DEO

Nothing like viewing hours the day after Christmas. My heart goes out to the O'Brien family. I can only imagine what a riot Donna must have been at the holidays, and what a terrible hole that must have left for you this year.

Pitter Patter

I woke up this morning to a very familiar sound that I haven't heard in who knows how many years.  Specifically:

THUMP THUMPTHUMP THUTHUTHUTHUTHTHUMP THUMP THUMP

One of the other apartments in my building apparently has visitors that include at least one young-ish child, and I woke to the noise of kid feet running crazily around somewhere in the building.  I can't remember how many times I woke up to that very same noise coming from my sister's kids back at my parents' house.

The timing is apt, given that just this week my parents put their old house up on the market--the house where I grew up. If you're interested and want to see it, here you go.

Disclaimer - it got fresh paint and new carpet just about everywhere after they moved out.  It never looked that distinguished and dignified when we lived there!  A constant ebb and flow of two to four kids and one to five grandkids will do that to a place.

I Guaran-Damn-Tee It

The following is guaranteed to make you smile.  Perhaps even dance around a bit.  If it doesn't, there is a possibility that you may be lacking a soul.



The Holloways - Generator

Observations of a Random Nature

- Don't bother staying up really late working on a project when there are only a few workdays left before Christmas.  Even if they tell you that you have a deadline, nobody will actually be working at work.

- Cats with night crazies are entertaining as hell, especially when they try to act all dignified afterward.

- Scraping your leg on your pedal hurts a lot worse when your pant leg has been rolled up and your skin is frozen from the cold air.

- Someone who is nice to you but is mean to the waiter is probably not a nice person.

- There are far too many people in the world who don't know what a pakora is!

- Coffee rocks.

- The bag on your back that has, among other things, a computer (and accessories), two changes of clothes, paperwork, and gym shoes, is not particularly comfortable and does not make it easier to bike up the hill.

- Everyone cancels everything around the holidays, claiming that there is no time.  This is everything from meetings at work to organized recreational activities to pretty much anything else.  This pretty much leaves a lot of people with about two weeks of next to nothing to do.  Who are these people that really have parties to go to every night?

- I love winter, but winter = decreased daylight = almost never getting out to Frick = BOO.  I disapprove!!

My Complete Reaction to the MLB Mitchell Report

1) Duh.

2) Sadly, I think this is getting more coverage than when the 9/11 Commission released its final report.

3) Duh.

4) The Pirates only had two people linked to steroids during their time with the team. So now we have yet another reason why they never win.

5) Duh.

Doug 2007!

Q: What do I do on a December Sunday when I know the Steelers are getting their butts handed to them?

A: Put up my Christmas decorations!

Back in an easy-access apartment, yahoo for being able to get a real tree again! (Douglass Fir...funny how they all end up being named Doug.) So now I'm happy, it finally feels like the holidays. I'm a big fan of the holidays. Not religiously, certainly, just culturally. It's really the one time of year that people of so many different cultures have a big celebration, and something about big celebrations in the middle of cold and snow just makes one feel warm and fuzzy.

Actually, as much as I love my own decorations and Christmas tree, one thing I really love about Squirrel Hill is that's it's one place that you really have the warm and fuzzy holiday feel, but it's not just Christmas shoved down your throat. I'm sitting in my office right now (Blogging at work? Shh...don't tell!) with the office Christmas tree, Santa Claus everywhere, and an explosion of red and green cube decorations. I'd much rather be at CTR or the library in Squirrel Hill, where it feels festive but not so exclusive. Not to say that people who've grown up celebrating Christmas shouldn't do so (my own cube has red tinsel), I just like being in an environment with more of a mix of people who celebrate a whole range of things.

Memos

With a nod to MT for this fun blog post format.

To: Anthony Smith
RE: Guarantee

Perhaps it is unwise to taunt the most talented quarterback/receiver combination in the NFL. Just a thought for next time, unless of course you were trying to challenge Ben to beat Brady's 400 yard, 4-touchdown performance.


To: Mark Recchi
RE: We still luv ya

Good luck in Atlanta! You should know that is MD's secondary team, so she's happy to see you there. The Burgh still loves the Wreckin' Ball, unfortunately there just wasn't a home for you on the ice.


To: Ray Shero
RE: Class

As with John LeClaire, you showed crap tons of class in handling Recchi. There are very few businesses that would be willing to take a several hundred thousand dollar budget hit just to try to see an employee be happy and have a chance. Way to not be Anthony Smith.


To: Christmas Lights
RE: Yay!

Twinkle, twinkle. Christmas lights rock.

It Goes By Quick

LT and I went to see the Chihuly exhibit at Phipps yesterday, as part of a fun day that also included a triumphant display of LT's boat-building prowess, and lots of snow. We went around the conservatory, enjoying the day, the exhibit and each other's company.

There was an older lesbian couple going through the exhibit, and we kept sort of crossing paths but not interacting with them, just ending up in the same general vicinity. It happened that we all ended up at the exit at the same time when we were done. As we were walking out, one of the women said to us, "We just want you two to know, it goes by quick. It goes by quick."

It was such a small interaction, but so impactful. Certainly there was the obvious impact which she intended; I had already been thoroughly appreciating the beauty of the day, but having her say that made me take even additional time to take everything in and soak it up, cherish it, for the rest of the day. And not just the day, but LT--being able to share it with her, being a part of her earlier success and current happiness.

The other piece of it, though, was the joy that came from that acknowledgment of us and our relationship. For those of you who are straight, it may be slightly difficult to understand why it meant so much along those lines...I will take a shot at explaining, because I want all of my friends to understand how I was touched.

A young straight couple in love, they can wander around holding hands and staring into each other's eyes, letting all the world see that feeling of adoration and joy. People say, "Awww...how sweet," and are happy for them (provided they aren't being obnoxious). For gay couples, it isn't always that easy. You can just hold hands and risk anything from uncomfortable stares to derisive comments to physical violence. Something so great as love can become a source of deep hurt when other people, including even family, use it as an excuse to be cruel to you.

LT and I are generally very comfortable as a couple. We often hold hands and hug, and even when we don't I feel like our interaction and the way we position ourselves relative to each other mark us off very definitely as a couple. At most, I generally just hope for no "incidents" as a result, that even people who are uncomfortable with us will just live and let live. So, it was an incredibly pleasant surprise to have this validation of our relationship, this acknowledgment of what we felt.

"We see your happiness and it is beautiful."

