Hey. Where ya been?
I'm still out of the pinnie loop. I still have the two EM pin projects here at the house, my first pin ever still out on loan and needing TLC, and my recently deceased brother's pin - my fault (not that he's deceased, but that he got a pin).
So really not much pin action for me for quite a while now, thus the lack of my participation here. But there have been some positive developments for me lately and I might get back into it in a small way at least.
So the biggest development is that a little over three years ago I finally got a decent job for the first time in my life. Not enough income that a NIB is an easy decision. Actually it's still a pretty easy decision because the answer is still "no", but it's not as out-of-the-question as it used to be, so that's good.
The next interesting development is that with the improved financial means, I was able to buy the place across the street from my house. It came up for tax sale in my area due to the previous owner abandoning it several years ago, so it was an easy price. It's actually an interesting little house. It would more accurately be called a cabin as it is a little bitty stone thing. Very cool really. Other than it not having had any updates since the early '70s, i.e. thick brown shag carpet and other decor from that era (think Austin Powers), it's actually in decent shape. So the pin connection is that I'm considering either making it a guest house since mine is too small for company, or more likely I'll make it a Man Cave and use it for hanging out and getting drunk and impressing chicks (likely not in that order).
And the final bit of good news is that I bought an old clunker. My auto shot craps a few weeks ago so I've been driving the truck and keeping my ear to the ground (not at the same time). Today I found a keeper. It's a 2004 Mazda Tribute, and I understand they fit a single fin nicely. So I have a weather-proof pin hauler now, which should double as decent transportation (or vice-versa).
This is the actual car. Ten years old and average mileage for its age, but extremely good condition. I think I'll like it.
and now for the coop degrass...
I am remodeling my kitchen which includes the basement stairway.
The stairway is open to the ceiling and just a knee wall and bar to border it. I was trying to think of what to do with that tall expanse of empty wall, and decided on this:
(it's obviously only framed in and drywalled, but you get the idea)
See the cutout in the wall (low center of the picture)? It's going to have a shelf installed across the stairway and it will be for a pinball machine !! Just remove the back legs (I'll rig up a leveling mechanism) and slide it in. A pin will stick out the front about 6 inches so the flipper buttons will be comfortable to reach and operate. And it will sit right next to the bar just behind it (right side of the pin) and spectators can sit and watch. Since pins are covered in art all over, I think this is a perfect solution for that empty space, plus it allows for a pin while taking up about 1 square foot of floor space !! The bottom of the shelf is high enough so that there is forehead clearance when walking the stairs, even for me at 6'1".
There is a switched outlet at the back wall installed just for the pin, and the switch is installed on the bar wall (not visible in the pick since it's on the back side of that short wall) so it is easy to switch on.
So is that typical Vinito goofy-ness or what?
