Cousin Check
For Los and Kwongs and other cousin-types. Post to the blog. |
Thursday, July 31
Wednesday, July 30
well stoppies or not, im sure the difficulty factor would kill it for me either way. maybe they should just make a movie out of it. no rush on the check, whenever you get around to it.
Dan, the commercial looked promising, but there's not 1 in game shot there. All the clips are from the opening movie of the game. sucks. Forgot to send you the check again, I think you're never getting the $ >:) Nah, soon enough. Are you hurting for the cash? I would assume you are. Besides it's not fair that you don't get the check soon. I'll try to remmeber tonite after my workout. Tuesday, July 29
Eric, just read your post on midnight club II. i saw the commercials for it a couple times, which looked pretty cool (ok, so it was the stoppie scene that got me). overall i hate driving games, mostly because i suck at them. i can never "feel" the speed so i always wipe out on turns (wait a minute, thats me in real life too). anyway, not that i ever had solid plans to try the game myself, but after reading your review im definitely scared off now. if i cant even handle GT2 with its sometimes-forgiving AI opponents (and Ivan can attest to that), theres no way im gonna try tackling an entire AI city conspiring against me. not too sure how videogame technology works, but scripted events sounds pretty backwards to me. i mean, super mario bros had "scripted events", so im hoping games these days have moved a little beyond it. anyway, what do i know. working from home today. i think i overexerted myself yesterday attempting to work a full day and im paying for it now. back to work. Monday, July 28
unless i somehow feel convicted otherwise, i pretty much have my heart set on riding again ASAP, so you wont have to worry about that. "seriously think about riding again some day" seems all too far off in the future. as for saving up, that may be the biggest obstacle yet. however, ill need to buy a car somewhat soon as my dad plans on taking the one i currently drive as soon as our toaster oven checks out. also, and please feel free to laugh, i want to start saving up towards my own place someday. i still have yet to decide if that will come before or after a second bike. hee hee. i dont think ill ever grow up.
well dan, you're getting the check whether you like it or not. You can pay me back for the camera by getting better and start saving up for another bike. Your parents will probably have a hernia, hmm.... hard to say on that one. I've always thought that being an adult means thumbing at your parents good wishes, especially if it's something you wanted to do, but I guess that's not the smartest thing in the world. You can pay me back by getting better, and then seriously think about riding again some day. :)
Eric: dont worry about it. consider it as my feeble attempt at beginning to pay you back for the whole camera ordeal. someday i hope to be square with you :D btw, at work right now, but not sure if it was the best idea to come in. lots of strain and soreness from sitting at the desk. might go home early and possibly finish off the work day sitting on the couch. blah.
Dan: I keep forgetting to send you the check for the rotors. :( I have had it in my car for 2 weeks, now. I'll send it out tonite. Friday, July 25
*sigh* it may be years before i own a bike again, if ever. cant believe shes gone, but it was fun while it lasted...
Arg, just killed my own post by accident. Basically, cut your loses and sell the bike for whatever parts are salvageable. Look for a bike salvage place and ask if they want anything. You'll get a bit of $ back from a working engine at least. One slim option is looking around for local racing orgranizations. See if there's a racing club around and ask if anyone races an F2 bike. You MAY be able to hook up w/ someone who's got spare parts willing to let go for cheap. That's your best bet. Slim tho b/c your bike is old. I say look for that option above, and then take your losses as it comes. For 7K, you can get my bike, used. NOt that I suggest you get a 929, but you get the idea. Sorry bud, it's an expensive lesson....
Eric, new idea on the bike, not sure what you think. the shop quoted me about $7k to get her fully repaired. obviously if im to spend that kind of money, id get a new bike. however, what if i could find used parts online at fractions of the cost, do you think itd be worthwhile to work on it? obviously at the moment i dont know how much id save, but just asking what you think of the general idea, or would you not bother trying to salvage a bike that has sustained that much damage? im having her towed home, hopefully within the next week or so. my other option would be to try to sell it off as is, but not sure how well thatll go. most likely toss it up on ebay. you wouldnt believe how painful it was for me to type that. im going to cry now. Wednesday, July 23
how sad. been living around the chicago area for most my life and ive only been to 3 of the 20 places on the list. interesting how hooters got on the milwaukee list tho. heh. quick boring update: got the staples taken out of my head yesterday so my head feels a bit more "balanced". starting to lose my mind a little here and there from sitting in the same spot for over 1.5 weeks, but getting by i guess. the worst is thinking about how much this will all cost me in the end. my latest estimate is about $1k plus no more bike. didnt realize almost getting yourself killed would be so expensive. i hope to spend my money on other things in the future.
cheap eats: milwaukee Chicago Found it on MSN. Haven't checked out any of the links yet.... but may be fun to read? Tuesday, July 22
http://www.angelfire.com/pa3/toplesscarwashdoc/tattooartist.html i have a sudden urge to become a tattoo artist. Friday, July 18
geez, my mom just flipped and told me im never getting on a bike again. i dont know why she says these things to me when she does. i mean, im already sitting here semi-helpless, why is she so shocked that i threw a fit?? well yeah i already thought of asking the shop to fix only what needs to be fixed, and in in the unlikely event that there are no "needs", ill just have a little something repaired to avoid the $20/day storage fee. anyway, i guess this isnt something to worry about til next spring. thanks for your help Eric.
