Bike Resurrection

I would like to write the happy ending of a story that began more than 2 years as I scavenged through the my grandparents garage in Idaho. That was the first home of the "the bike" the lovely brown protagonist of this story. Since then this brave bike has lived in Utah, Wyoming and now Michigan. Unfortunately, it was not living the life a bike should live-one of glorious riding on bright sunny days; cold wind rushing over its not so new golden, brown frame; hearing the laughter and cheers of the current pilot. Its tires were deflated and it needed some TLC.



That all ended yesterday when salvation, in the form of Todd and Seth, came to the bike. I, although a proud and diligent owner, have never quite got the bike to fit together in a manner that I fell comfortable riding it at any rate of speed or long distances. However, the combined engineering and mechanical skills of Todd and Seth, a trip to the hardware store and the phrase "well, there's your problem!" being said at least 20 times were enough to restore "the bike" back to its former glory- minus the fenders because we couldn't find the right size screws.

I am happy to present "the bike". Now a functional, gleaming example to all bike projects everywhere.

BumBot

Sorry to go overboard with the Colbert clips, but my birthday is in July and I know you have all been pondering what to get me, I think this video will really help out. This machine will protect me from criminals, Osama Bin laden and the real threat to America, Bears:)

I have to post this, I was devastated when Edwards dropped out. I just hope that whoever the democratic candidate is Edwards agrees to be their vice pres.

Moving

I am writing this as I sit in my almost bare living room. The picture above shows the warmth and grandeur that my apartment once was, while the picture below is it's present state. I am feeling a lot of different emotions as I sit here overseeing my soon to be former domain and pondering the last 9 months of my life. It is hard to believe that I am almost done with my first year of graduate school. Enough reverie. I finished my last final yesterday. Yea! In one week it starts all over again. Ahhhh!

megalomaniac

I often use words in conversation that I think I know the meaning of but afterwards I look up to make sure I used it right. Here's the most recent.

Megalomaniac:

1 : a mania for great or grandiose performance .
2 : a delusional mental disorder that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur.

I have used it several time to describe a certain African dictator of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. I would really like to be in on a psychological evaluation of this man. I am sure multiple disorders would be diagnosed. The reality is for now though he will continue to spend all his efforts and countries resources trying to maintain his power instead of ameliorating the hellish condition in which his people live, 80% unemployment, 100,000% inflation. Ahhhhhh! That's my first reaction to all of this.

Last weekend Leilani (pictured above in the yellow tights) had a birthday part. Being her birthday she had the power to request all of us dress up, as you see, and go miniature golfing. I am happy to say that I did very well among the females finally those junior high golf lessons pay off.

Maggie and I tied for best dressed. Really Leilani should have won or it was a three way tie, but she was the one giving out the prizes.

Colbert V. Rain

I had to post this video because I love Steven Colbert and I also love the Korean pop star Rain who it references. I love Rain, who I know better as Satu from watching his Cambodian dubbed Korean soap opera in the summer of 2006. He fosters Asian persuasion in many a girl.

Zoobies Newsies

Last night I had a little girls night out in the form of a Newsies-Sing-Along. This sing along was inspired by the recent strike by Michigan's GSI strike- please see previous post for more info. I can't believe that this movie came out in 1992. No matter when it came out it is timeless. I just can't get enough of Christian Bale singing, dancing and doing a few pelvic thrusts.

Since all of us who got together to view the film never did work out a dance sequence together I thought the above picture would make up for that. Pictured from left to right is Leilani Hawks, Kara Stowers, Amy Jeppsen, Jessica Allen, Margaret Bennett, and Stephanie Harris.

Here is some random trivia and a little "where are they now" of some actors from this spectacular work of cinema:
Those dance scenes that we thought was reminiscent of High School Musical 2's Zack and his solo jaunt on the golf were connected. Both film had the same director, Disney veteran Kenny Ortega.

I think we all know who and where Christian Bale is, so I will do some of the more obscure characters.

While Christian Bale is a bit too old for me or my friends, the then very young Les is not. Les was played by Luke Edwards, born in 1980, he still does some acting and I think his picture speaks for itself.


Marty Belafsky played Krutchy. While he did an amazing job playing a crutch welding individual with a disability, he is better known now for his stand up comedy work.


David: His real life name is David too! David Moscow. His IMDB profile still lists some recent acting work, but Wikipedia reports him as also developing sustainable and economic housing in Harlem. I would like to think this spirit of advocacy was instilled during the filming of Newsies:)




Last but not least, although she is my least favorite character in the movie.
Sarah: Ele Keats played played Sarah and has recent work on IMDB but nothing too noteworthy. Although as the years went by she morphed from the awkward, innocent sarah of newsies to something a little racier. Even with a jaunt on "Touched by an Angel", it was not enough to keep her on the straight and narrow. A little later she was on MTV's "Undressed", and it is my objective, non-biased opinion that much of her more recent stuff seems questionable.


All I can say to end this one is open the gates and seize the day!