rough edges

RRR Lexicon

2005-08-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

ROCK AND ROLL ROADTRIPS LEXICON

This list is provided to help you understand some of the words you may hear used by your RRR crew. By reading through this list you will have a better understanding of what is going on around you and what may be about to happen. RockandRollRoadtrips are more of an adventure tour/rollercoaster So have fun and feel free to add your own words to the list!

n.= noun v.= verb q.= question adj.= adjective adv.= adverb interj.= interjection

Abrethren – aj.: Being part of a gang, roadcrew, roadtripcrew. The act of being in a train. You are now “abrethren” with your fellow roadtrippers. Holdon!

Adjust – v.: my pants are bunchin up from sitting here zonin for the past couple hours and I gotta fix my nuts, please look away.

Ahead – adj.: The destination.

Assanine – adv.: the way most everybody in the world drives. Bad.

Bad – adj.: a multipurpose, word it can mean almost anything. Guess which one it means when the driver says “BAD LEANLEANLEANRIGHTMUTHERFUCKERSWERALLGONNADIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

Burninit – v.: See Floodinit

Busted - v.: This means our radar detector has failed us and now I must pull over to give this county some money to pay for the privilige of driving so fast.

Caravan – n.: A company of travelers journeying together, as across a desert or through hostile territory. 2 or more vehicles cruisin.

Clear – q.: Usually directed at copilot in the form of a question, it means is that lane clear/ am I clear to enter that lane/ is that lane clear ahead so I may accelerate and pass these slow ass mutherfuckers in front of me?

Convoy - n.: An accompanying and protecting force, as of ships or troops or fast crazy roadtrippinmobiles. A group, as of ships or motor vehicles, traveling together with a protective escort or for safety or convenience. 4 or more fast moving, skeeled drivers.

Cruisin – adj.: Punchin Katie and droppin into lowgear, this is highway drivin. usually can not be done in city or dense traffic.

Diving – v.: Changing multiple lanes quickly, usually in traffic.

Drafting – adv.: Drivin in someone elses slipstream, possibly closer then they would like.

Droppin – v.: Moving over one lane. A slow dive.

Dusting – v.: Cutting someone off as you go by them, spraying them with exhaust from your roadtrippinmobile. Suck that commie!

Ennis – adj.: A bad driver, from N.S. for No Skills

EeZee – adj.: How RRR makes it, that’s why you’re here.

Fivo – n.: The red and blues. The man. The fuzz. The hustle. The bogeyman. Mr Stinky head. Dr suck leather. County collection.

Floodinit – v.: Accelerating quickly, stomping on the gas

Gasininit – v.: See Floodinit

Gitkilld – adj.: What you don’t wanna do. We’ll try, really we will.

Gitsumgas – n.: What happens ~350 miles in Durango Sue.

Halayluya – interj.: An exultation, it means “This is GREAT!”

Heerweego – interj.: See Holdon

Holdon – interj.: Just how it sounds, something is about to happen so you better hold on! Can also mean halayluya!

Jorja – n.: Some dirty state on the southeast seaboard of the USA. Some dirty whore from the southeast seaboard of the USA.

Killdit – v.: What you do when you hit a deer going 80 miles an hour thru some mountains you’ve never driven through before at night.

Lean – interj.: Usually followed by the words “left” or “right”, this means your driver has chosen to take a corner at high speed so you better lean if you don’t want to tip over!

Leapfroggin – v.: Taking your turn at the front of the caravan or convoy.

Left – adj.: Port

Lowgear - n.: Reclining the seat and lowering it to assume a more comfortable position. Usually followed by zonin.

Median - n.: The grassy lane in the middle of the highway that looks like it is there just for you to pass all this damn traffic, but is in fact illegal to drive on. Has no known usefulness other then hiding the fivo.

Moovitmuthafukka – interj.: A phrase usually accompanying the push maneuver.

Munchies – n.: Roadtrip food. The stuff behind you in the blue coolers. May be asked in a polite manner or yelled in a desperate cry for nutrition, this can be a one word solicitation or offer from the driver for some of those delicious food items in the back.

Next – adj.: The next exit, sometimes the exit after you should have.

Over – adj.: The way we will flip if you don’t lean when the driver yells “LEAN!”. No shit, I’m not kidding. He’s crazy. You better got yo buckle belted up. Also associated with Yonder.

Owwer – n.: A division of time meaning anywhere between 45 minutes and 75 minutes. Not to be confused with “Owwee” meaning of course, the bruise you will get on your little knee after you fall off your bike. Poor baby.

Partner - n.: When you are driving as a single vehicle and another vehicle falls in behind and follows you at a distance. Not close enought to be a pull or suck.

Peebrake – n.: A dark place on the side of the road after about 2 hours. Did you ever see that one King of the Hill where Peg and the daughter were camped out at some rest stop cuz Hank quarantined the house with him and bobby in it cuz their insurance ran out and he wanted them out of the house so they woont gitkilld or something and they broke in the vending machines cuz they got hungry and the cops came at the end and busted peggy and she was all skreeemin and shit. That was funny.

Pig – n.: Police. Yell it if you see one before the driver, but that wont happen often. Bonus points if you do. Booo police, Yay bonus points!

Poser - n.: Someone that drives a piece of shit

Puddle – n.: The slow mass of everyone driving the same fucking speed in every fucking lane in front of you. Leading cause of roadrage.

Pulling – v.: When someone is driving in your slipstream. Usually you don’t mind it, you may even expect it. Antonyms include “draggin” , “suckin”. It can either be used like "I'm pullin that guy." or "I'm gonna dropin and pull off this guy to save gas."

