It happened at Mucho Mocha

Moderators: Bookworm, starkruzr, MrFireDragon, PrettyPrincess, Wapsi

User avatar
jwhouk
Posts: 6053
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:58 am
Location: The Valley of the Sun, Arizona
Contact:

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by jwhouk »

---
The best thing about getting my Library "portal" changed was that I was also given the ability to access Mucho Mocha a lot easier than I had in the past.

I'd actually forgotten about Tina's shop, for some reason, in the long time between my first visit and finally seeing her again at Phix's wedding. I had rectified that as of late, discovering that her take on a Caffè Macchiato il Caramel was heavenly - and well worth taking a short jaunt to her shop.

When I entered the shop today, I noticed two things: first, those two older gentlemen were still arguing over something, though this time it didn't appear to be the smell of burnt electrical parts from an MG.

Second - when Tina greeted me with her usual smile, her eyes... her eyes were a metallic green.

"Hey, Mister Scroll Man! Your usual Macchiato with skim and caramel?"

I nodded - though I think she noticed the tilt in my head.

"Oh, Neil already told me about that," she said, scurrying off to steam the milk. "Don't worry, I won't say that when sensitive ears are present."

"Huh? Oh, no, uh, no." I shrugged it off. "I was distracted by something else... aren't your eyes normally a bit more silver in hue?"

"They are?" She looked at me with a squinted eye. "I never noticed." She fixed the drink faster than usual - which was a bit odd in and of itself - and smiled brightly as I handed over the cash for her.

"You know, you should bring your wife in here one of these days," she said. "I bet she'd love one of my chai lattes with an extra shot of peppermint."

"I don't know if I could get her through my usual means of travel to the TC," I said, looking over my glasses. "I may try one of these days, though."

I smiled, nodded in the general direction of Greg, and headed back out the door to my waiting Uber ride.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by TazManiac »

Vintage FORD (um, 3 cyl tractor) Lucas Electrical Equipment...

Image

Now, if I can only get the pistons out of the block, I can re-sleeve and re-ring it...
User avatar
Sgt. Howard
Posts: 3329
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:54 pm
Location: Malott, Washington

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Sgt. Howard »

TazManiac wrote:Vintage FORD (um, 3 cyl tractor) Lucas Electrical Equipment...

Image

Now, if I can only get the pistons out of the block, I can re-sleeve and re-ring it...
Pull the head- soak each cylinder with KROIL- Drop crankshaft after DC'ing connecting rods, carve a 2x4 (24" long) to fit underside of piston and use this to smack the silly thing out. You will UNDOUBTABLY have to sleeve the cylinders and replace the pistons... and the camshaft, crankshaft, maybe a connecting rod or two, all the valves and springs thereof, your bank account, possibly your marriage and left testicle if the divorce occurs in California...
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by TazManiac »

Sarge, let me let you in on the situation to date;

Tractor sat outside, under tarp But- the guy who had borrowed it was deployed to Gulf War II, and his wife was laid up with back problems So, when the tear in the tarp let the rain in- the center cylinder sat with rain water for who knows how long. It froze the rings to the cylinder wall by the time I was tasked wit getting it back to it's owner.

Fast forward and basically i cant get the cylinders out the top due to the ridge at at he top of the Cylinders So I'm going to have to unbolt the Block from the back half, drop the Crank 9IT SHOULD COME OUT ANYWAY) AND WE ALL KNEW THERE WAS A RE-SLEEVING IN THE FUTURE.

wHAT i HAVE THE PISTONS/CYLINDERS SOAKING IN NOW, AND HAVE UNFROZEN THE GRIP OF OXIDATION WITH, IS A 50/50 MIX OF acetone AND atf.


And somewhere along the way I hit the caps lock and I aint going back and correcting whats been typed already.

So there.
User avatar
Dave
Posts: 7584
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Mountain View, CA, USA

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Dave »

TazManiac wrote:wHAT i HAVE THE PISTONS/CYLINDERS SOAKING IN NOW, AND HAVE UNFROZEN THE GRIP OF OXIDATION WITH, IS A 50/50 MIX OF acetone AND atf.
I wonder whether the electrolytic rust removal process (washing soda, steel anodes, and a battery charger seem to be the common ingredients) might be worth considering?
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by TazManiac »

Thx Dave, every thing is 'broken free' at this point, I just need to disassemble more than I wanted too.

