Rant VII: Now With 25% Less Drama

Slang for a fixed-gear bicycle. No gears. Just a direct link from pedals to wheel. Also usually no brakes.

--Patrick

Dave said:

Strangely enough it wasn't my lungs or heart that did me in, it was my knees. The ride to work is going to be almost exclusively on a bike trail, which will be relatively flat with a few minor rises/falls there. But I was going to ride to my friend's house and didn't think about the fact that it was one hill after another. Ugh. Plus, Google maps wanted me to ride on very, very major streets and I just couldn't. I had to sidewalk hop for a bit. I made it about 1/4 of the way there and then went back home as I knew I wasn't going to make it.

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Is your bike seat at the right height for the length of your legs? Are there other adjustments that your bike has to make sure it is "fit" to you?

Also, it would be worth investing in a spare tube, tire lifters, wrenches to remove the wheel (if needed) and a frame pump.

Dave said:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mens-NEXT-Avalon-Comfort-Bike/2061606

It's a 7 speed "comfort" bike. I didn't have the cash for all the extras yet. I'll be getting those after my July 1 paycheck - which will include my bonus - my $4k bonus! (Yes, that's after taxes!)

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It looks like the handle bars can be adjusted too. If you keep feeling problems in your knees, it might even be worth talking to your local bike shop about how much they could do to fit the bike to you and how much it would cost.

As for the extras, just remember that they mean the difference between riding back and walking back from a flat tire. That's not a bad a mile from your starting point, but the difference becomes increasingly apparent as your rides get longer.

OK Dave, on the down stroke (oh yeah,) your knee should be "nearly" straight.

...but not lock. Constantly locking and unlocking your knees during a ride is no good.

--Patrick

As a general tip: take the stairs whenever possible (versus an elevator or escalator). It keeps your knees in better shape once they're used to it. I don't recommend this if you work on the 30th floor though.

Dave said:

The hell is a fixie?

edit: Googled it. Nope.

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Fixie is Hipster for "bicycle"

Have yet to confirm the news, but apparently ownership has brought in a new GM from outside. This is good, as existing issues between coworkers won't get amplified by the new dynamic. No "If X is made manager I quit," or, "If I'm made manager, Y is fired."

DarkAudit said:

Have yet to confirm the news, but apparently ownership has brought in a new GM from outside. This is good, as existing issues between coworkers won't get amplified by the new dynamic. No "If X is made manager I quit," or, "If I'm made manager, Y is fired."

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Well, I'm glad to hear that the whackjobs you work with who ruined your vacation won't be fired and/or quit. 'Cuz that would be bad.

Tress said:

Well, I'm glad to hear that the whackjobs you work with who ruined your vacation won't be fired and/or quit. 'Cuz that would be bad.

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Quitting and firing was what caused the entire sorry situation in the first place. Unfortunately the one idiot who drove the previous manager to quit for the safety of her child and unborn baby was not among the gone.

Besides, the "vacation" part of the vacation was already done. I was in "fart around on the computer until I get bored and go for a drive" mode.

I like to skip the whole travel part and just do that.

Can we talk about how much I hate this week?

My Grandma was visiting and decided she wanted to go home on Saturday, since she didn't want to take the 4 1/2 hour drive by herself my parents both drove there and then back the same day. On Sunday, the next day, we get a phone call that Grandma is not doing well - has been admitted to the hospital.

Now my Mum is panicking, does she go or stay? It is Fathers' Day after all, but... So, my Dad and her chat, decide she should go be with Grandma. She leaves, we finish dinner. An 1 1/2 into her drive, the check tire pressure light comes on in the car. But, regardless, she makes it to my Grandma just fine. (Yay.)

Monday I'm sicker than a dog and just want to lay on the couch and puke all day.

Yesterday....*sigh*....went to drive to work in the morning and had an accident - over extending the door the wrong way. And then for no reason the car will not start. I pretty much want to cry because I know we're about to spend a lot of money for my eye appointment later that morning and for our San Diego trip in 2 1/2 weeks. We have the car towed to the auto shop, and luckily it starts. But the whole thing with the door, to get it professionally fixed is over $1000, curses. The autoshop said that they could fix it so that it's workable, but won't look the best. And will still be a couple of hundred dollars. My eye appointment is over $300....Never go blind if you can help it!!!

I now get to bike to work, which I actually don't mind so much. It's nice and brisk in the morning and relaxing. But more on yesterday.

