Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Celebrate good times

Had a great weekend with Becky, once the car work was out of the way. We saw Esther's Follies with her roommate Friday night, with a stop at Coyote Ugly. Saturday she had a friend in town, and after playing miniature golf at Peter Pan's we headed downtown for a couple drinks at Fado's, then on to Nate's rocking birthday party, featuring a real cabaret. Sunday we went horseback riding, nothing exciting but at least diverting, and great weather for it. We came back to the house, had dinner, and watched some TV. A good time was had by all.

Friday, February 23, 2007

My hands remind me of my father's.

Getting dirty

There are times I think my judgment is already fading fast. Not that I've ever been King Solomon, but then I've never been Pee Wee Herman either. Today, I changed the oil in my car by myself for the first time in about eight years. At one point I was using my foot to drag the plastic oil pan toward me so I could try to wedge it under the car and catch the oil running down my arm. Not only did I get oil all over the floor of the garage, but also all over myself, my tools, and my car.

I realize I'm not much of a car guy. I can't even tell most cars apart on the road. But my dad made sure to teach me some simple car maintenance, like rotating tires and checking and changing the oil. He's a phenomenal mechanic, and has been since long before I was born. If it has an engine, he can make it run. Since I left Indiana, I've missed his expertise many times.

In case you're wondering, the order is:
1) run the car a few minutes so the oil is warm and runny
2) drain the reservoir
3) remove the filter
4) replace the filter after rubbing a little oil around the rubber seal
5) replace the bolt to seal the reservoir
6) pour the oil into the engine
7) run the car a few seconds
8) check the level
9) clean up the mess

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Travel Diary - Day 5

Date: 2/20-21/97
Weather: partly cloudy, warm
Place: Honolulu, Auckland, Melbourne

I woke up on the plane shortly before dawn. They served breakfast, and I felt all right when we landed in Auckland. We sat and slept a little right in the airport, then got something to eat, resulting in my first New Zealand change. They accepted American money. On the plane to Melbourne, I had a glass of terrible red wine, then lunch with just Coke. We got in around 5:00pm and got our bags with no problem. I neglected to exchange money at the airport because we were looking for our ride. He picked us up and a Canadian girl named Stephanie. Later, we all went out since it was a Friday night (we had crossed the international dateline).

Monday, February 19, 2007

Travel Diary - Day 4

Date: 2/19/97
Weather: sunny
Place: Honolulu, Pacific Ocean

I got an entire night's sleep, which is more than I can say for my roommates. They got in about 3:00am, and were all asleep except Robin, who had a flight to Maui, when I got up and packed. I wore my swimsuit all day, with a shirt and my shoes. After discovering Haunama Bay doesn't open until noon on Wenesday's, I went to Waikiki for a while before trying to catch the bus there. I left my bags at the hostel and rented some snorkeling equipment from it to use at Haunama. The profusion of life there was incredible. The fish were thick and the coral unavoidable. I got some sunburn, then ate back at the hostel, before catching the bus to the airport. I met Kari and Susan there and fell asleep shortly after takeoff.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Travel Diary - Day 3

Date: 2/18/97
Weather: partly cloudy, sunny
Place: Honolulu

I was awakened by the garbage truck in the alley outside the hotel after only four hours of sleep. I got a shower and, after talking with Dad, finally got ahold of Kari and Susan. I found a hostel nearby and checked into it, leaving my large bag in the room I shared with four other guys. Kari, Susan, and I went to Pearl Harbor, and then to the mall, where I left them. Then, after deciding against the beach because it was too late, I went to Dockes with Robin, a 36-year-old from California, who was one of my roommates. We had roast beef and two Mai Tais each for supper, and I turned in at 10:00pm.

What goes around

I recently had my car in the shop, and when I left my key I didn't give them the keyless entry remote. I didn't notice until I got the car home, but when they gave me the key back there was a remote on the keychain for some other car. I decided, rather than thowing it in the trash, I would return it to the shop (an hour's drive each way in rush hour traffic, which would be the only time I could get there that they were open) so they could try to get it to the owner.

