One Lap update -longish

["Bill Harkell" <billharkell@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greeting from Billings Montana!!!!!!!
Yes, Virginia there is a traffic God.....more on this below!!

I got this from Doug in Austrailia....it makes reply easier... :o)

>Bill
>You've missed out all the important details.
>
>How often have you seen the red line (have you seen it in 4th?)
No, sadly. Operator "puss factor" kicked in...(it's rainy)
>Have you avoided speeding tickets?
Passed a trooper at 75...I was the slow one.
>Have you found any Alfa groupies?
Hell, No Alfas at all....
>How many Porsche's have you blown away?
Hell, no Porsches at all :o)Lot's of Ford pickups and cattle trucks.
>Have you had to top up the windscreen washer fluid yet?
In North Dakota...which is where you go if you use cheap oil in your 
car. Ugh...they need the no limit speed limit to get out faster...

Alfa geek stuff: 
>I have been corresponding with a Castrol Techo who says that the Mobil 
1 =
>that I have been running is notorious for burning oil due to the =
>friction modifiers they add. My car was serviced today and we have gone 
=
>back to mineral oil, so I will see if there is a difference.
Doug, I am down 1.5 quarts after 4300 miles. I don't see it as an 
issue...I'd top up but there is no sync to be found here yet... :o( and 
I've been tough on it...

Ok....

Last visit had us in Minny-soda (for Dug) and that was non eventful 
other than a nice dinner at "Lotus" near the U of M served by adorable 
Ang Do, who said I wouldn't remember to add her to the update list..
Hi Ang! Great Vietnamese food, if you're nearby...go see her.

I continued northwest and stayed in Sauk Center, Minn. This place is 
YourTown USA...really cute. Mr. Patel at the hotel explained to me in 
great detail, the cost of remaking keys lost by guests... small town.

I finally got rid of the inner fender via mail there, It's coming 
Sharon!

North Dakota was... er... over painlessly. I saw the hot point there, a 
new Hugo's supermarket in Bismark...shame on me.

Traffic was/is moving well, typically 75-85 mph. until I got to:

MONTANA!!! I crossed the state line late enough to stop for the night, 
so I said to Sofia, (my car, Ang) Lettuce stop in Glendive, MT. for the 
night.

Glendive is a truckstop with a town hall, very cute. Very nice people 
though. This morning, I left and had to find out about this "Reasonable 
and Prudent" speed limit. I asked the lady at the hotel, and she said it 
depended on what you were driving as to the real limit, and don't be 
boorish in your driving style. 

Result:
Damn! Crusin' at 115 mpg with a Sara Hickman CD playing is sooooo nice 
in a 164, kids. Sadly the roads are wet and there is a hefty cross wind, 
so real world speeds are 90-95, but it is funny to see "27 miles" on the 
sign and get there in 17 minutes! It's a gas folks!! The roads are 
decent for the most part, condition wise. My waitress here at the cafe 
goes 125 in her Forerunner... :oD

Today I only made it to Billings...imagine a big "Northern Exposure" 
(j/k) but the place I'm in is the coolest in town, for a reference 
point...http://www.broadwaycafe.com
It's snowing in Red Lodge, about an hour north... maybe I'll go there 
tonight...Sofia can lose her snow virginity.

I hope to see some more stuff here..I went to see, literally, where 
Custer last stood. The Park Service has a park (Little Big Horn) in the 
middle of the Crow Indian Reservation. This is the first time in a while 
that I have ever felt uncomfortable in a situation. No disrespect 
intended, but I was not welcome there, other than the Gov't Park. Much 
different than around Santa Fe...

Anyway, long enough... the Alfa is doing ok, now at 4300 miles since 
leaving. There is a crunching coming from the R/F which will need a look 
at, but tomorrow when it's dryer. I think it's the a-arm bolts at the 
back needing a snug, North Dakota roads were jarring...

High speed has a price, last tank, 23 mpg...

"..going to Montana..." -Frank Zappa

Onwards west!!



Bill Harkell
Alfa Romeo Search and Rescue Society
Tampa, Florida
Currently on the roads of America!!!
http://pw2.netcom.com/~alfabill/enter.htm


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