Pump – v.: I need to pull over to get some of that beautiful black gold. May be asked as a questing meaning does anybody need a peebrake? cuz if you do I could gitsumgas.

Punching Katie – v.: Turning on the cruise control

Push – v.: Attempting to make the person in front of you go faster by driving close to their bumper. What some may call ‘tailgaiting’. Pushing air.

Radard – v.: When you drive past a weather radar out in the middle of nowhere at 444 in the morning, just when everybody was getting to sleep, for the first time all night everyone was asleep, then, all of a sudden, BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB there goes that mutherfuckin radar detector and everybodys awake. Man that shits funny.

Right – adj.: Starboard

Roadtrippinmobiles – n.: Any transport vehicle for a roadrip. Sometimes just called mobiles. Or rrrobiles.

Runner – n.: The lead car in a convoy.

Shakin – adv.: What you get when the driver screams “Holdon!”

Skeeled -adj.: Talented, good drivers, the opposite of ennis.

Skreeemin – v.: What you better not be doin in the drivers ear. Sometimes the driver will employ this tekneek to make the puddle move. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t, you know. Gotta try, cant just not try.

Skiing – v.: Changing multiple lanes constantly to try to find the fastest lane at every second. Usually assanine.

Slowass – adj.: What it seems like you always get stuck behind when you’re in a hurry. Multiple slowass make a puddle.

Smokin – v.: Leaving someone far behind, outrunning someone

Spraying – v.: Cutting someone off in the rain

Stuck – adv.: When you get boxed in traffic and you cant pass.

Suckin – v.: When somebody is riding your ass but when you pull over to let them go by they just slow down and wont go by you. Those bastards. See also “draggin”.

Tailin – adj.: Pullin up the rear at the end of a convoy.

Tekneek - ?.: The magic powers that our drivers seem to have. Don’t ask us, we don’t know, all we know is they can make things happen. Its crazy man I’m tellin ya.

Tharules – n.: The basic overall collection of rules on “How to not drive like an asshole”. This is a read for everyone.

Thumzup – v.: More of a visual gesture, it is usually used while passing someone of a more “ennis” class of driving to parlay the sentiment “you’re doing a great job of driving friend, keep up the good work.”

Train – n.: When multiple cars all drive in a line together, a convoy. Verb form is training. See also caravan.

Uhoh – interj.: Something you DO NOT want to hear your driver say. Our drivers are trained professionals, if they say “Uhoh” you are screwwwwwd.

Very – v.: The speed we drive. Do not ask if you don’t want to know.

Weirndererermererrerr – adj.: Great! The best ever, What its all about. The magic word. Can you say it? No you cant. Don’t even try, you will totally hurt yourself. HAHA! I told you you’d hurt yourself. Stupid. I told you. Stupid.

Werrallgonnadie- interj.: You definitely DONOT want to know what this means.

Where – q.: A one word question from the driver meaning “Where are we going?”. Sometimes our drivers get confused and have to be reminded, just be kind and remind them and you will be on your way for the ride of your life. Trust us. Well its too late now if you don’t, isnt it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Whining – v.: Nunathat

Xcapade – n.: The extremely inebriated, sometimes best but least wellest rememberendendenderestistdistdest, these times are what can define a trip – bad, good, or weirndererermererrerr.

Xit – n.: when the driver gotstoo wake up.

Yornext – interj.: Directed at the slow ass in front of you, it means "Please move over out of the fast lane sir, it is apparent you do not realize that is my lane. I will let it slide this time but for your own sake, don’t let it happen again." BOO! Usually it is more of a silent command that is abrethren to the “push” maneuver accompanied by the “thumzup”, it usually comes after already moving one slowass out of your lane.

Yonder – n.: Over that there hill, thru them there trees, round that there bend, or any combination there of.

Zipper – n.: What I gotta not get cawt in at 444 in the morn when I just dove and sprayed on some ennis to get to a peebrake at the next after being stuck in a fucking puddle for the last owwer.

Zonin – adv.: A hypnotic state caused by driving on long straight roads for long periods of time.

Political History part I

2005-06-16T18:17:00.000-05:00

Alright, I'm back. Finally. I've been noticing in my weekly emails from blogrolling that I've actually been getting a lot of traffic over the last few weeks. Seems strange since I havent posted in months. Probably has something to do with their new format. I'm always having ideas for stuff to post, but by the time I get home I'm usually not motivated. And my boss knows about my blog now, so if I post during the day he'll know I'm slacking. I've wanted to come back, but after such a long hiatus I needed something good to get back into it. Today I was forwarded just that email, a beautiful history of the political parties which I am sure you will enjoy. I dont know where it came from originally, so if this is yours please dont sue me. Now on with the show.

The History of Conservatives & Liberals
History began some 12,000 years ago. Humans existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunter/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the winter and would go to the coast to live on fish and lobster in the summer.
The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundations of modern civilization, and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups: Liberals & Conservatives.
Once beer was discovered, it required grain, and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early human ancestors were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as "the Conservative movement." Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting, learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as 'girleymen.' Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy and group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.
Over the years, conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.
Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white ! wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting revolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men.Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists, are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher also bat.
Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, soldiers, athletes, and generally, anyone who works productively outside government. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living. Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to "govern" the producers and decide what to do with the production.
Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tame and created a business of trying to get MORE for nothing.Here ends today's lesson in world history. Now you know everything.

