Come on now people! Fifty cents for 3 pounds of air in 4 tires? What? The air is free, and unless the compressor is in outer space connected to the Mobil station via tether it is beyond the realm of possibility that it cost $.50 to increase the P of such a small V of air. Is it absolutely necessary to make a profit on every single transaction? What happened to the days when stores offered convenience items at cost? Last summer I purchased a cargo trailer from an RV dealer who treated it as just that - a convenience to their customers on which no mark-up was taken - and it cost a good bit more than the air I put in my tires at lunch. I mean seriously, are station owners worried that so many people are going to come in and top off their tires without buying gas or a soda or some smokes that the station business goes under? Communism. That's all it is.
posted at 1:09 PM - comments
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
So last night I broke down and went to see Seabiscuit at the Cobb Parkway 8 ($1.75 any time....that is what I'm talkin' about!) and that is a darn good show. I really like the way it morphed from a David McCullough-narrated documentary into a flashy period piece and finally into an epic about the will of beings to overcome adversity. It was enjoyable throughout - from the tension of the match race to the humor represented in William H. Macy's radio man. Freakin' good show.
posted at 8:36 AM - comments
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Hail to the Victors valiant! I'm all about the maize and blue this fall, but even this partial fan didn't see that drubbing in the cards, and now they're rolling once again. Bring on the Spartans!
Spent Friday evening on Anna Maria watching a 4-2 victory and then having some celebratory ice cream at Mama Lo's and then hanging out at Patrick & Maria's. Saturday afternoon was spent partly at Robrady working like a madman and partly at home watching football. Then with the time change this morning I rolled out to LBK, battled the brisk wind and made a decent average over 32 miles round trip.
posted at 3:35 PM - comments
Friday, October 24, 2003
Went up to Anna Maria last evening to watch my charges (Island Veterinary Clinic's soccer team) play. It was a great night - fresh-cut grass, the big lights on with bugs swarming around each bulb, and boy did it ever transport me back to fall Fridays in the UP, but at the end of the evening a tough 2-3 loss dampened high sprits. I'm headed back tonight for another game, then possibly working some on Saturday at the aforementioned product designer's shop.
posted at 1:40 PM - comments
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Wednesday night always means "West Wing," but it also meant library, catching up with Robin and planning travel, some cleaning of the place, and even some World Series last night. Then today a lunch meeting with Patrizio at a product designer in town - might lead to some weekend work, but at the very least was a fascinating look at an industry that runs on more art and less science.
posted at 3:35 PM - comments
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Washed and waxed the truck, some reading, some baseball, some szechuan noodles for dinner. Tuesday in the real world....watcha gonna do?
posted at 12:42 PM - comments
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Got the bad news about my first solo project at work yesterday afternoon: the Egg Harbor 65 is now dead on the table following EH's purchase of Buddy Davis. Woe is me! My chance for fame and fortune is gone, my ascendence to greatness postponed. In other news, man is pro football a snoozer of a sport. After some heavy reviewing last evening I settled in to watch MNF but didn't really even make it through the first half of what was, in truth, a fairly decent game. There's just no real excitement and it drives me nuts.
posted at 12:37 PM - comments
Monday, October 20, 2003
Plenty of rest this weekend after a few weeks of late nights and plenty of activity. Talked to people here and there, had soccer practice and a meeting about a subcontracting job, watched some football, hit the library and Barnes & Noble, finally saw "Finding Nemo", and checked out SNL with Halle and Britney. Then Sunday I did the A/V thing, went on a 35-mile ride in the afternoon that ended with tired legs standing over a fellow rider who'd gotten a flat and was totally unprepared for the situation but also totally unwilling to accept that fact, and then watched the Buccaneers get humiliated by San Fran. Boy was that ever a not fun game to see - I rotated between half-napping and listening to Tom Petty and watching the game, as 10 minutes or so was all I could handle of the reigning champs.
posted at 12:33 PM - comments
Friday, October 17, 2003
Scrambling busy lunch hours this week doing this and that and setting up dominos in a ready-to-topple line. Excitement at home from more than baseball...I imagine that in the Civil War hearing the drum and fife over the hill felt something like this. Meanwhile, baseball seems to have captivated the whole nation (did not see that one coming) while I'm still 100% riled up about college football.
posted at 12:47 PM - comments
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Apparently it's turning into serious fall weather everywhere else, but yesterday was hot and sticky here just like the previous 120 days or so. I've been devoting rather a large chunk of time to being a sports fan lately, so imagine my shock when the Cubs lost game 6 last evening. Crazy. Tonight is a church banquet and then just a few days left in a week that, only two days old, is dragging on eternally. Somehow I thought the boat show would sneak right up on me the way my last two events have, but that appears to not be the case.
posted at 12:47 PM - comments
Monday, October 13, 2003
Some new art joined my collection this weekend: two prints that were both gifts, framed masterfully by Marise Art & Frame, and ready to go on the walls. I'm pretty much out of wall space now, though, so other plans are on hold indefinitely.
