Big Kung Fu

So since the sale of my 1971 vw squareback. I’ve realized that for the first time in a while I don’t have a project car. Before the vw squareback I rebuilt a 65 dodge a100 van. But its been gone for a while. I was scared that I’d have no broken down vehicle to pull me out of bed on the weekends and entice me into costly rebuilds and grease monkey afternoons.

Then I realized! I’ve got a perfectly restorable 1971 honda sl 125 s, trail bike. It was my fathers when he was young and now I think I’ll restore it to be my sons when he gets a bit older. They’re actually pretty rare and highly sought after, apparently. So I rolled it out of the garage and began cleaning it. I put on a new fuel cock and rethreaded the attaching screw hole for the kick start lever.

It seems as if the transmission may be stuck in neutral. I need to be able to get the engine to rotate. I want to fill it up with diesel and roll the bike around in order to get the rust and grit to break loose. With it stuck in neutral its not gonna work, so we’ll see where it leads.

Well, well…i’ve gotten myself a new car. Well its more for my wife. But its a minivan, the transformation is complete. We’re now that family. But its actually pretty sweet, lots of room inside, removable bench seating, built in child seats. Its a 1996 dodge caravan le. The big white skate shoe.

It always amazes me, I see minivans full of screaming kids and frazzled parents, careening crazily down the freeway. They all seem extremely anxious to get where they’re going and get out of the van. Instead of a dvd player, like I always seem to see installed in them. I’m going to get a set of IV drip stands, so I can put the kids on low dose tranquilizers for those long trips.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, my family and I were involved in a car accident back in july. We were struck from behind by and idiot in a rental car and forced into the driver ahead of us. The guy behind us was responsible for the accident, but he was driving a rental car. Rental car companies maintain the loswest possible coverage on their vehicles unless the driver opts to increase their coverage, which is unusual. So when my 2003 subaru wrx wagon was smashed, I was only given $3350 for what was appraised as a $14000 car. Well that was the property damage side, I just today settled the personal injury side. Now, no one was injured, like hospital trip injured. However, it was not a mild impact and the resulting battery of xray’s, checkups and missed work was amounting to large bills.

I’m not a litigious person and I don’t think the settlement I received was exorbitant. But it works for me. It is not the amount however that makes me so happy. I chose to represent myself in the matter and deal with the various adjusters, crooks, thieves and serpents on my own terms.

Via a series of lies, deceptions and tactful conversations I was able to increase the settlement they initially offered by about 35%. Which given the low cost (nil) of representing myself, I’m a crappy hamper, er…happy camper.

I’m going to list out a few things that helped me I believe, in hopes that some of you in similar situations may be able to get what you deserve. Or at least not feel screwed, well you’ll feel screwed no matter what but at least I may be able to help you lubricate yourself.

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One of the themes in life I’ve struggled with over the last few years has been my increasing domestication. By struggle I don’t mean I’ve resisted or that its become a source of frustration or depression. I simply find myself at odd times wondering what the old friends are doing wondering what riotous fun and hedonistic adventures they’re still having while I wake, work, and repeat. I get the same butterfly stomach anxiety that I’d get before a long drive to an outrageous party or watching the sun set in the city while the girls got ready, and the clubs awoke from their vampire like slumber. In my younger youth every time I stepped out the door unknowns awaited in crowded hotel rooms, corrugated tin warehouses, and strange streets in the foggy city night.

I guess I used to feel the exhilaration of a question mark that punctuated every day, and I miss it, sometimes…badly.

But I’m coming to realize that the question marks still exist in my life, which is obvious I know, but they are much more subtle now…and sneaky. And I think my life comes with much more of an investment on my part. It used to be that challenges and obstacles were deftly dealt with by simply escaping their presence. Turn and run and pretend or even know that I had nothing much to lose, or so I thought at the time. Now those challenges much be negotiated with a mind to what there is at stake. And though it’s not as glamorous or comical now, its a heady power trip at times when I overcome them cleanly. And seemingly more so when I barely climb, exhausted, from a sticky quagmire mess.

My family is nothing I’d ever compromise, and when that single minded approach MUST be the focus of every decision, it leaves out a lot of options. Which is good, it brings growth, in spades.

All this is not even to give a nod to the love that envelopes me; looking down at my son as we walk hand in hand, fixing everything in my daughter’s comparatively small world, or sharing a strong embrace with my wife as we breathe a sigh of relief over nearly losing a child.

If I was at all aware of the possibilities I guess that butterfly belly anxiety would be an ever present companion.

Love is being struck paralyzed with dread at the thought of losing someone…

So I applied to a college today. It’s got me all nervous. Oh yeah, I changed the theme again…hehe. So yeah college, man scary situation. Being 31 I feel old to be going back. From college out of highscool, to sushi chef and pharmaceutical sales, to webdesigner/marketer, to carpenter, to college student again. Man I’m on track, but the application process has got me scared. I don’t know how many applicants they approve but its a pretty big community college…

Yeah I’m gonna take a creative writing class…you’ll all get to read the results of that trainwreck.

Living life in rewind woulda been good for me. When education was mine for the taking, I couldn’t have cared less about it, now that my time is full and spoken for…I look for ways to fit it in. When I was making good money, I switched careers to carpentry. Tomorrow I’ll remove my kneecaps with a spork and begin training for a local 10k run.

About 3 months ago I was involved in an auto accident. The guy behind me was texting the priest he’s been seeing and he rammed his rental car right up the tail end of my 2003 subaru wrx wagon. My wife, and 2 kids were in the car. We were forced into the car ahead of us…

To make a long story less painful to recollect, I got$3350 for a $14k car…Now I’m going roundy round with them regarding the personal injury and financial loss portion.

Anyone know where I can find good instructions for building a fertilizer bomb?

Totally Kidding

I decided to quit smoking, I’ve tried and failed quit a few times, a few trial runs if you will.

But I’m gonna do it and this article is helping out. I have a feeling that if I quit smoking I will become a very powerful person, BIG KUNG FU baby…

Smokes are out but masturbation stays…

While I’m not a football fanatic, I enjoy a good game. The eagles gave me that tonight, way to go. They brought one helluva game to New England. And how about Feeley, holy shit. He’ll not see third string again, but I bet Andy Reid puts his nose in the corner for that horrible call and resulting throw in the fourth to essentially put a kai-bosh on any hopes for an upset. And of course he fell to pieces after that. Although we can’t give Feeley all the credit on that one, Samuel is no slouch.

But GOD DAMN that was a helluva game, the style of play philly adopted was relentless, aggressive, and even unconventional. To be honest this is the one game all season I’ve watched from beginning to end, and its probably one of the best games I’ve seen in my recent poor memory.

A few side notes…I love, Madden, no one else has such a silky soft, graceful, command of the english language. I use football as a sleep inducer…the last few sunday’s have seen me on the couch warming up with a nice pre nap, nap at around 10 am. While 2:30 will find me rushing headlong into a midday slumber, many times lulled and sweet talked to sleep by madden’s patented gravel gargled anecdotes and play by play.

And there has never been a renaissance man with a more cocksure grip on the obvious…

I leave you with this, “Philadelphia is a football team that came here today wanting to play football, and here they are…I mean…they’re playing football…” -John Earl Madden

I’ve spent the last 5 hours of my like surfing, downloading uploading, switching to and from different themes…next I’ll be scrubbing bathroom grout with a toothbrush. It’s how I feel anyway…

So after many years of absence and whatever…I’ve finally come back to the interwebs! And for the first time ever, I’ve started a site for my own personal enjoyment. Unemployment is a wonderful thing! Expect this site to die as soon as I get a job…