Chalk one up for 'leave it and it goes away'

[pyoor_excuse]

I got a tax bill last year. Not a huge amount, but enough that I couldn't instantly pay it. I did what any self respecting person does, I ignored it. It sat in my 'inbox' waiting for the month when I had that much spare.

Eventually it got burried by other stuff.

Then I got a new Self Assessment. I filled it in, and moved the original bill back up - "must pay this" I thought.

And... left it.

And I'd forgotten about it until the brown envelope marked "INLAND REVENUE" arrived. 'Oh fuckit' I thought, 'I've still not paid it and they're pissed off...'. Then I opened it.

I have 'nothing more to pay' :-)

Ra.

Chalk one up for leaving things until they go away.

In other news, I'm actually wearing a skirt - and y'know what, it's not 'cos everything's dirty. Although there are 3 loads of washing (first's in). I've got my remote control car & boat - (the car is one of these! I've only ever seen one in real life; and that was in a scrap yard...) - I've also found my not-quite-scaletrix (bought from a jumble sale years ago) - which I hope I can clean up and get working for my lil' nephews.

What else...?

Pfer. Oh yes.

I brought back my period 1960's suitcase, well, it's my mum's. Because y'know what. I'm going to Alaska in less than a week! Can y;believe it?! Wooot.

So yes. It's here. And manky, and old, and smaller than I remember, but probably big enough. So Woot.

Comments

[howlsthunder.livejournal.com]

ieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! *bounces up and down* You'll be here in a week!!!!!!!!!! IEEEEEEEEEEE! :D

That is the weirdest vehicle!
Ok, I've seen weirder, but the back windows look like there's a camper compartment back there. Is there?

[pyoor_excuse]

Yep, a teeny small cramped one.

It's a 4x4 semi-camper van... with 13" wheels. Yes. Marvelous.

You can just imagine the marketing meeting:

"So guys, we need something new for this year"
"Hey, why don't we build a sports car?"
"There's not much new in the 4x4 sector..., we could launch a new one?"
"Hey, you know what I was thinking about? A Camper van, we've not seen a new camper van for years"...

"Hrm... Camper...4x4...sports... yes... yes, it could work".

Could, but didn't.

Also rusted like a cheap chinese knock-off CG125 gently sprayed with paint-removing acid and parked next to the sea-side.

[quercus.livejournal.com]

But it's _not_ four wheel drive! That's what was so funny about them.

Matra made little fibreglass lightweight sports cars. In the '60s, these were quite cute wee things, in a French soft of way (look up the "D'jet"). Then in some mad early-70s envy of off-roading VWs they decided to make a "fuel economy" competitor for gas-guzzlers like Landies. As they were really only an overgrown kitcar maker, they had to use parts-bin engineering such as Simca (French sub-Yugo crapcars) engines and transmissions. I think they might have prototyped a 4x4, but the production ones were purely front-wheel drive. They were _the_ crappest fake off-roaders ever made. They looked like some real hairy-arsed outback "Ute", right down to the kangaroo-shooting lights (which didn't work with the engine turned on, in case you were tempted to use them as headlights) - however they were plastic, underpowered and got stuck on a poorly-ironed billiard table.

Matra also made sportscars(sic) with one row of three seats across the front and the engine from a French tractor. They looked wonderful, but drove like wheelbarrows. And they rusted faster than a Lancia in a sandstorm.

[pyoor_excuse]

Heh, I'd forgotten that, I thought it was 4x4 :-)

Woot for pointless vehicles.

[quercus.livejournal.com]

I once had a Fiat Panda 4x4 (I went out for a curry - came back with a Panda instead). Apart from being like sitting in a somewhat spartan fridge, it was quite well thought out as an off-roader and would be a sensible car if you lived somewhere steep and snowy (like Austria, where they made them). I also had a Rangerover at the time (and that was properly prepared as an offroader).

Bit underpowered though. It's the only car which I've actually had cut out from carburettor icing. I was driving to Stansted airport for a very early flight, through November fog. Thrashing the engine along the motorway was enough airflow through tiny carb venturi that the foggy air started to freeze out and just gradually bunged it up. I had to lift the air cleaner off and poke the ice out with a screwdriver.

[pyoor_excuse]

See, I only once went in a Fiat Panda. It was the base model, with a shot clutch, the interior'd been stripped bar the seats and part of the dash, and it was the most terrifyingly unpleasant vehicle it's ever been my misfortune to be in.

Not that I don't like them or anything ;)

[quercus.livejournal.com]

the interior'd been stripped bar the seats and part of the dash

That was the interior! It's all you got!

[pyoor_excuse]

Heh.

No, I mean the panels covering the doors had gone, the floor covering had gone, the back seats had gone. I'm not *certain* it had an MOT or Tax, but I wasn't driving... It did 50 flat out, but felt like about 120; the thing was so loud that you couldn't speak when it was moving... oh god, horrible thing...

[lyric-splat.livejournal.com]

:O

but but but...

*I* want your Scaletrix!

[pyoor_excuse]

Sorry babe, it's in the bin.

Although feasibly fix-able, I realised the best I could manage with the bits was an 0 shaped track; the rest of the bits not being enough to actually link up any other shapes. One of the corners was knackered. There was only one complete car; the others (well, 2 lorries and a base of a car) all missing a random selection of bits.

Not actually enough to build two complete cars... Of course, I *could* have tried to track down the maker (but it's an incompatible clone) or made up the bits, but given that the pistol grips were hideously corroded internally I thought cut my losses and admit it's had it.

[otterylexa.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I've seen more than one of those Matras. Didn't realise they were so useless though.

In an attempt to clear out my parent's place, I just picked up my Tamiya Midnight Pumpkin R/C car. Not only does it still work, I'd forgotten how much fun it was. I was going to sell it on EBay, but research shows you can buy a new kit for a hundred quid (apparently they only stopped production a couple of years ago, and there are still a few left). They also just rereleased the LunchBox, which is basically the same car with a different bodyshell. I'd be lucky to get about 50 quid, so I'll probably keep it instead, and see what fun I can get up to with it.

Are yours toy or hobby type? I always wanted a hovercraft.

[pyoor_excuse]

Heh

I've not checked mine, but I've realised I must have been such a little priss; it's mint. The *only* marks on it are from the box...

It definately is a toy; not a hobby car, actually, it's about as useful as the real thing... but it's still fun. And I recall the boat *rocked*