#my building gave less than 24 hours for apartment inspections and i found out when i got home at 1 AM sunday morning

[agayconcept]

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[howlnikiforov]

Crystal Snow

Chapter Six: We On

Pairing: Namjoon x Reader

Word Count: 2049

Masterlist

Summary:In a world full of soulmates that can feel the other’s emotions, one would expect to know when their soulmate is hiding a secret

On his way home, Namjoon figured he should stop by the store and grab a few things. He ended up spending more time at the store than he wanted. He just kept seeing things he thought he should buy. Face masks, a bouquet of flowers, quite a few snacks and candy were among the numerous things he bought. After getting all that, he stopped at a restaurant to get Jjajangmyeon for the two of you to share.

He knew you were waiting for him at home, so he tried his best to get home fast. He planned to take a few days off work to spend some time with you and make up for today. He hoped this would make you happy.

As soon as he walked through that door, you were jumping out of bed and sprinting to him. First thing you did was pull him down for a kiss, putting your hands on his cheeks. Namjoon dropped what was in his hands in surprise, having not expected to be kissed when he walked in. He kicked the door shut and moved his hands to hold your face. He reciprocated the kiss with just as much passion.

The more you kissed him, the more desperate you became. You’ve regretted a lot of things in your life; things like using buttermilk frosting on cheesecake and trying to paint a picture of a cat, but nothing compared to the regret you felt for having gotten so petty towards Namjoon. You really weren’t sure why you were so cruel to him.

Namjoon seemed to understand your feelings as he deepened the kiss. He slowly walked you back to the bed without breaking the kiss. You were locked together, inseparable. Neither of you paid any attention to the knock on the door, not taking notice when Jin stuck his head into the room. His mouth formed an “o” as he realized what was going on in the room. He quietly shut the door and backed away, going to warn the others to not disturb Namjoon and you.

Standing on your feet hurt, because of the blisters on the bottom of your feet, but the pain was bearable. Slowly, you pulled your lips away from Namjoon’s. At the same time, you both whispered the words, “I’m sorry.” to each other. That made you laugh a little bit. You were so in sync with each other, of course you were soulmates. You wrapped your arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, relishing in the feel of being in his embrace.

“Why were you so sad earlier?” Namjoon questioned in a gentle voice.

“Why were you so happy earlier?” You countered, resting your head on his chest.

He laughed, “I asked you first, so you have to answer first.” he said.

You sighed, hugging him tighter, “I was sad because you were so happy, and it was depressing to think that all I’ve been doing for the past week was make you hurt and feel like shit. Also I was watching a heart wrenching drama. You’re out of ice cream by the way.”

He chuckled, “Of course I am. It’s a good thing I bought more.” He took a step back, removing himself from your embrace. You watched as he picked up the multiple bags and bouquet of flowers from the floor.

You were now sitting on the bed, and Namjoon came to sit next to you. “Flowers for my flower.” He said as he handed you the bouquet of red and pink roses. Taking the flowers, you put them up to your nose to smell them, but also to hide your blush.

At that moment, Yoongi bursted into the room. “Namjoon,” he said out of breath, “We’ve got a problem. You need to come with me.”

Namjoon sighed and looked at you, he had been wanting to spend the night with you, but it seemed that he wouldn’t be able to do so. He gave you an apologetic smile as he stood, following Yoongi out the door.

You watched as the door closed, disappointed he had to leave. You put the flowers to the side and picked up the TV remote, turning it to a random channel. All that was on were reruns, nothing you haven’t seen before.

Namjoon followed Yoongi’s quick steps, wondering what was going on. Yoongi led him down to the basement, a place you weren’t allowed. The further down they went, the more concerned Namjoon became. Finally, they came to a stop in front of a door.

It was the only door in the long hallway, and it was on the second to last level of the basement. This was where the dead was kept after dying from torture. The bodies stayed there until Jimin could properly dispose of them.

Namjoon looked at Yoongi, “What’s going on?”

Yoongi didn’t say anything as he opened the door, revealing a body on the steel table inside. Namjoon stepped into the room, getting a closer look at the body.

Blood was everywhere, covering the body and soaking the clothes. The person had been beaten to death, their head caved in and numerous bones appeared to be broken. As Namjoon neared, he found that the body was Ahn Ji Sung, on of his top snipers. “Shit.” Namjoon muttered, looking up at Yoongi. “When did this happen?”

“His body was discovered about an hour ago. Jimin is the one who brought it in. What do you want to do with it, boss?”

Namjoon ran a hand through his hair, thinking “Let’s give him a proper send off. He deserves that much at least. Where was he found?” “Just about a mile down the road.” Yoongi answered. “He was left on the side of the road, hidden enough so that civilians wouldn’t see him, but out in the open enough so that we could find him.”

“Get everyone to the Green Room. There are some things we need to discuss. I was going to wait, but clearly I can’t do that anymore.” Namjoon stated. He turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Namjoon’s business was dirty, he knew that. That’s why he’s kept everything a secret from you. It’s the only way to keep you safe. At least, it used to be. Now he wasn’t sure what he had to do to keep you safe. It seems like Wonsik knows that you’re close to Namjoon.

Namjoon had a reputation in the business world as someone who always got what he wanted. That was because of his work underground. Politicians feared his power, and the police let him get away with anything.

People had to go through Yoongi to get to Namjoon. Yoongi would tell Namjoon about all the people who came for help, and from there Namjoon would decide what he wanted to deal with. Very rarely did he show his face to his clients.