Now you motherf***ers have gone too far!

2005-04-25T16:13:00.000-05:00

The great Charlie Daniels, American legend and great patriot, was in Iraq entertaining the troops recently. On one of his flights home one night some terrorist bastards had the balls to shoot at Charlie's helo. I've just gotta think they didnt know it was Charlie's helo. anyway read the story here, excerpted from H&C

Def Sleep

2005-04-24T22:15:00.000-05:00

The Deftones, under their alias Team Sleep, are coming to the Gypsy Tea Room Sunday May 15th. I've already got my ticket. Go to Front Gate Tickets to order yours today!

while you're there you might as well get tickets for Lonestar Rollergirls

Recurring theme

2005-04-20T22:08:00.000-05:00

More signs that countries around the world are getting the hint that they need to start embracing liberty and freedom for all of their citizens, not just men. Cuz they know if they dont, we'll help them. Check out these three links that show atleast some of the backwards ass countries are learning that women are people too.

Afghan women are starting their own businesses

Kuwaiti women get right to vote

Dubai aims to empower women

These are some pretty amazing times. At times quite frightening yes, but if thats all you see you're not paying attention. Some of it might just be talk, some might just be for show, but slowly but surely things are happening. Do you know why these things are happening? Do you think its cuz we have a government thats decided to be proactive in the pursuit of liberty and freedom for all, instead of just watching and hoping things get better? I know what I think.

Quote of the day

2005-04-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

I just thought of this one...

"I worked a 10 hour day that was about 12 hours too long. "

They cant all be gold.

Breaking the silence

2005-04-19T11:27:00.000-05:00

This is worth making my first post in almost a month.
Apparently some SWAT team wants a monkey to do recon. Awesome!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,153878,00.html

Word of the Day

2005-03-30T19:33:00.000-06:00

Got two words today, one real one I learned, one I just made up. Guess which is which

catenary
n : the curve theoretically assumed by a perfectly flexible and inextensible cord of uniform density and cross section hanging freely from two fixed points
"They sent me a diagram to show me the catenary of the refueling hose at different speeds. "

gluttonize
v : to make a total fucking pig of oneself
"Being unable to decide between the cake and the pie, I decided to gluttonize and get both. "

For the unbelievers and the ignorant

2005-03-17T19:13:00.000-06:00

From Combat to Rebuilding: A Soldier's ViewBy Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 17, 2005 – Two years ago, Army Spc. Leo Bridgewater and his fellow soldiers were preparing for the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the coalition’s push toward Baghdad, Iraq.
Army Spc. Leo Bridgewater, who participated in combat operations in Iraq two years ago, is once again deployed to Iraq to support stabilization and rebuilding. Today, Bridgewater is once again deployed to Iraq -- this time in a stabilization and rebuilding role. He said he couldn’t be prouder of what’s happening in the country he and his fellow servicemembers helped free from 35 years of repression under Saddam Hussein.
“Saddam had them in a box for 35 years,” said the Trenton, N.J., native, deployed from Joint Forces Command Naples, Italy. “That’s a long time to be in a box.”
When he first entered Baghdad two years ago as a signalman attached to the 3rd Infantry Division, Bridgewater said he was struck by the pictures of Saddam posted “all over the place.”
“I could see why they were so scared of him,” he said. “It felt like he was saying, ‘I’m watching you.’”
Two years later, the Saddam pictures are gone. The four huge statues of Saddam that towered above his Baghdad palace have been removed. The massive palace dining facility Saddam used to entertain his senior officers, and sometimes, to stage their executions, now buzzes with U.S. and coalition troops, government workers and contractors focused on helping the Iraqi people build a new Iraq.
And Bridgewater recognizes that this tiny corner in what’s now called the International Zone in Baghdad represents just a microcosm of what’s taking place all over Iraq.
“Just look at what’s happening. It’s just amazing!” he said, noting the March 16 seating of Iraq’s Transitional National Assembly. “And the reason that happened is because on Jan. 30, the Iraqi people stood up with one voice and decided to take control of their destiny. That was a beautiful day.”
Bridgewater, who lost buddies and fellow soldiers during combat operations two years ago, said this progress is the positive proof that shows his buddies did not die in vain. “Jan. 30 showed that it was not for nothing,” he said. “It’s showing the world that Iraq can be a model that democracy can work in an Arab state.”
By playing a part of Iraq’s liberation, stabilization and rebuilding, Bridgewater said he’s getting a front-row seat to history in the making. “And I’m in the midst of all of it,” he said. “That’s a pretty amazing opportunity.”
In his current mission, providing communications support to NATO as it helps train Iraq’s security forces, Bridgewater said he’s struck by the common sense of purpose that brings together the coalition members.
“It’s one team, one fight,” he said. “You take pride in knowing that you have an important mission ahead of you and that you’re contributing to a greater cause.”

