Mood

Today got off to a bad start. I've been riding my motorcycle to work every day (see first entry for more info) except for those days when I know the weather is going to be crappy. I didn't have that choice today cause I finally took my car in to be fixed. So I got out to my bike, saw how wet I was going to get, and had to go back inside to change into some jeans and pack my work clothes to change into. That made me later than usual which means I have to stay at work later than usual.

I went to swap my motorcycle for my car during lunch. It no longer feels like the front wheels are going to fall off, so that's great! I don't have to cross my fingers through every turn anymore. The mechanics also diagnosed my engine problem as shorting spark plug wires, which I am going to take upon myself to fix. I really enjoy working on my car, so why should I have to pay for the mechanics to have all the fun? I was going to get the car inspected over lunch as well, but the car is stalling out at idle--an old problem I've gotten so used to that I am proficient at driving with one foot constantly on the accelerator to prevent stalling. Hopefully the problem is back this time because the car has to go through its idle-learning process again. If not, hopefully replacing the spark plug wires will fix it. If that fails, hopefully they will let me get the safety inspection with my foot on the accelerator the whole time. None of this stuff worsened my mood--I get much satisfaction out of the challenge of keeping the car going.

I think a lot of my mood is due to the stress of various things coming up--a couple things going on this weekend, and a couple things next weekend, on which my birthday falls. Also, last night I fell asleep on my bed with the lights on and my clothes on, which caused me to have a lot of dreams of getting some projects done in my room. Which was then followed by me waking up late for work and finding nothing accomplished.

I suppose the silver lining is that I've been feeling useful and important at work all week. Nothing to complain about there.

I sorta feeling like getting wings again. Not that I have time for that.

Different

Last night, after the Red Sox won the World Series, I went outside, laid down on my motorcycle, watched the lunar eclipse, and smoked a cigarette. That was different.

Costume Contest

Halloween is coming up and that means I have to get a costume together fast. At last year's party I won the best costume prize as Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama. It consisted of light bulbs for eyes, a cut-up rain poncho for the shell, coat hangers for claw support, scrubs and lab coat for clothes, and duct tape to hold things together. I'll have to hunt around to see if I can find a picture.

Having won last year, I get to be a judge this time, so the pressure is off as far as having a great costume. I can't completely blow it off, though. I came up with this year's costume idea yesterday and I'm trying to figure out now how to construct it. Hopefully I can find some supplies soon, otherwise I'm going to be scrambling on Saturday.

80's Compilation

OK, I hit the restaurant a day early this week. I just couldn't wait any longer for some wings. Mmmm! They're still playing 80's. Someday they'll go back to oldies and I'll be really happy again. I can't single out one song today and nothing really grabbed me so here's some short comments on a bunch:

"Delirious" / Prince - Hmm, anyone remember this one? A forgotten Prince song for me. Obnoious keyboard part, and I believe a title track to what is probably a bad movie that I'm too scared too look up on imdb.

"Middle of the Road" / The Pretenders - Not obscure at all, probably a staple on many stations. But I want to mention it because after Chrissie Hynde counted measures during the break, my sisters and I used to continue counting out loud 'til the end of the song.

"Just a Giggolo" / David Lee Roth - Who's idea was this, Roth's? His producer's? I just can't imagine Roth coming up with this dumb idea cause I can't imagine him ever being in a situation where he would have heard this song in the first place.

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" / Bonnie Tyler - The quintessential 80's ballad. What else can I say?

"Human Touch" / Rick Springfield - The quintessential 80's artist. Now that I'm home, I can't even think of how this one goes now. I guess that makes it pretty forgettable. I'll never forget "Jesse's Girl," though.

"(How to be a) Millionaire" / ABC - Ugh, there has to be some new wave in this list, right? I think I remember buying sheet music to this one. What a joke!

"Workin' for the Weekend" / Loverboy - I like the guitar riff. Lots of energy in this song. Too bad I'm hearing it on Monday.

PS. I asked the waitress for a pen while I was eating so I could write down the names of these songs. I think she might've thought I was going to give her my phone number or something. It was a weird situation, and I may have to do it again.

No I didn't give her my phone number, BTW.

