Ruthie's interview didn't go so well, and she didn't get the job she had hoped for. She did get a quasi-job though, something dancing the line of being a volenteer and having a job. (Like working for a few months without pay, then getting a small check, then working a few more months without pay, then another small check)
What this means is that for the frist time in about 5 years, I need to find a job.
I applied at a local place that might have some seasonal openings, just a gut feeling there. I don't want to mention where, a little paranoid actually, I feel like saying where I applied before finding a job is bad luck. (My wife knows, and I dare say she is the only one that knows where I applied.)
That actually comes from when we were house shopping last year. The first house that seemed appear like it might work seemed to suddenly go awry after my mom found out we were looking. We waited to give her information about where we live now until it was too late for her to muck it up, just in case.
I'll wait a few days to see how it goes, I have faith in how events will unfold. If not, I'll look further. I will not go back to fast food though. I have my reasons, but fast food is off limits. I want something near Piqua, of course, and there is a balance in that I have some management experience, a college degree, and haven't had a job due to being a stay at home dad for the last 5 years. The last amount I got paid used to be decent, but is now just about a buck over minimum wage. (Dang that has creaped up since '05).
I don't know what to expect the next few months, but I have faith that it will all play out for the best.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
race results
 |
| 'Smurf Killer' on race day. |
2010 Ohio Tour de Donut
taken from the online version posted this morning.
(Division: Men under 50)
Time: 2:49:08
donuts: 5
Time bonus: 25 Min
Time adjusted: 2:24:08
overall unadjusted rank: 317 out of 499 (36.47%)
overall adjusted rank: 289 out of 499 (42.08%)
division unadjusted rank: 156 out of 207 (10.22%)
division adjusted rank: 155 out of 207 (10.42%)
I think my goal of getting in the top 100 was a bit overambitious. I do know a few spots where I could have pushed harder, or eaten just 1 more donut. I weigh over 230 pounds, and was riding a hybrid bike (a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike) Room for improvement has a few avenues to explore.
On a related note, I got a hoodie with the tour logo on front, and on the back it says 'I rode 30 miles and gained 8 pounds' which I found funny, and while not quite the truth, there is a grain of truth behind it (beyond the whole 30 miles of riding.)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
blue tires
I decided that the best solution for now was to upgrade my bike, for a number of reasons, due to the race in a few weeks. Granted, it is more of a tour than a race, but that isn't important. I wanted to get a touring bike, and a friend made an offer to possibly buy a bike from him. It was a road bike, but it would fill the need. The other option was to build one from the ground up. I found a decent touring frame on Nashbar and compiled a parts list for a dream bike. The total looked to be over $800, but I figured I could do it in steps.
Then I thought about it, and thought maybe I could just get new rims. Nashbar and most online places were right out for that purpose, due to cost, so I figured that would require going to the local bike shop. Schmitty's had told me that I could probably go down to a 35c from the 40/42c I had on the bike, but that didn't seem like much of a step. I got to thinking, the Schwinn has 622x20 rims, and the range doesn't usually start that much above that diameter. So this afternoon while waiting for the bus to pick up Mark, I called Nashbar and asked what size tires I could get, and they said that 700x23c should work. A bit of looking online using my phone, and I figured 700x25c would be better.
After getting Mark home from the bus stop, I looked at Nashbar for tires. I found a few that looked promising, but I got confused when it refered to folding tires and the types of beads. So I called Parkers, and found out that he would only be open till 6 and then be gone till Tuesday. (He does electric wheelchairs at a local festival.) I go over, and find out the bead type wasn't important, and we begin to look at tyres. (dammit, I like the British spelling.)
Now, when I walked in asking about if a 700x25 would really fit a 622x20 rim, he got a bit confused, and told me that I couldn't put a 700 on a 26x1.5 wheel. I won't fault him on that one though, since Arty specializes in Mountain Bikes. He looked up a chart, made a sound of almost surprise, and said picked up a phone and called a number and asked them the same question. He found that a 23 would work, but I had heard better things about using 25s.
He only had 1 in stock in that size, a Continental. Granted, I could have ordered the second one, or gone with the 23s, but he remembered that he had colored ones for a few bucks less. Now, I didn't expect what he meant by colored. I figured a line around the tyre or something. Nope. They were colored all the way. (And serial numbered. Tomorrow I will record the tyres serial numbers.) I had the option of red, blue, and yellow. I went with blue, partly because it clashed the least with the bike, partly that blue is my favorite color, and partly because Mark liked that option the best.
I did a test ride on them, and even though I was wearing sandals, and not wearing a helmet so I didn't push hard, I still was averaging 10 mph without really trying. It was like a whole new bike. This may not be a true touring bike, but it might just be close enough. I'll put it through its paces this weekend, but I feel ready for the Tour de Donut. I feel like being in the top 100 is just a bit more realistic of a goal now. (My favorite part is that they actually use Schrader valves, so I don't need adapters or to adjust my main bike pump.)
Granted, I had to adjust my speedometer when I got home, but that wasn't too hard. (I used my phone's gps to get the data from the test ride) I have the old tubes and tires if I need them, and if anyone asks, I'll just say "I don't brake for Smurfs."
Then I thought about it, and thought maybe I could just get new rims. Nashbar and most online places were right out for that purpose, due to cost, so I figured that would require going to the local bike shop. Schmitty's had told me that I could probably go down to a 35c from the 40/42c I had on the bike, but that didn't seem like much of a step. I got to thinking, the Schwinn has 622x20 rims, and the range doesn't usually start that much above that diameter. So this afternoon while waiting for the bus to pick up Mark, I called Nashbar and asked what size tires I could get, and they said that 700x23c should work. A bit of looking online using my phone, and I figured 700x25c would be better.
After getting Mark home from the bus stop, I looked at Nashbar for tires. I found a few that looked promising, but I got confused when it refered to folding tires and the types of beads. So I called Parkers, and found out that he would only be open till 6 and then be gone till Tuesday. (He does electric wheelchairs at a local festival.) I go over, and find out the bead type wasn't important, and we begin to look at tyres. (dammit, I like the British spelling.)
Now, when I walked in asking about if a 700x25 would really fit a 622x20 rim, he got a bit confused, and told me that I couldn't put a 700 on a 26x1.5 wheel. I won't fault him on that one though, since Arty specializes in Mountain Bikes. He looked up a chart, made a sound of almost surprise, and said picked up a phone and called a number and asked them the same question. He found that a 23 would work, but I had heard better things about using 25s.
He only had 1 in stock in that size, a Continental. Granted, I could have ordered the second one, or gone with the 23s, but he remembered that he had colored ones for a few bucks less. Now, I didn't expect what he meant by colored. I figured a line around the tyre or something. Nope. They were colored all the way. (And serial numbered. Tomorrow I will record the tyres serial numbers.) I had the option of red, blue, and yellow. I went with blue, partly because it clashed the least with the bike, partly that blue is my favorite color, and partly because Mark liked that option the best.
 |
| well, they match the car |
Granted, I had to adjust my speedometer when I got home, but that wasn't too hard. (I used my phone's gps to get the data from the test ride) I have the old tubes and tires if I need them, and if anyone asks, I'll just say "I don't brake for Smurfs."
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Outsmarted by a 5 year old
Mark has started sleeping in his bed again. Apparently, sleeping in his tent the last nine months was just a cog in his master plan.
On Sunday, I realized that Enzo's mattress was finally past the point of being useful. Instead of spending 50 bucks for a new mattress (it survived Mark for a few years too) we decided to move Mark's bed into Enzo's room. (He wasn't using it, after all) Low and behold, Mark announces that he is going to start sharing the bed with Enzo and that it was his goal all along. 9 months sleeping in a tent so we would move his bed to his brothers room. 12 months ago, we were prepping to move, and Mark couldn't stand his brother and him sharing a room. Now....
I can't really complain though, they are playing together more and its like they are bonding better than they had been. Might be worth it after all.
On Sunday, I realized that Enzo's mattress was finally past the point of being useful. Instead of spending 50 bucks for a new mattress (it survived Mark for a few years too) we decided to move Mark's bed into Enzo's room. (He wasn't using it, after all) Low and behold, Mark announces that he is going to start sharing the bed with Enzo and that it was his goal all along. 9 months sleeping in a tent so we would move his bed to his brothers room. 12 months ago, we were prepping to move, and Mark couldn't stand his brother and him sharing a room. Now....
I can't really complain though, they are playing together more and its like they are bonding better than they had been. Might be worth it after all.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Pushing myself
I decided to go ahead and test push myself last weekend and made the bike ride down to Tipp City. This worked out to about 38 miles, which made the longest day of riding I have ever done. (yeah, that map says about 37, lets ignore the wrong turn down a cul-de-sac and stopping for food and I had to go fix something at the mall, and I moved the start point to a parking lot for the bike path, though I did ride that section, instead of it starting at my house. No nitpicking, ok?)
I had hoped to have the panniers I ordered in but nope, no such luck. Nashbar is slow to ship it seems. I'll probably send them a grouchy email next week, just because. I decided to go on the ride anyways, even though I forgot to clean my water bottles, instead taking two bottles of Ice Mountain, one held to my rear rack with bungee cords, and the other in one of the bottle cages on the bike. (The other one won't hole bottles of water) Of course, dealing with the cap meant having to stop every time I wanted a drink, but it could have been worse.
Around Troy, I found out that the event ride for Troy was scheduled that day, it was a free ride though, so I did manage to get some water at a rest stop in Tipp City. Missed the watermelon by about 2 minutes though. I hit the bike shop and looked at all the nice bike I can't afford, got a small rear rack bag, and got it set up. I was able to put my bike lock in it, which was great not to have that thing hanging onto my bike at random places as I ride around, and it better not interferer with the panniers.
I took streets home, rather than the bike path, and aside from a wrong turn onto the aforementioned cul-de-sac, and another where I forgot that going that way involved crossing State Route 55 where it happens to be a divided highway, it wasn't all that bad. I stopped at a Chinese Buffet in Troy, where I know I didn't get enough calories to balance what I used getting there, and headed back to Piqua.
I have to admit, my legs are angry with me today, but it isn't as bad as I expected. Before leaving for the ride, I really thought that hitting Tipp City would be just past what I was ready for, but having logged just under 40 miles in that trip, the little voice in the back of my head is screaming at me for not hitting 40, and demands that next weekend, I will go down the path again and hit Taylorsville Dam. I feel like I should be able to hit 50, and anything below 50 miles next weekend will be a failure. The only downside is that for riding there, I can not pre-map it for use with the GPS on my phone, Google doesn't have much of that area of bike path programed in, so it will be a true adventure.
I will probably sign up for the Tour de Donut this week, because deep down, I know I can't win it outright, but if I can handle the 50 I plan for this weekend, then the 30 mile route will be relatively easy. I finally feel like I am at a point where saying that I want to do GOBA next year is not a pipe dream, and maybe by even TOSRV will be a viable option.
Granted, for those, I think I might like a 'faster' bike, but I did survive doing the 30 mile ride of the Troy Strawberry Festival on a Mongoose Folding Mountain bike, and that was a heavy creature. I know my Schwinn can probably do it, but it might well be pushing that bike to its limits. Actually, I think I would rather have road handlebars, rather than the mountain handlebars I have on the Schwinn, but for some mysterious reason, the parts to convert the handlebars are too prohibitive. If I can come up with the money, I will probably go through Tipp Cyclery simply due to their selection and the prices seem rather reasonable. I might instead go to the one in Troy, they specialize in Trek, and have some nice ones. I don't think I will go with Schwinn, I am not sure I am a big enough fan to go into the even more high end of their line. ( Mine is a bike shop model, not a department store one, but it still isn't a uber high end one.)
I almost begin to wonder if I am having my midlife crises a few years too early.
I had hoped to have the panniers I ordered in but nope, no such luck. Nashbar is slow to ship it seems. I'll probably send them a grouchy email next week, just because. I decided to go on the ride anyways, even though I forgot to clean my water bottles, instead taking two bottles of Ice Mountain, one held to my rear rack with bungee cords, and the other in one of the bottle cages on the bike. (The other one won't hole bottles of water) Of course, dealing with the cap meant having to stop every time I wanted a drink, but it could have been worse.