Some reading for the weekend

2005-03-17T19:10:00.000-06:00

Medics at Abu Ghraib Helping to Win Iraqis’ Hearts, MindsBy Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 17, 2005 – Mention Abu Ghraib, and the last thing that’s likely to come to mind is the thought of winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqis — especially detainees at the complex.
But that’s exactly what Army Lt. Col. Christian Macedonia believes he and his fellow soldiers are doing every day as they provide what he calls “top-notch” medical care to more than 9,000 detainees at the complex.
As deputy commander for clinical services for Task Force Med 115, Macedonia and his 350 Fort Polk, La.-based soldiers care for people who, in many cases, were injured in attacks against coalition troops. Wounds run the full range, he said, but many are serious because the insurgents wear no body armor or helmets.
In one highly publicized case, the unit treated a truck bomber who was severely burned when his truck detonated prematurely as he approached a coalition target. Two and a half months later, the attacker is still being treated at Abu Ghraib, where he is now undergoing physical therapy.
“He’s had the most advanced care he had ever imagined possible,” Christian said. “This guy has been nothing but effusive about the treatment he’s received.”
Medical care at Abu Ghraib is “the best America has to offer,” Christian said. “These people are getting really top-flight care.” The unit is installing a CT-scanner to further improve its services, he added.
Christian said he recognizes that some people may consider his unit’s work as providing comfort and aid to the enemy. And he openly acknowledges that some of his patients ultimately could return to anti-coalition activity, putting his fellow troops in harm’s way.
But Christian said he considers the care his unit offers its enemies a higher calling: caring for a fellow human being in need, and providing a way to help restore honor to the prison complex that’s been tainted by scandal.
“Taking care of human beings is a reflection of the type of people our society is,” Christian said. And that’s a message he said is not lost on his patients. “They’ve been fed hate all their lives, and many say they didn’t realize how Americans could be,” he said.
Christian said he believes Task Force Med 115 is helping win the hearts and minds of the detainees they treat “one patient at a time.”
“Some, hopefully, will turn around and say, ‘We were fighting the wrong enemy,’” he said.

2005-03-15T02:36:00.000-06:00

sunset over the lake. time to go get some grubb.

2005-03-15T02:35:00.000-06:00

handling his rod in public

2005-03-15T02:26:00.000-06:00

i spent most of saturday chillin at lake arlington w/ my uncle/godfather. what a great relaxing day. just hung out w/ the ducks, drank a few beers, watched the people and the world go by. chillin.

2005-03-15T02:22:00.000-06:00

cool effect

2005-03-15T02:21:00.000-06:00

sun gettin low, but still almost 7 miles from the truck.

2005-03-15T02:20:00.000-06:00

path

2005-03-15T02:19:00.000-06:00

thru the woods

2005-03-15T02:18:00.000-06:00

same

2005-03-15T02:15:00.000-06:00

i liked this shot cuz it seemed like the clouds were an extension of the tree

2005-03-15T02:14:00.000-06:00

two different kinds of clouds coming together to form what looks like (to me) smoke coming out of a volcanoe

2005-03-15T02:07:00.000-06:00

farm

2005-03-15T02:04:00.000-06:00

old bridge from a different angle

2005-03-15T02:03:00.000-06:00

path thru the overhanging trees

2005-03-15T02:02:00.000-06:00

cool old bridge

2005-03-15T01:52:00.000-06:00

"hey soda, take a picture of me jumpin this tree" "little late, maybe it would be easier from a head on perspective"

2005-03-15T01:50:00.000-06:00

mt makin it look easy. ok soda, your turn...

2005-03-15T01:43:00.000-06:00

"man i like donuts. i mean i really like donuts. and cookies too. yeah, chocolate chip cookies rule! what was i doing again... oh yeah, jumping this log. no sweat, im a pro, i dont need to concentrate. mmmmm donuts...."

2005-03-15T01:41:00.000-06:00

lookin good so far. look at the concentration on his face. or is that uncertainty

2005-03-15T01:39:00.000-06:00

uh oh, this doesnt look good. man i'm glad i had my camera

2005-03-15T01:38:00.000-06:00

oh my sides hurt from laughing. possibly not as much as his face, but still they hurt pretty bad. HAAAAA!

Widener U in PA

2005-03-13T23:01:00.000-06:00

America Supports You: University Offers Scholarships

By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2005 – A Pennsylvania university is putting its values and money to work for the sons and daughters of servicemembers who make the ultimate sacrifice.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” said Widener University President James T. Harris said during a telephone interview with the American Forces Press Service.
The genesis of the idea came when faculty and students at the four-year undergraduate school began being called up and deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. “I was speaking with a fellow faculty member,” Harris said, “and we wondered if there was something we could do.”
Harris said he went back to his office and began “crunching numbers.” He found enough money in the scholarship budget to offer four full scholarships to the university. The offer equals $100,000 for one student for a four-year degree.
Harris said the university “took it out of hide,” and he did no additional fund-raising to get the money.
He presented the idea to the university’s board, and the board members unanimously approved it. The board also went along with the program’s long-term commitment – some of the servicemembers killed in action have young children who won’t be old enough for college for many more years.
Harris began the process after the November election because “I didn’t want politics to intrude. No matter how you feel about the war in Iraq, as Americans, we should still honor those who serve.”
It’s called Widener CARES – for Children of Active and Reserves Educational Scholarships. The program is open to the sons and daughters of servicemembers killed in action in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. It is a national program.
The university – in Chester, Pa., part of the greater Philadelphia area – spent some of its early life as Pennsylvania Military College. The school today still retains a “good-sized” Army and Air Force ROTC program, Harris said.
“We think this is an appropriate thing for a university to do,” he said. “We talk all the time about educating young men and women to be good citizens. This is a way for our university to show that the institution is also a ‘good citizen.’”
The first children in the program could begin in September, Harris said. He said the program can take a huge financial burden off families already coping with the loss of a loved one, often the primary breadwinner in the family.
He said he hopes other colleges follow Widener’s example. “There are more than 3,000 colleges and universities in America,” he said. “If each one offered a scholarship, most of the children of those killed in action could receive a college education.”

Lets go roadtrippin!

