Day 13

Not a lot of work today, but I did help my grandmother clean up her kitchen after church.

Breakfast: I didn't get out of bed in time. Toothpaste?
Lunch: Two salads of various lettuces and green leaves. Two plates of homemade chicken veggie pie. A small plate of various desserts. Lots of water to drink.
Dinner: Salad of spinach and field greens. Sonic chili cheese footlong with tater tots. Milk, V8 Splash.

Not a super healthy day, but it was reasonably healthy overall.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Day 12

I had been working on the math in my head. I think I've discovered a bit of a plan that will work for swift fat loss. Exercise enough to burn up 2000 calories, consumed 2000 calories in food a day. Which, as far as "diets" go is a pretty hefty amount of food. This isn't a lifelong plan. This month is about jump-starting my metabolism, burning through the inertia with lots of hard work and strict control. After the end of the month, I'm going to ease up on the work and restrictions. By that time, I should be at a level of fitness and activity that I'll be a lot healthier overall and no longer under anyone's definition of obese. I carry a lot of fat around and probably qualify at my current weight. Burn off a lot of fat, get back to "overweight," keep up the activity.

The math is pretty simple. My long-term target weight is 225. But I might not ever get there, depending on how much muscle I put on. But. According to all the research I've done, a body needs 12 Calories per pound to maintain weight. To maintain 270lbs, I need to consume 3200 Calories a day. To maintain 225, I need 2700. That's really a lot of food. If I eat at a level of my target weight, the Calorie deficit will result in fat-weight loss all on it's own. Initially, a pound of week of fat. Not bad, really. With the recumbent bike (my favorite machine for cardio!) I burn the same number of Calories as I weigh every 15 minutes as long as I maintain at least 12mph. More if I go faster, but I like conservative estimates. That's about 1000 Calories of fat an hour. My usual routine is an hour and a half of bike time, then making up the rest in walking and other exercise. It's improving my cardiovascular fitness and trimming fat. If I maintain a diet of around 2000 Calories and exercise about 2000 Calories a day, I'll trim off a few ounces more than 5 lbs. a week.

Again, this is not a plan I'm going to use for longer than the end of the month. 30 days of mad work to get things started. October will be a lot more reasonable. But healthier. I'd love to be able to do a five mile run without stopping someday. Maybe I'll be able to run The Bear at Grandfather Mountain next summer. Ha! Right.

Breakfast: Michaelina's Lean Gourmet pocket pizza things. V8 Splash.
Lunch: Salad of spinach and field greens with chopped carrots and broccoli with feta and 1000 island dressing. Michaelina's Sweet and Sour Chicken. V8 Splash, Milk.
Dinner: Steak sub with peppers, onions, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms and a handful of baked fries. Water.

work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger

Day 11

Nothing exciting on the exercise front. Hour and a half on the recumbent bike in 15 minute "sets" broken up by a couple of laps around the indoor track as a "rest" period. But that bike is my best bet for continuous calorie burn and cardio workout.

Breakfast: Serving of chopped pineapple, beef taco supreme (Silence! I eat what's quick and available.). Diet V8 Splash.

Lunch: Veggie stir-fry and fried rice leftovers. Milk

Dinner: I have no idea. Most likely a lot of salad. Water or V8 to drink.

work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger

Day 10

45 minutes on the incline bike. Walk a half mile. JOG A HALF MILE. The 1/2 mile is conquered. But I pushed just a smidge too hard to get it. But I can do it. Half mile ain't got nuthin on me.

Breakfast: Chopped pineapples (yum!). Water
Lunch: Leftover barbeque, slaw, hushpuppies. Diet V8 Splash.
Snack: Chopped pineapples (yum!). Water
Dinner: Brick oven cooked pizza. Water, Red Sin.

