Cat Car Rider

Yesterday my wife meets me at my parking lot, steps out of the car, and tells me, "My car is meowing." She had driven two miles from work, and said there were intermittent noises that sounded like cat meows, different each time. We searched the car, but found nothing.

But there had been a cat! We noticed about 30 yards down the parking lot, a car idling and people gathered around it. A small kitten was under the car, no more than 8 weeks old. It appears it fell out from underneath her car as she drove over the bump at the entrance of the parking lot. The cat had hidden away in some part of her car, and held on for the two mile trip over!

The kitten was okay! One of the people gathered around the kitten took it home.

Surprise from a Rain Storm

There was a surprise rainstorm yesterday. To add to my surprise experience, I was surprised to find out that a black hat I bought in Bangladesh wasn't water protected. That is to say the black hat dyed my forehead, neck, and shirt black. Hat is now in garbage.

Good thing I'm not blonde.

Water Heater Ant Colony

A colony of ants has chosen the top of my water heater to settle their colony. I see them walking on top of the water heater all the time, going in and out of the holes they've chewed through the metal lid. I'm not quite sure how deep the colony goes, or how a water heater's inner structure is good for making a colony.

There is one major detrimental factor to locating an ant colony in a water heater...it's a water heater. Every time the water heater turns on to refill up its tank, the colony pours out of the water heater running for their lives in fear. Not sure if it's the heat or if their homes are getting filled with water. They carry their precious larva in their teeth, and hide wherever they can for a couple of hours. Then they return. This happens every time the water heater turns on. I'm wondering how long it will be until they decide to abandon this foolish idea. How can one have a successful ant colony if several times a day you have to abandon it?!?

Delicious Subway Breakfast

Went to Subway to get a breakfast sub yesterday. Egg and cheese, onion, green pepper, tomato, and chipotle sauce. Reminds me of the western sandwich I used to eat at Bruegger's Bagels. My friend O.C. used to eat those three at a time or something like that. I haven't had a sandwich like this in so long, and was so excited to get it.

I left it on top of my car when I got in, and drove off. It is now sitting on 14th Street, all mushed and run over.

Returning my book to the library

Went to the library to return three books. One of the books I had checked out never had registered on my online library account, so I went to the circulation desk to let them know the issue. Two of the librarians went to scan it back in, and found no library barcode. They looked at me and remarked, "This book isn't ours."

I stared at them, and then down at the book, and then said confused, "Huh...I must've bought this one then."

They laughed hard at me,"Sounds like you've been studying too hard!"

I chuckled a little too, and said,"I really don't remember buying this book."

"Well it was nice of you to try and give it to us!", and they continued laughing.

I put the book back in my bag.

They were still laughing as I walked out of the library.

There for the news story

Police Investigate Reports of Gunfire at Screen on the Green

Last night a bunch of friends and I went to see the Screen on the Green movie festival at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. They were showing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and we got there just after the movie started. We couldn't hear much because the place was packed and people were yelling and walking around the entire time. Still, it was the first time I was seeing the film so I did my best to assume the storyline.

I went to the porto potties with my friend at one point, and on our way back, we saw a huge crowd running toward our direction screaming. The first thing both of us thought was that someone had gotten shot. We went back to our seats though and sat down. We could see over the whole crowd and saw people getting up to leave. Soon after, the screen flickered as the organizers feigned technical difficulties. They announced the event was over because the projector was having issues. The article above describes how it was because of the perceived unsafe situation at hand.

We hung out for a bit after, not knowing it was unsafe, before heading to leave. On our way out we passed through numerous large groups of teens. At one point our group of friends were approached by a young man who asked if any of us had an iPhone. He jammed his hand into my pocket, and finding nothing, went to my next friend's pocket, where he found his iPhone. Yelling ensued, as the young man grasped onto my friend. My other friends and I tried to break everything up, while the rest of the crowd around us circled around yelling. Finally, we got our friend free and in the resulting standoff one of my other friends got hit. The young man bolted when the police poured in, and we saw the young man fall flat on his face; he had been tasered by a police officer.

This was my first time experiencing anything like this in Atlanta or anywhere. I felt bad since one of my friends who I went to undergrad with was visiting from North Carolina, and this was to be his one memory of Atlanta. I haven't had any issues like this before. I hope Screen on the Green continues, just under safer conditions.

Waste of knife

I make several sandwiches every morning. This requires spreading of many items (mayo, peanut butter, jelly, hummus). Often times, I will make one peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and subconsciously knowing I'm finished, I will toss the knife in the dishwasher. I then turn to make my next sandwich, perhaps a turkey one needing mayonnaise, and I realize I've tossed my knife away and need a new one. I scold myself for being so wasteful.

This morning I sunk to a new discouraging low. I made my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and as usual, I idiotically threw the knife in the dishwasher. I turned to make my next peanut butter and jelly sandwich and realized I was knife-less. Danggit. So I got another knife. I spread on my peanut butter and tossed the knife into the dishwasher. Turned to spread my jelly, and "gosh darnnit again"! Had to go get a THIRD knife just to spread the jelly.

My favorite song ever LIVE

My favorite song of all time (since about 2001) is Saves The Day's "Sell My Old Clothes I'm Off to Heaven". I listened to this song everyday in high school and sang it aloud, and it makes almost all my playlists.

I've seen Saves The Day twice in concert before last night, and neither time did it get played. I had given up hope that I'd ever see this song performed live. It's not on any of the major releases, and only made it onto a compilation of B-sides.