Later that evening, I'm furiously sewing because, hey, I procrastinated like every cosplayer I know and have so much to finish in time for SDCC. And my machine breaks down on me. Gives an error message that I can't fix and no one on the internet seems to know how to fix either (first time the internet has ever failed me, EVER.) The cherry on top of the day, when I was getting my dinner of a bowl of cereal and nearly dropped the bowl, but I spilled Honey Bunches of Oats and milk all over the floor.

After cleaning it up, I gave up on yesterday and went to bed.

tl;dr
STRESS.

The university I want to transfer to "doesn't know yet" if it will be accepting transfer students for next Spring. I hope they make up their minds soon because the application period starts in August. Worst case scenario is that I'll have to wait another 6 months and transfer in Fall, but still would be nice to know.

Man my work is killing me lately. They have increased my workload so much that I am doing at least twice as much work as my coworkers and I have been having to run around around like a chicken with my head cut off. I almost never get a chance to take any of my breaks during the day and I am usually 5 - 10 minutes late for taking my lunch break.


I have complained multiple times to my leads but they don't seem ti care. They just keep asking me to do my best and I have been but this workload is really doing a number one me. By the time I leave work I am so exhausted I have been having a hard time going to the gym or doing anything after work except taking a hot shower and watching TV. All of my coworkers (well all except one but he is an incompetent idiot) think that this is retarded and have even voiced there complaint over my workload to our leads but it just falls on deaf ears. The whole project is supposed to be over in a little over a week but I am not sure I am going to make it.


They have this project set up so poorly that if I mess up one day the whole week will fall apart. I can't even call out sick because there is no back-fill for me and it would all just crumple to pieces and be even more work when I came back. It has gotten to the point where I am sick of showing up to work anymore because I know I am going to spend the whole day running around and just barely getting enough work done to stave off failure for another day. So far I have done fairly well at staving off failure but I am not sure how much longer I can keep it up. I can feel myself getting more and more jaded as well as slowing down because I am so utterly exhausted. One of the worst things is that my one coworker who is incompetent (so incompetent that they have threatened to fire him multiple times but for some reason they have never actually fired him) is getting extra help to finish his projects as well as having less work to do all around and he still is barely keeping himself afloat. If I had his workload it would feel like I was on vacation for most of the time. And yet we both make the same amount despite the fact that I have worked here longer and do way more work than he does.


Although the money issue doesn't bug me as much as you would think but having the money issue on top of everything else is just killing me. I so want to call out just so I can have a day of rest but I know that I would just make it so I would be walking into a shit storm the next day but damn it I am so very tired.

A friend of mine pointed out that she could see a grey hair or two on me.

This is officially the first time that grey hairs have been spotted on me.

...

OH GOD, NOOOO! I MUST DYE MY HAIR THE DARKEST OF BLACKS AND THEN SHAVE IT ALL OFF!!

For my job I have to call random people and bother them to take a health study for the state dept of health. Some things about it really piss me off.

- fuck you guys between the ages of 40 and 65* who think you are soooo fucking funny. "I just love making people smile!" well fuck you. Shut up and answer the questions. When you asked how long it would take and I said about 14 minutes I didn't take into account the fact that you are royally fucktarded!
-* who hit on me. WTF? seriously wtf? I am asking you about your colonoscopy. I am not exactly feeling romantic and you are old enough to be my dad. ew.
- I don't care how healthy you are. This is just my (STUPID) job so shut up and ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
-if you listened the first time I wouldn't have to repeat myself.
-the words study, random, frequency, and idiot are all in the dictionary. Look em up! The last one even has your picture!
- don't tell me to call back and then get pissed when I call back. If you don't want to talk to me, tell me. I'm ok with it. I don't want to talk to you either.

ThatNickGuy said:

A friend of mine pointed out that she could see a grey hair or two on me.

This is officially the first time that grey hairs have been spotted on me.

...

OH GOD, NOOOO! I MUST DYE MY HAIR THE DARKEST OF BLACKS AND THEN SHAVE IT ALL OFF!!

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Also, don't forget to buy a large penis-shaped sports car:

Dave: So old that he's stopped in the road by COWS.

Oh come on Dave, that's udder nonsense.

Don't be a COWard, Dave. Just MOOve right through them.

Don't come on here whining if you got beef with someone in real life. You don't need to drive anyway if you can just hoof it. Anyway, if they won't move, just head on in and horn your way through.. The people who crashed can deal with it until the cows come home.

I don't have time to come up with anymore. *going to work*

I think you're milking it a little bit.

SeraRelm said:

I don't have time to come up with anymore milk it for all it's worth. *going to work*

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--Patrick

Either way, he needs to just get his dairy-air on the road.

Clearly this was bovine intervention.

I doubt you'd have gotten into any trouble if you tried driving through, Dave.

You'd probably just....graze them.