A rundown of the weekend's events: Friday hit the gym with Drew and Kim, then out to the Salty Dog for dinner. Saturday up early to Anna Maria for soccer practice, then in the afternoon pick-up of aforementioned art, off to St. Armand's for an art fair in the circle that contained no (0, zero, the empty set, etc) black and white photography. Home to catch some football, read quite a bit of "Driving over Lemons," then tuned in to see Justin Timberlake hosting SNL. Sunday was sound duty, some football, a nice long trip to Main Books & Cold Stone, some catching up with folks, and the rest of my book.
So the drama at work has wound down, my hair has been reigned in, and I even saw Jerry Springer headed up Main Street with Mrs. Springer while the four members of the MPYD lunch crowd treated themselves to a great meal at Mattison's City Grille. This brings on two comments: 1) how do they get their house dressing to taste SO great with mixed greens and gorgonzola cheese and 2) what are we in olde Englande here people? Drop the 'e' for crying out loud...this is America, man. (And yes, ironically, I would like french fries with that.) Should be a good weekend - picking up some art (thanks to Karyn and parents), hoping to ride at least 50 miles, have soccer practice, watching some football, etc. Framing pictures is a hobby that I could seriously get into, but there are so many darn limitations. My walls are to small, my wallet is too small, my taste is too small, my visions are too big, and I have to spackle any holes I make. Reading is much easier.
posted at 2:24 PM - comments
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Crazy times on the chicken ranch. Yesterday Bill turned 36, which by all accounts is not that old, so we had lunch at Patrick's and enjoyed the casual setting and the chance to get away from the office. Last night I went to the library and read up on things that are important enough to be on the cover of magazines and found an entire book (over 200 pages) about coal. So I checked it out and I'll get right on it as soon as I'm done with "Driving over Lemons." Then it was home for The West Wing and then an early bedtime to balance the effects of my new early-rising schedule that allows time in the morning for a trip to TimberChase's fitness room to prep for the ski trip that is still months away but for which I'm not anywhere near in-shape for. Then today some drama at the office and now I'm just wishing it were the weekend already. Whew. Being grown up is merciless work.
posted at 12:53 PM - comments
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Settling back into life as a Floridian and as a graduate this week as the buzz of a previous existence is still in my head. But, with a book and some wine and now a week of errands and details here, I'm sure that I'll soon remember that I'm a grown-up. Watched the Bucs' game last night, then came to work this morning to find that their fab defense gave up 28 fab points and lost the game. Now they have 2 losses and find themselves in a situation almost as precarious as Michigan's. Skipped down to Sarasota News & Books at lunch for a few things and found out that Jimmy Carter will be there in 6 weeks - crrrrazy. Also flipped through my new fave design publication, Dwell Magazine, and decided that yacht designers are just at a real disadvantage cash-flow wise.
posted at 4:00 PM - comments
Monday, October 06, 2003
In roughly two days I had a great weekend, a re-visiting of my pre-college years, a reunion with family and friends, a glimpse down the road not taken, and, perhaps first and foremost: autumn. Really and truly a whirlwind trip up after work on Friday, then a wee-hours trip to Meijer, then to sleep in Robin's cool new place. Saturday morning was breakfast, then off to the game to hear the band and to watch Smoker go 32-40 to lead the Spartans to a 31-3 victory of Indiana, all under beautiful partly cloudy skies in brisk fall air. In the afternoon our group of four rendezvoused with Sandy & Mark, who treated us to a great lunch at a deli in East Lansing. Then Jenelle and I headed off to take in the rest of the day: watched the tail end of the Michigan game (so sad), head across campus to the Spartan Spectacular (so good, so many drums, such an amazing wall of brass sound), then swing into Cosi for the tiniest little bit of making her birthday official, and home to catch Jack Black on SNL and meet Nancy. Sunday morning was a trip to Jacqueline's to see her and the progress on her house, then back to town and off to Detroit to come home. Superlatives just don't even start.
posted at 12:55 PM - comments
Friday, October 03, 2003
Business lunch at Caragulio's today with some Sea Ray guys, then a pokey afternoon of weight studies and the drudgery of waiting to take to the skies. My bags are waiting in the truck (along with a jacket - yeehaw!) for the trip north. Now, just as this trip is happening, another trip a month out is in the works, this time a gathering of '02 classmates at the Fort Lauderdale boat show.
posted at 2:56 PM - comments
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Kind of a depressing "West Wing" last night, what with Zoey just randomly turning up in Virginia like that. Oh well - we all knew John Goodman couldn't last forever. Other than that, I took in the series overview of "21st Century Jet" which I got interlibrary loan, spoke with the folks, made myself a CD for the trip north this weekend, and finished "Wigfield." Today my cold seems to have relapsed a little and I'm realllllly hoping that by tomorrow I feel at least a few percent better than I do this morning.
posted at 12:39 PM - comments
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Such a day is the last day of September. Not only does it mark the true beginning of fall, but it's also the birthday of three (yes yes, 3!) friends, one of which I spoke to at some length on the telephone. I also watched the PBS segment on the blues and Beale Street last night - fascinating stuff and I learned quite a bit. That's quality television. Now just three days and two nights until my trip north to watch those rampaging Spartans (hopefully) rampage all over the Hoosiers.
posted at 12:57 PM - comments
Thursday, October 30, 2003
