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Nick

Car Update: waiting for my lease end edition

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Alright, friends. I went to Dover VW/Audi/Subaru (?) today to have Klaus’s oil changed. While I was there, I think you can guess what I did. I test drove the object of several years of lusting, the Audi A3 2.0T. I was not in the least disappointed. In fact, I’ve fully committed myself to making this my next car:

Barring any major changes of heart between now and the end of November (when I have to place my custom order,) I’ll be in a 2009 Ibis White A3 by this time next year. 🙂 What thinks you, readers?

Just Back In

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I traveled last night to King of Prussia, which is almost in Philadelphia, to visit with my mom who was there attending a beading conference. She said her workshop went well and showed me the nifty wire bracelet that she learned how to make, as well as her haul from the vendors on the show floor. After dumping my things in her room, we made our way downstairs for a marginally underwhelming dinner at one of the hotels restaurants. The only good thing about “Chumley’s” was the really overwrought 80s music blaring over the gathered middle aged Maaco conference attendees. Tears for Fears and Berlin…too good.

I woke up this morning feeling highly disappointed with the Sleep Number full bed in our room (and Mom concurred that hers sucked, too) and with two very large, very sore scratches on my neck. Vampire attack gone wrong? Alien abduction? They are perfectly parallel and completely inexplicable. I don’t remember having done anything to myself that would have caused such an injury so I’m flummoxed.

Anyway…after much pondering, we went downstairs for breakfast. This restaurant in the hotel provided a much better meal – namely lox and cream cheese. There were even capers! The strange elderly French/Spanish greeter-lady at the door called me a “beautiful boy,” blushed and muttered something in French/Spanish so perhaps I was just riding high from that unusual encounter?

Full (and complimented) we departed for the King of Prussia Shopping Experience™. It was just as dauntingly huge as the last time I was there, but we did end up finding everything after NUMEROUS trips to the directories. Luckily, we were not the only hopeless navigators, because there were actually mall staff stationed by these kiosks offering shortcuts and advice for getting around. I even found a Bubbles and stopped in for a spontaneous haircut. Can you say shaved lines on the side of my head? I can…and did.

And now I’m back after only an hour and forty minutes in the car. I used my own intuition to find my way out and beat Google’s estimate by almost 45 minutes. Take that, internets.

One Year On…

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I’ve been in Chestertown for over a year now. And, I’ve been working for the school for exactly one year today. To commemorate this (and mostly because she wanted to take photos,) Tara and I took a walk to capture the blooming things. I recalled as we were finishing up that about a year ago I did the exact same thing, captivated as I was by the blooming EVERYTHING of this little town.

For your perusal:

Today’s Lyrics

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I woke up in a pretty good mood today and, rather out of the blue, began mulling these lyrics over and over in my mind. I share them with you now, no?

You are my autoharp
I push every button on your body
I push the a minor, the e flat, the f major
And especially the c sharp 7

You are my autoharp
I play every string in your mind
And even when I play them very loud
They keep in tune
But how will they sound soon

You are my autoharp
I bought you in a pawnshop in Virginia
You were cheap but in good condition
Longing for someone to take you on an exotic trip

You are my autoharp
I carried you all over the world
In my hard case called the heart
You’re the reason for my blood to keep running
Through my veins every album again

“Autoharp” by Hooverphonic

Car List: Revised

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After a trip to Annapolis this evening to pick up Kate’s car from having its hood closure repaired (stupid latches!) I have whittled down my car list a bit more. Basically, I saw a 1 Series and realized that this little BMW is too, well, little. There is just NO ROOM behind the driver’s seat, and since I’m the kind of driver that needs lots of leg room, this will always be the case. I mean, the bottom cushion is literally touching the back of the front seat. I think this is called a “luggage shelf” and for practical purposes, it’s a three passenger car. Not gonna work. 🙁 Cute as all hell in person, though.

The updated list:

Japan

  • 2009 Acura TSX – $29,570 (Jalopnik calls it boring…may have to drive.)
  • 2008 Honda Accord EX-L Sedan – $29,517 (Too common.)
  • 2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 SE Coupe – $31,395

Germany

  • 2009 BMW 128i Coupe – $32,385 (Saw it today…too small!)
  • 2009 Audi A3 2.0T – $31,860
  • 2009 Audi A4 2.0T – $32,175 (I hope we get the new body style by next year.)
  • 2009 Volkswagen Passat Komfort – $29,647 (Still in the running.)

