What do that mean?

pescigallutaria

auctoria

total fluff

The squirrels at my place are plotting something.  Every time I look outside one of them is standing lookout for another group of them.  Very dodgy.  The dogs think it is fantastic as they then have a better chance of bagging one of the little buggers when they group like that.  Of yet, the dogs can’t quite pull it off.  I guess there are no small unit tactics classes for squirrels. (A new business opportunity for someone?)  I have nothing today so bugger all I’m leaving.  Today is way to nice for me to sit inside and write.  I’m off to go fast on two wheels before yet another afternoon meeting.  Vroom Vroom mutha mutha.

This morning I'm pissed off

Last night I watched the last 15 minutes of ER. One of the story lines involved an “honor Killing” of a young Middle Eastern woman by her brother. That got me a little pissed. Not the story, “honor killings.” I went to bed grumping about that crap. Then this morning there was a bit on NPR about women in Africa being sold off for livestock as children. During the story they mention, almost casually, that girls are typically “circumcised” at 12 then later traded off. First of all female circumcision is such a grotesque assault on a woman’s civil rights that it baffles the mind. Not to mention that it is clearly a sex crime aimed at subjugating women. Calling it a cultural tradition is just bullshit. That kind of spurious logic is absolute crap. What the fuck is with people? Seriously how can a parent do or allow that to be done to their child? Look I am a white middleclass American who lives in the Midwest. I am just about the most privileged person on the planet and as such I have that bullshit guilt about it. It is as if those facts should somehow void my ability to bitch about any other group’s problems. I don’t buy it. That crap pisses me off. Then to learn, as I did this morning on the web, that this sort of thing is still happening sometimes in this country. I am not blasting immigrants. I am second generation US so my ears are still wet but the carrying over of those barbaric “traditions” to this country is just not ok. I don’t know what I can do about any of this stuff and of course it leads to so many other arguments about crimes against women and children in this country that it quickly overwhelms the mind. These things happen ultimately because we allow them to. Rape will never be stopped. Child abuse will continue. What do we do to bring them to their knees in this country? I don’t have a single answer, just questions. What I need is my party, Democrat, to get off of it’s ass and grow a set. We have allowed the right wing assjobs to define the issues for decades and even now when they, Republicans, are at their weakest we still can’t come up with an issue or a candidate that doesn’t suck. Do I mean that Republicans are pro-rape? Of course not. But they are most assuredly anti-women. They focus on punishment of crimes rather than looking to the root issues. Counting all the lemmings after they jump off the cliff rather than pointing them another way prior to jumping seems a bit pointless. Shit I don’t know anything I am just so very tired of being led by people who know even less.

Later,

Sam

Well it's finally happened. I've died.

As proof I offer up yesterday. I had to drive to Pontiac Illinois (3hours) to go to traffic court. The front plate on my car went missing and a state trooper apparently decided that I should be stopped for this and given a ticket. Not just any ticket mind you, oh no. This ticket was a “must appear.” That means, I learned, that they take your license and you have to go to the local court house. So in order to make it there by 9am I had to leave at 5AM. I had no idea where the courthouse was so I needed a bit of extra time to find it. Have you been to traffic court? It’s very much like Jerry Springer but oh so real. It only took an hour and a half of actual time in court but yikes! The only other middle class white guy in there was a lawyer. For the most part it was white-trash folks but there were a fair number of immigrants (mostly Mexicans). I was absolutely dumbfounded by the stupidity of some of these folks. I was doing that little mental game; “You are the winner of dumbest person today” but each person just blew the previous contestant away. An example? The young guy who is there for not having his license. All he has to do is show it and the ticket will be waived. The prosecutor asks him for his license to clear it up…..he doesn’t have it on him. Let’s get this right. He gets a ticket for not having the license. He has to go to court to prove one thing, that he has a license. He goes to court and DOESN'T BRING HIS LICENSE? Wow. Well there were many, many more and while some of it was really sad for the most part I was just thrilled to be me when I left. Don’t take that as a snobbish statement. Really just watch Jerry Springer once and you will see. I now know that Dante was right and that was most surely one of the levels of Hell. By the way my fine….$343. I got out easy.

