The Loot Thread

I enjoy the giving more than getting too. Maybe it's cause I'm older and I get to give my kids cool stuff. But when you give a gift (Legos X-wing) and the 6 year freaks out and yells "score" multiple times it's awesome.

My wife has to have surgery on Jan 20 and maybe down for 4-6 weeks, so I took all the old cell phone photos of the kids 3 years or so worth, and put them on a flash drive and got her a digital frame to view them on. I thought that might cheer her up.

Because my 6 year old loves Legos he thinks everyone else should too, I got a Lego motorcycle kit that is green like my Meanstreak, a coffee cup you can stick Legos too, a bag tag that says "this is not the bag you are looking for" and a pair of Kamik rubber boots for the winter. I made out pretty dang good.

Book about Guy Clark from the wife. Which was awesome. LL Bean boots from parents. Yeti cooler from inlaws.

Winning!

Here is the vise. It doesn't have any branding on it that I was able to find. However, it does have part numbers, and on the other side, it says 1740. Through the wonders of the Internet*, it appears it is a Wilton 1740 vise. I'm going to clean it up a little bit.

Seriously. I tried explaining to my kids how when I was their age finding something out meant a trip to the Library, using a card catalog and rummaging through books or* finding an old person who might know the answer you wanted. I much prefer having things this way.

Shared with wife, $70 cash, a kurig, and some gift cards. Personal, an under armor cold gear shirt. Can't complain.

Some weathertech floor liners for my DD, a Mercedes F1 team jacket, and some hanky panky with the woman once the kids were asleep

I got the bulk of my Christmas back in September when I bought an FAL and an AK, then bought a lot of ammo, mags, and a drum for the AK. I did get some neat books, "Imported Car Repair Manual 3rd Edition" 1978 printing, "Chilton's Repair & Tune-Up Guide Volkswagen All Types and Models 1949-1968" 1970 printing, and the new "The Way Things Work Now," I had the original as a kid. I guess I'm shopping for an air cooled VW now?

My folks got me an old Riley Brothers oil sign, 1 quart gear oil can, and big ~6 gallon grease can. They also gave us an antique tiger oak bench back in the Summer and said "Merry Christmas," when they gave it to us.

I took Jewels to see Elf the Musical a few weeks ago as part of her Christmas, she also got a pearl ring, and a new paper shredder from me. What lady doesn't want jewelry and a paper shredder?

My favorite part was playing hooky with two of our nieces and a nephew last week, all between 9 & 13 years old. We took them to eat lunch, sushi (their choice), saw the Repertory's production of "A Christmas Story," then to The Capital Hotel to see the tree and Christmas decor, as well as have deserts, and we finished the day off at the kid's great grandpa's house to put up and decorate his Christmas tree. It was a really good day.

Brett_Murphy wrote: Here is the vise. It doesn't have any branding on it that I was able to find. However, it does have part numbers, and on the other side, it says 1740. Through the wonders of the Internet*, it appears it is a Wilton 1740 vise. I'm going to clean it up a little bit. *Seriously. I tried explaining to my kids how when I was their age finding something out meant a trip to the Library, using a card catalog and rummaging through books *or* finding an old person who might know the answer you wanted. I much prefer having things this way.

That's a good quality vice. The production date will be stamped on the center tube part if you unscrew it far enough. I restored one like it a couple of years ago.

(swivel base not yet installed in the pictures)

Bloody Mary flavored peanuts. Deee-lish.

No idea how she knew that's my favorite mixed drink evar, so hooray for coincidences?

I looked on the tube, and it says 2-91. I did a bit of digging, and apparently it was made 5 years prior to the date on the tube, as that is when the warranty expires. So, if that is correct, I have a Feb. 1986 vise.

I think it needs crinkle finish paint after I clean it up.

Little tyke got her first set of cones for Xmas, in a vain attempt for me to teach her how to drive around them. Which means I can add 8 cones to my loot, and have a portable autocross practice set now. Might need to go get more, smaller than road cones, but way way cheaper.

Did GRM ever get that box of cookies I sent them I November, btw?