The only people Namjoon could truly trust were his six closest followers. Yoongi was his consigliere, always keeping track of him and making sure he doesn’t react with anger. Jimin was a racketeer, dealing with the dirty side of Namjoon’s business. Because of him, Namjoon had untraceable trust funds. Hoseok was a hacker. He was able to hack into the NIS’ database and delete any information they may have gathered on anyone in Namjoon’s group. Taehyung and Jungkook were the ones who got their hands dirty the most often. They were both skilled in martial arts, and could use any weapon given to them. They were the ones with the most blood on their hands. Jin was the head of security. He trailed Namjoon everywhere, including on dates. He couldn’t leave Namjoon alone in case he was attacked.

Minhyuk had yet to gain Namjoon’s absolute trust. He was still fairly new to being a high ranked official. His job was to spy on persons of interest. He was great at his job, which is why he had gotten so close to the inner circle. However, Namjoon was still hesitant to trust him.

Walking into the Green Room, Namjoon found all six of his trustees in the room sitting at a long, mahogany table. They were all waiting for his instruction. Namjoon sat at the head of the table, taking a sip of the water that had been placed out for him before speaking.

“We’re entering a war.” He said, getting straight to the point, “Yesterday I went to Y/N’s apartment and someone had raided it. I found quite a few bugs placed around her place. Today, Ji Sung turns up dead. Wonsik is trespassing our territory. We can’t let this go on any longer.” Anger began building inside of Namjoon, but he quickly suppressed it when he felt your concern. It was no wonder why he blew up at you last week. He’s been suppressing all his emotions, so that you wouldn’t feel them. He knew suppressing how he was feeling was unhealthy, but he needed to do it. Except, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could put up with this.

“Jin,” Namjoon turned to face him directly, “I want you to put our best men on Y/N. She’s in danger, and things will only get more dangerous. As soon as we’re done here I want you to go to her apartment and inspect every inch.” Jin nodded, “Yes sir. Shall we also inspect the bakery?” he asked.

“Yes. And station men to watch the area 24/7.” Yoongi spoke up, “Are you sure you want our best men over there? We’ll need them here.” “I’m less worried about all of us than I am for Y/N. She can’t even kill a tiny spider, let alone fend for herself.” No one opposed, knowing it was futile to change his mind.

“Hoseok, I want you to hack into the CCTV and find where Wonsik and his men were last spotted.” Namjoon said.

“Yes sir, I’ll get right on it.”

The boys spent the next hour discussing plans, preparing for the war that was going to break out. Namjoon needed to work out a story to tell you before going up to see you. He’s used the ‘someone just backed out of a business deal’ excuse too many times with you. He needed something new. Judging from your wide range of emotions, Namjoon could guess you were watching a drama. What he didn’t know, however, was that Minhyuk was with you watching the drama.

About fifteen minutes after Namjoon left you, Minhyuk came into the room, looking for Namjoon. You had told him you didn’t know where he went, just that it seemed urgent. He had decided to stay with you to wait for Namjoon to come back.

You ended up watching a drama with him. He hadn’t seen it before, but you’ve seen it more than once. It was one of your favorites.

Minhyuk had been nice company while Namjoon was out. You ended up having to send him away though; you had grown quite tired and was ready for bed, so you kicked him out of the room. Politely, of course. You really liked Minhyuk, he was friendly and seemed really smart. There was just something about him that you liked.

You heard Namjoon come into the room, but you didn’t have the energy to get up and greet him. You were half asleep and not really sure where your mind was. Your mind didn’t fully register what Namjoon was saying as he got into bed with you. It was probably an apology about having to leave, but you were slipping into slumber and didn’t understand.

Namjoon knew you were tired, which made him feel bad that he had left. It was too bad it was urgent business he had to attend to. He tried telling you that he wouldn’t be able to drive you into work in the morning, that Jin was going to in his place, but you seemed to not hear his words. He sighed, frustrated with himself. He knew there were things he needed to tell you, but he was scared to say his secrets out loud. He’s seen far too many movies and shows where the significant other leaves once they find out the secret of their partner.

[mcintyrefrancis]

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Go-To Resources About koi pond supplies

Pond Liners - 7 Reasons Why I Do Not Utilize Them

1. Liners will ultimately leak. Manufacturers have varying warranties, ranging from 15 to thirty years, with a 75-year life expectancy. In reality, it will definitely last as long as the guarantee claims as long as you leave it in package, and store it in your garage.

As soon as you position it in the ground, nature's forces begin a contest to see which will break its water-tight stability first. Vying for the title of offender are gophers, ground squirrels, chipmunks, rats, moles, roots from trees, plants and weeds, sharp rocks, heavy rocks, sharp items, and moose (if you live in Alaska).

If a leak does develop, it is next to impossible to locate it without getting rid of all the rocks covering the liner, draining the pond, spreading out the liner out on the ground, and inspecting every square inch. A tiny pin hole can lose five gallons every 24 hr.

2. Bottom drains pipes can not be utilized with liners. Liner supporters mark down the use of bottom drains mostly due to the fact that they would rather not, because around one half the sources for leakages in liner ponds are from bottom drains pipes. When the liner is cut to set up the drain, sealants are utilized together with pressure rings to make a water-tight seal. The sealants dry out or break down and seal collars warp, leading to lengthy, costly repair work.

