Latest Reclamation Project

Here we go. I picked this one up last Friday from a County employee in Leavenworth, who met Laurie at a regional meeting, noticed her Nishiki (which I need to put on here) and offered her this one. It's an Azuki rather than a Nishiki but it has the twin lats and lugs and it seems nicely made. It needed a new set of tires, rim tape and tubes.

I cut down the handlebars after a consultation with Mis Chief and I'm lubing the hell out of everything that moves right now. The chain is starting to move. More pictures as we go.

All Time Faves

My buddy J. came up with a proposition that I found irresistable and also a good blog post too start a flame war. Here is the proposition.

"I forgot to mention to you on Sunday that my latest project is to
recruit my musically astute friends and ask them to provide me with a
list of their top 20 or 25 all-time favorite rock tunes, in approximate
order. I would love to receive your selections, in this regard. Here's
the bribe: I'll do the heavy lifting. All you need to do is put your
list together. I'll burn your selections to a CD and get a copy to you,
along with my choices (if you're interested - and bearing in mind that I
turned my radio off in 1974 and never turned it on again). Other than
the Official Rules, set out below, the only thing to keep in mind is
that your selections should be songs which have stood the test of time
for you, personally (I tried to think of songs that I seem never to tire
of hearing). OK, get to work (and thanks).

Rules of the Favorite Rock Tunes Project:

1. No legitimate rock song is unworthy, as long as they're your
favorites. I know how much you'd like to be writing for Rolling Stone
but this is not yet another tedious effort to catalog "the most
significant rock and roll songs of all time".

2. Although the definition of "rock song" is intended to be
liberal, it is not unlimited. Just because a song hit the pop charts
during the last 50 years does not make it a "rock" song. For
example, the following songs should be avoided, no matter how much you
love them:

The Green Berets - Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler
Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto
Abilene - George Hamilton IV
Dawn of Correction - The Spokesmen
Ballad of Paladin - Duane Eddy
Dominique - The Singing Nun
Alabama Jubilee - The Ferko String Band
England Swings - Roger Miller
Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley - C Company Featuring Terry Nelson
Call Me Mr. In-Between - Burl Ives
James (Hold the Ladder Steady) - Sue Thompson
1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero - Bobby Russell
Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands - Laurie London

3. No song by Neil Diamond will be permitted.

4. OK, some songs by Neil Diamond will be permitted but only if they
are performed by other people. For example, "I'm a Believer" by
the Monkees is acceptable. Nothing actually sung by Neil Diamond will
be permitted. If you'd like to apply this rule to Paul Anka, too, I
won't argue with you. Or Barry Manilow. Or Nancy Sinatra, for that
matter.

5. Ballads are definitely okeedokee, as long as they are "rock"
ballads, at least arguably. "The Tracks of My Tears" by the
Miracles is certainly acceptable (an excellent choice, actually), as is
"Don't" by Elvis Presley, "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy
Sledge, or "Ferry Across the Mersey" by Gerry and the Pacemakers.
On the other hand, "Just for Old Times Sake" by The McGuire Sisters,
"The Second Time Around" by Frank Sinatra, and "My Coloring
Book" by Kitty Kallen should not be considered. I don't care how
high they charted.

6. By the same token, we all know that way too many country songs have
appeared on the pop charts over the years. That does not turn them into
rock songs, for the purposes of this project. The following are
examples of songs that should be avoided:

Wolverton Mountain - Claude King
Crazy - Patsy Cline
He'll Have to Go - Jim Reeves
Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie C. Riley
Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
Take This Job and Shove It - Johnny Paycheck
Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn
Okee From Muskogee - Merle Haggard

Marty Robbins is a toss-up, as is Johnny Horton, I suppose. And Brenda
Lee. And Conway Twitty. And Glen Campbell. And Johnny Cash, too, at
least his work during the late 50s. I mean, "Ballad of a Teenage
Queen" and "Guess Thing's Happen That Way" seem pretty much like
early rock 'n' roll songs. But "Don't Take You Guns to Town"?
"Folsom Prison Blues"? "A Girl Named Sue"? Don't make me
laugh.

7. Folk songs - uh... no. "Cotton Fields" by the Highwaymen? Sorry.

8. Finally, the USA PATRIOT Act requires me to advise you that any
artist from any country outside of the United States, not allied with
our effort in Iraq, is disqualified from consideration. My apologies to
you fans but the law is the law."

Here's my list, in no particular order.

1.Ballad of El Goodo – Big Star
Usually, when I pick up something years after it was released, it doesn't seem to move me like it may have when it was new, particularly when it has been touted for years. I wasn't able to find a copy of Big Star's Number 1 Record, until the re-release of this along with Radio City.

"Gets so hard at times like now to hold on
Guns they wait to be stuck by
And at my side is God"

2.Surrender – Cheap Trick
Another great pop song, by one of my favorite bands.
"When I woke up, mom and dad are rolling on the couch.
Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my kiss records out."

3.My Back Pages – The Byrds
Not the first song that comes to mind when I think of the Byrds but one that I love to sing along.
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that, now."

4.Honey Hush – Big Joe Turner
A list of great rock songs should span the entire history of rock. This is one of the earliest.
"Don't make me nervous, I'm holding a baseball bat"

5.Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) – Raspberries
Overblown but beautiful. A perfect record and a fitting finale to what must have been a frustrating career for the Raspberries.
"Well if the program director don't pull it
It's time to get back the bullet"

6.Positively Fourth Street – Bob Dylan
All the bile of Buddy Holly condensed and sharpened. Love is hard.
"You got a lotta nerve
To say you got a helping hand to lend
You just want to be on
The side that's winning"

7.All the Young Dudes – Mott the Hoople
I heard this listening to WNCR in Cleveland on headphones while my family was getting ready to move away from Ohio. I was crying by the time it was over.

"Is there concrete all around me or is it in my head?"

8.Suffragette City – David Bowie
Another perfect rock and roll record and the crunchy guitar riff.

MMMM, wham bam thank you, ma'am.

9. Red Neck Friend – Jackson Browne

I know, it's a dick song. Jackson Browne did at least 2, "Rosie" beign the other. But this one rocks.