Luckily the pool will open back up next week. I think I'm going to focus on the incline bike for my workouts, though. At least until I get my tibialis anterior muscles a little stronger. Shin splints are bad.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Day 9

Cardio week continues! Incline bike for 30 minutes crazy hard. Walked/jogged a mile. Actually jogged a quarter mile without stopping. Massive improvement! Maybe I can hit a half mile by the end of the week. The only thing stopping me from another lap this time was congestion combined with a little thirst and a slight cramp in my left tabialis anterior. Better stretches! Water! Push it!

Breakfast: VitaminWater - Power-C.
Lunch: Arby's Roast chicken sammich combo. Cheerwine. Yes, terrible me, fried potatoes and soda. Wednesday is my "bad day" I think, but overall it's not terrible. Next time I'll go sans fries.
Dinner: Darrell's with my grandmother before choir practice. Probably a BBQ plate with slaw and some other kind of reasonably healthy vegetable. Cheerwine to drink.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Pour mon ange.

I am a martyr.
I will sacrifice of myself
Whatever is needed
To win your love
My worth to prove.
Let me be your martyr.
Let me be your knight.
Let my sword and shield
Be in your service.
Be my angel.
Sing your songs to me.
Whisper your love in my ears
And my heart.
Bring your gentle touch
To soothe my heart's pains.
Light down here to me.
I have one wing.
I cannot fly on my own,
But I have when you have been with me.
Let me soar again.
Bring your light back
On the wings of your love
And chase away the pain
And loneliness of my darkness.
Embrace me again.
Let me love you once more.

te amo sempris

Day 8. 265lbs.

A week before I started working out for serious, I weighed in at 274 (after breakfast). The first day of Operation: Get Awesome, I was 270. After today's "fasting" and workout, I clock in at 265. It's improvement. A reasonable rate, really, but not good enough. But then, my diet hasn't been super healthy, either.

This week, that changes. No white bread. No fried potato products. I won't say no soda, because I do love me some cold caffeine, but no more than a single 12oz. can a day. Serious focus on portion control, and the injection of a whole lot more fruits and veggies, solid or juice form, as I can make it happen. I don't control the pantry and fridge in the house, so I do have to make do where I can. I'm discovering I can be satisfied with less. The last time I ate Arby's was their chicken salad sammich combo, which would have done me just fine with just the sammich alone. Also, I am keeping a close watch on the "eating because I'm bored" thing. It's a temptation to sit and snack. Gluttony is my "big sin" so it's the one that tempts me hardest.

Brunch, after a fashion: reuben wrap, potato wedges, water. This was a very late night meal last night/this morning with John and KC. I slept in until around noon, then work out at 3PM. Lack of hunger means not eating.
Dinner: Roast chicken breast and thigh, roast potatoes, slaw with a salad consisting of spinach and field greens with carrots, raw broccoli, tomatoes. Diet V8 Splash.

pour toi, ma coeur

Day 7

Today, no YMCA access. So I have to improvise.

Breakfast: Caesar salad. Water.
Lunch: Broccoli Cheese Calzone. Water.
Snack: Whole wheat cheese crackers, peanut butter; one serving (according to the packaging) of each. Water.
Dinner: Leftover roast beef, carrots, potatoes. Enough for a bowl. Milk.

Today's exercise is just going to be walking around for a loooong time. But that's ok. I have head phones and wrist/ankle weights for added difficulty.

Tomorrow, I weigh myself again, take new pics. Oh. Yay.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Day 5, Day 6 - Weekend 1

So I'm not doing a lot by way of "organized exercise" on the weekends. Muscles need rest, but I'm trying to stay active. Still working on the whole eating healthier thing.

Saturday
Breakfast: Three Krispy Kreme donuts. Shut up, Krispy Kreme is made of crack. They were hot and fresh. There is no resistance. Can of Cheerwine.
Lunch: Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, lima beans. Glass of Milk.
Dinner: Two slices of sauceless pepperoni pizza, two hot dog weiners. Lots of water. I hadn't planned on anything for dinner, as my breakfast was at around 11AM and dinner was late-ish, too, but my desert warranted having more on my stomach.
Desert: Glenlivet Nadurra, 16 year old single malt scotch. Ho. Lee. Cow. That was some damn fine scotch, but it packs a 59.7% alcohol content compared to the normal 40%.