Keep in mind this was mentioned in context-

Lucas Parts abound.
User avatar
jwhouk
Posts: 6053
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:58 am
Location: The Valley of the Sun, Arizona
Contact:

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by jwhouk »

"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by TazManiac »

Well, I was just trying to toss in some visual aids but you know how dam'n helpful these b@str@rds are around here...
:P
User avatar
Sgt. Howard
Posts: 3329
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:54 pm
Location: Malott, Washington

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Sgt. Howard »

Little Darlin', EVERYBODY is talking about you... behind your back... and giggling... wondering if yer doin' the 'Razzmatazz'!
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
User avatar
Just Old Al
Posts: 1683
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:43 am
Location: Wilderness of Massachusetts
Contact:

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Just Old Al »

TazManiac wrote:Vintage FORD (um, 3 cyl tractor) Lucas Electrical Equipment...

Image

Now, if I can only get the pistons out of the block, I can re-sleeve and re-ring it...
Ah, the Dark Lord's forces are everywhere... :)

Glad to hear you got the sucker unstuck. There is little less entertaining than stuck pistons.

The ATF/Acetone mix is a good one - used that myself before to get the stuck piston out of an unobtainium brake master cylinder so I could resleeve and bore it - worked nicely.

Al
"The Empire was founded on cups of tea, mate, and if you think I am going to war without one you are sadly mistaken."
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by TazManiac »

I'm still searching for a better one, but in the mean time...

Image
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by TazManiac »

Sgt. Howard wrote:
Little Darlin', EVERYBODY is talking about you... behind your back... and giggling... wondering if yer doin' the 'Razzmatazz'!

Well, the signs lean toward a maybe yes...
User avatar
Sgt. Howard
Posts: 3329
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:54 pm
Location: Malott, Washington

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Sgt. Howard »

Mr. Graham, Principle of Oshani Middle School, was having a hard time with the news that two 'FBI agents' had brought him.
"DEAD?!? What the HELL was he into? I always thought he was a bit off-bubble... but DEAD? How did this happen?"
"He was under witness protection program services- apparently somebody recognized him and cashed in on the reward," 'agent' Brandilyn Oduya calmly stated.
"Witness protection?!? He testified against somebody that could get him... killed?" Graham had a hard time with that concept, not being a physically brave man himself.
"He testified against the man who arranged the murder of his wife and two daughters," 'agent' Lester Billens replied, "He was actually targeted as well, but by pure luck the attempt on his life failed- the details are unimportant,"
Graham tried to absorb this- ' details are unimportant'= 'we ain't telling you about it'-
"Why was his family targeted to begin with?"
"His younger daughter was nearly abducted by a group of sex slavers- subject 'Weiderman' thwarted the attempt and got intel as to who was behind it," Oduya explained.
"Got intel? How did he get intel?"
"Old school BF&I- 'Brute force and ignorance'- the idea of somebody attempting to harm his 15 year old daughter ... 'inspired' him... he nearly killed one man and totally incapacitated the other,"
"THAT scrawny whelp? Did he have a crowbar?"
"That 'scrawny whelp' as you call him was an ex- Marine Force RECON with enough chest ribbons to decorate a large Christmas tree- his hand-to-hand skills were phenomenal. CIA had been trying to recruit him for years. He had been personally decorated by President Bush on two occasions- family friends, you know- most of his T-O-D we are not at liberty to discuss," Oduya continued.
"T-O-D?"
"Tour of Duty- what he did while in uniform- most of it is still 'classified' ," Billins stated.
Graham buried his face in his hands- "His name was never 'Stanley Weiderman' then? Who was he?"
"THAT is still 'classified'," Billins replied.
"... how am I going to replace him with such short notice?"
"THAT" Oduya calmly stated, "is not our concern,"
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
User avatar
Sgt. Howard
Posts: 3329
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:54 pm
Location: Malott, Washington

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Sgt. Howard »

