Vickie's Milestone!!!

As everyone knows, I have two special ladies in my life (please note - this means you mom - I only count ones that don't breathe), and they are my beautiful TV - Mitsa - and my car - Vickie. They are by far the most costly and best investments of my life to date (I guess some day my condo might overtake one, but my condo is a boy anyways).

This morning - November 21, 2007, at 9:11am ET - Vickie cruised (literally) to her 100,000th mile.

Ironically enough, to me anyways, on the J-Pod was Weezer's song "Slave".

*-Professional cameraman, do not attempt

Another trip to Jacksonville

Lots of interesting stuff to report from this weekend. I'll try my best to make it brief. (HA!)

(Nurse) Kim met up with me in Atlanta and rode with me to Jacksonville Friday. Got into town and met up with Tracy & Stacey and others at the local Mellow Mushroom. Some people know of Mellow Mushroom as a pizza place (some may not know it at all) but the version in Jacksonville is more like a bar it seemed. Still pretty cool. Tracy was being a party pooper and wanted to go home, but me and Kim stayed and hung out at "The Shroom" (I just came up with that! I'm sure i'm the first too). Right about at last call time, I went back to the bar to get a last beer ( a Newcastle - draught, of course) and was rejected. The taps were cleaned and closed out. I went back to Kim to give her the bad news, she went up there and next thing I know, here comes Kim with 2 very very dark glasses of beers? What the???? Well, apparently the bartender liked her boobs better than mine, so she got us beer. Oh well, whatever. After the bar we went back to Tracy's place and popped in Talladega Nights. Kim was asleep within 10 minutes. Funny movie!!!!

Saturday I got tricked into going to a shoe store with Kim & Tracy..THATS not gonna happen again!!!! After that we went to this place called CRAZY Sushi. It didn't seem too crazy, but I'm not a sushi guy. Later that afternoon me and Tracy drove up to Jekyll Island for my friends' Jill & Josh's wedding. Before I left I got the address for the hotel and got directions from google. As we're headed towards the island the directions took us in a different direction than the signs for Jekyll Island. I definitely got suspicious, but stuck with the directions. Shouldn't have! We wound up in Saint Simon's Island. the street name is apparently on both islands, and google maps screwed me over. Finally we got to the hotel and to the wedding. Oh, on our way to the wedding, I found out my friends Mike & Courtney got engaged. So thats pretty cool. No one seems to listen to my "stay single" advice that my Grandpa gave me!!! Anyways, the wedding was pretty cool. I tried to get drunk enough to dance, but it just didn't happen. They actually had a cool idea for the music at the wedding - they emailed a select few of the guests and took song requests. They had a band for the first part of the reception when we were eating, but after that they just setup Josh's ipod. I thought that was a pretty neat idea. Anyways, I, of course, requested "Get Low" (you know, the sweat drop down my balls song). At the wedding Jill kept telling me it was coming up next, but it never came!

Sunday morning just as we were getting back on the interstate, I was passing a truck who decided to shower poor little Vickie with oil. It was ALL over my windshield, my hood, my bumper and just everywhere. A couple exits later I finally decided to stop at a gas station to make sure it wasn't coming from my car, and it wasn't. I really wish I took a picture, but I didn't. It really was everywhere. We grabbed 2 squeegee's at the gas station and just completely wiped my car off. Not fun. But it wouldn't be a road trip with Tracy if bizarre stuff like this didn't happen!

Sunday we drove back to Atlanta. Then this morning after I woke up, my TV in my bedroom (not Mitsa) was on Sportscenter just like its supposed to be. I walked into the living room for a minute and I heard the sound from the TV go off and heard some odd noises. I went into my room and smelled smoke. Something inside my TV blew up!!!! I couldn't do anything with the remote, so I wound up just unplugging it. Looking inside the TV you can see a bright orange glow...not quite a flame, but something was definitely burning in there! So...now I need a new TV. And since Mitsa has spoiled me, I'll probably have to spend a good bit of cash on a new TV now. Nothing huge, but definitely something HD compatible.

Thats a pretty eventful weekend, huh?

Fun with flats

This seems like a good story to start with...?.?.

So, I'm driving home from work the other day, going about 80 (unless cops read these things, then I was only going 65 of course) on 75 south. I heard a noise, didn't really think anything of it. Not too long after that, I heard more noises. I figured at this point I should probably at least turn the radio off. I do, and it sounded like a plane was flying next to me or something. Stupid me thinks that the noise will go away any second now. It didn't. I realized I should probably pull over (which involved about 6 lanes worth of merging). I finally managed to get onto the shoulder of 75. I got out of my car and looked at what was left of that tire. Was I ever proud of myself...I ripped that damn thing to shreds!!!!!

