October 2022 Update
I speculated that I wouldn't be getting much done for the last couple weeks in the kinda-update of my last Blog post. I was mostly right about that because I had a big trip back to the US, but I still managed to get quite a bit done before heading out.
I'd made a video about the ambient air temperature sensor and how to replace it a long time ago, but realized just recently that I didn't have a written DIY Guide for it. So, I made one. It's an easy job so the DIY Guide is short, but at least it's there now. If you haven't seen the video, give it a watch - the sensor can affect things in weird ways if it goes bad.
Another video I'd made a long time ago was a video about my fuel system. It was a bit of a long, drawn-out ordeal because the issue I was having was a low priority compared to everything else I had going on. I excluded much of the background for the sake of keeping the video manageable to make (and watch). I'd recently gotten a few emails from people saying the same thing had happened to them, so I revisited the topic to write out an Article about what all I'd done leading up to addressing the fuel system itself.
Not so far back as those (like, 5 months ago) was repair my sagging headliner. I’ve had the DIY Guide on my website but never finished the video for it. I'd forgotten to take my camera with me when I went to the shop, so I filmed it on my cell phone. Surprisingly, [I think] it came out pretty good. The video is up on YouTube - please check it out and like it if you'd like to support my channel, and subscribe to keep updated when I upload new videos!
Moving on to new things that aren't rehashing things I'd previously done, I've got a new Build page up for a customer's 2008 V8 Vantage. I'd asked Steven if I could write an article about his car because it was one that I didn't think I'd like to much when he first told me about his plans for it, and yet I ended up loving the finished product. If you're looking for some inspiration that buck the trend for what's usually done to an Aston Martin, it's worth a read.
Following up with something I’d started a couple weeks ago… I had dropped the prices on a wide range of products before I headed out of town, and then followed that up after my last Blog post with reductions on GMR's supercharger kits and high-flow cats and Aston Installations' infotainment upgrade kits. I'd previously listed them on sale with discounted pricing to reflect the change in exchange rates between the US dollar and British pound, then made those discounted prices the actual prices going forward. These can all be found in my Online Store.
Lastly, the Redpants oil catch can kits are on their way! They’ve finished manufacturing and are on their way to us! Again, a huge thank you to everyone that’s pre-ordered - those help a lot with managing the huge up-front costs for getting things manufactured and on the shelf. I’m expecting to receive the shipment in about a week or so. Once received, we’ll go through for quality control, sorting, inventory accounting, and then getting orders packed up and shipped out.
The Family Stuff
A few people have been checking in on this so here’s what’s going on.
I mentioned that my trip to the US at the end of September was going to be a rough one. The reason for that was because it'd be my first time seeing my dad since he told me he was about to start chemotherapy. Basically, Luanna and I had gone to Idaho back in June for a few days to attend my brother's wedding. My dad told us that his cancer had returned and his doctor said if he didn't start Intravenous treatment, he wouldn't see the end of the year. This was right after I'd moved to Japan, which meant I wouldn't be around while he was going through this. My brother was getting married on a Sunday and leaving for his honeymoon on Monday morning. Luanna and I would be flying back to Japan on Monday. My dad's first treatment was on Tuesday. Needless to say, it was a bit shocking to hear all this and that it was all happening so quickly was... unnerving.
Fast-forward a bit and my dad's last treatment was coming up, and I was able to find some flights to hop back to Idaho to drive him to the appointment and be there with him. In addition to the emotional weight of it, the trip was extra rough because it was extremely short. I didn't get to my parents' house until nearly midnight on Saturday and left Wednesday afternoon. By the time my body had adjusted to the time zone, I left again. It was absolutely worth it, though - it turns out my dad wasn't planning to ring the bell on his way out of the hospital.
"I flew halfway around the planet to see you ring that bell. You better fucking ring it."
He did indeed ring the bell, the fantastic staff of St Luke’s Cancer Institute cheered for him, and we walked out knowing that yet another of a long line of trials and tribulations in the Seidlitz family saga had come and gone. Of course, it’s not over for him and treatments in various other forms will continue, but he’s in high spirits and feeling good about life, the universe, and everything.
So yeah, I knew that trip was going to be rough because of the long-distance travel, short stay, and the gravity of why I was going in the first place, which is why I’d said beforehand that it’d be hard to get much done the last couple weeks. Thanks to everyone that checked in and sent kind words, it’s greatly appreciated!!
Keep Current
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Okay, that’s it this time. I’ll push out Blog Posts as needed in addition to my monthly ones, so make sure you check back if you want to see those.