Later,

Sam

It’s official, I’m sick

I have spent the entire day in bed. Not my idea of fun. Well sometimes it is but not today. Be aware that I was not alone. Oh no I had two large dogs and a very happy cat. I am in full on zombie mode tonight. Not really capable of higher brain function so this is really just a note to say. I’ll be back soon.

Later,

Sam

Those whacky genocidal Serbs.

This morning the BBC is playing many segments about Milosovic’s funeral. Apparently there are 100,000 people there waving banners and generally making a political show for the media. That’s a 100,000 pro-rape, pro-genocide hate mongers. 100,000 people who love “their” president. Think about Germany post WW2 if Hitler had not taken the easy way out and had survived only to die during his trial. The only reason Milosovic didn’t kill 6million people is he didn’t have the military industrial complex to support it. This guy was as close to evil as it gets and 100,000 men and women are out celebrating his life and that he led the campaign against hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children. Mass graves everywhere, entire villages slaughtered but only after torture and rape. 100,000 people. I am sick at my stomach.

Some new movies at the homestead

I bought two movies the other day. “Good night and good luck” and “a history of violence.” I have yet to see “Good night” but am really looking forward to seeing it. I think anything that lets more people learn about McCarthyism (sp?) is for sure a good thing. I have seen “A history of violence.” It is a Cronenberg film and so is disturbing as hell. I saw this in the theater and it took me about a week to make up my mind about it. I was so disturbed after it that I couldn’t separate my emotion from the artistry of it. Eventually I decided that it had been a good movie. Not because it was fun or even titillating but because it had been SO very honest in it’s portrayal of physical violence. It’s the same reason that I think “Private Ryan” is a good film. The story becomes secondary to the reality of the stage. Movie violence is almost always shown with flair. The hero makes some snide remark before dispatching the villain in with a gunshot that leads to instant death. He may have received a wound to his arm or leg in the battle but is always standing tall. Violence is not clean. It is not pretty. While the act itself may be very quick the aftermath is very long. People do not say “uuhh” and then fall over and close their eyes. They scream and cry and call out to their mothers. They die gurgling and muttering or cursing. People do no go gently. I think it is the responsibility of movie makers to show violence in a realistic way, to take away the glory of it. There is a bit form a WW2 movie that I always think of. Games Garner (a soldier who has survived some great battle) is being told that they will put up a statue to his heroism in his home town and he gets very mad. He says that is the problem. Boys grow up looking at those statues of heroes and read the names of the dead. It is all glorified and mythologized. He says that if you want to be honest show the men dying and crying out for their families. Then maybe young men won’t be so quick to run off to start a war. My favorite director, Samuel Fuller, wrote some of the great noir and war movies of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and his masterpiece, “The big red one”, in 1980. When he was asked how moviegoers could be shown what war was like answered with this; “Take them into the theater. Put them in their seats and lower the lights. Then have a squad of soldiers come in and start killing them all.”

Later,

Sam

Meditations on Nachos

Tonight I have made myself a plate of veggie nachos, very tasty and gooey. Eating them led me to a few thoughts that must be shared.

1. Nachos are fantastic.
2. With the advent of the microwave they became ridiculously easy to make.
3. They don’t require a sporting event to enjoy (thank god).
4. There is no possible way to eat them without looking like a complete pig.
5. They are best eaten either alone or with people you never hope to have a romantic relationship with (refer to previous post).
6. Dogs love nachos

That is all

Sam

New siding or everything else?

HOW MUCH!?

The farm has fallen out of repair under my care and now that I am all healthy it’s my responsibility to repair and improve it. I plan on living here for a very long time and would like my kids (assuming) to have it if they want. So I have a lot of work to do and the one of the first steps is to get bids on the jobs I can’t do. I had some contractors out yesterday to give me a bid on residing my house. It is a small house at maybe 1250sqft. They measured and blathered on about why they were great and how fantastic their siding is. I should be more tolerant of pushy sales guys but when they double up and tag team you it just gets old fast. I told them right away what color I was looking for (deep green in a 5in clapboard look). Well when they were done I sat down and listened to the “great deal” that they had worked up for me. $10,000! To side my little farm house! Well I have roughly $8k to spend on all of the work for the farm this year so that isn’t a good start. Then they showed me the colors available. Not a green in the book. It led me to a few conclusions. I am not residing my house this year. I am doing the landscaping around the front, fencing the back yard, garden and orchard and I am re-modeling the bathroom in a big way. I may, later, also replace the flooring with some new wood. Nesting is expensive.