It's not a message that I get to hear spontaneously from strangers very often. Apparently when I do, it makes my day.

Is Three Times a Charm?

Plant attempt #1 didn't have a name or a chance.  I'm not even really sure what kind of plant it was...whatever it was, it's fate was brutal and short.  It was a housewarming present, alas it did not find my house to be warm.

Plant attempt #2, Spike, was an ornamental pepper.  Spike was gone within a month or so, I think.  I made a last ditch attempt to save hyr by shipping hyr off to LT's apartment where ze might be able to get more sun, but alas it was no use.  LT does insist that the blame is partly hers, as Spike was transported to my apartment in her backpack.  But I think that's kind of like a dockworker taking credit for deaths on the Titanic because he broke a lifeboat oar.  There were just too many things fate had in store for that to make a difference.

So now I've moved down a level in the plant-care ladder to bamboo.  The Twins, Thing 1 and Thing 2, share a little decorative mug on my window sill...LT claims that they are virtually impossible to kill, to which I say, "Sounds like a challenge to me."

Augh!  That damn JB Robinson commercial is on again!

Farewell to a Work Computer

For five and a half years now, you've sat by my side, churning and plugging away with me through help files, manuals, customer support sites, and XML research. When I first came here, you were a wonder, and an enigma. The first Pentium IV in our office, you challenged the IT department to greater heights, figuring out how to make our software work on you. After a few weeks, they emerged victorious, and I was able to do something besides read hard copy manuals.

We've been together since then. Through the RoboHelp x4 nightmare, new versions of Office, and even an operating system upgrade to XP. I can't lie, as the years progressed I began to notice how other people were able to build their help more quickly, copy source to and from the network in far less time. But, in general you were trustworthy and crash-free. The only times I've regretted our partnership are when you make The Noise. Your random, phantom fan noise that comes and goes as you see fit. I can hear your voice softly ringing in my ears....

"GGGGGHHHHGHHGHGHKCKCKCKCKCKCKCKCKCKCKCCKCCKCK!!!"

But still I stuck with you. I even thought it was cute how you toyed with the IT guys, stopping the noise whenever they came around, and making them think it was the fan on the right no matter how many times I told them it was the fan on the left.

So, I don't know why you are so angry with me today. I didn't request your replacement, I swear. The IT guy came knocking on my cube door, saying another group needed a set of identical machines and you fit the profile, and asking if I would give you up for a new machine. How could I possibly keep you from this higher calling? You've been hand-picked for a greater purpose! (Or maybe to be a lab machine, but that's important too.) I know I've been playing with the new laptop I got last week, but I wasn't planning on replacing you.

So please, don't ruin our last days together. Please.

I beg you. Stop....making....that....infernal...NOISE!!!!!!!

Pet Peeve #43: JB Robinson

Ah yes, it's the holidays again, which means the J.B. Robinson jeweler ads are out in full force.  The same ones they've had for years...the video looks older and fuzzier than the TV rerun of The Hunt for Red October that I'm currently watching.  For the record, no she didn't find his secret hiding place, yes he was still able to surprise her after all these years, and amazingly enough, he still was never worried about the earrings/bracelet/necklace/whatever.

At least the one where the guy puts the necklace on his wife while she's sleeping and then pretends to be asleep when she wakes up is sweet and endearing.  Much more romantic than the Rick Santorum lookalike and that horribly awkward hug the couple gives each other at the end.  And the song in the other one is way better.

Happy Halloween!

Today I celebrate the first day in over a week and a half that I took no pain killers for my tonsil.

So, for my costume I kind of thought that the scariest thing I could think of right now would be a swollen, infected tonsil. But I don't have that much time and handiness to make an infected tonsil costume, so I went as a yinzer instead.

Catsup

Oh, where to begin.

- Strep throat and more sleep than I ever thought possible
- New glasses
- Unexpected trip to DC
- Bizarre office movements at work
- LT and I hit one month
- 162 (86th percentile) on the LSAT
- MG passed the bar (YAY!!)
- Can't think of a Halloween costume
- Two of MT's foster kits got adopted (bittersweet YAY!!)
- Addiction to Overheard in Pittsburgh
- Visit from some Cincy buds for a Pens game
- Central Pittsburgh season started with a 4-2 win
- Can't think of a Halloween costume.

Oh, and this article makes me want to write headlines.

Glasses! and More

About a month after I ordered them, I finally got my new glasses in. Which is nice because now, y'know, I can work on the computer without my eyes going buggy and causing an awesome headache within 15 minutes. This is a very good thing. Excellent thing.

Anyway, it's been a good couple of weeks since I posted last. The Ice Maidens started back up last weekend; both classes look to be a lot of fun this year. Some new faces in the beginners class to learn, and it was great to see the old familiar faces back from last year. Funny though, thanks to the 80-degree weather, the rink was so foggy you couldn't see either net from center ice.

And of course, exploring new things and new feelings with LT. No deep and meaningful things to expound upon about that in this public forum. Just that she makes me smile.

Fun Things

Experiencing good new people is fun.

Climbing onto the roofs of closed and locked buildings in public parks is fun.

Combining the two is very fun.

Climbing back down can be slightly intimidating, but is still fun.

Turn to Section One and Begin

Well, there we have it. I've been LSATed! All in all, not bad I think. The section that I thought would be hard was true to form. So, I have no illusions that I aced the thing but I feel OK about it. A few days ago I got very nervous, but really, whatever happens is gonna happen, y'know?

It was very funny sitting in a room with a bunch of college kids panicking and freaking out about how they would do. I felt old and embued with perspective. I also felt bad for one girl who just left at the break, she didn't even finish the test.

This is a very scatterbrained post because my brain is pretty much toast. I'm going to take a nap now.

No Blogging! Prepping!

In case you couldn't tell, not much time for blogging lately, life having been consumed by Kaplan and the Princeton Review. LSAT, LSAT, LSAT. Prep, prep, prep.

Prepped out? No fear. Not much longer.

Tomorrow's the day.

Winter Winter Winter

Today, I woke up and it was 39 degrees outside. And in about 20 seconds, I'm leaving to go watch the Pens training camp practice down in Southpointe.

This is me clapping excitedly.

WOOO!!!!

Sports Sports and Sports!

It is official sports week here, so much going on it's awesome.

The Women's World Cup started up. Am I the only one who's jaw dropped upon seeing that the US Women's team TIED their first game? The world has been put on it's ear. But, that's why they play the game, eh? And I am very happy to see that ESPN is covering the tournament. One word: EXPOSURE. The NHL could stand to learn that word.

