Yo! It’s freaking that time of year again… “News Radio Quote Month!” Like, frick, I’ve been doing this for ages and may be running out of quotes. Will I be reusing a few? I’ve done that before, but I’ll try my best not to. Let’s see how much blogging I do this month!
Wow.
The hill we climb.
I’m just here to see the girls sweat. I’ll stay for the first live performance of Nigemizu. You stick around, too. I think you’ll enjoy this.
I psyched myself up so much that I almost psyched myself out of going to Otakon. I did end up there on Saturday, but I didn’t get to experience it all just the cosplaying and the dealer room.
The week leading up to Otakon I couldn’t fully make up my mind to go. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go or not. On one hand there is no day ticket; it’s $80 at the door for the whole 3 day affair. Would I be able to spend that much time? Perhaps Saturday, but Sunday? To make that $80 go far it would have to be two days.
I went Saturday but failed to make it on Sunday.
Cosplaying is out of hand. I could admire those that put effort into their costume, but most of the time they cosplayer just slaps something on. There’s clever and then there’s the cosplayers from Otakon. Or is this just an non-japanese thing?
I stood in a line expecting that what I was waiting for would turn out to be worth it. Then I checked the description again, found out they would show several episodes before the special guests would speak, and I jetted. I worked my way to a manga industry panel, Vertical, to see what they had coming out.
That was only thing I sat in on. The day was cut short because I had to go to dinner for a cousin. I left having accumulated several phone charms of K-ON! girls (Waitress Mugi, Jun-chan, and Ui), the special Lawson limited edition Nendoroid petit of some K-ON!! girls (Azusa, Mio, and Yui), and 3 manga of Watamote in Japanese.
It was fun. I’m thinking about next year.
Crazy movie-like dream involving I. It must be written down or else lose it to the haze of memory as I wake. This dream had a great story line with a beginning middle and an end. Yet, it is already going.
I calls me out of the blue, and invites me over to her parents house on Saturday. They live right down the road from me. Really, they did in real life. I’m ecstatic and can’t wait for the weekend to come.
On the day, I take public transportation or maybe walk over. When I get there, she invites me in. Her parents are not there, but she’s not alone in the house. She’s with a blonde haired young dude who she introduces me to. The guy can’t stay and leaves us to ourselves. I at first think the guy is a neighbor; he’s young and as he leaves, he walks down the street. Later, dude! I get to spend a Saturday with I!
This part of the dream is leaving me now.
We drink coffee. We hang out. We talk about our lives that has passed. We clean up her parents house. I am having a good time. It feels like I may have a chance with her again. At one point she goes to throw some things out, and I give her a hand. As she walks out the door with the garbage bag, she mentions that she never was married. She never had kids. I get the shakes hearing this. The window of opportunity just opened, right?
I start turning on the charm and try to be less subtle in my passes. I put the moves on her getting close to her, and she begins to feel uncomfortable. I back off slightly not wanting to ruin things. Then it is evening, and I had to go.
I’m taking the bus back home. She’s steps out for a minute as I get my things together. I’m giddy trying to figure out how to restart our friendship and turn it into a relationship. Can I finally go out with I? Is she home to stay? She did say she liked me and missed me right before I got all forward, right? Yes, maybe, hopefully.
But she returns with the young blonde boy who I thought was her neighbor.
We get on the bus. Me and I on one side; the blonde boy on the other. I’m very happy thinking how to end this right. I think that I should ask her out to dinner or drinks or get her phone number. I can envision establishing a relationship wherein we end up married. It just may happen. She is my über-girl, and it would mean a lot to have her as a girlfriend.
As we are jostled around, I make a pass on her. I attempt footsies. I tickle her toe with mine except that it didn’t really tickle. It seemed I scratched her with my toenails. She cries out, and I know that I’ve just killed any chance with her. She rubs her toe, and then the twist of this dream happens. The blonde boy immediately jumps to her side and embraces her! Comforts her. He rubs her feet and relaxes her. She gives him a peck on the forehead, but it is a signal to me that she is spoken for. She had brought him along as a hint that she had a boyfriend! My hopes are shot, and I can’t of think of anything to salvage the situation. Maybe I can get in the friend zone and bide my time.
