Annus Horribilis
Jul. 30th, 2023 09:44 pmThis is why I'm not posting; I'm sick as hell, Kirsten is still dealing with chemotherapy issues, and I'm overwhelmed. I have a few drafts in progress.
This is why I'm not posting; I'm sick as hell, Kirsten is still dealing with chemotherapy issues, and I'm overwhelmed. I have a few drafts in progress.
This is hard.
Jun. 8th, 2023 10:53 pmMy wife has breast cancer.
Those words are still unreal to me. We've been married for 32 years, and she has always been the rock while I've dealt with ongoing health issues. Now I'm the one sitting in the corner, watching as my world fights for her life against an enemy I know too well.
My battle with cancer is very different from Kirsten's, thankfully. I was staged at IV-B; hers was caught early. She has an incredible medical and social support team in place. She has a port installed, reducing trauma tenfold from the start.
But it's still hard. Her energy levels are terrible, and she's dealing with horrible, predictable side effects. Her hair is started to fall out, and if you know Kirsten at all, her hair has always been her one point of vanity. She got it buzzed down to make clean-up more accessible, but we now see the reality of hair loss.
I'm terrified for her. And for myself. We have months of this ahead of us, and with cancer, there is never an easy or clear path forward. Damn, it was much easier being the patient; all I had to do was lie there and do what the doctor said to do.
Still, I'll find the strength somewhere. She was there for me. I have to be there for her.
Those words are still unreal to me. We've been married for 32 years, and she has always been the rock while I've dealt with ongoing health issues. Now I'm the one sitting in the corner, watching as my world fights for her life against an enemy I know too well.
My battle with cancer is very different from Kirsten's, thankfully. I was staged at IV-B; hers was caught early. She has an incredible medical and social support team in place. She has a port installed, reducing trauma tenfold from the start.
But it's still hard. Her energy levels are terrible, and she's dealing with horrible, predictable side effects. Her hair is started to fall out, and if you know Kirsten at all, her hair has always been her one point of vanity. She got it buzzed down to make clean-up more accessible, but we now see the reality of hair loss.
I'm terrified for her. And for myself. We have months of this ahead of us, and with cancer, there is never an easy or clear path forward. Damn, it was much easier being the patient; all I had to do was lie there and do what the doctor said to do.
Still, I'll find the strength somewhere. She was there for me. I have to be there for her.
In lieu of actual content...
Apr. 25th, 2023 11:12 pmHi, folks - Social Media Maven here. As most of you have likely seen, Douglas has been in the hospital since late Thursday/early Friday. He has his phone (and an appropriately-long charging cable) and we've been keeping in contact through the day. Tonight he remembered that he has FB Messenger on his phone and was able to hang out with the regulars in his SF Giants Game Day chat.
The Good Guys won on a walk-off homer, and Doug sent me the following screenshot.
Which in turn led to us having the following exchange:
So if you suddenly see Doug talking about The Brassica Bender, you'll know why.
The Good Guys won on a walk-off homer, and Doug sent me the following screenshot.
Which in turn led to us having the following exchange:
So if you suddenly see Doug talking about The Brassica Bender, you'll know why.
Reflections on a Burning Man - 2022.
Sep. 11th, 2022 07:56 pmThis year was hard. After a two-year hiatus, everyone was rusty and bad at things. As ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kshandra said, this was the year we brought too much and forgot everything. She's not wrong. We, for example, totally failed to plan for lunch. Breakfast and dinner were covered, but I needed small things to snack on throughout the day to keep my blood sugar and energy levels up. We already have several good plans for next year.
I am both ashamed and angry at my physical failings. My low blood pressure led to constant issues with browning out when I stood. I am physically weak, and could not help out with camp duties. That will change. I'm going to see my doctor about the blood pressure issue, and I am committed to being in better shape next year so I can contribute! I'm also going to fill out volunteer forms for the departments I can do, like BMIR (the official radio station,) Box Office, or Earth Guardians.
I want to be better. I want to carry my share of the load. Everyone who knows me understands that I am determined to do my part.
But many thanks to my campmates who helped me through this hard week. Even to the point of walking me to the porta-potty bank (hereafter referred to as the "jots") and making sure I was OK. They also fed me. So, onto the breakdown!
( Friday, August 26th )
( Saturday, August 27th )
( Sunday, August 28th )
( Monday, August 29th )
( Tuesday, August 30th )
( Wednesday, August 31st )
( Thursday, September 1st )
( Friday, September 2nd )
( Saturday, September 3rd )
( Sunday, September 4th )
( Monday, September 5th - Tuesday, September 6th )
Well, that's it. I took very few pictures, as this was an amazingly hard year.
See y'all next year in the dust!
kshandra said, this was the year we brought too much and forgot everything. She's not wrong. We, for example, totally failed to plan for lunch. Breakfast and dinner were covered, but I needed small things to snack on throughout the day to keep my blood sugar and energy levels up. We already have several good plans for next year.I am both ashamed and angry at my physical failings. My low blood pressure led to constant issues with browning out when I stood. I am physically weak, and could not help out with camp duties. That will change. I'm going to see my doctor about the blood pressure issue, and I am committed to being in better shape next year so I can contribute! I'm also going to fill out volunteer forms for the departments I can do, like BMIR (the official radio station,) Box Office, or Earth Guardians.
I want to be better. I want to carry my share of the load. Everyone who knows me understands that I am determined to do my part.
But many thanks to my campmates who helped me through this hard week. Even to the point of walking me to the porta-potty bank (hereafter referred to as the "jots") and making sure I was OK. They also fed me. So, onto the breakdown!
( Friday, August 26th )
( Saturday, August 27th )
( Sunday, August 28th )
( Monday, August 29th )
( Tuesday, August 30th )
( Wednesday, August 31st )
( Thursday, September 1st )
( Friday, September 2nd )
( Saturday, September 3rd )
( Sunday, September 4th )
( Monday, September 5th - Tuesday, September 6th )
Well, that's it. I took very few pictures, as this was an amazingly hard year.
See y'all next year in the dust!
The Staff Officer strikes again!
Jun. 19th, 2022 04:58 pmkshandra and I were doing a little clearing out of stuff in the kitchen and came across a Box of MYSTERY on a hard-to-reach shelf. Being the Designated Tall Person, I got it down. It was filled with survival food from Patriot Pantry. Which is the best crazy prepper site ever.We went through them and decided that we could use most of them for Burning Man. A couple are going up on the local Buy Nothing group. This simplifies the food planning aspect for both our dinners as well as for the camp Thanksgiving. The others? Well, I bought that travel pack of hot sauce for a reason.
