A few quickies

A few things i would like to share with the world before I hit the hay.

I did something last week that has some longlasting consequences. I made a bit of a time capsule of my time here in Boston. Not quite what you think, though. I could explain, but you know what they say...a picture is worth a thousand words and all that. ---->

Second, I was almost run down by an angry old man today. I was riding home and he felt it necessary to follow behind me about 2 feet from me, then honk at me and pull past roughly 6 inches from my left elbow. Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled with the encounter. I don't really want to get into the complete details because I want to go to bed, but that was the closest I've been to getting run over in some time. So please, if you drive, be considerate of the bikers you see on the road. We are just trying to get somewhere too, albeit sans 3600 pounds of metal, so don't feel like we are just targets for your enjoyment.

And to round it out I was brushing my teeth tonight and I was glancing around the bathroom and noticed something. All the toothbrushes were Oral-B brand. This is a fairly well regarded brand in the dental field, as my sources tell me, and it got me thinking. What if there's something more, something better? Why am I, as a human being, not getting the best brand of oral hygiene products there is? Is there a brand called Oral-A? One that is better even than the venerable Oral-B? I need to know this.


lane

Crazy index

Well, well, well. It's that time once again. Just one story for today, but I do like quality over quantity, so I'm tryin to keep that going.

Ring, ring.
"Service, this is Lane."
'Hi, I'm having some trouble with my car.'
"Ok, what's going on with it?"
'Well, my check engine light has been on for a few months and now my car is running very roughly. Do you have any idea what could be going on?'
"Well, there are over 300 things that could make the check engine light come on, so we would need to bring it in and take a look. There's really no way to tell over the phone."
'Oh, well I had several friends tell me that the check engine light doesn't mean anything. I also took the car to a mechanic friend of mine and he said that light is just a scam to get you into the dealership.'
".........Um, no ma'am, that light isn't just for fun. It does actually mean something."
'Really?'
"Yes ma'am. It lets you know when something is wrong and you need to CHECK YOUR ENGINE."

The conversation went on for a few more minutes, culminating with her making an appointment to have it checked out.

But I was absolutely blown away by the fact that she thought we had a built in scamming device in all our cars. Like we somehow had a remote control that we could push and make people's cars malfunction when business is slow. As useful as that would be, and as over-computerized as new cars are now, I feel like that may not be too far off in the future. In the mean time though, I'm reasonably certain that is illegal, and definitely unethical.

I'll give this lady a 6.8, just for her conspiracy theory and paranoia.


lane

Snow!!

Snow!!! Easily my favorite form of weather, and it has arrived at App State University!

Sadly for me, I'm not there. I'm in Boston, which I thought would get snow first. Clearly I was misinformed. I got no less than 4 text messages from various friends back home that it had snowed on them first when all I got were gale force winds and rain. Yet again, the South wins, I suppose.

I have been unimpressed with the weather in New England so far. I keep hearing about how 'savage' it is, how there are unbelievable amounts of snow, how winter comes soon and stays late. I have seen zero of that. All in all, I've found it to be milder than it is at home. Summer is cooler and less humid, Autumn is pretty much the same, and apparently Winter hits first at home. I think that is just Yankee propaganda, spread just for the sheer joy they seem to find in spreading lies.

Anyway, aside from the lack of snowfall, it has been a good week. I made a few changes to my bike, got to play around on it a lot, got some sweet unexpected compliments from some chicks about said bike and myself, and haven't done anything painfully stupid yet. Not sure how long that last one is going to stand, but when it falls, hopefully it will at least be fun.

Rock on America, rock on.


lane

Candy walk

I was walking to the post office today to pick up a package that they wouldn't deliver to my apartment when I noticed something really cool. The sidewalk was absolutely covered for about 20 feet in gummi worms and other assorted gummi treats. Needless to say, that made me extremely happy. I feel like the world would be a much happier place if we had gummi sidewalks instead of regular sidewalks.
I would vote for that.

lane

Shoe skids

Do you remember the shoes that everybody had in like first grade? Not any particular single shoes, but there was one unifying thing about them all. They all left huge rubbermarks on any kind of floor if you dragged your feet. Personally, I loved them. They made gym floors look like zebras. But gradually, like all good things, they came to an end, replaced by the rubber soles we have today, which leave no marks.
Until recently, that is. I have noticed a resurgence of the skiddy soled shoes. There are only a two possible reasons for this.
One is that the younger generation that had these shoes is finally coming into positions of power in the jobs at the major shoes manufacturers. They are then using that power to phase the shoes they remember back in.
The other possibility is that we have somehow lost the technology. In all the industrial espionage that goes on, each company trying to better the rest, some crucial bits of information have been destroyed, taking with it the non skiddy shoes. That has forced a return of the shoes of my childhood.
I'm really fine with either of these possibilities, because they're both awesome, and both mean that hopefully we will see a complete resurgence of shoe marks in just a few short years. Then its straight to the basketball court I go, not to play, but to make it into a zebra floor again.

