Saturday, June 30, 2012

How Low










Friday, June 29, 2012

Weekend Plans








Something like this...

Candy Ass

I don't often look at the stats for this giant time wasting turd pile...

Fact is most things are constant with 'em.
Same posts turn up in what people search for, every time I give the reports a glance...

People looking for Billy's Bike.

Monster trucks and custom vans, which really aren't here often.

And the top searched path to this place?

Candy Ass.

I will admit that there are multiple posts with that title, including a song.


Makes me proud to be delivering what the world is looking for...
So, in honor of that fact, here is a picture of some titties with sprinkles.

You're welcome, lovers of the candied buttocks.


Gift Idea

Well, the birthday is coming up...

Just trying to help out those who don't know what to get me..


There are all sorts of thing that would be appropriate, but you only have a few days left to buy this Evel Knievel chopper...


So, thanks in advance.
Let me know if you need my shipping details.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

BFF








Born Free Four is this weekend.

The Crazy German is gonna be there, with bikes and a posse, from what I hear...


Go get your neo-retro-period-correct-Vans-and-flannel-biker deal on.


This video is cool.

There are other ones featuring the invited bike builders, for the show.
Some pretty talented folks, making awesome bikes...
I guess you are supposed to make a video for the show?
I mean a video and a bike?

Our cultural photo/video fixation is kinda outta hand, isn't it?

Trippy Triple













Well, heck.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Base?





Base...


This is Heavy 27.






We are coming in hot...

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Two Wheels Tuesday








Oh, I like that...

A lot.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Thunder




I hadn't quite realized it, 'til we got here, but it has been some time since I lived some place with regular thunderstorms...

Out west, well, they would happen.  No regular event though.
We were kinda in a desert in Cali and they just aren't part of the Northwest's rain rhythm.
A few passed through Philly, that I recall.  Just didn't seem that often, in that city.

I only mention this because we have had numerous since I landed here...
Kinda nice to see/hear that again.

It is storming right now, but I don't think the really heavy stuff is gonna come down for quite a while.


And some random thoughts.-


There is all that bluster about healthcare, the Supreme Court and such, this week as well.
Not even sure what to think about that.  I don't think anybody with half a brain really does, either...
There are a mess of ways that can play out.  I thought The Atlantic did a nice job portraying the lack of simplicity to the decision.


I saw that Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter movie.  I posted up that preview months ago, thinking it was a joke.  Maybe it should have been.
A pal posted up his personal review, about how it was "better than The Matrix" which seemed like high praise to me.  I mean The Matrix isn't exactly grand cinema, but I have gotten high and watched it quite a few times.
And you have Honest Abe gutting the undead, which sounds like a winner.  Eh, not so much.  Maybe I was just too sober to really enjoy it.  There were quite a few Matrix visual rip-offs...


I ate some pizza this weekend.  I will skip a review of pizza.  It was rectangular, not round pizza, and pretty good.


I think I have decided to take up croquet.  It seems very civilized and pastoral, doesn't it?  A sport one could manage to have a cocktail and cigarette at hand and yet still have proficiency with, perhaps.  It seems that neither KVC or I have ever actually played croquet, that we can recall.  Having hit up some locals, regarding the formation of a late night croquet association, that seems fairly common for our generation.
I am also pondering how I can incorporate fireworks or some sort of flaming wickets...

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Sunday Drive








Where did we put the car?

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Man Man, Man





Man, oh man, dude.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Weekend Plans










Something like this...

One of Those Days

That type of day...
Been hot here, maybe the heat is getting to me.


Maybe a month of moving stuff, fixing stuff, unpacking stuff, boring stuff...


I have some crap tasks yet to accomplish today.
Storms are rolling in, too.


Regardless, I think I need some wind and just be a little loose.
A short blast at illegal speeds and a sixer quickly consumed should get me by...
Just gotta do this responsible stuff, first.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Plays with Dolls















Ages 4+!!!

That doll could kick the ass of a grown man.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Weeds Wednesday

So, I have a yard now.
It has been a while since we have more than a couple houseplants that live longer than a few months, so it is kinda weird...

