Small wins.  I bought a new computer monitor a week and a half ago and decided to watch the price to see if it went on sale in the next 30 days.  Well, yesterday I checked and it was $100 off.  My refund was over $109 with the tax. 

We enjoyed dinner with friends, Jim and Erin, last night which was followed by adult beverages at a bar down the street.  This evening, I'm helping Jim install a new radiator in his Jeep as his popped yesterday. 

We are looking forward to a visit to St. Louis next week.  We plan to spend a little more time there this trip as I don't have to work until the Thursday after Christmas.  Jodi wants to go shopping with her family the day after Christmas so I guess I'll be going shopping somewhere myself too.

We had a great weekend of Christmas festivities that started with our off road club party.  There were around 150 members there and over $4000 worth of prizes raffled off.  I won a Roto Pax mounting system and Jodi won a club hat for her Christmas outfit.  It was a fun evening.

The following day, we had our Model Team Christmas party.  We played games, hung out and then gave out gift bags.  The girls loved their gifts and we had a great dinner that Jodi prepared. 

This week, Jodi still has some model team images to edit and I'm working on video related projects with my new camera stabilizer that arrived yesterday morning.  I'm excited to use it and see what I can create.  Having time off over the holidays should give me plenty of practice time.

Tonight we are going to dinner with our good friends.  We are trying a higher end Italian restaurant down on Country Club Plaza.  It should be a fun evening with them. 

Finally, Friday.  I'm looking forward to the weekend as I have a photo shoot with an older (twenty something) model tomorrow followed by our off road club's Christmas party.  On Sunday, we have our studio Christmas party with 12 girls and our makeup artist coming.  It will be a lot of fun.

I still need to get my Jeep thoroughly cleaned up and install my inner fenders.  That probably won't happen this weekend.  I also need to get it into the shop as the sway bar light on the dash is continuously flashing.  Not sure as to what is going on there.

Last night we met up with a room full of our Jeeple for our December Meet & Greet.  We spent several hours hanging out, talking Jeeps or just about any other subject one wanted to discuss.  The food was good and the company even better.  I gave away quite a few Nemesis t-shirts to those in attendance. 

We are less than two weeks away from Christmas and I am really looking forward to the time off.  I have a lot I want to accomplish but I'm sure my ADD will get in the way.  Hopefully I can at least do half of what I want to.  

I had to put a new battery in the Taurus the other day and the windshield washer nozzle tubing was dry rotted and leaking so I replaced that too.  My front fender on my Jeep is making some noise and I think it is related to the inner fenders.  I tightened up the fender a bit and it is still making a rubbing noise.  I have brand new Poison Spyder vented inner fenders to install as the inners were cut to accommodate the coilover mount.  The new fenders will fill the void plus they will look better with an accent color underneath like Jodi's.  I think I'm just going to bedliner and paint them myself rather than go the powdercoat route.  

We did a little Christmas shopping over the weekend and worked on getting our studio ready for our Model Team Christmas party next weekend.  There is still much to do so we have some help from a few of our models coming over today to assist.  Hopefully after today we have a big chunk of it completed.

I'm looking forward to our Christmas break this year.  I've decided that I am only going to work one day during the break.  The triple time would be nice but I'm at the point where I'd much rather stay home, sleep in and do what I want to do in the free time.  I have plenty I want to do.

I picked up my Jeep from Springfield on Thursday afternoon.  A friend who now lives in Monett, MO was in the KC area and took me to go get it on her way back home.  That saved Jodi the 6 hour round trip drive and let her hang out with her family longer. 

After picking it up, I stopped by Bass Pro to see their gun selection.  I have to say it was pretty pitiful if you were looking for a 1911 like I was.  A whole case full of Kimbers, like everywhere you go, but only 2 Sigs, 2 Rugers and one Springfield other than that.  I didn't get to leave with anything I wanted.

The ride home was mostly uneventful with the exception of almost hitting a deer.  The Jeep drove fine but the sway bar light is flashing constantly.  Not sure what that issue is but the dealer here will have to run it down.  I have to fix or replace my bent spare tire carrier mount and get my new Poison Spyder vented inner fenders installed. 

Jodi's mom, sister and aunt will be arriving today in KC for their annual Christmas time pilgrimage.  It's been a yearly thing for some time now, come to KC to visit and shop for the holiday.  It's always nice to have guests since we don't get that many.

I started cleaning up my studio which happens to be a wreck right now.  I have way too much gear and too little space to store it all.  Backgrounds, lighting equipment, packaging supplies, props, etc. are all taking up too much space.  I either need to have a sale or figure out a better way to organize it all.  I have 11 days to do so as we have our Model Team Christmas party coming up soon.

I'm heading to Springfield tomorrow to get my Jeep.  Not looking forward to all the driving but I need to get it home.  I'm ready to start disassembly in prep for the Raptor coating.  We will see what else I wind up doing while I have it a part. 

The fuel pump is replaced and my Jeep is ready to be picked up from the dealer.  Looks like I'll be heading to Springfield on Thursday to get it.

We went out with a dozen or so Jeep friends to a local bar and grill to hang out with one of our Jeepers who was back for a visit after moving away a few months ago.  Afterward, we went with another couple down to Union Station to see the Canadian Pacific Holiday train that is all lit up with Chrsitmas lights.  One of the rail cars is a stage where a band was rockin' holiday songs.  It was a lot of fun.  We left there and did a couple grafitti shots with Jodi and Erin's Jeeps and then we went to a restaurant for some late night dessert before heading home.

