The Ricker likes black cars.

I know I've mentioned this before, but all his cars have been black. Two black Cadillacs, two black Mercedes, and one black Isuzu Amigo in between (for his second midlife crisis). What's important is that the Ricker's cars are always sleek. Yeah, he has all sorts of other crap--gold package, cloth top, cell phone antennas--on the cars, but they are sleek. They have no badges. He hates dealership badges. (Note: who doesn't? Even my wife's father takes the badges off, and he used to own a dealership.)

His current car (the 1999 Cadillac, not the 1992) does not have a badge on it. He took it off when he bought the car. However, he couldn't get all the glue off. Instead of reaching for a mild solvent, or slowly picking off the gunk, he reached for the "next" best thing: paint thinner. Yup, he rubbed paint thinner on the back of his car.

Needless to say, it was not a good idea. Even though it took all the glue residue off, it took quite a bit of the clear coat off as well. Smart move, Ricker. Whenever he drives, he has this nice reminder--a matte spot on the trunk of the car--of the time he took paint thinner to the paint of his car. I know I would have been in trouble if I had done the same thing.