"Pretty little one
How has it all begun?
They’re teaching you how to walk
But you’re already on the run"

10. Gun – Uncle Tupelo
I heard Jeff Tweedy say this was the song where he found his voice.

11. Will the Wolf Survive – Los Lobos

12. Badlands - Bruce Springsteen
I know Born to Run gets all the acclaim but I think Darkness is a better record. The guitar playing has never been better on his records.

"Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings,
And a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything."

13. Fall on Me – REM
REM, probably the best band of the Eighties, at their most distinct and it bears repeated listenings. Layered harmonies, guitar hooks, great metaphors in the lyrics.


14. The Ledge – Replacements
If not REM, the best band of the Eighties. It's a song about suicide that I find life affirming.

15. Lola – The Kinks
The Seventies had begun.

16. Roll Over Beethoven – Chuck Berry
Rock and Roll is here.

17. Oliver's Army -Elvis Costello
Combining hooky melodies with brilliant lyrics.

18. Couldn't I Just Tell You -Todd Rundgren
Post-Beatle Power Pop at its absolute best.

19. That's When I Reach for My Revolver – Mission of Burma
Some deeply buried perfectly crafted rock and roll. Mission of Burma was one of the bands that caused everyone who listened to form a band.

20. Voodoo Chile - Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix took the blues swagger and drove it further.

21. Fools Gold – Graham Parker
On his first two albums, Parker and the Rumour put together some great songs and performances. This song of longing and love hits it.

22. Badge - Cream
George Harrison co-wrote this, IIRC. The guitar parts bring a shiver to me.

23. Marie Marie - Blasters
The story I heard was that Dave Alvin thought they had to start writing their own material and this was the first thing he did.

24. Big Time - Neil Young
Neil Young and Crazy Horse at their best. A song that draws you in. Slobberbone did this one live which blew me away.

25. I Can Hear Music - Beach Boys
As the demons drove him deeper into himself, Brian Wilson made some music with more depth and still kept those incredible harmonies.

Critical Mass - October

For the second time this year, I made Critical Mass. Not to say that I made Critical Mass, as if my presence could create an event. I joined the group circling the Mill Street parking lot and went out and made our presence known. Resplendent in my Spot jersey, I was hardly the grandest tiger in the jungle. Michelle Kegley had sewn herself a Victorian or Suffragette style cycling outfit that she wore on her vintage Schwinn 5-Speed Mixte and there was a woman named Cory or Laurie who was wearing a vintage coat and tweed jacket. We're getting there but we're not a big city yet in Kansas City.

It was a fun ride. We cruised through Westport and the Plaza with Sarah's iPod blaring Beck and Radiohead. Definitely, someone needs to find some better bicycling music. And not Queen's Bicycle Race, it just reminds me how a once great rock band descended into Novelty. Luka Bloom recorded one, the title cut from The Acoustic Motorbike and Otis Taylor has one about Major Taylor on Double V.Anyone, anyone....

BikeMO

I finally took the Stella out for a long ride this weekend. I did the Metric Century at BikeMO, an event put on by the Missouri Bike Federation. Ordinarily, I don't do pay rides but I am married to the vice-president of the organization. Actually, I have done 2 pay rides this last month but I don't do a LOT of them. Anyway, I arose extremely early and drove halfway across the state for this ride. I hadn't ridden too much after fighting a cold for a week. (Thank God for Zicam!) Now, I'm healthy again.

It didn't prove to be much of a handicap. Here I am at one of the rest stops,resplendent in my attire from Rivendell. The long sleeve seersucker shirt kept me cool and the MUSA pants were ideal for a fall ride when you couldn't be certain what the weather would be and I liked walking into the coffee shop in Fulton, Missouri at lunch and not having my package out there for the world. What I had forgotten, though, was a change of underwear. Fortunately the start/finish area was at a shopping center which housed a Dollar General store where I ducked in afterward for a package of Fruit of the Loom boxers and a package of Junior Mints. For the record, I actually did ride the 62 mile route. I told someone that Monday morning would be the test for it, whether riding a fixie would hurt me and I was fine. I've learned that riders overestimate the advantage a derailleured bicycle gives them. I can climb about as well on Stella as I can on my Cannondale go-fast bike or my Panasonic granny-geared touring bike. And it's so much FUN!! Who could have thought that forcing myself to pedal all the time could be so enjoyable? After all, though I am a runner first and cyclist second or maybe I'm just an athlete.

The only thing that was missing was beer. I'm a believer in rewarding myself with a beer after strenuous exercise. I settled for a 24 ounce Busch from the gas station rather than the craft beer I would have loved. Of course, ideals only exist in heaven.

After the ride, the officers and organizers of the Missouri Bike Fed discussed the ride. Most riders thought it was a very good event. Levie, one of the officers, told Laurie, my wife that "some of the riders on the 32 mile did not seem like very experienced riders and one of them was YOUR HUSBAND!" Guess some people don't get the sensible rider look. I do ride in spandex, too and I can ride fast if I want, too.

Talk like a Pirate Day

Basket Woes

I've spent about 100 miles on the Stella, maybe more and I can't seem to get comfortable with the Moustache Bars. Part of it is that the basket interferes with using the brake hoods for a hand position. The basket should be lower.

There are some other solutions. Ahearne makes a wonderful rack, as does Paul. I put out a question to the BOB list and the estimable Kent Peterson sent this. I'll have to check with Acme to see if they can do anything.

That aside, I'm having so much FUN riding this bike. I just seem to become one with the bike. I love riding it. It's been a tough week, three morning of getting up before 5 AM and getting out on the road but when you get off work and see Stella there waiting for you, it all seems worthwhile.

What kind of bike

Jim at Oil is For Sissies writes about someone wanting to know what type of bike his Atlantis is. Reminds me of a conversation I had on the "Slow Ride" last week. I was riding the Stella and happened to mention I couldn't coast to a guy on an Aegis yellow carbon fiber thing.

He said something like, "Nobody makes bikes for this kind of riding, the kind of riding we do."

I said, "Well, there's Rivendell, Surly, Kogswell. They make sensible bikes."

"But those are niche producers, small. You have to get a Rivendell over the internet."

"Well, not exactly. They have dealers."

My point is that there are plenty of sensible bikes. As a category, "Sensible Bikes" is probably as attractive as sensible shoes. Maybe not, Birkenstock and Keen and Doc Marten sell a lot of shoes.