2005-03-13T09:44:00.000-06:00

The weather for next weekend in Comstock, TX looks great. I'm going to clean out Sue today so she's nice and fresh. Time to oil up your bikes and do any last minute shopping you may need to do, which shouldnt be much since RRR supplies almost everything! Here's your checklist, optimized, organized, and categorized:

1 duffel bag, preferably collapsable, containing:
clothes
sweatshirt / sweatpants for when it cools down at night
raincoat / rainpants (we're camping rain or shine)
plenty of socks
comfortable sneakers
towel and washcloth
deoderant
toothbrush/paste
1 roll tp
a bar of soap
any medicines you may need

a backpack for hiking, containing:
flashlight
hat
sunglasses
camera (bring at your own risk!)
rugged, comfortable, waterproof boots for hiking

tent
sleeping bag
pillow
bedroll or airmattress (the ground is usually quite hard)
camping chair

mountain bike
extra tubes
helmet
gloves
water bottle

RRR will provide the following, so please do not bring any of these things (this also serves as my checklist):

small cooler:
frozen meats
main meal food
ice

big cooler:
sides
sodas
juice
water
ice

dry container:
gatorade mix
potatoes
cans
fruit
smores supplies
breakfast bars
snacks
energy bars
grilling utensils
lighters
skewers
knives
can/bottle opener
scrubbies
plates
plasticware
paper towels
pots/pans
cutting board
tinfoil
tupperware
garbage bags
citronella candles
tablecloth
games
seasonings, sauces

grill
table
charcoal
bonfire wood

RockandRollRoadtrip mobile "Sue" checklist:
maps
cds, tapes
first aid kit
suntan lotion
bugspray
hatchet
shovel
rope
air pump
tires, spare tire
multi-tool
walkie talkies

Word of the Day

2005-03-05T11:21:00.000-06:00

Mushmellows (n.) What you get when you put an open bag of marshmellows in a cooler where the ice has melted. Cooking them doesnt make them better either, they just stay slimy.

Some people just dont get it

2005-03-04T19:39:00.000-06:00

Here's one for all my crazy liberal relatives. You're not helping, you're just whining

Words of the Day

2005-03-02T14:33:00.000-06:00

some variations of yesterdays word

amenitize (v.) pretty much the same as amenate- to decorate a room w/ amenities.

ameniful (adj.) you know those people that have way too much shit in each room, those rooms are ameniful.

finally

2005-03-02T00:45:00.000-06:00

so i finally posted the pix to my blog. when i have an official site and a real company hopefully i'll be much faster about it. anyway, the stupid program i use to post the pix was actin up, so the pix may be out of order and i may have missed a couple, but you'd never know would ya.
all RRR patrons will be getting there cd of full size pix soon. if you're not one of the lucky ones that got to go to Colorado Bend last month and you see a pic you'd like a larger version of, just let me know and i'll send it to ya. enjoy!

2005-03-02T00:41:00.000-06:00

and so the sun sets on the first roadtrip of 05.

2005-03-02T00:40:00.001-06:00

little restaurant in a little town along the way

2005-03-02T00:40:00.000-06:00

headin out. there were like 3 or 4 fires along the way off in the distance, dont know what was up with that.

2005-03-02T00:38:00.001-06:00

weird sign i couldnt read

2005-03-02T00:38:00.000-06:00

the log that tried to kill me. i was so tired (i'm way out of shape) i could barely throw my bike over this log

2005-03-02T00:36:00.001-06:00

where we stopped for lunch

2005-03-02T00:36:00.000-06:00

you sure this is the way to the falls soda?

2005-03-02T00:35:00.000-06:00

time to climb

2005-03-02T00:34:00.000-06:00

vultures getting ready to eat us. either side of picture, vertically center

2005-03-02T00:28:00.000-06:00

cliff tastic

2005-03-02T00:27:00.000-06:00

2005-03-02T00:23:00.001-06:00

hiking thru uncharted territory

2005-03-02T00:23:00.000-06:00

cool cliffs and caves

2005-03-02T00:22:00.000-06:00

soda just being glad to be in our presence

2005-03-02T00:21:00.001-06:00

ray being scary

2005-03-02T00:21:00.000-06:00

pick in the firelight

2005-03-02T00:20:00.000-06:00

family of deer.

2005-03-02T00:19:00.000-06:00

the road back to camp. we couldnt have asked for more amazing weather. next time we'll have rick meet us at the top w/ our bikes so we can ride down.

2005-03-02T00:18:00.001-06:00

the view from the end of the trail

2005-03-02T00:18:00.000-06:00

cacti waving at us. ok, maybe i'm the only one that sees that, i cant help it i'm imaganitive

2005-03-02T00:17:00.000-06:00

me and soda at the top of a cliff. you cant really appreciate the height or steepness of the cliffs w/ the zoom, but w/o you wouldnt be able to see us as well, so just trust me, it was high and steep.

2005-03-02T00:13:00.001-06:00

ray doing his best explorer pose.

2005-03-02T00:13:00.000-06:00

path before you get into the woods

2005-03-02T00:11:00.000-06:00

soda and ray trekking towards the river

2005-03-02T00:10:00.000-06:00

gnarly trees

2005-03-02T00:06:00.000-06:00

spoooky woods

2005-03-02T00:05:00.000-06:00

heart shaped cacti. quite the metaphor

2005-03-02T00:03:00.000-06:00

cacti on the cliffs

2005-03-02T00:02:00.001-06:00

cliffs

2005-03-02T00:02:00.000-06:00

cool

2005-03-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

soda doing his best explorer pose

2005-03-01T23:54:00.000-06:00

king of the falls

2005-03-01T23:53:00.001-06:00

same

2005-03-01T23:53:00.000-06:00

next falls. double falls with a little bigger pool

2005-03-01T23:51:00.000-06:00

next pool along the trail. the path was just a series of little pools and little waterfalls, one after another.