Here are a few pics of the train.  There were quite a few cars decorated. 

Jodi's Jeep with some Kansas City artwork.

We had a pretty tame weekend as Jodi took a little break after wrapping up a long busy season.  Saturday we went shopping over on the Kansas side and we purchased a new bed to hopefully help her with her back.  We bought an adjustable bed and we slept on it last night for the first time as it was delivered yesterday.  I slept really well on it but since Jodi is still asleep as of this writing, I don;t know how she did. 

Later that evening, we had dinner with friends at Garozzo's.  We really enjoy their food and this was our first visit to their Overland Park  location.  The restaurant had the usual Ratpack songs playing in the dimly lit eating space and we all enjoyed the ambiance.  Jodi had Cannelloni and I had Lasagna which were both really good. 

After dinner, we were going to go see a movie but it didn't start until later than we wanted so we wound up going to the casino.  We decided to go to Ameristar where JD works.  Jodi texted him and told him we were there and he said he would look us up when he got there around 11pm.  I wound up playing Blackjack until he got there.  He looked really handsome in his black suit and we got to spend a few minutes with him until he had to go work the High Limit room.  I wound up leaving the table up $150 and we enjoyed our evening.  Jodi drove me home as I had 5 or 6 beers, rare for me. 

On Sunday, we took delivery of the bed around Noon and then I did some errands before helping a  friend install a 2.5" lift on his girlfriends Jeep.  She just got new wheels and 33" tires for it too.  After that, we had some dinner and then we just watched TV for a couple hours before falling asleep.

I hope to hear that my Jeep is ready today.  If it is, I'll be heading down to Springfield tomorrow to get it. 

I still have no word on what the problem is with my Jeep as they have not diagnosed it yet.  Wow, what a busy dealership shop this one is.  Good thing I don't live near this one. 

Jodi went to Columbia yesterday morning to be with her Dad who had surgery.  All went well and he is scheduled to be released sometime today.  She will be coming home afterward.

We had our last sales session of the year last night and now Jodi can slow down a bit.  She still has a lot of editing to do for our model team shoots but the pressure to meet deadlines is off of her.  I've already begun working our new marketing for next year.   I hope to break all of our studio records in 2019.

SMORR was a lot of fun, even if it ended in a way we wish it hadn't.  After checking in to our hotel on Friday afternoon,w e headed to the park for a couple hours of wheeling with another couple that went with us.  Apparently the park got plenty of rain so it was going to be wet again, we would just have to make the best of it.  We spent a couple hours driving around through creek beds and we wound up doing a really fun trail called Log Jam. It was rather lengthy and pretty all rock and ledges.   It was our favorite of the day.  We wound up going to dinner with our friends and then we met up with others for drinks before heading back to the hotel for the night.

We woke early on Saturday and after a great breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the park with a convoy of 5 Jeeps.  The forecast was for sunshine and mid-60's so the park was busy.  After airing down, we headed out onto the trails.  It was considerably drier than the day before but still wet.  We were able to get in some good wheeling before lunch.  One rig with us started having a ticking sound in the engine while out on the trails.  After an inspection, we determined he had a loose spark plug.  That was certainly better news than the alternative of a collapsed lifter.  

After lunch, we headed back into the park to take on some tougher trails.  We wound up at Larry's Hill, a really tough climb with some serious ledges to navigate.  We tried on our last visit but couldn't get over the first ledge. I was leading the group and I knew there were only two of us who would even attempt this so I headed to the first ledge.  I wound up finding a good line and pooped over the first obstacle.  The next ledge looked more ominous but I got over it rather easily.  As we stared at the next ledge, a serious one, Jodi said, "Now what?"  I told her we could do this.  After a few attempts, Jodi was not liking the precarious position we were getting into.  I told her I could get it with one more try.  We started going over the ledge and all of a sudden I get warning lights and alarms dinging on the dash.  Engine power drops to where it feels like it is running on one or two cylinders.  I shut it down and then it would not re-start.  A few of my group looked things over under the hood and saw nothing.  Now I'm stuck on the side of a steep hill and ledge  and no one can get to me with a winch from the top.  The only option is to  back down the hill with very limited steering and not much for brakes.  At least I had a manual transmission and could use the clutch some.  Everyone cleared their rigs from the bottom of the hill in case I came barreling down the hill out of control.  Luckily that did not happen and I made it safely to the bottom.  The ladies were a bit freaked out is all I can say.

Unfortunately, we were at the very back of the park  and we had a long way to go.  It was almost sunset so we hooked a tow strap to my rig and we started the journey.  When we came to the steep hill leading up to higher ground near the entrance, we hod up a second Jeep to get me up the hill.   It worked well.  Once back to the staging area, we worked on my Jeep for an hour, trying anything and everything to no avail.  We decided to trailer me back to the hotel and leave it there for a tow service to take to the dealer on Monday morning.

Sunday morning, I went with my friend back to the park and loaded up his Jeep on the trailer.  We went back to the hotel and picked up Jodi and his wife and then we headed home, into the face of a blizzard.  We made it about 2/3 of the way before hitting snow.  Luckily it didn't start sticking the roadways until we were most of the way back. We all made it safely. 