We will still be doing some stuff on the food saver and freezing it because it's always good to have options. One thing we will bring is a can of beanless chili to add to the Mac and Cheese because chili mac is good Army food. Campmates are welcome to join us for that culinary delight.
So as of right now, we are pretty well-sorted for the food plan. We have breakfast stuff, dinner stuff, and even a few desserts. Lunch will be leftovers, if we eat lunch, because who wants to eat midday at Burning Man?
Now we're just waiting to hear about our camp dues and the resolution of the trailer mess.
Dear Halford, I hate Bank of America.
We are *still* trying to close our account. We went to Kirsten's preferred branch, one right next to a huge upscale mall, and they are closed on Saturdays. Because closing on a day when people with big money are shopping is smart.
We head over to the one we know is open, go in, and the line for ONE teller is nearly out the door. We get to the concierge desk and get told that the person who had been waiting the longest has been there for 45 fucking minutes. I look around and literally every horizontal surface you could possibly call a chair is occupied.
So now we need to take time out of Kirsten's workday later this week, march over, and not leave until we have closed that chapter. If they even try to hard sell us into staying, I will go Bullhorn.
This reminds me; earlier this week I sent for some information from the Neptune Society. Hey, I'm going to die and since no one has even started planning my funerary temple yet, let alone start excavating a proper tomb, we figured start planning.
A few days later, I'm eating breakfast and get a call from the Neptune Society, and the guy is hard-selling me even after I told him I was eating, I just wanted to read some information, and was not interested in setting up a meeting where I supposed that along with cremation services he'd try to sell me a timeshare vacation home.
Fuck them. We've done a little searching, and found that if we eliminate most of the American Way of Death from the equation, I can be cremated for around $700.
We are *still* trying to close our account. We went to Kirsten's preferred branch, one right next to a huge upscale mall, and they are closed on Saturdays. Because closing on a day when people with big money are shopping is smart.
We head over to the one we know is open, go in, and the line for ONE teller is nearly out the door. We get to the concierge desk and get told that the person who had been waiting the longest has been there for 45 fucking minutes. I look around and literally every horizontal surface you could possibly call a chair is occupied.
So now we need to take time out of Kirsten's workday later this week, march over, and not leave until we have closed that chapter. If they even try to hard sell us into staying, I will go Bullhorn.
This reminds me; earlier this week I sent for some information from the Neptune Society. Hey, I'm going to die and since no one has even started planning my funerary temple yet, let alone start excavating a proper tomb, we figured start planning.
A few days later, I'm eating breakfast and get a call from the Neptune Society, and the guy is hard-selling me even after I told him I was eating, I just wanted to read some information, and was not interested in setting up a meeting where I supposed that along with cremation services he'd try to sell me a timeshare vacation home.
Fuck them. We've done a little searching, and found that if we eliminate most of the American Way of Death from the equation, I can be cremated for around $700.
A very busy Saturday
May. 21st, 2022 03:12 pmWe're having a busy day! We took my long-neglected bike down to The Off Ramp for new tires and dry lube. did the weekly shopping while waiting for that to get done, and after a short break, we're heading down to do some stuff with the totaled trailer and then to REI for a little prep shopping.
Which, annoyingly, will include pricing an emergency backup tent if this drama with the insurance company drags on much longer.
(A little bit later. . .)
After a rest, we rolled all the way down to the place where we store our trailer. It's not overly convenient, but the price is decent. We had two goals, Use our trailer dolly to place the trailer in the slot (neither of us is very good at backing the trailer up, something we *will* work on when we get the new one) and putting the useless fucking license plate on.
Turns out the license plate didn't come with nuts, so we'll be hitting Home Depot for those. Also, I was a bit concerned about the play in the mounting, so will be adjusting that next week when we go down to try this again. We did move the trailer into position, and as a bonus, figured out how the read stabilizer legs work. Go us.
From there we rewarded ourselves with a trip to REI. We picked up some camp food, mainly breakfast stuff because easy in the morning is best, I grabbed a nice set of small hot sauce bottles and a dessert. We're going to save that for last night.
We also picked up so camp lighting solutions, two rolls of Nunn tablets, and a water bottle that will fit in my bike's water holder. We briefly looked at shoes, as the New Balance shoes I wear for work are definitely showing their age, but didn't find anything good.
The one thing we failed to do was go to Bank of America and close our account. We have cut every autopay and reset every account to work off the Star One Credit Union account. Today was the day we were going to go in, get the last amount out, and end that chapter of our lives. But we forgot.
We even identified the fail point. We were fully expecting to drop off my bike and be told: "it will be ready Tuesday" or whatever. Instead, they had an open shop and were able to get to it right away. Our carefully laid plans in shambles, both of us forgot the bank and instead opted for the weekly shopping.
It's all good, we'll go over there next weekend. Along with finally seeing Dr. Strange.
Which, annoyingly, will include pricing an emergency backup tent if this drama with the insurance company drags on much longer.
(A little bit later. . .)
After a rest, we rolled all the way down to the place where we store our trailer. It's not overly convenient, but the price is decent. We had two goals, Use our trailer dolly to place the trailer in the slot (neither of us is very good at backing the trailer up, something we *will* work on when we get the new one) and putting the useless fucking license plate on.
Turns out the license plate didn't come with nuts, so we'll be hitting Home Depot for those. Also, I was a bit concerned about the play in the mounting, so will be adjusting that next week when we go down to try this again. We did move the trailer into position, and as a bonus, figured out how the read stabilizer legs work. Go us.
From there we rewarded ourselves with a trip to REI. We picked up some camp food, mainly breakfast stuff because easy in the morning is best, I grabbed a nice set of small hot sauce bottles and a dessert. We're going to save that for last night.
We also picked up so camp lighting solutions, two rolls of Nunn tablets, and a water bottle that will fit in my bike's water holder. We briefly looked at shoes, as the New Balance shoes I wear for work are definitely showing their age, but didn't find anything good.
The one thing we failed to do was go to Bank of America and close our account. We have cut every autopay and reset every account to work off the Star One Credit Union account. Today was the day we were going to go in, get the last amount out, and end that chapter of our lives. But we forgot.
