in a baggie! Ya know, to keep it clean...right? My neighbor is absolutely dumbfounded. Even his dog was looking at me funny. Before he can even say anything i say "don't ask, Mark, just don't ask". We then shared a pretty good laugh.

It's funny because he has a vinyl LP record collection that the Rock and Roll HOF would envy and he won't let anyone touch it! He wears gloves every time he pulls one out to show someone. I have used that collection to counter his comments at times by saying "this is my record collection, Mark". He usually gets it then.

 

[BrutalNoodle]

It's funny because he has a vinyl LP record collection that the Rock and Roll HOF would envy and he won't let anyone touch it! He wears gloves every time he pulls one out to show someone. I have used that collection to counter his comments at times by saying "this is my record collection, Mark". He usually gets it then.

:dblthumb2:



I was pleasantly surprised when one of the neighbors approached while I was detailing one morning. She told me she thought I was silly for spending so much time with the vehicle, but then her mother told her - don't be fooled, that's how some men work things out.

So nice that some people actually gets it. It's not just about wrenching and/or detailing, it's a personal/quiet time to think things through & plan ahead. Maybe not for some, but it definitely is for me.

 

[cardaddy]

Yeah well... and when your clear coat is still BETTER than new, and his has long since failed.... (like MY neighbors will as well) you and I will both be laughing all the way to our towel collection.

FWIW.... I still have all of my vinyl from the 70's and forward, at least 400 plus, all in fairly pristine shape. Of course mine has been packed up for the last 12 years as I need a new stylus for my Shure V15 Type V-MR, which Jico FINALLY has for ONLY $259.98, or if I want a lesser version, Ed Saunders has his version for $99.95.

Truth be told... I'd rather use my Dynavector Karat 23RS (ruby cantilever) cartridge, but it needs a moving coil preamp, which neither of my current setups have. This lil' cartridge was a STEAL back in the 80's for *only* $600! Mine cane from a buddy that owed me money, and had just sent it back to the factory for a total cantilever replacement. The cantilever is solid ruby rather than hollow metal like everything else was at the time (and still is for that matter). No such thing as just plugging in a new 'needle' as with the line contact diamond stylus being mounted directly to a long thin ruby, it made it a "$450 factory fix" back in the 90's even!

This is what one guy said about the lil' 23RS over on Audiokarma some years back (2013 I think).


"Brilliant cartridge...

Compliance is a lot higher than 15cu - they dynavector specs are for compliance at 100Hz.

Compliance at 10Hz as needed for arm matching is around the 22 to 25 cu from memory.
Yes it is absolutely worth re-tipping - All the Karat series are very similar in character and performance - look at current pricing of the 17D3 (the current karat series model) for an idea of where it sits.

If you get lucky you might pick it up for around $300 and with a retip you should have it running for under $600 all up, or around 1/2 the price of a new Karat cartridge.

In many people's opinion it is superior to most cartridges out there in the under $5000 bracket.

This is a cartridge that does not romanticise the sound AT ALL - it is very dynamic, precise, accurate.

It does tend to like a fluid damped arm (what cartridge doesn't?) preferably of low mass.

I have run it on the mid mass JVC Ql-Y5F with electro-damped arm with great success.

In my opinion one of the best out there by all objective criteria. :thmbsp:
This is a cartridge for people who value neutrality over romanticism.
If you want to hear what is in the recording for better or worse, and do not want rose coloured spectacles between you and the recording, this is the cartridge for you!"

Still have an excellent belt drive Yamaha PF-800 turntable (dual platters, dual tonearms, and a brand new belt still in the factory heat sealed bag) that plays both cartridges excellently! That puppy still sells for a grand used... and it's been out of production WELL over 25 years now! (New price for mine was I think $625 back then, from HiFi Buys.)

All I know is I keep telling my wife, AND my daughter every birthday, and every Christmas, that I want a moving coil preamp, AND a new stylus for the little Shure V15 Type V and neither has shown up for YEARS NOW!!!!! :dunno:

Then again... I got a birthday coming up next Saturday, and what did I show them today I wanted?
Uhhhhh.... either a tactical shotgun (Escort MP/A) or a Rupes iBrid kit!

