Tranny Sport Nation

Two weeks ago I took my car to the dealer because steam was pouring out of the front of my car after my 20 minute commute. The radiator had split, and had to be replaced, to the tune of around $400. It ran well for the next few weeks, but would suddenly jump heat from medium to high near the end of journeys. I'd been informed for the last year or more that I had a leaky head gasket, so I figured it was time for replacement (not wanting to have an overheating emergency in the middle of a snowy pass or something). Replacing a head gasket is apparently an involved operation, as it took two and a half days and $1,500 of labor. (Can I get an "amen" for comprehensive coverage? Finally I have a repair which is over my $500 deductible. I'd previously been the master of $450 repairs.)

On Monday morning I walked from the dealership to work (close to 2 miles), finding a few leaf piles to trudge through. I set my alarm on beep for 7 so I could catch the bus in the morning. On Tuesday morning, my clock dutifully beeped and I turned it off so Tam could sleep in. She then wrapped an arm around me and I figured "I've got some time, I'll lie in an embrace for a while." Half an hour later, I woke up again and realized I wouldn't make my Utah meeting (which I like to miss anyway). I walked across the mall parking lot and caught the 100. This bus goes up Kipling to Cold Spring and on to Westminster Park-n-Ride. The 125 then runs from Cold Spring past my office building. I'd like take the bus to work on a regular basis, but there are two problems. First, it takes me 20 minutes to drive 14 miles to work, but the bus takes an hour. Second, the 100 stops running at about six, which is quite inconvenient for people who like to work later and people who want to hang out with a friend in one suburb and live in a different suburb.

This morning I successfully got out of bed at 7 and again walked across the parking lot. Thanks to the wonders of Daylight Saving Time, I got to watch the sun rise, take pictures of nice lighting, and walk through more piles of leaves. I also got to read some Wicked, something I certainly can't do while driving. This evening I made the two mile return walk to pick up the car.

With all this walking and reading, I've been pretty effective at work. I'd love to drive only to the grocery store and far away places, and the next time I have a good opportunity to choose employment and housing, I'll endeavor to make sure they're closer together. At least when I pay $2,300, I'd get a fabulous new bike.

Shower Meme, Take N

In the summer of 2003, an LJ friend of an LJ friend came up with an idea in the shower: ask LJ friends five questions, have them post the answers in their journal, and then invite people to ask the interviewee for questions. I hadn't seen this meme for at least a year, but it's popped back up in my neck of the LJWoods, so here we go again. I think there were a few people who asked me for interviews in mid-2004 just before I severely cut back on internet use (on account of dating tamheals who didn't have an internet connection at home). Please comment again and I will ask you questions for real this time.

This set is from the buzzing mollybzz.

1. Do you feel that subscribing to a spontaneous spirituality means you are not set on believing in anything at all? If not, what are your steadfast spiritual cornerstones?

My spirituality is mostly about what I experience, suggest, and metaphorize (sure it's a word, it's like "metabolize" but with your mind). Most of the things I believe in are scientific (I believe in the Big Bang), philosophical (I believe the best way to live is cooperatively), or optimistic (I believe I will find a wonderful place to live).

I find that the best way to be spontaneous is to create a basic structure which provides boundaries and suggestions for spontaneity. To that end, my spiritual cornerstones are maxims like "If religion isn't fun, don't participate," "Every tradition has insight," and "If we always do it one way, queer it up just a bit."

2. What is the meanest thing you've ever done?

When I was around 10 and my brother was around 5, a friend of mine came over. He created a game involving lots of rules my brother had to follow, and when he broke them he got spanked hard with a book. I mostly played along with my friend's leadership, but it was my responsibility to speak up and say it wasn't okay.

3. What do you feel about your impending death?

Right now? Nothing. Sometimes I think about it a lot, but mostly I'm down with the fact that I'll die at some point in the future, probably between when I'm 73 and 103 (but maybe when I'm 37 in a freak accident involving a large wooden badger). I hope that my body is able to decompose and continue to play a part in the cycle of life. I hope that the things I do in my life benefit those who live on. I hope my funeral is fabulous and full of fun music and games.

4. Okay, Senator, we all want to know: how can you have such mystical and magical attachment to your body hair, identifying with it part of your personality and how you are perceived, while maintaining a non-superficial view of humanity and mammality in general? Or, rather than me insinuating certain hirsute allegations, hows about you define your attachment to your facial hair (please suppress any reference to keratin, sulfide or hydrogen bonds, ke thx kekekeke).

I have long hair in large part because I'm lazy. My freshman year in high school, I kept putting off going to the barber, so I finally decided to let my hair grow long. I started high school with a bit of a mustache and the rest of my facial hair came in without the itching and awkwardness of most boys. Since my dad hasn't shaved since the early '70s there wasn't any family pressure to learn how to shave... or indeed requisite materials.

As time went on, not cutting my hair became something of a badge of pride, Scottish style. I could impress people who were amazed that I hadn't a haircut in over ten years and that I'd never shaved or trimmed my beard.

Beyond that, my hair (like the rest of my clothing) is warm, comfortable, and shows people that you can buck social trends and still look cool.

5. If you could immediately upload three skills or abilities (mundane, real, super-heroic or fantastical), what would they be?

Can I know kung fu? ...

I've always wanted to be able to fly about fifty feet off the ground. Not necessarily at jet speeds, but fast enough to get across town in a reasonable amount of time.

An immediate upload of Chinese language would be really neat, because I really don't have an easy in otherwise.

I'm not sure what a good third option would be. I'm avoiding the temptation to say something like LISP since I can pick that up without too much work normally. Something artistic like cinematography would be neat, but I'd need lots of resources to use it for much. There are lots of things I'm not very good at (like sexual intercourse), but I'm not particularly interested in most of them. Can I upload the ability to upload more skillz?

kay kay

Participate! If the world needs something, it's more knowledge about the personal lives of people who use the Internet.

Post a comment asking to be interviewed.
I will respond with five questions.
Answer those questions in your journal.
Provide the same invitation for people to ask you for questions. (The Copyleft clause.)