Around Troy, I found out that the event ride for Troy was scheduled that day, it was a free ride though, so I did manage to get some water at a rest stop in Tipp City. Missed the watermelon by about 2 minutes though. I hit the bike shop and looked at all the nice bike I can't afford, got a small rear rack bag, and got it set up. I was able to put my bike lock in it, which was great not to have that thing hanging onto my bike at random places as I ride around, and it better not interferer with the panniers.
I took streets home, rather than the bike path, and aside from a wrong turn onto the aforementioned cul-de-sac, and another where I forgot that going that way involved crossing State Route 55 where it happens to be a divided highway, it wasn't all that bad. I stopped at a Chinese Buffet in Troy, where I know I didn't get enough calories to balance what I used getting there, and headed back to Piqua.
I have to admit, my legs are angry with me today, but it isn't as bad as I expected. Before leaving for the ride, I really thought that hitting Tipp City would be just past what I was ready for, but having logged just under 40 miles in that trip, the little voice in the back of my head is screaming at me for not hitting 40, and demands that next weekend, I will go down the path again and hit Taylorsville Dam. I feel like I should be able to hit 50, and anything below 50 miles next weekend will be a failure. The only downside is that for riding there, I can not pre-map it for use with the GPS on my phone, Google doesn't have much of that area of bike path programed in, so it will be a true adventure.
I will probably sign up for the Tour de Donut this week, because deep down, I know I can't win it outright, but if I can handle the 50 I plan for this weekend, then the 30 mile route will be relatively easy. I finally feel like I am at a point where saying that I want to do GOBA next year is not a pipe dream, and maybe by even TOSRV will be a viable option.
Granted, for those, I think I might like a 'faster' bike, but I did survive doing the 30 mile ride of the Troy Strawberry Festival on a Mongoose Folding Mountain bike, and that was a heavy creature. I know my Schwinn can probably do it, but it might well be pushing that bike to its limits. Actually, I think I would rather have road handlebars, rather than the mountain handlebars I have on the Schwinn, but for some mysterious reason, the parts to convert the handlebars are too prohibitive. If I can come up with the money, I will probably go through Tipp Cyclery simply due to their selection and the prices seem rather reasonable. I might instead go to the one in Troy, they specialize in Trek, and have some nice ones. I don't think I will go with Schwinn, I am not sure I am a big enough fan to go into the even more high end of their line. ( Mine is a bike shop model, not a department store one, but it still isn't a uber high end one.)
I almost begin to wonder if I am having my midlife crises a few years too early.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Disillusioned with the local bike shop
I got my wife an old bike at a garage sale over the weekend, a 15 speed Murray mountain bike built back in 95. Sure, it has the cheap type of construction on the frame, but it looked like the frame was in great shape. $15 seemed reasonable, of course, I had to buy new tubes and brakes, adjust the rear derailleur, and tighten the kick stand. I did a few test rides on it to make sure it all rides ok, and it is a smooth ride. Much smoother than I expected. Smooth enough that if I didn't have dangley bits, I would be happy to ride that thing around town.
The only 'problem' I have with the bike is the rear brakes. They don't seem to have the grip that I like, but I can't figure out if I am just being paranoid, or if there is some issue I am overlooking in the 7 or 8 times I have tried to adjust them over the last few days.
I have a theory, in that the rear brake cable is coming from the bottom, instead of the top.
Right now, that is my only idea on why I can't get the brakes as tight as I want them. My wife thinks they are fine, but I am not convinced she could stop on an incline using the rear brakes. Oh, the front brakes are nice, but the rear ones are driving me insane.
I decided to take it up to the local bike shop, and at least see if they could tell me if I was being paranoid, or if there was a glaring error that I just kept missing, like perhaps the damn wire is in wrong. The only thing they would tell me was that could do a full adjustment to the rear brake, for somewhere between $10 and $15 bucks depending on what it needs done, and it would be ready in a few days. I decided to take it home and keep fiddling with it. The problem with leaving it was two-fold. 1, I hadn't messed with it enough to get frustrated enough that I thought 15 bucks and a few days at the shop was worth it yet. 2, it seemed pretty likely that the only answer I would get in a few days was 'they needed adjusted' and that sure as hell wouldn't help me understand what I was missing. (Unless the cable came back reversed, and then I would be miffed that they couldn't just say, "hey, your cable is upside down" (it was like that when I got it, but then again, it didn't seem to have been ridden much)
Look, I understand that part of the function of the Bike Shop is to make money. This year, it has made its fair share from me. I had my mountain bike serviced this spring, when I got new tires, tubes, pedals, and had them double check the gear settings. It cost me nearly $100, mostly because of the gears, which were ok, but they charged me $40 to check that. (I really think they screwed me there, but I guess I should have been more specific when telling them what I wanted regarding that.) I also picked up another set of pedals for my hybrid bike (not quite skinny tires, but not mountain bike tires either.) but this time I installed them myself.
I don't expect the bike shop to bend over backwards and move my problems ahead of the line. I really don't. But I do expect them to at least say 'yeah, the brakes don't seem right' or 'they seem ok, but we can double check them' without having to pay ten bucks and wait a few days. I am not asking to have a wheel trued. I just want a second opinion on if the brakes seem ok, because they seem weak to me. (Being fair, my two bikes have a different brake system, and that alone might be why they seem odd to me.)
I might try this week to reverse the entry point of the brake cable, and see if that works better, otherwise... I might just take it to an out of town bike shop. I'm still a little ticked at the local one.
Next to my mtn bike, in the 'garage'
The only 'problem' I have with the bike is the rear brakes. They don't seem to have the grip that I like, but I can't figure out if I am just being paranoid, or if there is some issue I am overlooking in the 7 or 8 times I have tried to adjust them over the last few days.
I have a theory, in that the rear brake cable is coming from the bottom, instead of the top.
Right now, that is my only idea on why I can't get the brakes as tight as I want them. My wife thinks they are fine, but I am not convinced she could stop on an incline using the rear brakes. Oh, the front brakes are nice, but the rear ones are driving me insane.
I decided to take it up to the local bike shop, and at least see if they could tell me if I was being paranoid, or if there was a glaring error that I just kept missing, like perhaps the damn wire is in wrong. The only thing they would tell me was that could do a full adjustment to the rear brake, for somewhere between $10 and $15 bucks depending on what it needs done, and it would be ready in a few days. I decided to take it home and keep fiddling with it. The problem with leaving it was two-fold. 1, I hadn't messed with it enough to get frustrated enough that I thought 15 bucks and a few days at the shop was worth it yet. 2, it seemed pretty likely that the only answer I would get in a few days was 'they needed adjusted' and that sure as hell wouldn't help me understand what I was missing. (Unless the cable came back reversed, and then I would be miffed that they couldn't just say, "hey, your cable is upside down" (it was like that when I got it, but then again, it didn't seem to have been ridden much)
Look, I understand that part of the function of the Bike Shop is to make money. This year, it has made its fair share from me. I had my mountain bike serviced this spring, when I got new tires, tubes, pedals, and had them double check the gear settings. It cost me nearly $100, mostly because of the gears, which were ok, but they charged me $40 to check that. (I really think they screwed me there, but I guess I should have been more specific when telling them what I wanted regarding that.) I also picked up another set of pedals for my hybrid bike (not quite skinny tires, but not mountain bike tires either.) but this time I installed them myself.
I don't expect the bike shop to bend over backwards and move my problems ahead of the line. I really don't. But I do expect them to at least say 'yeah, the brakes don't seem right' or 'they seem ok, but we can double check them' without having to pay ten bucks and wait a few days. I am not asking to have a wheel trued. I just want a second opinion on if the brakes seem ok, because they seem weak to me. (Being fair, my two bikes have a different brake system, and that alone might be why they seem odd to me.)
I might try this week to reverse the entry point of the brake cable, and see if that works better, otherwise... I might just take it to an out of town bike shop. I'm still a little ticked at the local one.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
ditched
My wife's department was wiped out a few weeks ago, and she has been looking for a new job. No luck so far, but it could be worse. I think. We went to Youngs Dairy Barn yesterday to meet up with her grandma with the kids, which is about an hour away. They picked it because there were other things to do there beside just talking. We get there a few minutes ahead of them, and are waiting when they call and ask us where we are, because they are in the restaurant and can't find us. See, they didn't want to meet us as the food place at Youngs Dairy Barn, they meant the Golden Jersey Inn (at Youngs Dairy) which was a decent walk (in the rain) where we ate, then walked back to the original building, had some ice cream, and then they left. We had no money to play any games, like the large minigolf course. Even if we had the money, we'd have to have someone occupy Enzo. And the only option there 'had to get going' because they didn't have any spare time. They made us drive an hour to meet them to ditch us at a place that would be fun for the kids if we had money, knowing my wife was no longer working, and they ditched us. Well fuck. I could handle them bringing my wife and the kids souvenirs from their trip to FL, I didn't get anything, but I am used to that crap. Ditching us after making us drive an hour? That's crossing the line.
The day wasn't a total loss, I did get in an 18 mile bike ride, I rode to Troy, then around a subdivision to look at some statues that I saw during the Troy Strawberry Festival Bike Tour this year. (I was able to finish the map with the data from yesterday's ride, hard to recreate with subdivisions, as compared to country roads) There are some really wicked wood carvings on Skylark Drive that made the trip really worth it, especially since most of the ride was during the rain. Still worth it.
I did begin to dig out one of my old bikes, a Huffy. I am thinking of getting a touring bike for next year, something a bit nicer than my Schwinn. Now, I am poor. Not to mention cheap. I thought maybe I could rebuild the huffy into a new, bionic bike. Sadly, I think it only has 20" wheels. Sure, they are the skinny ass wheels, but the body suggested that the dry-rotted tires were mere 20's. Well crap. There goes the 'cheap way' (which actually would have included buying every part except the frame, handlebars, and the fork.) If I buy a new frame and build one from scratch, it will set me back almost 200 just for the frame and fork. Well crap. And new wheels.... holy shit in can, those are expensive!I just checked two places online, and it would be more than my current bike for the damn wheels. I just found the sort by price button, but the difference wasn't that much help. I could buy a new Schwinn, the road bikes for 2010 start at $700. Not much of an option, I guess. Perhaps an older model year would be better, but still far out of my range. Well crap. (My current bike is actually rather nice, its a 21 speed Schwinn Voyageur 2007 model. Sure, I have gotten it to over 25mph on flat roads, and crossed 32 on a hill, and I know I can beat both those, but there is a dark part of every rider that screams for speed. The part that smiles when a car can't easily pass you because you are already at the posted speed limit. (And its twice as nice when there isn't a hill involved, and the driver of the car is just confused. I passed a car that was in the middle of the road talking to someone once while I was near 25mph, and you they were shocked. At least, they were for that part of a second I could hear them.)
Still, I know I can go faster. Perhaps if I didn't weight over 230#...... But it does help on the down hill. Perhaps when I get the older bike down to a cost per mile of under 25 cents.... perhaps never. Maybe next year will be a good year. Maybe I will have the money. Maybe pigs will fly, and the hair on my head will just grow back. Yeah, good luck with that one, eh?
The day wasn't a total loss, I did get in an 18 mile bike ride, I rode to Troy, then around a subdivision to look at some statues that I saw during the Troy Strawberry Festival Bike Tour this year. (I was able to finish the map with the data from yesterday's ride, hard to recreate with subdivisions, as compared to country roads) There are some really wicked wood carvings on Skylark Drive that made the trip really worth it, especially since most of the ride was during the rain. Still worth it.
I did begin to dig out one of my old bikes, a Huffy. I am thinking of getting a touring bike for next year, something a bit nicer than my Schwinn. Now, I am poor. Not to mention cheap. I thought maybe I could rebuild the huffy into a new, bionic bike. Sadly, I think it only has 20" wheels. Sure, they are the skinny ass wheels, but the body suggested that the dry-rotted tires were mere 20's. Well crap. There goes the 'cheap way' (which actually would have included buying every part except the frame, handlebars, and the fork.) If I buy a new frame and build one from scratch, it will set me back almost 200 just for the frame and fork. Well crap. And new wheels.... holy shit in can, those are expensive!
