Damn Car

Can't sleep. And to make things worse, I'm tired as hell. Eyes burning. My mind just won't shut off...

Yesterday wasn't a bad day, overall, but it sure as hell wasn't one of the better ones.

Car developed a head gasket leak. While it wasn't anything major, it did need to be fixed, and as soon as possible. I was babying the car in an effort to keep it from needing work before I could afford it. Didn't work out that way...

Take it to a shop, and it will easily cost you a grand, if not half again as much. I don't have that kind of ching. The move out here cleaned out the last of my savings, which wasn't much to begin with, and that was with the company paying for the move. Since I started working again, I've been trying to build up a cushion for when things like this happen. Mr. Murphy refuses to cooperate and let the cushion actually exist. Bastard.

A guy that I work with was able to hook me up with his neighbor, who is a shop mechanic. The guy will be able to do the work for cheap... a little over half of what it would cost in the shop. That's still more than I have available, but is in the range of affordable... if that makes sense.

I know, some of you may be thinking, "Dude, you'd be better off going to a shop who guarantees their work. Pay the extra money." Hell, I was kinda thinking the same thing. But the thing is, I don't have the extra money to pay, nor the time to acquire said money. Honestly, that is. (We had overtime scheduled for Saturday, which was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, but after the car screwed up, OT was dropped. Imagine that.) And once I met this guy, I felt a lot better.

My bro is a mech for Harley, and he does bike work for family and close friends out of his garage. His work is also his hobby, and a matter of pride. Serious pride.

This guy is the same way. Not to mention, as he says, he knows he needs to do a good job when working out of his house... because if someone has a problem, they know where he lives!

Anyway, being a natural born worrier, this has since been rolling over in my mind. Crap like this does little to encourage me, and if Mr. Murphy was an actual person, I would be plotting revenge. I don't think a beating would actually help anything, because he would know who I was, but to strike from a distance... yeah... that'd be the ticket.

Well, I suppose I should try to get some sleep... I've gotta be up in an hour and a half to catch a ride to work.

Wheeee...

Mr. Murphy

Does anyone know the location of Mr. Murphy's lair?

I'm not talking about Mr. Murphy, my old shop teacher. I'm talking about the owner of a certain law...

It's about time someone threw him a beatin' party... I've had enough of his shit.

CTG

Yesterday, I was able to hook up with a fellow blogger... Caltech Girl. Hooters was chosen as the rendezvous point.

Before you go thinking that I dragged her and her husband into the place, I must mention that she suggested it. (Praise be to Gott!) I was thinking of bringing it up, but they were already in the vicinity with the newest member of their family, so it worked out just fine. She did mention Red Robin, but that was after the Hooters suggestion... I just couldn't get my gears changed.

Anyway, it was great being able to visit with her. I'd met her last year, but I didn't get to visit with her too much, so to be able to sit down and visit with her and her husband over a meal was nice. And unlike my last get together with bloggers, I remember this visit!

Looking forward to next time!

Green

You ever wonder about the color of Gott? Seriously, I've never really figured that He had a color, but if you think about it, you'd assume that His coloring would be similar to one of the races currently covering this planet's face. Right?

Well, according to some, we'd be wrong in that assumption. Seems that more and more evangelicals are convinced that Gott is green.

Green? WTFO?

A little research reveals alot...

By Gott, He is green!

Well, I'll be damned...

Guinness Tunes

Now this is a music machine!

Reservist

Digging through some of the boxes from the move, I came across my photo albums. Nothing special... mostly stuff from when I was about twelve, jumping to high school, then jumping to Marine Corps, and mid to late thirties. There's been a few changes, methinks.

Anyway, I found a pic that a buddy had sent to me, and I couldn't help but grin.

He'd been in our sister series going through bootcamp, and then once we got into SOI, we were in the same platoon... mortars. 0341. He was a Reservist, and I hassled him nonstop about being a part time Marine. I can't write most of the crap that I called him... at least not here... but that's what friends are for, right?

So I found this pic, and this is what he had written on the back of it.

I had to send this picture, I was showing it to some friends at work, then someone asked "How come you're smiling, and he looks so sad?" Then I suddenly replied, "OORAH Reservists!!"

Oorah, indeed...

Wishbone

It's Thanksgiving Day, and most of us will soon be stuffed to the gills. Not really a good time for the traditional punch to the gut that our cousins like to do, but I'm sure it will be done. I'm also sure that one of my brothers, probably The Perfect One, will be walking around singing this tune. (I know that I have been since last night.) If you know the song, and the artist, you'll know why this pic seems appropriate. If not, well, you're in the dark.

