Get Your Grump on Thursdays - Was (What's chapping my @ss today?)

[davids]

I love the line in The Postman, where Tom Petty comes out of the dam to greet Kevin Costner.

KC: "Hey, I know you. Aren't you famous?"

TP: "I used to be."

[Pushing floor]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. We just lost another great one:

[lumpy]

I go to a pizza shop on the corner three times a week. Today it's locked and dark. Sign on the door: "Closed until further notice by order of the Board of Health." I never suffered any ill effects. Gol-dang nanny state.

[Matthew Strongin]

I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. I friggin' hate the dentist.

Oh, and it's 4:48pm EDT on Thursday and FNL hasn't started yet.

[htwoopup]

How I have gotten used to technology and information. A few years ago this wouldn't upset me but now it is making me crazy. I bought a new to me n+1. It is coming from far away. I would think a week in shipping. The seller dropped it off at FedEx which picked up my address as a regular customer and sent me a text saying they had a package for me and it would be here Wednesday night. I knew better but I know that sometimes freight like a bike goes on a plane and is faster if they have room. And the tracking number said it would be here by end of day Wednesday. Today, they updated it to "pending delivery date" and all it says is it left the FedEx facility in California on Tuesday.

I ordered new Bora's for the new to me bike from a website in Italy that I love. The bank declined the charge because my billing address is Canadian, the shipping address is in NY, and I haven't used the card in Italy ever. So, wanting the wheels about when the bike comes I figured use PayPal because that is immediate. After getting an email saying my wheels would be shipped momentarily I received an email from Paypal saying they had removed the money from my bank account but it would take 5 business days to get it to the website in Italy and they tell merchants not to ship until the merchant gets the money. WTF Paypal, you have the money are you saying to the merchant you are going to stiff them???? And when does that mean my wheels will come, get through customs, and get to my garage???? Surely not when the DHL site said they would.

I hate that I have allowed companies and technology make me think things are quicker and rosier than they are. I was better off not having any idea so I wasn't expecting anything. It is always better to under promise and over deliver but I guess corporations haven't figured that out yet.

And it is important on emotional things like N+1.

[oopfoo]

I found out one of my best friends from high school (who I had unfortunately lost touch with over the years) died last month. 47 years old.

[mmoore]

Early grump this week: why when you order black heavy duty spokes for use with tandem/ebike do they come with silver alloy nipples?

[bironi]

Maybe I've caused my current grump. My cell phones keep dying. Could it be cause I carry them in my Jersey pocket sans ziplock bag?

[Tom]

It's Wednesday. I'll do pushups, but if these idiots keep it up I won't live until tomorrow.

(1) Send email with specific question.
(2) Get involved with work that requires concentration.
(3) Receive instant messages from email recipient.
a. "Hi.
b. "How are you?
c. "This is ---- ---" (What a freaking coincidence... the banner at the top of the window has your name in it!)
d. "I am from ---- --- group."
e. <Random text that doesn't have anything to do with the question.>

Step 3 has occurred now 4 separate times this morning. Why the hell can't people clue in that if they receive a goddamn email they reply by email, especially when they are asked a simple and direct question? For example: "Please send me the Work Request number." Is that question impenetrable?

[NYCfixie]

Sitting through another day of a instructor with the most annoying monotone voice droning on about topics that are not even that interesting (CISM). If you are going to teach something, try to engage your students rather than just read the text off your slides which I can do myself. Maybe a real world example every once in a while?

[monadnocky]

Sitting through another day of a instructor with the most annoying monotone voice droning on about topics that are not even that interesting (CISM). If you are going to teach something, try to engage your students rather than just read the text off your slides which I can do myself. Maybe a real world example every once in a while?

Thank goodness... For a moment I thought you meant this CISM .... which, um, has never been shown to actually do anything and most likely makes things worse.

You know, like DARE programs.

[mnoble485]

First world problem but still my grump. Vacation time is guarded and I try to use it wisely. Spending three days with my wife's niece and her kids at a time share in Kissimmee is not my idea of well spent time. Those that know, know what I'm talking about.

Mike

[Matthew Strongin]

First world problem but still my grump. Vacation time is guarded and I try to use it wisely. Spending three days with my wife's niece and her kids at a time share in Kissimmee is not my idea of well spent time. Those that know, know what I'm talking about.

Mike

I'd probably prefer a root canal, which coincidentally, I got yesterday. Not fun at all.

[defspace]

So tired. Dunno if I'm lifting too much, riding too much, not sleeping enough (there's your winner!) or what.

I dunno how you guys with kids do it.

[72gmc]

I was completely unaware it was Alien Day on 4/26.