My Jeep is at the dealer and I am awaiting a diagnosis.  It should be covered under warranty.  We think it is fuel related as it turns over but doesn't fire.  Once fixed, I'll have to make the three hour trek to go get it. 

We still had a lot of fun.  One day we will get to go there when it isn't wet and get to do some of the really cool and difficult trails we want to. 

  

My Jeep is back in my possession and I drove it all of the way home at 85mph most of the time.  It sure is nice to have a nice ride back.  It sits a tad lower than what it did with the coilovers.  It must have been sitting at about 5-5.5" of lift.  Anyway, I paid some stupid tax but it is what it is.  It's only money.

I'm excited for today as my new lenses for my Sony mirrorless camera have arrived and I get to use them on a photo shoot with one of my models this afternoon.  Before that, I'm going to try to get my muffler put back on as I feel running with just the resonator is a bit too loud, unless an axle dump improves the sound.  Right now, it's cut right behind the resonator so basically right under the rear of my seat. 

I went to a couple gun shops yesterday and it was hard to walk out with a Wilson Combat firearm I saw.  They are quite the investment at $3000+ but I will own one, some day. 

Jodi only has one more session to edit as we put the wraps on our second to last sales session of the year last night.  I know she is looking forward to our trip to SMORR to get away from the computer for a few days.  She gets 4 days off after today. 

Only a couple days more of work before we get some downtime.  My Jeep is almost finished and I expect to pick it up today or tomorrow at the latest.  We are looking forward to spending time with friends out on the trails. 

I'm changing platforms when it comes to my photography gear.  The new mirrorless cameras are steps above the DSLR's on the market so I bought a Sony and am making the switch.  I'm selling off all of my Canon gear as I get used to the new system. 

I've had the opportunity to put a few hundred miles on the Mercedes of late and I am really enjoying it.  It feels like a sports car but rides like a luxury car.  We went to dinner the other night and then met up with some Jeeple at another restaurant.  On the way home, several of us got on the highway and I decided to be a white blur going by them.  It didn't take very long to wind it up to 115 as we sped past them.  Top speed is a governor induced 132.  I think I'll need to find a way to override that.

I'm looking forward to the short week ahead and our offroading trip this coming weekend.  Hopefully the rain that is predicted for Friday will miss us and give us at least a day or two of dry weather to tackle the tough stuff.  JD, Megan and Jayson will be over on Thanksgiving for dinner with us. 

We've been busy holding sales sessions for clients with three more to go for the year, two this week and one more next week and that will put the wrap on things except for getting products designed and ordered.  Jodi needs a break from photo retouching and it is well deserved.

Here is some recent work:

We had two very good sales sessions last night with clients who had used us previously.  I really love it when Dad gets excited and money is no object.  One family spent additional money for more images of their child we photographed two years ago so that they had matching products for each.  Dad was very instrumental in that sale.  

We have an evening off to go to our Off Road club meeting tonight followed by more sales sessions on Thursday and Friday.  We are close to the end for Jodi, who needs a break from the computer pretty badly.  Next year we plan to train someone on our Model Team to help out in times of need.

 

Well, the long saga with my coilover suspension is coming to an end.  It's all coming off and going back to Rebel.  I'm done with them.  I have new 4.5" springs on order from Metalcloak that will be here on Friday.  It'll sit where it does now with the coilovers, a nice height I think.  It should be back to its old self by our SMORR trip Thanksgiving weekend.  December starts the process of Raptor lining the exterior.  Should be a fun but labor intensive project.

Well, we now own a car I thought we'd never own.  My friend purchased a Tesla so now we are the new owners of a Mercedes Benz C Class.  What a fun car this is.  I have never driven a vehicle that drives like it does.  The acceleration, steering and braking is instantaneous and it rides like a dream.  You cannot feel the transmission shift gears.  I've only put about 30 miles on it maybe but it sure is fun to drive.  Things look a  little different at our house these days.

Jodi has 5 more sessions to edit and then she can start to relax a bit.  She is really looking forward to the end of the busy season as I almost killed her with 19 sessions in October!  

We've been busy getting our clients in for their sales sessions now that our shooting season is over.  We had two families in last night and we have about 7 scheduled in the next 8 days.  In a few more weeks, Jodi will start to get a break and we can relax a bit before starting work on our plans for next year.

We are looking forward to our trip to SMORR in a couple more weeks.  we are hoping for dry conditions so we can tackle the tougher trails.  We have a good crew going and the socializing will be as fun as the Jeepin'.

We went to the Kansas Krawl last weekend and took Jodi's Jeep instead of mine.  Her Jeep is no longer a "Pavement Princess" as we drove the trails, went through Rust Bucket and did a couple easier black trails.  One of our friends got into a precarious situation on a hill and we used Jodi's Jeep to winch him up.  So, her Jeep got a little bit of everything that day.

I wound up winning a set of Husky Liners in the raffle drawing and my friend Jim won the set of 37" tires they were giving away.  We hauled 3 of them home for him since he has a two door.

One of our younger Jeeper friends competed in one of the races that day and well, let's say he got a different perspective from the driver's seat at the end of his run.  He stood on the nose for a few seconds before it went over on the driver's side.  Damage was pretty heavy but he and his passenger were fine.  This is his $1500 rig that he beats on a;most weekly.  I think he is now getting a new XJ.

