2004

By Kathy Thoren

This event occurred on April 27, date of monthly Mustang meeting. Paul has done some pretty silly things, and I usually just let it go, but this time, I called Tish Von Ting and nominated him for the HA Award of the month, if not the year. I had to respond in some way, and I figured this would hit him at the belt more than any amount of rage I could muster. Here is the report that I sent off to his kids explaining one more of their dad's famous moments: Well your dad has done it again, only this time I decided it was time he received due recognition fo r his latest caper. I actually nominated him for the HA Award of the month with the Mustang club. Anyway, tonight about 5:00 p.m., he decided to change the oil in his Mustang. First, we had to jump the engine, so it would start and he could drive it out of the garage and up on the metal ramps. Well, when the job was completed he had me direct him off the ramps. In that process, somehow, we ended up with a river of oil running down our driveway. I think all 5 quarts were deposited there. So then we were scrambling, trying to clean it up before any of it went into the street or the curb drains. He has his story as to why this happened, and I will let him explain his way out of it when you talk to him.

So, now the car has no oil in it. He can't start it up and put it back in the garage. It is parked quite close to the street. He had me park my Cruiser in front of it on the right side, and when he gets home he will park in front of it on the left side. It all looks very suspicious to me. The Mustang is covered up and then boxed in by two other cars. Tomorrow we are out of town for the day, and then he goes to work at 4:00, so I'm not sure how soon he will be able to take care of the car.

Just two weeks ago, he insisted on changing the oil in my car rather than taking it in to a shop. He spilled several drops of oil on the driveway, and I got on him about cleaning it up if he was going to do the job himself. Well, a few drops isn't anything compared to the stained riverbed that now exists on our drive.

As it turned out, Tish did not receive this information prior to the April meeting. However, the news was still very ripe and well documented, so there was no way Paul was going to slip by unnoticed at the May meeting. Oh, and thank you to Dennis von Ting for showing up with the jack to raise the car up so Paul could get oil back in the car, so it could be moved back into the garage. Oh yes . . As Paul tries to explain his way out of this one -- he says it was a faulty seal on the filter. Um, um, yeah, sure.

Christmas pome by Paul Thoren