lane

Writer's block

Never thought I would get writer's block with a blog. Expect the unexpected, I suppose. I have started trying to do a few thing daily, or at least as often as I have the time for it.
I'm trying to draw something everyday. No matter what it is, or how bad it is. And a good bit of what I end up with is pretty stinkin bad, but I'm trying not to get discouraged by it. I can proudly say that I have started to get a little better, but still not good. I have managed to squeeze out a few that are decent.
I discovered that I really enjoy it, even when it doesn't go smoothly, it's a very relaxing way to spend time. I wish I had taken some art classes and gotten started earlier. Maybe gotten a little professional instruction. Learned a bit about how to do stuff the right way, rather than trying to figure out what I'm doing on my own. Alone, in the dark of the art world, with only a pencil and a pad of paper. Haha, ok, so it's not that bad. But I have no idea what I'm doing, and teaching myself day by day is a long, discouraging process.
I think that's all I'm gonna do for now.

lane

Why?

I had someone at work today ask me why I bike instead of any other way of getting around. I told them it was free, fun, for the exercise, blah blah. Everything I've answered to that question before. But it made me think a bit. I remembered the first time I rode a bike since I got my driver's licence. It was this summer, actually.
I moved to Boston with no car, no way of transportation but my then girlfriend. I was working in Boston with a 30 mile commute between work and home. I spent most of the summer getting picked up, driven to the train station, then the reverse to get home. I wasn't nuts about the routine, as you can imagine. I eventually found an old beat up Peugeot bike for sale, cheap. I bought it and took it to a bike shop to have them turn it into a fixed gear, cuz my brother was building one and I thought they were cool as shit. I picked it up a few days later and rode to the train station in Boston. Not really a magical experience, I was mainly focused on not killing myself. It wasn't until my ride home that I felt it. The...something. I can't put words too it, but if you have felt it then you know. That's the best I can do.
I was riding, alone, one a two lane rural road in Massachusetts. Just me and a bike. I felt completely free, able to do anything I wanted. I realized I could go anywhere I wanted, not needing anything but food. I wasn't shackled by gas, or fear of breaking down, or anything. It was the best thing I have felt in a long time.
Take the exhilaration you felt when you kissed her the first time, the wind you felt the first time you stood in the front of the boat, the freedom you felt when you picked up your car keys the first time, and the confidence you had when you realized that you didn't need to be surrounded by anything, that you could support yourself. Put it all together in a single rush, and that's the closest I can describe.
I ride for that. I still feel it, everytime I put feet in clips and take off. Not for any of the other thousand reasons to bike over anything else, but just that one.
That's why.

lane

Goin crazy

I just spent the past few hours watching V for Vendetta, bike messenger videos, and listening to techno. I feel like I'm on speed or something.

lane

Index of 8.2 out of 10

In keeping up with my crazy people list, I realize I've been somewhat slacking. To make up for it, today has been the highest concentration of nut jobs I have encountered in a while. Two tales for today.

First, the old lady encounter.
Ring, ring(anonymous number)
"Service, this is Lane"
'I need to make an appointment.Do you know who I am?'
"No, ma'am, I don't. Have you been with us before?"
'I can't be live this! I have been here more times than I can count!'
"Alright, what is your last name so I can find you in our system?"
'My name is XXX! Are you new here?'
"No ma'am, I've actually been working here for about 6 months. OK, I don't have that name in our system, is there any chance the vehicle may be under a different name?"
'This is absolutely absurd! I am in the system! XXX, look it up!'
"I did ma'am, and I assure you that XXX is not in here."
'I demand to speak to someone else! Give me to someone who has worked there longer than you!'
"Gladly."
Click. Transfer. Not my problem anymore.
I found out later she suggested that I find other employment, simply because I had not worked at the dealership long enough.

Second, the pissed off dork.
Ring, ring.
"Service this is Lane."
'Hi Wayne, this is YYY. I need to make an appointment to have my brakes changed and get an inspection sticker. '
"OK, I can set up a time for your brakes, but we don't do state inspections. We don't have the necessary equipment."
'Really? I'm sure I've had one done with you before.'
"No sir, we don't have the necessary equipment."
'OK, well I'll just do that somewhere else. Can you give me the price for the brakes?'
"Yes sir, the cost for the brakes is $530 for the fronts, and $480 for the rears."
'What!? That's over a thousand dollars, just for brakes!'
"Yes sir."
'Alright, fine. When is the first day I can make an appointment?'
"That would be this Friday, the 24th."
'Well, can I bring my car in tonight for Friday?'
"No sir, we don't have the storage space for that. We are extremely pressed for space and don't have room to ho;d your vehicle for three days."
'So you're saying I have to go somewhere else and get three days worth of parking tickets?'
"Sir? I don't think I ever said anything even like that. All I did was tell you I can't store your car for three days."
'That forces me to leave the car on the street downtown and get several days worth of tickets!'
"No sir it doesn't."
'I can't believe this! I'm going to go somewhere else!'
Click.