Speaking of the NHL, it's presale time! Picked up tickets to five Pens games on the season ticket holder waiting list presale. Made the investment of buying extra tickets, because I figure it shouldn't be hard to round up friends or sell tickets that I don't round friends up for. I just need to remember to close my eyes before opening my credit card statement. Two big highlights: Pens vs. Devils and Pens vs. Capitals! Also, a bunch of my Cincy buds and I got tickets to a Detroit/Columbus game in Columbus. Fun!

Pardon me for a moment while I do my "Yay Hockey Season Is Coming" Dance.

And last but not least (well, maybe least), the Pirates seem to have selected a new President, Frank Coonelly, currently MLB's chief labor counsel. I won't pretend to know whether it's a good choice or not. A lot of people seem irritated in that he's played a large role in the setup of the current MLB financial structure so they believe that he will not bring any outside-the-box thinking to the team. However, my challenge to that is we don't necessarily need thinking outside of the MLB box, but outside of the Pirate box. I'm willing to see how it goes. One thing that does give me pause is that they also seem to have candidates lined up for the GM job already. I thought the whole point was to allow the new Pres to hire the new GM...so are they in the process of handcuffing the new Pres before he's even officially hired? Not so good if that's the case.

Not Even Matt Kata Could Save Him

So long, Dave Littlefield. I never take pleasure in someone losing their job. But as a Pirate fan, I am allowed to be happy that someone who has misguided the team for so long has been removed from the equation. Of course, when he came on board we had all the same pleasure of seeing his predecessor Cam Bonifay depart, and all sorts of hope for him. Seven losing seasons and a 442-581 record later, that hope has been long gone.

But, eternal optimist that I am, with a new principal owner who talks a good game about not putting up with the current state of affairs, and the search for a new CEO who everyone speculates will have to be a baseball guy, I hope this time around will be different...better... Could it really be worse? Well, I guess it could be empirically worse, but when it comes down to it a losing season is a losing season (to the 15th degree).

OK Enough with the Hating

All right...if you know me you know it wouldn't be too long before I stopped hating. I'm just not a hater at heart. (Got nothin' on you MG with a JD, or you MD Anger Girl.) So here's my anti-hating list. And really, it just scratches the surface.

• I love being sore the next couple days after a hard workout. And I love the workout, too.
• I love walking to get coffee on weekend mornings. I refuse to buy a coffee maker for that very reason.
• I love meeting new people and hearing the stories of people I've just met.
• I love it when it's winter and cold, and I wear a thermal shirt and hoodie...and shorts.
• I love sweating.
• I love seeing the fantastic worlds people have so creatively fit into such small spaces in city neighborhoods.
• I love the hill coming from Squirrel Hill to Regent Square. Wheeee!!
• I love mornings when I don't wake up feeling like life is hard.
• I love it when people post comments on my blog.
• I love Frick Park. Still can't run too well, but at least there's amazing peace and scenery to go with my sore knees and shins.
• I love NHL playoff games with their passion and intensity.
• I love regular season Pirate games, with the beauty of PNC Park and the old relaxed familiarity of baseball.
• I love watching buildings being built, and demolished.
• I love the crazy noise of downtown on a weekday.
• I love the quiet peace and relaxation sitting in the cutout of my porch.
• I love listening to trees rustling in the wind, and to rain hitting the roof.
• I love camping.
• I love brief moments of solidarity shared with total strangers.
• Most people won't agree on this one, but I love balancing my checkbook and paying bills. My close friends should understand that one. No, it's not about money.
• I love taking snowboard trails during a good snowfall, where the only sound is the the muffled swoosh of my board.
• I love laying in bed after a day of boarding or horseback riding, and I can still vaguely feel those motions going through my body.
• I love that my cats recognize the sound of me pulling up on my bike, and run to the screen door when I get home.
• I also love that my cats almost always sleep on the couch with me. Whoever said cats aren't as affectionate as dogs was a nutball.
• I love moments when I'm sharing almost any of the above with someone who I know and love so well that we don't even need to comment about how great it is.

Still Hating After All These Years

OK, I decided last night when I was falling asleep that I'd make an anti-hating list. But the morning didn't work out that way, so I'm hating more instead. Ha. So there. Take that.

• I hate when you make plans with a bunch of friends and then they change the plans and everyone who was involved with the original plans is involved in the new plans except for you.
• I hate how many times the word "plans" appeared in that last sentence.
• I hate feeling like out of sight = out of mind for people who used to be my little family.
• I hate the Post Gazette website's new layout.
• I hate loving Pittsburgh but not being sure if I want to live here much longer.
• I hate it when I get to work and realize that I forgot to wash out my coffee cup on Friday.
• I hate my knees.
• I hate my shins.
• I hate when I get my hair cut and the hands of the guy who cuts it stink like cigarettes.
• I hate when whoever brews the coffee makes it weak and crappy.
• I hate when I drink too much coffee on an empty stomach.
• I hate when I feel like I'm not too far removed from where I was 4 years ago.
• I hate when I notice that someone has been stealing tissues from my box at work. Seriously? Stealing tissues??
• I hate that the people who are my good friends and who haven't bailed on me will read this and feel bad even though they shouldn't.

Haterade!

I spent most of yesterday in an uncomfortable environment, so at this particular moment I'm a hater. Even my usual calming routine of coffee at CTR didn't really help my mood...so, I know I'm hating because that is usually golden. Maybe it's because I couldn't get my bananas & strawberries and the accompanying Pamela Family fix. Fucking Labor Day.

Anyhow, here's a hater list for the moment, just to try to get some of this shit off my chest.

• I hate the hill going from Regent Square to Squirrel Hill. It's not steep, but something about that bastard is insidious. Maybe it's just because I always go up it in the morning when I'm still half asleep. (Then again, I admit that at the same time I love it.)
• I hate being in hostile territory without backup.
• I hate knowing that when my mom looks at me, she wants to see a daughter that was never there and that I will never be.
• I hate when people who I love and who I know are good at heart say ignorant and hateful things.
• I hate knowing how precarious a balance it is that keeps those ignorant and hateful things from being directed at me.
• I hate that there's a light switch in my apartment that I don't know what it does.
• I hate starting meds that fuck my shit up and make me simultaneously jittery and exhausted and I just have to hope I get used to them.
• I hate my astigmatism.
• I hate that the remote for my cable box turns on my theater system even when I don't want it to.
• I hate that I am painfully shy.
• I hate when people feel and act superior to other people.
• I hate times like this when I'm sitting here hating.