I don't really know shit about this type thing, but I guess I should learn something.
How do you learn about yard stuff, though?
Yard class?

Anyway, there was obviously somebody here who knew what they were doing.  They just haven't lived here for a while, so there is some weed creep.
Vines all over, dead stuff, overgrown spots and all of that.

So far, my strategy has relied solely on gut...

Pull out dead stuff, rip out wild vines, cut grass, etc...

The weed part is what I am struggling with.  I don't know what any of this shit is, so how exactly do I tell some "native species" from a weed, or whatever.
My "it looks cute, doesn't stick me with thorns, so it stays" methodology seems pretty weak.
But it works, I guess...

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Two Wheels Tuesday


Monday, June 18, 2012

Matunuk Monday

No weekend wrap up action this day.  Frankly there was a bunch of banal stuff for most of it, so I will skip those details, for the sake of your sanity.

Anyway, the real highlight was some Saturday rambling and oysters.
KVC had been talking about wanting to do water stuff and what not, in spite of her gimped and booted foot, some quick research and I decided we just mount up and head south...
To an oyster farm and restaurant.

I mean, shit, how do you beat that?

We blasted down the scenic 1A, by which I mean we poked along at the posted 40MPH-ish traffic crawl along the coast.  Sort of.  The 1A actually is pretty close to the shore, but most views of actual water are blocked, so it just seems like a drive through the country.  Some really old New Englandy looking towns along the way break up the tour through the trees.
Enough about driving though, right?

We were talking about oysters.

So the Mantunuk Oyster Bar/Farm is down there past Narraganset.
(I am not going to tell you how to pronounce either one of those.)
I have had their bivalves before.  Little briny gems, they are.

It is both a farm and restaurant.  The oysters are bedded down about 300 yards from the dock adjoining the patio we lingered on for hours.  They grow veggies down the road.  Somebody's mom makes the deserts.  Lithe local college students provide some pretty decent service.

We of course had oysters.  Some from right there and a mix from other farms nearby.  Standard raw oyster stuff accompanied, though it really seemed unnecessary given the delicate nature of the ice plate stars.  A dozen went by way too fast and we considered doubling down on the raw stuff...

The second wave of our order showed before we could pull the trigger, though.  KVC got some scallops, with risotto and simmered bok choy.  I chose the lobster roll with fries, a sandwich which seems the current fetish of foodie websites.  Both turned out to be above beachy, raw bar standards, with all the little details and flavor tweaks handled by an obviously skilled kitchen crew.
Really, when everything is so goddamned fresh there is not a lot of work that needs to be done to deliver great food, but clearly all of that work had been put into our plates.

Good fucking food, is what I am getting at here...

There is a decent wine selection, to boot.
Desserts made by someone's mother, also good.  We had some cheesecake, which came in a little ramekin. Kind of standard, but just fine.

We lingered on that patio for a few hours, at least.  I never once felt the pressure that would have revealed the que of dinner hour diners lined up for a meal, as we wrapped up some late afternoon lounging.
Sorry suckers.  I like to eat slowly.

As we were just down the strand from some beach, we rambled there post nosh, for a chilly, breezey stare at the ocean.  Waves, windmills, ferries lumbering off to some port I don't know...


I enjoyed it.
The whole deal.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Sunday Drive












This counts...

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Just Like It

Friday, June 15, 2012

Weekend Plans









Some thing like this...



Thursday, June 14, 2012

Expert




Whenever I need information on microbiology, I talk to this guy.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Wienorama Wednesday

In an effort to immerse myself in the the the local fare (and because I was driving around randomly and happened to pass the joint) I made a stop at the nearby Wienorama earlier this week.

Rhode Island reportedly has it's own sort of hot dog thing going on, kinda like Chicago.  But not quite so unique, as the local deal seems to be a riff on the saucy dogs from Coney Island, I guess...

Anyway, I was rolling, there was the giant Wienorama sign, I was hungry, culinary adventure ensued.

The whole Wienorama visage is kind of standard 60's diner.  A long counter, booths, guys on a giant grill, loud waitresses, portly patrons, you get the picture.
I found a spot at the counter and asked for recommendations from my server.