We even identified the fail point. We were fully expecting to drop off my bike and be told: "it will be ready Tuesday" or whatever. Instead, they had an open shop and were able to get to it right away. Our carefully laid plans in shambles, both of us forgot the bank and instead opted for the weekly shopping.
It's all good, we'll go over there next weekend. Along with finally seeing Dr. Strange.
I really missed my calling as a CMF 51 Logistics geek.
Today we attacked Burning Man planning head-on. We had a pile of stuff here at home, and I wanted a good inventory of what was here and in the storage unit. If we know what we have, we know what we need. My plan was to reduce the pile at home to things that will be needed immediately when we reach the Playa. These can be stored loose in the truck or in the trailer. Triaging things got detailed, down to the expiration dates of medications in our first aid kits. We're going to need refills.
For example, I have a Camelback hydration backpack. I usually keep things like my goggles and spare dust masks in there, along with a small first aid kit, a MOOP bag, and the like. I'm not going to need most of that until we've set up camp and I'm ready to explore. I will need a dust mask and goggles as soon as we get to Gate Road. So the Camelback goes into a box, and one mask and my goggles will be in the truck cab. My thought was immediate needs at hand, everything else packed.
With a small box of things to be boxed, we headed over to the storage unit, played Jenga with everything in there, and started an inventory. The box holding the shade structure was the easiest, as the bag for the structure takes up almost the entire box. It was then that I realized we really only had one other box (these are the big black storage boxes with yellow lids that have become ubiquitous over the last several years) and it was only partially filled. We did the inventory, pulling all the cookware for a thorough cleaning at home, and checked the expiration date on our camp food (we'll be eating Biscuits and Gravy through 2047), before carefully repacking to maximize space.
So we are only going to have two storage boxes going out. This makes loading Darby much easier, as I can put all the beer for camp dues and our sodas and the like in the trailer for balance. Coming home, as we inevitably have at least one filled 7-gallon water jug still filled, we can use that for weight. Since we are also porting out our garbage and normally get the camp's recycling, I could also move the lighter storage box there as well.
There are plenty of other things to consider in my load plan, three of the water jugs plus a 5-gallon Igloo cooler, a folding table, our camp kitchen, camp chairs, a 5-gallon gasoline jerry can, three collapsable bins, and our clothes for both the event and the drive home. But those are easier to fit in around the edges.
Now we just need the trailer drama to end.
Like I said, Infantry by training, S-4 officer at heart. Many thanks tokshandra for writing down the inventory in a legible hand and for a lot of the heavy lifting.
P.S. I really need to wear suspenders with these jeans.
Today we attacked Burning Man planning head-on. We had a pile of stuff here at home, and I wanted a good inventory of what was here and in the storage unit. If we know what we have, we know what we need. My plan was to reduce the pile at home to things that will be needed immediately when we reach the Playa. These can be stored loose in the truck or in the trailer. Triaging things got detailed, down to the expiration dates of medications in our first aid kits. We're going to need refills.
For example, I have a Camelback hydration backpack. I usually keep things like my goggles and spare dust masks in there, along with a small first aid kit, a MOOP bag, and the like. I'm not going to need most of that until we've set up camp and I'm ready to explore. I will need a dust mask and goggles as soon as we get to Gate Road. So the Camelback goes into a box, and one mask and my goggles will be in the truck cab. My thought was immediate needs at hand, everything else packed.
With a small box of things to be boxed, we headed over to the storage unit, played Jenga with everything in there, and started an inventory. The box holding the shade structure was the easiest, as the bag for the structure takes up almost the entire box. It was then that I realized we really only had one other box (these are the big black storage boxes with yellow lids that have become ubiquitous over the last several years) and it was only partially filled. We did the inventory, pulling all the cookware for a thorough cleaning at home, and checked the expiration date on our camp food (we'll be eating Biscuits and Gravy through 2047), before carefully repacking to maximize space.
So we are only going to have two storage boxes going out. This makes loading Darby much easier, as I can put all the beer for camp dues and our sodas and the like in the trailer for balance. Coming home, as we inevitably have at least one filled 7-gallon water jug still filled, we can use that for weight. Since we are also porting out our garbage and normally get the camp's recycling, I could also move the lighter storage box there as well.
There are plenty of other things to consider in my load plan, three of the water jugs plus a 5-gallon Igloo cooler, a folding table, our camp kitchen, camp chairs, a 5-gallon gasoline jerry can, three collapsable bins, and our clothes for both the event and the drive home. But those are easier to fit in around the edges.
Now we just need the trailer drama to end.
Like I said, Infantry by training, S-4 officer at heart. Many thanks to
kshandra for writing down the inventory in a legible hand and for a lot of the heavy lifting.P.S. I really need to wear suspenders with these jeans.
Eyes and random shit
Apr. 29th, 2022 07:24 pmHey kids, it's an eye update!
After a long day sitting around at the Eye Institute (several doctors were dealing with emergencies which left them way behind) I finally got to see Dr. M. He was very happy that I don't have cancer, but as he pointed out, this still leaves us in the dark about the cause of the eye inflammation.
So we may be subjecting my poor eyeballs to a cyberpunk-ish horror called Electroretinography. Which actually, sounds pretty interesting, if a bit horrifying for someone as paranoid about their eyes as I am. But for now, we're stepping down the steroid eye drops over an eight-week period. If the inflammation is still under control at that time, we can start scheduling the removal of the cataract from my right eye.
The funny thing is they were so far behind that when I left the front office folks had all gone home. I'll have to call Monday to set up my follow-up.
In other news, I'm rather disappointed in our latest Giants store purchase. I take blood thinners, which means I do not react well to cold weather. So. as you can imagine, night games at Oracle Park are a challenge. What do you think of when you hear the word "anorak"?
As the child of a Brit, and having been raised on British TV, I think of a warm, hooded, bit of rain kit, usually with a half-zipper. So I was thrilled to see one for sale on the Giants' site. Folks, I have T-shirts that are heavier than this. I wore it out today, on a very mild day, and it provided no warmth nor protection from even the slightest wind.
sigh At least it looks good. I'll just wear it as the outer layer as part of my San Francisco Summer Evening arctic survival kit.
This weekend is the annual city-wide clean-up for our area, also known as "dump everything in the street weekend." Our pile will be small but interesting. I may take pictures of the more interesting piles of junk. After the visit from the plumber, and the need to clean out under the sinks, we are also heading over to the Household Hazardous Waste drop off. Busy times.