The next day, I didn't make it to the shop because I had other plans. That night, I also realized that I had forgotten a nice toolkit and jumper cables I always keep in my car and left them in the rental I was using when I turned it in at Enterprise the day before. I called and left a message at the branch asking if anyone had reported them.

The following morning, I got a phone call that my toolkit and jumper cables were in the office waiting for me. As that branch is right down the road from the shop, I could kill two birds with one stone and drop off the remote. I called the shop to let them know, drove up there, and handed it over. They didn't say they were missing it, so I doubt it had been reported, but they seemed happy to get it back.

Then I drove over to Enterprise and picked up my stuff, intact except for a missing can of fix-a-flat, which I won't miss. It was always rolling around in the trunk anyway. I was feeling good karma.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Travel Diary - Day 2

Date: 2/17/97
Weather: partly cloudy, sunny and warm, thunderstorms and hail
Place: L.A., Honolulu

I dreamed about seeing Dave (Author's note: my best friend freshman year at Purdue, he lived across the hall in the dorm and didn't come back sophomore year. For more, see here.) again. We were at some kind of wedding and I was happier to see him than he was to see me. He brought his girlfriend who I've never seen. I took a sightseeing tour of L.A. to wile away the hours: it was the best tour I've ever been on. The guide's name was Ray, and he was awesome, even though he brought us back an hour later than he was supposed to and got Mom so worried she cried. I managed to catch my flight this time, but there was no message for me at the airport from Kari or Susan (Author's note: on the flight I missed, I was supposed to be sitting next to them.) I'll try to catch them tomorrow. The hotel room I'm in tonight has three twin-size beds. The room is so empty, I'm lonely.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Sweet and low (temp)

We actually had a frozen Valentine's Day this year. I would have been happy with the 45-degrees they were predicting, compared to the arctic blasts we walked through from the car to the restaurant.

I must say I enjoy Thai food a lot, even though I don't eat it very often. We went to a cool place on Congress (though it would be more accurate to call it on the cross street, 7th, with no signs on Congress at all, so it took us ten minutes to find the place with just the address), and there was a live band playing, but not too long and not too loud. They also served one of the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had.

Travel Diary - Day 1

February 17, 1997 - July 5, 1997
U.S. - Australia - New Zealand

Date: 2/16/97
Weather: cloudy, snow in Chicago
Place: Cincinnati, Chicago, L.A.

I was so worried about missing my flight to Hawaii because of the threat of American Airlines' pilots' strike, that I went and did it anyway. (Author's note: this pending strike was making the news every night at the time, but it was resolved, at least for the purposes of my trip, when President Clinton ordered the would-be strikers to work as a temporary measure.) It was almost a relief to finally have it resolved one way or the other. I must have subconsciously wanted to see L.A. I spent the night in a Holiday Inn where I got a discounted room with a "distressed passenger" coupon. I fell asleep a little after 10:00pm L.A. time. At least this way the flight gets broken up. I got a king-size bed, too.

Travel Diary - Introduction

To celebrate the ten year anniversary of my trip from the United States to Australia, New Zealand, and back, I've decided to publish the diary I kept during the time I was actually travelling, day by corresponding day for the next five months or so. We'll pretend I published the first few entries on their corresponding days ten years ago, although a huge snowstorm prevented that from actually happening as my diary was in the mail. I wrote something every day I was going somewhere far from Melbourne, where I went to school for a semester, or returning there. Hope you enjoy it.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Be mine

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and for the first time since at least high school I have someone to spend it with. It has just so happened I don't think I've ever been seeing anyone come February 14th, but it's never really gotten me down, either. I'm well aware of the day's importance to the retail/gift/card industry, and just like Christmas, it can be a little distasteful if you get exposed to too much of the advertising, but I've never been one to shop for fun, so I rarely am. I'm looking forward to a night on the town, albeit probably a crowded one. We've been having a suprisingly cold and wet winter that started early, so I can only hope we get better than the 45-degree temperature they're currently predicting.