I never realized that Dead Presidents’ Day was that popular. All of the internet was rather quiet yesterday.
Ayieeee! Welcome To Fat Tuesday!
Finally a holiday that I can understand and sink my teeth into (pun intended)!
Today marks the traditional end of the good times in New Orleans (some would say Katrina ended them…) because tomorrow people decide to ruin their lives for forty days by giving up something for Lent. Not me, I suffer enough the other 325 days of the year.
Today I’ll be serving up some of my non-famous Jambalaya to my co-workers in order to celebrate the holiday.
Making A Spectacle Of Myself
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A man walks into an optometrist’s office…
With Flexible Medical Spending account money to blow by March 1st I decided to do the practical thing and purchase a new pair of eyeglasses. I wanted to buy something nerdy, and something that screamed “indie music freak”. Unfortunately none of the frames which would be hip with the indie crowd flattered my facial features. So instead, I did the impractical thing; I purchased the most expensive kick-ass pair of prescription sunglasses that I have ever owned (or will own once they are in my possession).
I’ve kind of taken a new attitude on life recently — You better live now motherfucker because this is going to be the only chance that you’ll get.
ITP Flickr Pic
Here is a snapshot of my t-shirt collection…
The formula for building a t-shirt collection like this is
t_shirt_stack = (run_races * 10 years) + (hash * 8 years) + (see_concerts * lifetime) + n
where n = shirts acquired by methods such as gifts, trade shows, and purchases out of need (such as being on vacation and packing the wrong things)
Think I own enough t-shirts? Imaging the size of my stack if I hadn’t purged a few times over the past few years and lost countless number of shirts to ex-girlfriends…
Do You Hear That Ringing?
Perhaps I should have waited until seeing Dick Dale in concert before spending all of that Flexible Medical Account money because my ears are still ringing from last night’s concert. Seriously, this is the only time I wished that I had worn earplugs at a concert. The music was loud, intense, and incredible. For a man who will turn seventy on May 4th, this geezer can still rock!
Don’t think that you are familiar with Dick Dale’s music? Ever hear that guitar riff in Pulp Fiction? You’ve heard Dick Dale’s music then.
The opening band, called The Booze, wasn’t too bad either. I was really glad to run into my hashing friends Portuguese Water Dog and Will You Suck? so that I have someone to confirm that the lead singer for The Booze could have easly passed for the hasher Surly Temple’s brother.
Before going up the The EARL I watched Lords of Dogtown about the surfing / skateboard scene in the 1970’s / 1980’s. Overall I thought that the movie was pretty decent and I laughed out loud at the cameo appearance done by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. In the movie Hawk appears as an astronaut (not sure if he was wearing diapers) who asks to try out one of the skateboards and falls on his ass immediately. The kid says something about it being harder than it looks, to which Hack responds “It must be the moon boots.”
CD Pick Of The Week
With the big Valentine’s / Presidents’ Day season behind us the new CD racks are jammed with CDs dropping today. Unfortunately I don’t know who the hell most of these artists are…
- Aqueduct
- The Besnard Lakes (I misread this as The Barenaked Ladies)
- Calla
- Bobby Conn
- Jill Cunniff [of Luscious Jackson]
- Dolorean (I remember the car)
- Explosions In The Sky
- Field Music
- The Frames
- k-os
- Pop Levi
- PG Six
- Richard Swift
- Trans Am (it’s a double-car day)
Of the artists listed I have heard tracks from Aqueduct, The Frames, and Trans Am. It looks like I need to spend more time listening to Sirius and less time listening to podcasts.
I’ll pick the Trans Am CD for no other reason than I saw that they are playing The EARL in April. Bully for them!
And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood – fat
Current Music – Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing k-os — “Sunday Morning” (one of the bands with a new release today; I didn’t like it.
Website Of The Day – I really dig the handing chairs made by SKY Chairs. If I had a good place to put one in my house I’d be all over buying one right now.