"So," Mr. Meadows asked Stanley, "how was your first day teaching math to paras?"
"To be perfectly honest, not a whole lot different from teaching human children- except that THESE little munchkins seem a LOT better behaved... and eager to learn,"
Meadows chuckled to himself- an odd, low-toned almost grinding noise to those not familiar with it- "There's some 'novelty factor' at play here... to many of these children, you are the first human they have ever seen. To many of the rest, you are the first human they have met that understand what THEY are and not freaked about it. Eventually this will wear off- THAT's when you are likely to see a bit of mischief, I am afraid,"
"I imagine so- what brings YOU here? I understand you run the orphanage?"
"That is correct- but I've got one of my charges here that needs a little extra ... effort? I guess I should say?... Ursula runs the place in my absence. I'll not be here long- OH! I also understand you're taking advanced training in physics- do you intend to teach that?"
"I truly hope so- it's been a lifelong ambition,"
"I also understand... and forgive me if I seem to pry... that you pretty much buried your former life to take this position? Any regrets?"
"PHAH! There was nothing there... I never really felt like I belonged to that world. Everything was so cut-and-dried, everything was so predictable, everything was so... I don't know... WRONG as far as I was concerned... here I am in a world that seems constructed out of children's stories and fairy tales... and yet, it seems so RIGHT..."
"Well, everything here doesn't end with 'happily ever after'... but if this is where you are comfortable, then I suppose this is home. Ah- excuse me- I need to see the principle, and here is her office- enjoy the rest of your day, Mr. Wiederman,"
"You too, Mr. Meadows,"
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
Jharris16-17
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun May 17, 2015 9:51 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Jharris16-17 »

Tina had just finished the last of the daily scrub-down- the register was shut for the day. The last of the kitchen appliances had been shut down, implements put away, the 'closed' sign hung in the window. She was locking the door behind her when the dark green Sunbeam pulled up to the curb.
"Hey Toots, whatcha doin' tonight?" catcalled the driver.
"Wel," she demurred, "I'm thinking of riding a fancy Brit Machine around a lake or two, doing a picnic supper... then riding YOU off into the sunset... and I hope you're up to it..." she said with a positively wicked grin as she hopped into the passenger seat.

... and away they went...
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by TazManiac »

Shades of 'la Femme Nikita', 'Eraser', & 'Nine & a Half Weeks' come to mind.

Just not too much 'Romeo is Bleeding' and we'll be OK...
User avatar
TazManiac
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by TazManiac »

PS- I would have liked to get the recent meteor showers mixed into the narrative but this recent round is about over and I've missed my chance.

Still, it is currently a New Moon, that might count for something... Something August and skinny-dipping in nature.

muhbee, mayhap.
User avatar
Sgt. Howard
Posts: 3329
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:54 pm
Location: Malott, Washington

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Sgt. Howard »

TazManiac wrote:PS- I would have liked to get the recent meteor showers mixed into the narrative but this recent round is about over and I've missed my chance.

Still, it is currently a New Moon, that might count for something... Something August and skinny-dipping in nature.

muhbee, mayhap.
... and what makes you so certain it ain't happened yet? I don't always need to go into details... BTW, that was ME that wrote that last bit, I didn't realize I was signed on my boy's account when I wrote it.
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
User avatar
AmriloJim
Posts: 1190
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:47 pm
Location: 35ºN 101ºW (for the GPS-challenged, that's Amarillo TX)
Contact:

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by AmriloJim »

Sgt. Howard wrote:... BTW, that was ME that wrote that last bit, I didn't realize I was signed on my boy's account when I wrote it.
I figured as much... not his grammatical style.
User avatar
Sgt. Howard
Posts: 3329
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:54 pm
Location: Malott, Washington

Re: It happened at Mucho Mocha

Post by Sgt. Howard »

Paul's style is harder to do than you might think... but I think it comes across who I am picturing here.
THERE's your 'Happily Ever After'.
Attachments
100_6577 (2).JPG
100_6577 (2).JPG (243.32 KiB) Viewed 20243 times
Rule 17 of the Bombay Golf Course- "You shall play the ball where the monkey drops it,"
I speak fluent Limrick-
the Old Sgt.
Post Reply