I ordered a new custom holster for one of my 1911's.  It takes 8-12 weeks to get it but I've wanted a holster from savoy Leather for quite some time and finally went ahead and placed the order. 

Today we are picking up a new vehicle as well.  Well, new to us.  It will be our first "luxury" vehicle and I'm looking forward to having something pretty nice to drive when we don;t want to take the Jeeps.  My friend is selling it and there isn't a scratch or ding on it.  If it weren't his, I wouldn't have entertained buying a car like this but I know how well it's been cared for and it is in perfect condition and still has another year of bumper to bumper warranty.  I'll post pics next week once I get it home.  

I just enjoyed 4 days off of work thanks to the weekend, a vacation day and our Election Day holiday.  With our Veteran's Day holiday next Monday, a three day weekend is on the horizon.  Really dread getting up in the mornings and going to work and I'm not sure I can make it until contract.  Really hoping a buyout offer comes sooner. 

We're still trying to work with Rebel to overcome some articulation issues in the rear of my Jeep plus improve the ride quality.  They are at SEMA right now and I told them they have until they return to get me info or I'm sending the kit back to them.  Without building a 4 link or going to a long arm lift, I'm doubting we can get the rear shocks to extend fully.  We will see.

Here's a pic of it on the CTI trailer and at the shop on the forklift.  No issues in articulation in the front.

Jodi and I have been busy wrapping up our senior portrait season.  We have just a few more photo shoots scheduled this year and then it's just a matter of getting all of the images retouched for ordering appointments.  We have about 15 ordering appointments remaining and she still has quite a few sessions to edit but we are getting there.

We are heading to the Kansas Krawl event at Kansas Rocks this Saturday.  I'm hoping to win some cool prizes like I did at Frostbite.  There are about $25,000 in prizes being raffled and one is a set of 37" tires. 

JD is up for a promotion at his work.  He made the first cut of interviews and was hoping to hear by today whether he got the job.  If he gets it, he will be a salaried employee with greater responsibilities in management.  We are praying that he gets the position so he can start advancing in the company.   

I have been too busy to post lately but hopefully that ends soon.  Training at work and photo shoots every day are taking its toll.  We have much to do still but we are looking ahead to a break that is drawing near.

My Jeep didn't perform as expected this past weekend and I am now dealing with the owner at Rebel who committed to getting it right.  Not sure how this is going to work as I told him I'm done putting money into it and ready to send it all back for a full refund and go another route.  I sent him some pictures per his request.  Not happy about the ride and articulation at all.  We shall see.  This has been a cluster. 

As of 2am this morning, Nemesis is back in our garage.  After a photoshoot last night, I had an 8pm consultation and at 9:15pm we were on the road to Topeka.  We pulled in around 10:30pm and Mike, the shop owner, was at the back door waiting for us.  My Jeep was parked outside and it sure looked good.  Mike joined me in my walk around before he pulled it into better light so we could crawl under it and look at a few things.  As of now, we are not running a rear sway bar.  He drove it the night before and advised me in a text that I should hold off on having Rebel send me the Currie Anti Rock rear sway bar until I drove it as is.  He had said he really liked the way it drove without it and questioned whether or not I needed it.  So I took his advice and told Rebel to hold tight.

Every time we get together with Mike, it turns into long conversations about Jeeps and sometimes life in general.  We stood talking before we went inside to settle up.  When he told me what he was comfortable with accepting, I told him that was not enough.  Ultimately, I got him to accept a little more and then I gave him extra to buy the shop a good lunch.  This guy is the best and it's worth every minute and mile to have him work on my rig.

We rolled out of Topeka a little after midnight.  My rig is definitely sitting up higher.  It handled great and at a pit stop for gas in Lawrence, I couldn't help but give a look over from afar and think to myself how beastly it now looks.  I mean, it really looks huge and I like the stance more now too.  Before it had a little rake and now it appears to be leveled out more. 

We pulled into the driveway and Jodi stood watch as I pulled into the garage to check clearance.  She said I barely cleared the raised portions of the soft top, so it definitely is sitting higher.  Tonight after my photo session, I'll give it a good lookover before loading up for Kansas Rocks and Creepy Crawl in the morning.  Tomorrow will be a big test for it as I will get to find out how it responds on the trails and if it need any additional tuning.

Pics and video coming. 

 

The saga of my Jeep may come to an end today as a test ride by the owner of the shop said it drives great, even without a rear sway bar.  That's been the hold up since the weekend as the stock sway bar will not work as is as it won;t allow for the amount of flex the coilovers now provide.  At first, they tried to move/modify it but ultimately, Rebel disclosed that all of their conversions use the Currie Anti-Rock rear sway bar.  It would be nice to disclose that the rear sway bar won't work with this kit and oh by the way, you will need a $550 setup.  I ordered it and it's on the way but the owner of the shop questions whether I really need it.  Many people remove the rear sway bar for more flex, etc...  I'm picking it up tonight so I can have it for Creepy Crawl and will get to finally see it pretty much finished.  I'm told it sits a bit higher than where it was before. 

We got another session in last night and we have one tonight and tomorrow before I get Saturday off.  Next week I have 6 shoots lined up so I will be running the gauntlet.  We're both ready for some downtown after this record month for our studio.  Jodi had to do a sales session last night by herself to keep things moving along while I get all the shoots in.

