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Destiny

1/28/07

Guess who's a Mini Cooper owner?  That's right--ME!

Although it was a bit of a winding road to get there.

The very first car I looked at once I heard officially from the insurance company that the Cavalier was being totaled was a Mini.  The Sherrons & I went ALLLLLLL the way down to South County to take a look at a used Mini the Saturn dealer had down there.  This is when I learned my first lesson in the lies of the internet.  Got down there and it was a stick.  The internet said it was an automatic.  It was not.  Dang.  All that driving for absolutely nothing.

But I persisted.  I checked out the website for the MINI dealership in Clayton and they had two '06 automatics listed.  I went by on Wednesday and only one of the listed cars was actually still on the lot!  So I talked to one of the "motoring advisors" and took a test drive around. 

I'd promised Mom that I'd take a look around at some more modestly priced alternatives, so we headed over to Toyota.  The Yaris is WEIRD!  The insides are all stretched out and rearranged so they're not where you think they should be.  Too bizarre.  The salesman, excuse me, "product specialist," had me sit in a Scion--the little one, not the SUV.  Apparently the Yaris is based on the Scion.  And it's less crazy on the inside, but just not anything special.  What's interesting is that its kind of like a kit car.  You can custom build one on the internet with exactly what you want it to have, no more no less, for the same as if you'd found that car on the lot.  When I told him I'd also looked at Minis, his eyebrows jumped right up into his hair.

As a final alternative, we went by Enterprise on Friday night to see what they had on their lot.  After much looking and not much luck, the salesman (no fancy pants titles at the Enterprise) suggested checking out their website.  Then I could see every car in the Metro area.  Even though mom had said we'd go talk dollars with the Mini people if there wasn't anything good at Enterprise, I agreed to look over everything on the website before I committed.

The website was a disappointment.  Just a greater variety of the same cars I'd already seen.  So on Saturday afternoon we went over to the Mini dealership to negotiate on the new car.  When I asked after the car, I was told it had been sold the day before.  I got this sick feeling in my stomach thinking my car was being sold while I was up the street looking at cars on the Enterprise lot.  Although cold comfort, it was actually sold first thing in the morning.  Found out they had another automatic, but it was currently with the representative at the auto show, but it would be back on Monday.  They also had a 2004 that had been a lease, traded in to lease a 2006.  So I took that one for a ride.  AND I LOVED IT!  What's kind of funny in the end--is that it's more or less the car I was deceived by in South County--only with lower mileage and more features.  UPGRADE!

I'm picking it up after work on Monday.  XD

Okay, here's something crazy:  Vincent D'Onofrio was in Full Metal Jacket AND Adventures in Babysitting.  He couldn't look more different--and they BOTH came out in 1987.

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Let's Get Wii-Tarded

1/14/07

Oh yeah, Wii Party.  Everybody was rocking out at Bob & Jen's Wii Party last night.  There was a lot of tennis & bowling, and shockingly--no Wii puns at all.  There are only 4 "wii-motes" so it left plenty of non-players to socialize.  Krissy & Kenny spent the evening inviting people to their lake house.  They are going to be new residents of the Ozarks.

The crowd didn't really start to thin until well after 1am.  Around 2 a few of the guys started playing Wii Golf, when God decided we'd had enough.  Kenny was putting and JUST as he was about to sink it--when the power went out.  (It was really getting time to put a cork in Kenny.  You can only yell "NOONAN" so many times in a few hours.)

Got home to more powerlessness (first time since the summer).  Woke up to my battery powered alarm clock just before 10 and saw that my regular alarm wasn't lit up.  Dang.  So I was just laying there contemplating when I heard the furnace start up.  I was confused.  I didn't know my gas furnace could work without electricity.  Apparently that was just when I got my power back. Derr.

Tried to go to the movies with Jen & Bob this afternoon, but Night at the Museum was sold out.  I guess a lot of people were looking for something to do during the outtages.  But we hit Borders and then Bob & Jen started me on House.  I've never watched it, but Boston Katie & the Sherrons said I should.  After the first four episodes, it seems a little formulaic--Weird Illness, Crazy Theory, Crazy Theory Treated, Treatment Fails, New Crazy Theory--but I'm willing to stick it out the rest of the first season before making my final decision.

Then Brandon came over and we Wiied.  Tennis first (Jen & I got whupped), then bowling.  I kicked everybody's ass.  Three straight games.  "How many time I got a beat you before you learn to behave?"  The second time around I got my all time high score of 214.  I didn't leave a single pin standing. 

Okay, here's a story I wanted to tell a while ago, but it would have ruined Katie's Christmas surprise. 

I went to Books-a-Million, because I'd decided that I wanted to get Katie several $5 novels, and I was working on a bit of a theme.  Sort of a "Grand Romances" sort of thing.  Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion, The Importance of Being Earnest, Wuthering Heights.  I wanted a fifth book, something that wasn't another Jane Austen (she's kind of the definitive author in the theme I was working on, but two from her is enough), so I went to the customer service desk to get a recommendation, at least maybe a couple of similar authors.  I was second or third in line for the girl to help me, but she walked off with the person ahead of me to help them find something, so I had to rely on teenage boy to help me.  I showed him the books I'd picked out and said I needed another author to complete the set, that I couldn't think of who else would go with what I'd picked out.

His recommendation?  "I like J.D. Salinger."

Are you on crack?  For all the help that answer was, it might have gone like this:

"Hey, I'm looking for another book to go with these historical romances, any ideas?"

