"Watching mud dry" written by Joe on estrip.org

Category: work

05/15/14 07:50 - ID#58983

Watching mud dry

Yesterday I had to watch a mud puddle for an hour.

Work had me go out to some sprawly street in Hamburg for a septic system perc test. Basically, you dig holes in the ground, fill them with water, and measure how fast the water is absorbed, so you can design how big the septic system needs to be. It's as interesting as it sounds.

When I got there, the contractor was being a dick to me, for riding a bike there (I was early), for not knowing where to test (my boss said the contractor should know) - but I talked to him for a while, he got much nicer and apologized for being rude before.

On the positive side, I got to leave the office to ride my bike for 16 more miles, making 34 for the day). The weather was amazing. I still want another job.

Permalink: Watching_mud_dry.html
Words: 155
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/16/14 12:58

Category: bikes

05/15/14 07:47 - ID#58982

Bike week lunches

Every morning this week, Rick's, Campus Wheelworks and Sweetness 7 have been giving away bagged lunches for bike week. Very awesome. The Rick's bag reminds me of an elementary school lunch. The sandwich is a PB&J on a hamburger roll.

They also give you a coupon for a dollar off of anything at Cafe 59 for each day you get a lunch.

Permalink: Bike_week_lunches.html
Words: 67
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/15/14 09:38

Category: cars

05/13/14 12:59 - ID#58975

Goodbye car

Goodbye to this fucking car. I put about 1500 miles on it, 176 this year. my sister will use it more, but maybe I can get her on a bike.

Midnight took a visit.

After the car was gone, (e:terry) and I went out to go see Erica at Nietzchie's. We ended up missing her, but heard a few good people anyway plus the croaky frog lady.

I was talking to some guy named Miles, who when he heard the name Visco, immediately brought up estrip. Apparently he had gone to high school with (e:mike) (he always thought Mike had the hottest friends) and knew about (e:strip) because someone had posted about him 10 years ago. Small world.

Terry and I talked a lot about what other things I want to do. I still don't know but I do know I want to try something else.

Permalink: Goodbye_car.html
Words: 155
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/14/14 09:23

Category: house

05/12/14 12:19 - ID#58974

Amish life

(e:paul) got a little obsessed with the Amish while were down in Brushwood. Apparently Pennsylvania Dutch really means German, and they have their own crazy bastard dialect. Paul thinks we can learn it to profit off of the massive Amish economy. I'd like to get hoch Deutsch down first.

Sponsored by Monster?

When we got home we had our own Amish experience. The power went out on at least three different circuits in the back of the house, including the kitchen, living room and stove. Flipping the breakers did nothing, so who knows what is going on with the wiring. Getting ready for Mother's day was so fun with a fridge full of spoiled food, a dead dishwasher full of dirty dishes, and no oven or microwave, but we managed to pull it off.

Permalink: Amish_life.html
Words: 140
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/12/14 01:18

Category: deutsch

05/12/14 12:09 - ID#58973

Hörspiele

I've been trying to do immersion with everything German to practice my Deutsch,. I've been using these "Hörspiele" or radio plays from Tim Staffel. (e:paul) and (e:terry) met him at Paul's school in Jena, and had one of his CDs "Stopper". I did some googling and found another called "CB-Funker"

I can't always understand every word, so I last week I wrote him and asked for the texts to the ones I had. Awesomely, he wrote me back with both transcripts and his newest play.

It's crazy to think how accessible the internet makes language learning. Even 20 years ago I think your only resources for self-taught language learning was the library, and whatever media you could order in the mail. Now I can write a German author about a play he wrote 15 years ago and get the transcript of it almost immediately.

He wrote back:

Lieber Joe Herzig,
es freut mich sehr, dass Ihnen meine Hörspiele gefallen. Ich erinnere mich auch gut an Paul und Terry und denke sehr gern an sie zurück. Vielleicht können Sie sie ganz herzlich von mir grüßen.
Ich schicke Ihnen gern die Texte; sie sind urheberechtlich geschützt.
Der 'Stopper'-Text stimmt wahrscheinlich nicht gänzliich überein mit der Hörspiel-Version.
Ich schicke Ihnen noch ein zusätzliches Stück - Das verlorene Paradies - vielelicht gefällt es Ihnen auch. Das Hörspiel schicke ich via WeTransfer.
Ihr Deutsch ist super - 10x besser als mein Englisch ...
Herzlichen Gruß, Tim

Dear Joe,
I am very happy to hear that you like my radioplays. I remember Paul and Terry well and like to think back on them. Maybe you can give them my regards.
I am gladly sending you the texts, they are protected by copywrite. The "Stopper"-text is probably not the same as the radioplay version.
I am sending you an additional piece - Paradise Lost - maybe you like it too. That radioplay I send via WeTransfer.
Your German is super - 10x better than my English.
Best Regards,
Tim

Permalink: H_rspiele.html
Words: 355
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/12/14 02:59

Category: family

05/12/14 12:05 - ID#58972

Mother's Day dinner

After rushing back from camping we had to get ready to have Mother's Day dinner. We thought we just had to clean the messy house, but it turns out, the power in the kitchen and living room went out. Candlelight dinner anyone?