Sunday
Breakfast: One donut. Glass of Cheerwine. Early morning on top of a late night. I needed some sugar and caffeine.
Lunch: Bojangles. Chicken breast and leg. Dirty rice, cole slaw, 2 biscuits. Lots of water.
Dinner: Part of a broccoli and cheddar calzone, caesar salad. Lots of water. And I'll have enough for lunch tomorrow! Huzzah!

harder, better, faster, stronger

Day 4

Today's menu is a little healthier. Hopefully the trend will continue!

Breakfast: Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. VitaminWater Power-C. I know there's a lot of fat and sodium there, but protein is really good first thing in the morning.

Lunch: Rice with mixed vegetables (broccoli, peppers, carrots, etc). 12oz. Cheerwine. I am allotting myself 1 can of soda a day. I don't have to drink it, and I hope to get to the point where I don't. But we have some in the house, and we're out of milk.

Snack: Special K protein bar. Diet green tea.

Dinner: Roast beef with roast potatoes and carrots, lima beans. Water.

"Dessert": Drinks for KC's birthday!

Today I went light on the exercise. I'm starting to get a bit snotty. I think it's fall allergy time, hooray. So while I'm waiting for the loratidin to dose up, I just did aerobics. Walked a mile and a half, elliptical for half a mile, biked a mile, hit the crunch machine. They're closing the pool for a week to do some upgrades, so I'll have to switch to more walking for the next week. It makes me sad.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Day 3

I've got to get on top of this whole food thing. It's not bad, and better, but not good enough yet.

Breakfast - Turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat. 12oz. of Cheerwine.
Lunch - Turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat. 12oz. of Cheerwine.
Snack - after workout, some wheat crackers with peanut butter. Water.
Dinner - New York style Danny's pizza, 2-3 pieces. Water.

Overall it's not too bad, but it could be better. I need to drink more water and less soda. It's hard. Because Cheerwine is so awesome.

I've hit the routine for the workout. Tuesdays and Thursdays are leg days. I've got to work harder on my legs. I don't even feel anything right now. But the lap swim is still awesomely hard.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Day 2

Alrighty, two days running! New record!

Food for the day. Not as healthy as I'd like, but sometimes I work with limited options. And I love Cheerwine. And Darrell's.

Breakfast - steak biscuit with 12oz. can of Cheerwine and a 16oz. bottle of V8 Splash.
Lunch - Arby's Chicken Salad Sandwich (on wheat) combo with potato cakes and half pink lemonade/half unsweetened tea.
Dinner - Darrell's, bastion of healthy food! Burger with tots and Cheerwine.


Today I started "the routine" at the gym. M, W, F - Upper body. T, Th - Lower body. Abs and cardio every day. Today I didn't swim, as I left my trunks at home. I walked/jogged a mile, and did two miles on the stationary bike. I worked every muscle I could think of on the upper body, arms, shoulders, neck, etc. Ended up spending about 50 minutes total working out. My body is likely to hate me tomorrow, but oh well! My arms get a break and I don't have to worry about hauling books around since I don't have classes tomorrow.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Examination of a Phrase

Apropos of nothing in particular, I've always been amused by the prevalence of the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." The phrase is amusing to me on several levels.

First, that it seeks to excuse some kind of behavior. Does it aim to make it okay for a woman to fly off the handle because someone denied her or betrayed her? That's a horrible double standard.

Second, it's rather sexist, really, which just makes it that much funnier when a woman might hold the phrase over your head. It seems to suggest that a woman who has been spurned is more likely to exhibit some petty emotional reaction or plot some kind of hurt-filled revenge. Women are no more likely to this behavior than any given man. It's just a poor standard to hold.

