I was lucky enough to be able to basically buy the exact same car but with a better stereo interface for only a little more than my insurance payout.

I'd like the idea of a bluetooth thingie but I am way too into cars with stiff suspensions and that adds killer road noise at freeway speeds. My mom knows where I am often based on what she can hear. I mean, not just randomly but if I call her after I land at PDX? She totally knows where I am based on road noise. Or how bad traffic is. Because slow or stopped is also quieter.

I really hope you find a car you can love.

Went to the Rock and Roll carnival in my neighborhood to see the sideshow and the fire arts troupe.

And Tim's ex-wife.

UNEXPECTED EX IS UNEXPECTED.

Well, "unexpected" isn't totally accurate; I damn well knew she and her boyfriend moved into the neighborhood. I just wasn't really thinking, "Hey, maybe I'll get to meet Tim's ex tonight!"

But everyone was friendly -- and genuinely so (or Tim's ex is a very good actress -- but her friendliness seemed for real). Obviously we aren't going to all be BFFs and go out for smoothies, but it went as well as I could have hoped. I welcomed them to the neighborhood, we all commiserated about the 3 crazed St. Bernards that live across the street from them, we all agreed the carnival was awesome, and then we moseyed on our separate ways.

So now that's behind us.

But I sat on the ground (cement sidewalk) for way too long watching the fire arts people perform, and now my hip has ALL THE PAIN. It was doing so well up until now, too. Drat. So I am full of flexiril (yes, even though I don't think it works anymore) and a squirreled-away percocet, and I am STONED. Glad I didn't drink alcohol at the carnival (although we did have a chocolate/bock gelato that was astonishingly good...but that's not actually alcoholic).

Whee, narcotics.

I damn well knew she and her boyfriend moved into the neighborhood. I just wasn't really thinking, "Hey, maybe I'll get to meet Tim's ex tonight!"

Yeah, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition or random exes. But I am glad it was honestly friendly and then moving on.

Mini-meara:

Vortex, I feel ya. When my car was in the shop—for a looong time, I got it back fixed- sans the nice hydraulic jack my dad got my for Xmas, which I used a lot and LOVED, even though I thought it was a terrible gift when I opened it.

Unless you’re L’Trimm.

That did not help with my earworm.

We like the cars, the cars that go boom. We are Tigra and Bunny and we like the BOOM.

My friend Colette and I would cruise around in her beater in high school with that song blasting, singing along, playing it over and over. I HAVE to find a copy…

There is a Dirty Dancing themed party at a bar in the Quarter tonight - I wish I'd known farther ahead of time! I need high waisted jeans shorts! I doubt I'll go, but damn that sounds like sweaty sweaty fun.

Oh, I would SO love that! My sister and I watched that movie probably 50 times. We were the perfect age for it.

OMG. They have remade Steel Magnolias with an all-black cast (including Queen Latifah, Jill Scott, and Alfre Woodard!) for Lifetime. Seriously?? A remake?? I mean, I love the cast and would watch them in something, but...a remake of Steel Magnolias?

Dude, I will SO watch that shit! I love the original (although Julia Roberts bugs the shit outta me) and compared to some shit that has been remade, I think it’s kinda cool! Is it in production, or actually airing?

On the one hand, I like the concept that if you change the race of the cast, it doesn't change the story. OTOH, it's sometimes interesting to think about how different cultures discuss and react to the same situation.

What Vortex said. Hey, we should do a watch and post!

ION, I did see Magic Mike today and it was hysterical. There were about 12 people (1 dude with a wife or girlfriend...or not gay or gay with a girl friend, whatevs) in the theatre, one with plush recliners (we went to the 1:30 show) and of course I was laughing hysterically and hollering, which luckily freed up the other chicks to laugh and feel free to holler.

We have hired male stripper for almost every bachelorette party my close friends have had, and even though I wish KC had a NICE men's strip club like that (I like to look at the pretty bodies, but it's not really an erotic experience for me; it's more an ad exercise from laughing so hard)

And DAYUM, the strippers we get (we're regulars, my friend F got the name from her PRINCIPAL, male, black, who was all "Oh, call my cousin; his stage name is Sexual Chocolate and he's great, and he gives you very good rates." @@) -- well, the stuff you see they guys in Magic Mike doing, the flips and carrying women and grinding on them -- NOTHING compared to what they can do at a house party. SO FUCKING FUNNY. And Those guys are FIT! One lifted me up, had me wrap my legs around his waist and do a good bump and grind when I was about 200 lbs. I was IMPRESSED.

And male strippers? SO much cheaper than female strippers. We generally get S.C and a pal for 2 hours and it's $300 + tips; when we got a combo of guys and gals for my friend S's bachelorette (she's bi) we got 2 guys and 2 girls, and the girls were WAY more expensive, and not as good.

What Vortex said. Hey, we should do a watch and post!

TOTES. With gimlets!

his stage name is Sexual Chocolate

there is ALWAYS a Sexual Chocolate. Every strip club. Not that I've been to that many, of course.

the girls were WAY more expensive, and not as good.

well, they don't have to work as hard. they just have to have big boobs and shaved nether regions, and guys are happy.

there is ALWAYS a Sexual Chocolate. Every strip club. Not that I've been to that many, of course.

Or so I have read on the Internet....

Got keys to new place at the end of the day. Made it to office of old place with 15 minutes to spare, to drop off the final rent check and 30 day notice. Whew. Went back to new place, and gate clicker doesn't work. Went to Home Depot around the corner and got new batteries. Still doesn't work. Little light illuminates, but no gate action. Then I notice there is dip switch settings marked on the case, and the dip switches inside battery door do not match up. Fix that, and BAM! Gate opens! Woot.

While at Home Depot, picked up some samples of paint. M&C swung by and helped me put some sploches on the wall. The silver looks a bit on the white side with CFL light. We shall see in daylight. The Scotland Road looks nice under direct light, but strange under reflective. We shall see with daylight. The bedroom accent color looks great. The ceiling is textured, but not quite popcorn. It's a little drab on the white, so we are thinking a repaint of that is in order. Although none of us is looking forward to the task. Right now, I am pooped. But in a good way. Squee! And so begins home ownership!

Tom Scola, how did the interview go?

Congratulations, o_a! Have fun making the place yours.

O_a- Scola's interview got rescheduled to Thursday.

Can I tell you guys a secret I can't say anywhere else? I'm not that proud to be an American. Happy Fourth!