Later,

Sam

OH man!

Why is it that my dogs can't eat my crappy socks? No they won't touch the 6 pair to a pack black dress socks but just go ape shit over my $10 a pair cycling socks. I used to have about two dozen different cycling socks. Those are the shit. I mean seriously I have a pair of quisp cereal socks and let us not forget the masked Mexican wrestler socks. But Jackie and now Chalie both wait until I'm asleep and then go get hold of ONE sock from each pair and tear the crap out of them. Man. I really liked the Mexican wrestler.

Deep sigh,

Sam

Et tu Brutus?

I’m a little worried to go in to the shop today. Yesterday I got a split lip. Last week I got some hate mail. What is gonna happen today? The horrible part is I know what terror awaits me today…..sales reps. That’s right TWO reps from two different companies are coming in today. Fear not I shall wear my armor when I face these great foes. (Over the top?) On the plus side my lip looks a lot better. I just sort of look purple and am not swollen at all. I heal really well. I have had a lot of practice.

Last night I had a chance to actually say what I was planning to do with the bathroom remodel. It seems fairly big when spoken. I still think that it’s doable. Really it’s just work. The issue for me is whether or not go with tile for the floor and the shower backsplash. I like the look of tile but it may not work for the house. I think the way to make this not work is to try and make the house look like some big fancy home and not like the little house/bungalow it is. The goal here is better and not fancier.

Happy anniversary Caesar. Two thousand and fifty years ago Julius Caesar was whacked by his pals and enemies. Today we can partake in his celebrity by taking a breath. In this article it talks about how. The ides of March my friends….

Later,

Sam

Seriously, what the hell?

Is it hit Sam in the face month? Today I was helping a customer put his new bike in his SUV when he decided to shove really hard. That drove the rear tire into the car and then the bike into my bottom lip. I cut my lip on my upper teeth and proceeded to squirt blood all over. Now while this isn't the first time I've been punched in the gob it is the first time in a long while. Lots of ice and a fair amount of cussing(under my breath) and it doesn't look too bad. I think I'll stay in tonight and maybe for the next few nights. This smacks of karmic payback.

Later,
Sam

this would be the harmless part

Bath time

Yes I am getting a new tub. Actually I am remodeling the whole bathroom. It isn’t that big a project, he said. Really the bathroom is so small it couldn’t possibly take that much. I am sure that I will regret saying that soon. This morning while running my bath I looked at the whole mess. There is only one thing about the mess that I like, my rubber duck. How much fun is it to have a rubber ducky? I didn’t have one as a kid and only got this one at the end of my twenties. Is there a point to any of this? Well no. I just wanted to post a pic of my rubber ducky. You can sing the rubber ducky song to yourself.

Pie anyone?

It’s national pie day! The nice woman on NPR just announced that fact a little bit ago. I immediately thought of apple but was informed it was, in fact, the mathematical pie. Apparently it’s a big to-do with some folks. Good for them. I for one plan on telling everyone today. Sure it isn’t as much fun as talk like a pirate day but hey I’ll take it.

Why the ultra trivial today? It’s simple, the other stories on NPR were terrifying and just plain depressing. So I am avoiding thinking about the war(s), the largest capital case in US history and the death penalty in general. No today I plan on as much mental happy time as possible.

Later,

Sam

the quest she is not so good, eh?

Sigh. I have been waiting for broadband access for years. I have it on my phone, in my shop and pretty much everywhere I stop with my laptop, but not my house. Two seperate companies told me that I could get it here but when they tested it was a no go. Well one of them tested the other just called and told me that their antenna was not up in my "quadrant". I have a quadrant. Who knew? I can get the satellite but I have set up several corporate networks with them and they suck. They are really the last choice option. Latency is a bitch. That is the time between sending a command (clicking on a picture) and its travelling up to the satellite back down to the servers back up to the satellite and back down to you. Some areas it's as bad as two seconds and the packet failure is really gnarly. Oh wait you don't speak geek. Good for you.

