Where I've been.

For a few months I haven't really felt like talking. I had a lot on my mind but nothing approaching a cogent thought. For much of the time we were simply exhausted from, well from life.

Lisa's grandfather passed away. Now I'm almost free to talk about it. It's hard to talk without sounding like I'm gloating. I'm not. Tom was my best friend these last few years. We played together. I listened to the same god damned stories every week. Each telling seemed to be taking on a more intense sense of urgency. Tom had to get them out before his end came. He knew it was coming. He fought every slip and slide toward what comes next. Kind of like that Seinfeld episode where George fakes being a marine biologist.

"The sea was angry that day my friend!" "Like an old man sending back a bowl of soup in a restaurant."

Tom refused that last bowl of soup as if he could hold off and hold on to one more rush. But he knew when he bought his last car that he was buying his last car. He knew the mess he was leaving when he burned the engine on his Porsche. He knew no one would buy his broken down Bricklin during his lifetime.

We had the Porsche fixed. I just could not stand the thought of it not rolling around. The Bricklin I can do myself.

He left Lisa the house and the objects there-in. He left the cars to her but it was understood that the cars would be for me to look after as I had when he was living. He left us land that we can't build a house on. The joke's on Wenham. I found a tax loophole that lets me tell them to go fuck off. We can't build and they can't tax us on it. They get my trees for a decade and I have my own adventure park to four wheel drive in.

We have nothing to complain about. Hopefully no one else will and the estate will pass probate quickly. In the mean time, I know what 250 km per hour feels like.

I Knew It

I knew if I didn't defend the smokers that sooner or later someone would come for my beer.

Dear Toyota,

My first car was a used '84 Corolla. My next car was a used '92 Corolla. That one got me through college. A '96 Tacoma got me to grad school and back. All three were used and still ran like a charm. I am now ready to trade in my Taco for an FJ Cruiser. This will be the first new car I've ever purchased. Perhaps it's me but I thought good faith negotiations with a salesman would lead to a sale.

I asked Toyota.com for quotes from the 3 closest dealerships. One never responded. I suspected you knew because I got an email from Toyota Dealership Follow-up asking if they contacted me or not.

Another dealership replied right away and we talked for a couple days about what I was looking for. Then that sales person stopped responding to my emails and phone calls.

The third dealer seemed to be genuine in trying to help me. I test drove a car and liked it. I did want to look at a couple more cars before I made a decision but I decided to go with the third dealership. I started negotiating. I don't need to see the paper to know when I'm being 'four squared'. Sadly I've seen these tricks before at used car lots. I warned the salesman not to insult me with such manipulative tactics. I made my intention to purchase the car very clear. I gave my best offer for price and we began to discuss my trade-in, my '96 Tacoma.

We had nothing more then a handshake but we agreed on $28,000 for JTEBU11F270036722 provided they could offer me $3,500. I was initially told they only wanted to offer me $3,000 but bring it in and my good buddy would try to offer me more. We could have closed today.

I'm sorry if I don't need dealer financing. I've saved 40% down and my credit union pre-approved me for a much better rate then you offer. I was clear about my trade in being a deal breaker before I drove in. I can afford this car but I'm not going to over extend. I got a sorry no can do for my trade and my salesman even tried to show me places to sell my trade in myself for even more money. I was given the brush off to stew about losing a good deal over $500. Your boy certainly knows his psychology. So do I.

As I said, I'm familiar with tricks and manipulation. I recognize when I'm getting jerked around. Before I even got home I had an email from my chum telling me not to give up. He'll call the GM on vacation and get me that $500. Then I got the voice mail that he'll do it only if I can close this deal so they can get the Tacoma out to auction by Thursday. I wish my windows in the house were as transparent as your salesforce.

I'm not in the habit of jerking people around. I don't appreciate it when I'm still being jerked around even after I've warned someone to stop. I've given Toyota three chances to sell me a car this week. So far the best experience I've had was from the dealership that blew me off up front.

I don't really expect you to do anything for me. I just wanted to say goodbye.

Adventure

Barney has figured out how to open the front door and decided to become an outdoor kitty today. He was out for about 10 minutes before the neighbors free range doggy started chasing him. The twins next door came over and did that creepy twin thing where they speak in unison. "I think your cat got out."

I caught Barney in the hedges next to the house. He was all wigged out by the dog but didn't want to come back inside. He started to turn like he was going to bolt but let me pick him up. He didnt'want to come back in and has spent the rest of the day trying to get back outside.

Lisa is distraught over the thought of Barney running away and getting eaten by the coyote or the fisher cat.

BTW, The duck eggs never hatched.

That Takes Care Of The First Ammendment

Children cannot be allowed to advocate any viewpoint the principal disagrees with.

What bothers me the most about this story is not that the kid disrupted a school approved event. Allowing classes to go outside while the Olympic Torch ran by did not fully cancel the school day. Unfurling the banner was a provocative act and the kid got called out on it. What bothers me is the implication that the kid was a troublemaker and so had no expectation of a fair trial. It all comes down to this statement in the article "Frederick, who had had previous disciplinary problems at school."

Frederick was a nail that stuck out. The Supreme Court has given carte blanche for school administrators to bring out the hammers.

Regrets, I've Had A Few

When I was in my late teens I had a chance to see Don Ho when my dad and I went to Hawaii. I thought it was too much of a cliche'. Thing is, I like Don Ho. I actually own some of his CD's. I even watched his show when I was a kid. I was just at that age where I was too cool to do anything. About 10 years ago I really started to wish I had seen Don Ho when I had the chance. He would have been in his 50's at the time, still working in the big room with the big orchestra. I missed my chance.

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things

Bob Clark the director you would know from "Porky's" but I celebrate as the second greatest zombie film filmmaker ever has passed away in a car crash.

I saw CSPWDT on a TV my dad brought up to Gunstock Maine one chilly summer night just after my parents got divorced. We went camping and I fucking hate camping but I love my dad so I go camping with him. He brought a crappy little TV and plugged it in at the camp ground. Some crappy little UHF channel was running it on their Friday night movie slot and they were so crappy and little they ran the reels in the wrong order. I had no idea what the fuck was going on but I couldn't take my eyes off it.

There's rumors of a remake of Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. He was attached to the project so it probably wouldn't have sucked.