25 December 2004

¶ It's an early morning, 35 mile bus ride to work this morning due to last night's event. Normally, I would have just blown off the workday, but those Christmas ducats are just too appealing (I gotta have a new pistol!). This one bus ride was all it took to remind me of why I don't use rapid transit in this crummy burg and its true raison d'etre. With the "Bus Riders' Union" and proliferation of bums and welfare-sponging slackers here, it’s clear who the MTA serves. If I was a driver, I'd get fired or quit within a week. Here's an example, just one of several, ON THE ONE RIDE:
Bum gets on board Downtown.

Driver: "What's that? That pass ain't no good."
Bum: "I got it this morning."
D: "I've been driving this line all night. Tell me another story."
B: (some slurred, unintelligible guttural)
D: "No, what you really want to tell me is, 'I want to ride for free,' right?"
B: "Uh…"
D: "Man, it’s the Lord's Day, tell the truth. Merry Christmas, take a seat."

These freeloaders are commonplace and the hold up the bus, a particular bane if you have to make connectors. Some people that watch certain TV programs, The Bob Newhart Show, for instance, think that there are public transit patrons like physicians and attorneys actually make up a large percentage of the bus-riding demographic. Not in this town! Not unless all three of their cars are broke down, they too are mentally ill, and someone is holding a gun to their head.

Give me my car back!!

24 December 2004

¶ The next time you hear me say, "That kind of s*** doesn't happen to me, you can remind me of this Christmas Eve...

  Hoping to get a jump on tying up any loose ends prior to another trip to the Silver State for the holidays, I decided I would get my oil changed (this is a Jiffy Lube story). Seeing as how I hadn't had my gear case oil changed since who knows when and they offered me a good price to do so, I told them to go for it. To make a long story short, they blew apart the gear case drain port! Irreparably! I should have known better than let these "mechanics" do anything other than change the oil, and even that is taking a risk. The convenience of JL and its ilk are what make them attractive, or rather an attractive peril, to me when I procrastinate and try the "easier, softer" way.
After an hour (a sure indicator of incompetence) attempting to "fix" (read: jerry rig) the situation, the manager, crestfallen, explained blah, blah, blah, it's Christmas Eve blah, blah, Monday this, Sunday that, blah . . .
In my best form, I didn't get upset (VB is not really vile). I actually felt bad for these guys. I'll make it to Nevada anyway, though somewhat belatedly. What I'll do if they don't rise to the responsibility, I don't know. Hopefully I won't have the need to gaff them for that.
Stay tuned!!

22 December 2004

¶ . . . Last night I was thinking about this blog-thing and I said to myself, "Self, this is the type of vehicle your brother might use as the proverbial soap box." After all, his '90's website "The Judge" was one of the biggest hoots I had ever seen, excellent composition, exceedingly relevant, and was getting so many hits that then-GTE decided they weren't going to host it free anymore!! Utilizing my prodigious detective skills, I conducted a search and found it! (Search time: all of about 3 minutes). Link here for some more great relevance and hilarity: Journal Yellow

21 December 2004

¶ What a revelation! One of the items from the loot that I scavenged off of the prize table after my dismal performance in last month's California Infinity Championship was a certificate for Practical Shooting, Vols. 1-3, by Matt Burkett (Big Time kudos to you folks for the expediency in delivery: one week! I guess my beloved Postal Service should get some credit too.). Good stuff!I took a trip out to the range yesterday and after actually applying the lessons on the proper grip and the "pinch & roll" in the draw sequence I found, much to my astonishment, that my gun, that "shoots left," wasn't; I shoot left!! Hooking, as it were. I couldn't believe it. Further experimentation with "my" grip and the demonstrated version bore this out. However, I don't suffer under the illusion that this is a panacea for all my shortcomings: practice, practice, practice!!
Again I learn the lesson: Follow directions!