d.c. plates

I find myself doing double takes around here when it comes to license plates. On one hand, I see just more Florida plates than I do for any neighboring states (excluding Virginia and Maryland, of course!) I found it odd until I learned that military families don't have to relinquish their home residence status if Uncle Sam's shipping them all over the country. Probably why I saw so many out-of-state plates in the parking lot at school.

On to D.C. plates. Until I moved to the DMV, I had rarely seen an actual Washington D.C. license plate. Since moving here, I think I see diplomat plates more often than actual District plates. It makes me think one of two things:

One, why'd that person cross the Potomac? In the case of my District friends, it takes quite an event for them to cross the river. For the most part, if it isn't Metro accessible, they're not going. More often than not, it appears that they've just left to go shopping somewhere nearby, get some cheap gas, go to work (?). I guess the Target in Columbia Heights is too far out of the way for some!

Two, the double take in my brain reprocesses, "Wait. People that live in the District have cars? Since when? Cash for Clunkers must be working!"

smug factor

I've been kicking this idea around in my brain since I got back from California. She and I rented a Toyota Prius while we were out there. There was a credit for renting one from the San Francisco Airport, and we figured that the difference in price would balance out with the better gas mileage. Total damage for the fuel, about $30. Total mileage, over 600 miles in a week. Two tanks or so in the subcompact we were supposed to get would've surpassed that total. Add the extra pep in the mountains, and it turned into not a bad choice.

I can't quite figure out how the Prius became so trendy. It's not particularly good looking. Its curious construction created blind spots that could hide SUVs. Even when checking blind spots, body panels blocked views. Starting it was a crapshoot, with a very finicky ignition system that required four simultaneous steps to get that electric motor to hum. The only thing I can figure is the smug factor.

Celebrities love them. Toyota charges quite a premium for them. People that drive them love them, despite all these shortcomings. If you're not sure why, check out Matt Stone & Trey Parker's thoughts via South Park's "Smug Alert" episode. It's classic South Park: contrastingly irreverent and poignant with a touch of revulsion garnish on the side.

I'll hold out for a decent looking car that gets better mileage than what I've got now. I've gotten a slight uptick in efficiency and a good cut out of my gas bill this year. Next year, who knows what'll shake out? I need to make friends with a coworker early in the year to carpool. That'll make driving to work fun again. I'm gonna miss you, Casey!

the hits just keep on coming

April went out with a bang. April 30 might go down as the most comically awful day I've had in a long while. If I weren't so exhausted by the end of it, I might've been laughing all night.

I walked out of my building yesterday morning. The strap broke on my climbing bag immediately. I should've just turned right around and gone back to bed. The sky had a certain forboding tone to it. It felt like Groundhog Day, minus Bill Murray and "I've Got You Babe" on Punxatawney radio.

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. Jobs were posted for next year, so I spent the afternoon poring over those, hoping to find a second or third grade position for next year. Hopefully, I can shorten my commute considerably and make this change a little greener!

After a good session at the gym, I punctuated the day with a ridiculous fall onto my head off a V7. I'm making progress; I just need to get it fresh.

Pulling out of the gym, I felt a whap-whap-whap coming from my front passenger tire. Sounded flat. I pulled over and found a huge chunk of steel sticking out of the tread. I hoped for the best and limped on down the road to the gas station. Sure enough, it flew out before I got there and was riding the rim in less than a block.

Flat tire, no big deal, right? I've changed many in my days. First one, new car, no sweat.

Wrong.

One, no tire iron to loosen the lugs. Two, jack rusted to the point of being useless. Three, spare tire flat. Four, when my buddy Rob pulled in to help me out, my car was too low for his jack. We improvised and got it done. It was such an ordeal, I couldn't help but laugh. What else could I do?

