Subject: It was the worst of times; it was the best of times; and a Sunday to remember
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 10:32:38 EDT

Hi Story people, long time no write.
Let me explain my absence.

(The worst of times)

Things have gotten REAL busy for me.
1. I got promoted and I am now in charge of our branch. The old boss retired and left a lot of unfinished business. Having to sort through things, hiring new people, extending old people, and dealing with the bureaucratic paperwork that goes along with it is time consuming. These new duties are added to my previous flight instructor duties.
2. Craig (my son) is still heavy into CAP (Civil Air Patrol). This requires transporting him and other cadets to and from CAP one day during the week (80 miles total) along with other events that he participates on the weekend. [Craig and friends took third place in a CAP ground team competition held in Pittsburgh, PA]
3. I seem to be doing maintenance for NSX people, people at work, and even on my Ex's Honda on my so called free weekends.
4. With my Mother adjusting to a nursing home in Maine. I try to get up as often as I can to visit, check on her old home, do the needed repairs, and do paperwork relating to her situation.
So with the above, I have had maybe one or two weekends to myself to rest and get caught up on life since NSXPO. (I still haven't finished that story. I'm saving it as a remembrance story).

(The best of times)

1. Hanging out with my buddies during services.
2. Traveling to the west coast with Tony DeJoie (another incomplete story)
3. Seeing Mom.

See how the worst and best are jumbled together? The point is, that even though I enjoy helping people, being with friends and relatives, I need to take time off and not be on the go all the time. I haven't even completed my taxes! (yes, I'm on an extension) I found myself taking my bills to work so that I could write checks during my lunch hour. I couldn't understand what was making me so far behind in life.......until I looked at the calendar marked with past events. I realized that It takes me one day of the weekend to get caught up with my domestic chores. Something that had been missing for sometime.

Now you understand the reason for no stories, and the cause of fatigue and stress. The fun time days only put me further in the hole of requirements. Thus the worst of times and the best of times.

(Now a Sunday to remember)

6 May was like my previous Sundays. I would be helping someone work on their car. In this case it was Miled. His Prelude, that he drove down to my house the weekend before, needed further work that could not be accomplished the prior weekend due to not having the unknown parts needed to complete the job. Sunday I was stressed out! It started Saturday. I had three small projects that I anticipated would take me the morning and possibly part of the afternoon to complete. Because of wrong parts, missing parts, and interruptions, the first project took all day and was still not completed by night time. Because of forecasted military travel that would have me gone from June through the middle of August, I was running out of time fast!! The only weekend I would have (before my trips) to get caught up on life was the 19/20 of MAY. I was not looking forward to driving to NY and work on Miled's old car that had a lot of rust on it (it wasn't a car that you would expect Miled to own). I could see other unforeseen problems coming up (stuck parts, broken parts) and I would have to leave Miled stranded with the problem for 2 1/2 months. So when I talked to Miled on Sunday, I was already keyed up, stressed, and after the conversation with him; I realized that it sounded like I was blaming him for my problems. Miled insisted I should come up in the NSX.

NOTE: Miled quite often, OK, practically always helps or cleans my car by himself while I work on his NSX. No one can clean a car better. It is greatly appreciated and the car always looks better than I could get it. I thought maybe he wanted to wax it for me while I worked on his Prelude.