Next week we'll mark 31 years of marriage with a dinner at the one surviving Black Angus in the South Bay. Then next weekend we're seeing Dance with the Dead with Magic Sword opening. An evening of trippy instrumental music.
This has been your Eyes and MoreTM update.
After a long day sitting around at the Eye Institute (several doctors were dealing with emergencies which left them way behind) I finally got to see Dr. M. He was very happy that I don't have cancer, but as he pointed out, this still leaves us in the dark about the cause of the eye inflammation.
So we may be subjecting my poor eyeballs to a cyberpunk-ish horror called Electroretinography. Which actually, sounds pretty interesting, if a bit horrifying for someone as paranoid about their eyes as I am. But for now, we're stepping down the steroid eye drops over an eight-week period. If the inflammation is still under control at that time, we can start scheduling the removal of the cataract from my right eye.
The funny thing is they were so far behind that when I left the front office folks had all gone home. I'll have to call Monday to set up my follow-up.
In other news, I'm rather disappointed in our latest Giants store purchase. I take blood thinners, which means I do not react well to cold weather. So. as you can imagine, night games at Oracle Park are a challenge. What do you think of when you hear the word "anorak"?
As the child of a Brit, and having been raised on British TV, I think of a warm, hooded, bit of rain kit, usually with a half-zipper. So I was thrilled to see one for sale on the Giants' site. Folks, I have T-shirts that are heavier than this. I wore it out today, on a very mild day, and it provided no warmth nor protection from even the slightest wind.
sigh At least it looks good. I'll just wear it as the outer layer as part of my San Francisco Summer Evening arctic survival kit.
This weekend is the annual city-wide clean-up for our area, also known as "dump everything in the street weekend." Our pile will be small but interesting. I may take pictures of the more interesting piles of junk. After the visit from the plumber, and the need to clean out under the sinks, we are also heading over to the Household Hazardous Waste drop off. Busy times.
Next week we'll mark 31 years of marriage with a dinner at the one surviving Black Angus in the South Bay. Then next weekend we're seeing Dance with the Dead with Magic Sword opening. An evening of trippy instrumental music.
This has been your Eyes and MoreTM update.
A Day In The Life. . .
Feb. 5th, 2022 03:02 pmAccomplished today:
Recycling taken to Danny's Recycling, we got nearly $50.
A BIG bag of old clothing was dropped off at Goodwill.
Picked up a prescription at Rite Aid.
We did a small weekly shopping that turned into a big weekly shopping.
I'm in the process of doing two loads of laundry.
. . . I think I've earned a beer.
We also saw flowers being offloaded at St. Justins and slowed to a crawl in Safeway's parking lot to determine what kind of flowers. Bouquet sighting confirmed, happy floral arraignments in process.
We are so easily amused.
As the recycling money is generally considered to be my fun money, I'm going to deposit it in the credit union and use it to order a POD Runequest book.
Recycling taken to Danny's Recycling, we got nearly $50.
A BIG bag of old clothing was dropped off at Goodwill.
Picked up a prescription at Rite Aid.
We did a small weekly shopping that turned into a big weekly shopping.
I'm in the process of doing two loads of laundry.
. . . I think I've earned a beer.
We also saw flowers being offloaded at St. Justins and slowed to a crawl in Safeway's parking lot to determine what kind of flowers. Bouquet sighting confirmed, happy floral arraignments in process.
We are so easily amused.
As the recycling money is generally considered to be my fun money, I'm going to deposit it in the credit union and use it to order a POD Runequest book.
The last bit of the Beowulf is gone.
Jan. 23rd, 2022 01:15 pmWe dropped off the Sun Box containing the old Harbor Freight solar panels at the home of the people who bought the trailer. What a relief.
Those things generated 45 watts and were outdated almost the instant we bought them. They were a pain to set up and tear down on Playa. The Sun Box was heavy and just another thing we had to load and unload. Now that's gone.
The Far Trailer Empress Marava has 100w panels installed, with an actual control panel so we can monitor things like efficiency and battery temperature. One less thing on the camp to-do list. More importantly, one less thing to load!
More importantly, askshandra took a book from their little free library when we were there yesterday, I added one before we left today.
Those things generated 45 watts and were outdated almost the instant we bought them. They were a pain to set up and tear down on Playa. The Sun Box was heavy and just another thing we had to load and unload. Now that's gone.
The Far Trailer Empress Marava has 100w panels installed, with an actual control panel so we can monitor things like efficiency and battery temperature. One less thing on the camp to-do list. More importantly, one less thing to load!
More importantly, as
kshandra took a book from their little free library when we were there yesterday, I added one before we left today.Breaking the Beowulf, Part 3
Jan. 22nd, 2022 01:07 pmAnd just like that, it's gone.
After not getting much response from local Burner groups,kshandra bit the bullet and put the Beowulf up on Facebook Marketplace. Along with the usual cast of idiots, we got three serious inquiries and arranged to meet with them in a supermarket parking lot.
We got there in plenty of time, and the first potential buyer messages they were walking over. Wait, what? You're buying a thousand-pound trailer. We're ready to hand it over right now. But our worries disappeared when we saw that the buyers were in fact a family with three very small kids. They loved the trailer were agreed to the price. Their issue was that while their SUV had a hitch receiver, they hadn't bought a ball hitch yet. We were more than happy to deliver the trailer.
After showing how the various hitch pieces worked, money was exchanged, and we headed to AAA for the title exchange. It was all easy as hell. The Beowulf is not ours anymore and is off our insurance. As a bonus, we noticed that this same shopping center where AAA was located also was home to an Outdoor Supply Hardware store! Successor to the much-missed Orchard Supply, we walked and remarked that it smelled like an OSH. We wandered around, failed again to get a spare key made for Darby, found a fire extinguisher for the new trailer, and headed home.
Tomorrow we need to run back down to the sellers and drop off the solar panels we forgot to get out of storage. Then prep for the new trailer begins in earnest.
After not getting much response from local Burner groups,
kshandra bit the bullet and put the Beowulf up on Facebook Marketplace. Along with the usual cast of idiots, we got three serious inquiries and arranged to meet with them in a supermarket parking lot.We got there in plenty of time, and the first potential buyer messages they were walking over. Wait, what? You're buying a thousand-pound trailer. We're ready to hand it over right now. But our worries disappeared when we saw that the buyers were in fact a family with three very small kids. They loved the trailer were agreed to the price. Their issue was that while their SUV had a hitch receiver, they hadn't bought a ball hitch yet. We were more than happy to deliver the trailer.