2 of my friends wrecked their bike this past Wednesday - all while doing a trackday. That's when you take your motorcycle onto a racing track to have fun. One's okay, with only a slightly damaged bike. The other totalled it - 4 stitches under the eye from sunglasses, and a very sore rib - altho not fractured. The insurance may not owe you anything, but you can clame it nonetheless, no? Well you don't want to do that, b/c your insurance will skyrocket; based on Ontario laws. There are several things to do here..... Ignore all cosmetic damage. Check frame, subframe, front forks, etc, etc, etc. Buddy up to a good mechanic who'll give it to you straight up. Tell him/her that you're paying this out of your own pocket, and if he can save you some $, you'll be grateful. Have him/her write up 2 columns. One for MUST fix, the other is CAN fix. Once you figure out your priority and wants, start saving up. If you want cosmetics fix, there are 2 ways. Figure out how much it'll cost for all necessary fairings to be fixed - Methods include "plastic welding" and or using putty to fill up gaps, sand and repaint. Ask around. There are several methods of repairing fairings w/o having to buy new. You can also buy aftermarket fairings for racing application. They generally come in one-two big sheets of plastics which will cover both upper and lower fairings. I don't know if they still make them for old bikes. But they don't come painted.... so that's a little more $ for grfx. You'll also have to modify them for street use, i.e.: cutting out for headlight. Do online searches: LINK  Frankly, if you're going to continue learning, don't bother with immaculate fairings for now. Wait a year, and if you STILL want to keep the bike but want that bling factor, buy some new fairings. Or fix enough of the fairings so it doesn't look like it's been down from a glance. Everyone's got a different priority. For me, I like a nice bike, so I'm willing to pay for it to be fixed up. But if you're strapped for cash and just want to ride, don't bother w/ scratches, but do fix/mend/tape up rips and holes, to maintain a semblence of structural integrity. Otherwise, the bike will vibrate and shake like a mother. Thursday, July 17
Roberta: thanks for your concern. last week was pretty rough, and despite the state its left me in, im glad its over. i guess it can only get better... right? heh. Eric: this isnt something i should be thinking of now, but here goes. turns out my moto insurance overs nothing, because this accident was my fault. now lets say the best case scenario now is that the bike is operational, replacing the fairings will easily cost me over $1k, if not much more than that, no? would you say just junk the f2, or is it worthwhile to fix? Lawrence: yes its crossed my mind, but thats about it. i dont think i can live the rest of my life with only a few months of riding under my belt. i think most ppl are under the impression that i rode a lot more than i did. in reality, id be doing good to touch the bike even once per week. bad weather and a somewhat busy schedule has kept me off the bike for the most part. funny thing is, i dont feel scared off at all. i hope thats not a bad thing. Wednesday, July 16
Dan, sorry to hear about your friend...my condolences to her loved ones. Also...very scary to even read about your accident, although I'm glad to see it's not so serious that you can't sit up and type about it. Rest and heal yourself. Stick to the smaller streets for now, mister! Though I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir by now. Seriously, as a car driver I know how hard it is to spot motorcycles sometimes, especially when the bike is in a blind spot behind you and you're trying to change lanes. And that wasn't even on a highway, just a big street. It wasn't the biker's fault we nearly collided but it wasn't easy for him to get out of the way. What Eric said about helmets...ditto. I don't do bikes but I do ride horses, and even though they don't go as fast and we don't ride them in traffic, I wouldn't dream of getting on a horse without one. Plus, girls dig helmet-carrying guys. Don't leave home without it.
