 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Man, that's just got me written all over it. Although it costs more than what I've spent on three of my four motorcycles (and is barely behind one of them). Although I do get 50% off on Mongoose at the bike shop. We were laughing about that in the store the other day, how shopping for mountain bikes in Illinois is like shopping for snowboards in Texas. Mon velo pauvre , c'est pres du mort. One of the axles is bent, the bearing cages are worn out, the bottom bracket is starting to go, and I'm fairly sure the crank is bent. This is why I don't do road bikes- those things are way too fragile for me. That, and I can't stand the feel- hard seats, uncomfortable seating position, easily breakable components- which is ironic for a guy who rides crotch rockets, I know. I took the Gixxer out tonight- nobody from CLSB knows I have a bike yet, so I was hoping I'd catch the postponed bike night since it rained yesterday. No such luck, nobody showed. Also, it turns out I need a new valve cover gasket since it's puking oil everywhere. Shane and I got some decent riding in anyway. I need to work on my cornering. It's getting better- I just haven't done any major riding since, um, February. It's amazing how much faster you can go around a turn on a bike with a good suspension system. The Ninja's front forks chattered like an epileptic squirrel and the Maxim's rear shocks were made of pudding. Also, bottom-end power FTW. I certainly don't know anything about trying a few power wheelies on that back road either. B, the cam chain tensioner works great- I just need to change out that speedo sensor and eventually the clutch. Right- now to get those photos uploaded. Tags: bike night, bike shop, clsb, cycling, gixxer, hooliganism, motorcycles, yut ughh!
Current Mood:  busy
Current Music: Venture Brothers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One of the downsides to my hobbies is that I tend to work with a lot of toxic chemicals. And I should know better, since my grandfather died of pancreatic cancer, unquestionably developed from his work as a locomotive painter. I worry more about the furry guy, though, particularly when I've been handling stuff like antifreeze. When I'm working on the bike, he gets quarantined to the bedroom. The spill outside was doused with hot, soapy water to dilute and embitter any residue. I scrubbed my hands in hot water and took a shower before touching him. Any clothing or other material that touched the stuff is out of reach and blocked off. Just kinda gives me the jibblies to see him grooming himself after I've been working with a poisonous substance, yanno? That being said, where's a good place to get rid of old, dirty coolant? The stuff I drained out of the GSX-R is in a SEALED bucket outside, but I'd rather not have it lying around in either case(THINK OF THE SQUIRRELS, OH GOD SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE SQUIRRELS!). ETA: Furry butthead is fine, and going about his normal habits of trying to trip me, climb my leg, and everything else to interfere with my morning routine. Tags: gixxer, mechanic stuff, steve
Current Mood:  awake
Current Music: Steve purring
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I HAS GIXXER.  Actually, for a blue and white GSX-R, I think I'm overdressed in this photo*. :P It's a '98 GSX-R750, which was the first year of fuel injection. Hey ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) mochapixie- guess what we're doing at the end of next month? Passenger accomodations are sparse, but I'm pretty sure it'll fit a five-foot-two- sorry, five-foot-two- and-a-half Canadian bartender. Big thanks to normalcyispasse for this sweet find and for getting it roadworthy first. Wait, says the audience, Doesn't Brandon live in Arizona?Yes. Yes he does. Which is where I've been. As well as the Four Corners, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and the western half of Illinois for the past three days. We haven't logged the exact mileage yet, but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 2000 miles. Shane was doing a cross-country bike trip around that time as well, so we met up at normalcyispasse and tleex's and headed out from there. Shane got to see Brandon's powerlifting videos as well as The Bent Barbell of Extreme Justice. scarybaldguy, d_klein, I wish we could've hung out while I was there (and gotten some Chino Bandito OM NOM NOM NOM). Brandon, Terri, thanks again for everything- y'all are seriously two of the best friends I could ask for. Additional thanks to jhohanna for her hospitality in Denver- it was good to finally meet you. More about the bike and the trip later- I'll update as soon as I've got all the pictures- Shane has a bunch that he also needs to upload. I just got in a few minutes ago. I'm pretty sure my ass has turned to granite. No, I take that back, if it had turned to granite, I wouldn't be sitting on two pillows right now. My idea to wear padded cycling shorts, thinking it would help? EPIC FAIL. And a funny story to go with it. Steve-cat is happy to see me, something in the apartment smells, and right now, all I want to do is drink a cold beer before chilling out for a bit and hitting the sack. I'm not sure if I'll be at both jobs tomorrow. I'll tell you this- if I'm at the bike shop and they want me to test ride any of the bicycles, somebody's getting a spoke wrench where the sun don't shine. *No, I don't ride like that- it was 104F in the shade- I wasn't standing around in my gear any longer than I had to. Tags: arizona, bike shop, colorado, friends, gixxer, home again home again jiggety jig, motorcycles, ouch, steve, travel
Current Mood:  sore
Current Music: VNV Nation "standing"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
jblaque, we have your new Asshole Of The Week. miss_adventure, I highly recommend you not read this in the presence of anything with ballistics capability. Officer Anthony Abbate gets probation, not sentencing after attack on a bartender.If you're not already familiar with this story, this is the same cop, who, while drunk, beat a female bartender half his size after she refused to serve him more drinks. (WARNING: graphic) While we've got that autodafe' blaze going, let's toss on Cook County judge John Fleming- Prosecutors had asked for prison for Abbate -- he could have been sentenced to up to five years behind bars -- but the judge said he didn't see aggravating factors to justify a prison term. The judge said Abbate had a clean record before the incident, did not seriously injure the bartender, and underwent alcohol rehab "and has not had a relapse."