Port Aransas

I'm back from my weekend trip, and I had a great time! Everything was prearranged so I didn't bother finding out exactly where I was staying or exactly what we'd be doing. We got to Corpus Christi and I was a little surprised to find that our trip wasn't quite over--another hour of driving took us to Port Aransas, which is on the gulf and I assume is much nicer than any beach on Corpus Christi bay. We camped at Port Aransas Park, right on the beach. I've been camping a handful of times before, but always in a wooded area. Camping on the beach is a lot of fun! We had lots of food and drink and a campfire Saturday night. There was no rain, to my pleasant surprise, but plenty of wind. I was sure my tent was going to collapse sometime during my stay, since I had to set it up in the near dark and was short a tent stake, but it survived. The sound of the wind and sea put me right to sleep both nights, and was pleasant to wake up to.

Saturday afternoon we went on a gambling cruise on the Texas Treasure. I had been on a ship like this once before out of Jacksonville, but this one was much larger. We had a large group of people, and had a bar reserved just for us, on the top deck aft end. Free beer was part of the deal, and I took advantage. The crew made it hard to turn down. All I had to do was flinch as if I was getting up for one, and a waiter (who somehow knew my name without me telling him) was there with a fresh one before I could stand up. Outstanding service. I did a little gambling too, and it was nice to be able to alternate the gambling with sitting at the outside bar and enjoying the sun and music.

I used to think I'd hate going on a cruise ship after all my time at sea. I'm coming around to think just the opposite. Its such a ridiculous contradiction of worlds for me; it almost feels as if I'm getting away with something when I should be scanning the horizon for ships (which I couldn't help but do). I wonder if it would've been more fun on the submarine with some music and drinks on the sail. Maybe, but the thought of having to crawl back inside would probably spoil it.

They have got a huge ferry operation at Port Aransas that we had to use several times. Four docks, at least as many ferries, and lots of traffic. I can't say I've seen anything like it. My travel mate wondered out loud why they didn't build a bridge and after a little research it became obvious. This narrow inlet is the ship channel for all of Corpus Christi, and a bridge would have to be damned tall for all vessels to get through. Not a problem for the inland side, but the other end of the bridge would tower over little Port Aransas. Of course a drawbridge is also an option. But, the system works, so why fix it? I guess eventually they'd save money on operation expenses, but bridges aren't cheap, either.

I did take a couple crappy pictures. They are so bad I'm not sure anything can be made out in them, but I'll try and post them soon anyway.

So, So Tired

Very tired. Worse than last week. Originally, I was to ride 200 miles on my motorcycle down to Corpus Christi today after work. Instead, yesterday I arranged to hitch a ride in someone's car instead. I'm glad I did as I'm having trouble staying conscious at the moment, and it also appears it might rain this weekend. Not ideal for camping fun, but I'll manage. Tiredness is due to having fun and staying up too late, go figure! No regrets. Also having trouble typing complete sentences now. Next entry will not be 'til Sunday evening at the earliest. Someone reminded me that my phone has a crappy digital camera, so maybe I'll take some crappy pictures to post. Have a nice weekend.

Let's Go

It's time for my weekly entry on whatever song I heard on "that wing place's" music system! They were playing 80's again, and it was tough to decide what to write about at first because nothing sounded obscure or interesting to me. The most obscure song was Wang Chung's lesser hit "Let's Go" which was on the same album as "Everybody Have Fun Tonight." Yeah, I haven't heard it in forever, but there's really nothing interesting about the song to talk about.

On the way home, I remembered I had also heard "Down Under" by Men at Work. This one also doesn't quite fit. It's not obscure enough to me, and I've heard it many times in the past few weeks (I practiced it to play at this party, which was Australian-themed). However, these two songs have a special relationship with eachother, for me.

You see, "Down Under" was on the first LP I ever bought, and "Let's Go", regrettably, was on the first CD I bought. I've been trying to fool myself for years that The Doors two CD compilation was my first CD purchase, but it was actually my second. I was a musically confused teenager at that moment I bought that Wang Chung CD, so forgive me. Maybe I thought I would find out what "Everybody Wang Chung tonight" meant if I listened to the whole album. I know now that this will always be one of the great secrets of the universe.

I remember exactly where I bought that CD, too. Strangely enough, at the time one of the best places to buy CD's was the local warehouse grocery store. They had a CD section probably before department stores did.

I don't remember what the first cassette I bought was. I had a few, but I think they were all gifts. Cassettes suck.

