26-Nov-2004 Uncategorized

broken stickshift

Let me quickly say that the last entry I posted was done immediately after I walked home from the Manson show. I was pissed in the British sense, not the American sense. Belgian Monk and Pabst Blue Ribbon are to blame. I know what you’re saying. ”No, Mark, Sue’s to blame.” [Sigh]. If you don’t get what I’m saying then please attend a screening of Rocky Horror. Next!


Thanksgiving with the fam has now taken on an interesting twist. My dad has been purchasing the meal components from Luby’s for the last couple of years. This saves a lot of time and also ensures a consistent START time for the meal. Spider-Man body Mark doesn’t eat the same way Old Mark used to. With each accompanying helping I can’t help but calculate the distance I’m going to need to run on Friday to balance out the gluttony. Mmmm… Anyway, I had the meal at lunchtime with my parents. I then saw ”SpongeBob Squarepants” which was fairly funny for kiddie fare. I saw ”The Polar Express: The 3D IMAX Experience” the day before. I have no clue why anyone would try to watch that movie in only 2D. It was really, really good. I’m sure it’ll become a classic. You may have read that it’s gotten mixed reviews, but the story is simple and pure enough that a convoluted plot doesn’t have to get in the way of magic. Geez. Those guys need to not grow up. If you can see the movie in 3D then you should walk away from the computer you’re standing in front of right now and go see it. Go. Right now. No, really. It’s like riding an E-ticket ride (again with the obscure references — this time to tickets you had to use in order to ride certain rides at DisneyLand and DisneyWorld). They stopped using them in 1983 or so. Good times. Yeah, I’m old. Shuddup.


Now I’m sitting in the break room at DeLorean Houston typing away on my laptop. Did I mention that I bought a new laptop? Headed down to Delaware a couple of weeks ago and picked up an hp pavillion zv5000. Love it! Only $1599 and they have an interest-free* special for 12 months (*as long as you pay it off before the 13th month starts). It has built-in wireless so I went ahead and bought into the t-mobile and Starbucks wireless plan. Those ruthless bastards. They have what I want — coffee and wireless access. Mmmm. The DeLorean place apparently has a router with no security on it because that’s what I’m using right now to access the internet. It could also be in an adjoining building. Either way, gotta love the wireless. It’s hot.


Oh, why am I here at the DeLorean place? I kinda-sorta broke my stickshift off the other day. Funny thing is that I’d been here at DeLorean Houston mere hours earlier having my window control switches replaced as well as getting a new set of door struts. I was thinking I was all bad-ass with my new equipment *until* I shifted from 2nd to 3rd and realized that I couldn’t find third. I pulled over and took apart the stickshift assembly to discover there was now a clean break at the base of the stick where it hooked into the transmission thingy-ma-bob. Yes, that’s the official name for it. After some tinkering, I found that I could still shift if I pushed the stick down into the socket, but I wouldn’t be able to go in reverse as this requires pulling up on the stick, something you can’t do when it isn’t really attached to anything. Natch. No, this car is not a money pit. It is 23 years old. It was made in Ireland by 1,000 inexperience workers so you’ve got to understand The History Behind the Car before assessing whether or not it’s a lemon. The new parts are American-Made™ so, of course, they’re better. If anyone Irish is reading this, I’m not really knocking your country. I’m knocking that British and they’re controlling monarchy! Arrrr! Come on by Mr. or Ms. Irish Person Reading My Site and I’ll buy you a draft and we’ll get pissed in the British sense (not the American sense). Ahhh. Okay, I’m done now. Move along.