2005-03-01T23:50:00.000-06:00

pool

2005-03-01T23:48:00.000-06:00

there were lots of little caves like these throughout the park.

2005-03-01T23:43:00.000-06:00

pokin the fire

2005-03-01T23:42:00.000-06:00

fun with my digital camera and the campfire. these pix by the way are in no particular order

2005-03-01T23:41:00.000-06:00

me doing my best explorer pose

2005-03-01T23:39:00.000-06:00

cool little creek that eventually runs into the river

2005-03-01T23:37:00.000-06:00

going down

2005-03-01T23:36:00.000-06:00

houses on the river

2005-03-01T23:24:00.000-06:00

pick and soda playing some backgammon in front of the fire, ray drawin at the table. neighbors in the background

2005-03-01T23:23:00.000-06:00

side shot. its blurry cuz it was starting to get dark, so my shutter had to stay open longer. anyway, from the side you can see how the trees totally covered us, with just a little hole in the back for a chimney, apparent in the previous shot. we easily had the best spot in the whole park. note the orange cone in the foreground. for some reason the ranger came by the second day and blocked off the spot beside us. dont know why, but it kept anybody from parking beside us, which was cool. the next day he came and picked it up. maybe somebody called and reserved a spot then didnt show, who knows.

2005-03-01T23:19:00.000-06:00

our perfect spot

2005-03-01T23:17:00.000-06:00

Word of the Day

2005-03-01T16:26:00.000-06:00

Its been awhile since I've done this, (actually its been a long time since Ive posted anything) but I do like making up words. And i've been making up some good ones lately, so i'd have lots of these posts if I wasnt so lazy. Anyway, heres today word, which i just made up

Amenate (v.) to furnish or decorate. to fill with amenities.
She went to the pottery barn to buy a bunch of shit so she could amenate her new apartment.

March Roadtrip

2005-02-27T19:01:00.000-06:00

Well i've been back in civilation for a week now and I'm ready for another trip, so its time to start planning for our next RockandRollRoadtrip.

March's trip will be to Seminole Canyon State Park, Texas.
I'm thinking the 3rd weekend again, which coincides with the first day of Spring. According to mapquest.com it is 458 miles from Dallas to Comstock, Tx, so I'm thinking it will take anywhere from 7 - 9 hours, depending on stops, speeding tickets, wildlife in the road, train xings, etc. This is a longer trip, so I propose we leave Thursday night the 17th and return Monday the 21st. There is no gate at this park so it doesnt matter when we arrive. I propose we leave around 8pm or so and we can drive all night, hopefully arriving right around dawn. In my experience its really cool arriving at a park right around dawn, you can watch the sun come up and catch the wildlife either returning home to go to bed or venturing out for some breakfast. Departure time is certainly up for debate.
Activities at this park include camping, cooking, hiking, biking, and tours of the ancient indian dwellings containing pictographs thousands of years old. Fate Bell Shelter, in the canyon, contains some of North America's oldest Indian pictographs and is one of the oldest cave dwellings in North America. Of course, just plain relaxing and enjoying nature will be the main activity for the weekend.

Heres the proposed menu for the week, let me know if you have any special requests:
Dinner: steak, ribs, chicken, mac & cheese, brauts,
Lunch: fajitas, sandwich stuff,
Breakfast: breakfast bars, eggs, sausage, bacon,
As always, fruit, veggies, potatoes, beans, and smores stuff will be available with every meal.

Camping List

2005-02-11T19:10:00.000-06:00

Ok fellow campers, I've finally gotten around to making the list of things to bring. Please bring only the following, as space is limited:

clothes (check the weather ahead of time so you can pack accordingly)
sweatshirt/sweatpants for when it cools down at night
raincoat / rainpants (we're camping rain or shine)
plenty of socks
rugged, comfortable, waterproof boots for hiking
comfortable sneakers for all other times
tent
sleeping bag
pillow
flashlight
bedroll or airmattress (the ground is usually quite hard)
camping chair
mountain bike, extra tubes in case you get a flat
hat
sunglasses
camera (bring at your own risk!)
towel and washcloth
deoderant
toothbrush/paste
1 roll tp
a bar of soap
earplugs (some people can really snore)
any medicines you may need

The following things will be provided by RockandRollRoadtrips, so please dont bring them: (making this list to make sure I bring everything I need)

all food and drinks
smores supplies
skewers
snacks
ice and cold packs
coolers
grill and grilling utensils
knives
can/bottle opener
lighter
scrubbies
charcoal
bonfire wood
plates
plasticware
paper towels
cups
pots/pans
cutting board
tinfoil
tupperware
garbage bags
citronella candles
table
tablecloth
games
walkietalkies
compass

RockandRollRoadtrip mobile "Sue" checklist:
maps
cds, tapes
first aid kit
suntan lotion
bugspray
hatchet
shovel
rope
air pump
tires, spare tire

photos

2005-01-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

check out the slideshow at yahoo for some amazing pictures of bravery, Iraqis standing in line to vote and streets filled with hopeful citizens walking to the polls to vote.

free mavs tix

2005-01-30T09:20:00.000-06:00

Academy sports and outdoors (the right stuff the right price ACAdemy!) is giving away free mavs tix. feels weird posting about the mavs after the election in Iraq, but hey after reading the news i check the sports. by the way dampier had a career night but the mavs still lost. might be worth it if it means dampier keeps getting better and gains confidence to be the badass he certainly could be. anyway, go here to find out how to get them from now till late february.

these are tears of joy

2005-01-30T08:59:00.000-06:00

heres some of my favorite clips from the news so far:

After a slow start, men and women in flowing black abayas — often holding babies — formed long lines, although there were pockets of Iraq where the streets and polling stations were deserted. Voters prohibited from using private cars walked, hitched rides on military buses and trucks, and some even carried the elderly in their arms.