Still, I know I can go faster. Perhaps if I didn't weight over 230#...... But it does help on the down hill. Perhaps when I get the older bike down to a cost per mile of under 25 cents.... perhaps never. Maybe next year will be a good year. Maybe I will have the money. Maybe pigs will fly, and the hair on my head will just grow back. Yeah, good luck with that one, eh?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Father's day, a day late
We decided to do Fathers day late this year to avoid the crowds. We went down to Half-Price books where I picked up Mystic: Rite of Passage (Mystic Traveler)
, The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2)
, Death Note, Vol. 2
, Black Cat, Vol. 2 (Black Cat (Graphic Novels)) (v. 2)
, and Black Cat, Vol. 3 (Black Cat (Graphic Novels)) (v. 3)
. I'll probably have them read in a few days, and only Mystic wasn't on my list already.
After there we went to Dunaways in Troy. (They don't seen to have a webpage at the moment.) It was a bit much, but it was a bigger burger than I expected. It wasn't too busy, and they have highchairs. So nice of an Irish pub to have high chairs and a kid's menu.
We then hit Walmart, simply because we needed groceries. While there, a lady too my pic with her cell phone. I heard the click, and I could easily see my kilted backside on the screen of her phone. She disappeared after she realized I had caught her. I wouldn't have cared, but hey. And that is why i set my cameras to not beep.
, The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2), Death Note, Vol. 2, Black Cat, Vol. 2 (Black Cat (Graphic Novels)) (v. 2), and Black Cat, Vol. 3 (Black Cat (Graphic Novels)) (v. 3). I'll probably have them read in a few days, and only Mystic wasn't on my list already.After there we went to Dunaways in Troy. (They don't seen to have a webpage at the moment.) It was a bit much, but it was a bigger burger than I expected. It wasn't too busy, and they have highchairs. So nice of an Irish pub to have high chairs and a kid's menu.
We then hit Walmart, simply because we needed groceries. While there, a lady too my pic with her cell phone. I heard the click, and I could easily see my kilted backside on the screen of her phone. She disappeared after she realized I had caught her. I wouldn't have cared, but hey. And that is why i set my cameras to not beep.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Touchdown Jesus is dead
Last night, lightning struck Touchdown Jesus (aka Butterball Jesus, Butter Jesus, the adomination next to Traders World, Quicksand Jesus, et al)
It did not survive.
(image from Dayton Daily News)
Don't get me wrong, I had no love for that statue. I thought it was ugly. I did not think it was flammable.
As much as I hated the statue though, deep within me, I am almost torn. On one level, I recognize it was a religious icon, and have to give it some respect. It being destroyed deserves the same sadness as the destruction of The Buddhas of Bamyan. The other side of me, perhaps the part that thinks the remains of the statue looks like a Wicker man which inherently gets burned.
I find myself ultimately siding against the statue. Not because it was ugly, nor that I am not of that faith, but because it was flammable. Now, yes, churches are flammable when made of wood. This happened to be in front of Solid Rock Church. The statue was anything but. A quote from Dayton Daily News:
Yes, it burned to a steel frame in minutes. Basically, every component beyond the steel frame was flammable. Wood, Styrofoam, Fiberglass and Resin. (Ok, apparently fiberglass itself isn't flammable, but the binder for it is. Or something like that. Either way, it can melt)
If this were the Jesus Statue in Rio, I would be slightly saddened to see it destroyed. But this statue? It appears like it was made to burn like religious flash paper. Here's an idea for you Solid Rock Church - use some damn solid rock next time you want to make statue.
On a side note, the Hustler Hollywood sign across the street was undamaged, to the surprise of some the Church's followers. Sure, it stretches far higher into the sky, and is even uphill from there, but it is made of metal. It probably gets hit a lot. And it probably has some major surge protectors built in, and works as a lightning rod. If it were made of Styrofoam, yeah, it probably would have burned down long ago.
It did not survive.
Don't get me wrong, I had no love for that statue. I thought it was ugly. I did not think it was flammable.
As much as I hated the statue though, deep within me, I am almost torn. On one level, I recognize it was a religious icon, and have to give it some respect. It being destroyed deserves the same sadness as the destruction of The Buddhas of Bamyan. The other side of me, perhaps the part that thinks the remains of the statue looks like a Wicker man which inherently gets burned.
I find myself ultimately siding against the statue. Not because it was ugly, nor that I am not of that faith, but because it was flammable. Now, yes, churches are flammable when made of wood. This happened to be in front of Solid Rock Church. The statue was anything but. A quote from Dayton Daily News:
"Earlier this morning and late Monday night, motorists were stopped along the highway and along Union Road in Monroe to watch the 62-foot King of Kings statue burn. The fire was reported at 11:15 p.m. Monday, June 14. Within minutes, all that was left was the steel frame of the statue at Solid Rock Church, 904 N. Union Road."
Yes, it burned to a steel frame in minutes. Basically, every component beyond the steel frame was flammable. Wood, Styrofoam, Fiberglass and Resin. (Ok, apparently fiberglass itself isn't flammable, but the binder for it is. Or something like that. Either way, it can melt)
If this were the Jesus Statue in Rio, I would be slightly saddened to see it destroyed. But this statue? It appears like it was made to burn like religious flash paper. Here's an idea for you Solid Rock Church - use some damn solid rock next time you want to make statue.
On a side note, the Hustler Hollywood sign across the street was undamaged, to the surprise of some the Church's followers. Sure, it stretches far higher into the sky, and is even uphill from there, but it is made of metal. It probably gets hit a lot. And it probably has some major surge protectors built in, and works as a lightning rod. If it were made of Styrofoam, yeah, it probably would have burned down long ago.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
registed for the ride
I decided to hit the used bookstore in Troy today, so I headed there after dropping Mark off at Preschool. It wasn't quite that I wanted to hit the bookstore itself, but rather I wanted to sign up for the Troy Strawberry Festival bike ride. I have about 3 weeks to finish getting ready for it, I'll be doing the 29 mile tour. Both years I did it my bike computers said it was really about 32 miles, but I think 29 is their target distance.
Anyways, the used bookstore in Troy has a unique property: it is part of a pseudo mall. There is an office building containing the Troy Chamber of Commerce, as well as Strawberry Festival office. On the main floor, there is a rear entrance for the book store, as well as a coffee house. On the other side of the bookstore from the coffee shop is a small deli type restaurant. While it doesn't have an entrance to the lobby, it has an ordering window. Handy, especially if it is raining.
I didn't really find anything I was really looking for there, but I did pick up a Jack Higgins book I was missing. I almost stuck some luck, I did find one of the Jon Winters books (Professor Gilbert Cross from Eastern Michigan University is the author, written back in the real early 80's) but it was the second of the series, I am only missing the 3rd of the series, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Beyond that the day was normal until I picked up my cousins daughter who we babysit most weekdays, and at the store getting some supplies she piped up how she has a dad now.
Her dad has been 'absent' since before she was born, though I internally wonder if it really was her dad wanting nothing to do with her, or being run off by her mom. At any rate, her dad is staying with her and her mom for a week or two, and yesterday she was finally told that the visitor was really her dad.
It is odd for me, I've babysat her for about 3 years, in which time I was effective the only make role model in her life. Now her dad is in the picture, and he may well be gone in a few weeks. But it feels like I have lost part of my purpose, not that I actually officially had it. (De facto vs. de juri) It still makes me feel odd though.
Anyways, the used bookstore in Troy has a unique property: it is part of a pseudo mall. There is an office building containing the Troy Chamber of Commerce, as well as Strawberry Festival office. On the main floor, there is a rear entrance for the book store, as well as a coffee house. On the other side of the bookstore from the coffee shop is a small deli type restaurant. While it doesn't have an entrance to the lobby, it has an ordering window. Handy, especially if it is raining.
I didn't really find anything I was really looking for there, but I did pick up a Jack Higgins book I was missing. I almost stuck some luck, I did find one of the Jon Winters books (Professor Gilbert Cross from Eastern Michigan University is the author, written back in the real early 80's) but it was the second of the series, I am only missing the 3rd of the series, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Beyond that the day was normal until I picked up my cousins daughter who we babysit most weekdays, and at the store getting some supplies she piped up how she has a dad now.
Her dad has been 'absent' since before she was born, though I internally wonder if it really was her dad wanting nothing to do with her, or being run off by her mom. At any rate, her dad is staying with her and her mom for a week or two, and yesterday she was finally told that the visitor was really her dad.
It is odd for me, I've babysat her for about 3 years, in which time I was effective the only make role model in her life. Now her dad is in the picture, and he may well be gone in a few weeks. But it feels like I have lost part of my purpose, not that I actually officially had it. (De facto vs. de juri) It still makes me feel odd though.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Dull reading
I am currently working on reading two classical books, Don Quixote (Wordsworth Classics)
and Rob Roy (Wordsworth Classics)
. (To be fair, I have 3 other books that I might start reading at any moment as well, but sticking to the point for now...)
I started Don Quixote back in 2003, and until about 2 weeks ago was still on the first 10 pages. But I did vow to finish that book, and I think I might even be about 6% of the way through it. It is, after all, a big damn book. (One of my favorite quotes from Wagons East!
) It really started out dull, but has improved a bit as it has gone along. Rob Roy, on the other hand, well, damn its dull. Twenty-nine pages into it (almost 10%) and all that has really happened was Frank, the main character (yeah, Rob Roy isn't the main character, and hasn't even been mentioned yet either.) has bitched about not wanting to take up the family business and is traveling north to get a cousin as his replacement in the family biz.
How either of these are classics happens to be a mystery to me. Ironically, everything I knew of the Don story happens to be within the first 20 or so pages. But the rambling I saw therein is nothing to that of Rob Roy. I would dare say the rantings of Frank would disgust even the most hardened EMO today. The edition is unabridged, but damn, I can summarize the first 29 pages as quickly as this:
Frank goes home, and his dad is pissed that he will not follow in the family business . He might be able to get over it, but then he finds out Frank want to be a poet. Frank is disowned, and sent to retrieve his cousin. Along the way there he starts traveling with a guy that is paranoid that Frank might actually be a thief, not that it stops him from traveling with Frank.
Seriously, take each of those 4 sentences, and make each one take about 7 pages each, and you have the first 29 pages of Rob Roy.
On the bright side, I do have a few other books I will probably start (and finish) before I get much farther through either of the above books. Yu-Gi-Oh! Vol. 6: Duelist (Yu-Gi-Oh! (Graphic Novels))
, The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1)
, and The Drakov Memoranda
I can probably read YuGiOh (and vol 7) in the space of a few hours. (45 min each I would expect) and Drakov would probably be a 2 day long read. No idea about Golden Compass though, it is a bit bigger, and I hear a fair bit more complex.
All told, I don't think I'll pick up another 'Classic" book anytime soon.
and Rob Roy (Wordsworth Classics). (To be fair, I have 3 other books that I might start reading at any moment as well, but sticking to the point for now...)I started Don Quixote back in 2003, and until about 2 weeks ago was still on the first 10 pages. But I did vow to finish that book, and I think I might even be about 6% of the way through it. It is, after all, a big damn book. (One of my favorite quotes from Wagons East!
) It really started out dull, but has improved a bit as it has gone along. Rob Roy, on the other hand, well, damn its dull. Twenty-nine pages into it (almost 10%) and all that has really happened was Frank, the main character (yeah, Rob Roy isn't the main character, and hasn't even been mentioned yet either.) has bitched about not wanting to take up the family business and is traveling north to get a cousin as his replacement in the family biz.How either of these are classics happens to be a mystery to me. Ironically, everything I knew of the Don story happens to be within the first 20 or so pages. But the rambling I saw therein is nothing to that of Rob Roy. I would dare say the rantings of Frank would disgust even the most hardened EMO today. The edition is unabridged, but damn, I can summarize the first 29 pages as quickly as this:
Frank goes home, and his dad is pissed that he will not follow in the family business . He might be able to get over it, but then he finds out Frank want to be a poet. Frank is disowned, and sent to retrieve his cousin. Along the way there he starts traveling with a guy that is paranoid that Frank might actually be a thief, not that it stops him from traveling with Frank.