Here it is, 95% complete,

I've ridden it 4 times, tweaking it a little more on each ride. I think the brake levers are where I want them and I'll tape it after a couple more rides, commutes to work perhaps. The other thing I need is a freewheel and I'm not sure what size, most likely 18 or 19 tooth.

Before installing the basket, I should have taken a picture. But I'm going to ride with the basket so here it is.

In building it up, I found that the original brakes I had picked out weren't going to reach far enough. So I dug through the parts bin at Acme and found these Weinmann Centerpulls at Robert's suggestion. Robert is the former owner of SouthSide Cyclery. I installed Scott/Matthauser salmon pads on them. I'm told this originally had 27-inch wheels on it so check out the great clearance.

The handlebars are Nitto Moustache Bars, that I acquired from an i-Bob, along with the Nitto Technomic Stem, sanded down to fit the headset. Brake levers are Dia-Compe, unknown models that have a quick-release, also acquired through the i-Bob list. It has a 1/2 inch chain and the original, or at least the ones that it came with, crankset and gear. With the Surly 16 tooth, it has about a 67 inch chain. I'm using the larger of the pair as a chainguard. Down the road, I may install a newer bottom bracket. Petals are Lyotard, that Acme had available to fit the French crankset. Down the road again, I may install PowerGrips or new pedals, as wear and tear merit.

The City of Big Shoulders

Visiting my wife's sister and her husband in Chicago, I made it my goal not to get into a car. I took the L from Midway to meet all for dinner but was stifled by the rain so we rode back to their house.

Yesterday, we did hit it on 2 wheels. I borrowed Joe's 19 inch unsuspended Specialized Hardrock. (Wonderful bike that. Just some Albatross bars from perfection. I'd love to trade my 16 inch for it.)

Rode down to Uptown Bikes/Urban Bikes for a new saddle for Laurie's Giant Nutra. (What does that name mean? I'd prefer Nutria, like those water rats down in Louisiana.)I found a basket that easily transfers from one bike to another, only it rests on the brake cable and bought some TriFlow for the unattended HardRock.

What really impressed me was the way the shop and the city accomodate bikes much more so than my fair city of KCMO. Singlespeeds, old Schwinns (they were once built here) and all kinds of mixtes and sensible handlebars. And cheap,cheap bikes! I rode along, watching the sidewalk and racks for all kinds of old interesting bikes.

Millenium Park has a bicycle parking garage, for heaven's sake.

Out on the Streets

So I took the dogs for a run around the neighborhood yesterday, after spending about 2 hours reinstalling the OS on this computer. Fortunately, I didn't lose any data this time and I didn't have to rebuild my browser.

Anyway, I'm standing at the crosswalk, two dogs tethered to my waist, sunglasses and bandana on my head. Some dork, driving a pickup truck full of lawn mowers, yells "FAGGOT!!"

Oooh, I'm scared.

Closer

So maybe this week, the Stella Scorcher will hit the road. My Suzue finally came in to Acme last week and I got Sarah to build up a beautiful wheel with it, Mavic rim and all.

I chose some Michelin tires with reflective sidewalls, kevlar belts and knobbed shoulders for off-road use. Digging through my closet, I found some self-repairing tubes in the right size. These wheels will be bomb-proof and ready for anything.

On to putting the other parts together. A French headset requires a French-sized stem, so I spent an hour sanding down a Nitto stem to fit in the headset. It made my hands look like the Tin Woodsman from the Wizard of Oz.

Centerpull brakes with quick release levers, cork grips on Mustache bars and a Brooks saddle of some sort (I have 3 to choose from, a plastic messenger B-18, a B17 Narrow, and a Conquest that I bought for Laurie but is too narrow for her.) All I need is a chain and surely some other expense.

I awoke from my nap

to hear the speech and was reminded of this. Maybe, he does believe this malarkey. That might be even more frightening than my cynical response.

Who are they selling?
I was reading the latest issue of Progressive Grocer the other day and saw a full page ad for flavored cigars. Now, I'm as "laissez-faire" as the next guy but who are they marketing these things to? What adult wants to smoke a grape flavored White Owl? I'm not that disingenuous.

Real Project Bicycles

I had thought I was really building some Frankenbikes until my mother-in-law brought me a copy of the Chicago Tribune with this in it. I'm just trying to restore and make useful the bikes I've got, not so much trying to create art.

On the road to Cottonwood Falls 

Laurie passes the Schoolhouse at Z-Bar 

Brakes placed but hardly ready to ride 

Hemp twine to guard the chainstay 

Head tube, Stella 

Where they've been 

the Stella Frame 

Where I shellaced the first bit 

Another bit of hemp twine at the ends 

A round of Bar Tape 

Hemp Twine, New Belgium Bell 

Three Speed Derailleur 

This is one of the unusual features of this bike that drew me to it. I've never seen a 3 speed derailleur before. Usually 3-speeds will have an internally geared hub like this. I am totally unable to comprehend how these work.

Wright Saddle 

Bottle Generator 

First bit of Hemp twine 

Head tube Sam Benotto 

the Sammy in all its glory 

May Hem on my bike 

On my C'Dale 

Fendered, At Last!

So I had some bad news at work, about which I shall vent in another forum, and I needed a fix of some sort. Getting drunk would have just ruined me and other forms of substance abuse were out of easy reach.

It was pouring rain at my quitting time, preventing me from making the 10 mile ride home, so I caught a ride with John, in his BMW and rode home from the Nelson.

"Fenders," I thought, "I need fenders."

So off to Acme where Sarah and Christy were working.

"What's wrong with your bike today?" (I had been in earlier in the week having the bottom bracket rebuilt."

"It just needs fenders."

"Have I got the fenders for you!", Sarah said, picking up a wrapped package of Honjos, "Only a hundred twenty bucks."

"That's more than the bike cost", I laughed. "No, I want those old ones we looked at on Monday... with the fins." I went to the shelf and looked through the old fenders. They were still there, chromed and cool.

By no means did they snap right on the bike. Originally built for a 3-speed, they required 3 tries at extending the stays. And the fronts, they needed to expand their radius to avoid rubbing the tire.

"Nasty chain, Jeff. You really need to replace this. When they get this greasy and gritty, you can't clean them. You're just pushing the dirt into them." I'll have to do that soon.

Anyway, it took an hour and a half, a couple beers and a trip across the street to pound the fender on a round table sitting on the side walk at the Vintage store but we made it fit.