The quest for a tub continues. I found several that would work but discovered that I have to learn a hell of alot more about tile and plumbing to make this work well, as I am cursed with really high standards that means I am never satisfied with my own work, I may break down and pppppay someone to do the work. I don't really have a problem with that, if they do a good job. THe last guy who I hired to do some work for me I had to fire. Seriously what level of incompetance do you have to be at to not be able to tear out a carpet or carry a box? If I hadn't been on such a tight schedule it would have been funny, in a train wreck kind of way. I could just take all of the money and go to europe for a couple of months or spend the year riding my motorcycle around the country. Nah I think it's gonna be a new toilet and some landscaping. MY GOD AM I A WHIMP OR WHAT? My friend Shante thinks I'm nesting. I don't know what that means really but she was adamant about it. She should know she owns a toy store and so is terribly wise.

Later,
Sam

Lots of stuff this morning.

New Sandals for me!

Yesterday I finally had to admit that my much loved Tevas were past it. I really like those sandals. Well I checked online and found their replacement at REI in St. Louis. I got in the car and headed over. (It’s like 20 minutes away) Anywhoo, I head to the “footwear” department and they don’t have them. I was fairly bummed. Yes I know they are just sandals and it is a shopping story. Get over it. Well I find a newer faster Teva and try them on. They fit great but geez. So I buy them and use my dividends to lessen the blow. ($80 for sandals?) I just came in from playing outside with the dogs and can now say I love these even more. They are soooo comfy and they grip better. Oh happy feet.

Republican nutjobs on NPR

There is apparently yet another attack on a woman’s right to choose coming from the ultra-right wing. This one is aimed directly at overturning Roe. South Dakota has passed a law declaring that life begins at conception and all abortion is illegal unless it is to save the life of the mother. Apparently the assault on our civil rights doesn’t end with our bodies. What is a next thought crime? Boys and girls we have got to get more serious about kicking these screaming nutjobs out of the government. They do represent a constituency but it is really just a few very powerful people who need control and power and the addle minded few that fall prey to their PR machine. This shit really pisses me off. The turn toward a totalitarian regime is not what this country is about. We have got to get the DNC to stop being such whimps and start behaving like the strong majority that we are. And if one more ultra-right jackass calls me a liberal I am gonna have a fit. I am a leftist for sure but no way in hell am I a liberal. AAARGH!!

Hello mom

My mother has finally found my blog. I promise to not let it effect my writing too much. She read it yesterday and promptly sent me a list of errors and issues. Yep that’s my mom. Love ya mom.

The quest for a new bathtub

Today, dear readers, I am going to search for a new tub. This one will, I hope, be large enough for me to actually fit in. I have been squeezing myself into the tiny tub in this house since I was a kid. It all ends soon. Yes I am remodeling the bathroom. The plan is to take it from Hobbit sized to human sized. The people who built this house were very not tall. The toilet is so short it’s laughable…that will be replaced as well. I am also seriously thinking of getting a shower head installed. I don’t really have the water pressure right now to support that but it’s on the list and why not go ahead and have the shower ready?

Where was the moment when things changed so very much? I used to sit and read about new motorcycles or maybe a new rifle. Nowadays it’s things like re-facing the kitchen cabinets and whether an island would fit. Henry Rollins used to talk about domesticide. That may be it. It may just be that I took a bit longer to grow up than I’d like to admit.

Dust bunnies of doom

I slept, as most nights, with all of the windows in the house open. Sometime in the night a pretty serious storm came through. I heard the town sirens in the distance. Cut to this morning. I am walking to the front door to do the dog things and notice that there are piles of dog fur everywhere. What has happened? A doggy rumble in the middle of the night? The lint trap from the dryer explode? No. The wind whipping through the house all night has dislodged every piece of fur that was trapped under/behind the furniture. It kinda’ grossed me out. Not much mind you as I am a slob but some. It was remarkably easy to clean up, being conveniently in the middle of the room.

I am off to quest for a tub.

Later,

Sam

Selling a used car sucks

I have a 1990 525i listed on Craig's list. I have gotten about 2o emails over it. Out of those maybe a dozen people wanted to come see the car. Out of those 3 actually showed up. 3! Seriously how freaking rude has the world become that people can't even call and cancel. The guy today just showed up late....six hours late. The car has a broken timing belt and needs motor work. It aint that big a deal. Especially for under a $1000. Really I should be thicker skinned about it. I do work in retail after all. But time is a big deal for me and I don't get a ton of it to myself so when someone wastes my time I tend to get a bit....animated.