Tuesday Afternoon

Today is one of those nice days at work where I feel like I'm actually doing something useful. I help to facilitate a small meeting of ten or so engineers once a month. They all appreciate what I do and thank me for it. A couple of other bonuses: I get to hook-up the laptop to a public network and therefore can access personal email and some websites that the internal network won't allow me to, AND I get a free lunch. I can also take my time packing up to go back to the cube, which is what I'm doing right now.

Sorry no entry this weekend. Not uneventful, but nothing special. I replaced the battery in my car (I really enjoy working on that old POS), and also went on a long motorcycle ride. Here is a video of me speeding down a country road.

I'm looking forward to some wings after work tonight!

Yo Quiero Taco Bell Muy Mucho

Due to rave reviews on this entry, here's another fast food post. (Next time post a comment!)

My last entry wasn't technically correct because I did manage to get out to Target for some necessities and then to Taco Bell to pick up some food. (It doesn't count though cuz this was an errand, not recreational) Taco Bell, while nearly empty inside, took a long time to prepare my chalupas. It didn't bother me, and I understood cause they looked understaffed, had a long drive-thru line, and the party that ordered before me had a large order. They gave me free cinnamon twists, which was nice. But wait, there's more! I went to a DIFFERENT Taco Bell earlier this week for lunch, and while eating my first chalupa, the counter person skipped around the room happily handing out free tacos to everyone there. I think it was an order mixup, who knows, but still a nice surprise. So Taco Bell has given me free food twice this week, and I can't remember the last time a fast food place has given me free food (on purpose). I don't know, maybe Taco Bell is reading my blog.

On the down side, one of the chalupas last night wasn't DEEP FRIED!!! Whoops. Bah... I shouldn't complain, the cinnamon twists were good!

So Tired

I was extremely tired yesterday at work. By 5 pm, I was to the point of loopiness, and wondering if it was safe to drive home, even as I continued to drink coffee. So when I got home, I should have felt comfortable in deciding to stay home, watch a little TV, and go to sleep early. But I wasn't! I have gotten so used to doing something every day that now that I'm always going to feel bad when I don't go anywhere in the evenings--any day of the week! That seems a bit unreasonable, doesn't it? I can remember a time when I acted practically the opposite way, not wanting to be bothered with going out anywhere and doing anything. I guess my current situation is better than that anyway. And since I recharged yesterday, I should have enough energy not to konk out tonight, hopefully. That seems to happen alot on Fridays.

Destined for Curry

Yesterday I enjoyed a pleasant change from my daily work routine. At a friend's invitation, I skipped out of work to watch him teach a class where he used a computer program I helped write. It was interesting to see how that all worked out. Beyond that, I felt this overwhelming feeling of freedom for those several hours I escaped the office. That's what I'll remember the most, and I think that's a sign that it may be time to look for something more satisfying to do for 40 hours a week. Getting back to work immediately didn't appeal to me, so we had lunch at the college food court. I wandered to the Indian food counter, looking for some curry. There wasn't any, but I was unable to extricate myself from the transaction and ended up with some okay but not great Indian something or other.

As luck would have it, that evening after several beers I found myself at a different friend's house being treated to some homemade curry. Exactly what I wanted and just the right spiciness (very hot but not quite to the point of sniffles). Nice.

Songs and So Longs

It’s Tuesday, and, for the time being, that means its time for my entry about whatever song peaked my interest on the soundtrack at that place I go to eat chicken wings (see last Tuesday's post). They were playing 80’s again, and this time it was “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club. Let me digress for a moment here and say that it took me a good ten minutes to figure out which song this was on the internet. Apparently Mariah Carey has sampled this for a song of hers not once, but twice! That led me astray. Geez, M, its funky but c’mon, recycling something twice can’t be healthy. Okay, so I chose this one only because it reminds me of the Kia commercial it was used in awhile ago, the one with the blonde girl who first has the hippie boyfriend with stinky feet, then the yuppie lawyer who talks on the cell phone too much, then she finally gets pulled over by a cop and she thinks he’s cute. I’m only remembering this commercial cause I think she is cute, too. And she’s blonde! That hasn’t been my type for like five years now. Enough of that…

I had a hard time motivating myself to go downtown to the bartender’s party, but I finally made it after ten. By that point, the food and the band was over, but I still had time to wish her well in Alaska. Aspiring bartenders take notice—she remembered my name after I had only been to the bar ONCE. Completely shocking to me, and very professional for a bartender. She also guided me through the 100 different beers I had to drink to graduate the bar’s beer college (my name is now displayed on a plaque at the bar), without any annoyance on her part.