Thought for today

A journey is like marriage.The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.
- John Steinbeck

So I did a few things.

Donna's bike is in a "first draft" stage. New Tires. New Bars. Actually the original bars that came with my Sam Benotto 3-Speed. Much more upright now but it still needs a taller stem.

I had some tires in my garage that fit this thing, 700 by 25's. God Almighty, the fork and the seatstays are tight. There's barely enough room for typing paper there, (Does anyone still use typing paper anymore?) let alone a fender. It's definitely a candidate for 650B conversion like the Bluebird with a Technomic or a Periscopa stem. Maybe I'll call it the Blackbird.

There's an article in this month's Rivendell Reader about fork dimensions that demonstrates how poorly most current forks are designed, notably carbon forks. It seems as if manufacturers have worked hard to make it difficult to change to a more comfortable tire, as if we're all going to be triathletes or time trials riders forever.

Tired-Ass Blues

I slept in until 6:15 this morning. Compared to the 4:20 AM I've been doing all week, that's luxuriating. Part of it was participating in the Bicycle Commuter Challenge and getting to work at 6:00 AM. What am I? Fucking Crazy? I made a commitment to do it, mainly to myself. As Christy told me awhile back Gandhi said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."

As we fight wars for oil to continue the ridiculous "American Way of Life", someone has to say in some small way, "Stop this!" So I ride my bike. At 5:00 in the morning. In the dark. Through Mission Hills. Through the Plaza. Down Metcalf Avenue. With flashing lights.

And on Wednesday night, we rode the Ride of Silence. Laurie, or someone that apparently resembles her got her picture in the Star. Anyway, I noticed a rather pronounced squeak in the bottom bracket on my Panasonic Touring Deluxe. Off to Acme for a rebuild. So, on Thursday and Friday, I rode my Sam Benotto Cazenave 3-Speed with the 650B tires. One note, they ride much better with 55 pounds of air pressure than with 15 or 20. But it's a load of steel to carry.

My Best Week Commuting Ever

I sat on the front porch after I got home tonight, nursing a Red Stripe or two. My regular bike needed some serious work on the bottom bracket, more than I could deliver with
Van der Plas and my toolset. So it went off to Acme for a rebuild. My other commuter, the Specialized HardRock had been loaned out so it fell on the Sammy for the Thursday and Friday rides. I don't want to cast any aspersions upon myself but it rides much better with 60 pounds of air in the tire than 20. Still a lot of bike work and still fun but man, am I tired. MARC doesn't have me on their rankings yet but I have 80 miles in this week.

Pissed On and Off

I feel like I've lived through Hell this week, although, compared to people I know, it's minor. I mean, last night, we had dinner with a friend who, in the last 3 years, lost his wife (killed in a police chase while riding her bike) and just completed chemotherapy after lung cancer. So, I suppose, my troubles are small but they are mine.

I feel as if I've been scapegoated for difficulties in the department at work. I took this position at other's encouragement, not realizing the steep learning curve to learn a whole new department and purchasing, also under a new team leader. So as the difficulties mounted, blamestorming pointed to me, as the weak link. So, I was told to step down or get out. I'm applying for another position within the store but I feel that if I don't get that, they want me out or something. Maybe I'm misreading it but it sure feels that way.

Where we start. Item 1

Schwinn Left side Before 

Don't take me too seriously

Here we go. I've got 4 bikes of my own. There are 10 in our garage, including the latest. 4 belong to my wife and one to our friend, Donna.

This is where I'm starting. Donna's bike is an old triathlon model, an aluminum Schwinn and the plan is to make it a more friendly, comfortable touring bike or, in the recent spiel of Grant Peterson, a "country bike", one suitable for daylong rides. It should be fairly simple but what is it they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?

The other project is my fixed gear/single speed project, the Stella Scorcher. Ever since I heard a report on NPR's All Things Considered about fixed gear scorchers. So I talked to my friends at Acme Bicycle Company and I'm getting started with the Stella. I'll post as that comes to fruition.

Anyway, Donna's bike, or Project Dervla, as I'm referring to it, after Irish travel writer and cyclist Dervla Murphy who rode a single speed Armstrong Cadet from Ireland to India and chronicled the journey in her Full Tilt, which I've read recently and enjoyed immensely.

First thing, the tires need replacement. I'll take the ones off my Cannondale SR500 and put new ones on the Cannondale that I've got sitting in the garage. It also needs less severe handlebars that can be raised up to allow an upright position as well as a taller stem.

Down the road, I'd like to put 650B tires on it to allow room for fenders and so forth. Maybe it can be saved and rehabbed.

Wonderin'

They used to say that $0.05 of every slice of pizza went to the Mafia. Parenthetically, I don't know which "they" to which I am referring. And what would happen when you had a pizza cut into 8 slices rather than 6. Did the Mob get an extra dime? How they keep track? I read this in a book of Urban Legends awhile back. Anyway, I wonder how much of the price of each gallon of gas goes to Al Qaeda.

Another thing I'm wondering about is this thing with the new Pope. "Joey Rats", as Jon Stewart called him the other night. He was referred to as "God's Rottweiler". Which makes me wonder why an omnipotent, all-knowing, all-powerful Supreme Being needs a vicious guard dog. Can't our heavenly father do his own smiting and stuff?

Blarney

I just heard the current occupant of the White House use the words "Courage and Honesty". How can he do that with a straight face? Or does he ever do anything with a straight face?

Just wondering.

I'm trying to track my reading like David but I'm behind, not in the reading but in the blogging. Will get it back together today.

Again, I ask you, "Where's the Outrage?"

I don't get the NeoCons at all. I've said before, perhaps not here, that I felt as if I had found out the neighbors were practicing infant cannibalism when Bush got elected by a majority of voters this time not simply the majority of the Supreme Court.

It seems to me, if Bush is "your Man", than you'll tolerate any incompetence, any drug use in his past, his AWOL time in the Texas and Alabama guard, and even his reprobate daughters.

But this Gannon stooge?

From awhile back

Emptying the crap vacuum

• 
  
  Why is it that I can recite entire Monty Python routines that I've seen maybe twice?
  
  
• 
  
  Yet I can't manage the Java windowing toolkit.
  
  
• 
  
  Or the types and keywords.
  
  
• 
  
  Lyrics to songs I don't even like.
  
  
• 
  
  But not things I have to do every day.
  