Seriously, take each of those 4 sentences, and make each one take about 7 pages each, and you have the first 29 pages of Rob Roy.
On the bright side, I do have a few other books I will probably start (and finish) before I get much farther through either of the above books. Yu-Gi-Oh! Vol. 6: Duelist (Yu-Gi-Oh! (Graphic Novels))
, The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) , and The Drakov MemorandaI can probably read YuGiOh (and vol 7) in the space of a few hours. (45 min each I would expect) and Drakov would probably be a 2 day long read. No idea about Golden Compass though, it is a bit bigger, and I hear a fair bit more complex.
All told, I don't think I'll pick up another 'Classic" book anytime soon.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The pics are safe
I found this great link today and it allowed me to actually get ubuntu to boot using the old main file. I got Mark's zoo pics off it, and switched back to the newer install of Ubuntu 10.04. I even found out how to print off the networked pc that runs Windows, which means I don't really need to ever boot to windows for darn near anything.
I have to admit, Ubuntu is a bit different to get used to, but it is a whole lot faster than Windows. Of course, it might be partly that it installed as a 64-bit OS...
Now, if they find the flash drive at JVS, I'll be set. At least I saved the pics Mark took, and that darn near made my day.
I have to admit, Ubuntu is a bit different to get used to, but it is a whole lot faster than Windows. Of course, it might be partly that it installed as a 64-bit OS...
Now, if they find the flash drive at JVS, I'll be set. At least I saved the pics Mark took, and that darn near made my day.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Its a bird, its a plane, no its- WTF?!?!
The day started out rather normal, as so many of them do, where the TV auto tunes to channel 7, WHIO for the morning news. The storm last night was quiet, or it was here. A facebook friend mentioned the non-storm as well, but the way the crew on the news talked, it was like Zeus and Thor were having a pissing contest on the roof of the station. (As cool as that would be to see, I'd rather not ever be in a position to see that.)
I got a package to Goin Postal to be shipped to NY, and headed about my day. They couldn't find the flash drive at the preschool with Mark's pics, but they think they know where it is. He seems to be taking it in stride though.
We went to Applebees for dinner, some kind of teacher appreciation night, so Ruthie got to eat for free. She said it was the first time in years that she actually liked the food there.
But a funny thing happened on the way there. We left from Piqua to meet Ruthie there, and I saw something in the sky. Two somethings, actually. Reflecting the sun, but in the shape of birds. One rotated a little, and it turned into a giant metal diamond shape, I blinked, and both were gone. They were too far apart to be the same object, and gone instantly. It almost looked like a kite, but was too big and too bright in reflecting the sun for that. If they had been a plane, it wouldn't have disappeared that fast.
Now, I have seen things in my day. This ranks up there with the weirdest things ever. What makes it funny is that I rationalized it to be a pair of giant metal sky birds rather than some type of aircraft. I think I have seen just a few too odd of things in my days when I am fine rationalizing giant birds in the sky that reflect light like metal.
In a moment of irony, Aerials
came on the radio during the ride home. Aerials...
Sometime I really wonder just what the gods are doing.
I got a package to Goin Postal to be shipped to NY, and headed about my day. They couldn't find the flash drive at the preschool with Mark's pics, but they think they know where it is. He seems to be taking it in stride though.
We went to Applebees for dinner, some kind of teacher appreciation night, so Ruthie got to eat for free. She said it was the first time in years that she actually liked the food there.
But a funny thing happened on the way there. We left from Piqua to meet Ruthie there, and I saw something in the sky. Two somethings, actually. Reflecting the sun, but in the shape of birds. One rotated a little, and it turned into a giant metal diamond shape, I blinked, and both were gone. They were too far apart to be the same object, and gone instantly. It almost looked like a kite, but was too big and too bright in reflecting the sun for that. If they had been a plane, it wouldn't have disappeared that fast.
Now, I have seen things in my day. This ranks up there with the weirdest things ever. What makes it funny is that I rationalized it to be a pair of giant metal sky birds rather than some type of aircraft. I think I have seen just a few too odd of things in my days when I am fine rationalizing giant birds in the sky that reflect light like metal.
In a moment of irony, Aerials
came on the radio during the ride home. Aerials...Sometime I really wonder just what the gods are doing.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The case of the ghost rain
Mark had his 3rd t-ball game tonight, and we capped it off a trip to Faith's Pizza. We heard the first of the storm warnings on the radio, and we managed to leave just in time to get home before the storm. And by storm, I mean wind storm. I didn't hear a single bit of thunder, and Ruthie wasn't sure if she had heard one or not.
Major storm warnings, and not thunder and lightning.
Fair enough, I guess. I went out onto the porch, which according to legend, or at least the guy who lives in the house behind us, has been enclosed since about '95. The first thing I saw was there was a huge wet area at the door, like it had been rained on, just barely not yet at the point of making a puddle. The ceiling and walls as well as the floor around it were all dry. Now, I admit, Enzo has left a puddle or two since he started using training pants vs diapers, but he was dry. Stinky, perhaps, but dry. The outside door is a good 10 feet or more, so even if the water came in there, it shouldn't have reached. Nothing else was wet. This was around 8, and by 10 when I was taking out the trash in the now stormless night, it was almost completely dried up.
I managed to finish another book tonight, making the total for the year 40 books. I am about to start The Golden Compass
in the next day or so. After 2 Higgins books in a row, I need a genre change. Next for that genre will be The Drakov Memoranda by Jon Winters (aka Gilbert Cross) I already have the sequel The Catenary Exchange
and I will probably order Berlin Fugue
next week or so. I am really looking forward to it, since the other Gilbert books I have read were the Young Adult books.
I only have 2 cans left of White out Mountain Dew. Perhaps a bad name, but I like the flavor. I might get a second case this week.
I got an order from Germany for hot sauce, shipped w/i the US of course. I have it ready to take to the shipping depot tomorrow, and it will be on it's way quickly. It is actually the second foreign order I have taken, I did one over the phone from a Canadian to be sent to FL once. It is the first time UPS was selected as a shipping method, though I have sent FedEx before.
Now, if only I wasn't burning up, cooking in my skin from the weather... I miss Michigan many times, it's just too dang hot in here, and the windows are too far from the outlets to even think of getting an Air Conditioner. The fan in use now just doesn't cut it. So as long as I survive the heat, my hurt wrist and foot, I'll be fine. Well, that and get the rest of the $$ for the Strawberry Festival ride before the 15th.
Major storm warnings, and not thunder and lightning.
Fair enough, I guess. I went out onto the porch, which according to legend, or at least the guy who lives in the house behind us, has been enclosed since about '95. The first thing I saw was there was a huge wet area at the door, like it had been rained on, just barely not yet at the point of making a puddle. The ceiling and walls as well as the floor around it were all dry. Now, I admit, Enzo has left a puddle or two since he started using training pants vs diapers, but he was dry. Stinky, perhaps, but dry. The outside door is a good 10 feet or more, so even if the water came in there, it shouldn't have reached. Nothing else was wet. This was around 8, and by 10 when I was taking out the trash in the now stormless night, it was almost completely dried up.
I managed to finish another book tonight, making the total for the year 40 books. I am about to start The Golden Compass
in the next day or so. After 2 Higgins books in a row, I need a genre change. Next for that genre will be The Drakov Memoranda by Jon Winters (aka Gilbert Cross) I already have the sequel The Catenary Exchange and I will probably order Berlin Fugue next week or so. I am really looking forward to it, since the other Gilbert books I have read were the Young Adult books.I only have 2 cans left of White out Mountain Dew. Perhaps a bad name, but I like the flavor. I might get a second case this week.
I got an order from Germany for hot sauce, shipped w/i the US of course. I have it ready to take to the shipping depot tomorrow, and it will be on it's way quickly. It is actually the second foreign order I have taken, I did one over the phone from a Canadian to be sent to FL once. It is the first time UPS was selected as a shipping method, though I have sent FedEx before.
Now, if only I wasn't burning up, cooking in my skin from the weather... I miss Michigan many times, it's just too dang hot in here, and the windows are too far from the outlets to even think of getting an Air Conditioner. The fan in use now just doesn't cut it. So as long as I survive the heat, my hurt wrist and foot, I'll be fine. Well, that and get the rest of the $$ for the Strawberry Festival ride before the 15th.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
perhaps childhood dreams shouldn't come true
Let's face it, as a straight guy, there is always that lingering hope that when you move, you'll find some hidden trove of porn from a bygone era that the people before you left behind. As we grow up, two things come about.
1. Our hopes to find porn change to treasure. (Though to a teen, porn is a type of treasure.)
2. We realize that porn from bygone eras is either A. pg-13 by today's standards or B. weird, and not in a good way.
We moved into our house about 6 months ago, and aside from the tunnel, and the attic, we have looked about, and found no treasures. (Though I am curious about the attic, we don't really have good access to it.)
I went to the basement today to get the baby seat for the bike out, and I saw a book on the ground. Now, really, we treat our books better than to leave them on a basement floor, but I hadn't noticed it there before. I picked it up, and the back cover was rather filthy. Not to mention the effects of sitting on the floor of the basement for uncounted ages. I got the title and author from the front, it was missing the cover, and was able to find it on Amazon. Now, to be fair, the book was published in 1971. It wasn't reprinted, as far as I can tell. Now, this is rather an odd thing. If it was newer, I would be less surprised. The book is 39 years old, and though it was on a floor, looks readable. It is virtually porn. Hell, by todays standards I think it probably is porn. Meine Gotten, that's porn from almost a decade before I was born! I guess you could buy the only copy available on Amazon, it looks like porn. Of course, so do most of the sci-fi / fantasy books from the 80's and 90's. (Thank you Boris Vallejo)
Of course, I am now torn between a morbid curiosity to read the thing, and another to throw it away. Now, as someone that has a 500+ library of books, the latter seems quite out as an option. The former seems wrong. There is also a part of me that wants to throw it up onto Ebay. (Or maybe read it and then put it on Ebay)
(Seriously, this place was a rental from about 1984~2009, 25 years that the book hid from people. Longer if it was dropped there even as about 5 years old. And aside from the front cover missing, is in rather decent shape. Kinda creepy.)
I wonder what I should do...
1. Our hopes to find porn change to treasure. (Though to a teen, porn is a type of treasure.)
2. We realize that porn from bygone eras is either A. pg-13 by today's standards or B. weird, and not in a good way.
We moved into our house about 6 months ago, and aside from the tunnel, and the attic, we have looked about, and found no treasures. (Though I am curious about the attic, we don't really have good access to it.)
I went to the basement today to get the baby seat for the bike out, and I saw a book on the ground. Now, really, we treat our books better than to leave them on a basement floor, but I hadn't noticed it there before. I picked it up, and the back cover was rather filthy. Not to mention the effects of sitting on the floor of the basement for uncounted ages. I got the title and author from the front, it was missing the cover, and was able to find it on Amazon. Now, to be fair, the book was published in 1971. It wasn't reprinted, as far as I can tell. Now, this is rather an odd thing. If it was newer, I would be less surprised. The book is 39 years old, and though it was on a floor, looks readable. It is virtually porn. Hell, by todays standards I think it probably is porn. Meine Gotten, that's porn from almost a decade before I was born! I guess you could buy the only copy available on Amazon, it looks like porn. Of course, so do most of the sci-fi / fantasy books from the 80's and 90's. (Thank you Boris Vallejo)
Of course, I am now torn between a morbid curiosity to read the thing, and another to throw it away. Now, as someone that has a 500+ library of books, the latter seems quite out as an option. The former seems wrong. There is also a part of me that wants to throw it up onto Ebay. (Or maybe read it and then put it on Ebay)
(Seriously, this place was a rental from about 1984~2009, 25 years that the book hid from people. Longer if it was dropped there even as about 5 years old. And aside from the front cover missing, is in rather decent shape. Kinda creepy.)