I got word yesterday that the latest set of springs sent for my shocks are correct and my Jeep should be ready soon as they make final adjustments to the suspension.  Finally, some good news. 

Creepy Crawl is this Saturday at Kansas Rocks and we will head down in the late morning for a fun day of wheeling and haunting.  Food is included in the event fee and there are some contests as well.  Night wheeling is the big thing for this event with the woods filled with costumed people out to scare you.  Metalcloak will heave their CTI machine there so I should be able to get my suspension flex scored.

We got in our session last night on a cold day that topped out around 47 degrees.  I have three more sessions this week, 5 the next and 3 the next and then that is all we have currently scheduled.  It's been another really good year for our business.  Hopefully it carries over into Spring.  That said, I'm ready for a break.  Here's a recent shot that this boy and his family loved.

When we last left you, the saga of my Jeep had me ready to throat punch someone.  Hard to do when they are in Mexifornia so I had to resort to a blistering email to them.  They apologize, naturally, and are "doing everything they can" to get my Jeep right.   If only they could get the rear spring rates right.  The last info I received was another set of springs was on the way.  The owner of the shop did his best to calm me down saying that these types of things happen all of the time and they'll get it worked out with Rebel.  With a wheeling event scheduled for this weekend, my confidence level isn't very high that I will have it back in time.  The clock is ticking.  A two day job is now over two weeks. 

It's a cold morning here in KC with snow overnight, albeit flurries, but places north got a decent amount.  Not sure I can recall snow in mid-October, ever.  Today's photo shoot is going to be a bit chilly with the high of 46 degrees projected.   Got to get them in as we have no real room for rescheduling unless it's a rainout.

Let's start with the good news.  My Powertank gift certificate is for 40% off, not 30%. 

Now, the bad news.  New springs arrived and it lowered the rear about an inch.  Still 3" too high.  New spring set being sent.  What a clusterF$#!*!!!!  Ready to beat some ass.  Seriously.  Nasty email sent that will be waiting for them when Commiefornia time hits 9am.   

All I know about my Jeep is that the new springs arrived yesterday about Noon.  Hopefully I hear something today as to whether the ride height is proper now and it's ready to come home.  I probably can;t pick it up until Friday evening or Saturday but it would be nice to know that all the nonsense is behind me and I'm going to have a pretty badass ride to hit the trails with in a week or so for Creepy Crawl. 

Although it was cold and breezy, we got our shoot in last night which really helps keep our schedule from getting super crazy.  It;s crazy enough as it is right now.  This evening I have a pre-session consultation followed by two ordering sessions followed by a phone consultation for my Saturday session client.  Looks like my work day will end about 9pm.

Well, hopefully the coilover conversion saga starts to come to an end today as the "correct" springs are being overnighted to my shop so they can be swapped out.  Apparently the springs that were originally sent are way too stiff for my Jeep.  Ya don;t say?  Anyway, I hope that once these new springs go on, the proper ride height can be set and we can get my rig back home where it belongs. 

The weather has been total crap here for nearly a week.  Hopefully we get today's session in although it's going to be cloudy and cool.  We still have a lot of sessions to get in and we aren't having very good luck right now.  There aren't too many makeup days left as we head toward November.

I am hopeful that today we begin to figure out the issue with my shocks so we can get a plan together to get my Jeep back on the road.  Waiting all weekend to hear something was tough.  I'm ready for this crap to get resolved. 

We went to a fundraiser yesterday with our Jeepers and they had a raffle for some nice prizes.  I won a metal Jeep sign and a 30% off gift certificate on a Powertank.  Guess I'm getting a Powertank!  We had a good time and the rain held off long enough to enjoy a few hours of friends, music and food.

Today's photo shoot is being rescheduled due to the rain.  This is the worst month to have rainouts in. The weather is going to start turning really cool and we still have something like 17 sessions to get it.   At least the forecast starts to look better next week.  We need to get in the three sessions we still have scheduled this week.  Fingers crossed. 

What a total cluster my coilover conversion has been.  I talked with my shop yesterday and they said when they put it on the ground, the rear was about 4" higher than the front.  Even after adjusting it some, it was still higher.  They think I have the wrong coil pack so they are now dealing with Rebel trying to get this figured out.  Either Rebel ordered the wrong setup or King goofed (again).  Needless to say, I'm not going to be driving my Jeep for awhile until they get this worked out.  Not only that, it's costing me money.  It's always something.

I got home yesterday from my photo shoot and Jodi advises me that the garage door only goes up a few inches and then stops.  Great.  Now what's wrong?  I looked at the drive belt and it's under some kind of strain when the door is trying to open.  I tried pulling the release so I could open the door manually and I couldn't lift the door.  I then noticed that the torsion spring was broken.  Great!  It'll be fixed Monday.  So it was a great Friday around our house!

My shoot today will likely be rained out as we are suppose to get 3"-7" of rain this weekend.  We have a sales session later this morning and then tomorrow we have a Jeep event to attend.

I can only assume that since I didn't hear anything about my Jeep yesterday that all is well and progressing as it should be.  We have a social event on Sunday and I really hope I have it back by then because there will be an RTI ramp there and I'd like to flex it out.