  
• 
  
  Jerry Seinfeld routines and bits of shows.
  
  
• 
  
  Movie quotes.
  
  

We were discussing this phenomenon the other night at my Anne and Joe's (Anne's and Joe's? My brother-in-law and sister-in-law)and Joe introduced to me the theory of the Crap Vacuum. That is, the place in one's brain where the useless stuff goes and resides. Some people have large butts or thinning hair; I have a large crap vacuum, a veritable ShopVac for the small-penis set, The equivalent of a Hummer in vacuum. Some people are equipped with the equivalent of a Dustbuster or one of those gizmos you buy to get dust off your keyboard. For me, pop culture trash, no matter how stupid or insignificant, gets written to memory and saved right away to hard drive.



On our trip to Chicago Thursday night, my tiny little Swiss Army Knife turned up in my backpack. I must have just emptied my pockets into it when I got home. I make it a point to put all my pocket change in the front pocket before I head for the airport, along with my keys, thus simplifying my trip through the metal detectors at the airport. But in my haste to get out the door, I inadvertantly put my tiny little Swiss Army knife in the pocket. The security people looked for about 5 minutes and then found it.



"Oh."



I had the choice of checking my backpack or surrendering it or renting a locker to leave the thing in while we were gone or handing it to my co-conspirator outside the gate area, a person who didn't exist. So I surrendered it. It was imprinted with LewerMark, my former employer. One more piece of them is out of my life. So long, Chuck.

Here we go. A week into the new year as I listen to the sound of the floor polisher go and go and I am running more. We have had an ice storm which wasn't as bad as they warned us.



I did about 12 miles this morning, from Einstein Brothers in Prurient Village to Kellys.



I'm trying to run 1500 miles this year, an average of 30 miles aweek and the weather is uncooperative, to the largest extreme.

When Life comes to a Standstill



To light a fuse

We could use

A hand full of wheel

And a day off

And a bruised road - Jeff Tweedy



I love my job but I was looking forward to getting away for the holiday and seeing my family but Laurie got sick. Now, I've got a day off. I slept late but I'd rather be running or riding my bike. Working until late and taking an hour or so to wind down doesn't lend itself to early rising.



Finished reading Heartaches by the Number yesterday and of course, I'm thinking in the melancholy that is Country music. Of course, as I get older, I'm more drawn to that. It speaks to me. You just get to realize that Hank Williams had the truth. I've been listening to Elvis Costello's Almost Blue in the truck on my way to work. It brings back so many memories of the vinyl version plus getting to hear Johnny Cash and George Jones. My in-laws also sent me a copy of the Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo which I have yet to play. But I, for some reason, really respond to Gram Parsons songs, which Almost Blue introduced to me.

Another Thought



Looking at my email, it struck me how many of them are not specifically for me. It often has less that catch my interest than the newspaper, which seems to take more time sorting out than actually reading.

A Few Brewskis and I become Bobby Darin



We had our taste fair for the Holidays at the store last night, followed by a few drinks across the street, not at the store like last year. Anyway, it went really well until someone submitted my name to sing "Mack the Knife" at the Karaoke. Don't think it'll replace "Stand By Your Man" in my repertoire.



Laurie sent me this which captures my feelings exactly and apparently many others around the world.

Wake Up and Smell the Constitution Burning



I feel like I've been kicked, hard. I honestly don't remember feeling this bad after the attacks of 9/11; this feels worse. It's as though this country doesn't make sense to me anymore, like it's not the place where I was raised to believe I lived. I don't see Bush moving to the center, if anything, he'll go farther to the right. I just can't believe he's been elected. Before, I consoled myself by believing his presidency was not legitimate, that it was stolen, and real Americans didn't really want him. Now, I feel like I'm in some alien world, full of people who hate gays, racists, plutocrats, people who aren't like me. It's as if I've woken up to find myself living in a world of monsters.



Fear Uncertainty and Doubt proved to be the effective marketing strategy in this campaign. Cheney warned audiences that if they picked wrong, another terrorist attack could be imminent. It appears they believed him, not bothering to note under whose watch the worst terrorist attack on our soil came about. Vote for me or else.



And in 3 years, Cheney will appear again, making a speech where he says, " I know I said I had no ambitions for higher office but I believe now that I am the best candidate and I must enter the race." Or we'll be under Martial Law and the constitution will be gone.

Best Campaign Sticker Yet

Here

In Which I am mistaken for a Third World Denizen



So today I went to Costco to shop for household items. On the list was:

Cheese

Fruit

Cereal

Kleenex

Bread

Pita

Chips



I decided to take my Specialized Hardrock with the basket and netting. It was a beautiful morning and I rode through Hyde Park, enjoying it so much I almost went past Costco.



I had everything carefully loaded into the basket. Flat bread and Pita on the bottom. 2 bags of Quaker 100@% Natural on top of the Flat bread and next to the Pitas, 2 pounds of Provolone Cheese stacked on the Flat Bread. Eight boxes of Kleenex, or rather Kirkwood Select tissues stacked on top of the food (Costco only sells things in big bunches). On top of it all, a 2 pound flat of peaches, I wrapped the cargo net over the whole thing, stretching it to its limit. The only item that I didn't purchase was the bag of chips, which I could have carried if I only had a handlebar bag.



I got out of the parking lot and decided that the peaches might well fly out through the netting. Taking a plastic bag from my pocket, I covered the peaches and replaced the cargo net and rode carefully home. I was so proud and should have taken a picture.

A Perfect Moment



Today we went to the sale at Bikes and Trikes for Tykes. I was looking for a serviceable touring bike frame that I could build up for a travel bike and eventually install S and S Couplings™. What I found was a wonderful Panasonic Touring Deluxe, perfectly fitted to me, with nice Araya rims, a lugged steel frame, Shimano 600 components, cantilever brakes and even a rack. It did also have a Brooks type leather saddle and some Shimano toe clipped pedals, neither of which I wanted. So, it was $120 and I am thrilled.



Back to the house, I put my own Brooks saddle, new tires (the old ones were dry-rotted to hell) and some Cinelli cork handlebar tape. It's getting wonderful, rides smoothly. I just need a saddlebag for it.

A Bold New Day



Having found these in the Rivendell Reader, I went to their website and became intrigued by their philosophy. It takes me back to the old days of running before there was so much stuff between me and the road. I just fly down the road now.



