I've finally figured out what I want to name my franken-bike...
Bucephalus
Now I just have to go ahead and buy a rear tire, chain, seatpost, seat, and grips.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
untitled
Today, I there was a guy in the elevator standing next to me... He had on headphones and was bobbing his head along with the music, which is not altogether unusual on a college campus. What was odd, however, was the music he was listening to. Bach... A Brandenburg Concerto, I think. He was really into it.
I agree this is a good idea, but I can't help thinking it's a bit humorous. Does it come with whips and child-size shackles? :-P
Thanks to Caroline, I have a new hot biker girl to obsess over. This summer I'd love to go on a biking bender (maybe with Jarrett) and go biking across some US state. Probably up in the pacific northwest. Some place coolish and scenic. Thanks!
I bought some new stamps today. Sugar Ray Robinson. Oh yeah.
I agree this is a good idea, but I can't help thinking it's a bit humorous. Does it come with whips and child-size shackles? :-P
Thanks to Caroline, I have a new hot biker girl to obsess over. This summer I'd love to go on a biking bender (maybe with Jarrett) and go biking across some US state. Probably up in the pacific northwest. Some place coolish and scenic. Thanks!
I bought some new stamps today. Sugar Ray Robinson. Oh yeah.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
cursed evening...
The recent weeks have seen some interesting happenings at the Palace at 2110 Maldon.
Number of Parties: 2
Number of frat-tool-douche-bags encountered at my own party : > 3.
Number of said frat-tool-douche-bags known beforehand: 0.
Hours wasted playing Guitar Hero: > 5.
Number of cars chipped out of ice-coffins: 2.
Bob Dylan Albums acquired: 1.
yeah... I'm getting tired of thinking of clever ways to put things in here, so I'll cut to the chase.
It seems as if we're going to have to move soon (i.e. before the end of the summer). Our landlords are moving out of state, and want to sell the house. This sucks b/c they are trying to sell it for ~$30,000 more than the house is appraised for. Not that I think they'll get it all of it, but whoever buys it will probably want to raise the rent more than we'd like pay. I really don't want to move.
So, in an act of desperation, I'm attempting to purchase the house. Probably won't be able to swing a loan for the entire amount. If I can, It'll be freakin' sweet. If not, we'll probably end up moving. dammit.
On a happier note, I played some dominoes tonight. It's the consolation tournament for all us poor saps which didn't make it into the playoffs. First prize is a crushed can of Lone Star nailed to a plaque. I partnered with Kristen, and we managed to beat the pants of everyone we played. Where was this luck during the season?
After I left Ginny's, I biked home. On the way, I got a call from Mike. He and Vince were up on the top of the parking garage. His tire finally went flat, and he'd been trying to change it for a half-hour with no luck. Apparently, the lugnuts were stuck, so he couldn't get the spare on. The only other option was to re-inflate the tire (it's a slow leak), but he had no tire pump with him. I swung by campus and borrowed Vince's keys so I could go back to the house to return with Vince's car and my bicycle pump (hey, it's the only thing we had).
So, after 15 minutes, I arrive home, put up Gertie, and grab the pump and head out to Vince's car, only to realize that the ignition key was conspicuously missing from Vince's keys. The alarm/keyless entry thing was there, but no ignition key. I call Vince, and find out that Vince had thrown the keys from the top of the 5-story garage to Mike on the ground floor. Mike didn't catch them, and the plastic casing for the key must have broken off from the keyring when they hit the ground. So, with no other way to get back to campus, I haul Gertie out again and head back, bicycle pump in tow.
I finally get back to campus and take the elevator to the top level. It takes us 10 minutes to pump up the tire with the bicycle pump. I'll bet the rent-a-cops watching the security cameras were having a blast watching us. In case you're ever stuck in a similar situation, yes, it does work. It just takes a while.
At this point, Vince and Mike have been hanging out on top of the garage for an hour and a half. We decide we need a beer and food. So, we go to the crown. However, it's after midnight, and after midnight, the kitchen is closed.