There you go. Have a spiffy day.

My Friend Lex

I started becoming reacquainted with an old friend today. We'll call my friend Lex. No, I'm not a huge Superman fanatic, that's my friend's name...or something like that.

At any rate, I spent a lot of time with Lex a few years ago. We were introduced through a mutual acquaintance, Dr. K. We quickly started hanging out a pretty fair amount, between 30-40 m every day. (M = minutes? Sure, why not.) Lex helped me out during some really rough spots; things got dicey for a while but every day there was Lex, right on schedule. Gradually things got easier, and after a year and a half or so, I saw less and less of Lex. Eventually we stopped hanging out at all.

So, I ran into Lex today for the first time in years, again brought together by a mutual acquaintance, Dr. S. We decided to start off easy, just seeing a little bit of each other for the time being, see how our friendship works itself out this time around. I always have that fear that I'll let myself become overly dependent on this friendship, and not exert the energy required to conquer my demons on my own. But, I guess in all of life our friends are the ones who help us in those battles. You have to fight the battle yourself, but it doesn't hurt to have more friends in your corner. I don't see why the same shouldn't apply to Lex.

I'm tired of speaking in riddles now. I'm going to bed.

Ikea Tests My Love

For the most part, I usually think Ikea rocks. It's just a fun place, some decent stuff, reasonable prices. In addition, I've also been impressed with the emphasis they put on reducing waste, using recyclable materials, etc. But they are testing my love at the moment.

I have a glass-top table that MD and I bought there when we moved in together. The glass was an unfortunate victim in my move to Regent Square, and replacing it has finally moved to the top of my long to-do list. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal; Ikea probably just has a parts replacement system and I can buy a new top for it.

Nope.

I have to buy a whole new table. I've talked to people at the store, people on the phone, people on the customer service "live chat" thing, and sent them an email. The table top is packaged and handled separately; the infrastructure is entirely in place for them to sell just the top, but they just won't do it. I'm a little irritated about the cost, but really, why force people to waste perfectly good furniture pieces? Considering that most of their stuff is in pieces, I'm very surprised and disappointed that they don't have a better parts-replacement system.

Oh, and they do have another line of glass table tops that you can buy seperately, but in one direction it is 3/4" off in length. Really? How hard would it be to make them the same size??

It's still cheaper for me to buy the whole new table than to get replacement glass from a different store, so I'm going to do it. But I'm just going to leave the base at the store--I'll be damned if I'm going to deal with the hassle of getting rid of an extra table base, and I'm sure as hell not going to just throw it out.

Another Best Cartoon Ever

Again, clicky clicky.

Dave Comes to Regent Square

Surprise, surprise, a fair amount of explanation for a small bit of fact, but it's an important bit to me so I don't care.

Some backstory for the benefit of those unfamiliar with Dave, a friend of ours from the restaurant. He ate at Pamela's just about every day and was simultaneously a voice of wisdom and a good-natured troublemaker; he was our Yoda. Sadly, Dave died in May 2006 after a yearlong fight with cancer.

After he died, MD and I each got to pick out photos from a huge collection of ones that he had taken and his wife had mounted; we each picked two. In the old apartment we had all four photos hanging together. When I moved, I took the two that I had picked, and have been trying to decide where to hang them. There were spots in my TV nook that I liked, but I have candles around there and I was very afraid of the heat damaging them. Nowhere else in the place has really felt right for them, so they remained unhung.

Last night I was lighting the aforementioned candles, and just happened to look up at the panel of wall up above the TV nook, and for the first time noticed two nails already in the wall. They are positioned perfectly to hang the two photos, one of which is tall and thin, the other short and wide. As far as I've seen, they are the only two nails left over from a previous tenant in any wall in the apartment. In an odd way, I'm not at all surprised. It might seem spooky to some people, but it gives me a smile to think that maybe Dave is still up to a little subtle mischief. I'm happy to welcome him into my new home.

Bacon Infatuation

Better news that the owners of the Harris Grill do intend to rebuild. Of course, anyone who actually cares probably already knows, but I mention it in relation to a funny tidbit. A friend of mine is infatuated with the idea of Bacon Night, which they had every Tuesday. Neither of us actually went to Bacon Night, but she is very determined to experience one if they resume the tradition.

The funny thing is, she's a veggie. But she's determined that we must go, and claims she's willing to make an exception for me and Harris' Bacon Night. Which leads to the other thing that makes the situation slightly funny, which is that the only time in my life that I've ever actively craved bacon is when I worked at Pamela's. I think at that point it was a saturation effect. You know how you can hear a song on the radio and not like it, but if they pound it into your skull enough first you get it stuck in your head, and eventually realize to your horror that you crave it? Thus I believe it was with me and bacon.

Of course, it's not that I hate bacon, like one hates the aforementioned song. It's just...oops, I have to go. Whiskey has decided to try and dig the leftover food out of the garbage that he's already dug out twice now and left on the floor. Because it might be different this time or something.

Oh, Right...That's Why

I don't go to the movies all that often these days, and I was reminded why today. In case you are curious, take note: The Last Legion = Steaming Pile of Crap.

I would like to note, MD picked it. She apologized afterwards. At least it was the matinee.

Happy Birthday MT!!

Today is my good friend MT's birthday, so happy birthday to you! You survived long enough to have the privilege of your age no longer starting with a "2", so congratulations--in another 10 or so months I'll be right behind you. I think you and I might be the only two people in the world who are happy to reach that milestone.

At any rate, it's been, what, five years now since The Nameless Evil was late for public skate but it was so obvious which two people didn't belong amongst the high school dudes and chickies that we didn't need her around to make the introduction. Five years, jeez. Five years full of ups, downs, foot surgeries, shoulder surgeries, mmmmonkeys, tears, smiles, hugs, antidepressants, anti-inflammatories, Lower Wildcat backwards, ffffourty-nine, new relationships, new heartbreaks, ciclon, vodka fireballs, ham-cheese-onion-pickle sandwiches on potato bread, 8 cats, 4 tempcats, Buffalo, 9 residences, Patrick the Starfish, and pork fried rice stuffed in a pickle jar. (Just the rice in the jar, not Patrick.) And oh yeah, some hockey in there somewhere too.

And through it all has been the comfort and knowledge that I have found in you a true, lifelong friend...even if we had to work out a few kinks along the way.