Lastly, it's incomplete. It's only the second part of a full quote. And in my opinion the weaker of the two. The full line is "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." Now, for me, I think the notion of heavenly rage is a far more disturbing and scary one. No one is shocked when the forces of evil or corruption gives into temper or hate. But when a force of good and/or order unleashes its wrath, it is a far more noteworthy example.

Before anyone starts giving away knowing or worried glances, this entry isn't some kind of subtle warning. I've always wondered and pondered about the phrasing and its usage. Granted, recent events might have brought such feelings out in me, I am not a woman scorned, nor am I inclined to bring rage, heavenly or otherwise, against anyone.

I just have too much time on my hands to think in between classes, maybe. Heh.

now that-that-that that don't kill me

Sept. 1st - Day 1 - 270lbs. Let the carving begin.

Today begins the dieting and exercise for reals. I had tried to at least watch what I ate over the summer, exercise something like regularly, even if it was just walks around the neighborhood. I couldn't make that stick, for a lot of reasons.

But I have a workout partner now. And that's going to help me bunches. Hopefully, I will be able to get 5 days a week worth of workouts, preferably Monday through Friday. Around an hour a day spent lifting weights, then swimming laps. I'm hoping this will work swiftly. It should boost my metabolism pretty quickly, but I'm not as young as I used to be. And I've got someone to push me and, maybe, for me to push. It's a lot easier for me to push myself if I'm pushing someone else, too.

So here's what I'm going to try and do. I've got mad downtime during the day between classes, so I'm going to try and keep a daily log of what I eat and what exercises I do that day. I'm not going to weep and gnash my teeth if I eat unhealthy, so you, gentle readers, don't need to do so, either, unless I go really nuts several days in a row. I will weigh myself once a week first thing in the morning like I did this morning. Next weigh-in: first thing Tuesday September 8th. I'm also going to take pictures right after the weigh-in, but those I don't think I'll post. Forgive my self-consciousness. No one wants to see fat dude shirtless with stretch-marks. At least, I don't.

Today I had breakfast/lunch consisting of a 6" chicken teriyaki Subway sub on wheat with spinach, lettuce and banana peppers, two slices of thin crust spinach alfredo pizza and a slice of deep dish pepperoni with two cans of Cheerwine. Now, before I get angry replies, it was a slice too much probably, but I was crazy hungry at noon and my eye were bigger than my stomach. I'm also trying to eat up the leftovers. And it was two meals together. Not great, but not terrible. I'm not going to do any more soft drinks today. Milk, water, juice.

No workout yet, but I have to wait on my partner/ride. This afternoon will be t3h workouts. I'll update the blog when I've come back from the gym.

UPDATE: First workout is done! I feel awesome! I didn't really work anything specific, just really getting myself familiar with the machines. I did so miss the leg press. The machines I am likely to hit will be incline press, rowing machine, leg extension and flexion machines, leg press, curl and reverse curl. Throw in some dumb bells for curls. I'll likely alternate lower body and upper body. I did that for about 30 minutes working fairly fast, not stopping much. Heart rate, it was up. The real kicker was swimming. I did that for about 20 minutes total. I'd swim breast stroke for as many laps as I could, then stop and tread water and catch my breath. Then back to swimming. I like the breast stroke. It works the legs, arms and my abs. I am sore, but I am feeling good.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Je returne?

So I have a lot of down time between classes. But my brain is actually firing on more than one cylinder for a change (y'know, actually needing to do more than the automatic functions required for continued existance) and that means I actually get creative impulses for a change. And I need to also take a look at my song collection. I have more...poignant? music than I thought. Random, my foot.

So a po-em. I make no promises as to its quality.

God is love.
Love is music.
Music is God.

Ok, that's the philosophical "truth" I've stumbled on. And now the po-em.


Your love is the music I heard,
The song my soul was made to sing.

The song is gone.

Bring your love back to me.
Bring back your song.
The song became dischord.
I know it's my fault.
My voice lost the key.
I was deaf to your pitch.