Today was not the most crazy people I've ever seen at work, but by far the most directed at me. Today gets an 8.2 out of 10 on the crazy people index.

lane

Every Monday-Friday, 8:30 to 5:30

Wait. Wait. Wait. Ring.

"Service this is Lane....OK, have you been with us before?...And what's your last name?...And the first name? OK I have you right here. Right now I'm scheduling for XXX, does that work for you?... Yes, that's the first available...No, nothing sooner...Yes, I'm sure...OK, can you come in at YYY?...Alright, what are you having done with us?...Mk...Got it....And anything else?...Yeah, we can do an oil change too...OK, I've got you down for XXX at YYY, and we are doing this that and the other....Yup, you're all set. OK, bubye."

Wait. Wait. Wait. Ring, not for me. Wait. Wait. Ring.

"Service, This is Lane....."

Wait, repeat.

This is what I do all day every weekday. Not sure why, all I want to do is chill and ride my bike. I don't think I'll be doing this very much longer

Crazy people index

At work, I am regularly exposed to all kinds of crazy people. Some are the fun kind of crazy, some are frustrating, and others still are absolutely bat-shit insane. I have noticed that there seems to be an increase of nut jobs on days when there is a full moon. I decide to make a weekly, sometimes daily, tally of the crazy folks I run across, and share some of the better ones. Just one for today, it was an almost sane day today.
So there is one gentleman who decided that, rather than park in one of the 12 open parking spaces, he would just casually park his autovoiture right in front of the shop door, effectively ceasing any traffic in or out of the shop. He then comes in and asks for one of the advisors, I'll call him Stephen. Upon learning Stephan isn't at the desk, rather than asking where he went, or if someone else can help him, our gentleman announces in a rather excited tone that Stephen had been 'taken by the Rapture!' He wouldn't let anyone help him until another advisor explained that Stephen might be gone for a long time, and he would gladly add some coolant to the gentleman's vehicle. Our gentleman was under the temporary illusion that no one else in the whole dealership could help him except Stephen.
All in all, today's index was pretty low. I'd put it about a 3 out of 10.

lane

New knowledge

Canola oil has a very low flash point. Don't say I never warned you.

lane

New bike day!

Ok, it's not today, yesterday, actually. I sold my Motobecane that I made a fixed gear. It was a faithful steed, and did me well, but the time had come to move on to greener pastures, so to speak. So, Saturday morning I made a trip to Harris Cyclery to look at a few bikes. I'm going to give them a plug, they rock. Helped me find the best bike for me, then let me choose from my options with no pressure. I got a 2008 Bianchi Pista in their Celeste Green with a front brake and new pedals for a bit under list. And then when I crashed it the same day, they retrued my wheels for free. All in all, I'm very happy with my new bike, it rides like a dream and looks great to boot. I'll try and get some pictures up later.

lane

A recent discovery

I just discovered something about myself while I was watching TV. I was watching Jurassic Fight Club on the History Channel, which is a show about(you guessed it) dinosaurs, specifically the predatorious type. While halfway paying attention, I was picking up random tidbits and facts. I also made my critical discovery. Almost everything I know about dinosaurs came from the Jurassic Park movies. Not sure exactly what this means for myself...

lane

You aren't special

Just a quick, little, tiny, baby, almost not even worth mentioning rant. I work at a car dealership, and my job is to make service appointments over the phone. Not the sexiest job out there, but it pays the bills, and I enjoy parts of it. Anyway, I am generally one of the first people customers talk to over the phone, and I have noticed something. Every single customer thinks they are different, and therefore special, from the rest of humanity purely because of the fact they drive XYZ. FALSE!! You just happened to have picked a different car! You are no better than anyone else, so quit acting like it! I'm the one that sets when you come in to get your 'precious XYZ' fixed, so being an ass and acting 'mightier-than-thou' to me, will not help your case. Whats that? Ooops, no, looks like we aren't booking until next week, after you started yelling at me. I'm tired of stupid, and I'm tired of entitlement complexes. Luckily, that's what I get to deal with roughly 67% of the time. End rant.

lane

Goodby Productivity...

Last night my roommate told me about a website that has some very far-reaching implications for me. It literally has begun to change my life. What is this website? you may ask. Well, I will tell you. When I heard about it I thought to myself, 'Self, this sound too good to be true.' virtualnes.com is the website. It is a site that has almost every game ever made for the Nintendo Entertainment System. I have already spent way too much time on this site playing games I didn't even know had been dreamed of, much less made. If you have ever played a Nintendo and missed the simpler days of blowing into a cartridge game to make it work, this is a site I highly recommend you check out. Warning: you may lose hours of your productivity to this, and I can not accept responsibility for that.

lane