PS. On the jukebox they played my favorite Bond theme song, "Thunderball." I couldn’t hear it very well so I’ll have to listen to the mp3 now before I go to sleep.

Monday, Monday

Well, last night wasn’t so much fun. The MNF guys didn’t go, as it “wasn’t a good game.” They were certainly right about that! I ran downtown from home, a distance of about 2.5 miles, so I decided to stay out anyway. I ended up watching bits and pieces of the game as I wandered from bar to bar, and ended up walking home at the beginning of the fourth quarter. I didn’t run at all on the way home, which is also disappointing.

Tonight there is a farewell party for a bartender I know, so I’ll probably end up downtown again. I hope it's more fun than yesterday was.

Ya play the pianah?

Good evening my loyal but silent friends and family. I hope all is well! I had yet another completely fun weekend. How late I get up on Saturday & Sunday is a good indicator of how good a time I had, and I was pushing 2 pm on both days. I finally got my hands on a real piano at a party Saturday night, and while I didn’t have anything impressive prepared to play, I was able to impress and entertain through the number of tunes I could pull out of thin air. The touch, action, whatever you call it of the piano was great. I'm gonna have to buy one someday.

I haven't talked about running much lately cause I haven't been doing it. But I think tonight I'll be running downtown to watch MNF, and stumbling/running home afterwards.

Live and Strange Music

I like bands with that little extra originality. Something beyond the regular line up and standard set. I’m not just talking about the music, either. As a matter of fact, some of the things I enjoy would probably be considered gimmicky by most—costumes, choreography, puking dolls and pagan idols, for example.

I saw a band last night I’ve been wanting to see for a long while. One of their fans (or maybe it’s one of their band members) has a habit of playing their music on the jukebox of a bar I frequent. If the goal of playing their CD so often is to get people to like their music out of sheer repetitiveness, it worked on me. One unique thing about the band I realized just from listening is their instrumentation. Electric Guitar & Vocals are as you would expect, but everything else is handled by the keyboard guy (that’s bass, drums, and any normal keyboard part). This necessitates sequencing on some level (at least for the drums), but I believe each song is completely sequenced leaving the keyboard guy only to direct his equipment when to switch between sections or change tempo. It comes across as very casio toy keyboard auto-accompaniment sounding, which you might think is lame but actually sounds quite cool in their arrangements. Strange costumes (see their website if you’re really interested), stuffed animal throwing, and a bar fight during the last song added to the fun.

The Doggone Girl is Mine

I just got back from my favorite chicken wing place, which I visit about once a week. Despite what people will tell you, I have always gone there just for the wings. I am beginning to appreciate other things about the place, though.

There is always something about the music track they play there that surprises me. For awhile, I found solace in their oldies mix, now that BOB has taken over our one and only oldies station in town. The nice thing about that mix is that there would always be a few really good obscure oldies that I'd only hear on the radio once in a blue moon.

Lately they've been playing 80's, and what got me thinking tonight was hearing the worse of the two McCartney/Jackson collaborative songs, "The Girl is Mine." ("Say, Say, Say" was the better of the two) How the hell did these guys ever get together? I suppose I'm forgetting that twenty years ago MJ was the king of pop and Paul was trying to make a buck. This song is painful to listen to as the two drop into a spoken word trash talk about who this girl prefers. Like that would ever happen...

And I seem to always find myself writing blog entries in my head while I'm sitting there enjoying my wings. Something about the place inspires me, I guess. Only I rarely remember to do anything about it when I get home. This time I did, but I know I left several good thoughts there at the restaurant.

Fun all weekend!

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a weekend where I didn’t get angry, pissed, frustrated, moody, etc. at SOME point. I guess the planets came into alignment or something, because I had fun ALL of last weekend. I even enjoyed watching Packers football, even though they lost. Maybe that enjoyment came out of witnessing my roommate’s frustration with some bonehead NY Giant plays & decisions.

Now it appears I *might* have a regular place to go watch Monday Night Football. That’s three nights now of regular places to hang out during the week. I’m never going to get anything done at home.

Security breach

Damn, I really thought this guy would discover my blog before the Austin hash did. Although I do have one of his entries combined with my own stupidness to thank for it.

Well, now that they have found it I have to take down all my deeply personal sappy relationship related entries, or they'll start accusing me of being a pussy (well, more than they normally do).