Just before my birthday this year, someone told me that age 29 marks one of the great times of transition in life--that you truly begin to become the adult that you really want to or will be. I can definitely say that I've seen that happen in you over the past year. It hasn't been an entirely easy year, but as it's progressed I've seen the seeds of real happiness finally firmly taking root for you. My wish for your birthday is that they continue to flourish.

And by the way, nice lederhosen.

Pet Peeve #83: Sidewalk Hogs

The first thing I have to do is make a confession. I bike on the sidewalk sometimes. Yep, I'm one of those jerks that gives bicycle commuters a bad name. If I'm in an area where drivers are used to seeing bikes, there's plenty of space, or the sidewalks have lots of pedestrians, I stick to the road. But on narrow, busy, non-bike-friendly roads, I hit the sidewalk. For example, Penn Ave. between Braddock and Fifth--I drove that stretch every day for two years, and can personally attest that drivers are too concerned with stirring their coffee and beating the red lights to get to work, they aren't looking out for bikers.

That admission made, my pet peeve is something I don't have a right to. Too bad, it irritates me anyhow. When a pedestrian sees a bike coming down the sidewalk, why do they simultaneously gawk in fear that I'm going to mow them down, yet also refuse to make a decent amount of space?

On my ride to work down that stretch of Penn, there's one bus stop in particular that drives me insane. There's a telephone pole and mailbox side by side. Most times that a pedestrian is waiting there, they stand immediately opposite the mailbox, leaving maybe a third of the sidewalk open. Let me show you: (MD, you know you've been waiting for a diagram.)



They shrink back against the shrubs in clear recognition of the tight squeeze, yet they don't make any move to relieve the congestion. I know that as a biker on the sidewalk I have no claim to anything, so I'm not complaining from that aspect. But the stupidity irritates me. Out of a sheer desire for their own self-preservation, wouldn't it make sense to stand somewhere different? Say, next to the mailbox, or a few feet down from the mailbox rather than immediately across from it. Are they that dumb? Wait, don't answer that.

Why the Harris and Not a Stupid McDonalds?

Downright shitty news that the Harris Grill in Shadyside burned down this weekend. I was only just introduced to it in its current incarnation a few months ago, but it was a fantastic place. Well, full disclosure: it turned out I'd been there once years before when I first came to Pittsburgh but I don't really count that because it was the previous ownership and I was so new in town I had no idea where the people I'd gone with led me...case in point I got properly and thoroughly lost when I tried to leave. I didn't even remember that I'd been there--I didn't realize it when the plans were made, but as soon as I saw that porch I remembered it instantly.

Mmm--that porch. I don't think I ever actually went inside, because the porch was (is) so great I never got past it to the door. Maybe when I was first there (again) and wasn't sure whether you had to check inside for porch seating.

Anyhow, their food was (is) awesome and the atmosphere was (is) fantastic.

And in case you can't tell, I have stubbornly decided to believe that they will rebuild and be back. I think one article said a co-owner has already vowed to rebuild. I just hope they remember to bring the calamari appetizer back with them. And the Garden Weasel. And the Henny Penny. And the Polish Church Basement Pierogies. And the Salmon Rushdie's Return. And the spanikopita. And the...OK, I have to stop now.

My Weekend in Review

Wow...yeah, that weekend ended up being just as zany as I figured it would!

In case you couldn't tell, I was a little busy. A hockey tournament at the Southpointe rink down in Canonsburg happened to coincide with my softball playoffs, which would make things hectic enough as it is, but in addition to that my Cincinnati friends rolled into town for the tournament so there was visiting, partying and all around good fun to be had.

First, the hockey--fun fun fun! I skated with some ladies from my Ice Maidens class, and everyone had a great time. We've had scrimmages here and there with the class, but these were the ladies' first "real" hockey games. We lost all three games, but my little fledgling hockey players did me proud and then some. I still can't believe I'm lucky enough to be a part of something like this program; it is so great seeing these women learn so much and have so much fun, and know that I helped make that happen.

Second, the softball--again, fun fun fun! Although, the two games I played in we lost, and the one I missed due to hockey we won. So...hopefully they won't decide I'm a jinx and will still take me back next year. They let me come eat at Gullifty's afterwards, so I'm hopeful. Softball season has definitely been one of the highlights of the summer; I'm so happy I decided to do it. Many thanks to G for talking me into it, and my Ducks teammates for a great season.

Lastly, the partying. Do I need to say fun fun fun? OK. Fun fun fun! Mad dash back down south to join G and the Stars for dinner...missed the salad but really the crab legs were the important part. Let's see...what else...well, there was a crab claw that someone tried to turn into a nipple clip, a multi-car chinese fire drill, watching a bunch of people from Ohio unravel the mystery that is the "beer distributor", your standard hotel drinking mischief, some LCR dice game gambling, and let us not forget the game of strip poker. If you hear any rumors about my rear end needing a tan, it's a vicious, vicious lie. (Actually, I didn't lose to that extent--my butt made a brief unscheduled appearance during the short removal. Chalk it up to the perils of wearing baggy clothes.)

Oh! And the extra special fun, I got to play with my car on Friday!! Engine flush, oil change and new front brake pads. I haven't had anywhere available to work on it so it's been several years since I've gotten to tinker. I missed it horribly. The only bummer, at one point I took my glasses off and put them on the roof of the car. Yeah, they're gone now. Yay for insurance.

So, now I have to do that laundry, because I have no clean boxers. Clean boxers are important.

My Weekend in Preview

In this order:

Hockey
Sleep
Hockey
Softball
Party
Sleep
Hockey
Softball

Laundry

And somewhere in there I'll need to eat.

WOO!!

To Soothe the Savage Beast

I don't know what it is about music. There's something about how it works into me, in a way that regular words never could. Whether I'm listening to it or playing it, it's like it opens some hidden door directly through me. Whatever emotion it is touching, it hits it directly, exposes it completely bare to everything. There's no emotion so intense for me that music can't take it to greater heights--joy, anger, excitement, anticipation, frustration, hope, peace, anything.

And as for pain, when a song resonates with your pain, for me there are few things quite so rending and yet so healing all at once. I can feel like a song is just going to break me in two...the mortal body couldn't possibly survive it. Then when it's over, there's a speck of hope, of healing, that just wasn't there before.

Music that truly resonates with something you feel in your heart is just pure--it is the most perfect form of expression I can imagine. It's as though it ceases to describe the feeling, and simply IS the feeling. That's just beautiful.