A very good weekend, indeed.

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I just saw Dusty off, on his way home from a totally excellent visit to Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Well, that’s how I’d describe it, anyway…I hope he’d tend to agree. This weekend was the Lit House’s “Literature at the Margins Festival” featuring two webcomics, Jeph Jacques and Aaron Diaz, as well as the H.P. Lovecraft scholar, S.T. Joshi and a local science fiction author, Peter Heck. It was two days of readings, panel discussions and general geekery. Very fun, overall, though poor Kate had to work herself silly to help the students pull everything off. But, we all did get to hang out with the honored guests on Friday evening and she made it over to spend time with us last night after the events. Dusty picked a rather excellent three days to spend here, as far as there actually being things to do in town goes.

When not listening to smart people talk about their incredibly clever lives and works, we spent our time eating huge amounts of Mexican food, drinking lots of the Easter-appropriate Awesomer Than Jesus cocktails and listening to excellent music. Dusty discovered he loves “Xavier: Renegade Angel” and I rediscovered how fantastic Hard ‘n Phirm really is. We played a bit of Mass Effect (read, I played) this morning while Dusty alternated between napping and reading his first few pages of “Transmetropolitan.” Then it was time for Easter dinner with Tara (aka: Shannon) and Kate. I experimented with making a vegetarian moussaka…and was told it actually turned out quite well. This impresses me because it was a complete leap of culinary faith.

And then, just like that, the weekend was over. Dusty departed, Kate went to get some groceries (maybe…if the store is open) and Tara went back to her own tiger cat. So here I sit, in the dark because I’m too lazy to reach two feet to turn on the office light, listening to MGMT and drinking my second cup of coffee. But, it was a great last couple of days and makes me look forward to the next time I have a visitor! Dusty, you may bring yourself back anytime you so desire. Hoover, you are next!

That was a whirlwind

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Today’s activities began at 5:30 am – when I arose to begin preparing for a drive to Gettysburg. Departing at 6:30 (on time, mind you) I mounted my assault on the Pennsylvania border. Google promised at 3 hour and 15 minute drive, so I was quite surprised and happy to find myself a minor 30 miles away when 8:30 rolled around. And then I realized that I had misread my directions and was in Hagerstown, on the wrong road. An extra 30 miles later and I was at Hannah’s mom’s. Still under time, but bummed that I had wasted such a great lead!

The reason for my journey: Hannah’s bridal shower. It is printed in the wedding program that I am a “Bride’s Man,” so therefore I am obviously important. Or the groom. I really have no idea what such an unusual title is supposed to mean. Anyway, it was my first bridal shower attended as an adult and I must say that it was highly enjoyable. Mostly it consisted of Hannah’s relatives being both adorably sweet and amazingly dirty. And mimosas, and sammiches, and presents. Lots of presents.

But, it was great fun to see Hannah and Jill and Melissa and, of course, Marie. And to finally meet more of Hannah’s relatives and see Jay’s parents (and their tiny little Jack Russel Terrier) and everyone else that was there. But! Six hours in a car in one day is a bit much and now I’m a bit dazed. Just a bit, but dazed nonetheless. So, off to Kate’s for a tasty cheese dinner, methinks.

I leave you with a link to a few photos from today. I forgot a real camera, but the iPhone pictures tell a pretty decent tale: Flickr

Burger Feast 2008

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Kate had a dream. A dream of delicious homemade cheeseburgers topped with fresh lettuce, onion and giant tomato slices. Chased down by smooth, frothy milkshakes made in her very own kitchen. A belly full of American diner goodness for each and every Kate.

I helped her realize this dream.

In fact, I added in crispy bacon and frosty cold beer. And it was so good.

Behold:

IMG_0084

Burger Feast 2008

I’ve never felt so pregnant with red meat as I did last night, wrapped in the leathery embrace of Kate’s sofa as we gleefully digested her dream (and slipped closer and closer to food comas.)

God bless America – where some dreams really do come true.