"If I believed sentencing Anthony Abbate to prison would stop people from getting drunk and hitting people, I'd give him the maximum sentence," Fleming said.I think it was m_fallenangel who had originally brought up the topic of abolishing plea bargaining for reasons just like this. I hope this shitstain is rear-ended while driving one of those Crown Vics that was never fireproofed. R, I'm keeping the FTP comments restrained because I have nothing but respect for all that you do, but scumbags like this deserve every ounce and more of public vitriol. Tags: bunch of dildos, law enforcement, news
Current Location: Crook County
Current Mood:  die screaming
Current Music: Dead Kennedys "police truck"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crap- Shane's not gonna have my computer finished by tonight, so I'm using the office terminal at the apartment complex. Tip o'the hat to sirena73- http://www.lovelylisting.com/AKA- The Real Estate listings from HELL. I've hung out with punk rockers, skateboarders, and metalheads, and still don't think I've seen dwellings as filthy or poorly put together as some of these. I'm talking, gonna need some new drywall and paint to be considered a hovel. I mean, my old dorm in Philly was in the middle of the fucking 'hood, but at least it was intact. OK, OK, this is totally something I would do, though.OH SHIT- Rachel, remember that one house in Batavia that the guy said "was in the process of being moved out of," and there was a chocolate cake sitting on the counter? Like, just a big, half-eaten chocolate cake that had been sitting up on the counter for Odin knows how long, gathering all sorts of biological entities like a big frosted Petri dish. I can't turn away from sites like this- it's like the train wreck you have to watch from every single angle. Tags: nuke the site from orbit, overheard in casa de mayhem y sirena
Current Mood:  amused
Current Music: Blue October "dirt room"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OH HELL YES- Say hello to the newest part-time member of Performance Bike. This is my last weekend at Petsmart. 'Bout time things started looking up. No more dealing with screaming little dogs and snotty coworkers.  Also, my ebay-fu came though- I scored a pair of Evolv Defy's for $50. I've been climbing every day for the past four days, except for Monday because of the rain. I've got my new crossfit program going- ride the bike to the park, climb for 20 minutes, ride for four miles, do 20 chin-ups, ride for four miles, do 20 pull-ups, ride for four miles, climb for 20 minutes, do 20 pull-ups, ride home, do 100 situps. I need to work more core into it, though- maybe start off with 100 situps before I head out. I'm definitely noticing a change in my grip strength, and managed to pull off a few decent dynos around the arch of that climbing wall. It's short, but I'm also working on climbing the inverted part of the dome. The lower footholds don't give me much to work with, but I can get going enough to get to the interior top of the dome and work my way around to the face. Also, there is Very Good News in the works. I'll update later. One other person knows what's up, and that's all I'm saying. Tags: bite my shiny metal ass, braver and boulder, climbing, crossfit, cycling, employment
Current Mood: FOR THE WIN
Current Music: Alice in Chains "rooster"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tip o' the hat to girl_on_a_stickThe case for working with your hands.I would've been thrilled to have Shop Class in my high school. The closest thing was stagecraft and metal & electrical work > carpentry any day. Personally, I'll be a lot happier if this job in NOLA works out because it's a mix of being at the computer and working out in the shop setting up machines and putting pieces together. I don't like having to take things to the shop to be fixed. I'd rather do it myself, or at least be taught how so I can do it next time. Maybe it's the "what are you gonna do when the shit hits the fan?" mantra in the back of my head, but I like being able to do things myself. And with the economy being in the shitter right now, I think a lot of people are having to reevaluate "what am I good at?" There's the eternal question, "what would you do if you won $10^x dollars in the lottery?" and the whole image of lounging poolside or on a beach with the newfound wealth does not appeal to me in the slightest. If I don't have to work, then I want to learn. Martial arts, wilderness skills, flight lessons, foreign languages, auto paint and restoration, and so on. I'm not the World's Greatest Mechanic by any means, but I can fix most household issues and a fair amount of problems on the bike or the car (provided I have the right tools). I went on a date once with a girl who had an English degree from Loyola and absolutely thought the world of herself for it for being so "better educated." Of course my thought was, "Well, can you change a tire? No? Well, it's a good thing you like books, because you'll have something to do on the bus ride home." Needless to say, there was no second date. I've always believed two people you should make it a point to know are a doctor and a mechanic, because they have Extremely Useful Skills that if you don't have, can save you a world of trouble. On that note- situps, mountain bike, dinner, then ACSM. Tags: employment, mechanic stuff, metal shop
Current Mood: working
Current Music: Rush "the working man"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Downshift 
exhausted
hungry
