The Gaming Den

...You don't really know the slope of a road unless you try to bicycle it. And if you knew the slope before, it's probably grueling. And if it was grueling on foot, it's absolutely horrible on a bicycle.

In other news, I got the middle ring on my mountain bike fixed and got the bike back today, and rode it home.

-Crissa

I learned that when the brakes on my bike have been recently replaced, they work really well. Then I learned how much a broken arm hurts. Fricken awesome weekend.

A mighty scar and a permanent lump on my calf taught me to never, ever ride a bicycle in the rain. Rubber on metal brakes are non-functional when wet.

ROOKIES![/b]

Sand. Sand on pavement is also pretty bad, at least while turning. I made that mistake about thirteen years ago.

I also discovered that hills might be steeper when you think when driving a stick-shift. Same principle as the bike really, although far less work on my part.

I learned that I don't even own a bicycle. I used to, but someone who I won't mention got rid of it one day while I was at work because she said I "didn't need it".

That people will try to claim that their bike is broken when in fact they don't know how to change gears.

I've learned the driving everywhere is almost as easy as biking everywhere. Thanks, broken* bicycle!

---

* It's one one the spring pins of the front break; I know how to shift gears. Also, my wife's bike is missing a bolt so the front wheel is going to fall off unless I get it fixed. Plus, even though it's banned in our rental contract I can leave the bikes on the porch for a year and nobody will say anything.

---

P.S.
http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2010/08/24/a- ... -students/

Where did that Berkeley thing come from? Totally random.

RobbyPants wrote:Sand. Sand on pavement is also pretty bad, at least while turning. I made that mistake about thirteen years ago.

I learned that lesson about four years ago. A river swell had deposited a bunch of sand over a concrete bike path. My leg looked like a sausage for a week and my then-girlfriend's mom, who was a nurse, was fretting about permanent muscle damage. Thanks ex's mom! That made me feel soooo much better.

* It's one one the spring pins of the front break; I know how to shift gears. Also, my wife's bike is missing a bolt so the front wheel is going to fall off unless I get it fixed.

Take the bolt from you bike, use it to attach your wife's front wheel, one of you ride's her bike to shop purchase spring pin (might help to take the other spring pin with you to match the brake type), ride home.

Apparently there's a way to get bitten on your forearm that makes your thumb feel kind of funny (best way I can describe it is like hitting your funny bone) for several days.

The finale of Planescape: Torment has basis in reality (sort of). Mind blown.

[url=http://www.cracked.com/article_18704_5-mind-blowing-ways-your-memory-plays-tricks-you_p2.html wrote:Cracked.com[/url]]And, maybe strangest of all, research has found that you are more likely to recall something if you're in the same mood you were in when you stored the memory. If somebody gave you a phone number when you were feeling depressed, and you can't remember now, try making yourself depressed again. It'll come back to you (seriously, they've done experiments).

I really did lose my stamina sitting on my ass over the summer. Took my dad's bike to run errands (more torturous on the ass than the pear), and was walking the damned thing half of the time. Of course it's also been between 88 and 93 degrees today...

Canned soup comes in no flavor but canned soup. It doesn't matter if it's Amy's organic, vegan lentil soup or Dinty Moore beef stew. It all tastes the same, and it all tastes like ass.

Children are cute so that humanity can make it to adulthood.

I learned that I'm not invincible today.

I had to quit my job loading trucks. Like literally, my body physically has given out utterly. However, I was the last person left standing out of the group of people that were hired at the same time I was, and I outlasted all of them. Including 2 former Marines and a guy that had 15+ years warehousing experience. I am choosing to take pride in that fact.

Maj wrote:Children are cute so that humanity can make it to adulthood.

Similarly, while some animals evolved spiked faces and things, dogs just evolved to be cute, that way they survive by being let inside and given food.

Also, I learned that my dog is pretty clever. He has somehow figured out how to open the door to get inside.

