Justin reaches a new low!

Tenspeed wanted a commuter bike, but since the bicycle thieves in Austin are like skilled ninja assassins or something and can remove an OnGuard U-lock in about 3.6 seconds, he got a Trek 7300 an slapped a bunch of stupid Homestarrunner stickers on it.

Jesus.

Oh, and Austin is still 50 times better than anywhere else

Every now and then, my job kicks ass.

Occasionally, when I lurk around train yards after talking to managers about injury-free streaks, retirees and TRAIN VELOCITY, I find myself randomly asking guys "Do you have any hobbies?"

Now, remember- this is Texas. 99% of anyone in the railroad work force (well... anywhere actually, but especially here) is involved in one or all of the following activities:

1) Hunting
2) Fishing
3) Riding 4-wheelers (which they probably use to go hunting)
4) Boating (which they probably use to go fishing).

But sometimes I get lucky.

So what was I doing today, around 3 pm?

Talking to a conductor named Joey about his comic book collection, and whether Ian McKellen was a good choice for Magneto.

It'll be in the next issue of the Gulf Division newsletter. I'll post a link.

Sure beats the heck out of the time I interviewed a guy whose Rush-esqe band opened for Bon Jovi.

Red Stick, part 2

The Louisiana capitol building, which beats out Nebraska's by about 30', making it the tallest of the 50. Ours is far more phallic in nature though, so fuck you, Pelican State.

...uh, not literally. Har har.



Huey Long, former governor. He ruled Louisiana with an iron fist yet still managed to get stuff done. Then he became a US Senator. And got shot and killed.

A Hard Satur-Day's Night

Saturday, April 22 - A timeline:

1:10 am - I, asleep on Savener's couch, am awoken by Savener upon his return from work

1:15-1:45 - I surf the net while Savener takes a few hits and plays Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

~2:10 - I fall asleep

5:30 am - I awake, shower, depart for Eppley

7:18 - I board my plane, two minutes before scheduled takeoff. And I'm not the only one; Continental has some issues

7:19 - I discover that I somehow got bumped to 1st class

~7:30 - I am given a hot towel by a flight attendent. I'll be. Turned down the free wine though.

12 pm - Arrive at Louis Armstrong Int'l Airport in New Orleans

12:10 - the Avis bus driver calls me "sugar" and tells me I have nice eyes

12:50 - I arrive at Union Pacific's big terminal in area and talk to some managers

1:30 - I ask a couple of locomotive engineers how they mentor the younger guys, and bullshit with them for about a half hour

2:40 - I leave for Baton Rouge, and drive by this... thing. I don't know what the heck it is, but I've seen it every time I've come here and it still freaks me out. Apparently Jughead turned into a lumberjack and decided he preferred the cock



5:30 - After chillaxin' for an hour or so, I realize I haven't eaten anything all day and go to a Whole Foods Grocery, where I purchase some asian noodles, sushi and a bottle of Belgian white ale

6:10 - While on my drive back to my hotel, I realize I really like Baton Rouge for some reason, and it's my second favorite place to stay on my territory after Austin (no-brainer)

8:00 pm - I type this while achieving a bit of a buzz, realizing that working on the weekend isn't all that bad, given the day I've had, the fact that it'll add to my vacation time, and that I can sleep in a while tomorrow, something I've really needed to do since Tuesday's Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert

Pretty much the only thing yoga is good for

That's my shirt, by the way. I tried but couldn't bend over backwards as well as her

Ten Speed has fallen to the myspace gods

http://www.myspace.com/romulasprime

Even if you don't know Justin, it's, uh, worth seeing.

My newest cousin is not amused.

Only three months old, and he's already got it figured out. Seriously, Kia and I are going to save the human race someday.

Also, what's with the shoes this furry is wearing?

Lame. Like this blog post.

George Mason losing to Florida is probably the best evidence there is for the lack of a God.

Oh well, only 2 months and 7 days until the World Cup.