Rainy Ruminations

It's Sunday and it's raining. There's something about going out for a good bike ride in the pouring rain that is so great and refreshing. I can't quite describe it. The water drives in your face, kicks up from the road, every inch of you is drenched in sweat and rain and dirt.

It seems odd to call dirty road and rainwater cleansing, but it totally is. You're filthy and soaked, and you don't care. We spend so much time worrying about maintaining a proper physical state. Oh, I don't want to get wet in the rain. Oh, I'm sweaty and smelly. Fuck that--I'm out busting my tail, sweating my ass off, water dripping from every inch of me, every piece of clothing soaked through and through. And I don't give a shit.

Liberation. Liberation from all the bullshit of how I appear, trying to keep things clean and neat and in it's place. I'm existing in my natural state, here I am and that's the way it is, and I don't give a shit what the people safe and dry in their cars think as they drive by and stare like I'm a crazy person.

Anyhow, I'm in a very weird mood today. It's Sunday and it's raining, and life is uncertain and I have no idea what's going to happen next, and that kicks ass.

I guess I could go for a hobble

Alas, a horrible fate has befallen me on this day. Since I've moved, every day I've been out and about doing stuff in some form or other. Biking around, taking walks, running errands sans vehicle, going to play in Frick. I've even been doing a touch of running, which comes as a great surprise to everyone including myself due to my long history of stress fractures and bad knees. (I can't explain it--it's like living here has infused me with some magic strength that has reinforced my shins or something. But just wait for the post where my legs have snapped in two.)

Well, over the weekend I was camping down in Cinci, and at some point (I think during a romp through the woods with four other people on a single ATV, but I'm not sure) I bummed my foot out pretty good. I can still get around, but I pulled most of the muscles and tendons on the bottom and outside of my right foot. So pedestrian exercise is out for me for a little bit. But, I still have my bike--I can ignore whatever aggravation of the injury happens when I pedal. No biggie, my outdoor and exercise addictions are still sated.

Sadly, today my bike got sick and had to go to the bike doctor. Which means tomorrow I have to drive to work. And drive home. And there isn't a whole lot I can do as far as getting in my daily fix for out-and-about-ness unless my foot makes a dramatic recovery. The two-wheeled bumblebee is supposed to be fixed by Friday, but you never know sometimes.

I've been in this apartment just long enough to realize that my dream of constant outdoors and exercise truly is everything I ever thought it could be...only to have it mercilessly ripped away! For a day or two anyhow. But what if it's two?? Or worse yet.....THREE??? If worst comes to worst, I still have my old crutches.

I am sad and disgusted

I generally don't put the same post on both of my blogs, but seeing this story has broken my heart, and I just have to.

Words cannot express the dismay and sadness. This girl was not just abused by her father, she was apparently abandoned by an entire neighborhood. All these people are coming out of the woodwork with stories of how terrible the situation was, how widespread knowledge of the abuse was. Where were they when they could have done some good?

One person could have opened their mouth and saved this girl. Instead they did nothing. They knew what was going on, and did nothing. They heard her screams, and they did nothing.

Now she stands held as an adult, for taking the only option she could see available to end her terrible pain. Unless the authorities rethink this one, she will be victimized yet again.

My heart is broken. My heart is crying and broken for this poor girl.

Please, read about this and take this story to heart. I hope nobody has to be confronted with such a situation, but if you ever find yourself in the same place as these people, I beg you, have the courage to do what is right. Too many children are helpless victims to the people who are supposed to care for them and protect them. You may think it's none of your business, or be afraid of getting mixed up in something. But you can be that child's hero. If the people with the knowledge and ability to save them don't, then no one will.

The Best Cartoon Ever

Clicky clicky.

Word.

Don't Encourage Me

I'm on the phone with my friend MG who read about my office supply plight. A recent JD victim...er...recipient, she's been providing constant input for my plans to return to the hallowed halls of learning next year and chase down my own. So, it's a little bit ahead of time, but she set me up with a nice office supply shopping list for next fall:

Highlighters
Highlighters
Highlighters

...and...

maybe some highlighters.

What is that I hear? Is that my Office Depot membership card crying out from lack of use? I've been ignoring the poor thing...

My Paper Clip Crisis

In order to save some space at my new digs I've decided to forego an actual desk; for now I have an old PC that I can work from my couch thanks to the miracle of wireless crap, and eventually I'm getting a new laptop. On the one hand I really like it because the apartment just isn't that big so it frees up more space, and it also eliminates one of those typical places where clutter and crap builds up easily.

On the other hand, I've found that I'm having an existential desk crisis. The cause: A deeply-rooted obsession with office supplies.

Yes, office supplies.

I love them. I admit it. I get jealous when my friends go to Office Depot, OfficeMax, or Staples without me. I love wandering around looking at all the clever organizational gizmos. There are few things I hold onto more tightly than a really good pen. Ah...composition books, thick markers, label makers, filing cabinets, binders, and of course paper. Oh, the aisles of paper. And don't even get me started on calendars. If you've been to my place you know my dirty secret about calendars.

Well, in losing my desk, I'm losing my home base for questionable purchases of frivolous office supplies. It becomes a lot harder to justify buying stuff when you've lost the obvious place to keep it. I still get stuff of course, but not as much, and it has to live in a bookcase which is just not as much fun.

Sometimes I think, why lose the desk? Do I really need that table? Can't I just stack my clothes in laundry baskets? Would a bunch of pillows really be less comfortable than the couch? Ultimately sanity returns and I realize the desk was the right choice to go, but my heart cries a little.

My Poor Buccos

Dejan Kovacevic passed along the following video...if you're a Pirate fan, you won't know whether to laugh or cry. If you're not a Pirate fan, just laugh. But the next time you come across one of the Bucco faithful, remember it and be kind.

Yes, the last time the Bucs had a winning season, Christopher Reeve was still walking; apartheid was still in place in South Africa, and 23 current teams in the four major sports leagues either did not exist or existed in a different incarnation, 10 in the NHL alone. But, I won't spoil it all for you--see for yourself!

And that's just what they were able to fit into the length of the song. Let's see...what else has happened since my boys last won? David Beckham made his first start in the English Premier League; Martin Luther King Day was officially observed in all 50 states; the Branch Davidian complex in Waco was sieged and burned; the US Marines entered Somalia; Arthur Ashe, River Phoenix and Richard Nixon died; the Brady Bill became law; the following movies were released: Schindler's List, Philadelphia, The Lion King, The Crying Game; the following shows all began and ended their original runs: Absolutely Fabulous (began and ended twice), The X-Files, Beavis and Butthead, the Power Rangers, and NYPD Blue; the Chunnel opened between England and France....