After showing how the various hitch pieces worked, money was exchanged, and we headed to AAA for the title exchange. It was all easy as hell. The Beowulf is not ours anymore and is off our insurance. As a bonus, we noticed that this same shopping center where AAA was located also was home to an Outdoor Supply Hardware store! Successor to the much-missed Orchard Supply, we walked and remarked that it smelled like an OSH. We wandered around, failed again to get a spare key made for Darby, found a fire extinguisher for the new trailer, and headed home.
Tomorrow we need to run back down to the sellers and drop off the solar panels we forgot to get out of storage. Then prep for the new trailer begins in earnest.
Breaking the Beowulf, Part 2.
Jan. 11th, 2022 04:03 pmWe went back down to the storage place on Sunday, fully prepared for a battle with the battery and the stuck door. Well, the Beowulf surrendered. A jot of WD-40 loosened the lock enough that the door enough that we could open it. We had brought along our stepladder so I could take some pictures of the water damage to the roof of the trailer.
In the meantime,kshandra was going to work on the Marine battery. Turns out to have been much easier to undo the leads from the terminals that we had anticipated. Then came moving the battery into Darby's bed. Now this battery is heavy. In fact, its weight grew in the telling throughout the day. It probably weighs 75-80lbs.
I hurried to the truck cab to get my work gloves to held lift the battery, when there's a resounding THUD. Kirsten has already moved the battery. My wife is mighty! After that, there was just a little clean-up to do before we headed back north to do our weekly shopping. Once at home, the battery was moved to just inside the door, and I kicked back to follow the 49ers game.
The Free Trailer Beowulf has been listed for a fast sale to a local Burning Man group.
In the meantime,
kshandra was going to work on the Marine battery. Turns out to have been much easier to undo the leads from the terminals that we had anticipated. Then came moving the battery into Darby's bed. Now this battery is heavy. In fact, its weight grew in the telling throughout the day. It probably weighs 75-80lbs.I hurried to the truck cab to get my work gloves to held lift the battery, when there's a resounding THUD. Kirsten has already moved the battery. My wife is mighty! After that, there was just a little clean-up to do before we headed back north to do our weekly shopping. Once at home, the battery was moved to just inside the door, and I kicked back to follow the 49ers game.
The Free Trailer Beowulf has been listed for a fast sale to a local Burning Man group.
Breaking the Beowulf, Part 1.
Jan. 8th, 2022 11:49 amThis morning kshandra and I ventured down to the RV storage place to begin the process of stripping what we want from the Free Trailer Beowulf prior to us getting rid of it pending the new trailer's arrival.
We of course forgot the tools we needed to get the deep-cycle marine battery out. We also found that our latest attempt to tarp over the trailer was as futile as the others. But we did get the verdammt door open after a healthy dose of WD-40 was squirted into the works. Inside was a pile of stuff, but not the socket set we were hoping for nor were our two crowbars were in sight. This is confusing.
But we did get a couple of sleeping bags and pillows, the hitch dolly we use to maneuver the trailer when we don't trust our ability to back up, the trickle charger for the battery, and the three collapsable containers we use on-Playa for trash, recycling, and laundry.
As the inside seems to be quite dry, we just pulled down the tarp and stuffed it in the trailer. The rachet straps came home with us. Tomorrow we go back over for the battery, which is going to be a heavy bitch to move.
One other thing of note. When we were just shy of reaching Pedron's Storage, I got the low tire pressure warning. We stopped into a gas station after doing our work and found that all four tires were just a little low. It was like $1.75 for the air, but we got all four back up to the recommended pressure. You never want to drive with under-inflated tires!
So now we're chilling clearing out the Playa corner in Offhand Manor and unloading the truck.
We will start posting pictures and an asking sale price sometime tomorrow.
kshandra and I ventured down to the RV storage place to begin the process of stripping what we want from the Free Trailer Beowulf prior to us getting rid of it pending the new trailer's arrival.We of course forgot the tools we needed to get the deep-cycle marine battery out. We also found that our latest attempt to tarp over the trailer was as futile as the others. But we did get the verdammt door open after a healthy dose of WD-40 was squirted into the works. Inside was a pile of stuff, but not the socket set we were hoping for nor were our two crowbars were in sight. This is confusing.
But we did get a couple of sleeping bags and pillows, the hitch dolly we use to maneuver the trailer when we don't trust our ability to back up, the trickle charger for the battery, and the three collapsable containers we use on-Playa for trash, recycling, and laundry.
As the inside seems to be quite dry, we just pulled down the tarp and stuffed it in the trailer. The rachet straps came home with us. Tomorrow we go back over for the battery, which is going to be a heavy bitch to move.
One other thing of note. When we were just shy of reaching Pedron's Storage, I got the low tire pressure warning. We stopped into a gas station after doing our work and found that all four tires were just a little low. It was like $1.75 for the air, but we got all four back up to the recommended pressure. You never want to drive with under-inflated tires!
So now we're chilling clearing out the Playa corner in Offhand Manor and unloading the truck.
We will start posting pictures and an asking sale price sometime tomorrow.
Halford, what a day. Wanting to get a good start to the new year after watching 2/3rds of TCM's Thin Man movie marathon for New Year's Eve (seriously, the last two films are really bad.) we decided to start getting the Free Trailer Beowulf ready for sale. Cleaning out the things we want to keep, inventorying what is still there, and beginning to check everything that needs work.
We also needed to fix a tarp over the trailer, as the cover we bought had disintegrated. So the first stop was Home Depot for some ratchet straps, as it was more or less on the route to the storage place. It was a lovely drive, and we got into Pedron's and found that the damn door was warped shut again and utterly immobile. We did get the tarp on, but we're unsure how much moisture made it into the trailer. At this point, we've begun a serious discussion of just having the thing junked after stripping it. I'll be looking into who we could call to do this.
The advantage here of course is that we can use the current marine battery and battery box, along with the hitch lock, instead of needing to buy new ones. We can also pull the places and use them on the new trailer. We'll research that tomorrow.
But we do need to get in, so I suggested going to our storage unit to retrieve our crowbars. Then we could go out tomorrow morning and break into our own trailer. Back up 101 to the storage place (which is right across the street from the Home Depot we visited early, and after much shifting of boxes and searching while getting covered in Playa dust, we came to a startling conclusion.