We had a good sales session last night and money aside, it filled our hearts with joy, which to me was much more valuable.  Our client is legally blind and sees peripherally.  I had some trepidation about being able to capture her looking directly at the camera and creating images that she and her family would love.  We had to put a bench about 1 foot in front of the 65" TV for her to sit on for her to see the slideshow.  She was giddy with excitement as each image came up on the screen commenting about how much she loved each one.  Her parents and sister were practically shouting with excitement.  I had a smile on my face the whole slideshow, which was about 4 minutes long.  We are enriched this morning with much more than just some money.  Today we cheer her on as she competes in a track event for blind and sight impaired athletes. 

King overnighted the parts we needed to repair the shock.....to my house, instead of the shop.  Morons.  So, I got to drive an hour and fifteen minutes to Topeka to deliver the parts.  The upside to this was I got to see the progress on my Jeep and so far, it's looking pretty good.  Hopefully the shock is now repaired and installed.  They still were waiting for delivery of the extended brake lines that are needed and those will be here tomorrow they said so at the earliest, I will get my Jeep back late Friday or Saturday morning. 

I ran a sales session last night while Jodi went to a fellow Jeepers send off party who is moving out of the area.  Fortunately, I wrapped things up quickly and was able to join everyone.  Afterward, we went to get some ice cream with our good friends before returning home. 

Today I have two pre-session consultations and a sales session.  We have a session scheduled for Friday and Saturday also but rain this weekend will probably force us to reschedule the Saturday one. 

My shop said they would be willing to repair my leaking shock if King would send them the parts.  It's an o-ring that isn't seated properly, possibly pinched.  I told my supplier to have King overnight the repair parts to the shop.  Did it happen?  Won't know until later today.  King better come through.  

Knocked out another session last night and it was a fun one.  Today we have winds gusting up to 40 mph so I don't think we will be doing the session.

   

 

5 photo sessions this week are keeping me busy, if the weather cooperates.  I don;t need a rainy month with a record number of sessions on the calendar.  Lots of thunderstorm activity in the next 10 days it looks like.  Not good!

In the category of "It's always something", one of my new shocks is leaking right out of the box.  GEEEEZ!!!  Now I have to make phone calls later this morning.  The shop said it looks like they pinched an o-ring when they tightened the shock down.  Hopefully they will send another right out and they can get back on the install.  They have some other work to do on it while it's there so they will get busy on that until they hear back from me.

Another weekend has passed us by and it's back to the grind.  We have 5 photo shoots lined up this week and the weather doesn't look great for a few of them.  Not what we need in our busiest month.  Hopefully we manage to get them all in.  Jodi and I are looking forward to our long break coming up next month.  ABout 7 more weeks of busy and then we should see some rest.

My Jeep is at the shop and work begins today.  I hope to have it back by the weekend and give it a test on the street prior to getting out on the trails later this month at Kansas Rocks.  It will be a one of a kind around here.

We had dinner with friends last night and spent a couple hours talking.  It was good to catch up with them as we hadn't seen them in a while.  Dinner was very good and so was the company.

I had an awesome photo shoot with a client last night and another today has me pretty excited as well.  The client is legally blind due to a condition.  She runs track, plays volleyball and dances.  I am inspired and hope to create images for her and her family that they will love.  She has vision peripherally and it will be a challenge to photograph her but I am determined.

Jayson has another baseball game on Sunday that we will actually get to go to as we've missed the last two weeks for Jeep events.  He is doing really well based on what we have heard and seen via video.

Leaving this here.

My King shocks have arrived and I was able to get all of the mud off my Jeep with about an hour of power washing yesterday.  It is still dirty, just mud free.  I need to get it cleaned up the rest of the way and then load all of the parts in it to get it out to the shop this weekend. 

It's time to turn our attention back to Jodi's Jeep as she wants some rock lights and I'm going to get her a rear bumper.  She may wind up getting my Poison Spyder rockers too as she does not like her step bars and I'm wanting something different for mine.  I'll have to have them stripped and powder coated again for her as they show some signs of abuse on the underside.  That's what they are for but she won't be using them for that, just a step.  I like the Rockslide Engineering step sliders.  Not cheap but what do I like that is? 

I have photo shoots the next couple days and then a consultation and two sale sessions on Saturday.  October is going to be crazy busy with 18 sessions booked, a new record for a month at our studio. 

Came home from work to a little surprise waiting for me.  One King shock.  Yep, one.  The Fed Ex driver had come to drop off a package from our photo lab and said he happened to notice this box on his truck that wasn't on his delivery schedule.  Tracking showed it all arriving today so apparently one package made it early.  I opened it and this thing is a beast.  Holy cow.  I have an appointment for Monday morning to start the installation.  Cannot wait!

I've been considering adding 35 spline RCV's to my front axle but I'm struggling with the overall cost compared to just upgrading to one tons.  Axle shafts, locker, truss and install is going to be pretty high, almost the cost of a Pro Rock or Rock Jock 44. One tons are definitely an expensive upgrade.  I figure I can do 40's on a beefy Dana 44 with 35 spline RCV's if trussed.  One day I'll make up my mind.  Today isn't that day.

We had two ordering appointments and a consultation yesterday and today I have a full day off.  I have to get my Jeep cleaned up for sure.  It's still wearing it's sexy coat of mud from SMORR.

  

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Springfield which was about 30-35 minutes from the park.  We like nice things so the hotels near SMORR weren't for us.  We had a good nights sleep in a King suite and then had a pretty fantastic breakfast at the hotel prior to heading out.

