vinnycactus

Its been this long??

2007-02-07T07:12:00.000-08:00

didn't realize its been this long since a put in an entry. taryn is mad and said she would divorce me if I didn't add something fun or witty or offensive.

so what's been going on..........on the bike front, I bought a $800 turd of a fork, lent out a fork that the kid I lent it to won't return, and i've created a new sport called XTreme Trainer riding. so there is a couple things right now that piss me off. my new fork is one thing but me lending out a fork and not having it returned since I am without REALLY pisses me off. i'm not very nice when I'm angry. so here's the deal. kid was without a fork and couldn't ride. me being the nice guy that I am said i'd loan him a fork as long as he got it back to me when he was done. this was about september. so a few months pass and my new fork breaks. i contact the kid and say that my fork is broke and I need the loaner back. he says to me he'd get it back to me and hasn't even used it in a couple month's. cool. this was about a month ago. still no fork. are you fucking kidding me? here i am, trying to be a nice guy and this little turd is dicking me around. apparently he doesn't know me very well. apparently he doesn't know that i'm not a very pleasant person if you fuck with me.

seriously, what is the deal with people? people suck. I try to be a nice guy and help people out and always seem to get taken advantage of. if someone were to help me out, I would go above and beyond to return goods, go above and beyond to fullfill obligations. i mean what the fuck? are people really that big of douchebags? and it seems to happen to me all the time. i'm going to start punching people in the face. i wish I could legally. how fun would that be.

from now on I'm not being such a nice guy. i know what your saying, "you're really not that nice". Yeah, at times i say things to offend people and may do some uncouthe things. but, if any aquatintances of mine need help in anyway, I'm usually there to help out anyway I can. i'm a firm believer in paying things forward. but you know what, I'm running out of checks to right. i think the only way someone really helped me out recently (besides my wife) was the guy who GAVE ME the fork I lent out in question. big props to ScottT on that one. other than that pretty much people blow.

i say i won't help people out anymore, but i probably will. for those of you who have fucked me, my wife, my friends, my family or my dog, i'm sending you all bad karma. please don't EVER expect me to help you out with anything again, unless your on fire and you need me to piss on you to extinguish the flames.

In happy news, today is our 3 year anniversary of having Kona!!! Seems like we've had him forever. My dad and Peeder are coming done in April. So after almost two years of being here, I finally get visitors of my own!!!!

Friends

2006-09-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I posted. This will be a departure from my typical bitching.

I was at home last week for a wedding/vacation. Been over a year since I was there and seen any family or friends. Going home was good for two reasons. First, it reinforced why I moved. Second, it was really good to see my closest friends. We stayed at my best friend Phils house for our first few days with his wife a two kids. Good times since I haven't seen him in over a year. Saw a couple of girls who I used to work with. I never considered them co-workers but friends I used to spend 8hrs a day with. We went to the Cape and met up with my friends Peter and Michelle. Really good to see them. They're going to try to make it down over Columbus day.

What makes them such great friends is that even though I haven't seen them in over a year, its like we never left. Basically picked up where we left off. Granted I talk to these people on a regular basis, its not the same as seeing them in person.

Overall vacation was good. Aside from the shitty weather and 15hr fiasco coming home, it was a good time.

Man Purse Rant

2006-07-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

So I work in uptown Charlotte. On any given day coming into work, I've been noticing a disturbing trend. Man Purses. You know what I'm talking about. Those all too metro "guys" with their little sqare bags, only big enough to hold their cover up and metro rule book. They typically carry them strapped diagonally across themselves much in the way you would carry a messenger bag. Look buddy, you're not fooling anyone. You're carrying a purse. Stop trying to kid yourself. You don't look cool. You look like someone very confused. I carry a laptop bag. Why? Because I have a laptop. And it holds my lunch. Very functional. These knuckleheads wiith their little sissy bags, I don't get. One day I'm going to beat one up and steal his bag so I can see what's in it. Here is what I envision I will find:

1. "Man" Makeup
2. The Metro rule book and Metro secret decoder ring
3. Keys to a Jetta (if you read this, sorry Rob)
4. Maroon 5 cd
5. Frequent buyer Starbucks card

And most of these bags are black. What, since its black it makes it ok? Wrong. You probably have a little black dress in the closet too, like every good woman, errr, I mean metro should have. Do girls really like these tendencies? One of my best friends, had such tendencies through high school and college...............then he came out of the closet. I just think there are certain rules guys should have to follow:

1. don't carry a purse
2. don't drive a Jetta (again, sorry Rob)
3. don't wear makeup
4. don't listen to Maroon 5
5. don't double park in a public restroom
6. don't share an umbrella with another man

I could go on forever but you get the idea.

