[SEL] Please "hold thumbs" for me :-)/Update

[Jerry Evans]

Hi All,
         The saga continues.
         Firstly, thanks for all the positive replies and discussion that 
this post generated. I'm not going to reply to each reply (on and off list 
and also on both SEL and Oldengine lists).
         "Hold Thumbs" and "Cross Fingers" - it seems that there was a bit 
of confusion here. We "Hold Thumbs" to ask for good luck (fingers folded 
over the thumb) but "cross fingers" if we are about to tell a lie (and hope 
to get away with it). A few explanations here:
<http://kiwiflicka.blogspot.com/2008/03/hold-thumbs.html>
or
<http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_origin_of_the_idiom_%27to_hold_thumbs%27>
or here
<http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Phrases-and-Sayings/Question785086.html>
or here
<http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1484642>

         So here is the update:
         Firstly, I was incorrect in stating that this (these) engines had 
the solid (or electric) flywheels and have no idea why I imagined it/them 
otherwise. In my defence I refer you to the following words in my original 
post:
"I saw the engines from a distance but did not go closer for a very good 
reason. My daughter, Jacqui, had her (uninsured) car stolen about 2 weeks 
previous to that and, not being a person of unlimited financial means, 
engines were just not in the budget - another car for Jacqui was top 
priority. (But those engines stayed in the back of my mind :-))"

         Back to the story. The engines have "spoked" flywheels (I'm so 
happy about this !!) they are much "prettier" (if engine men are allowed to 
use that description) and also about 300 Kilograms lighter when it comes to 
"loading and lugging" to shows (rallies or whatever).
         At this time I have concluded a deal with the seller and was meant 
to make the trip, to load the engine, today but of course, some govmunt 
official screwed it all up and did not clear the tender documents on time. 
(Quite normal here with our "govmunt") so now I can only go on Friday 
(hopefully) ! (You Aussies should understand the term "munt" or "moentoe" 
and it has nothing to do with "heap" or "mound"!) :-)(A clue can be found 
here: <http://www.anps.org.au/documents/March_2005.pdf>
         Anyway, they deal is agreed upon but I'm not one to "count my 
chickens before they hatch". As far as I'm concerned the deal will only be 
done once the engine is loaded onto the back of my pickup (and I'm at least 
10 miles away from the loading point). :-)
         So guys (and gals) please keep "holding thumbs" or "crossing 
fingers" (whichever one works best for you) for me :-).
         I've also received a pic of the engine and put it here for those 
who are interested:
<http://www.oldengine.org/members/evans/5_1b.JPG>


Keep the revs up (or down)
Jerry Evans
Near Johannesburg in Sunny South Africa.
Etched Brass Engine Plates made to order:
<www.oldengine.org/members/evans/plates/index.htm>