That was pretty much how the night went.
After going to wendys and HEB, I came back home and watched On the Waterfront with Marlon Brando. He's a pretty good actor, I have to say.
Update: It seems we are down to 1 working car. Vince's car didn't start this morning. :-(
Number of Parties: 2
Number of frat-tool-douche-bags encountered at my own party : > 3.
Number of said frat-tool-douche-bags known beforehand: 0.
Hours wasted playing Guitar Hero: > 5.
Number of cars chipped out of ice-coffins: 2.
Bob Dylan Albums acquired: 1.
yeah... I'm getting tired of thinking of clever ways to put things in here, so I'll cut to the chase.
It seems as if we're going to have to move soon (i.e. before the end of the summer). Our landlords are moving out of state, and want to sell the house. This sucks b/c they are trying to sell it for ~$30,000 more than the house is appraised for. Not that I think they'll get it all of it, but whoever buys it will probably want to raise the rent more than we'd like pay. I really don't want to move.
So, in an act of desperation, I'm attempting to purchase the house. Probably won't be able to swing a loan for the entire amount. If I can, It'll be freakin' sweet. If not, we'll probably end up moving. dammit.
On a happier note, I played some dominoes tonight. It's the consolation tournament for all us poor saps which didn't make it into the playoffs. First prize is a crushed can of Lone Star nailed to a plaque. I partnered with Kristen, and we managed to beat the pants of everyone we played. Where was this luck during the season?
After I left Ginny's, I biked home. On the way, I got a call from Mike. He and Vince were up on the top of the parking garage. His tire finally went flat, and he'd been trying to change it for a half-hour with no luck. Apparently, the lugnuts were stuck, so he couldn't get the spare on. The only other option was to re-inflate the tire (it's a slow leak), but he had no tire pump with him. I swung by campus and borrowed Vince's keys so I could go back to the house to return with Vince's car and my bicycle pump (hey, it's the only thing we had).
So, after 15 minutes, I arrive home, put up Gertie, and grab the pump and head out to Vince's car, only to realize that the ignition key was conspicuously missing from Vince's keys. The alarm/keyless entry thing was there, but no ignition key. I call Vince, and find out that Vince had thrown the keys from the top of the 5-story garage to Mike on the ground floor. Mike didn't catch them, and the plastic casing for the key must have broken off from the keyring when they hit the ground. So, with no other way to get back to campus, I haul Gertie out again and head back, bicycle pump in tow.
I finally get back to campus and take the elevator to the top level. It takes us 10 minutes to pump up the tire with the bicycle pump. I'll bet the rent-a-cops watching the security cameras were having a blast watching us. In case you're ever stuck in a similar situation, yes, it does work. It just takes a while.
At this point, Vince and Mike have been hanging out on top of the garage for an hour and a half. We decide we need a beer and food. So, we go to the crown. However, it's after midnight, and after midnight, the kitchen is closed.
That was pretty much how the night went.
After going to wendys and HEB, I came back home and watched On the Waterfront with Marlon Brando. He's a pretty good actor, I have to say.
Update: It seems we are down to 1 working car. Vince's car didn't start this morning. :-(
Thursday, January 11, 2007
bad drivers
Ok, so this is a pretty wierd story... that's still kinda on-going.
I was woken up this morning at 6:00 by a frantic pounding on our front door. I look out the door and see a red SUV spinning its tires in our front lawn. I was just in REM sleep, so I don't really realize that this is a problem quite yet. It takes me a minute to associate the pounding on the door with the fact that I should probably go answer it. I stumble to the door in nothing but my boxers (*blush*) It's one of our neighbors, and she's pretty excited. It doesn't take me long to realize why.
Anyway, the idiot behind the wheel manages to extricate his vehicle from the front lawn, narrowly missing Vince's car and the fire hydrant. This guys is probably drunk and/or high. After some more wheel spinning, he manages to remove his vehicle from the scene of the crime, wobbling off down the road on a flat tire.