3. You can not utilize out-of-pond pumps. Considering that liner advocates do not utilize bottom drains pipes, they can't use above-ground pumps, which leave no other option but to use sump pumps. These pumps were initially created to pump water from sump pits in basements and cellars. They are not designed to conserve energy; in truth, they are the greatest customers of energy per horse power of all pumps. The largest retailer/wholesaler of liners, pumps and accessories offers a sump pump which produces 4200 gallons per hour at 704 watts for $339.00. This pump requires to be pulled from the pond to tidy debris from its consumption screen. It is a prospective shock risk to fish and people and is filled with oil, which has the potential of leaking out and covering the surface of the pond.

In contrast, an above-ground pump that supplies 600 gallons more per hour (4,800) for less than half the energy expense (348 watts) and expenses over $100 less. Running this pump 24 hours daily will lead to a cost savings of over $500 per year over the sump pump. In other words, the energy cost savings would spend for the above-ground pump and put an additional $270 cash in your pocket the first year alone.

If that isn't adequate reward, a 2nd reason to utilize the above-ground pump is that there is never ever a requirement to stress over it clogging given that we install 2 8" anti-vortex drains pipes on the bottom. The only maintenance required is to sometimes eliminate the cover from the leaf basket on the pump and dump the particles from the catch basket. Because this is a high-efficiency pump, it is very quiet, and standing ideal next to it you can barely hear it running.

With liner ponds the sump pump lies at the outdoors edge of the pond, not in the middle as in professional concrete and rebar building and constructions. We place two 8" anti-vortex drains in the middle of the pond, 24" apart. As fish waste and other suspended particles and algae spores settle to the bottom, they are drawn into the drains and gotten by the filter. An ultraviolet light is put in series between the filter and pond return in order to eliminate pond construction pathogenic germs which can trigger disease and turn the pond green.

In much deeper ponds that use liners, all the waste product settles and collects on the bottom and rots, developing ammonia that is hazardous to fish and other marine life. Since a sump pump is located near the outer edge of the pond and not in the middle on the bottom, maximum effective blood circulation can not be reached. This creates hazardous cloudy areas in the pond's bottom. The majority of liner ponds I've seen are only 24" deep, and flow is not a concern in these cases. However, koi fish are not recommended in these sort of ponds; koi specialists suggest a depth of a minimum of 3 feet.

4. You can not use a high pressure upkeep free biofilter with a liner pond. When using a sump pump, you need to use a gravity feed bio-falls, down-flow or upflow filter. All of these mishandle and result in high upkeep costs. They need to be cleaned up typically by getting rid of all the waste-laden filter media. To state the least, this is an unclean, stinky, unpleasant job which neither my female clients nor most of my male clients anticipate to carry out.

Aqua Ultraviolet's high pressure filter consists of modern technology enabling it to merely be back cleaned with a turn of the deal with. The discharge hose can direct the fish waste and particle debris down the drain, or it can be utilized to water the garden or yard. The high pressure filter is developed to deal with 5 to ten times the volume of water that a gravity flow system or bio-falls can manage.

In addition to all this, the patented bead style of this filter enables maximum surface area in which nitrifying bacteria can live and break down nitrites. The "Liner Guy" desires you to use his untidy, unclean, smelly ineffective filter due to the fact that it is his filter, and it costs really little to produce compared to the professional bead filter. My viewpoints about filters come from several years of experience, and trying almost each that is on the marketplace. I even got on the "filter bandwagon" for a number of years and utilized my own style.

When I discovered the Aqua Ultraviolet filter marketed in several pond publications, I gave it a shot. I've been utilizing it for over ten years without any problems whatsoever. My customers clean the filter with the turn of a handle and stay tidy themselves. A fantastic side benefit to this filter is that you can have two times the number of fish in your pond than when utilizing the inefficient gravity filters. By the method, this is not a paid endorsement of their item!

5. Safety is an issue when pond liners are used. After a hole is dug, a pond liner is placed in the hole and after that it's filled with water. Rocks are then placed around the border of the pond to cover the edge of the pond liner, and more rocks are piled up on a mound of dirt covered with another liner to create a waterfall. From my 26 years of experience, I've discovered that numerous adults are similar to kids when it pertains to ponds and waterfalls.

They inevitably climb on the rocks of the waterfall and the pond's edge. Because the rocks are all loose, they can move, tilt or shift on the pond liner, resulting in someone falling and getting hurt or, worse, drowning. With expert concrete and rebar building, all the rocks are sealed in place, offering a safe and secure structure to stroll or get on.

6. Pond liners limit pond shape and setup. Why are most liner ponds circular or oval in design? Due to the fact that pond liners are dispensed on rolls and therefore offered just in square or rectangle-shaped shapes. If an L-shaped pond was developed, you would need to lot up an excessive amount of pond liner into the inside corner. Not only is it squandering expensive square feet of pond liner product, it makes it challenging to stack rocks on top of the bunched up liner so regarding cover it up.

Oh sure, "Liner Guy" you're believing, why does not he point out that unique shaped pond liners can be custom-made made? Okay, I'll discuss it! Custom pond liners can be made to buy. And now I'll discuss that this tailored pond liner is going to cost you as much as constructing a professional pond with rebar and concrete that will last a lifetime. There, I mentioned it!