I wonder what I should do...
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Got the tent up, and down again
I stopped at my mom's house today and picked up my old tent. I haven't used it since '98, just before I left for college. It is a replica British Rev. War infantry tent, and I used it at the Piqua Heritage Festival back in '97. College was scheduled in such a way that camping for the festival was impossible, and Mark is finally old enough to hopefully go with me this year. Not that the tent is large enough to hold much more than the two of us.
I set it up in the yard while making dinner, making sure I still have all the parts and so on, and after dinner I took it back down and put it away.
For the record, I didn't set it up 100% correctly, I wanted to check out what shape it was in and make sure I had all the stakes. I have extra stakes.
Mark really likes the tent, but he thinks it is too big. I wish it were twice its size. I still plan on camping at the Piqua Heritage Festival this year, but I would love an upgrade to my tent before then. The website as of now hasn't even been updated with the date, but I saw Father Son and Friends are scheduled to be there. (I hope to try to set up near them, they were real pleasant when I was past their camp last year.
I am glad I took that third pic, I didn't know who had made my tent, and I don't think I noticed the maker mark on the door before. I had been looking at Panther Primitives to order from, but R K Lodges
is a bit less expensive. I have camped in my tent in a few storms, and I love it. I think I'll stay loyal to RK, but I have to order direct, the place in Tipp City I ordered the first one from closed up shop a few years back.
I set it up in the yard while making dinner, making sure I still have all the parts and so on, and after dinner I took it back down and put it away.
For the record, I didn't set it up 100% correctly, I wanted to check out what shape it was in and make sure I had all the stakes. I have extra stakes.
Mark really likes the tent, but he thinks it is too big. I wish it were twice its size. I still plan on camping at the Piqua Heritage Festival this year, but I would love an upgrade to my tent before then. The website as of now hasn't even been updated with the date, but I saw Father Son and Friends are scheduled to be there. (I hope to try to set up near them, they were real pleasant when I was past their camp last year.
I am glad I took that third pic, I didn't know who had made my tent, and I don't think I noticed the maker mark on the door before. I had been looking at Panther Primitives to order from, but R K Lodges
is a bit less expensive. I have camped in my tent in a few storms, and I love it. I think I'll stay loyal to RK, but I have to order direct, the place in Tipp City I ordered the first one from closed up shop a few years back.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The pedals are so different
I decided to ride my bike and try out the new pedals, and they were a bit more work than I expected. My upper legs still feel it a bit, not used to having my legs feeling both directions of the pedaling, but it might just also be that the pedals keep my feet on the pedals closer to the way they should be on there. I haven't checked my logs yet, but I think it boosted my ave speed by about 20%.
I wanted to head out to the mall today anyways, since I wanted to get the better version of the newest Dropkick Murphy cd, the one with the DVD. It was on sale at F.Y.E., and I got $6.50 in credit for trading in the CD version, so it was only an extra $8. Sure, I guess I could have gotten the DVD version in the first place, and saved a bit, but I didn't know there was a DVD version, I just saw the CD on sale on their bestseller rack one day, and grabbed it.
When I hit preview, it said the version with the DVD was just an extra dollar, and it's worth it.
I hadn't planned on getting the DVD version, but as of late, Mark has been obsessed with "I'm Shipping up to Boston" (or as he often calls it, "peg leg song") I'm Shipping Up To Boston
I just found a version done by the Boston Pops, the blokes that brought us the Star Wars theme. Sure, John Williams conducted and did most of the important stuff for Star Wars music, and countless other stuff, but hey, the orchestra has to count for something! I kinda like it, I think, I might download it later. I like the live version, I'm Shipping Up To Boston
and it is a bit different, having the Mighty Mighty Bosstones playing and singing along. Mark prefers the regular version of course.
We watched much of the DVD this afternoon, Mark of course loving his song, but Enzo really became entranced by Pipers in the bonus part of the DVD. I think Mark might have been kinda watching Irish Dancers.
I mowed the lawn today, then out of boredom, I mowed most of the island across the street. I spent a long hard hour on it, since all I have is a push mower, which doesn't bother me as much as gas mowers. (I get sinus headaches from being near lawn mowers, though it doesn't seem to bother me with push mowers.) I didn't finish the island, but it's a miracle I did as much as I did, being that the grass over there was probably 6 inches of more deep, and my mower actually clogged with grass many times. It did a thorough job of making the rest of my body feel like I actually did something today. It looks a lot better out the window now.
It may seem odd that I would go mow some grass that really should be mowed by the city, but our house is in a rather odd position, the closest house is on a different street, as such, the island and it's tree really only border us, and the way our house is rather visible from a fair number of places and at a distance, it really seemed to make our house look a bit worse to see it so overgrown. I might even finish it tomorrow.
I wanted to head out to the mall today anyways, since I wanted to get the better version of the newest Dropkick Murphy cd, the one with the DVD. It was on sale at F.Y.E., and I got $6.50 in credit for trading in the CD version, so it was only an extra $8. Sure, I guess I could have gotten the DVD version in the first place, and saved a bit, but I didn't know there was a DVD version, I just saw the CD on sale on their bestseller rack one day, and grabbed it.
When I hit preview, it said the version with the DVD was just an extra dollar, and it's worth it.
I hadn't planned on getting the DVD version, but as of late, Mark has been obsessed with "I'm Shipping up to Boston" (or as he often calls it, "peg leg song") I'm Shipping Up To Boston
I just found a version done by the Boston Pops, the blokes that brought us the Star Wars theme. Sure, John Williams conducted and did most of the important stuff for Star Wars music, and countless other stuff, but hey, the orchestra has to count for something! I kinda like it, I think, I might download it later. I like the live version, I'm Shipping Up To Boston and it is a bit different, having the Mighty Mighty Bosstones playing and singing along. Mark prefers the regular version of course. We watched much of the DVD this afternoon, Mark of course loving his song, but Enzo really became entranced by Pipers in the bonus part of the DVD. I think Mark might have been kinda watching Irish Dancers.
I mowed the lawn today, then out of boredom, I mowed most of the island across the street. I spent a long hard hour on it, since all I have is a push mower, which doesn't bother me as much as gas mowers. (I get sinus headaches from being near lawn mowers, though it doesn't seem to bother me with push mowers.) I didn't finish the island, but it's a miracle I did as much as I did, being that the grass over there was probably 6 inches of more deep, and my mower actually clogged with grass many times. It did a thorough job of making the rest of my body feel like I actually did something today. It looks a lot better out the window now.
It may seem odd that I would go mow some grass that really should be mowed by the city, but our house is in a rather odd position, the closest house is on a different street, as such, the island and it's tree really only border us, and the way our house is rather visible from a fair number of places and at a distance, it really seemed to make our house look a bit worse to see it so overgrown. I might even finish it tomorrow.
Friday, April 16, 2010
$91 to fix the Tank
I just got back from the repair shop where I picked up my Tank. the Tank is what I refer to my Royce Union bike as, because it is just so dang heavy. I am tempted to actually weigh it, but I wouldn't be completely surprised if it weighed in at twice the weight of my Schwinn.
$91 it cost me today.
Last Tuesday, I put the trailer on it and rode out to the mall, and then around the bike loop, netting 10 miles. It was only the second time Enzo has ridden in the trailer, and by far the longest ride Mark has been on. I found out a few things on that ride.
The Good:
The trailer fits over the spillway bridge! (Yes, I was quite worried about that, as well as how the hell to turn around the trailer on the narrow bike path without dumping someone into the spillway canal. {Trivia: the hydrolic canal the path follows there it all that remains of the canal that used to run a mere 20 or so feet from our house, though filled in, the bridge is still able to be seen out our windows.}
Mark thinks stopping at Rally's to get fries is a great way to end a ride. It helps that it is near French Park, and a few blocks from home.
The Bad:
Mark gets bored riding in the trailer after about 3 miles.
The water fountains are not on yet, no free drink of water at Roadside park yet.
The Ugly:
I saw that the back tire was worn out. It was so bald, it had hair again. Being that the hair was the fiber stuff that is the core of the tire, and should not be able to be seen from the outside, it was a really bad thing.
I see this new problem at the worst part of the trail, at Roadside Park, a few miles either way I could go from being home.
I knew that a new tire would be about $20, and I figured, better do both at the same time. Then I decided to get new pedals. Another $20. I had been thinking of getting new pedals for a while, seemed as good a time as any. Of course, the labor of having the gears readjusted was the killer, the labor took it to 85, then another 5 for tax, and rounding hides the rest of the way to $91.
Now, a lot of that should have been able to be done myself. I am sure my dad would spin in his grave over how I never got down how to change a damn bike tube. He showed me a half dozen times, and I have tried many times, and failed each one. Being able to change my own tires and tubes would have saved about $15, and I probably could have figured out the pedals myself, but that was meager enough in labor. The real labor was in getting the gears checked out. The didn't seem quite right, and I would rather have had them checked professionally than to have kept worrying about them. Granted, I would probably have tried to ignore the gears longer, but I had to take the bike in anyways.
Ruthie wasn't too happy about the cost. Fair enough, since I was shocked at the total, and a bit annoyed. Oddly, I only think about the worst it will cost when dealing with car repairs, bike repairs however....
She made two points, I have to begrudgingly admit are valid.
1. That was almost as much as her last car repair. (About 70% of it actually!)
2. I could have bought her a cheap bike for that much. (Well, a Huffy or a WM edition Schwinn.)
Now, to be fair, the bike is a good bike. The frame is in excellent shape, the front gear-set has been replaced, and I swear it is built like a tank. I can't figure out when it was originally made, but I found out that Huffy got control of the company in '97. My first good bike was a Huffy, my 3 worst bikes were also Huffy. A shame some bike companies have two lines of bikes, the crap ones, and the good ones. It's like the difference between a Ford and a Lincoln, if they just called them both Fords, and the only way to know if it was the great line or the crap line was to know what dealership sold it. Huffy from bike shop good, Huffy from Wal-mart bad. Huffy had some bad years, and looking at their current website, seem to have left the good bike business far behind. Then again, maybe I just found the crap page. Schwinn had a crap and excellent page though it looks like they merged them together. The ones they have at Target and Walmart are not the same as what they have in Bike Shops. )
I did find a listing online that has the same model bike for sale, at $185. But at least I know I will probably be able to keep riding that bike until I get to old to be able to lift it out the door and take it down the 4 steps or so to the sidewalk. Damn that thing is heavy.
$91 it cost me today.
Last Tuesday, I put the trailer on it and rode out to the mall, and then around the bike loop, netting 10 miles. It was only the second time Enzo has ridden in the trailer, and by far the longest ride Mark has been on. I found out a few things on that ride.
The Good:
The trailer fits over the spillway bridge! (Yes, I was quite worried about that, as well as how the hell to turn around the trailer on the narrow bike path without dumping someone into the spillway canal. {Trivia: the hydrolic canal the path follows there it all that remains of the canal that used to run a mere 20 or so feet from our house, though filled in, the bridge is still able to be seen out our windows.}
Mark thinks stopping at Rally's to get fries is a great way to end a ride. It helps that it is near French Park, and a few blocks from home.
The Bad:
Mark gets bored riding in the trailer after about 3 miles.
The water fountains are not on yet, no free drink of water at Roadside park yet.
The Ugly:
I saw that the back tire was worn out. It was so bald, it had hair again. Being that the hair was the fiber stuff that is the core of the tire, and should not be able to be seen from the outside, it was a really bad thing.
I see this new problem at the worst part of the trail, at Roadside Park, a few miles either way I could go from being home.
I knew that a new tire would be about $20, and I figured, better do both at the same time. Then I decided to get new pedals. Another $20. I had been thinking of getting new pedals for a while, seemed as good a time as any. Of course, the labor of having the gears readjusted was the killer, the labor took it to 85, then another 5 for tax, and rounding hides the rest of the way to $91.