Oh, I could go on.

Surreality

It's weird to look around at what have been the artifacts of your life for several years, and know that they will no longer be. The apartment and the things in it will continue to be part of someone else's life, someone who I will always know and love very well, but no longer mine. If anything, knowing those people so well makes it even weirder. These objects which I once thought would be an integral part of the rest of my life--silly collected items, photos, gadgets, toys, decorations--are relegated to the periphery. They will still be present to me, but now distant and unknown in a certain way.

So in case you couldn't tell, I've moved, and the final packing and stuff-dividing was very strange. Certainly, the things that were hers before we met continue to be hers, but I had also come to know them as part of the setting of my life, which they no longer are. Stranger is the division of the myriad items acquired during the course of three shared years, reminders of happier times and strong emotion. What is more sad, when she wants something and you lose that physical reminder of happy memories, or when she doesn't care about something and you wonder if the meaning was as strong as you thought?

I don't want anyone to get the idea from this post that I am very materialistic, that I'm blown away by the loss of things. Little could be farther from the truth. But I guess for me, the removal of those physical objects represents that final, complete separation. Of course, I also don't want anyone to get the idea that I wish the relationship was still intact. Since we split, the separation was always there, always good, and always undeniable. Now it is just final. And man, when you spent that long assuming your life was following a certain path, the final erasure of that path is weird, no matter how good and necessary it is.

FOOTY!!

It's far too late for this summer, but great news that the Riverhounds will be playing again next year! Even better news, although a location hasn't been finalized they are going to be moving to a new location closer to the city. Good for fans, who don't have to trek all the way down to Washington, and good for the players, who hopefully won't have to play on a FREAKING BASEBALL FIELD. (Even having seen games there, I still can't make that work in my head.)

If the new ownership group is smart, they will seriously consider landing a home field within the city, as the Pittsburgh Passion did. I didn't go to any Passion games when they played at outlying areas such as Ambridge or Belle Vernon, but I can't imagine that moving to the South Side has done anything but help their visibility and attendance. I'm sure I'm not the only one who didn't go to games when they played in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, and in related news, we're down to 10 days for Beckham's planned on-field debut in a match vs. Chelsea. I do hope he proves to be as much of a boon for MLS as folks claim he'll be. However, as a lifelong hockey fan I know the battles that fringe sports face in the US.

OK to go

(You waited all that time to see the aliens and it was her damn father!)

Oh...um, hi. Today's Tuesday, which was supposed to be moving day, but moving day got moved. So moving day is Thursday. But this time it's definite. The carpet is in, it's not supposed to be hot as balls, and I actually should be able to breathe long enough at work to get the day off. Woot woot.

And, the good Comcast folk are supposed to come on Friday to hook up the cable and internet. Looks like my camping days are almost over. Oh well...I'm getting tired of sleeping on the floor. Wow, I really am on the verge of trying this whole "living on my own" thing again. We'll see how it goes.

And I don't know why I feel compelled to share this, but not only did the carpet guys leave a nicely installed new carpet, but one of them also decided to take a leak in my toilet and not flush. Strange man pee smelling up my bathroom. I know you'll sleep better tonight knowing that.

Camping in

I camped at the new apartment last night--first night there! Camping, you say? Yeah! Think about it...I don't have much there, so it was pretty much indoor camping. Sleeping bag and pillow, a little light and a book (not quite a flashlight and book, but close). No TV or internet. No furniture. Whatever clothes I remembered to stuff in a bag. Limited uninvolved food and beverage options. Bathing with the typical travel shower kit.

Camping!

The only thing that was missing was a fire and s'mores. I thought my neighbors might frown on me starting a fire in the building my first night there. I do love s'mores though....mmmmmm....

But I felt like an asshole staying there while Tiki and Whiskey were at the old place. I felt like I abandoned them a bit.

So, cross your fingers--the carpet is supposed to go in tomorrow (Monday), and it better happen because I'm scheduled to haul some furniture Tuesday.

Hey thanks, Kev

Bob Smizik had a very thoughtful column in the PG today, it was a good reminder that few things are black and white and few people really are the devil incarnate. The Nuttings still might prove to be the devil incarnate, but Kevin McClatchy, not so much.

Granted, I'm somewhat easy to sway with appeals to sports sentimentality, as one of the few who refuse to boo Jagr when he comes to town. Sorry, but you have to take the sum total of a guy, not just the last two years when he was a whiny crybaby.

Barry Bonds, on the other hand, has never been anything but a prick. Which is really why everyone hates him, not the steroids. Sure we ridicule other guys like McGwire and Giambi, but we don't hate them. Bonds = Prick = Hate.

Happy 4th!

I love the Fourth. Ever since I was a kid and we would spend the whole day at the lake swimming, cooking out, getting massively sunburned; I love it.

Didn't do much of that sort of thing today, but I got a fireworks show this evening courtesy of the entire Pittsburgh metro area. Sitting on the balcony of our apartment, I could see any and all fireworks going off anywhere north of the parkway. Much better than fighting your way through crowds somewhere and only getting to see one display. The downtown display was blocked by the buildings, which unfortunately blocked a lot of the show, but there was a great effect of all the buildings being outlined by fireworks. Probably the neatest was seeing not just the "official' displays, but all the individual people who got their hands on rockets and set them off in the neighborhoods below us.

My only regret was that no one else was there to see the coolness with me.

Keys!

Got the keys to my new place today (finally). I let the apartment people have it, and of course true to form felt bad afterwards. Because I'm a sap. But we got things smoothed over, and as an added bonus I found out they're putting new carpet in the living room. Score.

So, having been at the place again, my excitement at moving there is somewhat renewed, but the nerves remain.

And am I the only one who thinks that a vacation day is cheapened when you have to stay at work until 11:00 the night before in order to get far enough ahead that you can take the next day off?

Lots of weekend

Let's see...

Went to the wedding of an old friend from high school. The wedding was beautiful--she and her new hubby have been together 10 years and are such a great couple. I had been very close to her family in high school, then some bad juju came about and I didn't see them too much. I was a bit surprised that they recognized me; not just the fact that it's been about 12 years, but I also didn't exactly look like this back then. It was really great.

