May 18, 2002

My Muffler Fell Right Off

So I bought this Volkswagen Golf a few months ago. It had two mufflers for some reason. I am not an expert on German cars by any means, so this strange and foreign wisdom escapes my humble mind. However, neither of these mufflers were any good. Therefor car is incredibly loud for a puny little four cylinder.

Anyway, en route to school one morning I hear a thump and a grinding noise. Obviously 50% of my exhaust system is grinding on the road. Not particularly concerned with an explosion, I ignore it. I'll give German engineering the credit it deserves: That muffler hung in there for quite a way. Unfortunately in our school driveway, we have speed bumps. These are utterly uneffective at slowing down idiotic high school students, but -- against broken down mufflers -- their true colours do shine.

The poor thing stood no chance, and looking back I saw it do a half-spin and die on the asphalt. Well, I was quite hung over that morn and had no interest in muffler retrieval. I swore to return at the day's end and pick it up. However, raging hoardes of muffler bandits must rule rural Ohio. At the end of the day, my poor German muffler was gone.

Ah, a cool rainy night in Ohio...Night before prom and nothing to do...but is there?

Message from Troyer: Coming over with the Porsche

Excitement written all over my face as I too have a fine automobile resting in the driveway. An 84 Cadillac Deville. A superb masterpiece of fine American ingenuity. It purrs like a kitten and rides as if on ice.

Noise in the driveway...76 Porsche enters the scene

The night is dark and cold. Rain sweeps across the road as adrenaline takes over. What a thrill; every time I try to strike up a conversation with Adam, gas enters the engine with unprecedented speed.

I can't focus...

The trees become blurs

Before long the engine is silent and exit the vehicle we do...

I introduce Adam to the Caddy

Immediate approval

After the Porsche ride...it's hard to get used to riding in a Yacht. So much space...so many luxuries.

The engine gurgles, indicating a thirst for gasoline. I am all to happy oblige. Clark becomes an oasis as the white-walled tires carry in the monster car.

All too soon we are back on the road. Cruising and bruising our way home, the CB blurts out sounds of cursing truck drivers. We try to communicate, but static is our only friend.

Then we are back in the driveway.

Is this something that Adam or Jason or I will remember in future years? Probably not, but tonight it acts as a savior to our dull lives. Looking back on 18 years of life, I wonder if any one moment is better than another. Alas, I have no answer. Sleep is beckoning and I follow, for I am too weak to resist.

What a day. It began almost like any other day, with one exception. Instead of my normal process of waking up for school at 7, falling asleep again till 7:15, waking up AGAIN, and finally leaving for school, I followed a different pattern:

5:00AM

Finally fall asleep.

7:00AM

(attmept to)Wake up for school!

7:01AM

No dice.

12:00

My sister comes into my room, wakes me up, and tells me that I have some major chores to do since I missed school.

12:20

Curse my bad luck and irresponsible habits.

Having accomplished aforementioned chores, I set about quickly wasting my day on the computer, reading e², and getting better aquinted with my old friend, vodka. You may get the impression that I've got problems with alcohol; I really don't. I never drink a lot, if at all. When you're in the house on your own all day, things can get incredibly boring and lonely. Getting drunk, assimilating e² into my brain and playing computer games is a bit of relief from the terrifying monotony. For what its worth though, it beats the hell out of dealing with my family all the time.

I saw Attack of motherfucking Clones last night, and Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick, it was incredible. While I've always been easily recognized as a geek, and I have a very obvious passion for all things Star Wars (excluding any Christmas specials), I was really blown away. Even during the slow parts the movie oozed more visual splendour than ep1's best scenes. As for Janga Fett, Mace Windu and Yoda, well, they made any amount of cornball love scenes bearable, just knowing action like that lurks around the corner. The battle scenes were absolutely fantastic, top notch. You got a real feeling of the bedlam and chaos of the war that was going on. I feel like a lot of the loose ends that were left floating around by that cosmic garbage ball known as episode 1 were tied up really nicely. The threads that weren't tied up leave premonitions of more juicy things to come on the horizon. And the fight with Yoda just made the entire movie. Before, in Empire Strikes back we had to assume that Yoda was cool because of everyone's reverence for him. In Episode 1 we see him on the Jedi Council, and when he speaks, everyone listens. In Episode 2, you find out why. In a word, Yoda owns.

Now the day is done, and it's I've raced one day closer to my grave.

Although it was over a month ago, I just have to jot a few notes down about my wonderful vacation to Los Angeles to visit my brother.

It was great!

Why, you ask? Well let me count the reasons:

1. Convertables don't cost much more than other rentals and SoCal weather was made for them.
2. There is parking everywhere. Living in the Boston area, this is a real treat.
3. Beaches. Beautiful women. So much sun.
4. It doesn't seem to matter which Mexican food restaurant you pick, they all seem to be great.
5. My brother has a fabulous apartment, and it is a very, very gracious guest!

I could go on and on, but lets just say I loved it!

Meanwhile, back in Cambridge, I'm still trying to focus myself on stuff other than work (which is going well, mind you). I guess I'm making some progress, at least I'm having more fun lately -- dancing, movies, walking on the beach (not as fun as California's but better than a city sidewalk at least!).

I definitely know I have nothing to complain about. I mean, my friend is working but his company just stopped being able to make payroll (of course he is looking for a job but apparently the Dallas market isn't great). And I haven't (yet, knock on wood) had anyone die on me recently -- three people from work have had people somewhat close to them die. I have to say I can't personally imagine, because the last time someone close to me died I was very young still.

Okay, this was supposed to be a short note and it has turned into rambling. Laters!