I have been made to hear again.
But all I hear is silence;
Overbearing, deafening silence.
I have been made to hear again.
My ears have been opened.
I kneel in penitence before you.

I hear no more music.
I can sing no song.
I can only remember what it was
Once when I sang with you.

Please bring your song back to me.
Let me sing with you again.
Whispered verses,
I miss you.
Spoken choruses,
I love you.
Panted descants,
I need you, I long for you.
Melody's crescendo!
Touch me, love me, I am not afraid.

Ma petit chanson, je t'adore pour tous les temps.


te amo sempris

TV Reviews!

Ok. So. Castle. It's a new series on ABC. Nathan Fillion plays a writer of detective mysteries. He ends up involved in a murder investigation that copied some of the murders in his books. He helps a savvy lead female detective solve the murder and, using his connections in the mayor's office, gets himself attached to the unit he worked with so he can annoy, help, and get inspiration from Det. Beckett. It's got clever writing and Nathan Fillion plays his usually smartassery to a fantastic tee!

Other shows I've been watching that are awesome:

Breaking Bad - It's just an intriguing drama. High school chemistry teacher is a scientific GENIUS. He's diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and, through his DEA brother-in-law, gets the brainstorm to get into meth production. Not really a "hero" story, but a very interesting look at humans in extreme circumstances. The breakdown of the "good" teacher, but the slow redemption of the teacher's former student, a meth dealer and user. (AMC)

Burn Notice - Bruce Campbell. Enough said, really, but I'll go on. CIA operative gets framed and put on a tight leash in Miami. He is joined by on-and-off again girlfriend, Fiona, ex-IRA trigger bunny, Sam (The Bruce!), ex FBI, and his mother. He uses his skills in a pseudo-A-team, pseudo-Robin-Hood sense to help people in need while looking for the ones responsible for putting him in his current state. Very smart, very clever. (USA)

Chuck - I've spoken on this one before, but it stays just as good as the series keeps going. (NBC)

Heroes - Not everyone likes it. And it's easy to get lost, but I've stuck with it. Having access to torrents of the HD versions of the episodes help, visually. It's a good show, still, in my opinion, if a bit opaque at times. The latest episodes have started to clear out some of the murk and stabilize the show. (NBC)

House, MD - Come ON! How can you NOT like this show? It's a great medical mystery show. I like watching Wilson and House's dynamic and the continuing evolution of the characters. And it's on Fox, of all thing. WTF? (FOX)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - You can all just shut up. I like it. It's entertaining. It fills in the gap of "greatest star pilot in the galaxy" you don't see in the movies a whole lot. Plus the art style is compelling and unique, in my opinion. It's fun! (Cartoon Network)

The Tudors - Period drama. Great costumes, but a few historical liberties. No less entertaining for it, though. Typical premium cable swearing and nudity, but not a prime focus, thankfully. (Showtime)

Transformers Animated - Such a fantastic homage to the original G1 series and the movie(s). Some poeople don't like the stylized art, but I do. Makes the toys fun, too, and provides a contrast to the hyper-realism of the movie(s). Megatron is awesome and cunning instead of prone to histrionics. Starscream is actually compentent, even capable. Good stuff. (Cartoon Network)

i want my (m)tv

Tired of Looking at it

So I posted something else. Bwahaha?

In other news, that's more of the same, I am, continuously, looking for employment. I am in no fear of starving or homelessness, but I am running quickly broke. I am, one way or another, going to school full time in the fall. I'm tired of sitting around talking about it. So I'm doing it. Most likely, it will be an institution within an hour or less of where I am now. UNCG and Catawba are the most likely candidates at this point. I just need a little cash between now and then. It doesn't have to be great pay or even full time. A summer job. I've got a lot of retail and pc technician experience and I've worked with kids for a few years. I might see if the YMCA is hiring summer help for programs there. Might be worth it for the access to a better priced membership.

I'm reading a lot. Wasting a lot of time on video games, movies, tv shows. I'm actually playing RPG's again with some of the old gang, so that's fun. I've started messing around with my various Warhammer and Warhammer40K armies, I just to need to see what kind of supplies I have on hand, go from there.