Now, a lot of that should have been able to be done myself. I am sure my dad would spin in his grave over how I never got down how to change a damn bike tube. He showed me a half dozen times, and I have tried many times, and failed each one. Being able to change my own tires and tubes would have saved about $15, and I probably could have figured out the pedals myself, but that was meager enough in labor. The real labor was in getting the gears checked out. The didn't seem quite right, and I would rather have had them checked professionally than to have kept worrying about them. Granted, I would probably have tried to ignore the gears longer, but I had to take the bike in anyways.
Ruthie wasn't too happy about the cost. Fair enough, since I was shocked at the total, and a bit annoyed. Oddly, I only think about the worst it will cost when dealing with car repairs, bike repairs however....
She made two points, I have to begrudgingly admit are valid.
1. That was almost as much as her last car repair. (About 70% of it actually!)
2. I could have bought her a cheap bike for that much. (Well, a Huffy or a WM edition Schwinn.)
Now, to be fair, the bike is a good bike. The frame is in excellent shape, the front gear-set has been replaced, and I swear it is built like a tank. I can't figure out when it was originally made, but I found out that Huffy got control of the company in '97. My first good bike was a Huffy, my 3 worst bikes were also Huffy. A shame some bike companies have two lines of bikes, the crap ones, and the good ones. It's like the difference between a Ford and a Lincoln, if they just called them both Fords, and the only way to know if it was the great line or the crap line was to know what dealership sold it. Huffy from bike shop good, Huffy from Wal-mart bad. Huffy had some bad years, and looking at their current website, seem to have left the good bike business far behind. Then again, maybe I just found the crap page. Schwinn had a crap and excellent page though it looks like they merged them together. The ones they have at Target and Walmart are not the same as what they have in Bike Shops. )
I did find a listing online that has the same model bike for sale, at $185. But at least I know I will probably be able to keep riding that bike until I get to old to be able to lift it out the door and take it down the 4 steps or so to the sidewalk. Damn that thing is heavy.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Pokesitting and the park
It was one of the nice days out yesterday, the kind that makes wearing a coat quite unbearable for me. Coupled with my bank account staying in the black, it was a great sign of things to come for the day.
I told Mark that he isn't allowed to take the pokewalker with him to school, so for the afternoon I had both in my pocket, he with a drowsy, myself with a Farfetch'd named Zod. (One of my favorite pokemon, and rather unappreciated. The name seemed fitting, with the image sprite the way it is.)
When picking him up, they said that he would have a bonus day of school today, due to the snow days (preschool, gotta love it!) and that they should wear green today. Mark gets to wear his kilt today to school, so it will be interesting to see. I don't get to go to any of the local parties, not a good place to go with two kids in tow. Last year, my plans were messed up by the babysitter flaking out last minute. This year I have no plans.
On the way home I decided that dinner should be a picnic, and told my wife. With a bit of flip flopping, we decided on Wendy's and at at the Hollow. It was Enzo's first picnic, and he ate most of what he felt like eating sitting on a picnic bench, and a bit on my lap. He was done as soon as Mark finished and ran off to play.
I don't know for sure if Enzo had been in a swing before, I imagine his grandparents probably have taken him to the park by their house, so I bet he has. Had to teach Mark how to pee in the woods, which I think he enjoyed too much. Really though, he sleeps in a tent most nights, so it is probably a good skill to have down. (The tent is in his room, on the floor by the foot of his bed. He loves it, though he did get up about 6ish this morning and curled up on our bed, watching me play pokemon before he fell back asleep.)
I told Mark that he isn't allowed to take the pokewalker with him to school, so for the afternoon I had both in my pocket, he with a drowsy, myself with a Farfetch'd named Zod. (One of my favorite pokemon, and rather unappreciated. The name seemed fitting, with the image sprite the way it is.)
When picking him up, they said that he would have a bonus day of school today, due to the snow days (preschool, gotta love it!) and that they should wear green today. Mark gets to wear his kilt today to school, so it will be interesting to see. I don't get to go to any of the local parties, not a good place to go with two kids in tow. Last year, my plans were messed up by the babysitter flaking out last minute. This year I have no plans.
On the way home I decided that dinner should be a picnic, and told my wife. With a bit of flip flopping, we decided on Wendy's and at at the Hollow. It was Enzo's first picnic, and he ate most of what he felt like eating sitting on a picnic bench, and a bit on my lap. He was done as soon as Mark finished and ran off to play.
I don't know for sure if Enzo had been in a swing before, I imagine his grandparents probably have taken him to the park by their house, so I bet he has. Had to teach Mark how to pee in the woods, which I think he enjoyed too much. Really though, he sleeps in a tent most nights, so it is probably a good skill to have down. (The tent is in his room, on the floor by the foot of his bed. He loves it, though he did get up about 6ish this morning and curled up on our bed, watching me play pokemon before he fell back asleep.)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Pokemon, day 2
Mark is beginning to learn how to use the pokewalker connection on his game, but he is enjoying himself on the game, 2 badges behind me. I remember a fair bit of the game, but a lot seems different. I played through it twice before, actually, the original Silver, as well as Crystal. It feels almost new to me now.
I decided that I can use the pokewalker to reflect my mood, most of today I had a Koffing on it, with the skull and bones easily visible. It can be a pleasant diversion.
The time change is really messing with me, though the overcast rainy skies are partly to blame as well. I always feel physically sick for a few days after the time change, as I adjust. Changing time zones is easy, the the internal solar clock is almost painful.
I can't imagine that any alien worlds would have such a barbaric thing as daylight savings time. Maybe it was a good idea at the time, but I think that its time has come and gone.
The gash in my finger, right on the inside of the joint, is a bit better today, when I looked this afternoon it was virtually still an open wound though. It is a bit worse than I thought yesterday, but the bandage still holds, and for the most part I still have use of both hands. My internal clock is fried, but my hands work.
Time Warner sent a letter today, it demanded that I send them $300 or they would turn off my service. The letter was dated over a week after I returned all their equipment. The talking voice on the other side of the help line tried to claim it was really $195, eerily the same amount they say I owe from Cincinnati. The help person, named Nick, which was easy to remember for some reason, did mention an amount of about $126, but refused to repeat it. That is the likely correct amount, since he tried to claim our $75 deposit didn't really exist. I think I ought to just send the whole damn thing over to the state attorney general, I've done such things before, with good results.
I decided that I can use the pokewalker to reflect my mood, most of today I had a Koffing on it, with the skull and bones easily visible. It can be a pleasant diversion.
The time change is really messing with me, though the overcast rainy skies are partly to blame as well. I always feel physically sick for a few days after the time change, as I adjust. Changing time zones is easy, the the internal solar clock is almost painful.
I can't imagine that any alien worlds would have such a barbaric thing as daylight savings time. Maybe it was a good idea at the time, but I think that its time has come and gone.
The gash in my finger, right on the inside of the joint, is a bit better today, when I looked this afternoon it was virtually still an open wound though. It is a bit worse than I thought yesterday, but the bandage still holds, and for the most part I still have use of both hands. My internal clock is fried, but my hands work.
Time Warner sent a letter today, it demanded that I send them $300 or they would turn off my service. The letter was dated over a week after I returned all their equipment. The talking voice on the other side of the help line tried to claim it was really $195, eerily the same amount they say I owe from Cincinnati. The help person, named Nick, which was easy to remember for some reason, did mention an amount of about $126, but refused to repeat it. That is the likely correct amount, since he tried to claim our $75 deposit didn't really exist. I think I ought to just send the whole damn thing over to the state attorney general, I've done such things before, with good results.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Pokemon G/S day 1
We got to the mall about noon, and got to wait in line for the release of Pokemon. It seems like we were the only ones that had paid it off, was easy to get the games and go, but had to wait for the people ahead of us to pay. Got home, and the inlaws were over with our tax forms, signed them and off they go. (The forms, not the inlaws.)
Before they left, we heard a clang, and the blower stopped working on the furnace. We thought we would wait a bit to deal with it, since it was rather nice out, but then it got cold. I called a local heating place, one where I have known the owner most of my life. He came out, and the bloody thing worked fine. Hate to see the bill for that one, but he said it happens sometimes. Turning it off for a while and then back on might have reset it.
We got the new fridge today. By new, I mean Ruthie's parents old one. It's bigger than what we had, and I moved the other fridge to the laundry room. Slashed my hand doing it, fair bit of blood, but nothing a bandage or two didn't solve.
Mark is already addicted to the new Pokemon game, we both have 2 badges already, he is close behind me, but he does have more pokemon than I do on it. The pokewalker is really nice, better than I expected. It will give me something to do when I wait to pick Mark up from preschool. I have caught a few pokemon on it already. I ditched a Mareep on it as of now, I think Mark went with an Eakens on his. Looks neat at any rate.
Before they left, we heard a clang, and the blower stopped working on the furnace. We thought we would wait a bit to deal with it, since it was rather nice out, but then it got cold. I called a local heating place, one where I have known the owner most of my life. He came out, and the bloody thing worked fine. Hate to see the bill for that one, but he said it happens sometimes. Turning it off for a while and then back on might have reset it.
We got the new fridge today. By new, I mean Ruthie's parents old one. It's bigger than what we had, and I moved the other fridge to the laundry room. Slashed my hand doing it, fair bit of blood, but nothing a bandage or two didn't solve.
Mark is already addicted to the new Pokemon game, we both have 2 badges already, he is close behind me, but he does have more pokemon than I do on it. The pokewalker is really nice, better than I expected. It will give me something to do when I wait to pick Mark up from preschool. I have caught a few pokemon on it already. I ditched a Mareep on it as of now, I think Mark went with an Eakens on his. Looks neat at any rate.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
mini golf and a new tire
I came downstairs this morning to my 5 year old watching a marathon of the Orange Island episodes of Pokemon. Personally, the Orange Island arc was my favorite, even though it was more cheesy than the newer episodes by a bit. I am a little irked by it, not because it skipped episodes a few times, but the last episode in the marathon was the first part of the championship battle, and thus ended with a cliffhanger. There were other oddities I thought in the arc, but hey, it was good to see them again. If I had the spare $20, I'd grab the boxset from FYE.
After the marathon, or the capstone to it, I guess, they played Pokemon 2000. Mark refused to let us switch in the DVD of the movie, he wanted to watch the TV version. To me, the washed out color was almost painful, but it is still a decent movie.
I understand partly why they had the marathon on. Tomorrow at noon we will go out and pick up Gold/Silver, once the mall opens. We did the preorder and all. What I don't really understand was the choice of what they showed. Yes, the Orange Islands began to show some of the Generation II pokemon, and the same with the second movie. (fittingly at least, the second movie takes place in the Orange Islands.) They could have shows some to the Pokemon Johto episodes, the ones taking place in the region of the games that come out tomorrow. Also, they could have shown the 3rd movie, which was a rather good one, though I admit to liking the second one better.
Once the movie ended, we loaded up in my wife's car, which I had to put air into the tire of, and went to the mall to play putt-putt. The local Salvation Army set up an 18 hole course inside the mall, and according to the fliers, today was the last day. I lost to Ruthie by about 3 strokes, but Mark came in dead last by at least 30 strokes. It might have been 50 actually, but I don't care to go look for the card. Enzo seemed rater put out that we didn't let him play too, can't imagine that turning out well though. Mark needs to play a bit more Gator Golf I think, Enzo needs to stop running with the Gator Golf clubs...
We went to leave after that, and I went out to get the car, where I found the tire flat again. Never a good sign for it to go flat twice in the same day, so we went back in and over to Sears to have it looked at. They told us according to their records, we had replaced 3 of the 4 tires with them, so we had about a 75% chance of it being free.
Now, I know that really means 'you'll pay out the ass' because it's never the covered ones that go bad. Miracle of miracles, it was a covered one. And, it was dead beyond repair, so we had to buy a new one. Well, miracle again, the coverage that was on the now dead tire took care of most of it, except that the same tire was out of stock, so we had to get a more expensive tire, and we ended up paying $10. I can't really complain, $10 for a new tire seems damn reasonable to me.