Things were not going well. I had talked with Tony earlier, and he said that Miled had ordered new brake pads for the rear of the Prelude. I said, "We put new ones in before he left! He has only driven 200 miles, the rotors were not scored that bad. Why does he want to put new pads on?" I told Tony that Miled has too much money, instead of buying new brake pads, he should put his money into the: "Larry needs new wheels fund" or the "Larry needs a supercharger fund" (a phrase I repeated to Miled once I saw him in NY)
Oh, I didn't tell you. I can't get sleep either. I'm up late at night trying to get caught up. When I do have the opportunity to sleep, either: The cat wakes me up (he doesn't understand the weekend sleepin concept), Craig's alarm clock wakes me (because he forgot to turn it off), or some stray phone call wakes me. (see the stress levels building)
Again this Sunday is not different from other Sundays. I had hoped to inspect the Rausch Creek track for Pete on Saturday, but because of the afore mentioned difficulty, that didn't happen. So up extra early on Sunday to stop by the track before heading to Miled's brother's garage. I arrive later than planned because of loosing my place in the directions that Miled had given to me (I executed the same part twice which put me off course). I chalked it up to fatigue. Nevertheless I arrived late, Miled was not there, so I decide to visit the next door Dunkin Donut shop. Stood in line for an unreasonable amount of time, (they even had a tip cup on the counter, ya right!) didn't have my first choice, and paid New York prices. Yup, the day is going down the tubes already.
Miled arrives and we get his car on the lift. While I'm changing the calipers on the first wheel, Tony shows up. Tony was recovering from a trip on Saturday, but stopped by to see what was going on. As I finished the first wheel, Miled wants me to stop; he has something he wants to say.
Miled starts out saying how he and Tony really appreciate what I do for them (working on their NSXs) that I take them into my home. I'm willing to do the kind of maintenance that they want, use what few weekends I have to help them, and so on and so forth. I'm thinking, Miled would you hurry up! I have a car to work on, one day to do it in, I'm sure we'll run into problems, and if I can't do it today, you're stuck until after summer! Miled finally finishes his speech and says he and Tony have something for me. I'm figuring it's an NSX trinket or that he wants to wax my car. I follow Miled (Tony is there taking picture, but for some reason I'm oblivious to his actions) he walks to the other side of the garage where an object is hidden under a cloth. I can't tell what it is, but it is the height of tires.
Miled pulls back the cloth and reveals......................................................... A complete set of new.................polished.....................16/17" wheels, with new Yokohama tires.
I'm taken aback; I'm speechless. My emotions do not go from low to High, but off at a right angle. Never has anyone shown such gratitude. I'm still speechless.......I mean I help the guy's because they are my friends. I'm feeling life drained out of my body. I'm sure those of you that have priced OEM wheels have some concept of the magnitude of this gift. Wheels with tires no less!!
Miled is telling the story of how he and Tony decided to do this for me. He tells of contacting Tracy Townsend who locates the wheels in a day, has then shipped overnight to Miled. Miled orders tires and has then shipped overnight. As he continues with his story Tony is snapping pictures (I am in a rare humble state and they want it on film) and I find my thoughts drifting off to the complexity of getting this accomplished in such a short time and the expenses involved. I still can't believe what I'm seeing.
But wait folks, it doesn't stop there!
Miled had ordered two rear tires for himself, but someone put the wrong sticker on the tire. He thought he had a right and a left. Turns out he actually had two right tires. Miled said, "Take this tire; now you will only have to buy one tire when your rears wear out." In somewhat of a daze, I go back to working on the Prelude. Pete and Larry B heard we were in the area and show up to see what is going on. In an effort to speed things up, they both lend a hand. Pete and Larry put a new weather-strip on Miled's NSX along with a new coolant bottle (I torque the fasteners). Larry and I then return to the Prelude. The old rear calipers are frozen and we almost abort the project, but an employee at the garage assists us and uses a torch to free the stuck parts. We soon realize the new parts Miled bought were not complete (no bearings, seals, or wheel studs. I am hesitant to work on someone else's projects that I haven't done on my car. Swapping out wheel bearings is one of them.

(I remember telling Pete that I didn't consider myself a mechanic. Before I could finish my story, Pete replied, "Good, because no one else does!" I realized I left myself open for a zinger, if Pete hadn't taken it, I would have thought less of him :-)

Larry has performed this operation before so I work on another task. Before long, the car is back together, but Larry has to leave and is waiting for Miled to show up.
Where is Miled? While we were working on his car, he was installing the new wheels on my car (Tony taking pictures) and then decide to go to the car wash to detail the inside of my car! We had expected him back by now (I had been communicating with him on the cell phone about the Prelude) He said he was on his way. Ya, along time ago. Anyone who knows Miled, realizes that a quick wash amounts to half a day. He comes into the yard with my car sporting the new wheels. The car has transformed from a caterpillar into a butterfly. Pete and Larry are amassed at the generosity that Miled and Tony have displayed which prompts this statement from Pete. "Miled, you know it would have been cheaper if you took your car to the garage." Larry has to depart, so we all thank him for his help and expertise and will see him again at Watkins Glen.
Pete helps me bleed the brakes. The car is together but the brakes do not seem to grip as well as they should. We decide to let them bed in before further diagnosis.