7. Lastly, Integrity. When I read posts written by the "Liner Guy's" disciples, bragging about the ungodly profits stemmed from pond liner building, I can't assist but wonder how they sleep during the night. The profit originated from one day's work-- digging a hole, dropping in a pond liner, covering its surface and perimeter with loose rock, and plugging in an energy-sucking sump pump-- equals what I made in 4 or 5 days of labor. One big difference: their guarantee is one year, if you're fortunate; but one constructed with concrete and steel is for a life time!

I'm the person that the past consumers of "the Liner Guy" called two or 3 years down the road, asking me to repair the leakage in their stinky green liner pond. A customer in Poway, California paid $6,500 for a liner pond with a locket of rock around the boundary and a 3 x 4 foot fiberglass waterfall at its edge. I actually needed to suppress a laugh when I saw it out of regard for my client's grief.

This pond had a bottom drain that dripped; nevertheless, the significant loss of water originated from a tree root leak. In addition, it was apparent that this "Liner Guy" disciple did not have his customer's long term financial well being in mind after I found a low-cost, 7- amp energy-sucking "Jacuzzi" pump. We changed it with a 3.6 amp high-efficiency pump that provided almost two times the flow.

Next, we took out the liner, reconfigured the pond's oval shape to serpentine, and built the pond and waterfall shell utilizing rebar (8" on center) and 3500 psi concrete with stealth fiber added. We installed 2 8" bottom drains pipes, added an expert skimmer, a Venturi air supply valve, a natural rock waterfall, a turtle island that supported a 25 foot bridge covering the pond, an "Ultima II" high pressure, back-washable filter, ultraviolet light, lighting in the pond and waterfall. plus an electronic AquaFill pond water leveler. All this took us eight days from start to complete and cost just $2,000 more than the client originally paid.

In conclusion: Is it any wonder why I despise the "get abundant fast" scheme of pond liner building and construction? The "liner man" dislikes hearing me refer to concrete and rebar ponds as "expert building." They insist their liner ponds are expert building. And if so, why do they offer the extremely same kits to diy property owners regarding the building business individuals for hire?

I am happy to claim over 2,000 pleased consumers over 30 years. Ninety-five percent of my customers comes from recommendations by satisfied consumers. I don't need to question why that is so.

Exists a location for liner ponds? Yes, if you're leasing and expect to relocate 2 or three years. Or if you're setting up a momentary screen. No, I'm not completely against liners. They're great for truck beds and cheap pool!

In fact, I have made countless dollars over the years from pond liners - by changing them with concrete and steel!

[itsworn]

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T: First Love

Dodge manufactured approximately 77,000 Challengers of all engine and trim variations in model year 1970, so they certainly weren’t rare back in the day. Like all muscle cars from the first golden age however, they didn’t have a good survival rate. Besides the typical attrition from high miles, accidents, theft, and pervasive rust, the hormone-fueled exuberance of the young men who owned most of them proved fatal to their longevity in many cases. So much so that scarcely a decade after they were built the chances of finding a really good one were already small. And the chances of finding a really good 1970 R/T with an optional Six Pack 440 and TorqueFlite (new production figures of less than 800 units) were beyond small.

That’s exactly why Mando Gonzalez was skeptical when, back in 1988, a friend called to tell him about just such a car advertised in a Southern California Recycler weekly. Like Gonzalez, the friend was a knowledgeable muscle car enthusiast, and he would’ve been interested in the car for himself, except he couldn’t stand its color, Go Mango. “If it were a nice color, like Hemi Orange, I would go pick it up,” he explained.

Gonzalez called the number in the ad, and to his surprise, a woman answered the phone. She gave him an address that was near her house, and told him to wait there. She would drive by to look at him and if she liked the way he looked she’d trust him to come to her house to see the car. The viewing spot was over an hour away, near Perris, California, but he decided the car’s potential was worth the risk.

Gonzalez drove his flatbed tow truck to the designated spot and waited as instructed. After a few minutes a woman in an old Chrysler station wagon drove by slowly and stared at him. She evidently approved of his appearance and motioned for him to follow her. He did, eventually traversing a narrow dirt road that wound in between hills lined with boulders that ultimately led to a trailer in the middle of nowhere. Sitting next to the trailer was a Go Mango Challenger with four flat tires.

A careful inspection of the car revealed that it was exactly what the lady represented it to be, a tired but extremely original 440+6 R/T Challenger in need of restoration. She then told him, “I got a bunch of parts for it in the trunk, and I was going to restore it, but I’m pregnant,” she said. Gonzalez opened the trunk and was delighted to see that it was filled with N.O.S. parts for the car. That sealed the deal, so he paid her the $2,800 asking price and loaded the car, along with all of its precious new parts, onto his flatbed.

After getting it home, Gonzalez invested a little bit of time and effort just to see if the car would run and drive. He rebuilt the carburetors and master cylinder, changed the oil, and put new tires on. That was all it took to get the car back on the road. He drove it a few miles without any issues, and then put it into storage.

Around 1994, Gonzalez’s son Nathan, who was then just 8 years old, began to show real interest in his father’s muscle car collection, so Gonzalez senior asked the lad which car he wanted to work on and get running. “I vividly remember responding ‘the orange Challenger,’” Nathan tells us. A few days later his father transported the car from its storage building to their house so they could work on it together. After they did only a little bit, including removing the Shaker bubble, baseplate, and carburetors, their attention was directed elsewhere.

