Prosthetically Hip

Zod returns to the Phantom Zone

April 30, 2007 10:56pm

So here was today’s plan:

1. Wake up early.
2. Gut and install new wiper blades.
3. Renew car’s registration.
4. Renew brake tag.
5. Drive to Planet Houston, pick up servers, close office.
6. Drive back to NOLA.

Sounds easy, right? Well, here’s how it went:

1. Woke up early.
2. Installed new wiper blades.
3. On I-35N, car freaked out. Kinda downshifted by itself.
4. 3 blocks from Tax Assessor’s Office, car puts itself into neutral.
5. Drive (in 3rd gear only) to automotive shop. Turned away. Don’t do transmissions.
6. Acquire coffee. Drive (in 3rd gear again) to transmission shop.
7. Get estimate. $2000 to fix transmissional woes.
8. Drive to Firestation (Andre’s office)
9. Get new registration sticker (in Andre’s truck)
10. Drive to CarMax (still in 3rd gear), sell car for $250.
11. Picked up by the ever wonderful Valentine, fetch rental car.
12. Eat at Guero’s with Valentine. Delicious.
13. Pick up rest of crap at Firestation
14. Back to Andre’s. Beer. Heroes. Blogging. Sleep (soon).

Yeah. Apparently some drum(s) blew or something in the transmission, leaving em with 3rd gear and reverse only. Tomorrow, I pick up the servers in Houston, and return home.

More on the awesome and suck of both this weekend and last to come later. Aforementioned sleep now.

Oy, such a day!

March 14, 2007 5:50pm

Today started with me dropping ~$2k on a new macbook and an airport express.

I then drove out to Metairie for tuxedo fixin’s for Friday, and my car won’t start. Go figure.
Towing it tomorrow.

Other than that, Happy Pi Day!

Sunday, Bloody something or other

June 7, 2006 6:09pm

Despite a slightly cranky head, I managed to make it out to the Bonnet Carré Spillway Trail to do some like off-road riding. The weather was a bit warm, but I was hoping it would be so that I might accelerate some sweating and therefore speedup the rate I would sweat toxins out. Unfortunately, I realized about 1 mile in of 4.5 miles that I had forgotten to fill my water bottles. And I forgot to eat.

So instead of collapsing in the middle of a second lap, I opted for only one.

This is also the first trip that I got to use my new car rack. The other week, my landlords gave me a 2 bike car rack which is _very_ nice to have. Worked pretty well too.

So yeah. Some pictures, because I’ve decided to take more.

Gen. Zod with Special Ed and the new rack.

Damn branch nearly took my head off.

You can’t look cool in a bike helmet…

… Maybe unless you’re far away. Maybe not.

Nice people who gave me water.

Olfactory Tattoo

November 27, 2005 11:02pm

Today, I fought with General Zod™, and switched out the fuel filter.
He’s running a bit better now, but I still need to flush the engine and get an oil change.
I’d do the oil change myself, but I’d rather take it to that oil change place on St. Charles so that the oil will be disposed of properly.

And after a number of washings, my hands still smell like gasoline. It’s a bit annoying.
I’m going to wash my hands and then take a shower, only to turn in (relatively) early tonight in hopes of a good night of sleep.

Maybe a good cup of Mandarin Spice tea would be nice too.
Yeah. Sounds good to me.

Yeah I’m talking bout the road.

November 18, 2005 6:18pm

Not counting city driving, I have driven over 4,600 miles since Sept. 5^th.

This.is.not.regular.intra-city.miles.

I haven’t owned a car in years.
I’m not going anywhere for a while, dammit.

of Gods and Governments

October 6, 2005 4:45pm

or, Why I Love the Texas Department of Transportation.

I bought my car ( Gen. Zod™ ) 1 month ago, today ( 09.06.05 ).
The seller, also named Will, had to get a copy of his title that same day.

For some reason, we marked the date of sale on the printed receipt and the title as 08.06.05. One month before the Title was printed.
Crap.

Today, I printed out the necessary form for a title transfer in Texas (Form 130-U).
Well, I couldn’t get in touch with the seller, and he had already signed his name to the title, so I went ahead and signed his name for him.
I mean, he had already signed the title, and nothing needed to be notarized anyways…

So, I fill everything out, and for some reason, on both the title and the 130-U, I mark the mileage listed on the title, which is a good bit less than the actual mileage.
Well, the lady at the booth notices the mileages are the same. Somehow, she overlooked the whole date fiasco.
I certainly wasn’t going to point it out.

Anyway, the mileages are not supposed to be the same. Mine should be higher.
Then, in a moment of absolute grace, she gives me the papers back, and says in a hushed tone:
Okay, do you have the same blue pen? Just convert the 3 into an 8, okay?
My heart skipped a beat. I knew, at that moment, that I had fallen head-over-heels in love with TxDOT.

$60.50 later, Gen. Zod™ is registered to me. On 10-06-05.
*mental note* – don’t drive on the 6th of every month. I’m pushing my luck.

And I priced out my insurance for NOLA.
For liability, it is costing me ~$200/6 mos. in Houston.
NOLA? ~$650/6 mos.
Fuck. I guess Zod will be registered to my office for a while…

Oh, and the personalized plates have been ordered.
Kneel Before Zod!