Later,
Sam

The joy of bananas

I love bananas. Perhaps it is a vestigial monkey-man thing. Maybe it's just the fact that all cyclists love bananas. I don't much care. Why not? 'Cause I loves me some bananas. I am eating one now. They have thier own carrying case. They are just the potassium bomb. They make for some seriously tasty bread. Why yes it would be my favite dessert. Thanks for asking. HOw can one not love bananas? We must hunt down these banana haters. We must expose them to the (yellow)light of justice.


Later.
Sam

I have a black eye!

Seriously. I look like I just lost a fight. Who has hit me? What scoundrel has attacked me in my pj's? Jackie my lab. We were having a belly rubbing festival on the bed when she got a bit too excited and lept up. The top of her not so small head hit me square on the cheeckbone (or maxilla for those of you who know such things). The effect. Swollen face and bruise. Maybe I can use it for some humor later in line at the theater.


Later,
Sam (punchy)


It is a few hours later and I have found a new use for Boca Burgers (veggie burgers). They work quite well as an anti-inflamitory. So now I just look like me with a bit of a hang-over. You just gotta love life.

A weekend of Comedy

Eddie Izzard is going to be on BBC America sunday night. If you don't know who he is you need to watch this and find out. If you do, well then I don't need to tell you to watch. This is all the justification I need to have my satellite dish.

Dress to Kill, Sunday, March 12th at 9pm et/pt and Circle, Sunday, March 17th at 11pm et/8pm pt.

Lately the first thing I do every morning is sit at this laptop and check my mail then immediately start writing this stuff. I realize it isn't anything important and that with the exception of my friend FROGS more than likely I'm talking to myself. That's ok with me. I'm having fun and it's cheaper than a shrink. The light is just right this morning to show off my favorite tree. Yes I have a favorite tree. It's this giant white thing about 70 yards into my woods. It's just so very there in the sea of brown. What does that have to do with anything....not a damned thing. Today I am going with some friends to see ultraViolet. This is another in the long series of horrible movies that we see for the fun/horror effect. Should I survive I will tell the tale here. If not, well I would like lots of attractive women to wail and cry.


Later,
Sam

I am declaring spring!

Today is fantastic! I have my put my boots away. These are growing next to my front steps. Big happy freaking me.


Later,
Sam

Fun with puddles!!

The woman who runs the antique shop next door just came running over and said; "Let's make paper boats and play in the big puddle out back!" So we did. I lost the race to basically a flat piece of paper. Again I have to say.... I love my job.

Incase you hadn't noticed I have a lot of time during the off season to write. That is especialy true during the week. On weekends it still gets fairly busy around here. That will all change in a few weeks when the season starts up again. But 'til then I do a lot of writing and some construction on our new showroom. It's very big and wondermus.

Later,
Sam


Kegamusha is on tv right now! Oh happy me.

My email runneth over...but not in a good way

Lately I have been watching my mail like a hawk and have discovered a few things. People for the American Way, Move On and Howard Dean (DNC) send me a lot of mail. I like those organizations and am a member/contributor to all of them but damn man. It isn’t what I am looking for. How funny is that really? Issues that are of extreme importance to me (politics) have gotten shoved to the side because I have been waiting for mail from someone.

There is a great storm going on outside and it sounds fantastic. Big dragonesque BOOMS and Grum Grum sounds. The shop building is really old and fairly small so it shakes when big storms come through. Very fun.

Later,

Sam

birds are loud at 6 AM

I slept with the windows in my bedroom open so I could hear the sounds of the world outside. Last night it was very peaceful, frogs chirping and a gentle rain. This morning was more of the same but with lots and lots of birds. I like to hear the birdcalls but man are they loud. I have this idea that a group of them sits outside my window and yells in to see how long it will take to wake me. You know typical neighbor kid stuff. Still not a bad alarm clock.

I'm sitting here with two dogs piled together and a cat purring/sleeping on my right foot. How cool would it be if dogs purred? That would be hilarious. Of course it would probably wake me up at night, two jackhammers in the bed.