Somehow I think I've made it 30 years without having to change a tire (just been lucky I guess!). But damnit, I'm a man. I'm not calling for help. Now imagine every possible mistake you can make while changing a flat tire. Yep, I probably did it. I originally put the jack in the wrong place. I finally got it in the right place, jacked it up and realized I probably was supposed to at least loosen the lugnuts first. Oops. I also forgot to put the parking break on. But the good news is I know all of this NOW! Before I could screw anything else up, a random car pulls up and this little mexican guy comes walking towards me with some tools. He says to me (and it is absolutely key to say this in your head with a mexican accent) "Ay man, I bet I can do that queeker". Who was I to argue? He changed my tire in about 3 minutes. I was amazed. That was it, he changed the tire and off he went. I didn't even have time to offer him money or anything.

To prove that karma exists, there's more to the story. A buddy I work with (who will remain nameless for some reason) drove right past me while I was pulled over (I must admit to being only about 75% sure it was him). Here's where the karma kicks in...later that night, HE got a flat tire and wound up having to pay $55 to have a tow truck come out and change his tire.

I win.

And in honor of my tire changing friend, I went to Taco Bell today. All is well with the world :)

Hatin on the Po-leece

So I'm cruising along the miserable drive back from Roanoke, VA to ATL when I find myself doing a cool 85MPH (in a 70). Luckily, I borrowed a work-friend's radar detector/laser jammer thing-a-mah-jig.

Lets paint the picture.

This laser jammer apparently makes their radar guns useless. From what I know, it seems too good to be true!!! Anyways, it was about 30 miles north of Charlotte on I-77. I was in the left lane, a bunch of other cars I'm trying to pass in the right lane. 2 cops in the middle of the interstate. As I pass I see one of em pulling out. Shit! So I'm thinking this damn thing doesn't work! I get over to the right lane, in the back of all those cars, and they are slowing down like mad. I'm talking 55MPH (remember, this is in a 70!, why are people so dumb?). The cop is approaching in the left lane and it kinds seems like he's gonna pass me. Or not. He gets behind me and pulls me over. But, not for speeding...for "following too closely"!!! (The damn thing DID work!!!!). The cop tells me from the start that he's gonna give me a warning. He goes back to his car with my license/insurance. When he gets back he asks me to get out of my car so that he could "explain this warning" to me. Huh? Whatever, I get out and he hands me a warning (telling me that for each 10MPH I'm going I need to be 1 full car length behind...whatever). He then asks if I can pop my trunk! (huh?) Whatever, I just wanted to go, but in my car! not his! I pop the trunk he looks around. He gets me to take my luggage out...and looks sorts through it! Dirty boxers and all! he then looked at my spare tire, then he made me open up some food my mom sent me off with!!!! (Now its getting personal!!!!) He even had the nerve to say "oooh, that looks good". Now I was almost expecting him to go back to his car and bring a dog out or something. This was a never-ending search! I've got NOTHING copper!!!! Finally he searches through my car and he's satisfied. It was nice to know that I seemed threatening at least, but DAMN!!!!

So I go on my way, get off at the next exit to get gas and calm down...reached for my sunglasses...SNAP. Damnit!!! I liked those glasses :(

Vickie takes one on the noggin :(

Important note for those not in the know

• Vickie = my car
• noggin = head. Or in car terms...bumper

Driving to work Thursday morning, I'm pulling out of my apartment complex to turn left. A car is currently in the middle turning lane about to turn left INTO the complex. A gap in the traffic makes me think this car is about to go ahead and pull into the complex. Of course not! But I made the mistake of assuming she would go ahead and go. She did not...so I'm slamming on my brakes and now blocking the left lane of traffic trying to get into the middle turn lane. So far....my fault.

Here comes the inexplicable part - and I wish I could draw a picture or something to show exactly how inexplicable this was. The car in the turning lane was about 3 feet in front of me, just enough space where I can't go anywhere. And I'm sitting diagonal waiting for her to move so I can get in behind her. So...what is the absolute LAST thing you would expect this car in front of me to do? (I'll give you some time)

Thats right - she BACKED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I honked....she backed right into me. Put a nice footlong scratch on my car's front bumper. Awesome, great. Just what I needed. So finally she pulls ahead, I get behind her, we get out and talk about it. I'm still somewhat confused and did feel partly at fault because I assumed (and we all know what that leads to...and it DID!) she was gonna turn, and then I blocked a full lane of traffic. Fine. So I decided we didn't need to do anything about this, we should just go ahead and go. She did tell me she actually worked in my apartment complex leasing office. Coincidentally enough, she is the same lady who the very day before, I filled out paperwork for saying I was moving out!!!!!!! So maybe this is something telling me I shouldn't move????

I don't know, but I really need to get my bumper painted...at least her car got the worst of it! Good girl, Vickie!!!!