The insoles, of course, are crap. You don't get good insoles in a $200 running shoe, let alone one that costs 1/3 of that. What really amazes me is that the laces are exactly the right length. Every shoe I've bought in the last couple years, running, work, whatever, has laces at least a foot too long and they come untied and I trip on them. Well thought out, Vitruvians!

Best Cartoon Ever

Mocha likes Cicadas



Walking the dogs this morning, I heard a semi-familiar buzz from the sidewalk below me. Mocha, the one-time foundling dog, came running, pulling Laurie behind her. She leaped onto the struggling cicada, lying on its back, devouring it. She found another later, eating it with a relish previous reserved for scraps of steak or chicken thrown from the table.

Why does the phrase

"Crazier than a Shithouse Rat" come to mind whenever I hear or see

Zell Miller?



And where do they get the name "Zell"?

What Everyone Needs



This.



I got these in the mail today after ordering them like, a month ago. Because of the delay, the artist (not The Artist)sent me 15 of them, more than I possibly could ever use. So I shared them with people at work.

Today at the Dog Park



Listened to DemocracyNow on the drive over to Penn Valley. I got to hear the title cut from the new Steve Earle album (I still call them albums, whatever media they're on). Rockin' song.



Also got to hear the speech from the Bush twins. Gawd almighty!!! It sounds like something one of the girls on the old Bob Hope specials. They were laughing at the jokes, giggling, to put a fine point on it, as though they were hearing them for the first time, reading haltingly. Someday, these girls, or one of their cousins, will be running for office against a Gulf War vet.

From one bicyclist to another.



Bikes Against Bush Where are the police arresting the real criminals?

Been a Long Time, Lonely, Lonely, Lonely Time





Haven't updated for over a month now. What have I done?

1. Rode my bicycle in Wisconsin
2. Started working in a new position at the LNFG
3. Bought stuff at Ikea in Chicago in a five hour shopping expedition, brought it home and assembled it.
4. Sat in on the interviews for our new STL
5. Run some

Still angry at the Republicans. Not doing enough to stop them. Did purchase this



Got a website to work on today. A Futon must be purchased for my mother in law coming this weekend.



That is all.

Yet another disaster



Last night at my post at the LNFG, we lost power for the second time in 3 weeks. Last time, it was due to an incompetent truck driver. Last night it was due to KCPL shutting off the power due to a swollen transformer or bulging transformer, so they closed off the power.



I felt a collective "Oooooh, FUCK!!!" hit the store as the power blinked. "Not again." We hurried people through the store and I started calling the bosses and then the repair people.



Now our water at home is turned off. I guess no shower before work today.



In other news, the heat goes on. Or rather commences. It's in the 90's here in the heart of America. I went running in the morning and then ate the number 46 Omelet at Bell Street Mama's, Jack Cheese and Avocado with hash browns and whole wheat toast and lots o' coffee.



I came home and took the dogs to the dog park where I ran into Kelly Sue and Captain Applejack, who appears to be doing very well.



Off for another night at LNFG..

Doing What Must Be Done



I received an email from the local chair of the Kerry (now Kerry-Edwards) campaign, asking for volunteers to work a phone bank last night. So I went.



Let me say this; I don't like phone solicitors and I don't like being one. But with what's at stake (our country), I do what must be done.

What were they?



We rode down to Kaw Point on the 4th to see where the Lewis and Clark expedition were camped 200 years ago. The US Flag at that time had 15 stars, which leads me to wonder: What were the 14th and 15th states admitted to the Union?

More Dirty Tricks



As E.C. once said, " I used to get disgusted but now I try to be amused."

Burning Question



Okay, I've made my preference in this election known and I even have a Kerry wallpaper with JFK and John Lennon on my desktop but I have to ask this.



Who is the guy in the background?

Worst Personal Ad?



Subject: Looking for a female racing partner



Hi,



I am a male that just started running in March. I am currently training for 5K's and 10K's. I am looking for a female running partner to do the races with. I am not looking for a date just someone closer to my speed at this time. Besides all of my friends are female and I tend to get along better with women no offense guys. Anyway its more fun to race with people then alone. I am currently married and my wife runs with me during the week but she is a nurse and only works the weekends so she can never do the races with me. If

anyone is interested please respond.

It's the first day of Summer and Ronald Reagan is still dead



God only knows how long it has been since I last blogged.



Father forgive me for I have sinned. It has been 8 days since my last blog.



Anyway, what's on my plate?

1. Yellow Wristbands Everyone who knows someone who has suffered and/or died from cancer should get and wear one of these. I bought a package of ten and gave them to 8 people. Now, people are wanting more. Julie/Uma, in produce, wore one to her yoga class and now everyone there wants one. I count Lance Armstrong as one of my biggest heroes ( HH the Dalai Lama, Samuel Mockbee among others).



2. New job starts today at the Leading Natural Foods Grocer (hereafter LNFG).



3. The Upcoming Election - I attended a Kerry Block Party last night. Dave Suptic, father of one of the Get Up Kids said that they may be willing to do a benefit show for the John Kerry for President campaign. I sincerely believe that this election is too important for us to sit out. Young people should go to this site and buy the CD and organize and fight, fight, fight.



More later.

Well, this is it. The 12 year old boy that went down and bought McGovern buttons is now 44 years old and appalled by the current failure in our leadership. I am going to the John Kerry rally tomorrow. I will do everything I can to get rid of that man.

Stuff I've Found



Anyway, I was wearing this Aerosmith shirt today at work. I'm not much of an Aerosmith fan, not a fan at all. I do remember waking up each morning in the fall of 1973 hearing "Dream On" on the radio long before they hit big. So having to explain a couple times that I'm not an Aerosmith fan; I merely found the shirt on a dog walk and found it suitable for wearing under my whites at the fish counter.



Other good stuff I found:

1. book of e.e. cummings poems

2. Country fiddle video

3. My dog, Mocha

4. $50 bill (probably drug money)

5. roll of twenties (probably lost drinking money)

6. Teal striped polo shirt

7. Bicycle wheels for our garden fence.

8. Water Music by T. Coraghessan Boyle



That's all I can remember right now.

Fraternity Pranks?



Referring to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners as "fraternity pranks" or "frat hazing" is totally beside the point.



First of all, "frat hazing" has been banned almost everywhere and should be punished where it occurs.