What is with this week.... I just read that some guy slammed into a minivan making a U-turn around my work. I didn't see it, but someone told me. Sounds pretty ugly. Then the Dan thing, which totally stunned me. And finally, some guy's brother on my usual motorcycle BBS dies after hitting a tree on his Harley. Not a good week. Dan, I hope you'll be okay. Stay off the bike for a while for sure. I seriously think you should also take a motorcycle racing course. Know what limits are, and stay far away from it on local streets. Did you actually take the MSF course you said you were going to do? Didn't I say to NOT ride a lot until you have? Sigh. Like I said, if only you would have listened.... Gawd, I sound like my parents. Okay, fudge it. Do whatever you want. Just stay alive and upright. ....keep the shiny side up. Tuesday, July 15
Well Dan, what can I say. I never thought one my relatives would be in a serious accident, so I'm really happy you got through it all right. I'm not sure how I would even react if we lost you. Some things are so close and familiar for so long, and then it could drop out from under you just like that. I know you love riding the bike, and god knows I've considered it too myself, but... maybe after this you should just say "at least I rode a motorcycle in my life" and leave it at feeling satisfied you tried it out and looked death in the face. I know that's not why you bought the bike in the first place, but either you go into it big-time like Eric and rule out most of the danger by learning gradually and doing your homework on it, or you leave it alone. You can't go for something in between. I'm all about trying new things, so I think I understand why you want to ride. Just choose one way or the other. To abruptly change the subject... I'll be going to New York/Boston in August to visit some college friends. It's my first real trip anywhere in about 3 years. Anyone want anything? I'm not sure about the NY pizza, but there must be something...
sad to say, my motorcycle days are over... for the year that is. i checked out the bike yesterday, and actually doesnt look THAT bad. the left side actually looks utterly normal. as for the right side ill have to replace basically every piece of fairing [eventually], and the guy who towed my bike to the shop also rides and he said he couldnt get it started. in the interest of money i might just get it repaired so that its at least operational, and then worry about the cosmetics later. either way i wont be healthy enough to ride again for the rest of the season, bike or no bike. as for riding, im usually fairly cautious and i dont dare gun the engine if im not 100% sure of whats ahead. barely 2 hours after the funeral, my mind was still very much on my friend so i shouldnt have even thought about getting on the bike to begin with. also, the ramp i crashed on was not one i usually take, and i forgot how notoriously twisty it was (the same ramp has thrown off ppl before, and they were in cars). gameplan for next year: get into moto class. oh, and dont fall again :)
Oh ship! Dan, that sux0r big time.... Sigh. From what you typed it sounds pretty serious. I hope your parents aren't too mad.... I'm not one to mince words. Is the bike riding over? I highly doubt your parents will let you get near a bike ever again. One thing though, at least you know you were being a bonehead. I hope now you realize that bikes aren't toys. I've heard and seen too many people bite it large b/c they thought bikes were easy. They're not. Dude, I feel for you man. B/c you probably loved riding as much as me. I've crashed before, but never hurt nothing serious. (Knock on wood). A helmet would have kept the staples out me thinkst. More importantly, how's the bike? Can it be salvaged? The gravel probably threw you off. Did you jam on the front brakes? That probably washed out the bike and started the low slide.... When you're on grass/gravel/sand, you're supposed to only use rear brakes, and VERY light and controlled fronts when you're 100% upright. I guess all this is a little moot. I don't want to sound like the prick cousin, and I definitely don't won't to sound like I'm kicking you when you're down. But I can't help but think maybe if you were riding with me, you'd learn a lot quicker and this may not have happened. Not that I'm a super pro at riding, but I've done enough stupid stuff to know what I should avoid. Anyway, heal quick and if at all possible, get back on her ASAP. Nothing regains confidence like getting back on a bike. Unless you've realized that biking isn't for you of course. I'm starting to understand that not everyone should be on a motorcycle. Not that I'm including you in this catagory per se. Okay, please don't be mad at me if I sounded harsh. Tough love is still love dude. Heal up, and take it easy. ....Your ever faithful cousin, eric. Monday, July 14
Eric: sure, you got your pick of any of us. or... you know, you can just move to chicago. *wink* just got back from a doctor's appt. almost bought the farm myself this past saturday. i was dumb enough to ride after my friend's funeral and ended up crashing my motorcycle on a highway ramp. to make a long story short, i was riding distracted, lost control after running thru some gravel, and ended up flying about 10 feet off the bike. my right clavicle (sp?) broke into 4 pieces, got some road rash on my shoulder blade and elbow, and 8 staples in my head. extremely dumb, yes. if it werent for the soft grass i landed in, i probably wouldnt be alive. at any rate, ambulance and police were on the scene within 5 minutes or so, and i was immediately taken away to the ER where i got cleaned up a bit, got some x rays, etc. been sitting at home ever since, pretty much. anyway, im not justin so i can only type so much with one hand. more later...
Hi. I had problems replacing my rotors. Took like like 2+1/2 hrs. Sucked. I need an online store that will mail to Canada, b/c I can't constantly ask my American relatives to help me out. Or can I? Holler back.