Oddly, her pick was the burger special and not the dogs, but I went along...

Decent diner burger, potato salad side was good.  I'll be back, once I feel my body has recovered from the first visit.  Sorry, really it was pretty good diner fare.  I will be back.
I ran out of room for a dog, so I need to try 'em, right?

What I noticed at the Wienorama was than folks used chili dogs like sides, which was interesting.  The guy next to me had the same burger combo as me, then after finishing ordered up an additional dog.  Another old timer at the counter ordered an egg sandwich with two dogs on the side.
Maybe that is how it works here?  Have a big greasy main course with some chili dogs just to guarantee you get enough greasy goodness for the day?

I also noticed a lot of people ordering milk, which seemed odd.  I don't remember the last time I have seen somebody order a glass of milk with a meal, and there were more than two or three, while I was there.  Does a body good, I guess...
The dishwasher made himself a big cup of coffee milk, in front of me, which reminded me that coffee milk is a thing here.  Milk with coffee syrup stuff.  A regional thing, I suppose.

Anyway, I will be back to try the dogs and perhaps a coffee milk.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Two Wheels Tuesday


Monday, June 11, 2012

By the Bay

Hey, it is Monday, so you are probably trying to keep your eyes open and look like you are actually working...

This post won't help, sort of a standard weekend wrap up post, I guess.

Big painting weekend for me.  The front room in the new place was painted the color of chocolate milk, with a bonus chalky finish.  That needed to go.
The adjoining hall had similar sad paint issues...
So, both got a paint attack

Some layers of primer and paint and that shit is sort of the color of new leaves now...

That was more work than I remembered painting taking, though I was solo throughout the process.  Past painting efforts have mostly been a team sport, with one person edging and another rolling.
Most people have painted something and know it sucks, so I will shut up about it.

Sat around in the yard, some.  You know, dogs, sun, yard.




Went to that place in the picture.  I am still figuring what the local deal is here, but there is a definite "locals" vibe to a lot of people and they can tell I am not one.  Whatever on that, but this place was chock full of locals.

I guess they have bands on Sunday, though we missed whatever Jimmy Buffet cover show went on, by the time of our arrival.  I don't know that it was a Jimmy Buffet cover band, I am just assuming based on the scene.  Apparently, that is a big thing here according to the one bartender who didn't look shell shocked.  Lots of people turn out for the whole shebangabang.

This joint is on the bay, so you can look at boats bobbing or motor up in your yacht, like some Russian mob boss, and park it at the pier.  The water proximity adds ambiance, I guess, which is reflected in the food costs.

The food was sorta standard New England seafood fare.  You know, shellfish, fried clams, things coated with cracker crusts and baked with sides of standard veg.  I see a lot of "special cracker" crust things on menus here, like pulverizing some Ritz shit is a big deal, weird.
Anyway, we had some squid, fried and tossed in some "Thai" sauce, some standard scallops with cracker crust and a trough of lobster mac-n-cheese.  All pretty good, I guess, or we were really hungry.  Passable, shall we say.

I don't think I quite was down with the whole experience, like I had some authentic coastal moment or something.  For a joint a few miles away though, sure, I will probably end up there again...

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Sunday Drive









Have we come this way before?

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Who Knows?






Certainly, not me...

Friday, June 8, 2012

I am a Tool

So, I have become one of those dudes with a multi tool on their belt...

Moving into a house more than 160 years old and unpacking drove me to it. It seems that everything needs some attention. My tools are still sorta packed, though I brought my huge work travel kit to deal with this contingency. Regardless, the right tool is always somewhere else.

I spotted this while I was at the hardware store. My usual multi tool work version is heavier duty and as such heavier, bulkier. And it is in a box somewhere.
So, I am trying out this kinda cheap Gerber...

It was cheap enough I don't mind treating it as such.  Stood up to some early gorilla work testing and I won't feel too bad about breaking or loosing it.

I am a dork.
But I get shit done, when I want to.
I have already pulled it out more than a dozen times today, if I count opening a few beers...


Weekend Plans











Something like this...