“As the years passed, and I grew into a teenager,” Gonzalez explains, “I still had a love for Mopars, but I also got more interested in Chevrolets, and was spending time tinkering with a 1969 Z/28 that my father has. When I realized that a 14-year-old’s salary wouldn’t cover the cost of restoration parts for that car, I focused my attention on something more economical and began working on a 1955 Chevy gasser. That build carried me through high school, and the Challenger became a distant memory in my mind.”

By the time Gonzalez was in his early 20s, he began thinking about earning some extra money to help with his first house purchase. A buddy owned a 1967 Chevelle SS in need of restoration and sold it to him for a reasonable price. Gonzalez is a perfectionist, who loves stock muscle cars, so he set out to do the most meticulous restoration he could. “I love how these cars came in their original format,” he explains, “and couldn’t care less about headers and hot cams. Give me some dog-dish wheel covers and biasply tires, and I’m in heaven.”

One day after completing restoration of the Chevelle, Gonzalez sold it and had the down payment for his house. His father was so impressed with the build that he said he wanted him to restore one of his muscle cars, and he could pick any one he desired. “It had to have been fate for the Challenger, because once again, without even thinking about it, ‘the Challenger’ quickly escaped my mouth,” he says. “He said OK, and about a week later, I began assessing what it needed.”

Gonzalez began by decoding the car’s fender tag, revealing it was a California car from new, optioned with N95 NOX Exhaust Emissions Control (the emissions control package installed on cars delivered new in California), A32 Super Performance Axle Package (Dana 60 with 4.10:1 gears), D32 Heavy Duty Automatic Transmission, and power disc brakes. The exterior was Go Mango, and the interior was black with salt-and-pepper seat inserts. The fender tag also revealed some disappointing news; the car wasn’t originally built with a Shaker hood. Instead of N96, it came with V21 Performance Hood Treatment. Further investigation revealed that the Shaker setup on the car when his father bought it consisted of an N.O.S. bubble and baseplate, and an original hood from a Plum Crazy Purple car.

Gonzalez’ disappointment about the Shaker hood was soon countered by his discovery of the car’s buildsheet. “As I was digging around in the center console, I discovered a withered, fragile piece of paper that appeared to be a photocopy of the buildsheet,” he says. “My heart instantly sank because this most likely meant the original buildsheet had been removed from the car. I immediately removed the back seat while praying that whoever copied the original sheet put it back, and to my surprise, there it was. The prior owner had not only placed it back in its original location, indicated by where the seat springs had rested on it, but they had also protected it by placing it in a plastic sheet, with the words ‘My Nancy’s RT’ written on one side of the plastic and ‘Or Nancs RT 1984’ written on the other side. This, along with the original license plate and a broken dealer plate frame with ‘Huntington Beach’ are the only remnants of the two previous owners.” If any Mopar Muscle readers have information about the car’s original owner or “Nancy,” Gonzalez would love to hear from you.

Initially, Gonzalez planned to do what was necessary to make the car safe and reliable and enjoyed using it like that. As he continued examining it, however, his plan evolved from doing the minimum to doing what was needed to make it presentable and finally, doing a comprehensive restoration. “The more that I took the car apart, the more I realized how nearly untouched it was, and how much it deserved to be taken back to its original condition,” he says.

Gonzalez completely disassembled the car, taking great care to photograph every step and bag and label all of the parts. The body was blasted with a garnet mix to get down to bare steel. Every panel was rock solid with no rust problems except the trunk pan, which Gonzalez found disheartening. “I feared that taking it to a shop would not yield the undetectable results that I yearned for,” he says. “After kicking it around for a few days I decided I would tackle it myself — 182 spot-weld drills later, it was out!”

All of the research Gonzalez did indicated that the taillamp panel and/or a quarter-panel would have to be removed in order to get a one-piece trunk floor into position. “That did not sit well with me,” he recalls. “Being a hardheaded 24-year-old, I decided to purchase a one-piece trunk panel and try to get it in somehow without removing any of the factory sheetmetal. After careful measuring and bending — and with help — we were ready to attempt to slide it into place. We pushed the pan in-between the framerails and rear panel. It was tight and made it about halfway before getting stuck. We jerked it back and forth, when suddenly we heard a ‘pop,’ and it was in.”

Before sending the restored body to the paint shop, Gonzalez had to make some decisions. “I kicked around the idea of putting the factory hood back on, but I just couldn’t do it,” he says. “My rationalization was that the shaker pieces that were with the car were all factory and that would be about the closest to factory equipped as one could get.

The car then went to Autopedic in La Habra, California, where Abdon prepped the body and laid down show-quality paint. He also finished the underbody in factory “dip gray” and applied correct overspray to the transmission tunnel, cowl and firewall.

After getting the body back from the painter, Gonzalez disassembled the factory leaf springs and Dana 60 and sent them to be powdercoated. His family happens to own a differential shop, so reassembly of the big Dana was a fairly straightforward task. The rear suspension and differential were reinstalled, and the car was finally off the rotisserie.

The car’s original engine, along with all its factory components, went to Carlos Gomez at Submission Engines in Rancho Cucamonga, California. “Carlos is an avid Mopar enthusiast who builds some amazing engines,” Gonzalez says. “I explained what I needed, and he followed through with the build and exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately, one cylinder appeared to have been home to a rat, causing some pitting, therefore the near pristine block was bored .010 over and received a Mr. Six Pack camshaft. The original dual-point distributor was set to Paul Petcou for restoration and application of a proper curve for the Mr. Six Pack Camshaft.”