The damn crowbars may be in the trailer.
So, back over to Home Depot, which had a cool little set of prybars on sale. We also grabbed a can of WD-40, a new key caddy for me, and a set of new work gloves. We also tried to get a new spare key for Darby cut, but no love. We'll have to try an actual locksmith or the Ford dealership.
After that, we went shopping. At least that went according to plan! I bought a case of Budweiser because we are reaching the bitter end of the Beer advent calendar I bought, and there are several cans remaining that I am very suspicious of.
It has been decided that a pizza strike will be called in when Kirsten wakes up from her nap.
We also needed to fix a tarp over the trailer, as the cover we bought had disintegrated. So the first stop was Home Depot for some ratchet straps, as it was more or less on the route to the storage place. It was a lovely drive, and we got into Pedron's and found that the damn door was warped shut again and utterly immobile. We did get the tarp on, but we're unsure how much moisture made it into the trailer. At this point, we've begun a serious discussion of just having the thing junked after stripping it. I'll be looking into who we could call to do this.
The advantage here of course is that we can use the current marine battery and battery box, along with the hitch lock, instead of needing to buy new ones. We can also pull the places and use them on the new trailer. We'll research that tomorrow.
But we do need to get in, so I suggested going to our storage unit to retrieve our crowbars. Then we could go out tomorrow morning and break into our own trailer. Back up 101 to the storage place (which is right across the street from the Home Depot we visited early, and after much shifting of boxes and searching while getting covered in Playa dust, we came to a startling conclusion.
The damn crowbars may be in the trailer.
So, back over to Home Depot, which had a cool little set of prybars on sale. We also grabbed a can of WD-40, a new key caddy for me, and a set of new work gloves. We also tried to get a new spare key for Darby cut, but no love. We'll have to try an actual locksmith or the Ford dealership.
After that, we went shopping. At least that went according to plan! I bought a case of Budweiser because we are reaching the bitter end of the Beer advent calendar I bought, and there are several cans remaining that I am very suspicious of.
It has been decided that a pizza strike will be called in when Kirsten wakes up from her nap.
Considering my original long-term survival goal was living to see 2000, I take every new year as a win.
So, what's coming up for me and Offhand Manor in 2022? Well, my health is going to dominate things for at least the next few months. We need to find out the cause of the inflammation seen in my eyes and now in a lymph chain in my chest. I had a head MRI yesterday, and still need to schedule a PET scan and a lumbar punch. Ow. Plus there's now a cataract in my right eye that needs to be dealt with. There are plenty of appointments coming up. Just to make things more fun, my hemo-oncologist retired and I'll be dumping this all on a new doctor.
Fun times, folks.
Alongside that, I'm going to keep working on physical and mental health. My job makes getting my daily steps in easy, but I really need to get the TRX bands out at least three times a week and work on getting back to the gym when possible. Mentally, I was able to recognize that I was setting myself up for failure in a situation and back out of it, which was a win, but I need to set aside time for mindfulness. 30 minutes a day of quiet meditation really helps center me.
One big thing coming up is our July roadtrip to Tonopah, Nevada for Westercon 74.kshandra has really wanted to get me away from the warzone our neighborhood becomes over July 4th, and besides the con, there are some cool things to see in Tonopah. Like the The World-Famous Clown Motel!
We won't be staying there. But we will kill the camera batteries in the 19th-century cemetery across the street. It'll be a fun trip!
What's really cool is Burning Man is coming back! After a two-year hiatus, we're going back to the desolate, dusty, sun-blasted Playa we love. Planning is already in progress, as I was born to be a staff officer. Speaking of which. . .
The Free Trailer Beowulf is dead, long live the Far Trailer Marava! After five years, the homemade kludginess of the Beowulf is showing. Rather than fight a long battle to keep it road-worthy; which we really lack the skills, tools, and funds to do right; we've decided to take the plunge and buy a real trailer.
We're getting an Outbound Extreme Standard Model. Scroll down a little to see the model. Ours is the base white with black trim. We did go for a few necessary options (which you can see on the Order page.)
Exterior Options
100 Watt Solar Panel, 30-Amp LCD Display Solar Charge Controller with Battery Temperature Sensor.
15" Spare Trailer Tire
Front Cargo Rack
Front Diamond Plate
Rear Support Jacks
Interior Options
Roof Fan, 3 Speed
Memory Foam Mattress
Front Storage Cubbies
Electric Package (basically a surge protector power strip with USB ports mounted inside the trailer.)
We'll need to pick up a new marine battery, battery box, trailer lock, and a few other things. If you're in Northern California and want a trailer that is in decent shape but needs some work, contact me or Kirsten for details. We'll throw in the solar power panels we've been using.
Also, I am determined to spend the time to make Sideways Solutions work. So I have a schedule to make sure that when NaNoWriMo kicks off on November 1st, I will have everything ready to roll. The total word count goal for the 1st draft is 90,000 words. Expect to see a lot of drabbles and ficlets in this space, and folks, I need your feedback. Not just "that's cool!" but tell me what works, and where I'm weak. I'm a former infantryman, I can take harsh criticism!
The only other big thing on the schedule for the year is we have vouchers for a couple of San Francisco Giants' games, and in September, the long-delayed Rammstein show in LA may finally happen. Crossed fingers.
Hell, crossing my fingers for all of this! Happy New Year!
So, what's coming up for me and Offhand Manor in 2022? Well, my health is going to dominate things for at least the next few months. We need to find out the cause of the inflammation seen in my eyes and now in a lymph chain in my chest. I had a head MRI yesterday, and still need to schedule a PET scan and a lumbar punch. Ow. Plus there's now a cataract in my right eye that needs to be dealt with. There are plenty of appointments coming up. Just to make things more fun, my hemo-oncologist retired and I'll be dumping this all on a new doctor.
Fun times, folks.
Alongside that, I'm going to keep working on physical and mental health. My job makes getting my daily steps in easy, but I really need to get the TRX bands out at least three times a week and work on getting back to the gym when possible. Mentally, I was able to recognize that I was setting myself up for failure in a situation and back out of it, which was a win, but I need to set aside time for mindfulness. 30 minutes a day of quiet meditation really helps center me.