Went to my first Pittsburgh Passion football game. They kicked ass to advance to the semis and I was damn impressed with the play on the field. Very happy that the next round of playoffs will be in town, too. And, went with some new friends--new friends are cool.

I was supposed to pick up the keys to my new apartment today, but the property manager never called me to schedule an appointment and the office is closed on weekends. I was told repeatedly it would still be today even though it's Sunday. They are DAMN lucky I'm flexible with leaving my current apartment. Someone is going to be read the riot act tomorrow if these people don't remove their heads from their rear ends.

Once again one of my sister's kids surprised me when I was feeling a bit down--my oldest niece is visiting her dad and brother in Georgia and gave me a surprise phone call out of nowhere. It was very sweet and made me smile.

Mentally preparing myself to see a new doc on Tuesday. I hate new docs. Very exhausting. Also mentally preparing myself for the new apartment; it's a weird time in that all my closest friends are either out of town or very busy right now. But I guess I need to be able to get in before I can move in.

Went golfing for the first time ever. Well--swung a golf club in earnest for the first time at a range and a pitch and putt. I was only a little nervous at the driving range (if you know me you likely know that backstory and have felt the dent in my jaw). Even managed par on one hole of the pitch and putt. Better lucky than good--it's like goals in hockey: nobody asks how, they only ask how many.

I swear it's not what you think

I donated blood earlier this week. The vein in my left arm is out there for all the world to see, whereas the one in my right arm is very shy. Without fail, they opt for my outgoing, sociable left vein, with no problems. It was a bad sign when the lady this time looked at it and said, "Hmm...that's really near the surface, we might not want to use it." Well she used it, and now I've got this awesome track mark accompanied by a huge bruise that has gotten bigger every day.

So for the record, it's not a real track mark--I generally shoot up between my toes.

I took a vacation day to go shopping?

Yep. I took a vacation day today, and spent most of my hard won freedom shopping in Robinson. Nope, it's not a ridiculous head start on Christmas, it's moving out. There's something weird about walking into a store, asking, "What do I need?" and answering, "Um...pretty much everything."

Indeed, four months after the breakup that hit everyone else a lot harder than it hit us, this is the second time in five years that I've re-outfitted my entire existence. Well, that's not entirely fair this time around; I do have a fair amount of stuff. Last time, I pretty much had my clothes, $50, and my job...and shortly thereafter a credit card bill. This time is not nearly so start-from-scratch.

But it makes me think--these days, wedding registries and housewarming parties are useless. When two people get hitched, they likely already live together and have their place furnished, or live on their own and have two of everything. What we really need are breakup registries, because THAT's when someone needs to buy everything under the sun. Maybe I'll pitch that idea to Target and Amazon and see what they think.

Kids are awesome

I was at my parents' house yesterday to celebrate the 17th birthday of one of my nephews. (I have a nephew who is 17? Scary. Oh wait...I also have one who's almost 19 and one who's 20...) Getting to see my sister's kids is always a huge joy. My sister and the oldest three lived in my parents' house a lot when I was in middle and high school, so in a big way they are like my own kids. There's just something about the way kids are genuinely happy to see someone they love that always makes my day. There's none of the adult bull that you acquire as time goes by...they know they are happy to see you, and they let you know it, and to hell with whatever else. The simplicity is refreshing and just plain awesome.

When I was there, two of the girls were using my sister's cell phone and asked what my number was. I gave it to them, not thinking much of it. Later on driving home, I was feeling a little bit blue, when out of nowhere I got a text message from a number I didn't recognize. It turned out to be the oldest of that clan, the soon-to-be-19-year-old, who has been in Georgia with his dad for over a year. His sisters had passed along my number and he just wanted to say hi. Leave it to kids to be so thoughtful without any thought.

Bittersweet summer vacation

Tonight was the last Ice Maidens class for the season. For those of yinz who don't know, I help teach a women's learn-to-play ice hockey class on Sunday nights for a good part of the year. (For those of yinz who do know...and are women...I've probably tried to sign you up. Hehe...)

The Ice Maidens program is by far one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, helping people learn a sport that can seem so inaccessible if you don't know where to look, especially for women. My absolute favorite moment is after we scrimmage at the end of the first class of each session, seeing the excited faces of women who just played ice hockey for the first time ever. I enjoy every unique person who comes through that class, and get a serious high every time someone learns something new or tackles another obstacle.

So the last class is always a little sad because I know it will be months before I get to experience these things again, but at the same time, I know it's a necessary break. Thoughts necessarily turn to summer things like baseball, biking, and skin open to the sun rather than covered by pounds of gear. And, the breaks from things that we enjoy help keep them fresh. When you truly love something, it is definitely a case of absence making the heart grow fonder, and not of out of sight out of mind.

So it's a bittersweet summer vacation. I know come the fall I will return with fresh vigor to happily pick on the people who I can tell haven't skated in three months.

This year, of course, had a little more meaning in that Cara, the head instructor for the class, is leaving for the snowier climes of upstate New York. Enough cannot be said for what Cara has done for this program, and I only hope that Stacy and I and whoever else is involved can keep that momentum going. Truly, women's hockey in Pittsburgh owes a great debt of gratitude.

Two questions...

1) Ever have one of those times when you realize you haven't been using your naturally given abilities for any good, and instead have spent the last seven years sitting in a cube like veal?

- and -

2) What is it about unexplored potential that plagues you and just leaves you wondering, what if...? I hate it when crap won't leave my brain.

Bring on the elements

I'm moving in two weeks to Regent Square, and have set myself the goal of barely using my car unless I really really really really really have to. I'll be about two miles from work, and between the Square, Point Breeze and Squirrel Hill, I'll be near all kinds of stores, restaurants etc., not to mention I'll have Frick and Schenley to go play in. I am excited to maintain as much of a car-free existence as possible--I've wanted this for YEARS. All of this, of course, is a huge reason why I chose to move there.

I'm so excited, in fact, that I started early. It's not feasible for me to go to full time bike transportation from my old apartment, but I've taken to bringing my bike to work and using it to run errands from my office. Of course, my last two times out have been less than smooth...witness my torn up leg last week (many thanks to my Pamela's family for letting me patch myself up) and now today, getting nice and drenched in this evening's thunderstorms.

Oh well. There's something bad ass about walking around with a blood-soaked makeshift bandage (still got that haircut goddamit), or realizing there's no point in hurrying because you're gonna get drenched anyway.