If You Can't Say Something Nice...

...don't say anything at all.

Which is why I've been so quiet lately and why you've been inundated with Ripley stuff.

What do you write about when you can't write about what's going on in your life?  My job description has changed and I'm having a hard time adjusting.  Can't really write about it - though I'd love to - because I don't know who (if anybody) from work reads my blog.

My kids (well, two of them) are adults and dealing with adult things.  Can't write about what they're going through because it's their "stuff" to deal with.

That leaves me with Ripley and pseudo-running.  So, because y'all are riveted by RCC's beautification of Rip, here are a couple of pictures of her newest additions.

Black is the new chrome apparently,
so the chrome had to go.

A couple layers of Plasti-Dip,
let it dry and...

...no more chrome.
(Sorry for the lousy pic, the phone washed out the green)

 A long time ago, before RCC and I met, the kids and I dreamed about owning a ranch (still do) and I told them I'd name it after them - The 3 Heathens. We even drew up a "brand". RCC had the brand made as a badge, painted it alien green and added it to Ripley.

The kids' 3 Heathens brand

Digger has the brand tattooed on his forearm and I'm fixing to have it tattooed on my shoulder blade.  Ashinator is trying to figure out how to incorporate the brand into her family tree tattoo on her forearm.  Some families have family shields, apparently, we have a family tattoo.

The running thing is still going.  I started week four of Ease into 5K, which called for a four minute run and a six minute run.  I managed the four minute, but the six minute was too much mentally.  I have no doubt that my body can run for six minutes straight, but - wow - I'm having a hard time being mentally tough enough to gut it through.  I've got to get through it or I'll never progress.  The Bolder Boulder is coming up, which RCC and I will be doing, but we'll be walking it.  I do want to be able to do the Run For Your Lives Zombie obstacle course in July for my birthday, so I really have to get through this training program.  I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any...

The Bionic Cowgirl and I are going to see a Julie Goodnight clinic tomorrow as a fundraiser for the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center; it's Mom's combo birthday/Mother's Day gift and of course the weather's supposed to be crappy, but we need the moisture, so I'll keep the whining to a minimum.  It'll be good to watch Julie at a clinic.  Though I'm part of her Colorado crew, the focus is on making the TV show work when we're filming.  I learn a ton at each shoot, but everyone is always multi-tasking, so it's not focused learning.  I've sat in on several of her lectures at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo and loved every second, so I'm anticipating an amazing day with Mom tomorrow. One of these days, I'm going to participate in one of Julie's riding clinics, I swear.  It's one thing to learn from the ground, but I'd love to ride in one of her clinics.

Ripley...

...she might be my car, but she's RCC's baby. 

RCC has always been a gearhead and has done cool things with his vehicles.  Like building Tinkerbell...

Tink is on the left, The Bitch on the right
The Bitch is a full-sized Dodge Ram and Tink dwarfs her

Tinkerbell started life as a Chevy step-side thingamabob; she ended up an incredible rock crawler (hence the name RockCrawlingChef).  The Bitch has been modified, though her mods are mostly to the engine and not visible.

Lil Blue BoX, his Jeep, got well loved, too...

Water crossing at Onion Creek Trail in Moab

He sold Lil Blue BoX and parted out Tinkerbell and then was left with idle hands.  And while the saying, "idle hands are the Devil's workshop" doesn't necessarily apply, it does mean that his little gearhead hands have to be kept busy on a car project, which just happens to be Ripley.

He's become friends with one of the salesmen at the Kia dealership and often takes Rip over as soon as he's finished a project on her.  Because of the modifications done to Ripley and RCC showing them off at the dealership, she's pretty widely recongized there.  She had to go in for her annual physical and while RCC was there with her, he met the owner of the dealership, who told him to bring her back on Saturday to get her picture taken with Hamstar, the hamster from the commercials.

What commercial, you ask?  The Party Rock commercial...



We were assured Hamstar would look just like the one in the commercial, so we made plans to stop by the dealership after our Steel Challenge match, on our way to get Rip's "new" rally stripe.

Well, he looked more like a bear with a pig's snout than Hamstar,
but it was still pretty cool :)

Sadly, we didn't get to see Hamstar do any shuff-ff-ffling, but then I don't know how the dancers in the commercial pulled it off - with costumes that big, every move had to have been completely over-exagerated.

We ran off to my friend Stein's house, and after a couple hours of BSing, the boys got to work on Ripley's rally stripe while Wife Stein and I hung out and drank Strongbow.  After a while, we decided to check in on the boys and see how they were coming.

Initial placement

Getting started

Removing bubbles

Hood is done!

Wife Stein checking on hubby's work

Laying the roof stripe

Manly men doing manly things

Tailgate stripe

Ripley's mostly done with her new rally stripe.  There are a few "problem areas" that we (by we, I mean the manley men)  need more time for: the area under/around the spoiler; the small spot between the windshield and the sunroom; and the two inches on the front and back bumpers.  Stein, RCC, and Mez would have finished them last night had we not run out of warmth and daylight.

I pretty much love her sporty new rally stripe!  It's the one modification I've been dying to get and we've had the stripe in the closet for soooooo long, I was beginning to think it would never happen.

Next up, RCC has designed and ordered me some body decals that will declare Ripley a "1911 edition" Kia Soul.  You know those body decals will call for more entries into her baby book.

RCC's Favorite Hobby...

...is, of course, buying things for Ripley.  He loves to buy that girl presents and recently came up with a present of his own design for her.  An engine cover.  Serves absolutely no purpose at all except to look cool.  But, boy does it look cool.