I realized how smart my dog is when I had the back door open, and she stood at the bottom of the steps and sort of ducked her head a moment. I waved her in, and she came in.

My dog asks permission before coming inside, y'all. How cool is that?

Maxus wrote:I realized how smart my dog is when I had the back door open, and she stood at the bottom of the steps and sort of ducked her head a moment. I waved her in, and she came in.

My dog asks permission before coming inside, y'all. How cool is that?

My Cat asks permission to enter my room, I also had a cat who would ring the doorbell to be let in from outside.

Count Arioch the 28th wrote:I learned that I'm not invincible today.

I had to quit my job loading trucks. Like literally, my body physically has given out utterly. However, I was the last person left standing out of the group of people that were hired at the same time I was, and I outlasted all of them. Including 2 former Marines and a guy that had 15+ years warehousing experience. I am choosing to take pride in that fact.

So what will you do now instead of loading trucks?

Ganbare Gincun wrote:

Count Arioch the 28th wrote:I learned that I'm not invincible today.

I had to quit my job loading trucks. Like literally, my body physically has given out utterly. However, I was the last person left standing out of the group of people that were hired at the same time I was, and I outlasted all of them. Including 2 former Marines and a guy that had 15+ years warehousing experience. I am choosing to take pride in that fact.

So what will you do now instead of loading trucks?

I have no clue. Long term is finishing college because making a living without a degree is something I am having trouble with (and my Mom tells me it only gets harder as I get older). I'm one math credit away from an Associates, and throwing freight for 12 hours a night makes getting a bachelor's seem a lot less insurmountable than it did previously. I may do my education like my uncle did (Took him 15 years, but he managed to get a Master's in Engineering one class at a time).

Short term? I have a couple apps out (I was somewhat expecting this for the past 2 weeks, so I have been sending out resumes), plus the local sewage plant is hiring operators. I know I can do that.

Very short term will be very interesting times, I think.

Count Arioch the 28th wrote:I have no clue. Long term is finishing college because making a living without a degree is something I am having trouble with (and my Mom tells me it only gets harder as I get older). I'm one math credit away from an Associates, and throwing freight for 12 hours a night makes getting a bachelor's seem a lot less insurmountable than it did previously. I may do my education like my uncle did (Took him 15 years, but he managed to get a Master's in Engineering one class at a time).

Short term? I have a couple apps out (I was somewhat expecting this for the past 2 weeks, so I have been sending out resumes), plus the local sewage plant is hiring operators. I know I can do that.

Very short term will be very interesting times, I think.

The economy is still horrible for anyone that isn't an Wall Street Cocksucker, so I wish you the best of luck in finding a new job. I have quite a few friends that are unemployed right now, and a couple more are about to become unemployed very soon.

I appreciate the kind words.

Koumei wrote:Similarly, while some animals evolved spiked faces and things, dogs just evolved to be cute, that way they survive by being let inside and given food.

I believe it.

@Count - Good luck. You can totally do it.

I learned I work with and see awesome people every day.

Since it's the end of the fiscal year, the company I work for had the employee evaluations.

It was more of a "How do you like you job" questionnaire. They had one of the people up the company hierarchy asking the questions

When he asked "Is your pay high enough?" I paused a moment to think and asked "Is that a trick question?" and made him crack up laughing. Which was really something, because he had been up to then very professional--a polite, but professional older silver-haired dignified type. He loosened up after that.

As further evidence of awesomeness, everyone got a $25 gift card from American Express. It's not much of a bonus, but it's a nice touch.

Second, there's a bookstore near work that I go to regularly. Small indie job. They order books for cheap, so I go to there a lot.

Turns out they went to a convention on the weekend and met one of my favorite authors, Ursula Vernon. And then bought said author's newest book and had her autograph it to me, as a gift for being a regular customer who's also turned them onto several new series (the owners and I have similar taste in fantasy).