I'm not going to tell you all of the things that you should be thankful for... if you need someone to tell you, then you're a frickin' idiot. But I will wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a safe weekend.

Triceratips

You may have read the post below, and thought, "What the hell is tri-tip?" I know I did when I got out here. And the funny thing is, besides everyone agreeing that it tasted good, nobody could tell me what it was. Aside from beef. And that was only after I asked if that's what happened to all of the triceratops, and why rhinos are endangered.

To Central Californians, or at least those around here, tri-tips are the meat when it comes to grilling. Seriously. I asked if they do any brisket out here (I've been craving some barbecued brisket like a person who seriously craves brisket), and I get the "what the hell would you do with a brisket" look. I've been told that the only place you might get brisket would be from a processor. Now that's just sad...

Anyway, back to this glorious tri-tip. This cut that many of my co-workers would take over a filet. It is a roast, from the bottom sirloin... seen below. Most of the roasts that we've cooked at work are right about 2 pounds.

While I'm not exactly a new convert, I will say that it is a great cut of meat, especially for something that used to be ground into hamburger. But I'm still craving some brisket...

So I'm wondering, how many of you have had, or even heard of, tri-tip? I'm just trying to figure out if it is still relatively local, or if I'm the only one to have never heard of it.

'Least 'til now....

Stuffed

Had a feast at work today, though it didn't really resemble any Thanksgiving feast I've ever had before. Yeah, there was pumpkin pie and some salads, but it wasn't what one from the Midwest expects, excepting that it was kick ass.

We had tri-tip, chicken, rolls and buns, tortillas, rice, sticky rice, purple sticky rice, salsa, salsa, salsa, salsa, macaroni and cheese... real stuff, baked beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, pasta salad, a few different types of chips and dips, pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, cupacakes, and another pumpkin pie. I'm still stuffed, and chow was nearly five hours ago!

It ain't like home, but damn it'll do...

It's Work

I'm liking this new job. I'm not always busy, which gets old, and I sometimes get stuck doing jobs that are shitjob, but overall, it's cool here. I mean, I've been here for three months, and we've had four barbecues, and this is the second time in three weeks that we get out early... with pay. As in two and a half hours early.

Only thing that sucks is that we have to go in early, too.

I'm off to hit the rack...

Still On

For those peeps that keep popping their grapes in here to see if there have been any changes yet, fear not. It will happen. When? Your guess is as good as mine. And when it comes down to it, perhaps you don't want any of those changes. Apparently, the Guy Upstairs isn't in favor of ruining my blog.

While Cuz did win, Phin is the fish who'll be making the changes. And Phin has been smote by the hand of Gott for his willingness to hep out. I'm not sure what the diagnosis is, Ichthyophthirius or something like that, but it's not fair, nonetheless. I mean, it should have been me, for offering the site up in the first place, but then again, I lack the smarts to make the actual changes. That's probably what saved me.

Anyway, he shall recover, and he shall implement the changes of Cuz. But she should keep in mind that his health is at risk.

My apologies to the finned one...

Ugly

Saw this headline, Vonage loses appeal, now owes Verizon $117.5 million, and got to thinking about how good it is to be ugly.

Beware, you beautiful people...

Like Amos

Just hung up from talking with my cousin back home. They were all laughing in the background as he told me that I may be famous.

Sounds like Fritz's was really hopping last night... they had a TV reality show come to town, and the Nickel (or "Bunny Burrow," as it is now referred to in communications with me) was the site of their show. One of the best nights for Fritz in a long time, they had a large crowd until closing time. That's an awesome thing for Fritz... it's been getting too slow, lately.

I don't want to go into great detail as to what the show is about, since they are filming it with the goal of selling it to a network. Supposedly. But I will say that Fritz's was full of a bunch of comedians who put on quite a show.

How's this possibly make me "famous"?

Seems that the comedians and producers of this little show took great interest in a certain photoshopped piece of art that was hanging on the wall behind the bar. Great interest. I was told not to be surprised, should the show get picked up, if my mug happened to be on television.

Thanks. Thanks to all of you. And I most certainly do know who shoulders most of the blame...

Escape

Trying to save money to head home for the holidays, I've not done much around here. A couple of meals out and that's about it. Those chances to get out are appreciated.

Last weekend, I was able to set out on a trek to faraway lands, to a den of iniquity... Vegas, baby. There, I managed to catch AW before she left on a jet plane. She wasn't sure when she'd be back again.