??? I posted a big long note to cousin check on Fri., and when I clicked "view blog" I could see my entry. But today I went to look and my entry's gone! What's up with that? Saturday, July 12
Wow. Looking at the wreckage, it's amazing there were any survivors at all. It really is a fragile life... Sorry to hear about that also, Dan. I still don't have any friends who have died, so I can't say I know how you feel. But if you ever want to talk, you know where to find us.
ivan: yeah, heard bout it. Most of the victims were supposedly teachers. One of the teacher missed the bus (got up late), and wasn't on the bus of death. Talk about good fortune.
don't know if you guys have heard about this yet, but there was a bus accident in HK where 21 people died. my friend in HK told me about it last night. i found an article on CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/07/10/hk.buscrash/index.html Friday, July 11
Dan: that's pretty sad. My condolences man. I don't know what else to say. Luckily, my friends have been fairly lucky thus far, and we've been fairly crazy. I guess I'd rather be nuts and enjoying it, then staying at home bored as bread. Like you said on your site, it's a good reality check.
rotors arrived yesterday morning. Duh, I didn't notice the HUGE nicely ;) wrapped package sitting at the front foyer. Thanks everyone. I'll send a check ASAP. Saved me about $100 CAD.
hooked on virtual gambling..... Link But it's for research purposes in AI. I wish I was smart enough to be in the field of artificial intelligence, because that topic really, really fascinates me. Sigh, too bad I was hit with the duh hammer, repeatedly.....for a year.
just a quick update i guess. in half an hour im supposed to be boarding a plane going to DC for the weekend, but had to cancel the flight. a friend of mine drowned in a canoeing accident this past tuesday. somehow her canoe went 10-15 miles past the stopping point and ended up in not-so-safe waters, and eventually went off a dam. i dont really know any details beyond that or even how they overshot their mark by such a huge distance. anyway ill be going to the wake after work and memorial service tomorrow. also, three years ago today also happens to be when another friend of mine died in a scooter accident. so i guess it hasnt been the greatest few days for me, but life goes on.
serves you right for not chking w/ us more often Roberta. How's the dating front. Did you actually meet up w/ that creep.... errr guy at the bookstore? My memory is shot and don't remember final results. anyway, just came on here to say hi.
Hey, 'sup with the new Blogger format? I used to be able to post and view older posts on the same page, with a little calender to view "posts from this day" or a "view last 5/10/25 posts" button. Now on Blogger all I can do is post, and to see older posts I have to go to the archives. I haven't been here in a month so what happened? Speaking of violence...SI has an article on violence against sports mascots over the years. Sad and funny at the same time. Who knew it was such a risky job? T3's not on my must-see list (not an Arnold fan), but I've been looking forward to "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (unfortunately I've heard they've mucked around with the original comic (haven't read it myself) and dumbed it down, but it still looks cool) and strangely enough "Pirates of the Caribbean" (I know I'm a big LOTR fan and it's got Orlando Bloom in it, but I'm not much of an Orlando fan...I kinda have a soft spot for swashbuckling though). Plus, PotC may prove another useful step in my skeleton-phobia reduction. Few things freak me out as much as the sight of a human skeleton does, particularly a skull...been that way as long as I can remember, even in bio class. But I've found that viewing one often enough under the right circumstances (e.g., an enjoyable movie) dulls the horror. Thus, watching FOTR (not human skeletons, I know, but humanoid, close enough, trust me) and "The Young Ones" repeatedly has helped me immensely. Amateur Psych: The Home Game!
speaking of brakes...Dan, i think it's time we get new brakepads for the civic or something. it doesn't feel right. Thursday, July 10
Tuesday, July 8
Dan: Go rent T1 now! It completes the story. I think it's still a good (if overly violent) flic. I noticed that T3's violence is very much toned down. Unfortunately, the T-101 is nothing more than a tank in an MMORPG game. Sad. I like violence, if only to remind me just how brutal it can be. Monday, July 7
also saw T3 over the weekend. as absurd as it may sound, ive never seen T(1) before so i only have the sequel to compare it to. actually, i wont give my opinion on the movie overall since i get amused pretty easily, aside from liking it. great special effects and action sequences, why would you ask for more in a movie like that? maybe i should go rent the first movie one of these days. my train of thought just derailed, time to work. Sunday, July 6
I can't decide whether I like T3 or not. On the one hand, it leaves us wanting - a better storyline and a more cohesive movie. Yet, for what it's worth, there were some fairly amusing lines and sight gags that's not to be missed. Overall, it's one of those check your brain at the door and just enjoy the ride type flic. They try to keep the storyline plausible within the Terminator universe, but ultimately fail. The stuff they say in T2 just no longer applies to T3, especially the timeline where it all goes bad for human folk. But let's not over analyse the movie. For me, it's like Arnold's swan song. The dude's 50+ yrs old. He's just not going to be ripping off his shirt as much any longer. And let's face it, he's no acting giant. |