The original transmission went to Pro Trans in Lancaster, California. This shop specializes in modified automatics for racing and high-performance street cars, and doesn’t normally do stock rebuilds, but made an exception for Gonzalez, who is very grateful they did. “Oh man, did they deliver! The car has a nice, firm shift, but when nailing it you get a Second gear chirp that always brings a smile to my face. I am very grateful for their willingness to help out,” he says.

While the engine and drivetrain work was being done, Gonzalez assembled and reinstalled the dash components. He also cleaned and reinstalled the original door panels, which remain in excellent condition. Saul and Eric at Advanced Specialties in La Habra, California, installed new carpet, headliner, and Legendary Interiors seat covers.

The car’s buildsheet revealed that it originally came with 14×6 steel wheels fitted with center caps. The originals were long gone, and Gonzalez had a difficult time finding correct replacements. After calling dozens of places throughout the country, he finally struck gold with Mike at Stephens Performance in Anderson, Alabama.

Throughout the reassembly process, Gonzalez went to great lengths to reuse as many of the car’s original hardware and components as possible. “I am very confident when I say that this car is about 90 percent original,” he says. “All of the nuts, bolts, screw, washers, clips, etc. were media-blasted, finished in the correct color, and placed back on the car. The door and window weatherstripping was in excellent shape, so I did a light blast on the rubber and reinstalled. It’s amazing what you find when blasting little items. While blasting the U-bolt straps, I discovered that there is a date code on them. I noticed that the front and rear speakers had date codes, so I decided to send them out to be re-coned. The car still had the original water pump, so that was sent to be rebuilt. I just couldn’t fathom putting reproduction parts on a car of this originality. Even the wheelwell molding screws are original. It was a real pain blasting and finishing all of these parts, but it brings me great pleasure telling those who inquire about the labor that was involved to bring the car to the level that it is. Luckily, I had David Wise’s MMC E-Body reference guide to assist me every step of the way.”

Since completing the car’s restoration, Gonzalez has driven it about 300 miles. “I enjoy taking it to local car shows, as getting further away is quite troublesome with its factory date-coded 4.10 gears with 26-inch tall tires,” he says. “Every time I take it out it I can’t help but wonder how the heck people drove these cars every day. I get a kick out of the comments that I hear while standing next to the car. Most people assume it’s a clone, but as they walk up to the dash for further affirmation of their assumptions I see their jaws drop. It’s the same expression that I get when I have the opportunity to view rare cars such as this one. It’s almost like seeing a celebrity; you almost become starstruck in its presence. The next shocker is when they find out someone younger like myself not only owns it, but built it from the ground up. Then, I deliver the knockout when I respond to their question whether it was trailered there. Nah, I drove it!”

Fast Facts 1970 Challenger R/T Nathan Gonzalez, La Habra, CA

ENGINE Type: 440 cid Bore x stroke: 4.32 (bore) x 3.75 (stroke) inches Block: stock 1970 440-cid 90-degree V-8 iron block Rotating assembly: original forged steel crankshaft, externally balanced, with 2.750-inch main journals and 2.380-inch rod journals, iron connecting rods, and forged aluminum pistons Compression: 10.5:1 Cylinder heads: stock cylinder heads, cast iron Camshaft: Mr. Six Pack custom grind Valvetrain: pushrod-operated overhead valves, 16 valves, 16 conventional hydraulic lifters Induction: stock Edelbrock intake manifold, three two-barrel Holley 2300 carburetors, progressive linkage, choke on center Oiling system: stock, full pressure, externally driven mechanical oil pump, 5-quart capacity Ignition: stock dual-point distributor, 12-volt, transistorized coil, one spark plug per cylinder Cooling: stock, mechanically driven water pump, copper-brass radiator, 17.0-quart capacity Exhaust: stock exhaust manifolds and correct reproduction ECS exhaust system Engine machine work and assembly by: Carlos Gomez, Submission Engines (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)

DRIVETRAIN Transmission: stock TorqueFlite 727 three-speed automatic built by Pro Trans (Lancaster, CA) Gear ratios (overall): First 2.45:1 (7.91:1), Second 1.45:1 (4.68:1), Third 1.0:1 (4.10:1) Converter: stock Shifter: stock Driveshaft: stock Axles: stock semi-floating axles Rearend: Dana 60 limited-slip differential, four-pinion hypoid; Sure-Grip limited-slip; 4.10:1 gear ratio

CHASSIS Construction: welded steel unit-body Front suspension: independent, unequal length upper and lower control arms with torsion bars, hydraulic tube shock absorbers Rear suspension: Hotchkiss type, asymmetrical semi-elliptical leaf springs, hydraulic tube shock absorbers Steering: stock recirculating ball with hydraulic power assist and fixed displacement hydraulic power steering pump, 15.7:1 ratio, 3.5 turns lock-to-lock, 40.8-foot turning circle Front brakes: stock, 11.0×3.0-inch drum Rear brakes: stock, 11.0×2.5-inch drum

WEIGHTS & MEASURES Wheelbase: 110 inches Overall length: 191.5 inches Overall width: 76.5 inches Overall height: 51.0 inches Front track: 59.7 inches Rear track: 60.7 inches Shipping weight: approximately 3,800 pounds

INTERIOR Seats: stock black vinyl with salt-and-pepper cloth inserts, Legendary Interiors Instruments: stock factory instrumentation Electronics: stock factory AM radio with rear speaker option Steering: Rim Blow steering wheel