Also got to hook up with Matty O'Blackfive, which is always a good time. Great guy who doesn't really say too much and drinks even less. Heh. No. It's true. Or not.

Additionally, I had the privilege and honor to meet Chuck, and Jack and Jill Army. Unfortunately, while it was truly an honor to meet these fine folks, I'm not sure the feeling is mutual.

See... I don't clearly remember too much of the evening.

I should have taken a warning from the sip of bourbon and coke that AW made me take. It was actually bourbon, with a hint of coke for flavor. Took my breath away.

They say that your true personality shows when you've been drinking. Well, hopefully I was seen as a big, dumb kid who was happy to get out and hook up with folks from "home" (and in the process, overdid it), rather than Douchey McMassengil...

This weekend? I was planning on hooking up with Mark, of Knockin On the Golden Door, but, due to the alcohol induced haze in which I entered the week, I didn't realize until wednesday, that this was the weekend. I didn't get all of my chores done, despite my rushing about, the last two days, so I ended up runnin short on time.

Sometime in December, I'll fix that... count on it, Mark.

Back

Internet issues have been resolved. Pretty much just in time for all hell to break loose.

The auction was won by "Cousin", Tammi's cousin. The bidding did not reach the 250 smackers that I was had set as a limit for the "skin for a year"... however, she did donate that amount.

Hmmm... should I award it to her?

For Rent

Alright, already. I have offered up my dignity, or what's left of it, on auction.

Check it out...

Here's your chance to have a little fun, and to support Valour-IT at the same time.

Tip of the mug to Zonker for the image

Auction

Okay... I'm definitely going to offer up the site for auction. However... I spent over an hour setting it up tonight, and it did not take. I will attempt to do it again tomorrow afternoon.

In the meantime, be advised: bidding will start at the not so everyday low price of 50 smackers. Should the bids happen to get over 250, the template that is designed will be adapted as a skin for the site... for a whole year.

More tomorrow...

A Question

Hey. Gotsa question for you. (If you hadn't figured it out from the title.)

Things are a little on the fiscally handicapped side in these parts. I want to give to Valour-IT, but it won't be much. However, I was thinking that I may have a way to raise a few extra bucks...

Were I to put up my blog for auction, would anyone be interested? Now, I'm not talking about getting rid of the damn thing. No. I'm talking about giving over the reins to the highest bidder for a week or so.

Winner would be allowed to do whatever they wanted to my blog.... for the most part. Of course, under the clinical supervision of Dr. Phineas Goldfish. You don't even need to be a coding genius... give your ideas to Phin, and he'll make them a reality. He's here to work with you, not me...

What think you?

100 lbs

It has been said that I'm a bit mule headed. I don't agree. Not at all.

I do admit, there are the rare instances when I refuse to bend, but most times, I'm as easy going as they get. Really. I did have a small bout with a flare up of stubbornosity today, though.

I had to pick up some packages from UPS. One was merely awkward, and two were kinda awkward, and "heavy," according to the woman behind the counter. She went and got a guy to help me.

???

So I get the stuff out to the vehicle, and the guy looks at me, and tells me, "You're a pretty big guy, but you'll probably need some help with those. They're heavy." I guess the look I shot him, which was merely a friendly "I'm sorry... I didn't hear you very well, my friend. It's heavy, you say" look, sent him away, because he stepped back and shut up. Lord knows, that's not what I was trying to do. I just wanted to make sure that he really doubted my capabilities in picking up these boxes.

So I brace myself for the worst, grab a hold of the first box, and heave. I damn near hit myself in the face with it. "That box weighs 100 pounds..."

A hundred pounds? I look like I need help picking up 100 pounds? Me, who was carrying three 50 lb bags of feed on his shoulders when he was 14? Who used to lift four hundred pound roll heads from the floor to a table top?

A touch of crabbiness almost overtook me. But, being the incredibly easy going guy that I am, I merely smiled, and tossed those boxes all over the place, taking care to show the nice man that 100 lbs is really not that much.

Perhaps, I went a bit overboard.

I'm about to remind myself how a nice, hot shower relieves a tightening back...

Marines and Valour IT

Next weekend, on the 10th, is the Birthday of the Marine Corps. We will be 232 years young. Born on the corner of Water Street and Tun Alley, in Philadelphia, the Corps has been more places than Johnny Cash: Tripoli, Mexico, West Africa, the Falkland Islands, Sumatra, Panama, China, Formosa, Japan, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Korea, Hawaii, Egypt, Haiti, Samoa, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Tachen Islands, Taiwan, Laos, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Diego Garcia, Grenada, Kuwait, Iraq, Somalia, the Horn of Africa, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, to name a few. I know there's plenty more...