Time for breakfast.
Later,
Sam

Chirp..breet

I met this little guy hanging out on my door handle just a few minutes ago. I took the pic with my cell and it's a bit fuzzy. How can I not love living in the country?

Later,
Sam


Kate sorry to be such a grump today.

Sam

GRRRRR!!

When the surgeons were cutting my throat every six weeks or so for two and a half years I got several infections. One of them, we think, killed my thyroid. I mean dead. That didn’t get noticed until about 8 months after my final surgery. And then they just gave me these huge doses of synthroid until my levels (TSH) were good. Then I started feeling very anxious and downright grumpy and short tempered all the time. My employees were not happy. Well I started training with a heart rate monitor. (they are great and everyone who is serious about their progress should do it.) That let me know that my heart rate was WAAAY to high. I was at 80% max (90 bpm)just resting, compared to my usual 60 that was not ok. I just thought it was due to the fact that I had gained 30lbs with the thyroid imbalance. All while riding 250+ miles a week. Just imagine how freaking huge I would be if I hadn’t ridden. Well one day while chasing Gary up a hill on one of our usual routes I started to feel really strange, a little confused and very sick at my stomach. Gary noticed something wasn’t right and came back to check on me. Some days the motor just can’t pull and you hit a wall. It happens to all of us and we figured that I had been pushing it to hard lately so maybe that was it. I just geared up and finished the last 10 miles at about 60% of normal. Gary kept asking me if I needed to stop but I am really stubborn when it comes to quitting on the bike. I just won’t do it. When we finished I was choking back the vomit and the instant I clipped out and tried to stand I passed out. BAM! Face in the dirt. We laughed it off but I made an appointment to meet with my endocrinologist. He told me that it was just coincidence that it coincided with the synthroid, that it was impossible for it to be the meds and that I needed to see a cardiologist. Well my grandfather (my superman) died from a bad heart. My stepfather, who raised me with my mom, died from a bad heart. I was scared shitless. I went to several GPs at WashU/CAM. They were all very thorough and did an enormous group of tests on me. Many were very not fun. The reactive dye fucking BURNS. They couldn’t find anything. The problems persisted. I was stricken from the bike. (surely punishment for some past aggression) After almost a year I made an appointment with my Family Cardiologist, can you believe that? He is one of the best in the nation and an avid cyclist so he saw me right away. More very un-fun tests. But he was able to tell me definitively that my heart, and cholesterol and about a billion other things were perfect. Let me say that again. Perfect. That’s right kids if I don’t get killed by a meteor I will live for a very long time. Sorry. What the hell was the problem and why the shortness of breath, rapid heart beat and weight gain if it wasn’t Congestive Heart Failure? He sent me to another endocrinologist. This one is one of the best and another WashU/CAM person. I walked into his office and as he was reading my chart and before I sat down he said “Oh your synthroid levels are too high and you were taken there too fast. This is an easy one.” A year of my life, 8 months off the bike, about a million tests all to get me into the room with the right guy. I love that guy. He stopped my synthroid dosage for a few days then started me out on a really small dose. We raise it every three months or so as the TSH test warrants. For the most part it means I get to live a nice normal (well for me) life. The problem is when they do up the dose I get a little “junkyard dog” for a few weeks. This is one of those weeks. I have to constantly rein myself in and remind myself not to growl at the locals. It is just from the systems being amped up. Think four pots of coffee a day with sleep deprivation (you know grad school and boot camp all rolled into one). In other words I am behaving very un-me like. More like me from the angry young man days. Those of you who were there will remember. The other bit about it that is getting on my nerves is it really effects my riding. I still have this fucking weight to get rid of and now it feels like I haven’t ever ridden a bike before. I am sure I need to learn lessons here about perseverance and patience but shit. Some days I just really need this mess to be over. It’s been so many years and so much hardship on me and all those around me. OK pity party over.

Life is still good it’s just been a really hard day.

Later,

Sam

The frogs are chirping outside in the ponds and it's nice enough to have a window open. So all in all my world really is fairly good.

some mornig stuff

For some reason I just can’t get going this morning. I’m not tired and don’t have any onerous task awaiting me. I just can’t seem to fire up the motor. That is probably a sign that spring is here. I always get this strange energy suck for about two weeks when the winter comes and then again when it goes. Always been that way. Somewhere there is probably a study that explains it. Hey the propane truck is here! Yippee I will have heat for the…rest…of…the…winter. Garumph. Oh well. The light today is very interesting. The browns seem much brighter than the greens. Fun. You see what I mean. My motor is just sort of idling. Well when I can’t think strait it’s time for a story.