My room is in a state that, at first glance might be confused with tidy. It is, at least, clean. Though I'd much rather be busy, paid, and a mess.

For anyone that didn't know, I fasted for Lent, using a variation of the Ramadan fast. I ate nothing from sun up to sun down. After dark, I would eat a regular meal, but keeping an eye on portions and content. During the day I could drink anything I wanted that was an actual drink. Oddly, I avoided regular soda. No shakes or smoothies, but water, juice, milk, energy drinks were all ok. The Fast served several purposes. The first was as a religious observance, sharing in the suffering of Christ's 40 days in the desert. The second was taking a conscious look at what and why I was eating at any given point, paying attention to the difference between satisfied and full, and making a conscious effort to cram as much nutrtion into any one given meal and avoid empty, fast meals like McDonald's, etc. The third was as a means of jumpstarting a change in diet and lifestyle to trim down.

Weight I am unconcerned with. I'm ok weighing 300 lbs. if I have a trim stomach. That being said, I started Lent at 265. At last weigh (this morning) I weigh 255. Not a huge leap for the almost 7 weeks of Lent, but it's a move in the right direction. I spent a weekend in Boone a couple of weeks ago and went around to a few spots to look at employment possibilities (I also looked seriously at App State for schooling) and I actually managed to get into a pair of jeans with a 34 inch waist. Not terribly comfortably, but it was something I haven't been able to do at all in years. They were cut horribly for anyone that possessed any kind of male anatomy, though. On sale or not, I wasn't buying them in 34 or my usual 36. So there. I'm trimming down. I wish I knew someone in the Salisbury area to workout or exercise with. I'm terrible lazy and I do better when I've got someone to help push me along. I try my best, though. I eat significantly less than I use to. This isn't to say I'm crash dieting or starving. I just ate too much too often. Stuffing yourself with good food from time to time is ok. I'd say healthy, but I have a whole mind-body-soul approach to health, not just one part at a time. You just can't push the full button everytime you eat. There's no point. I also eat when I'm hungry, only. I don't eat when I'm bored anymore. The Fast helped kick that habit. I do have some willpower.

So that's the news. It's not much. But I haven't posted in months and I was tired of looking at my last post.

i feel i must interject here

The Return of Bad Year 2002

Ok, so the title is a very obscure reference to some of my earliest posts on Blogspot. But it's my blog and I'll allude if I want to.

So here's my theory, and I'll go into greater detail in a moment.

My life has a certain resonance with the number 13 and it's shunned/cursed/hated/unlucky nature and reputation. As such, looking back at my life, I have had two "cycles" in my life. One good, the latter full of turmoil and drama. Angst, poor choices, bad luck, etc.

The first 13 years of my life were, if not Rockwellian, good years. I don't remember wanting for something, much less needing anything. I was well provided, loved. I was encouraged. In general a bright, happy youth.

The summer after my 13th birthday, my parents split up. Things kinda went down hill from there. I don't blame the fates or the stars for the things I could control. If I had bad grades it was because I was lazy or refused/forgot to take my medications. If I had good grades it was because I was (and still am, some decisions notwithstanding) and interested in the subject matter. I had no control over the unpleasantness of my parents' separation and subsequent divorce. I had no control over the changes in my brain and physiology as I changed from boyhood to teenhood to manhood. I didn't have control over who found me attractive, but I did have control over my choices in relationships. I didn't make good ones sometimes. I had control over my decisions when it came to college, where I was going to go, whether or not I went to class. I didn't always decide well. I had some, but not complete control over my employment. Best Buy was mutually assured destruction. UNCG was not. I had some control over living arrangements, but didn't exercise the best judgement on when I finally bit the bullet and moved back to Salisbury. A lot of it was (and still is) issues with pride and hating to admit to anyone I need help with anything. A lot of it was stubborn inertia. I don't like ultimatums, I don't like being pushed. Keep pushing and I will push back even if I really need to go in the direction I'm being pushed. It's not smart sometimes, but it's who I am.