(Images by Scott C.)

alien_scottcampbell1.jpg

alien_scottcampbell2.jpg

Alien-Scott_Campbell_Scott_C-Watercolor-trampt-75863m.jpg

ScottC_Alien_Powerloader.jpg

[j44ke]

I rode ~160 miles last week, felt great, looked forward to this week, then my wife's friend from Switzerland called and said surprise we are coming through NYC would like to stop by maybe stay overnight. Okay, she's great, my wife's sister from another mother really, her two girls 10 & 12 years old are great, everything is great, so she comes over, nice dinner, kids are funny and beautiful to the point where the waiter does whatever they want and strangers stare when we walk down the street, which is sort of funny, kids have both modeled for Swiss kids clothes lines, my wife's friend is relieved to see us because she's been dealing with her mom's slow decay, lots of chatting, problems presented for discussion, lots of discussion, kids are still great, go home go to sleep wake up everyone has breakfast then they go on their way to the next stop and we clean up my wife goes to work and then about 2PM my throat starts to feel a little scratchy and....

...now I have a cold. Growing since Tuesday morning. Wednesday was a waste of time. I just stared at a wall most of the day. I was going to put bike cleats on a pair of shoes at least, and at 5PM I looked down at my desk and there were the cleats and screws still sitting there. No idea what happened. This morning I am a bit better, but now it is in my left sinus. Right sinus is fine, but the left one is dripping like a faucet. Low energy.

Kids are great, but they contain huge numbers of evil germs. You are better off putting a wad of ancient dollar bills in your mouth and sucking on those for a while. Fewer germs. We have no kids either, so no immunities. One of these days, a kid is going to show up carrying some kind of bug and that will be it. Zip us up.

I just wanted to get into a rhythm, build some fitness, get something going, ride more than 40 miles to NJ once in a while, etc. By the time I get back on the bike (hoping for Friday) I will be two steps back. It has been this way for the last two (chilly wet) springs.

[dogrange]

So tired. Dunno if I'm lifting too much, riding too much, not sleeping enough (there's your winner!) or what.

I dunno how you guys with kids do it.

It is hard, but we get it done. Not sleeping enough, you have identified the epidemic disease. VSalon is both a great inspiration and a sobering influence as it can seem that everyone else on here has time to ride 10,000 miles/year. We all do what we can and share our love of riding here. Sorry to ramble!

[dogrange]

It is hard, but we get it done. Not sleeping enough, you have identified the epidemic disease. VSalon is both a great inspiration and a sobering influence as it can seem that everyone else on here has time to ride 10,000 miles/year. We all do what we can and share our love of riding here. Sorry to ramble!

BTW, on this just a shoutout to our contributor Will Neide. He's an inspiration - here's a guy with "the knowledge," building great bikes, riding strong and raising some number of kids, all at once.

[robin3mj]

Biked to work today. Walked the bike two blocks to the (upscale, multi-location) bike shop at lunchtime.
Figured that since a greater percentage of my miles these days are spent commuting, I’d like to upgrade the 10s Rival and BB5 brakes to Shimano 11s hydros. I say as much to the employee, who was vacuuming the empty store when I walked in. And can he quote me a price and timeline for when they can install it?

He fiddles halfheartedly with the computer for a couple minutes then informs me that, “We’re really not set up to quote this kind of stuff.” I asked whether I should go elsewhere and he tells me I can leave my phone number and someone can call me. Whatever.

This is exactly why I buy my wheels/chains/tires/etc online, and why I would do the same in this instance if I had any confidence in installing the new parts I’m after.

At least the floor was clean.

[BSUdude]

Two related things:

In my area some of the stop signs or speed reduction warning signs have been getting little hi-viz orange whirly windmills or flashing lights on top. Also I notice now that some new cars have brake lights that flash 3x rapidly in succession when the brake is applied, rather than just coming on and off.

traffic engineer 1 "people aren't slowing down or stopping for the signs. how can we correct"
traffic engineer 2 "we'll make them more visible by making them more eye catching"

automotive engineer 1 "people are rear-ending each other a lot. how can we correct"
automotive engineer 2 "make the brake lights flash more. that will get their attention"

-------5 years later-------

traffic engineer 1 "well we put whirlys and lights on all the signs but people still are still blowing stops. how can we correct"
traffic engineer 2 "just make them all 2x bigger and add more lights"

automotive engineer 1 "all the cars now have extra flashy brake lights but people are still rear-ending each other. how can we correct"
automotive engineer 2 "just make the brake lights 10000 lumens"

where does it end?

[Britishbane]

I'd like to race some cross this year but haven't the time to race a full schedule. A license is ~$70 and I'd use it as most 5 times this year. With new rules in place I cannot race anything but the CAT4 on a one day license. Balls. $60 + race entry at $35 + gas and food and I am out. A very minor grump, I know. But I am annoyed.