Bad Sequel

Most of the work at SKF was cleared out at the end of the shift. That means tomorrow is likely to be October 17th 2: Electric Boogaloo. In other words, run out of work fifteen minutes into the shift and be sitting on my ass by half-past noon.

Oh, boy! I can hardly wait!
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Now playing on iTunes: Ben Folds - Still/Bitches Ain't Shit (Reprise)
via FoxyTunes

War were declared!

I think I may have gotten myself into something that the fighter in me will love, but could do some serious damage. It begins with logic. We'll see where it goes from there.

Cameron versus Sarah's mother, round one. As the man with a working car and endless chutzpah, I believe logic can soundly beat the extra X. You guys will be notified when next Sarah visits. It was supposed to be this weekend. Logic failed. Lawyer tactics will be engaged.
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Now playing on iTunes: The Memories Attack - Love In The Time Of Hate
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And That's Not All!

Call in the next ten minutes and you also receive...

Kraut linked me to this webcomic that I'm gonna buy the hardcover of a webcomic called Shooting War. It's about a blogger serving as a field reporter in 2011 in Iraq during McCain's first term. It's really interesting.

I think I might try contacts again.
I've started rereading The Guide.
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Now playing on iTunes: Metric - On The Sky
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Blast Beats

It took two years, but I think I finally blew a speaker. The front passenger mid driver is rattling. I'll have to take off the interior panel to inspect it, but I might have to add a new sound system to the upgrade list. No stock system can handle the abuse I put it through. I blew every speaker in the Sentra in six months with DragonForce and Led Zeppelin. The vastly superior VW system is suffering a bad case of Chromeo and Federal Moguls.
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Now playing on iTunes: Federal Moguls - Furious
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Huzzah!

Shift change! Friday I'm working noon-8:80, which means I can make it to James' at a reasonable hour. Oh, I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay...

Now I just have to figure out how to get Sarah up here for the weekend. God damn that malfunctioning Mustang!
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Now playing on iTunes: Federal Moguls - Let It Snow
via FoxyTunes

Impulse Buys of the Week

I went to Louisville. I returned with two Chromeo albums and a fountain pen. Also, the Reeducation of Sara Lamb is proceeding as expected, with Airplane! and Office Space off the list. Next visit: Wes Anderson films!

Since I'm gonna save the bike purchase for warmer days, I have some extra coin for VW mods. The next mod: New headlights! Mine are badly fogged and misaligned, so I'm upgrading to HIDs and having them professionally installed. Should be roughly half a grand.

Adventures planned for the near future:
This weekend is, of course, Halloween. I'll be around, scaring kids and whatnot. I return to Jackson Center the next weekend Alicia feels like hosting me. Been way too long since I've gotten that far away from everything, and Sidney has a restaurant called The Spot with some goddamn amazing pie.
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Now playing on iTunes: Chromeo - Needy Girl
via FoxyTunes

Awesome Critter Meals of the Week

Spider Eats Bird
Heron Eats Bunny
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Now playing on iTunes: Slayer - Disciple
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King me!

Ladies, gentlemen, I give you chess boxing!

Kaitlin discovered it. We're forming a league. Everyone who reads this is in. This isn't optional. :D
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Now playing on iTunes: Ben Folds - There's Always Someone Cooler Than You
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Slow Times in the Fast Season

I had this nice little burst where I was blogging all the time. That kinda went away, primarily because I have nothing to talk about. My weeks consist of work. My weekends usually consist of runs to Louisville that wouldn't interest any of you. I've got to find a way to get Sarah up here more often. This weekend's parties alone would certainly be bloggable.

On the bright side, this means my bank account is going the correct direction. When I was partying all the time I was out of work and in August and September, when I was visiting Sarah weekly, I was somehow spending more than I was making.
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Now playing on iTunes: Interpol - Public Pervert
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Snowmobile?

