04 March 2001
Weekend of (mainly my) Ineptitude
This weekend has put me on the verge of a foul mood -- a really foul mood actually -- but I can't quite pinpoint why. How appropriate that Cro-Magnon just shook the whole four-plex by slamming his door, but that's not the source. Part of the reason is probably that I have screwed up damn near everything I have touched this weekend and had to do it several times to get it right, which is an annoying waste of time. Part of it is probably also that most of these things are things I am doing for other people (such as the minidisc transfers and cd-r copies for an RK fan -- yes, I'm keeping copies for myself and that was my motivation, but it's still something that HAD to be done this weekend -- or the 8 More Miles additions -- yes, I love the band and our site, but people are sending us a LOT of stuff lately and it needs to go up fairly quickly or it becomes stale). As a consequence, my own quite selfish projects keep getting pushed aside until later -- except this weekend, later never arrived because I had to redo damn near everything I touched. In some cases 3 or 4 times. Blar.
I probably need to get away and go on a backpacking trip. Instead, I've cleaned my backpack tonight to send off to Arc'Teryx to be replaced by a proper fitting pack. The doofuses who originally fit me put me in a medium when I really need a tall. The Arc'Teryx is so comfy that I figured I could make do, but that's just stupid. Packs should be properly fitted, especially when we are talking about such a high-end, high-dollar pack. So the pack goes off to them sometime this week, sans the medium hipbelt and shoulder straps, which fit fine. An odd thing, pack fitting. I'm really good at fitting other people and getting them adjusted, but it's difficult to fit one's self, especially when it comes to bending stays. Ah well.
Many of my purchases tend to work out like the backpack, I've discovered. It's rare that I will make a purchase and be completely satisfied afterwards. It's a pleasant surprise to find that one finely crafted item that is also perfectly suited to my requirements. That being said, I can't rave enough about the Yamaha receiver I purchased a few weeks ago. It's a damn fine piece of equipment, and one of my best purchases in ages (right up there with the Peak 1 Xtreme backpacking stove in terms of satisfaction!). So there's a positive note on which to conclude (no pun intended). And another positive note: the Marcia Ball show Saturday night was excellent, although a bit different from my usual fare. She's a great singer/songwriter who plays the piano and has a rocking blues/jazz band, and it was a fun time. Haven't had time yet to transfer the bootleg of the show.
[Posted @ 11:15 PM CST]