Oh yeah, pack for NYC and sleep...

old film from an old camera

prior to my recent purchase of a dSLR, i'd dug out my Canon AE-1 35mm SLR. lo and behold, there was a half-shot roll of film waiting for me in the camera. curious, i went out to finish the roll so i could see when i started it. turns out it was six years ago, on a field trip, with my first class. the film had aged, but the prints look kind of cool. here's a few of the shots. enjoy!

i've been everywhere, man...

i've been everywhere, man; crossed the deserts bare, man; i've breathed the mountain air, man; travel - i've had my share, man; i've been everywhere.

florida, georgia, tennessee, kentucky, indiana, ohio, michigan, illinois, missouri, kansas, colorado, wyoming, utah, nevada, california, arizona, new mexico, texas, louisiana, mississippi, alabama, south carolina, north carolina, virginia, west virginia, maryland, pennsylvania, new jersey, new york, delaware, connecticut, rhode island. later today, massachusetts. unless i miss my count, that's 33 states in all. and ontario in my only foreign excursion. all from the captain's seat of my truck.

yesterday was the most expensive drives, toll-wise, that i've had. per mile cost, only the pennsylvania and kansas turnpikes even come close. a lincoln here, a hamilton there. 400 miles and change came out to about $30 in tolls. it's all those damn bridges and tunnels along the way.

i loaded up the mp3 player with one song from every artist i wanted to listen to and the battery held out for the trip. too bad i forgot my charger. even driving across the bronx, i know why new yorkers spurn cars. even on a sunday morning, it was stop and go. the coastline scenery once i got into connecticut and rhode island was pretty awesome. unlike anything i've seen since being on the pacific coast highway near san diego or on seven mile drive in monterrey. once it stopped raining, it was pretty nice to open the back window and let the cool air trickle into the cab. i'm beginning to long more and more for responsive handling and peppy acceleration, but i think my truck's brain knows when highway on-ramp acceleration is needed. even in her old age, she does alright. i just wish she performed as well on long inclines.

off to boston for st. patty's. may the road rise up to meet you. may the wind always be at your back. may the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

two miles an hour...

so everybody sees you. random ludacris reference aside, i feel like i'm going two miles an hour in some regards and 200 mph in others. life is frenetic here. an hour or so a day to unwind at most, it's no wonder that i melt into stupidity and tv as soon as i get home when i don't have something to do at night. it's also no wonder i'm barely productive in the hour and change i stay after work most days. when i've got plans, i get twice the work done in half the time. go figure!

two miles an hour seems to be the pace that i'm working on some other things. it took me a month to prep and paint my table. it took me 4 months to get the chairs i wanted together so i could actually eat on it. after my handmade checkers christmas gift, it took me almost two months to paint the box for it. now it sits waiting for competition. now the great car search begins. it started with much research. first test drive, much disappointment. i won't rule out the possibility of the V6, but i just wasn't $13,000 worth of impressed. as my dad pointed out, i'll likely be driving this one for a while.

back to square one. my "helper" in the form of a student's parent that pretty much runs a group of dealerships around here has been great. i replayed my experience to her, she laughed and said, "we often talk about how people have become tire clickers instead of tire kickers on the lot." in the running now, the V6 nissan xterra, scion xB, vw GTI, mazda 3i, dodge charger, toyota 4runner, honda element. any other ideas?

kid quotes

thus far today, i've laughed out loud twice at things girls have said.

girl one walks in wearing a brand new ferrari shirt. i comment on how nice it looks. response, "yeah, last night we got our new ferrari, so they gave me this shirt." that's right, her dad bought a ferrari and all she got was a t-shirt. this is the same child whose father has been rolling in a maserati for most of the school year.

FERRARI ADDENDUM: she walks in after school with her dad and asks if i want to see it. um, yes! turns out it's not brand new, but it's close enough. 1987 ferrari mondial convertible. 24,000 miles. arrest me red, black leather interior. cherry! best part, he bought it on a whim more or less. because the transmission on the maserati went out.

girl two, giving an example of a dangerous thing that you should not taste or smell, "iocane powder because it is odorless and tasteless. you shouldn't touch it because it's poison." she obviously is a princess bride fan!