My neighbor is surely to think I've lost my mind even more, not matter WHICH one shows up. :laughing:

 

[Eldorado2k]

i grab my zip lock baggie out of its zip lock baggie...that's right, i have my baggie tester in a baggie! Ya know, to keep it clean...right?

It's funny because he has a vinyl LP record collection that the Rock and Roll HOF would envy and he won't let anyone touch it! He wears gloves every time he pulls one out to show someone. I have used that collection to counter his comments at times by saying "this is my record collection, Mark". He usually gets it then.

Hey that's not a bad idea, I had never thought of that. I'm using it.lol.

And I too have a CD collection that I used to be extremely protective over when I was younger.. Back in the days, during my teenage years and before I had a job I would spend practically all of the money I could gather up on CD's. It became the 1 possession that truly felt all my own, and I made sure to take care of my stuff my own way. [meaning I liked preserving the jewel cases in new mint condition, I'd even take the time to carefully peel any stickers that might be on the original plastic wrapping and carefully place them on the jewel case to preserve a perfect example in my collection of CD's. No fingerprints ever, etc...

In the end I amassed a collection of about 200 hip hop music CD's from the late 80's up until 1998 when I bought my final CD and never bought another..

Well 1 day, while me and my ex gf were just relaxing watching TV, 1 of our cats decided to make a move and try and leap on top of a little table we had next to the TV [1 of those decoration tables that's really just made to look nice with the wall mirror it comes with. You can maybe place the mail on it. You know, the kind of table only your gf would think to buy. Lol.]

So the cat knows very well he has no business on top of that table, but for some stupid reason he decided it was time for him to find out if he could maybe stand up there... He quikly found out it was no place for him and like a fool he actually botched his leap and fell backwards off of it. But since all cats are too chicken to take a real fall he reached for the nearest thing to try and grab onto, which happened to be 1 of the 2 towers which held my CD collection... Omg, it's like it happened in slow motion. I immediately thought to myself, "you Stupid Cat"! What the hell!...

All those years I spent not even putting a fingerprint on even the jewel cases.. Well thanks to the cat almost 100 of them now have shattered jewel cases. Lol. Smh. We love the little guy, but that was a stupid move. Lol. [none of the actual discs broke]

 

[silverfox]

A car for most people is the second most expensive purchase they will make. It makes no sense to trash and abuse your car even if you think it's just a means to go from point a to b. At least that's what I keep telling people when they think I'm the crazy one.

 

[hoyt66]

:dblthumb2:



I was pleasantly surprised when one of the neighbors approached while I was detailing one morning. She told me she thought I was silly for spending so much time with the vehicle, but then her mother told her - don't be fooled, that's how some men work things out.

So nice that some people actually gets it. It's not just about wrenching and/or detailing, it's a personal/quiet time to think things through & plan ahead. Maybe not for some, but it definitely is for me.[/QUOT

Garage therapy! Have to have it until hunting season comes and then it changes to tree stand therapy

 

[Paul A.]

See? I knew you guys would understand! And Cardaddy, i didn't understand much of what you were talking about but FULLY appreciate your passion for music reproduction. I wish i now had every single one of the probably hundreds of albums, CD's, tapes (even my old 8 tracks) etc I bought or traded for over the years.

And that's kinda the basis of why i get a kick out of my neighbor. See, i DO appreciate his OCD with his vinyl collection. I never give him s*** about it and am even amazed by it. I have the 'ole "live and let live" approach and very rarely make fun of someone else's idiosyncrancies in their character or personality.

Brutal...your neighbors mom single? Eldo, between my daughter and my wife we have 3 cats. It's funny how i've been able to keep those cats within the rules. Well, at least in the garage! And i like Silverfox's perspective. Hoyt, don't be surprised if they don't soon come out with meds for both GT and TST but i get it...loud and clear.

 

[TTQ B4U]

I was pleasantly surprised when one of the neighbors approached while I was detailing one morning. She told me she thought I was silly for spending so much time with the vehicle, but then her mother told her - don't be fooled, that's how some men work things out.

