The October Rush has hit BangShift Mid-West again. In one corner of the yard sits the Cadillac Limo, which has been entered in for at least one King of the Heap event at NCM Motorsports Park, which means work needs to get moving ASAP to get it legal to run. In the garage is the Raven Imperial, which, being honest, I had walked away from after getting pissed-off at the sled when I had to re-do some work to the 367ci mill after it had been dropped into the car. You’ll hear more about it soon, I promise. Then there is the half-mangled carcass that is the 1994 Mustang that is sitting on the concrete death pad, which is also known as Haley’s Parking Spot. With it’s lower control arms drooping, spindles missing and most of the front sheetmetal gone, it looks like a partially-eaten Thompson’s gazelle that some cheetah is going to come back for later. Then let’s talk about Angry Grandpa’s new upper control arms, which had been needed for months, the Great Pumpkin Mustang, which needs every last suspension part being pulled from the other car, and so on, and so forth. And that’s just the automotive scene. Please don’t ask about yard work or winterization. I’m already booked, thank you.

At some point, the cars will have to take a backseat while I prepare the house for the colder weather, but the rush is to make the most out of the last few days, weeks, whatever of sunny, useable weather before gray, gloomy and rainy sets in. I can handle working on a car in the shop in the cold, I have heaters. I cannot stomach the thought of laying in damp grass or gravel while it’s pissing down on me, with my hands absolutely numb. So, to the amusement of my neighbors (and probably the annoyance of my newest neighbor across the street), the air tools are out in force and I’m moving many different directions at once. That kind of activity level needs music, and in my case, it’s the kind of rock music that encourages motion. Call it melodic metal or whatever sub-genre that you want…either way, In Flames was one of the pioneering bands from Gothenburg, Sweden that brought a certain style of melodic rock music to the attention of the world in the 1990s, influencing bands like Trivium and Killswitch Engage.  The album that this song appeared on might be called Soundtrack To Your Escape, but this week, it’s the soundtrack to get some shit done before I hit the road again.