By day:
the backer plate is Alien green to match her body color.

By night:
the cut-out is backlit with green LED lights.

He also installed new silicone heat-dissipating radiator hoses, which are supposed to do something good for her.  He told me, I pretended to listen.

His second favorite hobby is to take pictures of Ripley, and because of that, she's been featured in the Soul Hamsters' calendar.  I love this picture he took of Ripley - it looks like she's winking at him.

Look at her headlight - the starburst looks like she's winking.  In kind of an inanimate, Disney sort of way.

In two weeks, she has her appointment to get her rally stripe (we've only waited about eleven months for our schedules to mesh with Stein's <--- not only is he great at helping me with my guns, but he can lay vinyl, too).

RCC also has new shoes on order for her.  Flashy wheels and tires.  Which will be great.  Pretty soon, I'll look like a middle-aged GunDiva rollin' in her kids' car.

You know, it dawned on me - my kids' baby books aren't as thorough as the documentation I've got on this blog for my Ripley.  Sorry kids, I really do love you.  There just weren't any blogs around when you were little.  That's what you get for being born before the digital age. *smooches*

RCC's At It Again

Ripley got another present from RCC.  It's been a while since she's gotten any presents.

This morning RCC hopped out of bed and started working.  When he told me his plan to paint the interior trim I was a bit hesitant, but so far everything he's planned for Ripley has worked out beautifully.

Before trim painting.
(The gear shift boot cover was the first thing RCC bought Ripley)

Alien green, just like her body color

Re-installed,
I can't get over how great it looks.

The paint even has the same flecks as the body paint.

I love this trim!

RCC has a new console cover on order from the lady who made the gear shift boot and then we'll begin modifying the console to be able to holster my 1911.  I like the idea of being able to have my gun with me, in the car, easily accessible, yet concealed.  Plenty of updates coming up!

My Present to Ripley

RCC's been buying Ripley presents ever since he joined the SoulHamsters.  She's been the recipient of a strut tower brace to improve handling in the mountains; a new cold air intake to improve gas mileage; a bug deflector; a new grill; new eyeballs (pics soon); the coolest 3rd brake light ever...the list keeps growing.

While in Las Vegas for Deans' Training, I made a stop in my favorite store on the Strip to get a little something for Ripley myself...

I thought it was time for her to let out her inner ParrotHead.  She seems to like it. 

At least she didn't ask for a giant fin :)

A Whole Lotta Fun

Or, one of my ideas of fun.

Our family refers to the drive up to the Lodge as "going up the hill" (not to be confused with "going out on the mountain", which means going for a ride).  I'm not sure where that came from, but for the more than thirteen years our parents have owned the Lodge, it's always been "going up the hill".  The phrase is deceptive as there is a 3,145 foot gain in elevation from Lyons to Allenspark in a mere 17 miles (or 16 depending on which road sign you're reading).  Now, Mrs Mom and Mr Mrs Mom have been with me during one of my more sedate runs up the hill, but the fact is I *love* driving the canyon.  Even in my old Honda Accords (there have been a lot of them), we made good time running up the hill.  I've had sports cars pull out of my way when I'm running the canyon.

Ripley does a great job of going up and down the hill and has done an even better job now that she's got her strut tower brace.  RCC videotaped our run up the hill on Saturday as one of his entries to the monthly video contest held by SoulHamsters.  Since I had such a good time driving it, I thought I'd share it with you.  From Hall Ranch, just outside of Lyons, to Allenspark our average speed was 65mph (around the curves), with our low being 55 when I mis-timed a downshift and lost momentum and our high being just over 70.

Ripley Gets More Presents

The surprises just keep coming in from RCC.

First was the absolutely kick-ass 3rd brake light...

Then, a week later, a custom-made gear shift boot...

And then, yesterday while I was at the 9HealthFair, he installed an SSD Strut Tower Brace...

Now, you may or may not know that I'm kind of a car girl.  Not a true gear-head, though I married one.  More of the breed of car girl that truly enjoys driving - really driving - and understands basic mechanical stuff.  I've always had an appreciation for classic American Muscle (totally Mom's fault, BTW).  And by appreciation, I mean they make me all hot and bothered.  What I would give for an old school GTO. *sigh*

Anyway, Ripley is not even close to being American Muscle.  Heck, she's not even close to being Korean Muscle (is there such a thing?).  But she is a blast to drive and I've been known to run the canyon to the Lodge at, oh, I don't know, thirty over or so.  While I enjoy the hell out of running the canyon, Monster has complained more than once about the amount of body roll on the curves.  Apparently, going up the canyon at 70 mph or so around the curves isn't as much fun for my passengers as it is for me.

The SSD Strut Tower Brace has tightened up the steering and significantly reduced the sway.  Ripley hugs those curves now like she was made for it.  As much as I loved running the canyon before, I can't believe how much more I enjoy it now.  In fact, I had such a good time test-running the curves around Horsetooth that RCC and I made an impromtu trip to the Lodge last night.

I'm still on a driver's high from the run up and down the canyon.

RCC Wins Husband of the Year!

I knew RockCrawlinChef was up to something, but I had no idea what it was.  He's been cagey for the last couple of days, but I had no idea why.

Tonight, he wandered outside for a few minutes and then told me to come out to see what he was working on.

I was perplexed when he told me to stand about five feet behind Ripley.  He reached in the car and put his hand on the brake pedal.  This is what I saw...

Is that the coolest brake light ever?  It's even better than personalized plates (and costs a whole heap less!).

He found out about them here at SoulHamsters.com in their 3rd brake light decals.  Cool, huh?