WHEELS & TIRES Wheels: 14×6 stock stamped-steel Chrysler (front), 14×6 Stephen’s Performance center caps (rear) Tires: F70-14 Goodyear Polyglas GT

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[sunkissis]

Bonjour from the most comfy, freaking awesome hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The Hoxton hotels are popping up in all major cities and they are my new favorite place to stay. Last month we stayed at the Hoxton in Shoreditch. I liked the hipster vibes in the lobby spaces (they had a photo booth and DJ) and the location was perfect but the room wasn’t blowing me away. It was tiny, borderline cramped and there wasn’t a view of anything special. Other than an enormous wall-to-wall bed, and great shower water pressure, I was quite underwhelmed. Or maybe I was bitter from banging my knee in that stupid drawer that wouldn’t close!

We were scheduled to move out of the apartment we were exchanging on May 1st so I booked one night at the Hoxton hotel, Paris. We found out that May 1st is Labor day in France so that meant we couldn’t move into our new apartment until May 2nd due to the holiday. Then we extended the dates of our exchange with our swappers so we had access to their apartment until May 15th. This gave us a staycation overnight in the 2nd arrondissement. It’s an area close to our new apartment but not a part of Paris I have hung out in much. We packed light and took the Metro in the rain of course! I didn’t have anything planned to do other than order room service and sleep. Poor Antz had to work so we just hung out in the hotel which felt like a mansion. It’s located in a beautifully restored 18th century building. The hotel is stunning. I would do a poor job at trying to describe how beautifully they combined old with new. I took all the photos I could. There were so many people in the common areas I had to wake up at 6 am to have the place all to myself. It was the most fun hotel I’ve stayed at for less than 24 hours!

Look at this insane lobby!

You guys! This lobby blew me away. I can’t get over that staircase, the furniture, the atrium windows, the bar. The reception was in a different part of the lobby through a sitting area with a living wall. The Hoxton Paris is not here to be mediocre!

At first glance I was sure the plants were fake but upon closer inspection, they are indeed real, growing plants.

I booked a roomy size room so I requested the least boring room that was available. The guy said “I’ve never had that request before.” I’m not sure if mentioning this helped us score a better room but it never hurts to ask. I have gotten many free upgrades just by asking.

So this ensuite is RAD! Antz and I want to build a bathroom addition to our house and this is what we want! The industrial metal and glass windows, the tile, the copper fixtures, those sconces…  I WANT IT ALL!

Liv finds landline telephones so fascinating. They are like ancient relics to her, she enjoys ordering room service for us in French.

Of course the kid wants a mirror like this in her room so she can practice ballet.

After lunch we explored the rest of the hotel. We found this beautiful library.

Hands up if this hotel blows your mind?!

Liv and I went downstairs to hang out and drink spa water while Antz worked.

  Every space has gorgeous floors! I am obsessed with herringbone hardwood floors. I can’t wait to get a quote on installing them in our living room in our house in LA.

  The staff told me to check out the Jacques Bar which is a speakeasy hidden away in the hotel.

The lovely bartender made me a special grapefruit concoction. This guy was a serious mixologist and watching him work was like watching an artist. He hand carved the ice from that giant block. He added edible flowers and his frothing technique was impressive. The drink was perfection. I am a lightweight so any drink that isn’t overpowering with alcohol is for me. I had two of these!!

I called Antz to come down for a break and he ordered a whiskey drink. Such an adult.

Imbibed by the spirits!

The next morning appeared in about 15 minutes. This place had the fastest speed wifi we had since arriving in France. It was very hard to leave.

After uploading all these photos, I finally got out of bed and showered in that lovely spacious bathroom with time for breakfast downstairs.

OMG! Just when I fallen into a daily croissant rut, they made the yummiest avocado toast and poached eggs. The Hoxton Paris is so legit, I was living my best life!

    Still can’t get over this staircase and the light!

Au revoir, I hope to return again soon.

The Hoxton Paris 30-32 Rue du Sentier 75002 Paris, France

The hotel gave me a discount code if anyone is interested in booking a room, let me know! I highly recommend booking a night if you come to Paris, it’s a five star joint with impeccable service.

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The Hoxton Hotel Paris Bonjour from the most comfy, freaking awesome hotel I've ever stayed at. The Hoxton hotels are popping up in all major cities and they are my new favorite place to stay.

[readbookywooks]