When an unexplained boom sounded near one Baghdad voting station, some women put their hands to their mouths and whispered prayers. Others continued walking calmly to the voting stations. Several shouted in unison: “We have no fear.”
“Am I scared? Of course I’m not scared. This is my country,” said 50-year-old Fathiya Mohammed.

In Baqouba, a rebellious city northeast of Baghdad, crowds clapped and cheered at one voting station. In Mosul, scene of some of the worst insurgent attacks in recent months, U.S. and local officials said turnout was surprisingly high.

Samir Hassan, 32, who lost his leg in a car bomb blast in October, was determined to vote. “I would have crawled here if I had to. I don’t want terrorists to kill other Iraqis like they tried to kill me. Today I am voting for peace,” he said.

Baghdad’s mayor was overcome with emotion by the turnout of voters at City Hall, where he said thousands were celebrating.
“I cannot describe what I am seeing. It is incredible. This is a vote for the future, for the children, for the rule of law, for humanity, for love,” Alaa al-Tamimi told Reuters.

cant sleep

2005-01-30T08:55:00.000-06:00

i cant sleep. i know i'll be tired and regretting it later today, and tomorrow morning i'll want nothing more than sleep, but right now its more exciting than christmas morn. except instead of a present for me, its a present for the whole world. peace in the middle east. the liberty bell is wringing, can you hear it?

history is being made

2005-01-30T01:42:00.000-06:00

may God protect all Iraqis brave enough to go out and vote today. this is a historic day, possibly one of the most important days in history. this may very well be the first step in spreading democracy and freedom across all of the middle east. its scary but exciting, and i'm not even there. may all Iraqis take strength from the bravery shown by their brothers and sisters in Afghanistan who risked their lives to cast their votes for freedom. be strong, be brave, be safe, be free, be Iraqi.

i just wrote a long ass follow up to the above post, then knocked the cord out of the back of the computer and lost it all. damnit. so anyway, heres a short summation:
cowards deserve not freedom. history is yours for the taking, and if you dont take it, someone else will. 150000 American soldiers are in Iraq risking their lives to give you the right to vote, you owe it to them to get out and vote. if you wont fight for your freedom, why shoud we? Iraqis need to stop expecting American soldiers to do everything for them and show they deserve the freedom we're dying to give them. every body seems to think that everything should suddenly be great and freedom and safety and security should be quick and automatic. well guess what, its not, its a lot of hard work and a lot of people are going to die on the road there, but as long as the good people of this world are persistent in their resolve and heroic in the face of evil, good will eventually prevail. God will take care of his children, so you have nothing to fear. would you rather die a hero or live like a coward? over and over again in the comments sections of Iraqi bloggers I was reading tonight, people kept saying the same thing "when your grandson comes to you and asks what you did on the day you had the chance to cast a vote for freedom, what will you say?"
all right, i've got more but i'm tired. you get the point.
not quite as eloquent as my original post, but thats the basics.

spelling test

2005-01-29T14:23:00.000-06:00

heres another test for ye my fellow smarty family members. no cheating
how well do you spell?

#6 was the easiest word for me
again i got 2 wrong, but not the ones i wasnt sure about, 2 i thought i knew.
tell me your score and i'll tell you which ones.

grammar test

2005-01-29T14:18:00.000-06:00

heres a quick little grammar test i thought would share with the family since we're all pretty smart
i thought i would do better, but i got 2 wrong. after you take it i'll tell you which ones.

take the test here

Iraq paper

2005-01-27T01:09:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2005 – In less than a year, Iraqi military ground forces have grown from one operational battalion to 21 – and counting.
Iraq's navy now sports five 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment. The country's air force has three operational squadrons equipped with nine reconnaissance aircraft and three U.S. C-130 transport aircraft. And Iraq's special operations forces include a counterterrorist force and a commando battalion.
These count among a multitude of accomplishments across the spectrum of the Iraqi interim government, reported in a series of just-released fact sheets by Multinational Force Iraq and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
"In 2004, Iraqi forces fought alongside coalition forces in Najaf, Samarra, Fallujah, Baghdad, North Babil, Mosul, and a host of other locations," reads a fact sheet on Iraqi security forces. "In Fallujah alone, Iraqi forces lost eight of their members and had more than 40 wounded. Well over a thousand others have also lost their lives serving their country."
And officials add that although Iraqi forces have sustained casualties in many attacks, there's no shortage of volunteers.
Facts are included also on the growth of the Ministry of Interior's Iraqi police forces, which number more than 55,000.
Other year-in-review documents list and discuss coalition troop contributions – from the U.S.' 148,000 to Norway's 10. Besides the U.S. contingent, other countries supporting Multinational Force Iraq range from South Korea and Japan, to Latvia and Estonia, to Italy and the United Kingdom, to Georgia and Azerbaijan, to the Netherlands, to El Salvador.
Plus, there's information on operational feats by units such as the Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft detachment, the Macedonian Special Forces and Ukraine's 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Another point paper states that more than 1,100 reconstruction projects are under way, including 364 schools, 67 health clinics, 83 railroad stations and 93 water and sewage plants. Also, as of Dec. 29, 2004, some 108,000 local Iraqis have been hired to work on these projects.
The paper also outlines progress during the year in improving essential services – water, electricity and education, among others.
On a more somber note, there's a timeline of atrocities by insurgents, starting with two French nationals shot and killed in Fallujah on Jan. 6, 2004, and ending with 12 Iraqi police officers' death at a Dijila police station on Dec. 28. That fact sheet also lists March 2 as "worst day of violence" where "sophisticated and simultaneous attacks" killed up to 223 Iraqis, as well as the March 31 deaths of the four U.S. contractors whose bodies were burned, dragged and strung up.
On the Iraqi economy, a fact sheet points out that oil revenues totaled $18.1 billion in 2004 and that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened for trading on June 24.
A final sheet lists the 47 countries with established embassies in Iraq and 28 Iraqi government ministries.