Exercise (b)Log – none
February Goals
1) Lose two pounds. (starting weight ~205 lbs)
2) Run no fewer than fifty miles.
3) Do twenty push-ups and fifty sit-ups at least three times a week.
4) Read two books.
5) Go to the Center For Puppetry Arts.
6) Use Marta for commuting at least one day per week.
7) Get all 2007 information into Google Calendar.
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
Hey, what type of glasses/frames did you get? I had my eyes (ha, get it?) on a pair of Tag Heuer frames that when finished, would have run me $456… I decided that the Bolle sunglass combo from Samsclub fit the budget much better: frames, polarized, tinted, anti-glare coating and polycarb lenses for $176. I am going to get a pair of Wiley X SG-1’s however in the near future, as one sharp pointed stick in my eye while hashing was enough. They have swappable lenses, sports strap and you can get perscription lenses.
http://www.technical-gear.com/sunglasses/by_brand/wiley_x/sg1.htm
I got the type that fits my face… Seriously, I bought a “name brand” but I cannot remember which (I am such a slave to fashion!). The frames cost $150 and the lenses, with all of the add-ons I chose, cost another $120. With taxes, etc. the total cost was around $300. For SUNGLASSES!!! I sure hope the “you are so going to get laid” tinting that cost an extra $75 is worth it. 🙂
Unfortunately I cannot order frames online. I need to try them on to see how they look on my face thanks to my wide-set eyes and high-bridge nose.
I think I tried on every pair in the office before making the decision to get sunglasses.
My current glasses lasted almost 4 years till one lense popped out and chipped. I superglued it back in, but it was time for some new ones. I agree you have to try them on, and I am getting the wiley’s then having samsclub do the lenses, they make you look like a bug, but seal to your face to block unwanted pointy sticks from entering the cornea area. Spending money (especially with a flex account) on glasses is worth it as I wear them everyday. If I was currently enrolled in my flex account, I’d own the Tag Heuers!!!! Need to plan a little better next year….
I’ve had my Oakleys for about 7 years now, they keep sticks (and branches, and other things in the forest) out of the eyes quite well. I’ve had to buy some replacement lenses, and they aren’t the most attractive thing, but hey, they work. I’m no slave to fashion like you boys.
I’m no slave to fashion like you boys.
That’s because you’ve won the Marriage Game. 😛
You should all count yourself lucky that your eyes aren’t so bad that NO frames will look good on you because all people see are the coke bottle bottoms attached that you must use for lenes (but I guess they do hide the wide nose and cubby cheeks).
If you weren’t slaves to fashion, you’d get some nice safety glasses to hash in.. the kind with the side guards- always a good look!
-FP
I don’t wear any eyewear when I hash because I don’t want to know what I am getting myself into.
I used to have those coke bottle glasses, (for all you contact people, I had -9 & -9.5 eyes) but one day many years ago, I thought spending the big bucks on Lasik would be a good idea. I have never regretted that decision.
BTW – that is no where near enough t-shirts, you should have twice as many as that by now. Goodwill must be getting some of them.
Yes, somewhere there is a Goodwill loaded down with my past achievements. Before I knew people would want my old Peachtree shirts I gave away two or three.
I asked my optometrist about lasik, but he said that I would be carrying reading glasses around after forty if I did. If I was going to have to have reading glasses, what would be the point of the lasik?
I have asked about Lasik for years, but they don’t suggest it until my eyes are “stable”.
I also have the coke bottle prescrip, but I get the polycarb? kind that reduce thickness….ok, they are still thick, but less thick.
Being somewhat of a kleptomaniac, I have this overwhelming desire to swipe a bunch of your shirts now. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Oh, and I’m with Martha: although I do like my new specs, I did like them so much better before they put the thickass lenses in. And by thickass, I mean the bad thickass, not the nice booty in the back thickass. Consider yourself blessed!