Waiting for the tire to get done, we walked the mall again. We had been about to buy Girl Scout cookies from a troop that was a good ways from here, I think 20 miles away, give or take. I have become partial to them, but they were packing up as we walked by, so I made sure when they would be back. Since we had last walked by them, a new group had taken over. Now, this second group is from here in town, afaik, and they were trying to get 'donations' for troops overseas, who I think deserve Girl Scout cookies, but I would think they would melt to easily. They also had coupons for milk, and they wore their uniforms. I walked past with Mark and Enzo, as Ruthie was getting her jewelery cleaned, and they asked if I wanted to buy some cookies. I said simply that I was partial to the group that was there before them, and I swear the one nearest to me muttered something under her breath that was rather nasty, not that I could make out the words, just the intent. Now, on principle alone, I will not buy from that troop.
Overall, aside from the rather nonstop rain, it has been a good day. Dug my shorts out of the closet, wasn't nice enough to wear a kilt, fitting as it may have been for minigolf, but glad to have something other than pants to wear for once. Spring can not arrive fast enough for me.
After the marathon, or the capstone to it, I guess, they played Pokemon 2000. Mark refused to let us switch in the DVD of the movie, he wanted to watch the TV version. To me, the washed out color was almost painful, but it is still a decent movie.
I understand partly why they had the marathon on. Tomorrow at noon we will go out and pick up Gold/Silver, once the mall opens. We did the preorder and all. What I don't really understand was the choice of what they showed. Yes, the Orange Islands began to show some of the Generation II pokemon, and the same with the second movie. (fittingly at least, the second movie takes place in the Orange Islands.) They could have shows some to the Pokemon Johto episodes, the ones taking place in the region of the games that come out tomorrow. Also, they could have shown the 3rd movie, which was a rather good one, though I admit to liking the second one better.
Once the movie ended, we loaded up in my wife's car, which I had to put air into the tire of, and went to the mall to play putt-putt. The local Salvation Army set up an 18 hole course inside the mall, and according to the fliers, today was the last day. I lost to Ruthie by about 3 strokes, but Mark came in dead last by at least 30 strokes. It might have been 50 actually, but I don't care to go look for the card. Enzo seemed rater put out that we didn't let him play too, can't imagine that turning out well though. Mark needs to play a bit more Gator Golf I think, Enzo needs to stop running with the Gator Golf clubs...
We went to leave after that, and I went out to get the car, where I found the tire flat again. Never a good sign for it to go flat twice in the same day, so we went back in and over to Sears to have it looked at. They told us according to their records, we had replaced 3 of the 4 tires with them, so we had about a 75% chance of it being free.
Now, I know that really means 'you'll pay out the ass' because it's never the covered ones that go bad. Miracle of miracles, it was a covered one. And, it was dead beyond repair, so we had to buy a new one. Well, miracle again, the coverage that was on the now dead tire took care of most of it, except that the same tire was out of stock, so we had to get a more expensive tire, and we ended up paying $10. I can't really complain, $10 for a new tire seems damn reasonable to me.
Waiting for the tire to get done, we walked the mall again. We had been about to buy Girl Scout cookies from a troop that was a good ways from here, I think 20 miles away, give or take. I have become partial to them, but they were packing up as we walked by, so I made sure when they would be back. Since we had last walked by them, a new group had taken over. Now, this second group is from here in town, afaik, and they were trying to get 'donations' for troops overseas, who I think deserve Girl Scout cookies, but I would think they would melt to easily. They also had coupons for milk, and they wore their uniforms. I walked past with Mark and Enzo, as Ruthie was getting her jewelery cleaned, and they asked if I wanted to buy some cookies. I said simply that I was partial to the group that was there before them, and I swear the one nearest to me muttered something under her breath that was rather nasty, not that I could make out the words, just the intent. Now, on principle alone, I will not buy from that troop.
Overall, aside from the rather nonstop rain, it has been a good day. Dug my shorts out of the closet, wasn't nice enough to wear a kilt, fitting as it may have been for minigolf, but glad to have something other than pants to wear for once. Spring can not arrive fast enough for me.
raining again
It is still raining, and looks like it will be all day. I don't look forward to another day stuck indoors, there is nowhere worth going, really though. If I had money, I would be tempted to go to the used book store, to see what I could find. It is sad that the used bookstore in Troy seems to have a better selection than the regular book store in Troy.
The sad thing about Miami County, in Ohio, is that we are truly lacking in bookstores of quality. We have a few used bookstores, the nicest one being downtown in Troy, which I believe is actually larger than the normal bookstore there. It is part of an interesting office building complex, if you go out a back door and turn you can go in the back door of the coffee shop. The coffee shop has another location built connected to the new book store, and a location here in Piqua that is adjacent to the library.
The used bookstore doesn't really have a lot that I am looking for most times, but what they have is random, and often old, usually cheap. Granted, last time I was there I bought a hardback book for $12, but damn it, I wanted that book that day. J&M doesn't even seem to carry that author!
I really do like the used book store though; but it is closed on Sundays, the day I am usually most inclined to go. It's also fun to go into the coffee shop next to it and order a Highland Grogg coffee while wearing a kilt. You kinda see some gears trying to work in the staffs' heads. I just looked it up, and it is supposed to taste like Carmel and Whiskey. I dunno, it's coffee. That's all I know.
Jay & Mary's Bookcenter, as far as a lot of us can tell, used to be a Little Professor bookstore. Little Professor had some issues a number of years back, the company, not the local place, and no longer seems have branded franchises. I think they dropped the name when they moved from the Walmart strip mall to a new building behind it. They staff is nice, but they really can't make up for me never finding a book on my list of books I am looking for. My list is well over 100 books long, so how hard could it be? I went to Springfield mall (Upper Valley Mall is the real name) a few months back, and both of their bookstores were closing. I found more of what I was looking for, and plenty of things that looked like they might be good, in both of the stores. To be fair, or self demoting, not sure which, perhaps they are now closed and Little Professor is still open because the books I like don't sell. I don't think that is the case though, since Borders usually has a lot that I am looking for, as well as Barns & Noble. If both those stores were closer than 45 minutes away... It would make an epic bike ride though, once the bike path is better built up.
You might be wondering, what kinds of authors am I looking for that the local bookstore fails me on. I recognize that Martin Millar is under-appreciated around here, but I used to be able to get Jack Higgins books at Kroger, and he is still writing them, not that you could tell at J&M. (At the used bookstore, you can find a hell of a lot of Higgins's books, usually.) The sad thing with Higgins is that it does become a bit to repetitive at times, I essentially just read 4 of his in a row, and it burned me from the genre for a while. There are a few other authors I look for in general, Lawrence Watt-Evans is a general favorite, if you can find "Among the Gods," it is a good read. I had just read his fantasy series "Lords of Dus" or something like that, and I began to realize some of the influence in his story. I like Robert E Howard's work, and in "Among the Gods" there is a direct reference to REH's work. (Also called Drunner's Wreck if you find it in a used bookstore, it seemed to have been a book club exclusive for a while, like 15 years or something.)
I get most of my books via Paperback Swap which helps keep the price down, and helps find the more obscure books as well. Also a decent way to get rid of books you don't really like.
The sad thing about Miami County, in Ohio, is that we are truly lacking in bookstores of quality. We have a few used bookstores, the nicest one being downtown in Troy, which I believe is actually larger than the normal bookstore there. It is part of an interesting office building complex, if you go out a back door and turn you can go in the back door of the coffee shop. The coffee shop has another location built connected to the new book store, and a location here in Piqua that is adjacent to the library.
The used bookstore doesn't really have a lot that I am looking for most times, but what they have is random, and often old, usually cheap. Granted, last time I was there I bought a hardback book for $12, but damn it, I wanted that book that day. J&M doesn't even seem to carry that author!
I really do like the used book store though; but it is closed on Sundays, the day I am usually most inclined to go. It's also fun to go into the coffee shop next to it and order a Highland Grogg coffee while wearing a kilt. You kinda see some gears trying to work in the staffs' heads. I just looked it up, and it is supposed to taste like Carmel and Whiskey. I dunno, it's coffee. That's all I know.
Jay & Mary's Bookcenter, as far as a lot of us can tell, used to be a Little Professor bookstore. Little Professor had some issues a number of years back, the company, not the local place, and no longer seems have branded franchises. I think they dropped the name when they moved from the Walmart strip mall to a new building behind it. They staff is nice, but they really can't make up for me never finding a book on my list of books I am looking for. My list is well over 100 books long, so how hard could it be? I went to Springfield mall (Upper Valley Mall is the real name) a few months back, and both of their bookstores were closing. I found more of what I was looking for, and plenty of things that looked like they might be good, in both of the stores. To be fair, or self demoting, not sure which, perhaps they are now closed and Little Professor is still open because the books I like don't sell. I don't think that is the case though, since Borders usually has a lot that I am looking for, as well as Barns & Noble. If both those stores were closer than 45 minutes away... It would make an epic bike ride though, once the bike path is better built up.
You might be wondering, what kinds of authors am I looking for that the local bookstore fails me on. I recognize that Martin Millar is under-appreciated around here, but I used to be able to get Jack Higgins books at Kroger, and he is still writing them, not that you could tell at J&M. (At the used bookstore, you can find a hell of a lot of Higgins's books, usually.) The sad thing with Higgins is that it does become a bit to repetitive at times, I essentially just read 4 of his in a row, and it burned me from the genre for a while. There are a few other authors I look for in general, Lawrence Watt-Evans is a general favorite, if you can find "Among the Gods," it is a good read. I had just read his fantasy series "Lords of Dus" or something like that, and I began to realize some of the influence in his story. I like Robert E Howard's work, and in "Among the Gods" there is a direct reference to REH's work. (Also called Drunner's Wreck if you find it in a used bookstore, it seemed to have been a book club exclusive for a while, like 15 years or something.)
I get most of my books via Paperback Swap which helps keep the price down, and helps find the more obscure books as well. Also a decent way to get rid of books you don't really like.
Friday, March 12, 2010
19 books this year
I just finished reading Angel of Death by Jack Higgins. It took me about two weeks to get through this one, though that is more a factor of being tired of the genre part way through than anything else. I have now read 5 of his books this year so far (though 3 were in the same volume in a special edition, so I only counted it as 1 book) I decided to try to keep them in order, I have the next one ready to read now, but I think I want to at least step away from the author for a time, I'll probably hit whatever the third Twilight book is next, get it out of the way. New Moon was a fast read, I did it in about 2 days. I figured I needed to have it read before my wife got her copy. (2 actually, she bought both the Blu-ray and DVD of Twilight at the same time.
I do have one of the 'spy novels' by Gilbert Cross. John Winters is his pseudonym for that book. I want to read it, but I am definitly still a little burned out. I'll probably read it before "The Presidents Daughter" or whatever the next Higgins I have yet to read is. I am waiting on volume 5 of YuGiOh to arrive, it is the 'first season' which is before what they showed on TV here in America. I kinda like the asshole that is the alter-ego of the main character. If he was like that past the first season, there would have been a lot less people dare try to kill him off.
I wanted to go on a bike ride today, but I can see by way of the weather map that before I would be a good distance down the path I'd be in the midst of a nasty storm. Probably a bad time to be next to the river and pulling a bike trailer.
I still have no idea what to do for dinner tonight, I made meatloaf last night, third time making that dish, but it came out rather edible. We usually leave the meat leftovers out for the cat, whom seems to really like the taco meat I make. The cat refused to touch the meatloaf. It's the damnedest thing, I didn't open the new bag of cat food because of the meatloaf, and she decided not to eat it. Silly (and probably hungry) cat.
I just looked over at the cat sniffing the meat loaf. She convulsed in an almost funny way, and jumped away from it. Guess I should go toss it out. The meatloaf, not the cat.
I do have one of the 'spy novels' by Gilbert Cross. John Winters is his pseudonym for that book. I want to read it, but I am definitly still a little burned out. I'll probably read it before "The Presidents Daughter" or whatever the next Higgins I have yet to read is. I am waiting on volume 5 of YuGiOh to arrive, it is the 'first season' which is before what they showed on TV here in America. I kinda like the asshole that is the alter-ego of the main character. If he was like that past the first season, there would have been a lot less people dare try to kill him off.