Middle East/American tourist rant

2006-07-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

what's the deal there in Lebanon and Isreal? Not the fighting since that's been going on forever, but the American citizens who are there. And not really because they are there, but more so that intense fighting has erupted and they need to be evacuated. People are complaining because they will have to pay and that it is taking too long. Are these people retarded? What the fuck did you expect. YOU VISITED A COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN AT WAR FOREVER!!!! And the whole "why do we have to pay??". You know why you have to pay, because you're a fucking moron, thats why. Look, I understand some of these idiots have family there and are visiting. But assume the risk. You shouldn't have went there in the first place. There is a reason why you moved to this country.......because your country sucks. Your family stuck there? Buy them a plane ticket to visit you here. Pretty sure they're not going to have to be rescued. Bottom line, these douchebags decided to visit a place that has been and probably always will be on the brink of self-destruction. These boobs should do nothing but get on the boat or plane and say who do I make the check out to.

No love for the 9'er

2006-07-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

I got a chance to try a karate monkey yesterday at Beatty. granted it was only for about a half mile, but that half mile was long enough to realize it wasn't my cup of tea. First, it felt real sluggish out of the gate. I think it had a 32-19 gear ratio and I though it would be alot quicker. compared to mine, 32-16, there was no comparison. second, the steering was super slow. it felt like i was running a 7" fork on a 4" frame. third, I didn't feel any noticeable difference when it came to rolling over obstacles that would compensate for the slow steering and sluggish get up. In all honesty, it felt like I was pedalling a beach cruiser in the woods. Some may take this as me just trying to break balls. I'm really not. I truly did not like the ride of it. I'll be sticking with 26" wheels. Or maybe I'll start running 24's.

Hot smelly weekend

2006-07-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

Man was it hot this weekend. Did the DD's skills clinic on Saturday. By about 10:30am it had to be eleventy billion degrees outside. Of course during the ride I managed to get a flat. Seems as though everytime I ride I break something. I did however hit the 5ft to pretty flat drop out at Renni. Reminds me of home. Sketchy run in to flat drop. Good times!!! After the ride Taryn and I ran through the sprinklers they had running on the soccer fields. That night we watched Wedding Crashers. What a piece of turd that movie was. They could have done that entire movie in about 30min. Lame. It reinforced why I don't go to the movies or rent them. Movies pretty much suck.

Sunday rode PW's. Worked on my jumping skills and was able to clear the pretty decent sized table right at the trailhead. Even with the heat I felt like a million bucks. We rode the loop twice which comes out to be about 14 or so miles. I was looking to go again but Taryn, Melanie, Dolby and Tom seemed to be hurting. So I guess two was enough. When we got home, Kona had gotten sick with the runs. Good times!!! Apparently he had eaten something on his walk the previous day. He was due. He hasn't been sick since we moved down here. The house smelled like a toilet after a chili eating contest. He really didn't seem sick. He was still his happy yellow self. Thankfully he wasn't up all night like he has been in the past.

Well, that's all I got for now. Hopefully someone will annoy me today so that I can have an entertaining rant.

Weekend in review Rant

2006-07-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

Friday night really didn't do anything besides think about what I was going to do Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, Melanie and Dolby, had a party to celebrate Dolby's 46th birthday. This is where my weekend got good. We started out with a ride with about 20 or so people. Ride was going relatively well until I decided to jam a stick in my rear derailleur and snap it off. I didn't want to ride any more anyway. Plus the 5 or so derailleurs I've gone through in the past few months didn't seem like nearly enough. So I walked out of the woods back to their house. I ran home picked up a spare, my last one, so that I could put it on while at the party, considering I was riding the next day. I also put on my new Syncros Drillium flats. I suggest everyone buy these pedals as you will no longer need clippless. As long as you don't mind the possibility of slipping a pedal and catching your shin. When's the last time you saw your tibia anyway? We left the party about ten or so. I may add that when we left, Tim(Sir Chico), was pretty much passed out due to the fact that he brought his own martini shaker. Prior to his unconsciouness, he seemed to be enjoying a game of hide and seek. Apparently he didn't realize that he was playing by himself. On to my buddy Rob's house to watch UFC 61. What a fucking disappointment. Tito Ortiz was fighting Ken Shamrock. I was hoping to watch Shamrock get a thorough beating. Unfortunately a minute and a half into the fight, Ortiz stuff his elbow into Shamrocks mouth about 6 times and the fight was over. The other heavyweight champanionship fight was even lamer. Oh well. Thanks to Melanie, Dobly, Sir Chico and Rob for keeping me entertained on my Saturday.

On to Sunday. This is where it gets good. Taryn and I get up about 8 to head out to PeeWee's for a ride. We met Rob, Jon, and Laura at about 10. No Tom. So we head out. I'm still a little pussy on my bike since breaking my foot and knocking myself unconscious, so my ride was less than stellar. We hit up a lap and on our way through the parking lot for #2 Tom is there. Apparently it took him about 1.5 hrs to get there due to shitty directions. So off for lap #2. Uneventfull pussiness on my part ensued. Blah, blah blah. I get home and take a nap and decide to cut the lawn. Now, I have a history with my lawn mower............I hate it. Can't really walk at a normal pace behind it as it bogs down and dies. Its got a brand new blade and continues it bullshit. A couple neighbors walk by and say the lawn looks great. I ignore their comment and tell them my lawnmower fucking sucks and I'm going to burn it(exact words). They look frightened. I think I just forced them to move from the neighborhood. The fun continues. 10 feet it dies. 10 feet it dies. Last week the adjuster for the wheels broke so I ran self tapping metal screws through it to hold the wheels up. Apparently I set them too low. I took the screw out and raised them so high, now my mower looks like some ghetto hoopdy I bought in east charlotte. So I finish cutting my lawn. Since I cut about a quarter of it really low, and the rest really high, it looks like I was trying to cut designs in it. Like I was an illiterate trying to spell someones name in my grass or some shit.