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Theological Thursday

I mentioned that I have been enjoying some quiet, lately...

Been thinking about things, human spirit, god, life, that sort of thing.
Maybe a bit about Buddhism.

About how it relates to my own thinking, sorta.
Maybe I should read up on that tip, more...

One of the upsides of frequent moving is that it gives a person some latitude for reinvention.  It is easier to break out of some bad habits when you wholesale change your life.  If that makes sense?

So, there are some things I wasn't digging about myself, in my last life.  The Philly version of me, I mean.
I am going to try to leave some of that behind, this life.  Or maybe moderate more.

I always try to keep my shit in check, including the spiritual stuff.  Been thinking about allowing some more of that and less of some other things.
Like less meat and booze.  More early mornings and fewer late nights  Considering my actions and impact on things with more care and consideration for others.

Getting back to kicking ass with the living, rather than letting life wash over me.
Making things, changing things, doing things.
Less looking at things...
Better living.

Maybe this doesn't have much to do with theology.
I liked the alliteration, though.  Just go along with it.
I don't really get my belief system from books anyway.
Not one book, at least.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Out for a Ride

I kept this pretty quiet, but part of the deal with movin' here was that I got to pick up a sweet new ride.

Well, new to me, at least...

An older machine, aircooled, high HP ride.
I pushed it out of my leaky shed, here, for the first time today.  Checked the fluids, fiddled with this and that and got it to fire up after a few tries...
Clunked it into gear, gave it some gas, took a few turns to get a feel for how it handled.  Cruised out into some trees, got some wind, all of that.

Then I dropped that 40" mower deck and really got to some action...



Fucking sweet, in a really not awesome way.


Yeah, I guess I own a mower now.  I mean not technically, I haven't handed any cash to the dude yet, but I did get out to cut some choppy swaths in our overgrown hay field of a yard with it.



I was just going to pay some dudes to deal with mowing, this AM.  Cornered them while they were cutting a neighbors lawn, to see if they would do ours, so I could skip dealing with it.  After some haggling on the dosh, I told 'em to have at it while I hit the ATM to sort them out.

Bastards were smart enough to split, while I was gone...

So, given the break in the near constant rain we have had, I figured I had best try to do something with the overgrowth.  Near two laps, to cut the shit back, until the mower decided enough.  Twice.
I guess I get to tune up a mower...

Probably have more time riding this beast than my motorcycle already.  I feel pretty good about that.


Also spent an hour or so with one of those old timey, spinning blade push mowers that people used before motors, I guess.  Real character and muscle building stuff, that is.  Great if you are into self-flagellation, or some such nonsense.

Luckily, the rain came back, so I could justify knocking off on that shit.
For today, at least...

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Quiet

Yeah, so we are here in the Ocean State, in case you were wondering...
It has been just over a week since the movers disgorged our load of random crap into the new place.  KVC and I road tripped it up here with the pets on our own.

So everything is here.
Our lives are now fully here.

Frankly, I could have posted sometime sooner.  All the tools for that have been available for about a week, I guess.  I have been doing other stuff, you know.
Unpacking boxes, dragging boxes around, taking the crap that was in the boxes and putting it someplace, buying the stuff we couldn't bring in boxes, calling people about taking boxes away.
Pretty box-centric here...

Anyway, the house is starting to feel like home.
I threw up some of our own lighting and some ceiling fans.  There are some rooms to paint.  The shed/garage has some spots that one can see through to the outside world, which will need to be addressed.
There is that yard, I should really do something about that...

All the pets seem to dig on the new vibe, here.  That is good.

I guess I do, too.
Dig the vibe, I mean.
Quite a bit different from where we were.
Very quiet.

Not like deep country quiet, mind you.  We are sorta in a urban spot, with the highway and airport close by.  There is some kind of mall a few blocks away, and random strip mall stuff in most directions.

I can here birds chirping more than I hear other noises, most times though...

So, I am going to take some more time to muck around with boxes and adjust to my new surroundings.
I will get back to posting random, worthless tripe in a bit...if you are missing a solid source for that.
In the mean time, I am just going to be quiet for a while...