I changed my oil today
While the title of this update seems irrelevant to you, not everything is about you! I put it there so that the next time I'm trying to remember when I last changed my oil, I'll be able to check this and get an exact date.
In other Volvo related news, I have finally accepted that the lovely black corduroy Volvo hat that my sister got me at a thrift store is officially missing and not likely to turn up. I have ordered a new hat due to my occasional need to protect my head from the sun. This one features a drawing of a Volvo 240 (like mine) instead. You can see it here if you are so inclined:
http://hats.cafepress.com/item/black-cap/261485437
Oddly enough, it does not come with a stick to use to beat off the throngs of women that I can only assume that it will attract. Luckily, I already keep one in Dr. Velvet's trunk. After all, seeing someone driving in a car while wearing a hat bearing the image of that car may be too much for some to handle.
July 17-19, 2009: I will be at my brother's bachelor party float trip. I'm not sure when I'll be arriving in Belleville, but I'll probably drive down Friday and go directly to the float trip. It's in rural Missouri somewhere. We should be back Sunday afternoon and I'll probably drive back to Michigan on Monday (I have to teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July and part of August). Hopefully I'll have time to hang out Sunday afternoon/ night with Collinsville people (assuming they are available). I just realized that I don't have any friends left who live in Belleville. Odd.
Next I'm going to present a brief advertisement for coming to visit me in Michigan:
We have lovely Lake Lansing nearby with a beach for swimming and boating. We have our own little Zoo here in Lansing where you can ride a real live camel. We have art galleries, a number of fine restaurants, a couple of music venues, and an arcade with over a dozen pinball machines. We also have a great tavern with a giant wooden griffin perched above it with a big glass picture of a wizard. According to local legend, Robert Plant once almost purchased it before he realized it wouldn't fit in his basement.
But that's just Lansing. Detroit has a surprisingly good art museum that shows art house films on the weekends. It has a number of little hole in the wall kinds of art galleries. There is always Canada a mere hour and a half away from me if you like Canada and your passport is updated. And there is what I believe to be the crown jewel of Detroit: The John King Bookstore. It is a used bookstore that inhabits an old glove factory. It is three floors of used books that are meticulously organized and reasonably priced.
And we bought a queen sized air mattress not to long ago so you can sleep in comfort and style. And there is an Amtrak stop five minutes from my house. Remember, I'm only going to live here for another year and you don't want your opportunity to see all the majesty and wonder that is Michigan to slip away.
Quick update on what I've been doing: I saw the Decemberists in St. Louis (fantastic show, Shara Worden was amazing), saw Narc Out the Reds here in Lansing (great local band fronted by one of Jill's coworkers), tasted throwback Pepsi (better than regular Pepsi), visited a friend's lake house where Jill and I went swimming, boating, drinking, and fireworks shooting (a fun weekend was had by all), and I'm officially done with taking classes. All that stands between me and "Dr. Chris" is a dissertation. If all goes to plan I'll graduate in May and start work as a professor somewhere (hopefully in Illinois) in August.
In other Volvo related news, I have finally accepted that the lovely black corduroy Volvo hat that my sister got me at a thrift store is officially missing and not likely to turn up. I have ordered a new hat due to my occasional need to protect my head from the sun. This one features a drawing of a Volvo 240 (like mine) instead. You can see it here if you are so inclined:
http://hats.cafepress.com/item/black-cap/261485437
Oddly enough, it does not come with a stick to use to beat off the throngs of women that I can only assume that it will attract. Luckily, I already keep one in Dr. Velvet's trunk. After all, seeing someone driving in a car while wearing a hat bearing the image of that car may be too much for some to handle.
July 17-19, 2009: I will be at my brother's bachelor party float trip. I'm not sure when I'll be arriving in Belleville, but I'll probably drive down Friday and go directly to the float trip. It's in rural Missouri somewhere. We should be back Sunday afternoon and I'll probably drive back to Michigan on Monday (I have to teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July and part of August). Hopefully I'll have time to hang out Sunday afternoon/ night with Collinsville people (assuming they are available). I just realized that I don't have any friends left who live in Belleville. Odd.
Next I'm going to present a brief advertisement for coming to visit me in Michigan:
We have lovely Lake Lansing nearby with a beach for swimming and boating. We have our own little Zoo here in Lansing where you can ride a real live camel. We have art galleries, a number of fine restaurants, a couple of music venues, and an arcade with over a dozen pinball machines. We also have a great tavern with a giant wooden griffin perched above it with a big glass picture of a wizard. According to local legend, Robert Plant once almost purchased it before he realized it wouldn't fit in his basement.
But that's just Lansing. Detroit has a surprisingly good art museum that shows art house films on the weekends. It has a number of little hole in the wall kinds of art galleries. There is always Canada a mere hour and a half away from me if you like Canada and your passport is updated. And there is what I believe to be the crown jewel of Detroit: The John King Bookstore. It is a used bookstore that inhabits an old glove factory. It is three floors of used books that are meticulously organized and reasonably priced.
And we bought a queen sized air mattress not to long ago so you can sleep in comfort and style. And there is an Amtrak stop five minutes from my house. Remember, I'm only going to live here for another year and you don't want your opportunity to see all the majesty and wonder that is Michigan to slip away.
Quick update on what I've been doing: I saw the Decemberists in St. Louis (fantastic show, Shara Worden was amazing), saw Narc Out the Reds here in Lansing (great local band fronted by one of Jill's coworkers), tasted throwback Pepsi (better than regular Pepsi), visited a friend's lake house where Jill and I went swimming, boating, drinking, and fireworks shooting (a fun weekend was had by all), and I'm officially done with taking classes. All that stands between me and "Dr. Chris" is a dissertation. If all goes to plan I'll graduate in May and start work as a professor somewhere (hopefully in Illinois) in August.