One big thing coming up is our July roadtrip to Tonopah, Nevada for Westercon 74.
kshandra has really wanted to get me away from the warzone our neighborhood becomes over July 4th, and besides the con, there are some cool things to see in Tonopah. Like the The World-Famous Clown Motel!We won't be staying there. But we will kill the camera batteries in the 19th-century cemetery across the street. It'll be a fun trip!
What's really cool is Burning Man is coming back! After a two-year hiatus, we're going back to the desolate, dusty, sun-blasted Playa we love. Planning is already in progress, as I was born to be a staff officer. Speaking of which. . .
The Free Trailer Beowulf is dead, long live the Far Trailer Marava! After five years, the homemade kludginess of the Beowulf is showing. Rather than fight a long battle to keep it road-worthy; which we really lack the skills, tools, and funds to do right; we've decided to take the plunge and buy a real trailer.
We're getting an Outbound Extreme Standard Model. Scroll down a little to see the model. Ours is the base white with black trim. We did go for a few necessary options (which you can see on the Order page.)
Exterior Options
100 Watt Solar Panel, 30-Amp LCD Display Solar Charge Controller with Battery Temperature Sensor.
15" Spare Trailer Tire
Front Cargo Rack
Front Diamond Plate
Rear Support Jacks
Interior Options
Roof Fan, 3 Speed
Memory Foam Mattress
Front Storage Cubbies
Electric Package (basically a surge protector power strip with USB ports mounted inside the trailer.)
We'll need to pick up a new marine battery, battery box, trailer lock, and a few other things. If you're in Northern California and want a trailer that is in decent shape but needs some work, contact me or Kirsten for details. We'll throw in the solar power panels we've been using.
Also, I am determined to spend the time to make Sideways Solutions work. So I have a schedule to make sure that when NaNoWriMo kicks off on November 1st, I will have everything ready to roll. The total word count goal for the 1st draft is 90,000 words. Expect to see a lot of drabbles and ficlets in this space, and folks, I need your feedback. Not just "that's cool!" but tell me what works, and where I'm weak. I'm a former infantryman, I can take harsh criticism!
The only other big thing on the schedule for the year is we have vouchers for a couple of San Francisco Giants' games, and in September, the long-delayed Rammstein show in LA may finally happen. Crossed fingers.
Hell, crossing my fingers for all of this! Happy New Year!
Well, here we are again. Reaching the end of the calendar year for all of us who use the Gregorian Calendar.Of course, given my druthers, it'd be Idibus Decembres MMDCCLXXIV Ab Urbe Condita. But I'm weird that way.
Where are my druthers, anyway? However has them, give them back post-haste!
Anyway, for me, 2021 was dominated not by the political upheaval in Washington, but by my ongoing eye issues. What started as a simple diagnosis of a cataract in my left eye has ballooned into a still-evolving investigation of which my body is showing so many inflammation markers. But getting here has been epic. Because for the first eight months of this I was seeing an ophthalmologist who was very hesitant and unsure of herself. When she finally referred me to a more experienced colleague, it was one visit and surgery scheduled. Everyone assured me that cataract surgery was super easy, barely an inconvenience.
I came out of the surgery blind in my left eye. It was like looking through a cloudy glass brick. This was not the result anyone expected, and I began a brief odyssey of being punted around to different eye doctors before getting a referral (an insurance approval) to the Stanford Eye Clinic. We were told that this appointment could take several hours, but what happened that Friday was, well, special.
After going through all the usual eyedrops, pictures, and tests, we were visited by a succession of escalating doctors, all of whom wanted to confirm that I hadn't eaten that day. Finally, the senior eye surgeon on duty came in and told me that my retina was detaching, and we needed to head over to the Stanford ER to check in for surgery that night. Of course, due to COVID-19,kshandra. couldn't come in with me.
Any ER on a Friday night is going to be an interesting place. Stanford did not disappoint. However, it was also the night the Giants were going for the 100th win of the season, and I couldn't see my phone to follow the game! (They beat Colorado 7-2.) Eventually, They roll me into the ER proper if only so I could charge my phone. After really geeking out over how the ER is run, I'm rolled up to the surgical theater. This is the first time I've entered one in a wheelchair, so I got to really geek out over all the cool shit. The anesthesiologist and I agree on a general, and the last words I hear are "I'm giving you the relaxing medicine now."
The next thing I know it's like 0400 and I'm being rolled out to meetkshandra at the car. The procedure lasted about three hours. What they did was absolutely fucking science fiction. Along with cleaning out the gunk from the failed cataract surgery and resetting the artificial lens, they used FUCKING LASERS to weld the tears in my retina, put a silicon band around my eye to force it back into shape, and injected a gas bubble into my eye to further restore the proper retinal surface. This was out-patient surgery!
What sucked was I had to keep a head-down posture for the next week or so to keep the bubble in place. I listened to a lot of Judge Judy and podcasts at my desk. Things are still not perfect, but we're getting there!
My job continues to be fantastic. The mini-session they had in April-May last spring was weird and sparsely attended as many parents elected to continue distance learning. The new school year is back to regular days and hours, and with the exception of the six-week hole the eye problems blew in my ability to work, I've been happy to get back to my corner and shout in German at my kids. My boss was amazing, finding that I still had hours left in a special COVID-relief time bank, and a few PTO hours, so at least a little money came in during the time off. I'm so happy that I took the chance on becoming a Crossing Guard.
It was a good year for me in baseball. The San Jose Giants, now a Low-A club, won their league championship. The big league team was predicted to finish no better than 3rd in the National League West. What followed was one of the most amazing divisional races in the history of baseball. The Giants won a club-record 107 games, and still only clinched in the last game of the season because our rival Los Angeles Dodgers won 106 games, also a team record. We met in the NLDS and it went to five games, of course. LA won, and I'm not going to make excuses. But what a fucking season!
Due to the pandemic, we didn't get out much. We did make a long-planned trip to Los Angeles to see Avatar at the Wiltern Theater. We made a mini-vacation out of it. We went to the Rainbow Bar and Grill and spent too much money at Lemmy's Lounge. Hey, I'm an old Motörhead fan! We also were able to have dinner withisomeme and her lovely wife and with kshandra's halfsister and her lovely wife and kids.
We also visited the Getty Villa.. I killed my phone taking pictures. It's that amazing.
Then, just a couple of weeks about, we went to the first night of Metallica's 40th Anniversary concert. THEY PLAYED FIXXXER! AND KING NOTHING!!!
So, those are the highlights of 2021 for me. The whole eye thing dominated and continues to shape my life. But there are big changes and events coming in 2022. Which will be the next post! Stay tuned!
