Post the Next

So I am home from work today. A construction crew at the Mall, which is constantly under construction, was diggin' in the parking lot; their utilities map showed a power main 3 feet under ground. And, accordingly, they hit it at 2. So the mall is off the grid. They let us hang around until the repair crew got there and decided the power would be off all day. Which is good for us but sucks for the company, as losing a whole day of productivity bodes not well for meeting our deadline for finishing the project. (Which I am getting perilously close to disclosing the nature of, which I am not supposed to, so I should stop talking about it.)

On the way home from the Mall I began thinking about the whole poem thing, along the lines of whether I need to pursue the thing or not, and whether I would have to start out with some kind of prosaic introduction describing the subject matter, and this is what occurred:



Freedom Mall is a defunct shopping center on the West side of Charlotte, NC.

Jim Williams is a defunct writer in a bunker by the airport.
Is that to say that I have truly tried and failed?
Is that to say that I have surrendered,
Laid down arms and walked across the front, arms raised?
Or do I remain,
Undefeated,
Undaunted.



I suppose it's as good a beginning as any.

In other news, by the time you read this I (probably) will have added a new friend to the linky love list to the right. If you notice it, you've been reading this blog too long. It's probably a nice, sunny day where you are. You should go outside and play if you can.

PS: You can see the whole thing, as a work in progress, at the non-blog, if you're into that kind of thing. Be warned: it is still in rough cut form.

Department Of Aquisitions

So this is my new bike. It is an 80's era Fuji Espree. It is made of aluminum tubing. It is VERY cool.



Toe clip technology has changed ALOT in the last, what, 20 years? The clips are composite (they used to be aluminum) and the straps are nylon (they used to be leather).


The drivetrain, naturally, has not changed, because it is what came with the bike. (It is also not the Campagnolo Neuvo Record stuff I wanted, but it is the better of the 80's era Suntour stuff, so it'll certainly do.

Seat technology has changed ALOT since the old days. Lemme knock this part down for you: See the part that's missing, where the hole is? Apparently it took ONE HUNDRED YEARS for someone to think of that. Anyone who's ever spent more than a couple of hours on a bike knows what I'm saying.

PS: Sunday, 10 June: we went out. I did about 8 miles through hilly terrain before punking out. Haven't been on a serious bike ride in over 20 years. I guess I need more breaking in. The bike, most certainly, is not to blame.

Don't We Ever Get Any News From The Side?

So Scooter Libby got 30 months for . . . Well, basically, for being Scooter Libby, I guess.

In the words of Adam Sandler, "Well, WOOOP-EDY-DOO!!!"

I am strongly tempted to use this moment to describe our current President and Administration as "increasingly irrelevant." But that would just be catty, regardless of how accurate it might be.

A Break In The Action

So these are my brand new Asics Tigers I bought today on the grounds that I have always wanted a pair of Asics, but I guess I had kind of forgotten until just recently.

I saw them in The Finish Line at our local mall the other day whilst killing time, and ecided, by Jove, I deserve a pair of Asics Tigers. (Before anyone complains, yes, I did hike my cuffs up before taking the picture, so no, I am not wearing floods.) In addition to being flashy, they are majorly comfy.

(This pic is a tad out of focus, but I like it anyways, because it shows off the absolutely adorable heel tag.) Besides, they are Florida Gators colors. Now, not that I'm a BIG fan, but it's my Dad's Alma Mater, and it's where my Grandad taught Areonautical Engineering his whole professional life. And besides, they're just plain cool.