So all in all, a good weekend which ended in massive frustration and anger. My neighbors think I'm psycho, my lawn looks like i'm trying to kill it, I have more broken bike parts, and I have to go to work tomorrow. At least I don't have to use my mower for a week.

Friday Rant

2006-07-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

Cell phones. I hate cell phones. I hate when people drive and talk on their phone. I hate when people walk and talk on the phone. In the elevator? Their lucky I don't throw it down the elevator shaft. In the grocery store? In a resteraunt? Bluetooth ear peices? Are you kidding me?????? If your a person that has a very important job, like a brain surgeon, it understandable. But you can't tell me that Joe Unemployed driving a 1987 Chevy Citation needs blue tooth. This guy should still be using a rotary phone at home. The other thing I notice is people talking on there phones on their way into work. Its 7am. Who are you waking up? Use this commute time to reflect on who you annoyed with your cell phone nonesense from the prior day. I want to get the original cell phone. You know the one I'm talking about. The one that was the size of a small child. I want one of those. And I'm going to put it on a belt clip. But not any belt clip. I'm going to put it in one of those hammer holders construction workers wear. And instead of having a bluetooth to it, I'm going to take the receiver from an old phone with one of those pieces that allows you to rest it on your shoulder. Cell phones suck.

What's the deal?

2006-07-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

What's the deal with metrosexuals? I went to a club the other night for the first time in years. I could have sworn it was a gay club. But I was mistaken. It was just full of metrosexuals. I think they're just guys who haven't come out of the closet. I think they all spend more $$ on beauty products than my wife(although she doesn't ever need any). And what's this thing with wearing lowrise, girls jeans? What, normal jeans don't hurt your balls enough? Or is it that when you join the metro club they cut your balls off? Who knows.

Another thing too. We went to a 4th party at a local bike shop. Is everyone a vegan? What the fuck is a vegan? Is it another way to make yourself sick? No offense, but everyone there who was a vegan looked like they could have used a good veal burger. Is being a good vegan mean you have to wear girls jeans if you have a penis? If I ride my bike and have to wear one of my wifes shammy's, does it make me metro or do I just need to do laundry? I'm confused..............not confused like a metro though.

Kona

2006-07-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about my dog. He's a 5 year old yellow lab. He's also known as Stinka Face or Bubba. We treat him like a human being since we have no kids, he's our child. He's got this thing for squirrels. All you have to do is say the word squirrel and its like he's been up all night doing meth. God forbid he ever gets a hold of one. I don't know what he'd do. Eat it, play with it, pee on it. Who knows. He's been close to getting one before. Sometimes he even looks and barks up trees that havn't seen squirrel in years. At least he's proactive.

Why I ride my bike......by Vinnycactus

2006-07-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

It all started in 1997. My girlfriend at the time thought it would be a good idea for me to buy a mountain bike. She already had one since a previous boyfriend was an xc racer boi and thought it would be fun to do. So off the the local bike shop we went. $500 later I was ready to venture out on my hardtail GT Rebound. My girlfriends ex-boyfriend, who we still remain friends with, to me to be careful as its addictive once you get into it. Bullshit I say. I'm just doing this for recreation. As the years roll by, I've realized what he was talking about. I think I've spent enough $$ on bikes that I could have bought a small island. Here's a quick rundown, I'm sure I forgot a couple:

GT Rebound: $500
GT XCR 3000: $1000
Giant NRS 1: $2200
Giant AC1: $1500
Evil Imperial: $2800
Morewood Shova: $3000
Evil DOC: $1500
Tomac Buckshot SS: $400
Specialized Epic: $2800
Cannondal Gemini: $2800
Surly 1x1 SS: $1500

Total: $20k on bikes ONLY in 9 years. This doesn't include numerous forks, wheelsets, drivetrain pard, saddles, tires, tubes, camelbacks, bars, stems. This is also between the two of us. That girlfriend who started me out in this downward spiral of spending? Yeah, she's my wife now.

Getting back to why I ride my bike. Exercise, friendships, being in the woods. Most of all its something me and Taryn enjoy to do together. I enjoy seeing her excel at it almost more than I like riding myself. I think at times I ride just so I can watch her ride. Although at times she get pissed when we get out there and I start hammering away. We've also made great friends because of riding. Don't get me wrong, I've met a fair amount of douchebags as well. But the majority are good people.

Me? A blog?

2006-07-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

I've created a blog. Why? Who knows. Seems like the cool thing to do. Everyone has one. I think my grandmother has one. What's going to be in my blog? I don't know. Pictures of people riding bicycles, my wife, my dog. Random thoughts that make no sense. I suppose your typical annoying bullshit. Information about myself that people don't care about. So let the annoyances begin.