I wanted to go on a bike ride today, but I can see by way of the weather map that before I would be a good distance down the path I'd be in the midst of a nasty storm. Probably a bad time to be next to the river and pulling a bike trailer.
I still have no idea what to do for dinner tonight, I made meatloaf last night, third time making that dish, but it came out rather edible. We usually leave the meat leftovers out for the cat, whom seems to really like the taco meat I make. The cat refused to touch the meatloaf. It's the damnedest thing, I didn't open the new bag of cat food because of the meatloaf, and she decided not to eat it. Silly (and probably hungry) cat.
I just looked over at the cat sniffing the meat loaf. She convulsed in an almost funny way, and jumped away from it. Guess I should go toss it out. The meatloaf, not the cat.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
TW is stupid
Yesterday I got a letter from Time-Warner Cable. They want me to add phone service to digital TV and internet, starting at just $99.99. It isn't the letter I expected from them really, since two weeks ago the cut us off for a bill they say we owe them from '06 in Cincinnati. I told them in January to prove it, and now a good 45 days later, they have still not done such. Two weeks ago tomorrow their 'credit division' turned off our services. I complained, since they hadn't proven the debt within the required 30 days, not that they cared, and I was told that even if I paid, I'd have to wait till Monday before they would have a person in the office that could turn it back on, since it wasn't customer service that turned it off. Adding to that, the possibility that they might d/c me from the pole before then, requiring an extra $50 reconnection fee.
I called Dish Network and got set up a mere 2 days later, Sunday evening we had the Olympics on in time to watch the end of the Mens' Hockey game. Monday, I gave the cable boxs and the modem back to TW at the local office, and in the time that passed since they decided to send me a letter telling me I am a valued customer and can add phone service to my package. How fucking stupid do they think I am? Yeah, I pay for my HD now, but damn it, you pay for tap water too, because the free water at the river would probably give you dysentery and nobody wants that. I get a lot more HD channels this way, though we no longer get the local WB in HD. It's the damnedest thing.
We were able to get our internet through AT&T, we have our cell phones through them, but apparently you have to have TV with them as well to make a bundle, which isn't available here. But it works, and TW can suck it.
I have to admit at least that today was a good day, started out well, though I probably should go to the store and get groceries. I am out of breakfast food for tomorrow, and I really ought to do something about that.
I called Dish Network and got set up a mere 2 days later, Sunday evening we had the Olympics on in time to watch the end of the Mens' Hockey game. Monday, I gave the cable boxs and the modem back to TW at the local office, and in the time that passed since they decided to send me a letter telling me I am a valued customer and can add phone service to my package. How fucking stupid do they think I am? Yeah, I pay for my HD now, but damn it, you pay for tap water too, because the free water at the river would probably give you dysentery and nobody wants that. I get a lot more HD channels this way, though we no longer get the local WB in HD. It's the damnedest thing.
We were able to get our internet through AT&T, we have our cell phones through them, but apparently you have to have TV with them as well to make a bundle, which isn't available here. But it works, and TW can suck it.
I have to admit at least that today was a good day, started out well, though I probably should go to the store and get groceries. I am out of breakfast food for tomorrow, and I really ought to do something about that.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
New battery
I changed the battery in the bike computer tonight, a real pain in the ass. I think I set it right, it wanted a 4 digit number that starts with 2. The Bell website is down, and the image for the splash page of the down site really looks shopped. The solution I was able to come up with was to read the wheel size on the tire, put it into the circumference equation, and then convert it to mm. It was only about 150 from the default, so I think I did it right.
Really, it was a 'cheap' computer, $15 if I remember correctly. Would it really be that hard for a cheap ass device to just ask the wheel size in inches? I don't know about my other computer, it was set by the bike shop, but it was somewhere between $30 and $60.
I get the blasted device set for the wheel size, and then it demanded to know how fat my ass is. Ok, it was just the weight, it seems to figure out calories burned. I forgot about that, but I have a watch that does the same thing, usually. It sometimes thinks my pulse in in the 200 range, and starts beeping at me like I am about to die. That would probably be true it if my pulse was that high, but it isn't. That tends to really screw up the calorie counts for the ride. I don't know how to change the weight on the computer, it took me 2 minutes to figure out how to change the clock. Seriously, I've rebuilt cell phones back in the day, and I was getting my ass kicked by a 3 button speedometer.
While writing the earlier blog today, my wife looked over and saw me typing and asked "wait, when did you start blogging?" with an almost incredulous sound to her voice. I kinda knew the next question was coming though, as I had answered her with "a long time ago, just never did it much." Yes, I had blogged before she had done a blogging lesson with her classes during the summer semester. Though to be even more fair, I had done a number of journals on DeviantArt back before blogging was really much of a word. Not that I expect to pull off even updating this. I updated the one for Bottles of Fire a whole twice. oye.
(AG12 battery from Radio Shack was just over $5 with tax. I guess it is thinner than an AG13. I know its not really an AG, I think the AG means akaline, and the new one is either silver oxide or Li. I don't really care which, as long as I don't need to bother with setting the damn wheel size again.)
Really, it was a 'cheap' computer, $15 if I remember correctly. Would it really be that hard for a cheap ass device to just ask the wheel size in inches? I don't know about my other computer, it was set by the bike shop, but it was somewhere between $30 and $60.
I get the blasted device set for the wheel size, and then it demanded to know how fat my ass is. Ok, it was just the weight, it seems to figure out calories burned. I forgot about that, but I have a watch that does the same thing, usually. It sometimes thinks my pulse in in the 200 range, and starts beeping at me like I am about to die. That would probably be true it if my pulse was that high, but it isn't. That tends to really screw up the calorie counts for the ride. I don't know how to change the weight on the computer, it took me 2 minutes to figure out how to change the clock. Seriously, I've rebuilt cell phones back in the day, and I was getting my ass kicked by a 3 button speedometer.
While writing the earlier blog today, my wife looked over and saw me typing and asked "wait, when did you start blogging?" with an almost incredulous sound to her voice. I kinda knew the next question was coming though, as I had answered her with "a long time ago, just never did it much." Yes, I had blogged before she had done a blogging lesson with her classes during the summer semester. Though to be even more fair, I had done a number of journals on DeviantArt back before blogging was really much of a word. Not that I expect to pull off even updating this. I updated the one for Bottles of Fire a whole twice. oye.
(AG12 battery from Radio Shack was just over $5 with tax. I guess it is thinner than an AG13. I know its not really an AG, I think the AG means akaline, and the new one is either silver oxide or Li. I don't really care which, as long as I don't need to bother with setting the damn wheel size again.)
Digging out the bikes
As the forecast suggested the weather would hit 60 today, it seemed like a great time to dig out the bikes. With the new house, I can store them on the front 'porch' instead of the back, hopefully that will help me get out more. I found the file on my computer that I use to keep track of my riding, in 2008 I rode 184 miles, in 2009 I only hit 41. Fourty-one miles. The Strawberry Festival ride netted me 31 in '08.
Its a mix of faults that I only got on my bike 5 times last year, oddly the first time was March 7 of last year. Enzo was born in the summer of 08, and since Ruthie was off that summer, I was able to get out a fair bit more. She took a year round teaching job at the end of that summer, coupling that with Enzo being a bit too small for the bike trailer last year, I could only get out after she got home from work or on weekends, and we tended to keep our weekends busy.
Looking at the file I keep, I found that I never used the bike that I have set up for the trailer at all last year. Granted, I only rode 5 times, but I am still surprised I never took out the 'tank' as I like to call it.
The tank was the one I brought up from the basement, I bought it used in '07 from a local bike shop. It's an old Royce Union bike, and it cost me a bit over a hundred, I think. I wish I could remember, not that it matters. It is a heavy beast, and a little to big for me really. I have a base for a removable child seat on the back, but it works well for a rack. It has the wide tires on it, and I have the hitch for the bike trailer on the rear wheel. It really feels like a sturdy bike.
My other bike is a Schwinn from Smitty's Lock Service. Yeah, the local locksmith owns the local Schwinn dealership. I think it is a 'voyageur' or something like that, spelled funny. It was a previous model year, so it saved me a bit. I used part of the income tax refund that year to get it, after adding some bells and whistles, I've got more than $350 in that bike. (Giving me me an average cost per mile of about $2.40/mile)
I know the Schwinn needs a tune up, next year should be the Royce Union bike. I had it done just after I got the Schwinn, but since I didn't ride it last year...
I saw that I needed to replace the battery in the bike computer for the tank. Actually, I saw that when I put the bike in the basement. I looked to change the battery today, and saw it was a smaller button cell than I had thought. I actually expected it to be one like one computer motherboards, a common one, then I saw it was a smaller opening than it would need. Cool, I thought, an AG13. I usually joke that most things using AG13's are cheaper to buy again than to replace the batteries.
Sadly, I was wrong yet again. It was an AG12. I look at it, and I really was completely taken aback. I had never came across an AG12 before, and it sure has hell looked like a damn AG13 to me.
Walmart doesn't sell AG12's. Two types of 13's though. No 12's though. A new computer for the bike would just be $20, but I don't want to buy one and install it all over again. Now I just need to figure out how many mm's the wheel is, the battery change lost that data. phooey.
Oh well, only a few more days until Pokemon Gold/Silver get released. again. Mark is counting down the days, I just wonder what to do with/about the pokewalker. I am not sure he should have it. Guess I will know in a few days.
At least it is warmer out.
Its a mix of faults that I only got on my bike 5 times last year, oddly the first time was March 7 of last year. Enzo was born in the summer of 08, and since Ruthie was off that summer, I was able to get out a fair bit more. She took a year round teaching job at the end of that summer, coupling that with Enzo being a bit too small for the bike trailer last year, I could only get out after she got home from work or on weekends, and we tended to keep our weekends busy.
Looking at the file I keep, I found that I never used the bike that I have set up for the trailer at all last year. Granted, I only rode 5 times, but I am still surprised I never took out the 'tank' as I like to call it.
The tank was the one I brought up from the basement, I bought it used in '07 from a local bike shop. It's an old Royce Union bike, and it cost me a bit over a hundred, I think. I wish I could remember, not that it matters. It is a heavy beast, and a little to big for me really. I have a base for a removable child seat on the back, but it works well for a rack. It has the wide tires on it, and I have the hitch for the bike trailer on the rear wheel. It really feels like a sturdy bike.
My other bike is a Schwinn from Smitty's Lock Service. Yeah, the local locksmith owns the local Schwinn dealership. I think it is a 'voyageur' or something like that, spelled funny. It was a previous model year, so it saved me a bit. I used part of the income tax refund that year to get it, after adding some bells and whistles, I've got more than $350 in that bike. (Giving me me an average cost per mile of about $2.40/mile)
I know the Schwinn needs a tune up, next year should be the Royce Union bike. I had it done just after I got the Schwinn, but since I didn't ride it last year...
I saw that I needed to replace the battery in the bike computer for the tank. Actually, I saw that when I put the bike in the basement. I looked to change the battery today, and saw it was a smaller button cell than I had thought. I actually expected it to be one like one computer motherboards, a common one, then I saw it was a smaller opening than it would need. Cool, I thought, an AG13. I usually joke that most things using AG13's are cheaper to buy again than to replace the batteries.
Sadly, I was wrong yet again. It was an AG12. I look at it, and I really was completely taken aback. I had never came across an AG12 before, and it sure has hell looked like a damn AG13 to me.
Walmart doesn't sell AG12's. Two types of 13's though. No 12's though. A new computer for the bike would just be $20, but I don't want to buy one and install it all over again. Now I just need to figure out how many mm's the wheel is, the battery change lost that data. phooey.
Oh well, only a few more days until Pokemon Gold/Silver get released. again. Mark is counting down the days, I just wonder what to do with/about the pokewalker. I am not sure he should have it. Guess I will know in a few days.
At least it is warmer out.
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