Never get off the boat.*

The other day I had to run into the city for a bit and decided to stop at Del Taco. It is my very favorite crap food/fast food. I picked up the love of all things Del Taco when I was living in LA. I went to the one that used to be a Naugles on grand. It’s this very odd round drive through joint. Much fun. You are always guaranteed a floor show there too as it is IN the city. Well this time was no exception. When I pulled up there was this couple standing out front. They were in their late teens, white and very animated. He looked more redneck than gangster but she looked like she had watched way to many Solid Gold reruns. They both had the weird posture and movements of tweakers, very quick direction changes and wild head and arm movements. I had to walk through them to get at my spicy chicken burrito magic inside. They locked on to me and followed me in…about three inches off my ass. The little defensive situation man inside my brain went on high alert. It is best to have them in front of you, just in case. Well there was a line and the booths were full of winos, most with an obvious mental issue of some sort. There were a lot of single person conversations going on. Think Cuckoo’s Nest. Fun in the land of weird? Most of the older winos clearly had some neurological issues, go figure, there were a lot of tremors and balance issues. I also noticed that they were buying lots of sodas and shakes. Must be a sugar thing I don’t know about. Anyway, I order my food and the junkie family robinson is still glued to my ass. I get a break from them when they have to decide what to order. Wow, that was something to see. The order changed at least twelve times in under a minute. They then decided that the lone free booth was a better place to wait for their order than standing behind me…hooray. They then went into a long, loud conversation that they apparently thought no one else could hear. It was very convoluted and jumped around a lot but the gist of it was that the woman behind the counter, all 4’9” 300lbs of her, was a narc and that the manager was probably a, wait for it here, priest. WOW. Well my spicy chicken burrito and I got the hell out of that little theater and went home to share with the dogs. Never get off the boat.

Holy crap I’m gonna be late for the shop.

Later,

Sam

*Quote from Apocalypse Now. When after almost being killed by a tiger while looking for mangos, Chef comes running out of the jungle and jumps onto the safety of the PBR. Chef turns it into a manta.

Everybody go here and read this

Errant frogs

I am I lucky or what. My freinds are just the shit!

GO ON. Read it. Yes now. Go.


Sam

Funny how the mind works

Late last night or early this morning, whichever. I was outside with the dogs for their nightly, chilly, festival of peeing. I hadn't remembered to put my glasses on so it was extra fuzzy and dreamlike. Well I was looking up at the stars. It was so clear and there isn't any light pollution out here so they were right HERE, if you follow. I saw one, perhapse a planet, that caught my eye. I was wondering what it was when I heard myself say. "I bet Kate knows." I then had a short conversation with myself....outloud, in my pjs, in the dark, staring up at the sky, about not getting ahead of myself and "geting a grip." It was a bit like two people talking (don't think psychotic, think Id - Ego). The gist of it was that I just sort of went "well ok then". I went back in and after I had gotten under the covers and the dogs were properly spread about the bed, there is always some position jealousy, I just smiled and went to sleep.

Later,
Sam

Yippee!!

never you mind why.

Furry alarm clocks

Well there are good ways to wake up and bad ways. That anoying digital clock "meeep meeep" is probably my least favorite. This morning, as many mornings, I was pulled from the land of nod by Charlie standing on me and making "mrp, mrp" noises. That gets his ears scratched which ellicits the jealousy response from Jackie leading to a dog pile....on me. It's kind of nice waking up to big furry alarm clocks that are just saying "get up! we love you! We have to pee!" After a few minutes of furious belly scratching it's outside time. The simple life is good.

Another interesting dog note this am. Charlie watched me shave my head this morning. When I am all lathered up, face and head, the effect is a bit like some Mideval guard with a mail hood but mine is made of shaving foam. It really is funny to look at. Well Charlie didn't get it. He knew that when I had closed the door it was my head but when I opened it to clear the fogged mirror he saw me in full foam and looked at me like I was a mix between a steak and a pocupine. He was visibly relieved when I spoke to him. Dogs are fun.

Off to work.