Anyway, I'm 26. I'll be embarking on a new 13 year cycle this May. And, by every sign, chart, and calculation, it should be an upswing. But then, it wouldn't take a lot to go into an upswing at this point.

I harbor a secret of sorts. It's embarassing, really. I don't have a valid driver's lisence. The reason is stupid. I was stupid. Too much burying my head in the sand, not enough asking for help and admitting I made a mistake. The saga goes back to 2001, and some unpaid tickets for an expired tag. Please, don't lecture me on how stupid it was. I know it was stupid. I've talked a lot about getting it fixed, and I never did anything. I did a little preliminary research, but always dropped it along the way. I get easily distracted from the things I don't want to do. Always have. But on the 20th, two Saturdays ago, I was driving home from work (again, no lecturing please) and a lady ran a red light and took the front end off the Honda I was driving. It was all but mine. I paid $650 to get it back running again right after Christmas. I had plans for that car. It was a good car. We had owned it for about 10 years, and dropped about 150,000 miles on it. I mourn her passing. But, of course, that means that the police would be involved. And that means my driving record will be involved. Which means that I am forced to do what I was already doing. I had been in contact with an attorney in the county of the original offence the week prior attempting to get a game plan in order. I was putting things in place. I was even getting on the phone and making sure UNCG sent my W-2 to the right address. And I had even purchased the Hayne's Repair Manual for that model of Honda. So of course I'd get into an accident. And even though it wasn't my fault (she ran the redlight, but with a lack of 3rd party witnesses, the accident was ruled as No Fault Found), I was still driving without a lisence. So I still got a ticket.

But yeah. I've got a court date. I've got an attorney. I've got a game plan, and W-2's and conveniently timed paychecks. My ducks are getting in their rows. And I really think I can be valid and legal and everything well before my birthday. This puts a serious curtail on paying off my debt, but this issue is decidedly the higher priority.

But I still need a dependable ride to work. Blah.

i fought the law and the law won

All told, not too bad.

So I thought my weekend was going to suck. I didn't find out until late in my work day Friday that I was going to have to work yesterday. I was supposed to have yesterday off, allowing me all day Saturday to hang out with Hannah in the mountains. But that didn't quite work out. Friday and Saturday were both exhausting days at work, but I managed to clean out nearly the entire bench (again) by around 5PM Saturday. I also got a quick refresher in laptop power jack replacement and, more importantly, the permission to use our soldering/desoldering equipment at work for personal stuff. The boss was actually glad to let me since I need that kind of experience. Desoldering I can do no problem. I just need to work on the actual soldering part. But at the end of the day (despite having cleared nearly customer's computer in the store off the work bench and into the ready-for-pickup queue and the boss still asking what I did while he was out) the boss brought in some very good beer. He does this two out of three Friday/Saturdays. I don't know why, but he does. It is free beer. I complain not.

But Saturday morning, Iesu Cristo. I didn't want to go in. This is not usual for me. I just wanted the day off like I was supposed to. But I leave with time, I thought, to get in on time. But, alas, the World had other plans. Not only does the NCDOT think that two weekends before Christmas is a great time to take one of the narrowest parts of I85 and make it one lane, but they do so right on top of my exit! And! My car starts sputtering and vibrating alarmingly rough as it dips into lower RPMs. So much so that it cuts off on me more than once on the short jaunt to work from the highway. It felt like one of two things. Either really low oil or no gas. But neither are the case. The Honda was known to leak/burn oil. So, being the tinkerer that I am, I started looking into ways to fix that. I might have been a little too industrious in my attempts, and then forgetful of said attempts. Thinking the oil might be low, I checked it, adjusted (or what I thought) for the engine having been running and added a quart. The problem, I think is a combination of overfill and the oil filter not having been changed in years before I changed the oil last time. Today I drained the oil and replaced it, leaving the "new" filter on. It's running better, but I suspect changing the filter would help. But I didn't really have the time, space, or inclination to perform a full oil change in the cold of the mountains with only about 2/3 of the tools and such I needed.