It got down to 39 last night. 39! If it stays this cold at night, I'm putting off the bike hunt until spring. Since I intended to drive it to work and Louisville, more than half my riding would be night riding. No way in hell I'm gonna start biking by doing that regularly. I'd rather let that come with a few months in the saddle.
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Now playing on iTunes: Against Me! - Borne On The FM Waves of the Heart
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Mongoloid Mouse

(01:50:36) Cameron: God damn the fucking mouse.
(01:50:43) Brandon Black: oh
(01:50:47) Brandon Black: you were referring to mickie
(01:50:58) Brandon Black: and his oddly similar girlfriend
(01:51:11) Brandon Black: you know, they are from the florida swamp... i think they might be brother and sister
(01:51:17) Cameron: Hahahahaha
(01:51:35) Brandon Black: i mean they look and sound identical and they're both retarded
(01:51:40) Cameron: Hahahahahahaha
(01:51:41) Brandon Black: just listen to the way they talk and laugh
(01:51:47) Brandon Black: and they have huge, downs like heads
(01:52:59) Brandon Black: think about it... just replace "ha ha!" with "yay icecream!"
(01:53:46) Brandon Black: http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Romero-Britto/Britto-Mickey-Mouse-Limited-Edition-C13110759.jpeg
(01:54:03) Brandon Black: lifeless, distant stare... hunched posture... fidgeting badly with his feet... slack jawed
(01:54:56) Cameron: Doesn't help that he's black.
(01:55:18) Brandon Black: hey man, you throw gorilla a piece of chicken he'll laugh all you want
(01:55:36) Cameron: Hahahaha
(01:55:39) Brandon Black: and dance
(01:55:49) Brandon Black: and he's black doing whiteface
(01:56:03) Brandon Black: cause back in the day it wasn't proper to have a darkie on stage...
(01:56:36) Brandon Black: i'm going to hell aren't i?
(01:56:53) Cameron: In a handbasket lined with feces.
(01:57:07) Brandon Black: so a coon-crib?
(01:57:25) Brandon Black: ...
(01:57:27) Brandon Black: :-(
(01:57:30) Brandon Black: here i come satan...
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Now playing on iTunes: Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Went Numb
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Opinions Wanted

You all know Alicia. She's got to pick a coop for the coming quarter, and would like a hand choosing. Her blog's over there in the sidebar, under "Wonderings of a Silent Mind" and it'd be a big help if you could check out her favorites and give her your opinion.

Thanks,
The Complainer Himself
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Now playing on iTunes: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - 1-2-8
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Torn

This, by the way, is that Honda I keep gushing about. The problem is that it's $5000 and the economy is shit, so I can't just divert money from my college fund. It's also too old to finance. On top of the five thousand is the price of a new helmet and insurance. This is all balanced with the fact that the bike is perfect. Literally, perfect. I'm not sure what to do. Damn it. I'm really not amused that I accomplished my summer goal and now it's held up by technicalities.
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Now playing on iTunes: Federal Moguls - Pursuit Of Perfection
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And No End In Sight

Yesterday, the fourteenth, was our two-month. A lot has happened since August 14th, which is why it seems like so much longer. Even better is that I mention her 21st, May 18th, 2011, and it seems entirely natural that we'll be going that long. Alicia pointed out (and told me not to mention it to anyone) that we're basically the perfect couple, and distance aside I'm quickly beginning to believe her.

So I sit here, listening to the band that brought us together and sipping a Sam Adams Black Lager, and I raise a toast - to the good times of the past two months, and to the potential of the next three years and beyond. May the good times never end.
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Now playing on iTunes: Tegan & Sara - Monday Monday Monday
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Short and Sweet

The weekend was fantastic. I can't wait to roll down there again. Next time I want to do it on a bike.

I'm gonna do whatever I can to get that Magna at a reasonable price.

Got Ben Folds' Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP.
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Now playing on iTunes: The Format - Let's Make This Moment A Crime
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Learning the Hard Way

Scouted out Honda of Florence yesterday and Richwood Powersports today. Bike shopping is not remotely like car shopping. You enter a car lot and it's a rush to find something you like before the sales goons get you. Shopping for bikes is so far like shopping for pants - you're ignored until you ask a question and all the merchandise is overpriced. I found a bike I liked at Honda and went back to see it today. It's a 1997 Honda Magna with a custom yellow and black paint job and 5,000 miles on the odometer. Kelley Bluebook says it's worth $3,500. The price I got from Honda was $4,995. Richwood had a midnight blue 2006 Honda Shadow, valued at slightly less, for $4,899. I really like that Magna, but I'm not about to pay 150% for it. The hunt continues.
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Now playing on iTunes: Dave Matthews Band - Ants Marching
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Steed Week

This should, hopefully, be a busy week. Today I'm gonna hit the DMV to get my license. There's a chance that I'll still have to wait the full 180 days and go back for it on December 28th, but I'm not worried about it. The only differences between a permit and a license are that I'm legally obligated to wear a helmet (honestly, you'd have to be an idiot not to) and that I can't carry a passenger, which I didn't intend to do until I had a year or so of experience.
Three days this week I'll be out at local bike shops, starting with the Honda dealership on Dixie Highway today and then the big shop in Richwood tomorrow.
One day is set aside for lunch and/or scouting out a costume shop with Alicia.
Friday night after work, I hop in the car and roll down to Louisville to see Sarah. It's been a long three weeks.