Being a Marine is a special thing, and we take a great pride in that fact. I like what I read a while back; "The Air Force Chief of Staff would never be called 'airman'. The Chief of Naval Operations would never be called 'Sailor'. The Commanding General of the Army would never be called 'Soldier'. BUT, the Commandant of the Marine Corps is Damn Proud to be called MARINE!!!"

Being a Marine vet, I have joined up with the Marine Team in the VALOUR-IT fund raiser. That's what the dealie is up on the top of the right side bar.

What is Project Valour-IT?

Project Valour-IT began when Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog (an online personal diary, opinion forum, or news analysis site-called a milblog or military weblog when written by a servicemember or about military subjects). Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

A fellow blogger (blog author) who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of providing laptops with voice-controlled software to wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.

In sharing their thoughts, CPT Ziegenfuss and FbL found that memories of their respective fathers were a motivating factor in their work with the project. Both continue their association with this project in memory of the great men in their lives whose fine examples taught them lasting lessons of courage and generosity.
quote from here

We've got four teams, each branch of the service (with the Coasties teaming with the Squids... poor guys), with a goal of raising 60k each. Currently, the Doggies are ahead, but I'm confident that our Marine team will catch up very soon. And that's where you come in.

Looky below:

Go ahead... click that button, and donate.

Want to give on behalf of a different team? No... you don't. Really. You'd like to be one of us. You know it, I know it, and everyone else does, too. And that's cool. Hell... that's normal. Seriously. Even the other teams are pimping out items for auction by using my likeness. Handsome devil, ain't I? Well... in a cartoonish sort of way.

Anyway, since it is the birthday of the Corps, you should gift them by giving to this cause, on behalf of the Marine Team. Again, be sure to check out the items for auction, and to visit Soldier's Angels, the hosts of this fundraiser.

GO MARINES!

Who? Ters.

Sooooooooooooooooooo.....

Just got back. No. Not like Cheap Trick. Or even the Heavils w/Rick Nielsen... though, that kicks some serious ass. Serious. Ass.

Nope. I just got back from Who-ters. Beer, buffalo shrimp. and bocolate mousse cake. Three b's consumed. Boobs. Yes. They were there. Both types. Neither consumed.

Bit bummed. Back in Billman Balley, bould I bant to bo to Booters, I could count on my buddy Bontagion. (Sorry... stuck on the b's.) BASKETBALL! Anyway, if Contagion said he'd be there, by Gott, he would.

A co-worker heard me say that I was planning on hitting Hooooooooters this weekend. "Hey, man. Give me a call. I'd like to go, too." Silly me... I immediately think of Contagion's personality, and think, "Sweet. Many beers... many shrimp, big bill... good time."

Nope. A call placed forty five minutes before I go out the door confirms that the meeting is on. I get there, and no co-worker. That's cool... may be late, may not show.... I'm eating if he ain't there by the end of my first beer. Doesn't show. But that's cool, because now I can actually order 911 instead of that weak ass Three Mile Island sauce. (Contagion, it's noticeably weaker out here.) I pigged out.

A few beers later (I'm turning into a lightweight), I head out.

You know... it wasn't that bad hitting the restaurant by myself. Not bad, but not as much fun as if it'd been back home. Alas, I'm not in Kansas anymore, Otto. Time to get blotto...

Next trip, no calls go out. Besides... I got to bullshit with the bartender. If'n co-worker had been there, I'd not had that chance.

Tomorrow, off to the mountains. (Not the hooter type of mountains, but an actual range of mountains. Which does sound a little lame in comparison...)

Buckethead

For my friend, Contagion, who seemed to be thrilled that I would post a Buckethead clip on my site.

Well, here's two more.

We Are One

Spokes for the Wheel of Torment

Trust me, this is cool stuff...

You Lika Da Sauce?

Made some bascetti sauce a couple of weeks back, froze it, and had it for supper tonight. Holy cow! That's some good eating, right there!

Background music was provided by Down, their new album Over the Under. If you did not know, Pepper Keenan is a rock diety... but I digress.

This sauce kicked ass. Seriously. And it got me to thinking about something that Eric and I had talked about. See... I used his top secret recipe. And while I was simmering this delight, I called him. He came up with the idea of us cooking the stuff at the same time. East vs. West. Not so much a cook off, but we would compare the results, and share them with you peeps. Could be fun...

What think you?