24 Fenoglio You don’t know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Dustfinger and Farid were waiting for them in the car park when they left the hotel. Over the nearby hills, a warm wind was slowly driving rain-clouds towards the sea. Everything seemed grey today, even the houses with their bright colour-washed walls and the flowering shrubs in the streets. Mo took the coastal road, which Elinor had said was built by the Romans, and followed it further west. All through the drive the sea lay to their left, its water stretching to the horizon, sometimes hidden by houses, sometimes by trees, but this morning it didn’t look half as inviting as it had on the day when Meggie had come down from the mountains with Elinor and Dustfinger. The grey of the sky cast a dull reflection on the blue waves, and the sea-spray foamed like dirty dishwater. Several times, Meggie found her gaze wandering to the hills on her right. Capricorn’s village was hidden somewhere among them. Once she even thought she saw its pale church tower in a dark fold of the hills, and her heart beat faster, although she knew that it couldn’t possibly be Capricorn’s church. Her feet remembered all too well how long that endless journey down the mountainside had been. Mo was driving faster than usual, much faster. He could obviously hardly wait to reach their destination. After a good hour they turned off the coast road and followed a narrow, winding lane through a valley grey with buildings. Glasshouses covered the hills here, their panes painted white for protection against the sun that was now hidden behind clouds. Only when the road went uphill did the country on both sides turn green again. The buildings gave way to natural meadowland, and stunted olive trees lined the road, which forked unexpectedly a couple of times. Mo had to keep consulting the map he had bought, but finally the right name appeared on a sign. They drove into a small village, little more than a square, a few dozen houses, and a church that looked very much like Capricorn’s. When Meggie got out of the car she saw the sea far below. The waves were so rough on this overcast day that, even from this distance, she could see the breakers. Mo had parked in the village square beside the memorial for the dead of two world wars. The list of names was long for such a small place. Meggie thought there were almost as many names as the village had houses. ‘You can leave the car unlocked. I’ll keep an eye on it,’ said Dustfinger, as Mo was about to lock up. He threw his rucksack over his shoulder, put the sleepy Gwin on his chain, and sat on the steps in front of the war memorial. Farid sat down beside him without a word. Meggie looked uneasily at them both as she followed Mo. ‘Remember, you promised not to mention me!’ Dustfinger called after them. ‘Yes, all right!’ replied Mo. Farid was playing with matches again. Meggie caught him at it when she looked round once more. By now he could extinguish the burning matches with his mouth quite well, but all the same Dustfinger took the box of matches away from him, and Farid looked sadly at his empty hands. Meggie had met many people who loved books, sold them, collected them, printed them or, like her father, prevented them from falling apart, but she had never before met anyone who wrote the words that filled all a book’s pages. She didn’t even know the names of the authors of some of her favourite stories, let alone what they looked like. She had seen only the characters who emerged from the words to meet her, never the writer who had made them up. It was just as Mo had said: in general one thought of writers as dead or very, very old. But the man who opened the door to them, after Mo had rung the bell twice, was neither. That is, he was certainly quite old, at least in Meggie’s eyes: in his mid-sixties or even older. His face was wrinkled like a turtle’s, but his hair was black, without a trace of grey (she was to find out later that he dyed it), and he didn’t look at all fragile. On the contrary: he planted himself so impressively in the doorway that Meggie was instantly tongue-tied. Luckily Mo was not. ‘Signor Fenoglio?’ he asked. ‘Yes?’ The face looked less forthcoming than ever. There was disapproval in every line of it. But Mo seemed undaunted. ‘I’m Mortimer Folchart,’ he introduced himself, ‘and this is my daughter Meggie. I’m here about one of your books.’ A boy appeared at the door beside Fenoglio, a little boy of about five, and a small girl joined them on the other side of the doorway. She stared curiously, first at Mo, then at Meggie. ‘Pippo’s picked the chocolate chips out of the cake,’ Meggie heard her whisper as she looked anxiously up at Mo. When his eyes twinkled at her she disappeared behind Fenoglio’s back, giggling. But Fenoglio himself still looked anything but friendly. ‘All the chocolate chips?’ he growled. ‘Very well, I’m coming. You go and tell Pippo he’s in serious trouble.’ The little girl nodded and ran away, obviously happy to be the bearer of bad news. The small boy clung to Fenoglio’s leg. ‘A very particular book,’ Mo went on. ‘Inkheart. You wrote it quite a long time ago, and unfortunately I can’t buy a copy anywhere now.’ With the man’s icy stare still resting on her father, Meggie could only marvel that the words didn’t freeze on Mo’s lips. ‘Oh yes. So?’ Fenoglio crossed his arms. The girl appeared on his left again. ‘Pippo’s hiding,’ she said. ‘That won’t do him any good,’ said Fenoglio. ‘I can always find him.’ The little girl scurried off again. Meggie heard her in the house, calling to the chocolate thief. Fenoglio, however, turned back to Mo. ‘So what do you want? If you’re planning to ask me clever questions of some kind about the book, forget it. I don’t have time for that sort of thing. Anyway, as you said yourself, I wrote it ages ago.’ ‘No, there’s only one question I was going to ask. I’d like to know if you still have any copies, and if so may I buy one from you?’ The old man’s expression was no longer quite so forbidding as he inspected Mo. ‘How extraordinary. You must be really keen on the book,’ he murmured. ‘I’m flattered. Although,’ he added, and his face darkened again, ‘I hope you’re not one of those idiots who collect rare books just because they’re rare, are you?’ Mo couldn’t help smiling. ‘No,’ he said. ‘I want to read it, that’s all. I just want to read it.’ Fenoglio braced an arm against the door frame and looked at the house opposite as if he feared it might collapse at any moment. The street where he lived was so narrow that Mo could have touched both sides at once if he stretched his arms out. Many of the houses were built of coarse blocks of sandy grey stone, like the houses in Capricorn’s village, but here there were flowers in window boxes and pots of plants on the steps, and many of the shutters looked as if they had been freshly painted. There was a pram outside one house, a moped leaning against the wall of another, and voices floated into the street from open windows. Capricorn’s village probably looked like this once, thought Meggie. An old woman passing by looked suspiciously at the strangers. Fenoglio nodded to her, murmured a brief greeting, and waited until she had vanished behind a green-painted front door. ‘Inkheart,’ he said. ‘That really is a long time ago. And it’s odd that you should be asking about that one, of all my books.’