Master this Technology.

I'm wicked bullshit about certain events that transpired yesterday. Recently I've been riding my bike to and from work. It's only about two miles. It's great. I can get there faster than in a car because I don't have to deal with traffic or lights and I get a quick workout. And I get to be sweaty and mildly stinking when I show up for work.

Anyway, on the way home yesterday I was accosted by 6-8 young "urbanites". I was riding up the road minding my own business and I noticed this group of kids (all 14-16 probably) on the sidewalk. I didn't think anything of it. But then as I was riding by one of them jump-kicked at me from the sidewalk and another pelted me with a basketball. I skidded to a stop and confronted the little fuckers. They came at me with unintelligible urban vernacular and gang gesticulations. I stood my ground but I knew I could not defend myself on the pavement in riding cleats. I also didn't want to leave my bike. So I attempted to scold them with fatherly banter. As far as I could tell they heard nothing. I then swore at them and began to ride away. They chased after me and started throwing rocks. They missed but nailed some cars driving by (one of them had a yankees hat on - no wonder he missed).

I saw a cop a little further up the road and I thought about relating my story to him. I then figured if he harassed the little bastards then they might be waiting for me next time with a premeditated intent to do some damage. I will continue to ride this way home from work but if it happens again I'll change my route. I've also told me friends in the area and will keep a cell phone in my pocket so I can call for backup next time. If I could get them onto one of the lawns I could do some brutal damage with the spiked riding cleats. Excellent.

But, seriously, this really angers me. I did absolutely nothing and these kids attacked me. They probably would've taken my shit if they had knocked me off the bike or, even worse, knocked me over into the street during rushhour. Total bullshit. This is also my route home that I take nearly every day. It starts in a sketchy area but not too bad. If I couldn't ride to work anymore it would be a major bummer. That's what I look forward to during the day (certainly not work).

Arrg. Going into a weekend of boozing in Boston all pissed off probably isn't a good thing...ah well. Yo ho!

As an afterthought I might start carrying one of those Cobra Retractable batons. They can open a big ole can of whoopass. Or maybe my grandfather's sword from the Marines. Run some of the scoundrels through.

Words of the Day
brook-to put up with something unpleasant: endure, tolerate
ascetic-pertaining to the practice of rigorous self-discipline or self-denial; one who denounces the material: austere
tortuous-highly involved or intricate: convoluted, winding, intricate
pariah-a person who is rejected (from society or home): outcast
onager-medieval sage weapon; Asiatic donkey

A rather uncircumstantial weekend. Friday night I went over to Jim's and we finished up the Straight-8 cabinets. Dumbbox has the details. The spray on glue used to stick in the insulation was horribly toxic so I dressed in a full Tyvek suit and used a chemical respirator. There are pictures of course. I look quite silly. Saturday was spent tinkering with the Jeep. I've got it running pretty damn well now and all that is really left to make it "street legal" is to have an exhaust shop do a real exhaust (not my ghetto cherrybombs that stick out behind the front wheels) and cover up the transmission tunnel somehow. We started out Saturday night watching the game and drinking some CC and gingers. All were pretty well saturated by the time we set out for the UCONN Law party nearby. At some point Ben and I got into a fight and knocked some furniture over. I had him pinned in the corner when he grabbed a vase from a nearby table and was about to smash it over my head when Dave (our third roommate) jumped in and took it away. That could've been real funny. There was a little Korean man who kept egging us on. I eventually went over and manhandled him into the skirmish but he got real pissed. I was afraid he was going to break out some crazy kung fu shit and I started laughing hysterically because all I could think of was that Simpson's where the Chinese mafia and the Italian mafia get into a fight in their front yard and that little China man comes flying through the window...Apparently he didn't see the same humor in the situation. The rest of the night is foggy but I recall one point where both Ben and Dave stepped into a pond out behind the party one right after the other. I was taking a piss at the time and got it all over myself because I was laughing so hard. Sunday was less than eventful. There was a great plan to meet up with Steve and Kendra and go for a hike. I did the research while still drunk early Sunday morning before leaving. We were going to hike up to this abandoned logging town called Glastenbury in southern VT. Well we missed a turn on the way up, it started raining, I was the only one who actually had any hiking gear, etc. Nothing worked out the way it was supposed to so we just ended up going to the Madison Brewery in Bennington for dinner and then coming home. Oh well. Jim and I watched Rally Corsica when I got back and he said the hike up there is actually pretty tough so it's probably a good thing we didn't find it seeing as no one was prepared. Sebastien Loeb (running for Citroen) has clinched the title for the year with two races still left. The dude is only like 23. This is certainly the beginning of a long reign. Oh, the shaggin' wagon is pretty much done. I can still get through all the gears, but can't apply any gas in third really because it just revs way up without anything happening. It also stinks like burning ATF when you drive it. We're hoping it will fail in a dramatic way, like a big explosion or something. Anyway, I think it's finally time to get that 911...

Words of the Day
ape-to imitate slavishly but often with an absurd result
insensate-devoid feeling and animation; without compunction or human feeling: inhuman, cold
monomania-a mania restricted to one thing or idea
avatar-a new personification of a familiar idea; manifestation of a Hindu deity; incarnation
imperious-able to deal authoritatively with ideas: masterful