Some Google Maps Fun

Tonight I talked with others about when I lived in Charleston (Winter and Spring 1995), which got me looking through google maps when I got home. Here is where I used to live. I bought my one and only pair of roller blades when I lived there, and here is where I went to skate whenever I had time. Here is where I used to work. You are looking here at a barge and two former submarines, now moored training ships, the MTS-626 (former USS Daniel Webster), and MTS-635 (former USS Sam Rayburn). I spent most of my time on MTS-635, which is at the most southeast pier.

Happy Birthday Ann!

It's Lava! 
I am a day early, but I might not get a chance to post this tomorrow. Have a great day! And remember, you're 29 for good now!

This Makes Me Happy

Putting money in the jukebox, then later realizing that your songs are playing and knowing that you're going to enjoy the next song even though you can't remember what it is going to be.

Dirty Jobs

I'm finding this show pretty entertaining, and informative, even though I have to look away from the screen occasionally. Each episode consists of several trips to different jobs involving some disgusting task that we never think about, yet probably makes out quality of life better. Picking up our trash is just the tip of the iceberg, and I even wonder if they would do an episode on that as it's relatively tolerable compared to some of the jobs I've seen on the show. The first show I saw featured sewer inspectors/maintainers, which is unsurprising, but the one I saw last night showed some really bizarre jobs. Oyster shell recyclers and chicken "sexers" (people who dig through tubs of newborn chicks and sort them by sex). The really disgusting part of that task is how the worker squeezes the chick before checking which forces the chick to poop. Someone has that for a job--all day! Think about that the next time you eat a chicken wing/breast/thigh/mcnugget.

Actually the whole reason I'm posting about this show is I'm hoping I can have a question answered. During the chicken sexer show they also had a segment on brewing. The disgusting part of this process is the leftover yeast which looks gross and probably smells really bad. Anyway, they kept on showing the various places it would turn up (which they would then have to clean) and at one point they were showing small bits in the beer--this reminded me of a story which I can't quite fully remember where someone I know found something disgusting in their beer (though in this case I think it turned out to be paper), sent it back to the brewery, and ended up with a free case of beer. My question is, who was this person I know and what beer was it?

Thinking About Cars Again

I heard a commercial for this on the radio last night. Did you know that you can rent tires, wheels, and rims now? Thank God this gap in the rent-to-own market has been filled.

While I'm thinking about cars, I noticed an interesting graphic showing gas production over the last century and its projection for the next fifty years. Not surprisingly, peak gas production is occuring around now according to the graphic. The article makes the believable point that gas producers will probably do everything in their power to overstate their production to delay the consequences of its inevitable decline. When exactly the gas peak is doesn't matter so much to me, but I have no doubt it will happen within my lifetime, which got me thinking something I hadn't considered before--since we are living right in the middle of the gasoline era, maybe I should have been trading my car in every couple of years (as opposed to keeping the same car for ten years), just so I could enjoy our temporary driving lifestyle to its fullest?

CL + W = EP

Over the past couple of years I've noticed a trend, which I have formed into a equation:

Carousel Lounge + Whiskey = Embarrassed Playsbyear

It's gotten so bad that I usually don't go back there for several months to allow everyone time to forgive and forget. At first glance, last Friday looked safe. Our most well known whiskey drinker was not in attendance and therefore did not bring a bottle, and I had promised myself I would be on my best behavior.

The cards were really stacked against me, though. Usually my embarrassment has something to do with trying to convince the band to let me play with them. This is what happened the last time I was there, in between their two sets when their keyboard player had to leave for another gig. It was kinda stupid to ask; the keyboard player of course took his keyboard with him. They have a piano there, but it isn't in tune and you can't even hear it when the band is playing, without a mic. I felt I was pretty annoying, so I didn't want to repeat that again. But they made it hard to prevent. First of all, only two of the four regular members were there--the other two were new, or temporary, and had some noticeable trouble with some of the songs. Second, the permanent members didn't really seem to care about sounding great and were playing stuff for the hell of it, just having a good time. Third, there was no headlining band that night. Since the band I see is the opening band, they were free to play beyond their usual two sets. Fourth, the lead singer was taking breaks during the sets and having someone sub for him. Others were subbing in too, I think. Things got a little fuzzy. Did I mention that our #2 whiskey drinker had gone out and bought a bottle? Ugh. At one point they were asking for anyone to play guitar for a song; I almost jumped up but thankfully someone beat me to it.

Right when it looked like they were done for the night, the band decided to play one more song. However, the drummer had already stepped out. One of the band members asked if anyone could play drums, and when it looked like they were going to have to skip that last song for lack of a drummer, I jumped up and kept the beat. Not very well I'm sure, but no one seemed to notice. I know I recognized the song, so that was good.. but right now I can't say I remember what it was. I guess we all had fun, but I didn't stick around long enough to see what the drummer thought. I'm sure I know a few people who would've freaked out if they came back to find someone else playing their stuff. I guess I'll have to take a couple months off again...

Still floating

Lake Travis is the big lake nearby where everyone goes for water recreation. I've been in the lake a couple times (from the shore), but until Sunday I had never been on the lake. We had a party of 50 or so and rented a two story barge, which went out and anchored near a bunch of other barges and boats. I didn't think I had the energy for it after helping JMT move earlier, but I'm glad I went. It was definately the first time I enjoyed tomales and beer while treading water.