Words of Wisdom

2005-01-19T22:15:00.000-06:00

The problem with being right all the time is sometimes you're not.

-mt

no cinco de mayo

2005-01-19T21:30:00.000-06:00

I'm looking at the schedule for the project I'm running and I just noticed that my second to last delivery is on 5/5-5/6. Thats right, I'll be in phoenix for cinco de mayo. But i should be home by saturday evening, and we usually dont start the heavy drinkin till then anyway. since we'll be leaving on a saturday maybe we can get an early flight out so i can be home by the afternoon. we usually dont leave till mid morning so as to not get stuck in the crazy ass traffic around phoenix, but that wont matter if its not a work day.

what we take for granted

2005-01-19T01:25:00.000-06:00

Iraqis Hold Political Debate in Baqubah

By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service

BAQUBAH, Iraq, Jan. 18, 2005 – It had none of the packaging that Americans have grown accustomed to in a presidential debate, but a debate here today for the upcoming election was fledgling democracy in action -- Iraqi style.
Diyala province Gov. Abdullah Rashid, leader of the Elite slate of candidates, met a representative of the Iraqi Communist/Marxist Party in a provincewide televised debate. It looked like something Americans would see on public access television.
The debate was held in a small studio about eight miles outside Baqubah, a town in the province about 30 miles north of Baghdad. The Iraqi army and troops from the U.S. 1st Infantry Division guarded the compound.
"It isn't so much what they are saying, it's the fact that it is happening at all," said a U.S. Embassy official who accompanied a group of reporters to Baqubah. There were elections under Saddam Hussein, but of course, there was only one slate of candidates.
The fact that the governor debated an opposing politician is new here. Opposing viewpoints are new. The idea that Iraqis have a choice is new.
And the idea that citizens have responsibility is new. At an earlier Peace Day ceremony here today to promote a nonviolent election, the governor – who once lived in Manchester, England – ripped into Iraqis who do not help the army or the police. "There were two men killed in broad daylight, in front of many witnesses," he said. "Why has no one come forward?"
The issues in the debate came down to security and jobs. Diyala province is home to between 1.2 million and 1.8 million people. Officials estimate that 55 percent of the people are Sunni Muslims and 45 percent are Shiia. Insurgents have made significant attacks in Baqubah, and earlier this month, U.S. commanders said Diyala province is one of the four Iraqi provinces not ready to hold the Jan. 30 election.
Both candidates said it has been tough, given the security problems, to campaign in Diyala. They said they have passed out fliers and pasted posters on walls. They have placed ads on television and on radio. But the kind of person- to-person campaigning that is the stock in trade of the West is out of the question. Large gatherings of people are simply targets for insurgents. Embassy officials said there is some person-to-person campaigning, but it is done mostly in private homes with small groups of people.
Improvised explosive devices and vehicle-borne IEDs remain significant threats in Diyala, said officials. In fact, while the debate was going on, two Iraqi police were killed and eight were wounded by an IED attack in Baqubah, Iraqi officials said.
Jobs are another priority for anyone taking office in Baqubah. Officials said between 23 percent and 50 percent of the young male population is not working. This makes this group prime fodder for insurgent groups who pay men to launch attacks, they said.
The debate touched on these issues and other purely local needs. Eventually, Iraqis may become more accustomed to these types of debates, but for now it was historic groundbreaking television in the heart of the oldest civilization on Earth.

you cant always get what you want

2005-01-18T01:24:00.000-06:00

i'm thinking of going to hawaii for my 30th birthday. 30 is a big birthday, so i gotta do something big. i wanted to get married on a beach in hawaii by the time i turned 30, but thats obviously not gonna happen. but i still wanna visit hawaii sometime, so why not on my 30th bday. you're all invited. start saving if you're interested. i'm thinking my unbirthday, not my real birthday, so you've got a year and a half. be there or be square. maybe i'll fall in love there. i know someone else who that happened to. of course she was there for more than 2 weeks. yeah by the way, i'm thinking 2 weeks. or maybe just 10 days. leave home thurs, back home by sat. yeah that sounds good. we'll see, i've still got time to figure it out.

Iraqi blogger

2005-01-17T21:06:00.000-06:00

found a great new Iraqi blogger, check him out

Words of Wisdom

2005-01-17T20:58:00.000-06:00

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder

-mt