Anyway, my neighbor saw the whole thing, and managed to get his license plate number, Apparently, before he plowed into our lawan, he clipped a car parked on the side of the road, smashing the right headlamp into smithereens, and also doing some damage to the side panel.
So, I go back inside and put some clothes on, and we write down the license plate number on a piece of paper and slip it underneath the windshield wiper of the damaged car. Hopefully they catch the bastard.
I was woken up this morning at 6:00 by a frantic pounding on our front door. I look out the door and see a red SUV spinning its tires in our front lawn. I was just in REM sleep, so I don't really realize that this is a problem quite yet. It takes me a minute to associate the pounding on the door with the fact that I should probably go answer it. I stumble to the door in nothing but my boxers (*blush*) It's one of our neighbors, and she's pretty excited. It doesn't take me long to realize why.
Anyway, the idiot behind the wheel manages to extricate his vehicle from the front lawn, narrowly missing Vince's car and the fire hydrant. This guys is probably drunk and/or high. After some more wheel spinning, he manages to remove his vehicle from the scene of the crime, wobbling off down the road on a flat tire.
Anyway, my neighbor saw the whole thing, and managed to get his license plate number, Apparently, before he plowed into our lawan, he clipped a car parked on the side of the road, smashing the right headlamp into smithereens, and also doing some damage to the side panel.
So, I go back inside and put some clothes on, and we write down the license plate number on a piece of paper and slip it underneath the windshield wiper of the damaged car. Hopefully they catch the bastard.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
is a few high trumps, the 5-5 and no crappy offs too much to ask?
Seriously...
I've been having the worst run of luck with dominoes lately. I can't manage to get a decent hand. Tonight was a perfect example. I won't bore you with the mundane details, but suffice it to say that I could not draw a decent hand of dominoes to save my life. The only decent hand I got, my partner overbid me, and decided to call trumps something which made my hand absolute crap.
This game is equal parts skill, luck, and lunacy. You can't be a good player without a little bit of all three. You can be the best player in the world, but if you can't get decent dominoes, there's only so far your skill can take you. Conversely, if you're not a very good player, and you get the best hand in the world, you can still F it up quite easily.
Normally, you can bid on mediocre hands by remembering that your partner has 7 dominoes too. However, the hands I've been getting are so bad, there's no clear trump suit. So, even if my partner has some dominoes to help me, the chances of him ALSO having the rest of the trump suit are not good. Alternatively, you can play a supportive role with a mediocre hand and feed points to your partner or catch tricks with your doubles. However, if you have no points or doubles, this is hard. The last thing you can do with an un-biddable hand, is to try to set the other team, should they get the bid. Now, I'm not the world's best 42 player, but I've played long enough to learn how to be a decent set player. However, in order to be able to set the other team, you've also got to have some points or doubles.
Now, I understand that almost half of this game is sheer luck of the dominoes you draw, and that it's inevitable that you'll occasionally run into a streak of bad luck. The flip side of this coin, you expect dry spells to come to an end, and you should start to get some better luck. I've experienced this ebb and flow a few times since I've started playing with the Austin 42 club.
This time, however, the tide has not turned!!!
I've been on a 6-7 week streak of bad luck. At least 6 weeks of BAD DOMINOES! Not mediocre dominoes, BAD ONES!!
Sorry, I'm just a little bitter. I'm sure my luck will change. 6 weeks of bad luck is frustrating though.
I've been having the worst run of luck with dominoes lately. I can't manage to get a decent hand. Tonight was a perfect example. I won't bore you with the mundane details, but suffice it to say that I could not draw a decent hand of dominoes to save my life. The only decent hand I got, my partner overbid me, and decided to call trumps something which made my hand absolute crap.
This game is equal parts skill, luck, and lunacy. You can't be a good player without a little bit of all three. You can be the best player in the world, but if you can't get decent dominoes, there's only so far your skill can take you. Conversely, if you're not a very good player, and you get the best hand in the world, you can still F it up quite easily.