Secondly, none of the Iraqis were, to my knowledge, trying to join the U.S. Military.





"You say that I am ignoring the time-honored traditions of the Royal Navy? And what might they be? I shall tell you in three words: rum, buggery and the lash! Good morning, sirs!"



-Winston Churchill addressing the Sea Lords, 1912

The, ummm, rest of the story



So, I was going to tell the story of how we came to have a third dog, Mocha.



In the fall of 2000, I had resolved to quit my job, with nothing in line. I was simply worn out, grinding my teeth, hating my life. On the Saturday morning before Labor Day, I went for a run with my dogs. I started thinking about the people that had left my (then) employer, by the company terminating them, by their taking other jobs. 16 out of a group of 60, most with over 5 years or more.



There was Bill, the attorney, who was having an affair with his assistant, when the president called him into the front office, telling him that one of them would have to leave. They both left, immediately.



There was Stanley, who took another job with a non-profit, and was called into the Chairman's office. The Chairman asked him, "What would it take to keep you here?"

Stanley responded, "You guys don't get it. I don't want to work here." The Chairman just about popped a blood vessel in his forehead.



So it went, as I ran, I thought of what I would do if I were fired. All the scenarios I ran through in my head seemed better than I was doing there. So I decided that I would quit, in a couple weeks.



I started investigating ways to get into technology, seeing where I could go to school to learn something that would get me into the work I wanted to do, the places where I wanted to work.



After a week, the pressure grew. I knew I was leaving. I simply needed to pull the trigger. I decided to give notice on September 11, 2000.



On that morning, I woke up at 4:00 AM, my brain thinking of what I had to do, how I would do what I had to do. I laid in bed thinking until 5:00 AM when I decided to get up and go for a run. I put on a pair of shorts and leashed up Chester and Tasha and headed out to the Plaza.



I remember nothing of the run except returning home around 41st Street. At Gillham Park, a trash barrel sat overflowing. Chester and Tasha lurched toward it, pulling me with them. In the twilight, I saw what appeared to be a dead rabbit. As I turned, the light grew somewhat brighter and I saw the rabbit was actually a small puppy. I picked it up with one hand, cradling it against my bare chest, holding the leash with my left hand.



It was about 6:00 AM when I came into the house, shouting, "Laurie, I found a puppy!!"



"It's a golden retriever," she said.



I went into work that morning and typed my resignation letter.



We found out later that someone had been giving away puppies from a car on Sunday, September 10. I suspect that some kid had brought her home and was told to take her "back where you got it." I'll never know. She was only 4 weeks old.

My Answer



In Billy Graham's column this morning, a reader asks, Do you think it's possible that Jesus has already returned to earth and is living in secret somewhere? A friend of mine thinks this is likely, although I don't know what evidence he has. -- S.R.



No, I'm sorry I think your friend has confused Jesus with Elvis.

Almost a month



It's been almost a month since I last blogged. Good Gosh. I'm Lazy.



Anyway, from a story by Kelly Sue about her dog, I'm remembering how I came to have Mocha, my golden mix. It's a long story which I shall tell tonight.



We had dinner with my brother last night. He's in town working on a project with Jack Henry. We picked him up there and as almost all my family adventures require, had to go immediately to TJMaxx so he could pick up a black belt, which he had forgotten to pack on this trip.

More email, more rebuttals



Don't know who did the research, but this is interesting. It would be more interesting if it were true.



Shortly after reading the following e-mail content, I happened to look at the label of a jar of Heinz sandwich slice pickles. Yep...."Made in Mexico"



Check some of your Heinz products.



"Sen. John Kerry keeps talking about U.S. corporations leaving this country and setting up shop in foreign countries, taking thousands of jobs with them. He is right, because that has happened. However, he is trying to blame it on George W. Bush.



As far as I know, Bush has not moved one factory out of this country because he is not the owner of a single factory.



That cannot be said about Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz-Kerry.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Kerrys own 32 factories in Europe and 18 in Asia and the Pacific. In addition, their company, the Heinz Company leases four factories in Europe and four in Asia. Also, they own 27 factories in North America, some of which are in Mexico and the Caribbean.



I wonder how many hundreds of American workers lost their jobs when these plants relocated in foreign countries. I also wonder if the workers in Mexico and Asia are paid the same wages and benefits as workers in the United States.



Of course they're not. However, Kerry demands that other companies that relocate should pay the same benefits they did in the U.S. Why does he not demand this of the Heinz Company, since he is married to the owner?



If Kerry is elected, will he and his wife close all those foreign factories and bring all those jobs back to America? Of course they won't. They're making millions off that cheap labor.



A cursory search on Google will reveal this press release.

H.J. Heinz Company Confirms Its Widely Held Public Ownership And Non-Partisan Status



Business Editors



PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2004--In light of some misleading speculation, the H.J. Heinz Company would like to make clear that neither Mrs. Teresa Heinz Kerry, Senator John Kerry nor any member of their family is involved in the management or board of the H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ). They have no involvement in the Heinz(R) Ketchup business or any of the company's other brands or products.

The H.J. Heinz Company, in accordance with its corporate governance policies, is a non-partisan organization.

Neither Mrs. Heinz Kerry nor Senator Kerry nor any of the Heinz trusts or endowments - either individually or collectively - holds a significant percentage of shares of the H.J. Heinz Company. In 1995 the Heinz Endowments and family trusts sold a large percentage of Heinz shares in a secondary share offering to diversify their holdings. As a result, their current holdings are under 4 percent.

There is no connection between any philanthropic programs of the H.J. Heinz Company and its Foundation and the Heinz family interests (including the Howard Heinz Endowment, the Vira Heinz Endowment, and the Heinz Family Philanthropies).

Currently, 60% of the sales of the H.J. Heinz Company are outside the United States and to accommodate those customers by providing facilities closer to those markets, the company maintains a number of overseas facilities that provide products for consumers in those markets. This allows Heinz to pack the freshest ingredients, tailor its recipes to local tastes and deliver the final products in a timely and efficient manner. In the United States, Heinz makes its flagship ketchup in factories in Fremont, Ohio; Muscatine, Iowa; and Stockton, California.



