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Got the bubble machine done. I remember the first one taking 10 hours to bead, and this one was close to it. I started just after 2 and finished around midnight. Of course that wasn't 10 solid hours of work. I took breaks to eat dinner, varnish the new mah jongg tiles, check email, etc etc. But still, it was a long day's work. My back was a bit stiff by the time I finished!

This time I was careful not to bead over the opening. So that in future, we'll be able to open the machine and properly dispose of unused bubble juice. Rather than tipping it over and dumping out the bubble juice as we used to do. I'm hoping that this and the new mounting frame will prevent bubble juice from getting into the machinery and ruining it like the last one.

After we got the car back I retrieved the polyurethane from my trunk and sealed the new mah jongg tiles. They're painted, not carved, so they need some protection. Considering the wear they're going to get , I did not go to great lengths (or any lengths for that matter) to create a dust-free environment.

I'm going to use these (a gift from my friend Kevin) to replace the game being played on the hood. I guess tonight after Stoneline I'll play out a game in the dining room. Then glue it on tomorrow. It's a bit more work this way bu I think it's more fun if there's an actual game displayed on the trunk, rather than me just laying out the tiles in a simulation of a game.

So my car is all checked out. Replacing the engine seals turned out to be expensive. But still, I'm glad to get that taken care of before the trip. They also replaced the timing belt since they had to remove it anyway. I asked them to check the clutch and they must have adjusted it, because it's shifting more smoothly.

I must say, my car is much nicer to drive when the interior is all cleaned up. I got under the seats this time, cleaning out some stuff that looked like it had been there for a long time (for instance, I found a piece of hard candy that must have fallen under there at the 2002 Clayton Christmas parade). I pretty much only clean it before events. I guess I should go to more events so I'll have more reason to keep the car clean!

I got email confirmation from the Main Street Drag; I have been assigned to the route with the blind school. I think that will be really fun. She said we should get there early and I remember from last time that 9:30, the time they say to be there, is actually the time that groups start leaving. We got there right at 9:30 and almost missed our group. We'll try to get there more like 9:15 so I have time to set up the cams.

Georg made us hotel reservations in New Orleans for Sunday night after the parade. Yay! I've never been to New Orleans and have always wanted to go. We'll only have one afternoon and evening there, but still it will be a nice little mini-vacation after the whirlwind parade weekend.

In less happy news, we found out last night that Georg's father isn't feeling well and his brother Rob, who's planning to housesit for us, may have to stay home. I called the kennel to make sure they would have space for Lina and Thirteen, but I hope it doesn't come to that. We're crossing our fingers that Georg's dad recovers quickly.