"How about a puppy?"

Apparently everyone there is useless.  He went to ask his managers and they suggested Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables and Little Women.  Crackheads, every single one of them.

I ended up with Jane Eyre, but it was a last resort.

TV RECOMMENDATIONS:

Hardware, on BBC America is growing on me more and more, everytime I watch it.  Some favorites from this week's episode:
 

But he doesn't look like him in the face either.  It's like if a giraffe had a son and it was a sideboard. 

I'm cruisin' for some reproducin'.  I'm ready to send the boys upstream to spawn.  Yes, I would still be saying this if I was sober.  We could live in a shoe, I've seen it done.

We've come to an agreement.  I won't talk about babies, and he doesn't talk about tools or sport.  --Quiet at your house then?  --We haven't talked since Tuesday.

Also, Dimitri Martin, of "Trendspotting" on the Daily Show, has a special on Comedy Central that's pretty funny. 
 

I'm alright with 2/3 of Rock, Paper, Scissors.  Rock crushes Scissors.  These scissors are all bent.  I can't cut anything with these.  Scissors cut Paper.  Damn, this isn't paper.  These are strips.  This is going to take me all day to put back together.  Paper covers Rock.  Rock still okay.  No structural damage to rock.  Rock can break through paper at any time.  It should be Rock, Dynamite with cuttable fuse, Scissors.

I like video games, but they're so violent.  I wish there was a game where you help all the people that were injured in all the other video games.  Hey, what are you playing?  Super Busy Hospital.  Please leave me alone, I'm performing surgery on a man who was shot in the head 57 times.

The thing about glitter is, if you get glitter on you, be prepared to have it on you forever, because glitter is the herpes of craft supplies.

Craziness from the internets:  "That guy's a total patoot."  "He's like 50 patoots!"  Watch it.  Enjoy the nutcase-ness.

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Now Listen Here

1/11/07

I've been busy okay? 

Give me a break... DAD!

I've been dealing with all this car accident nonsense.

MAP: Red "X" = the scene, Green "O" = my condo, Blue "O" = gas station.

See?  I TOTALLY would have made it to the gas station if I hadn't had to pull over and stop!

At the very least, if I was slowing down faster than I thought, I could have made it to the condo lot and walked to the gas station.  And then I wouldn't have to go through all this hassle. 

  • Today I had to go to the Bridgeton Police Department to pick up a copy of the police report, which had all the information on the other guy so I could fax it to my insurance company (they said it can take weeks for them to get it if they have to request it themselves). 
  • I had to call the body shop to see if they've finally assessed all the damage to my car (Totaled?  Not totaled?  The world may never know.  It's like a damned Tootsie-Pop.), only to be put off again--"I want to have my body expert really take a good close look at it."  But the guy told me they should absolutely know by noon tomorrow and will give me a call.  I think this is the car I want if I have to get a new car.
  • Had to spend 30 minutes on the phone with the other guy's insurance company, because he never bothered to call his insurance company so I had to set up the claim with them. 
  • At least I finally had the claim number info to give to Enterprise, so they'll stop calling me.  They don't seem to realize that I want them to know who to charge for the car (who isn't me) even MORE than they do.  It doesn't matter how many times you tell them you will call the MINUTE you have a claim number, you still keep getting calls.  They've got my credit card, it's not like they have to worry that I'm going to flake on them.
The police report more or less says that it was his fault.  He said he was messing with his radio and when he looked up, there I was--and then he skidded in the rain.

I saw an ad for Meet the Robinsons.  It's the new Disney computer-animated movie.  And I guess it's also the last.  John Lasseter came in and laid it down:  Disney=2D, Pixar=3D.  Deal With It.  It looks really cute, though.

Be sure you watch the trailer all the way to the end, the bit with the dinosaur cracked me up.

I have to admit that the following scene won me over (that's Space Mountain):

Jen & Bob got a Wii!  It's so cool, it's Wii-tarded.  You get to make your own little person, called a Mii.  Then your little person can play the games.  We played tennis & bowled.  I went from a 113 to a 171 at bowling!  I even got a turkey two times!  And I won the bajillion pin challenge.  By a lot.

You know what else is awesome?  Playing Dr. Mario on a giant flat screen TV.  I'm pretty good at Dr. Mario, but Jen & Bob are FANTASTIC.  Jen's just really good at it--Bob is EVIL at it.  Nothing fills him with more evil glee than creating chains so he can drop loose pills on his opponent.

I get to play at a lower level against Jen & Bob, but if I beat them, I have to move up a level.  I'm getting better though.  But after a while I start to get brain dead.
 

KIM: Do you watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force?

BOB: Yeah.

KIM: Have you seen the one where they have to stop the giant balloon animal out over the ocean?

BOB: Yes.

KIM: And they roll Meatwad in bits of glass so he can float out and pop it?

BOB: Right.

KIM: But they have to take his brain out to make him buoyant enough?

BOB: Uh-huh.

KIM: But they have to bring him back in because he just keeps floating out there saying, "Do what now?"

BOB: Yes.

KIM: That's how I feel right now.

BOB: I don't want to jinx it, but this game is really close.  You could win.

And I DID.  So now I have to move up a level against Jen.  But I get to move down a level against Bob, because he is still soundly kicking my ass.

We're giving Stephen Colbert issues: Click Here if the embedded player doesn't work for you.

"Hell, yeah!  Who's got a cop car?  Who's got a cop car, biatch?!" --Earl, "My Name is Earl"

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