ABOUT HEINZ: H.J. Heinz Company is one of the world's leading producers and marketers of branded foods in ketchup, condiments, sauces, meals, soups, seafood, snacks and infant foods. Heinz is a global family of leading brands, including Heinz(R) Ketchup, sauces, soups, beans, pasta and infant foods (representing nearly one-third of total sales), Ore-Ida(R) french fries, Boston Market(R) and Smart Ones(R) meals and Plasmon(R) baby food. Heinz's 50 companies have number-one or number-two brands in 200 countries, showcased by Heinz(R) Ketchup, the world's favorite ketchup. Information on Heinz is available at www.heinz.com/news.



1) Heinz Corporation is a private R&D firm.



2) HJ Heinz Co. is a publicly traded company of which Mrs. Kerry niether sits on the board of directors, is not an officer of the company nor is she listed as one of the largest stock holders.



The Heinz family sold the company in 1987, and retained no management role.





http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/heinz.asp

So there you go.

What's really important.



This was in Kelly Sue's blog. Now I will admit to thinking about this sort of thing as much as the next guy but really. To invest money in it, and to spend this much time and effort on it. What I really like is all the bonuses

Bonus #1: Body Art and Stenciling Kit ($9.95 value)

Bonus #2: Creative Ways to Color Your Curlies ($9.95 value)

Bonus #3: Style Guide for Guys ($9.95 value)

Bonus #4: Hot Pink Monthly eZine



My check is in the email.

Hmmm



This was forwarded to me by my father, who I'm sure sent it to everyone on his list or at least a good number of them.



AND....now a word of caution because I'm not positive these numbers are precise - but if I read it correctly, there were 39 combat related killings in Iraq during the month of January.... in the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of January. That's one American city folks, about as deadly as the entire war torn country of Iraq.

This is related how?



The following appeared in the Durham, NC local paper as a letter to the editor. Please forward to all on your list, as this will put things in perspective:



Liberals claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war. They complain about his prosecution of it. "Liberals" in this case means anybody who disagrees with the president or might not wholeheartedly support everything he does, as if we did that for Clinton One liberal recently claimed Bush was the worst president in U.S. history. He is. Not that he was actually elected or anything but as Archie Bunker once said about Gerald Ford, "He's doing pretty good for a guy nobody voted for!"Let's clear up one point: We didn't start the war on terror. Try to remember, it was started by terrorists BEFORE 9/11. Terrorists started the war on terror? They are crazy!



Let's look at the "worst" president and mismanagement claims.



FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year. Truman finished that war and started one in Korea; North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,333 per year.



John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year. Aren't we supposed to learn from the mistakes of the past, not repeat them?



Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. NATO doesn't count in this contextBosnia never attacked us.

He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions. By someone trying to take over Sudan, now a FOX news commentator, not credible in either capacity.



In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida?, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. We lost 600 soldiers, an average of 300 a year. Bush did all this abroad while not allowing another terrorist attack at home. Another? 3000 people died in the first one while he was reading a book about a goat to some schoolchildren.Worst president in history? Yes, at least since Andrew Johnson.



Come on!!!! I think our President is "GREAT! Do the quotation marks on just one side have some meaning I don't get? "GREAT", I understand. He's not great; you're just making those little bunny ears with your fingers.



The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but... It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation. But it's over now. We don't know when the Iraq war might end. Just proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" doesn't make it so.



We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Teddy Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.



It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida!! Maybe, if Saddam had used a bunch of Republican congressional staffers rather than the Republican Guard, he might still be in power

More Well Reasoned and Insightful



Anyway, I'm feeling better today but keep thinking of this, a metaphor for my recent career efforts. So it goes.



Anyway, I spent a good deal of yesterday digging horse manure and managing to receiving a call from New York Life. My driving around time was spent listening to "Reefer Madness" which I found very interesting and worthwhile. The story of Reuben Sturman, a man so secretive I cannot find his picture on Google fascinates me. His transformation from aspiring businessman selling remaindered comics to Godfather of the sex industry to fugitive tax cheat is amazing. Basically, he was a pioneer, developing many of the techniques for hiding money that were later expanded by Enron.

Anger Management

What would it take to set you over the edge? How does one deal with the feelings of worthlessness?

From my desk calendar.





A handful of shortsighted people have always existed. But overall, their day is over because the public's attitude toward war and violence has become much healthier than at any time in history. -- HH the Dalai Lama

Scorpio Style:

don't ever tell scorpios they've had enough, for
they'll smirk at you and quietly but
intentionaly keep tipping till they're hog
whipering drunk, out of 100-proof spite.
Scorpios like to drink, and screw you if you
have a problem with that. most of them see the
sauce as something to savour in itself, and not
as a personality-altering tool -- though if
depressed, self-loathingScorpios seek total
obliteration. but generaly, they're facinating
drinking pals, brilliant conversation runners
and dizzying flirts. they also remember
everything -- espescally what you got up to
when you were blitzed. only drink with a
Scorpio that likes you.



Alcohoroscopes MRK 2- the stars and your drinking style
brought to you by Quizilla

Cooking and Resolutions



Not that I have many options at this point. but I'm thinking if I stay with my present job at the company whose name I had best not speak, out of discretion. In the next couple of years, I would like to move to Colorado but do so at a rate of pay that would enable Laurie to retire, or at least for me to be the primary wage earner.



Anyway, current company is growing but I'm only making 9.75 per hour right now and I need to be making more, earning more, I should say, because I feel as though I'm being paid adequately for the work I'm being asked to perform. I just want to do something that's more demanding.



On another note, Rebecca and I are teaching a cooking class at the store tonight. It's "Fish: Fast, Fun and Fearless". I've been trying to get this done for over a year, almost two.

Gee it's good to be back home again

Just drove across Kansas in a rainstorm. I really feel alive in Colorado, or at least the mountains.

Later that Day



Well, it's come to this again. I'm not blogging often enough and when I do, it's about not blogging often enough.



So, what's happening? I really hate that question because I don't know. I don't have an answer for anything anymore. I feel totally inarticulate. My brain is empty. I need some new stimulation, something new to do.



I'm frustrated at my career's state, or lack thereof. I can't seem to get any traction at my current employer and I can't find anywhere else that will take me. I need a class or someplace to go and learn something new.



Such as? More HTML, reload (warm up) my Java. Database stuff.

I have been away over the last couple weeks. Not in interest of completing this:


create your own visited states map but just to get away and kick back for awhile with my wife and our in-laws.