Where are my druthers, anyway? However has them, give them back post-haste!
Anyway, for me, 2021 was dominated not by the political upheaval in Washington, but by my ongoing eye issues. What started as a simple diagnosis of a cataract in my left eye has ballooned into a still-evolving investigation of which my body is showing so many inflammation markers. But getting here has been epic. Because for the first eight months of this I was seeing an ophthalmologist who was very hesitant and unsure of herself. When she finally referred me to a more experienced colleague, it was one visit and surgery scheduled. Everyone assured me that cataract surgery was super easy, barely an inconvenience.
I came out of the surgery blind in my left eye. It was like looking through a cloudy glass brick. This was not the result anyone expected, and I began a brief odyssey of being punted around to different eye doctors before getting a referral (an insurance approval) to the Stanford Eye Clinic. We were told that this appointment could take several hours, but what happened that Friday was, well, special.
After going through all the usual eyedrops, pictures, and tests, we were visited by a succession of escalating doctors, all of whom wanted to confirm that I hadn't eaten that day. Finally, the senior eye surgeon on duty came in and told me that my retina was detaching, and we needed to head over to the Stanford ER to check in for surgery that night. Of course, due to COVID-19,
kshandra. couldn't come in with me.Any ER on a Friday night is going to be an interesting place. Stanford did not disappoint. However, it was also the night the Giants were going for the 100th win of the season, and I couldn't see my phone to follow the game! (They beat Colorado 7-2.) Eventually, They roll me into the ER proper if only so I could charge my phone. After really geeking out over how the ER is run, I'm rolled up to the surgical theater. This is the first time I've entered one in a wheelchair, so I got to really geek out over all the cool shit. The anesthesiologist and I agree on a general, and the last words I hear are "I'm giving you the relaxing medicine now."
The next thing I know it's like 0400 and I'm being rolled out to meet
kshandra at the car. The procedure lasted about three hours. What they did was absolutely fucking science fiction. Along with cleaning out the gunk from the failed cataract surgery and resetting the artificial lens, they used FUCKING LASERS to weld the tears in my retina, put a silicon band around my eye to force it back into shape, and injected a gas bubble into my eye to further restore the proper retinal surface. This was out-patient surgery!What sucked was I had to keep a head-down posture for the next week or so to keep the bubble in place. I listened to a lot of Judge Judy and podcasts at my desk. Things are still not perfect, but we're getting there!
My job continues to be fantastic. The mini-session they had in April-May last spring was weird and sparsely attended as many parents elected to continue distance learning. The new school year is back to regular days and hours, and with the exception of the six-week hole the eye problems blew in my ability to work, I've been happy to get back to my corner and shout in German at my kids. My boss was amazing, finding that I still had hours left in a special COVID-relief time bank, and a few PTO hours, so at least a little money came in during the time off. I'm so happy that I took the chance on becoming a Crossing Guard.
It was a good year for me in baseball. The San Jose Giants, now a Low-A club, won their league championship. The big league team was predicted to finish no better than 3rd in the National League West. What followed was one of the most amazing divisional races in the history of baseball. The Giants won a club-record 107 games, and still only clinched in the last game of the season because our rival Los Angeles Dodgers won 106 games, also a team record. We met in the NLDS and it went to five games, of course. LA won, and I'm not going to make excuses. But what a fucking season!
Due to the pandemic, we didn't get out much. We did make a long-planned trip to Los Angeles to see Avatar at the Wiltern Theater. We made a mini-vacation out of it. We went to the Rainbow Bar and Grill and spent too much money at Lemmy's Lounge. Hey, I'm an old Motörhead fan! We also were able to have dinner with
isomeme and her lovely wife and with kshandra's halfsister and her lovely wife and kids.We also visited the Getty Villa.. I killed my phone taking pictures. It's that amazing.
Then, just a couple of weeks about, we went to the first night of Metallica's 40th Anniversary concert. THEY PLAYED FIXXXER! AND KING NOTHING!!!
So, those are the highlights of 2021 for me. The whole eye thing dominated and continues to shape my life. But there are big changes and events coming in 2022. Which will be the next post! Stay tuned!
The Winter Gift Haul
Dec. 26th, 2021 11:48 amHappy Generic Winter Holiday! kshandra and I had a mellow day, going to see Spider-Man: No Way Home. But we did exchange gifts. I got. . .
I hope all y'all had a good holiday, whichever one you celebrate, and here's to a fantastic 2022!
kshandra and I had a mellow day, going to see Spider-Man: No Way Home. But we did exchange gifts. I got. . . - The remaining books in the Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell.
- A very nice pen from a friend of Kirsten, and a pack of good gel pens
- A cake of Blue Ribbon Beer Soap
- Feathers & Flesh - A Fable a book produced by Avatar, one of my favorite bands. This looks really interesting.
- Replacement elastic laces for my work shoes.
- Bravado Spice Co.'s Black Garlic Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce. Yum!
- And the return of the Christmas Motorcycle! This time, it's a Norton Commando 961 SE, a bike with an interesting production history.
I hope all y'all had a good holiday, whichever one you celebrate, and here's to a fantastic 2022!
Like, OMG, the MALL!
Nov. 20th, 2021 07:10 pmOur Saturday chores involved going to Bank of America for some business, and since we were right there at Valley Fair, we decided to get our walks in.
Halford wept, that place is not what it was when I was a teenager. Seriously upscale, and not a bookstore in sight! I ask you, how soulless is a mall without a bookstore?
But we had a good wander, visiting the Giants' Dugout Store (and spending nothing,) waving hi to Santa (the get the real guy, trust me,) poking into a few places and mostly window shopping before hitting the food court. . . oh, excuse me, the restaurant collection so Kirsten could get some lunch.
After that, we hit a few more places, including Hot Topic. I now own an MCR Black Parade t-shirt. Sue me.
Halford wept, that place is not what it was when I was a teenager. Seriously upscale, and not a bookstore in sight! I ask you, how soulless is a mall without a bookstore?
But we had a good wander, visiting the Giants' Dugout Store (and spending nothing,) waving hi to Santa (the get the real guy, trust me,) poking into a few places and mostly window shopping before hitting the food court. . . oh, excuse me, the restaurant collection so Kirsten could get some lunch.
After that, we hit a few more places, including Hot Topic. I now own an MCR Black Parade t-shirt. Sue me.