Details on my bike of choice, in case you were wondering:
Preferably new. I didn't have good experiences with used cars.
Powerful enough for highway use but not powerful enough so I can't control it. That's in the 500-800 cc range.
Cruiser or standard. I'm gonna do a lot of long-distance riding and sport bikes use your abs and back to support your weight. Cruisers and standard bikes are more relaxed, with cruisers leaning back more and standards upright, like a bicycle.
The best bet, if I can get a good price on it, is a Kawasaki Vulcan 500 or if the dealer has last years models to get rid of, the Vulcan 750. It'd be cheaper and have a small but not underpowered 750cc V-Twin, providing superior performance to the 500 LTD's straight-two.
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Now playing on iTunes: Darius Rucker - Forever Road
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That Went Well

Acquire License? Check. Acquire Bike...

We have an October project! I can't wait to be out on the road with an engine between my legs and the wind blowing past my jacket.
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Now playing on iTunes: Streetlight Manifesto - One Foot On The Gas, One Foot In The Grave
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Riding the Iron Steed

Had my first experience on two wheels today, and I'm definitely hooked. From the lightning-fast acceleration to the smooth transmission and hot, vibrating engine, it was all really sleek and natural. I felt as safe on the bike as I do with the Volkswagen wrapped around me. I have no doubt that I'll pass the skills test tomorrow and walk into the DMV Monday to pick up a license. This is definitely something I'd like to spend a significant amount of time doing in the future.
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Now playing on iTunes: Ben Folds Five - Regrets
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Trial and Error

Since I grabbed the Bacon Salt, I've been adding it to basically anything. I'll keep track of stuff in a list on the sidebar. Things without an adjective are better with Bacon Salt, while things preceded with "Not" and "Maybe" are either worse or strange but not any better or worse with Bacon Salt, respectively.
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Now playing on iTunes: Coldplay - Speed Of Sound
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Already Making Plans

I've got a few preliminary event plans for 2009. Figured I'd start as early as possible to get people in.

Thunder over Louisville on April 18
The Dayton Air Show on July 18-19
Riverfest 2009 on Labor Day
Oktoberfest in late September

But 2008 isn't over! Events for the remainder of the year include:
BOA Grand Nationals
December 13, the Saturday after I turn 21. If you think you're getting me hammered on a Thursday night when I have work the next day, you're either crazy or stupid.
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Now playing on iTunes: Kristofer Astrom - Just A Little Insane
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Underground

While I was raiding the Waldenbooks at the mall and drinking an Orange Julius, I happened upon a book on the Cincinnati Subways. Emily and I scouted a short bit of tunnel when we were freshmen, but I never checked out any more of it. I propose an adventure for the whole group. I'm not sure when we'll do it, but a picnic in a subway station would be good fun for everybody. What say you?

Update: How hard can it be to borrow a cutting torch for a day or so? We'll make our own door.
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Now playing on iTunes: Ben Folds - Brainwascht
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Jimmy, I'm Hooked

Today's lunch: Baked potato with butter, sour cream, and Bacon Salt. If you haven't tried Bacon Salt, do so immediately. Hell, come here sometime and I will feed it to you. It's fat free, low sodium, vegetarian, and Kosher. Nobody who reads this blog has any excuse to not try this stuff.

Already have Bacon Salt? Get recipes here!
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Now playing on iTunes: Siva. - Opinion Leader
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Some Good News?

Looks like, along with every other stock on the planet, the price of oil is dropping. That means we can buy more oil with the money we're about to not have any of. Woo!
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Now playing on iTunes: Ben Folds - Cologne
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Anchors Away!

Last night was... interesting. Dinner at the Cadillac Ranch was great. We found bacon salt, which I proceeded to put on everything. Bacon Pepsi isn't half bad. Afterwards we chilled with Meagan and Jimmy for a bit before landing in a bar on Ludlow, where the bartender proceeded to mix a few drinks wrong so he didn't have to charge the girl. In a traditional 21st birthday celebration, Alicia had more to drink than ever before. The ensuing carnage will lead to a serious beating on my part.

In a few weeks, she'll be laughing with us. Definitely won't be doing any of that today.
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Now playing on iTunes: Ben Folds - Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)
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