This past Sunday, I escorted two senior pals to the grocery store. This is a usual routine for me. I was pleasantly surprised that my fiance joined us. He usually doesn’t enjoy going to the store with other people, but this time, he said, “sure, let’s go together.” Little did either of us know what some friends had planned.
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Yearly Archives: 2012
40 Years of Caroling Craziness Continues!
For the 40th year in a row, I joined some “old” friends (that is, as old as me) for another round of Christmas caroling in my old ‘hood where I grew up.
Way back when, when I was a young wascally wabbit in junior high school, a group of my classmates who lived in my neighborhood decided to go Christmas caroling. We took it so seriously. We had printed lyrics to over 40 carols. We got together for weeks in advance to rehearse. We sang our hearts out.
We had so much fun, and our parents enjoyed sharing the joy with us, that we kept doing it. All through high school. Then when we graduated, we challenged each other that we would return to sing next year… and we did. And we did and we did and we did and we did… every.single.year since 1972. Amazing. And the beat goes on…
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Frye Boots — Mexico
A guy who was doing research about a pair of Frye-branded boots that he bought found my website, and the history of the Frye Boot brand. The boots that he bought were labeled “made in Mexico.”
Not that many people have noticed that the Frye Boot brand was bought and sold by a series of holding companies since 2003 when the original John A. Frye Company closed its plant in Massachusetts. They sold the name, trademark, logoes, and service marks — valuable assets. Today, the Frye boot name and marks are owned by Li & Fung, the largest shoe-related conglomerate in China.
But does that mean that all Frye boots are made in China now?
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Internet Boot Funnies
Every now and then, I look at what people search for on the internet and whose searches direct visitors to my website. Some of these questions are odd, some are serious, some are indicative that people cannot spell or use grammar, and some are downright funny.
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Lifestyle of Integrity
I am deeply saddened to see some people I thought were well-educated to fall for the National Organization for Marriage’s (NOM’s) latest fallacy, which is shown here. This image is being passed around on Facebook.
It says, in part, “if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle…,” referring to those of us who are gay. It doesn’t say that directly, but if you know or have heard anything about NOM, you know what they are referring to. They despise gay men and women, and have been on a crusade to foist their misguided opinions on the world.
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How To Wear Engineer Boots
Yep, another internet search directed someone from Texas to my website who entered the question, “how to wear engineer boots men.”
Answers–
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House Reno
I just “GC’d a job” — meaning, I served as a general contractor to manage the renovation of a small house in the neighborhood near where I own several other houses that I rent to community heroes. I didn’t have the time to do all of the renovations myself, but I did do some of the required work myself, like replacing the house’s entire electrical system.
It has been fun (and tiring) for the past two months to turn a house that was rather beat-up, drab, and dull and turn it into a nice-looking, updated home. The house had “good bones” — no water or termite damage, cracks in the foundation, or other evidence of substantial problems. What it needed was tender loving care.
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Blew Up The Computer
Darn it! My power supply to my main computer that I use for work and maintaining my website crapped out the other day. I bought a new one, and installed it. When I powered it on, I heard a crackle then smelled something burning. I quickly turned it off.
I tried various combinations of the connections, to no avail. “No Boot Disk Available.”
Who me? Booted Harleydude? What’s it saying — that I don’t have any boots on my disk? Ya gotta be kidding!
I brought the computer to a technician who calmly advised me, “sorry, you ‘toasted’ your hard drive. It’s gone and cannot be recovered.”
Shit.
And coming from me, that’s strong language!
I had to order a new computer. Fortunately, I kept a pretty current backup of my “old” computer so I certainly hope I’m back up and running soon. Meanwhile, I’m computing from my laptop, as I continue to be one of those guys with an “i-nothing for a no-berry.”
I see that about 30% of the visitors to this blog and my website are coming from smartphones, ipads, and other mobile devices. I think my fiance and I will be among the last to embrace mobile technology. I still prefer a traditional keyboard, wired mouse, and the full features of a “real” computer. I have no need to be mobile with it, and pay extra for data plans and the like (keeping rich companies richer. Not me.)
Life is short: don’t try to be your own technician.
Substantially Booted for Two Gift Days of Riding
Man, the weather in the area where I live has been superb. In fact, downright record-breaking warm! So each time I write a post about a recent ride this late in the season, I have been posting as if that ride were the last this year. Well, not yet!
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Dynamic Boot Collection
For a while this month, my boot collection had grown to over 200 pairs — 202 pairs to be precise. Yikes! Not even a boot aficionado like me could really wear 202 pairs of boots. I had been teetering above and below 200 pairs for almost the whole year. But now I’m down to 196 pairs, and that number will decrease in the months to come. What’s been going on?
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