Luckily (e:mike) had bought the food and prepared some of it at his house, and we still had a stove. He definitely saved the day on that one.

(e:Paul) and Mike's parents came, and so did mine, plus Emily and Daniel. Everyone seemed to have a really good time. I was really happy at how great our familes got along.

Random snacks on the fox tray

Grillmeister Paul

A bunch of delicious food - I'll have to take everyone's word on the steak, shrimp and chicken though.

Fancy fruit and whipped cream and chocolate drizz in champagne flutes. Presentation is always important

Dessert time

Then it was dark and we couldn't really clean in a candlelit kitchen. We watched Teen Wolf before passing out super early.

Permalink: Mother_s_Day_dinner.html
Words: 195
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/12/14 01:01

Category: camping

05/12/14 12:04 - ID#58971

Spring camping at Brushwood

Yesterday we got back from the first camping trip of the year at Brushwood. Absolutely good times.

It was such an amazing day - an emergency called camping came up so I had to leave work early. We met (e:heidi) and (e:dianne) down at the campsite.

The Brushwood hoarder bus (e:paul,58969) wonders about

Someone hung tampons in the tree - glad they weren't used

The first night it rained most of the time. (e:paul) was not a happy camper.

But he did have a gaybrella to keep himself from melting

Dead things

On top of it the rain, the car died after the first night because things kept running off the battery. Just enough battery was left to hit (e:terry).

The next day was a lot nicer weatherwise. Paul and I even got to go nackt. Not long enough to burn though.

Lots of frisbee and balls

The patent-pending firebuilding method from Paul

Schoen

Terry made us a nice eggy breakfast Sunday morning. Then we packed up to head home and get ready for mother's day.

Kyoot.

Permalink: Spring_camping_at_Brushwood.html
Words: 250
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/15/14 11:46

Category: bikes

05/12/14 11:59 - ID#58970

Tonawanda Ride

Thursday, it was absolutely amazing out. So after (e:terry) got home, we went over to meet up with (e:yesthatcasey) for a night ride. We explored Black Rock a little before getting on to the Riverwalk, which we took up to Tonawanda(city). It felt like a summer ride. Thankfully it was night so we missed most of the toxic air pollution along the river.

Almost derailed the train

On the way back we rode through Ken-Ton. (e:paul) had gotten home from a work party and was with his friend Tim. Total betrunken aber spass.

We stopped at this Tops before we turned around. These cookies are a thing.

Tim was wearing a New York Liberty WNBA hat (not sure why I know of any WNBA teams)

Permalink: Tonawanda_Ride.html
Words: 144
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/12/14 03:03

Category: bikes

05/08/14 12:24 - ID#58962

Rick's Wednesday ride

Wednesday I got home and went on Rick's Cycle shop new weekly ride. (6pm in front of Rick's). Not many people showed up at first, but by 6:30 we had a decent number of riders plus Rick's employees.

The ride was a super relaxed pace - we averaged about 12mph. Everyone riding was super streberhaft but that made it awesome. One guy I run into on my commute a lot was there - Dave. He wears two cameras on top of his helmet, plus has four times as many lights as I do. Out-nerded.

We rode up around to the cemetary, through the park to the riverwalk, and down to Canalside, where a Rick's employee bought everyone a round of beer at the Liberty Hound. After I rode back and hungout while (e:terry), (e:heidi), (e:dianne) and Meredith gamed.

My name is on that wall!

The mixture of a nice day, smell of the canal and sewage treatment plant almost made me want to row again.

Permalink: Rick_s_Wednesday_ride.html
Words: 184
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/12/14 12:16

Category: holiday

05/06/14 12:55 - ID#58960

Cinco de Mayo

(e:terry) wanted to get nachoes to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I knew it was going to be crazy out, but the hostess at Don Tequila told us about the 2 hour wait there like we would actually wait around for it.

Instead we had cheesy nachoes and salsa at home. Just as good. (e:paul) even got home earlyish.