We only had about 4 hours to wheel before we needed to head home as I had a photo shoot with my model team scheduled for 6pm.   Upon arrival, we visited the main office and bought a SMORR hoodie for Jodi and a long sleeved tee for me.  We then joined our group in the staging area.

It was a bit drier than the day before but the steeper trails were still out for the day.  Most in this group weren't going to be in for anything all that extreme anyway so the plan was to stay on the intermediate trails mostly.  Our plan was to do the other Jeep Badge of Honor trail "Guardrail and then hit some areas we hadn't been in yet, which there were many.

I once again got the honor of leading the group and we ran Guardrail first thing.  Not really a tough trail but very steep on both ends.  The trail turned into Yellow Jacket and then we worked our way down to an area where we had top make a decision.  There were three choices to make and the trail leader has to make a decision that works for everyone in the group.  The easiest rated trail was a steep climb and it was obvious to me that even if some of us made it up, it would be too greasy for those that followed so that was out.  I walked ahead to see the two other options.  Disturbed was definitely out as we had a couple rigs without lockers and there was no getting over the first obstacle without them.  That left Largo, which had a pretty rocky section at the beginning and would be a little challenging for some but it was really our only option outside of trying to turn everyone around and go back the way we came.  I said I would run it and see how things went.  I chose to do it without lockers to make sure it was doable and I had no issues so I relayed that back to the group and told them to move forward, that I would spot them through.  The first rig behind me was an unlocked XJ and he had a little trouble getting over the biggest rocky obstacle but I worked him through.  I spotted the rest of the group through with no significant issues and we were off again.  We wound up doing some moderate trails the rest of the morning and by Noon, we were ready to head out since we would have had to travel a lot deeper in the park to hit areas we hadn't been in and we didn't have the time for that.

.What a great trip it was hanging with friends and getting to visit for the first time.  Naturally we wish it had been drier but we had fun nonetheless.  We are currently planning on going back Thanksgiving weekend with a group of friends for their Turkey Day event.  Our intent is to go down on Thursday night or Friday morning and wheel 2 to 2 1/2 days before heading back.

Not many pics from Day 2 but I did get an opportunity to be a poser while in the creek bed.

Leading on the trail.

Bill's red LJ doesn't look too red after a couple runs through the deep muddy water hole.  

 

We returned from our trip to SMORR yesterday evening, tired but excited for our next trip down.  We had a blast and did not get to do half of what we intended.  The weather kind of put the kibosh on doing some of the tougher trails as traction was hard to be found to get up some of the ledges and hills but we got some good wheeling in and have video to prove it.

We rolled out at 5am Saturday morning and arrived around 8:45.  There was a very light rain underway when we got into the Springfield area and it continued for about an hour or so, stopping about the time we got out onto the trails for the first time.   We started out in a  group of about 10 Jeeps and we quickly found out that some of the tougher trails weren't going to be doable in the wet conditions so we wound up running creeks for the first hour or so.  It was also clear that much of the group weren't going to attempt anything too tough that some of us were up for so 4 of us split off from the others to go find tougher trails that we could at least attempt. 

We did a trail called Honky Tonk and it was pretty much all off camber traversing throughout.  There was one area where we were leaning pretty far over close to a tree.  The guy behind me called that section a "butt pucker". 

I led us up the main road and spotted a trail called Rocky Road.  It looked pretty knarly at the entrance but we decided to give it a go.  Wild Bill took first crack at it and I think the girls said it took 35 minuted for him to complete the trail.  We had to stack some rocks to get his LJ through a section or two and their was a fair amount of diff dragging going on but he made it to the top.  The rest of us were 4 doors and we had some concern about one section in particular where it was a really tight squeeze getting around a large boulder.  My thought was to take what would be a more  difficult climb to the other side at that section but the others were unsure as well as unsure of the trail for them.  I said I'd be giving it a try and we walked back down the trail.  I'll let my friends video do the rest of the story telling.  I would go to Youtube and watch it by clicking the Youtube logo on the video. 

Note the video length.  I was being kidded for the amount of time it took me versus Bill.  I said I thought I saw Jodi and Paula waving a checkered flag at the end of the trail.  I don't know slow and easy and it works, obviously.  

Ray, who shot the above video wasn't so lucky.  He got stuck about 2/3 of the way up the trail and we did everything we could to get him over one of the tougher obstacles.  We stacked rocks for 30 minutes and attempt after attempt failed.  We finally decided to try to winch him but there was nothing for him to anchor too.  Our biggest problem was that he was at least 400 feet from the end of the trail and there was no way we could drive to him and then back out, the trail was just too difficult for that.  I decided to drive down the trail to the point of no return and brace my Jeep against a large boulder.  We ran my winch line out almost as far as it could go and then we attached it to a couple tow straps to reach Ray's winch line.  We tried to winch him up but he was pulling my Jeep off the boulder as it was sliding in the slippery conditions.  Bill went and got his rig and we strapped him to a tree and then he ran his winch line to my rear bumper.  Now we were set.  We started to winch Ray up the obstacle and there was a really loud noise followed by slack in the line.  Ray's winch mount had broken and his winch was basically torn in half.  His grille took some damage too.  It appears his winch mounting bolts had broken.  We had to reconfigure our winching setup but we wound up getting him over the obstacle and off the trail.  At this point, the other Bill in our group decided to pass on the trail.

