Now let's define our abbreviations

I believe the S in iPhone 3G S stands for shorter, not speedier. I may change my mind whence I acquire my own but for right now, here's my evidence:


Found at MacRumors.

Stylish Zoom Zoom

As per her comment in Zoom Zoom, Frenchie came through with fierce footwear suggestions. I have to agree with her. I can think of no other word to describe these:














I am leaning toward the pair on the right with the rivets. The gold overlay also goes nicely with the Carhartt coat I've been wearing until I acquire a leather jacket.

Let's define our terms

Yesterday while I was having the last vestiges of spring quarter stress worked from my back muscles by a very talented massage therapist, she asks, "You've read books and I suppose you think. Would you consider yourself a liberal thinker?"

I heard myself say, "What could I possibly have done to make you think you had to ask the question?"

Whatever the behavior/activity was, it must be corrected.

Yawn

Two things for ya' right now. Both from Stranger than Fiction. Both make me giggle.

Thing 1: I love the scene when Will Ferrell and his buddy are talking about their superpowers. My superpower? Suspended animation. I am very good at it. Nothing can keep me from it. I only use it for good. I became good at it through practice. In fact, another practice session may happen this afternoon, for about an hour, on the couch, under a good book.

Thing 2: This has no connection to my daily life other than I walk around saying it, most times completely unrelated to whatever is happening at that moment: I brought you flours. Gah! It's hilarious. Hmm, maybe you need the visual. Go watch the movie then we'll talk.

This is where I roll

This is less than 20 miles from my house. I still can't believe I live here.

Lessons learned

Lesson the First, learned while riding Clickwheel:


Don't sneeze with the helmet face shield down.

Zoom zoom

There's a new toy in the house. This is the first gadget I have ever bought with which I can cause physical harm to myself and others, text-walking injuries notwithstanding. I am now the zippy owner of a scooter named Clickwheel.

Original photo at Motorcycle Philippines

I've been riding it for about six weeks now and it is a hoot. What a blast! Zoom zoom.

Yes, zoom zoom indeed. And I haven't even gone faster than 30 mph yet! This speed limit has not meant a limit on unadulterated joy, however. I am restricted from, ahem, riding it like I stole it so that the engine is broken in correctly. After reading a little about this on the interweb, I am happy to maintain STL* speed in return for payback over the life of the engine in higher mileage and less pollution. I have only 200 more miles to go before I go to 31 mph and beyond!

I have washed Clickwheel. I have not even washed the Prius which cost seven-and-one-half times more money.

I have successfully changed Clickwheel's oil. This is an event that The T thinks of fondly as evidence that I am fried from the academic year. It took multiple trips to multiple stores for me to successfully acquire and return and try again to acquire all the materials I needed to swap used dinosaur juice for new dinosaur juice.

First I bought a drip pan and a funnel and oil. I stood Clickwheel up on her kickstand and quickly realized that the drip pan was not going to fit between the rear wheel and said stand. So the drip pan was returned. This accounts for two trips. I went to a different store to find a drip pan substitute. I found a six-inch wide roller pan used for painting. I also found a 21-piece socket wrench set with a 17 mm socket perfect for removing the oil plug. However, always the conscientious consumer, I looked around and found—for only a dollar more—a 40-piece socket wrench set. Nineteen more pieces for a buck? What a deal. I verified that the 17 mm socket was in the 21-piece socket set, placed it back on the shelf and made my way home only to return immediately once I realized that the 40-piece socket set did not have a 17 mm socket.

If the oil didn't need changing before, it sure as hell did now.

You might think that the story ends there. Depending on where you are on the Funny vs. Pedantic spectrum at this moment, you're either reading on for more or you may have already abandoned this page for something more entertaining. If you're still here, please laugh with me as I share with you what I should have thought of at the beginning of the oil saga: there is a tool kit in the stowaway zone. Yup, in the caboose where the iPhone charging port (!!) can be found is a collection of wrenches and other forged from steel items suitable for wrenching and other tasks associated with scooter engine maintenance.

I foresee future oil changes taking far less time.


* Sci-fi fans may know FTL as faster than light. STL would be the opposite.

I thought it was a little blue pill

Seen at Home Depot:

Is "Fertilizer Spikes" some sort of pun?

Caffeine Wars

Coffee holds a very important place in the life of The T. As the person who often makes the brew, I should know. I have been the recipient of both praise such as "I would move the planets for you right at this moment because this coffee is so good" and complaint such as "WTF?!? This could bring the water reclamation plant to a grinding halt."

This is the background for the taste test which occurred in the kitchen moments ago (since I'm taking the time to compose and spellcheck this blog entry rather than feed another tweet into the frenzy, does that make this old news?) I made a pot of brewed coffee and also a mug of instant. The instant was a sample of Starbuck's new commodity. The brewed was the same brew we've found The T can enjoy and not break the bank; it's some Cost-mo' brand. We did a blind taste test and The T made her choice between the mug with the rubberband and the mug without the rubberband. I knew which was instant and which was not. We then did a double-blind taste test where she switched or did not switch the rubberband and I chose between the two mugs.

I am shocked—SHOCKED!—to say that we both picked the instant coffee over the Mr Coffee-ed brew. Shocked! More study is necessary.

In the meantime, I asked The T which mug she would like to finish off. She picked up the brewed mug. "But I thought you liked the instant coffee better?" I asked.

"I do but I need consistency more."

Wow. Another beaten down consumer tucks her tail and huddles with hands wrapped around a mug.

Oh yeah. You blend.

Sent from my iPhone