August 26, 2003
Stepping Into Liquid: 1hour 52 minutes
Surfing documentary. Stupid Title. And then some stupid interview with some stoner surfers. Yah, it's like falling in love, you can't describe the feeling, or better yet, "its like the mob, once you're in, there's no getting out. Other than that, and some cheezy Imax inspired music, the surfing footage is prodigious. Big Air, Speed, gargantuan waves, blue water and blue skies. Oh yeah, supposedly by the folks that brought you Endless Summer, the surfing movie that started it all about 50 years ago.
August 25, 2003
blog o blog o blog o blog
Buying stuff online is so damn easy, but can be scary too. I am about to buy a bike online. nope, haven't ridden it. But you go to test ride a bike in a 50ft parking lot, are you really getting a test ride in? Well, I was by campus and that probably suits most college bike buying kids fine. Same thing with buying a harness or climbing shoes, or even running shoes for that matter, so you jog a couple steps, or hang in your harness, it is not the same as busting out a 10k or taking a whipper. So these things matter little anyway, and I found (Gleeco found) a great deal online, I am going to take the plunge. Here's THE BIKE.
August 20, 2003
Food for Thot
HASL — Hot Air Solder Level. Apparently it is soldering parts with hot air. Like a hot air popcorn popper, but probably don't have integrated circuits pouring out into a bowl which you would smother with butter and salt and enjoy while watching full metal jacket.
— PLJ
August 18, 2003
Is this really a concern? or is it just something trendy and cute that people like to promote without promoting anything at all like the 78704 area code bumper stickers of late. are there bumper stickers and t-shirts that say keep san francisco gay, or Los Angeles Fake, or New York Uptight? or course not, there is no concern, but apparently Austinites are worried that a couple years hence, it will be so corporated out around here that they will yearn for the days of weird. No worries, brah, take a trip down to big Stacey pool any day of the week and you will see some freaks. Not the run of the mill tattooed, branded, pierced, implanted and amputated juvenilles and young adults that serve your coffee or take you order with an appropriate amount of insolence, but the real freaks that just look like some loser off the street but are much much more.
At the pool yesterday, a man swimming in full pair of jeans, not cut offs. "Wolf" was throwing the ball to "Sequoia" unlike the man in the blue jeans, wolf was ghastly afraid of getting his clothes wet while sitting poolside and was completely bereft of any physical throwing capabilities. This wolf was no predator.
On occasion, you will have your homeless dudes that has made his way to pool for the monthly bathing. I made the mistake of engaging in conversation with one upstanding senior citizen type while I went to take a dump (no doors on the stall, how you doing?). Anyhow, after preaching to me about how gracious we should all be for living as contemporaries to Willie Nelson, he made me take a solemn oath that if I saw him hitchhiking anywhere I would pick him up. I was amazed to hear myself agreeing. He then gave me a pinwheel for my pet baby.
If you want to swim laps you might be competing with some psychotic who decides to take you on every fifth or sixth lap for one length as I had the displeasure of doing one time. Your swimming style might be criticized by a 350-pound woman who has been swimming her whole life and noticed some deficiencies in your style.
All of this can be your own weird experience and you can't beat the price because Big Stacey Pool is free.
— PLJ
August 17, 2003
And I've managed to actually stick to a running schedule for a whole week now. Looks like we'll be registering the first-ever, all-women Team TopRope team. Featuring Cheryl, Liefen, and Suz.
We'll be expecting a great show of support from all the men we've supported in the last year. Please have sandwiches ready for us at transition.
August 16, 2003
Paul attended his very first Music Together class with Retta. Sounds like they had fun. He couldn't get "Camptown Races ... do-dah, do-dah ..." out of his head all day. Encountered only one really rude lady who a.) told him our baby is "really small for her age" and b.) asked if she just learned to walk (b/c she held her arms out when she saw me. We hate her.
August 13, 2003
Quest Adventure Racers
This race happened Friday, Aug. 8. Team TopRope raced for 7 hours before Suzanne started looking for a towel to throw in. Thank god for cell phones. And Bjorn. And fast cars. We left the transition for the last leg we participated in completely under-prepared. Two Luna bars and a little water for the whole team to be away for about 4 hours in the middle of the night. There was an open Starbucks on Westheimer, but we were racing this funny-looking team and wanted to sit at the bus stop for a bit. Hopefully Paul will do a more thorough write-up of this race b/c I'm sure it would be amusing. From this race I learned just how unfit I am to race. Monday I ran 2 miles and I vow to continue a strict fitness regimine thru October. I will be much more prepared for the women's race and the Muddy Buddy. It's pretty much impossible to be in any worse shape, I think.
August 12, 2003
Cedar: Friend or Foe?
Friend: Provide coverage. Please neighbors, stop chopping them down. We don't want to see your driveway.
Friend: They are plants. They provide oxygen. Stop cutting down my oxygen.
Foe: Some people claim the get "cedar fever" which I hear doesn't even come from cedar trees. Big babies. Leave the trees alone.
Foe: Paul J and neighbor Jon J claim they kill out the oaks. Prove it.
— sbj
August 11, 2003
Ode to Thermos ®
Oh thermos, trusty thermos how well insulated thou art,
keepin hot black coffee, hot as wellst as black
where for art thou, trustworthy thermos, on this working day?
187.5 miles in Sugar Land, Texas, away.
Canst I live without thee and my dependency?
I guess so, but oh so, miserably.
— PLJ
August 6, 2003
On Monday Lance shirts went on sale. It seems the foundation is miffed and wants 20 free shirts for themselves. Uh, all the proceeds are going to the non-profit. Nobody gets free shirts. Not even the employees at the place making the shirts. So now they say they're really unhappy with the photo and don't want the paper to sell the shirts. Christ almighty. These people really know how to look a gift-horse in the mouth. They say the photo is Ug-ly. Well, one look at the line in the lobby will prove that they are definitely in the minority. Dummies. When I got to work this Wednesday morning (Late. thank you, Retta, for resetting my alarm clock.) I had a note in my in-box that we will no longer be selling t-shirts as of immediately. Something must have gone down! Hopefully will get the whole scoop today!
— sbj
August 5, 2003
If you want to start your drunken toobing journey down the Guadalupe, then why not start it by bartering with the sun burnt drunks at Rio Raft. At this resort you will find highly qualified experts on:
• Day long binge drinking
• On-the-fly parking fee negotiation
• River section lengths and very rough estimation of float times
• Parking lot speed enforcement
At Rio Raft, you will get an un paralleled slurred explanation of rules, regulations, parking lot speeds and safety tips. So, scribble your name on a waiver, hand over $15 or $25, grab a six-pack, and have a great day on the river.
See you at Rio Raft, or see you IN HELL!
— PLJ
August 4, 2003
"Swimming Pool". The thriller no one has heard of.
This old British writer lady takes up residence in a summer home of her latest boyfriend; she is burned out and need to get away. Along comes his sexy saucy teenaged lesbian daughter and stirs the repressed feelers of the burnt wench. Out of the natural conflict of generation gap and sexual tension comes the dark secret of the girl's dearly departed mother and her novel. Are you on the edge of your seat yet? Can't wait to find out more? Well you are going to have to wait, two hours and five minutes to be exact and with realistic dialogue from the insolent daughter like "nobody better mess with me, or I'll mess with them right back", you'll have plenty of trips to the bathroom with out missing a bitten nail.
Two thumbs down for this independent snoozer.
— PLJ