We wound up doing another tough trail called Rocker Knocker.  I went in first and it was a bit of a battle getting over and around the first obstacle.  We kept sliding toward the boulder and I was attempting to keep from bashing in my door.  I wound up having to go left more than I would have liked and we got a bit tippy as we made it over.  Jodi doesn't like tippy.  :) 

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We ran one of the Jeep Badge of Honor trails later in the day and then we all had steak and other good food for dinner before going out for some night wheeling.  I got to lead because I have THE light bar and we had a fun time at night, which is definitely a different experience than the day time.

We got to the Hotel around 10:45pm after a long day.  We would head back out bright and early for Day 2 and I'll share more about that adventure tomorrow.

  

They've taken the rain out of the forecast for Saturday now so we may get a pretty decent weekend of wheeling in.  We have rain in the area today but the sun is suppose to start peeking through this afternoon which will be good for my scheduled photo shoot.  I decided to work a half day so that I can get my bumper on since that didn't happen last night.  We went to dinner with our Jeep group, followed that up with ice cream at Dairy Queen and that didn't put us back home until about 9pm.

I was told that my King shocks were shipping yesterday.  I didn't get a tracking notice so I doubt they did but maybe I'll see them next week.  I should have them on and ready for Kreepy Krawl in October.   

I've decided to head to SMORR no matter the weather.  I'm ready to wheel and for a getaway so me and my buddy Wild Bill will be getting after it on the trails.  We are kind of double trouble out on the trails and our wives know things can get a little sketchy when we wheel together because we are bad influences on each other.  Hopefully we make it back in one piece.

I'm happy to have an evening off of shooting since it's suppose to be hot again.  It looks the weather turns toward Fall on Friday when I have another shoot.  As long as it doesn't rain, we're good with that.  High's in the 60's next week will be very welcome by me.  We do have a sales session tonight and then I have to get my front bumper back on for the trip so it isn't an evening off.  What are those?

Another fun shoot done last night and another lined up for today.  Too bad it's going to be 94 degrees with a heat index around 100.  So over summer!

In better news, today marks my 30th anniversary at Ford Motor Company.  It's a great feeling to know that I can walk out the door any time I want now.  Point me to the person that has the buyout checks. 

I should have time to put my bumper on tomorrow evening.  Just have to look to see how the skid plate mounts to it.  Ready to get some wheeling in. 

I was able to get my bumper and other items from the powder coat shop yesterday and now just need to find the time to get them installed.  They all turned out great and I'm ready to get my Jeep finished up.  I'm still waiting on my King shocks and it may still be awhile.  They are slooooooooooooww! 

The weather doesn't look great for SMORR this weekend.  That sucks as I really want to go and have the top and doors off.  I may bail on the trip and go in October.  Maybe I'll have my coilovers installed by then too.  Hoping the forecast changes though.

I'm ready for it to cool down around here. It's hot again and last night, my tee shirt was soaked at the end of my shoot.  At least tonight is a boy and we'll be getting in the car every 15 minutes or so.


 

I wound up having Saturday off as one of my co-workers said she would work my OT if I wanted her to.  Be my guest!  So, I got to do a couple sales sessions with Jodi (that were awesome by the way) and then we began our prep for the Jeep Invasion at the lake the following day.  We went to the store and bought meat, charcoal, buns and more stuff that we donated to the event and got everything ready for the next day.

On Sunday, we arrived at the lake about 11:15 and started setup.  By 2pm, we had about 60 Jeeps there.  We did some aerial drone shots and I grilled up the meat with the help of a couple friends.  It was a fun day and we stayed until sunset.  Everyone enjoyed the day and wants to do it again next year.

Video I took at the event.

I made a new friend at the event as well.  His name is Dexter and I got to love on him a lot.  Really miss my dogs.

We had a great sunset too.

  

I'm heading to the powder coater today to get my bumper, skid and coil over parts.  Need to get the bumper on by the weekend as we are headed to SMORR Saturday morning at the butt crack of dawn.  

We missed Jayson's 2nd baseball game but through video, we got to see some of his hits (he had 4).  This one was a screamer over 3rd that apparently took the hat off an opponent!

I'm doing a creative photo shoot in a nature sanctuary today with one of my models who will be wearing Jodi's creation.  There is a waterfall and I plan on using some dry ice to create some fog too.  It may be an epic fail but going to give it a go. 

Our Jeep invasion at the lake this Sunday looks like it's going to be a really big event.  We may wind up with 100+ Jeeps.  I hate being an organizer really but I wanted to do something different than just get together at a bar and grill.  I hope it turns out well. 

I have 4 photo shoots lined up for this week and 4 more the next.  Crazy busy.  We had some really good sales sessions on Saturday so we are hitting our sales goals this year.  I was thinking early on that our volume might be down this year but so far we are doing well.  I need to book about 5 more sessions in October and I will be satisfied. 

It has begun again.  It's been 20 years since JD's first baseball game.  Yesterday, we attended Jayson's first baseball game.  He got hits in both of his at bats, recorded the only out on defense by both teams by fielding a  grounder while playing first base and touching the bag and he threw really well too.  The most impressive thing was that he stayed focused the whole game.  We really enjoyed seeing him playing and there were a lot of laughs watching the little kids play.