I wake up without ever finishing that bus ride.
My Mini Cooper drives me nuts. Most cars have a regular N number of miles before service: my Jetta recommends service every 5,000 miles. The Mini doesn’t. It relies on the computer to tell me when it’s ready. I think it talks to me a Botchie because I don’t know when it signals me to bring her in for service. That’s why I went and did the Mini Cooper service festival this weekend. I knew that it was about time for service plus I went for the recall. Oh, yeah, she’ll catch fire on occasion if you’re not careful. I think I want to get that fixed.
Now, the last time I was in the Mini dealership it was empty. A weekday would do that. But on Saturday, it was busy. There were a few people doing the same thing I was doing, and there were a few people shopping for cars. I also saw a lady picking up her new Mini Countryman trading in a bigger SUV. People actually are buying this car? I can’t believe it, just as I can’t believe that I have one myself.
An hour into the wait, the service manager gives me the first diagnosis of the ills of my Mini Cooper. I already know what he’s going to say. Tires. Mine are bald. I know that. He’s trying to sell me on 3 tires for $1,000+. Come on. I could probably get all four for that much. That price because of the tires being run flats. I didn’t know that they also offered Pirelli run flats. I’m looking for an upgrade and for slightly cheaper than the Goodyears that are currently on her.
From behind me, I hear a lady groan about tires, too. She’s got a 2006 Cooper and she knows about tires. If you have to replace tires every 30,000 miles with $1,000 set of four, you’ll know something about tires.
We start a conversation about the tires. How terrible it is and the cost. It’s one of the worst parts of owning a Mini Cooper. We start discussing how we like the Mini, though. Her’s, as I mentioned, is a 2006 in a blue which they don’t offer any more. She takes hers to the beach with her bike on the back hitch. She’s able to pack a whole hell of a lot into her Mini. She’s put a beach umbrella in there! We both like our Minis but would definitely buy another. She’s got a Benz that she may or may not trade in for another Benz. Her Mini, like mine, is her summer driver.
As we discuss our Minis, we take a stroll through the showroom floor. She tells me of the older Coopers having a chintzy cup holder that is easy to break. We look at the current Cooper S. We discuss how the rolltop cover to the convertible causes visibility problems. We both agree that the white convertible is cute. We stroll over to the Clubman and check out the back barn door. That center pillar has got to cause rearview problems. We agree that the Clubman kind of grows on you after a while. We checkout a Countryman. Then we wander over to the new Coupe in JCW black. I get in and she compliments me that it fits me. Not really as it is really compact in there. The black headliner makes it dark as hell, too. I kind of like it.
I wonder about this interaction I had with this lady. I wonder if she was flirting with me. I wonder if I was competent in my flirting back. Is all of this in my head or was it palpably real? Or am I grasping at straws? Older, upper 40s or 50ish. Not bad looking slightly beautiful in the older white lady way. I am grasping at straws…
Anyhow, the Mini Cooper is ready for another year, and I have to get her tires…
On the Fourth of July ride on the flat NCR trail, I flatted. Once again I am forced to ride back to the car on a flatted tire. No idea why it keeps flatting, but I have to avoid this as biking on a flat tire plain sucks.
Physically I felt good. Not as bad as the other days this past week. Maybe fitness is coming around. Need to go out again.
Oscar party kit! Oscar party kit!That would be exciting if you held your own Oscar awards ceremony party. Black tie! Red carpet! The celebrities! The excitement! Whoa! Who's coming over?Today's link takes you to the Academy's own ideas on how to throw an Oscar night party. Looks good. I've already planned and started work on the Oscar Pool. I like the Oscar bingo. How about the Moet? And the deviled eggs?http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/partykit/index.html