Normally, you can bid on mediocre hands by remembering that your partner has 7 dominoes too. However, the hands I've been getting are so bad, there's no clear trump suit. So, even if my partner has some dominoes to help me, the chances of him ALSO having the rest of the trump suit are not good. Alternatively, you can play a supportive role with a mediocre hand and feed points to your partner or catch tricks with your doubles. However, if you have no points or doubles, this is hard. The last thing you can do with an un-biddable hand, is to try to set the other team, should they get the bid. Now, I'm not the world's best 42 player, but I've played long enough to learn how to be a decent set player. However, in order to be able to set the other team, you've also got to have some points or doubles.
Now, I understand that almost half of this game is sheer luck of the dominoes you draw, and that it's inevitable that you'll occasionally run into a streak of bad luck. The flip side of this coin, you expect dry spells to come to an end, and you should start to get some better luck. I've experienced this ebb and flow a few times since I've started playing with the Austin 42 club.
This time, however, the tide has not turned!!!
I've been on a 6-7 week streak of bad luck. At least 6 weeks of BAD DOMINOES! Not mediocre dominoes, BAD ONES!!
Sorry, I'm just a little bitter. I'm sure my luck will change. 6 weeks of bad luck is frustrating though.
Monday, January 01, 2007
procrastination - sorta
Lyrics from the song "Why does the Sun Shine?" by They Might Be Giants
---------------------------------
The Sun is a mass
of incandescent gas
a gigantic nuclear furnace.
Where Hydrogen is built into Helium
at a temperature of millions of degrees.
Yo-Ho it's hot,
The sun is not
A place where we could live
But here on Earth,
there'd be no life
without the light it gives
We need its light
We need its heat
We need its energy
Without the sun,
Without a doubt
There'd be no you and me.
The Sun is a mass
of incandescent gas
a gigantic nuclear furnace
Where Hydrogen is built into Helium
at a temperature of millions of degrees.
The sun is hot - (It is so hot that everything on it is a gas: Iron, copper, aluminum, and many others!)
The sun is large - (If the sun were hollow, a million earths could fit inside; and yet the sun is only a middle sized star!)
The sun is far away - (About 93 million miles away! and that's why it looks so small!)
And even when it's out of sight,
the sun shines night and day.
The sun gives heat,
The sun gives light
The sunlight that we see.
The sunlight comes
from our own Sun's
Atomic Energy
(Scientists have found that the sun is a huge atom smashing machine! The heat and light of the sun come from the nuclear reactions of Hydrogen, Carbon, Nitrogen, and Helium)
The Sun is a mass
of incandescent gas
a gigantic nuclear furnace
Where Hydrogen is built into Helium
at a temperature of millions of degrees.
---------------------------
Gotta love these guys...
---------------------------------
The Sun is a mass
of incandescent gas
a gigantic nuclear furnace.
Where Hydrogen is built into Helium
at a temperature of millions of degrees.
Yo-Ho it's hot,
The sun is not
A place where we could live
But here on Earth,
there'd be no life
without the light it gives
We need its light
We need its heat
We need its energy
Without the sun,
Without a doubt
There'd be no you and me.
The Sun is a mass
of incandescent gas
a gigantic nuclear furnace
Where Hydrogen is built into Helium
at a temperature of millions of degrees.
The sun is hot - (It is so hot that everything on it is a gas: Iron, copper, aluminum, and many others!)
The sun is large - (If the sun were hollow, a million earths could fit inside; and yet the sun is only a middle sized star!)
The sun is far away - (About 93 million miles away! and that's why it looks so small!)
And even when it's out of sight,
the sun shines night and day.
The sun gives heat,
The sun gives light
The sunlight that we see.
The sunlight comes
from our own Sun's
Atomic Energy
(Scientists have found that the sun is a huge atom smashing machine! The heat and light of the sun come from the nuclear reactions of Hydrogen, Carbon, Nitrogen, and Helium)
The Sun is a mass
of incandescent gas
a gigantic nuclear furnace
Where Hydrogen is built into Helium
at a temperature of millions of degrees.
---------------------------
Gotta love these guys...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