^^ this. My kids and wife sometimes get mad as I'll spend a nice Saturday morning doing some yard work and then work on the cars. It's just thearapy and a way of appreciating and "seeing" the results of care and effort. Could be worse, as some guy park themselves on the couch and drink beer while watching sports all day. I appreciate a good game and a cold-one but I'd rather spend a couple hours playing in the garage.

 

[Paul A.]

Another great perspective, pdqgp. I sometimes remind my wife when she occassionally complains of my car appearance hours that i could be out chasing skirts, boozin it up or off at the track all weekend gambling my money away. At least when i'm getting my alone time therapy i'm simply in the garage and when she needs help she can open the door and ask for it. What she gets is an immediate response by a sober, monogamous non gambler!

She could have it worse...

I've also converted her into a rabid hockey fan as well so when i spend my time in front of the tube watching the game she's usually watching with me.

 

[cyclops]

^^ this. My kids and wife sometimes get mad as I'll spend a nice Saturday morning doing some yard work and then work on the cars. It's just thearapy and a way of appreciating and "seeing" the results of care and effort. Could be worse, as some guy park themselves on the couch and drink beer while watching sports all day. I appreciate a good game and a cold-one but I'd rather spend a couple hours playing in the garage.

It's a win win situation. We get out of the house and the women know where we are.

Couple years ago I was staying with a friend, washing her car when the neighbor who knows everything about everything starts telling me what product I should be using and how use them. Walked over to my cabinet loaded top to bottom with supplies and pulled out the waterless wash he was talking about.

His mouth dropped looking at all the supplies, ended the conversation and he went on to talking about sports.

 

[mwoolfso]

:dblthumb2:



I was pleasantly surprised when one of the neighbors approached while I was detailing one morning. She told me she thought I was silly for spending so much time with the vehicle, but then her mother told her - don't be fooled, that's how some men work things out.

So nice that some people actually gets it. It's not just about wrenching and/or detailing, it's a personal/quiet time to think things through & plan ahead. Maybe not for some, but it definitely is for me.

+1

 

[FUNX650]

I have a very good neighbor next to me
who is occassionally amazed at my OCD.

This is the same neighbor who, some
years ago, came out with the classic line
"jeez, you're gonna wash the paint off
that thing!".

:dblthumb2:
I was pleasantly surprised when one
of the neighbors approached while I
was detailing one morning. She told
me she thought I was silly for
spending so much time with the
vehicle,

Couple years ago I was staying with a
friend, washing her car when the neighbor
who knows everything about everything
starts telling me what product I should be
using and how use them.

I hope that I will never be accused of making
any of my neighbors ever feel comfortable
enough to approach me with such invasive,
utter BS.

How annoying!!!


Bob

 

[bald richard]

1. I think O.C.D. Is what makes us great at detailing
2. I like to keep my cars like new because l want (and get) top dollar for them when l go to sell,
a pride in ownership kinda thing. Plus they cost so freekin much!

 

[dakotaRT]

They thought I was wacky too, until I detailed their car.
Now they understand LOL!

 

[Paul A.]

I hope that I will never be accused of making
any of my neighbors ever feel comfortable
enough to approach me with such invasive,
utter BS.

How annoying!!!


Bob

I have a funny feeling you don't have anything to worry about there, Bob! :laughing:

 

[GSKR]

Waxing your mailbox is wacky.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Waxing your mailbox is wacky.

I washed my vacuum yesterday, then I wiped it down [including the inside] with Megs D156 Spray Wax. Does that qualify? Lol.

View attachment 46789

And when your car looks like this while you're polishing... The neighbors probably think I'm wacky for sure.

View attachment 46790

 

[GSKR]

I think I have you beat.I wax my garage door mailbox and apply hyper dressing to all the tops of my outside lanterns.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I think I have you beat.I wax my garage door mailbox and apply hyper dressing to all the tops of my outside lanterns.

Hmm.. Makes me wonder what I can apply Hyper Dressing to around the house.
I spray wax my black coffee table and it doesn't get as dusty as it used to.

 

[bald richard]

What's really funny
Is when that same neighbor
Is the first guy to want buy your car when "you go to sell it"!!!