Reading (For Dummies)

Weeks gone by

Been a busy couple of weeks. Since the New Jersey trip two weeks ago, I've been on a handful of psuedo-dates (still trying to figure out wiat's up with Lauie, too). I've also had a barrage of exams, projects, and programming assignments.

I lost the ability to sleep two weeks ago, after the New Jersey events went down. I talked with Matt and he suggested a way out.

It was strange. After finishing with my projects, and having everything completed, I was having trouble sleeping. Even visiting the gym didn't help. "Drink yourself to sleep," Matt said. It worked the first night, and I haven't had to do it since...been sleeping more or less well since then. So thanks, I guess.

Exercise has been a bit difficult to come by. Luckily, Keisuke and I have gotten back in touch.

Kei, Kyong Mi and myself had dinner at Pastabilities, a fine little Italian-style place down in Armory Square. What a small place Central New York is...Keisuke originally suggested to Leah (the proprietor of Syr-A-Juice) to start buying bread from Pastabilities. And, of course, I almost did Leah's wedding for her (sadly, she's been married by an old county-clerk-style friend). Still bizarre how we all fit together...there aren't even enough people to have six degrees of separation, it's like we're all 2.5 degrees apart or something.

Anyway, on the exercise thread, it's been six weeks since I ordered my Felt Bike. I've been pestering Ken at Open Road for weeks as to its whereabouts. I finally threatened to cancel the order when it magically arrived...

He finally delivered. I feel pretty miserable about the whole deal. I lied to him, saying that I had a race in Madison, Virginia (Annie's hometown...hard to think of any place that might be warm these days in driving distance) to compete in a race this weekend so he would expedite the assembly. Still, he'd been telling me for weeks, "It'll be here tomorrow," so I guess I can't blame myself. Hopefully I don't run into him on tomorrow's ride through the parts south of Syracuse, though...

Anyway, my dealings with Ken made me wonder why I bother at all dealing with local businesses. Doug and people like him find the deals of the 'net all too appealing. I realize I could save a bundle buying everything on the internet. Still, you have these little mom and pop local shops that try their damndest. And, darnitall, I like "pressing skin." It was kind of fun to go into Ken's store yesterday and say, "If you don't deliver the bike tomorrow, I will cancel payment on it." I got to see his reaction, test his poker face. If we all buy stuff on the 'net, we won't get this chance to deal with people on the bartering level anymore. That'd be a damn shame. I'll take slow service and a little extra money spent if I know a couple of guys will eat tonight because of it. When is the last time Amazon treated its employees well?

Anyway, yet another picture-update has turned into a family-values-conservative business rant. Will be nice to share this one to my grandad when I go down to Florida.

Posted by reid at October 25, 2003 12:55 AM | TrackBack