My haul consisted of a really nice leather duffel bag. A 36" 3/4 breaker bar and a set of extensions to use as a lug wrench on SanFord. A leather go bag, to replace my camo bag. A pair on Keen hiking shoes, and some clothes.

Best of all, I got to hang out with my entire family for the weekend.

A sound bar for my TV, a Gille Villeneuve T-shirt from England, a book on the first hundred years of the NHL, a book about early racing at Watkins Glen, and a car charger for my cell phone. At my age I don't need much, I just enjoy a surprise gift rather than something off a list, so this year I didn't make a list.

914Driver wrote: A new auto darkening welding helmet (last one lens was OK except for the plastic inside the helmet was crap) A program called Fore Flight, like GPS for flying. We're going to New Mexico in April, that's Christmas enough. Merry Christmas all !!

ForeFlight is awesome. That's our default app for our EFB's in the Coast Guard. Waaaaaay more than "GPS for flying" but I know what you're saying. Congrats and enjoy!

I got a new (old) house (project), to compliment my 72 Airstream project. Sigh. But- a nice Pendleton wool blanket for when the Airstream hits the road...

I got a text from the tenants in my old house asking if I had a generator they could borrow. Then I figured out that my new house was in the dark too. Then I got to drive 5 hours home from the cabin. Then I got the best present: Power back on and no frozen pipes.

My dear wife got my a new toy:

It's an Ibanez GD10T, I think. Basic six string, no electronics. I played bass for several years with a local band but haven't played regularly in about 8 years. Earlier this year I talked some about wanting to get an acoustic and learn that so I could actually sit around and make music by myself instead of just going "thump-thump-thump." She nailed it with the gift.

It's an entry level axe, but it's got a great tone and really nice action. Now my fingertips are all either numb or painful and I have a new excuse to spend money at Guitar Center for no reason.

She also got me Anthony Bourdain's new cookbook. Very cool if you're into that sort of thing.

My in-laws gave us a king size bed. I think the implication is that there better be grandkids soon...

A long-sleeve shirt, some chocolates, and a Syma X5C-1 quadcopter:

(Yes I think I'm going to change the incorrect lighting pattern)

Dashcam, refurb Xbox 360 with Doom, toolchest/cabinet, and ... the Dead On Tools Annihilator I've been asking for for years.

I never really NEEDED it enough to buy it, but it would have come in handy. Now that I have one, I'm hoping it will not be needed at all. It will still get an honored place among the home maintenance tools.

In reply to GameboyRMH:

Is it incorrect though? I would think that having the red light a ahead of the camera would be less intrusive to video taken than the green ones.

bluej wrote: My in-laws gave us a king size bed. I think the implication is that there better be grandkids soon...

They should have bought you a much smaller bed then.

I got a few neat garage trinkets for Christmas- A 60" shop light for a dead zone in the garage, a new heat gun, a magnetic LED light for undercar applications, and a magnogrip which will definitely come in handy and is quite ingenious.

We didn't do any big gifts this year. Focused on paying down some debt and saving up for a big assed honeymoon trip to Europe.

mndsm wrote: In reply to GameboyRMH: Is it incorrect though? I would think that having the red light a ahead of the camera would be less intrusive to video taken than the green ones.

In terms of port & starboard colors it's wrong. The lights aren't visible at all on camera. Some forward-facing white LEDs would be nice.

I did pretty well this year. I got a Xbox One, an Atari Flashback Portable (a portable, handheld Atari 2600!!!), some cool signs to hang in the game cave, a pair of boots, and a really cool book with professionally colorized pictures of the Civil War. Oh, and a Pop! figure of Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation.

My wife's job had her on-call all throughout the weekend (she is a house manager in the human services field), which sucked. She spent more time on the phone than with her family. I felt really bad for her. I got her a nice necklace, a ton of smelly things from Bath and Body Works, and two pairs of winter gloves/mittens hybrid things that are apparently all the rage this year. They are basically fingerless gloves with covers. We are hoping she gets a late Christmas present of a new job, since she had a really promising interview last week.