Subj: Re: Repair R Us
Date: 9/7/00 9:42:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: larryb@warwick.net (Larry Bastanza)

Hey Guys,

It's funny how the rest of my vacation was more busy then the first part.
But to "clear the air". Larry I am here and fine:-). Tonight was the first
chance I have had to get onto my home e-mail. First, I will never question
the skill and precision of LarryG. His painstaking attention to detail is
rivaled by no man. Alas, a highly skilled craftsman can only produce
perfect work with a perfect "plan". As the "engineer" on this job, I have
to take full responsibility, but the damn plastic did not fit!!!!!!!! I
screwed up the hole measurements on one hole which made to whole thing
useless. Actually, I could not bear to tell you Larry, so I have avoided
looking at my e-mail to prolong me from feeling inferior, since I KNEW this
story was coming down the pike ;-).

Now a word from our sponsors at LarryG's house of precision:

When you assemble anything you WILL use a torque wrench. This is a good
practice. LarryG's version of this would be to increment the torque setting
on the wrench in approx. 30% increments for a perfect setting (good), Now
LarryB may not be so precise (bad), he may just set it once and go. Now to
be fair I work in the software business, and as sad as it sounds you really
never get to make anything perfect, since they always will ship the product
before it is ready. This is considered NORMAL in this business. After
doing this for 27 years, you learn how to get as close as you can to a great
product, in limited time. This is why the one setting and go method for the
LarryB torque !! (in reality this is only true, if I can get away with it,
when I biuld an engine I DO use the LarryG method.

When you drill a hole, if it is 3/8" you WILL start with a bit about 1/32"
and go up in VERY SMALL increments, oh maybe 1/16" or so. This will insure
a nice clean LarryG type hole. However when you are drilling 3 holes you
may have to drill 27!!!!!!!!!!!!;-). In this case the LarryB method would
be a pilot hole, then a 3/8 hole, done. Let's get a Corona! This efficiency
entitles you to an extra beer.

Now back to the story:

We DID make two plexiglass plates so I did have a backup plan, which was to
gracefully give the owner of the hotel the blank one and ask them to cut the
holes properly and install it. The owner was thrilled that we went thorough
the trouble a cutting it in the first place so all was well. Thank you
Larry for your outrageous hospitality, precision workmanship, and saving me
from a day in AMISH country.

Now you may ask how did we get here. Well it kind of goes back to the
beer;-). Now you all know the expression: "When in Rome, Do as the Romans
do". Well, since we are in Pennsylvania, I go to the beer store with my
buddy John, (we are vacationing with our families together) and ask about
the local brew. The proprietor recommends "Yuengling" a local brewery. We
ask for "Lager", then I see "Black and Tan" mmm... We buy a case
(intuition, should be setting in now). Now if you were to talk to John's
wife or mine, you would know a little something about us, beer, and tequila.
Let's just say that at the end of the evening we sleep well. My wife tends
to point that out to me EVERY time John and I get together!! Alas, the
cracked plexiglass face plate on the stove.

All and all it was a great vacation. It rained both days at Hershey Park,
which meant no one was there and we rode every rollercoaster twice, I
consider that a bonus day. The choice of a visit to Amish country or NSX
driving was easy and fun. The week before I left for Hershey I noticed my
Honda Accord developed the "common" radiator failure (LarryG's diagnosis) so
on Thursday I put in a new one, quick and easy repair. Drove my NSX and I
did not talk to myself (well maybe I did. Partied for the rest of the week.
Went back to work to rest!!!!!!!!!!

LarryB