But last night I finally got to see it. I think I'll be happy all week from that alone. It was everything I'd dreamed of. (and I don't know why the youtube video continues for 2 minutes past the end of the song...)

Nerds and girls

I overheard the following at my university's football game last week from an undergraduate fan sitting in front of me:

"I just don't understand girls. Can I trade my girlfriend in for a helicopter?"

I knew coming in that my university is mostly a bunch of nerds...myself included.

Auto Lifting

Pulled up to the top of a highway on-ramp the other evening. Looked over at the car to my left, and saw the driver doing bicep curls. He was using at least a 30 lb. weight. I suppose if you spend lots of time driving and thus waiting at red signals, you can multi-task and get in your workout too.

My friend and I tried to get a picture, but he finished his set before we could get our camera out.

Seeing QBs

Last night I saw my college's backup quarterback at the grocery store. Pretty cool.

My freshman year of college I saw our starting quarterback on campus. To me, the guy was a superhero. I was riding my bike when it happened, and I took such a long look at him I almost crashed my bike into a tree.

Fantasy Rowing

Two years ago, in the summer of 2007, a friend of mine started up a Fantasy Rowing league for a bunch of us who rowed together. We all had been playing Fantasy Football together for two years, and this just seemed the next logical step for us rowers. I happened to win that league that summer.

This summer I've brought it back to my friends I row with currently. Remembering most of the details of the league we had run two summers ago, I drafted out a set of rules for our league to run by. This is how it is working:

Each participant drafts a team with nine roster slots, and must field a lineup of seven slots for each of the big international summer regattas: World Cup 1 in Banyoles, Spain; World Cup 2 in Munich, Germany; World Cup 3 in Lucerne, Switzerland; and the World Championships in Poznan, Poland. Their lineup must consist of three singles, three team boats, and one National Team. Their full roster has two bench spots, and they may use those for one additional country and an additional boat, or two additional boats.

At each regatta the lineup a participant fields earns points depending on how the boats in that lineup fare at the regatta. 1st: 10, 2nd: 8, 3rd: 6, 4th: 4, 5th: 3, 6th: 2, 7th: 1
National Teams on a participant's roster earn 1.5 times those point values: 15, 12, 9, 6, 4.5, 3, 1.5
At the World Championships, all point values are doubled.

The participants could select singles from the following racing classes: M1x, W1x, LM1x, LW1x. They could select team boats from the following racing classes: M2x, W2x, LM2x, LM4-. Any National Team could be selected.

Participants drafted their rosters before the start of World Cup 1. Each participant compiled a list of at least 20 boats/National Teams they wanted. A random draft order was created, and snaking through the draft list, each team's rosters were filled. After each World Cup, a free agent list is generated, and particpants submit add/drop requests that are met in a rotating basis from last to first.

If a country sends a sculler to the regatta as the LM1x, and that sculler is not sent to the next regatta but another sculler races instead in their place as that country's LM1x, the participant with that sculler on their roster does not own the new sculler. For a team boat, if at least one member of a team boat is retained between regattas, the participant retains that crew; otherwise they do not own a fully new crew.

Target's See-through Wrapping Paper Trickery

Went to Target two weeks ago to buy wrapping paper for a friend's wedding present. Purchased shiny silver wrapping paper. But I was tricked. It only looked silver when wrapped around the roll. When rolled out, it was CLEAR!


















So I went back this week to purchase wrapping paper that would actually conceal what is wrapped. This time my friend assisted me in choosing a roll. We chose a shiny blue. When I got home to wrap it...it was see-through blue! I couldn't believe Target had tricked me a second time.


















My friends and I cannot even imagine why one would want to buy clear wrapping paper. What purpose could it hold to have your gift be seen through the wrapping job. Perhaps a gift basket they give out at a raffle would want to be wrapped in clear wrapping, but how dare they mix this amongst other opaque wrapping paper options.

First time at Sonic

Work didn't turn out like I wanted it to last night. And then Subway was closed. So I was stuck eating fast food. Figured I would try out Sonic, as it is always advertised on TV yet I never have eaten it. Ordered my food.

Then I saw hanging from the signboard that from 8pm-12am that night it was FREE ROOT BEER FLOATS. My night was redeemed. Sonic food was pretty good, but it would not have been nearly as cool if it wasn't for the free drink that I showed up in the right 4 hour window for.

Song Request on 96Rock

For the first time in my life yesterday, I called into a radio station and got through for a song request. It was 10 pm on May 26, and it was time for Mandatory Metallica on 96Rock, 96.1 WBBB in Raleigh. The disc jockey said he would play one Metallica song of his choosing, and then two requests.

I heard this and I immediately called in. I got through and was excited to request "Disposable Heroes" off of Metallica's Master of Puppets. The disc jockey said that was the exact song he wanted to put in himself! He asked for my name and location. I was psyched to hear my song play, and even more so to hear him announce who requested it after. After the song ended he started, "That was 'Disposable Heroes'. [my name] in Raleigh and I co-oping on that one there..."

He mispronounced my name though...

Drag Bingo in Durham

Last night attended Drag Bingo in Durham, North Carolina with some friends. I have never been before to either a drag show or a Bingo night. I did not win at Bingo, but I did get pulled up on stage by the drag queen MC for being a cute guy in the audience, and was complimented on my eyes in front of the 300+ people there. Received two free tickets to a future Drag Bingo night, held monthly, so I guess I'll be heading back later this summer.

Drag Bingo has a $17 entry fee and proceeds go to Alliance of AIDS Services North Carolina.