Sam

Nina Simone is the shit

Lately I have been listening to a lot of Nina Simone. I have come to the conclusion that she just full on rocks. Feeling Good is one of the best times you can have listening to a song. The way it builds and climbs and takes over. She slowly gets more and more excited, singing about the joys of life until she just stops using words and is making these great sounds. Brilliant. sinnerman and summertime both just have groovy assed rythms and man are they just plain fun. Everyone should have her stuff on their mp3 player.

I have spoken.

Later,
Sam

Behold the mighty Eloise

Eloise, the wonder wagon, is our shop car and my daily driver. Now really what woman can resist the awesome power of a tarted up 1999 Ford Taurus wagon? Yeah baby. Oh and that's my front yard and barn in the background.


Later,
Sam

Oh happy me.

I am really in a good mood this morning. It isn't related to anything here but I wanted to say it anyway. I have a big consulting check coming in a few weeks and am thinking about fencing in all of the back yard. It’s about ¾ of an acre. It would be really nice to have a place the dogs could run during the day. I’m also thinking about re-roofing the milk house and remodeling the bathroom. As I do all of the labor, with the help of my friends, I may be able to pull it off. Or I may not. Time to get back to working on the farm and house. I really want it to be the jewel it was, with my twist, when I was a kid. Also the garage really needs to be insulated and dry walled. Right now it just is a giant storage shed, impossible to do any real work in there. There is no room to work on my motorcycles or bicycles. Oh and let’s not forget the BMW 525i that I have parked in my space. That thing has got to go. If anybody wants it $800 will take it away. Please? anyone?

MY CAT SNORES I don’t have a story here, he just does.

Later,

Sam

how cute is this kid?

She is The Mighty Audrey. Evil super genious of tomorrow. Do my friends make good babies or what?

Nucular strategerie

Fearless leader was on the radio this morning. I couldn’t turn it off from the bathtub. He was blah blah blah about India and nucular power. If it is ok for our “leader” to have such awful language skills how are we ever going to convince youth that they need to have better skills. The report followed one on whether or not college made financial sense any more as an investment. INVESTMENT! Ok there is the root issue that sucks about a market based society. Education is only valued at it's expense and ability to get a return on that money. Never mind educated people make better citizens. If we value our society and culture in dollars and not in intelligence then we are doomed. Stupid people don’t make good decisions. They end up proliferating poverty. Uneducated people don’t grow to improve standards of living they never get above a certain level. We end up with a nation of idiots run by a ruling class of elites that spoon feed us propaganda with a puppet as a leader. (ref. all Orwell) Come to think of it you could just refer to the New York Times. Bummer.

I’m gonna’ go play with my dogs.

Sam

Wet dogs and wandering thoughts

This fine evening Jackie has shown Charlie the joy of running in the creek. Yes I have a creek that runs through the woods next to the house. Jackie, all black lab all the time, is soaked. Charlie is just muddy on his paws and wet on his legs. It's my fault that they needed more time to be nuts. I skipped my afternoon ride and played ball with them for over an hour. Not really with both of them but with Jackie. She lives to chase a ball. Charlie doesn't get the whole ball thing. He mostly just runs back and forth following Jackie. Exciting fucking life I lead isn't it? Yeah well I like it.

This year I have a couple of good trips planned. Italy, of course, in the fall. Vegas for Interbike. Yeah the whole Vegas thing is cliché and tacky but Interbike is amazing and necessary for my business. I'm thinking of riding my new R1100S (in picture) this year stopping in Colorado on the way out then taking a couple of days after to ride through Arizona and Texas. I like the big desert views. I am thinking of going to the vintage motorcycle races in Ohio this July and camping out for a few days. Now that is a fun time. Camping in a field with a few thousand of my closest friends. Waking up to the sounds of vintage motorcycles tearing around a race course. I used to go every year before I went corporate wage whore. I'm feeling much better now and need to get back to the fun. The whole thing takes four or five days and is just total emersion in vintage motorcycle racing. There is this huge swap meet there too. It's like a very small version of interbike but for motorcyclists. Watching these great old motorcycles get ridden and raced is just fantastic. When I go to my "happy place" in my mind it is the que to the starting grid. Standing behind all of those ancient bikes just revving away is soooo much fun.

Later,
Sam