I don't know what it is, but I love fixing things. Computers, now cars. I might just be on my way to becoming a gearhead as well as a computer geek.

I haven't really done anything else today. I bought pizza for lunch, and enough for Hannah and her sisters to have some leftovers for breakfast or so. And overall, I've just been relaxing in the comfortable cool weather, but I'm ok with that.

In geek news, Hannah and Sarah seem interested in Mordheim. This makes me happy. I miss that game and I've been itching to play for a long time. Also: I fixed an HP zv5000 that Fisher once had. It still has the broken power button, but I've figured out a workaround. And this very post is being brought to you, live (sorta), from it's exposed and somewhat amalgamated form. Overall, I like it more than I thought I would. 17" widescreen monitor. The P4 cpu isn't the best performer, but it does what I need it to do. And having a gig of RAM in the thing helps. I might try installing Ubuntu on this thing sometime next week. We shall see. For now, I plan on it being my mostly portable recepticle of music and internet access with abroad. It is named The Holy Tome. I think it's appropriate. It's about the size of a "pulpit bible," it can hold all of my music, and it can access the Great Intarweeb Oracle of the Tubes.

So yeah, all in all, it's not been too bad a weekend.

through the lost endless mountains so far away from home...

Chai-chai-chain...

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose whatever, I'm just bored, but if you want to do it, super. I need something to read and I can't sleep. But most of you will see this tomorrow. Or today. Or when I'm not insomniatic. Right.


1. I am medically impossible. My existence is in defiance of the Prince of the World.

2. I am a White Knight, a warrior of spirit. I fight my battles every day, but few see what I fight. I fight ignorance, I fight intolerance, I fight hatred. I fight for love, knowledge, wisdom, peace. I wage war against the spirits of the malevolent, both corporeal and infernal. I am of the White, and I wield it like a spear against the Dragon.

3. I have one tattoo. I want three more. The one I have is a verse from the Book of Job. One of the ones I want quotes the Book of Isaiah. "Isaiah 13:13 - Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger."

4. I love Cheerwine. I love milk even more.

5. Broccoli is truly the king of vegetables.

6. Pipe organs are full of win and awesome. They are truly the King of Instruments.

7. One of the greatest jokes I've ever told was when I told someone to ask me if I was a tree. I said no. They didn't get it. But it was really facetious, not absurdity, because there are times when standing barefoot in the rain in the field that I really feel like a solid oak.

8. I drink for flavor, not for stupor.

9. I have an absurdly high pain tolerance.

10. I also have to often remind people that being able to handle pain does not mean I do not feel it. Nor does it mean I won't say something about it. And it especially doesn't mean I like it.

11. I am the rock. I am the stone. I am the very living mountain. I always feel much more at ease with solid mountain underneath my feet.

12. Once upon a time, I was a poet. Now I can only remember it when my mind is loosed from it's day-to-day braces, needed though they be, and allowed to run afield for a while.

13. I love food. I love buying it, smelling it, cooking it, eating it. I try to eat healthy. It helps that I like healthy foodstuffs. But I also believe in an afterlife, so squeezing out another year or two when I'm 80 by eating nothing but fish and organic fruits, veggies, and breads now seems like a poor trade.

14. You can have your swords and rapiers, your swashbuckling and your banter. Give me my polearm and I'll put an end to that swagger right quick.

15. I'm a registered Republican. I voted for Obama. I'm really a Libertarian, on a personal level. My favorite form of government is an Empire. Go ahead. Try to figure out my politics.

16. I don't like to fight. I don't like hurting people. Maybe you think I'm a coward. That's fine. But I do not have an infinitely long fuse. It can run out. If that happens, remember one thing: I don't care about me winning; only you losing.

I tag...meh, whoever wants to play along. Feel free to comment away!