Because of the Watkins Glen event the following weekend, a discussion starts on how to get my old wheels back to my house (which I will use on the track). With the tools and stuff I brought, there isn't room in my car. Miled thinks about using UPS, but he already knows how expensive that becomes. Without hesitation, he makes his decision. Miled at this late hour of the day will drive his Prelude, with my old tires, back to my house (over 200 miles one way). Again I am speechless and reflect on the generosity of my NSX friends. Pete has to leave, so it is more thank you and good-byes.
We load up both cars, I follow Miled in to his parents house to drop off his NSX and we drive back to the station for the loaded Prelude and start on the journey. Shortly after crossing the Tappan zee bridge, Miled calls me on my cell with the message that a collision has closed down southbound traffic. We pull a U-turn at the next exit, cross the bridge again, and head towards the George Washington bridge. (Did I tell you that Miled is paying for all my tolls) Not knowing what other problems await, I suggest we take I-80 (the longer way back) to avoid possible traffic?
Because of driving through a lot of rough construction areas, I notice that the car is jarring me more than before. With my firmer Bilstein shocks and the lower profile tires, I'm questioning my want for 16/17" wheels. Now horror rips through me. How do I tell Miled and Tony I don't like the ride! I would have tried their wheels on my car if I was going to buy the wheels myself to see what they were like. Now what? I start to get very depressed. The road construction is over, the road pavement is returning to normal, and I'm thinking, "This isn't that bad, in fact, it feels about the same on the smooth roads. Then some twisties come up. With the old 15/16" wheels, the car felt slightly unstable when pushing them hard around corners when cold. Heated up, they were fine. With these, they felt hooked to rails! Oh Yes, I like this!! These wheels are great!!
I call Miled and ask if he would like to try my car? He said no, the car wash was several miles and he had a chance to drive then, he liked my car. I still want him to pull over so I can see what my car looks like when driven; he complies.
We are driving in the rural parts of the state. There is not much light, other than an occasional house set far from the road. The first thing I notice is that when the car lights hit the wheels, they seem to flutter. I like the look. The next thing is; I can't see the top of my car at night! All that shows up is the white. It's really erie looking.
We finally arrive at my house, unload the cars, and Miled comes into the house as we recap the days events. I offer for Miled to sleep over, but he has to return for work. Miled strikes out and doesn't get home till around 0600 the next day. He receives a phone call. He thinks it is me checking up on him to see if he arrived safely, it isn't me (I would have called, but knowing that Miled sleeps late, I didn't want to wake him). Miled has great news!! He is now Uncle Miled! His brother called to say that his wife just had a baby boy.
So many good things on what turned out to be one memorable day.

(Postscript)
The enormity of their gift has had an emotional effect. Although they expect me to be the same old wise ass that I am (and wouldn't want me to change; remember this is me talking) I find myself being reserved around them. Although some of this reservedness will wear off in time, It was a life altering event.
My humblest thank you to Miled and Tony who are better friends than I could have hoped for.
Peter and Sylvia Mills who have always treated me like family (maybe better).
Larry B. for his technical expertise and willingness to dive into my projects.
And last but not least, all of you who have invited me into your home. Like Aaron and Annie, Don Gallo, Don Lebentritt, and so many others. Is this a group hug moment or what........(coughing and wiping my arms in an effort to become "Manly" again and not show my feminine side) Maybe a handshake will do.
Until next time, Your humble story teller.

Working on Miled's Prelude
New Wheels unveiled
Speechless
Our NSX's (L-R Pete,Miled,Larry,Tony)
Old Wheels
Installation by Miled
New Wheels