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Awake and in Wisconsin
Apr. 10th, 2004 10:22 amAndrea and I got in about 9 O'clock last night I think, after various adventures on the road. We stopped at a big outlet mall in Indiana once we realized that we weren't quite going to be on time to make it to Vogue Fabrics in Chicago before closing. It was a very surreal sort of mall. A bit walking mall with aisles and stores on each side, sort of like a typical indoor walking mall, except it was all outdoors. Making it more interestin was the fact that nearby, not far behind the mall buildings, stood a rather sizable nuclear power plant. Walking about with the other shoppers while being all the while conscious of a massive, steaming cooling tower in the background was an oddly futurist sensation.
Also of note was the clerk who, upon seeing my sandalled feet, asked; "Are your toenails blue?" I responded "Yes, they are."
Of course, our adventures didn't begin there. The first excitement of the trip came just before our junction with I-94 when I was pulled over by a state trooper, ostensibly for having not used my signal when lane changing. (This is, by the way, something that I am very picky about. I quite nearly always use my signals.) Having bought new insurance not terribly long ago, and it having not occurred to me to anything intelligent like actually listening to my beloved and putting the proof of insurance in the car, I didn't have any with me. Also absent from my immediate vicinity was proof of registration which I still haven't cleared up in Michigan yet. Honestly, I can't remember whether I've even transferred the title from my dad yet; I couldn't before because they wouldn't do it without proof of insurance and I think I kind of forgot about it.
*Note to self; do this next week.*
The trooper searched the car and myself and was, I imagine, rather puzzled by the 1000 watt mogul screwbase theatrical lamp in the back window well (think 'light bulb as big as a two litre bottle'), but did not mention it. Nor did he choose to comment on the strange contents of my pockets.
"What's in your pockets?"
"Umm, I honestly can't remember. My checkbook?"
He proceeded to remove a hacky sack (or is that an 'antique amish pincusion') and a small screwdriver from my side pockets. Combining all this with the fact that I have long (ok, really long) hair (as Andrea pointed out, I do, despite having honestly never done drugs of any sort, look very stoneresque sometimes) and the fact that he kept asking about any illegal substances in the car or on us, and we decided that the reason he didn't ask about the lamp is that he figured it must be part of my hydroponic marijuana lab set up. This lead to later joking between Andrea and myself about my having filled my hacky sack with hemp seeds, 'cause, like, when you kick it, it, like, gets real high man! (Laugh it up folks, these are the jokes...)
Fortunately enough, he let us go with a warning and we were once again off.
The only other excitement was minor in nature. I have a picture, from when got off I-94 to avoid a terrible backup (didn't work but that's another story) of Treedor the Burninator! Someone attached a giant arm to a tree outside their farm, or maybe carved a limb into an arm and fist. I don't know. All I know is that it looked just like Trogdor's arm from home star runner. It was a very strange think to see in the middle of rural Michigan farmland. I approve of that.
I checked my order status with Newegg.com. Their form says that, if I'm shipping to an alternate address from my billing address for my credit card, I have to confirm it with the financial instituation. I tried to do this last week Wednesday and it seems that they have no process in place to even allow an alternate address on an account for shipping purposes and said I should just try to order the stuff. Of course, I found this morning that my charge was denied. *sigh* Fortunately, I was given a number to call in case that happened so I can talk to the bank and try to figure this out again.
After Andrea arises from her slumber, we're going to 2becontinued today where my parents and our friend Bob will be waiting for us. (Speaking of Bob, he gave me a very cool new geektoy that I'll have to write about later.) Until then, I'm going to putz around with Jim's computer. I feel so very at home here. Not that I don't feel at home in Michigan; it's just very good to be here for a while.
Also of note was the clerk who, upon seeing my sandalled feet, asked; "Are your toenails blue?" I responded "Yes, they are."
Of course, our adventures didn't begin there. The first excitement of the trip came just before our junction with I-94 when I was pulled over by a state trooper, ostensibly for having not used my signal when lane changing. (This is, by the way, something that I am very picky about. I quite nearly always use my signals.) Having bought new insurance not terribly long ago, and it having not occurred to me to anything intelligent like actually listening to my beloved and putting the proof of insurance in the car, I didn't have any with me. Also absent from my immediate vicinity was proof of registration which I still haven't cleared up in Michigan yet. Honestly, I can't remember whether I've even transferred the title from my dad yet; I couldn't before because they wouldn't do it without proof of insurance and I think I kind of forgot about it.
*Note to self; do this next week.*
The trooper searched the car and myself and was, I imagine, rather puzzled by the 1000 watt mogul screwbase theatrical lamp in the back window well (think 'light bulb as big as a two litre bottle'), but did not mention it. Nor did he choose to comment on the strange contents of my pockets.
"What's in your pockets?"
"Umm, I honestly can't remember. My checkbook?"
He proceeded to remove a hacky sack (or is that an 'antique amish pincusion') and a small screwdriver from my side pockets. Combining all this with the fact that I have long (ok, really long) hair (as Andrea pointed out, I do, despite having honestly never done drugs of any sort, look very stoneresque sometimes) and the fact that he kept asking about any illegal substances in the car or on us, and we decided that the reason he didn't ask about the lamp is that he figured it must be part of my hydroponic marijuana lab set up. This lead to later joking between Andrea and myself about my having filled my hacky sack with hemp seeds, 'cause, like, when you kick it, it, like, gets real high man! (Laugh it up folks, these are the jokes...)
Fortunately enough, he let us go with a warning and we were once again off.
The only other excitement was minor in nature. I have a picture, from when got off I-94 to avoid a terrible backup (didn't work but that's another story) of Treedor the Burninator! Someone attached a giant arm to a tree outside their farm, or maybe carved a limb into an arm and fist. I don't know. All I know is that it looked just like Trogdor's arm from home star runner. It was a very strange think to see in the middle of rural Michigan farmland. I approve of that.
I checked my order status with Newegg.com. Their form says that, if I'm shipping to an alternate address from my billing address for my credit card, I have to confirm it with the financial instituation. I tried to do this last week Wednesday and it seems that they have no process in place to even allow an alternate address on an account for shipping purposes and said I should just try to order the stuff. Of course, I found this morning that my charge was denied. *sigh* Fortunately, I was given a number to call in case that happened so I can talk to the bank and try to figure this out again.
After Andrea arises from her slumber, we're going to 2becontinued today where my parents and our friend Bob will be waiting for us. (Speaking of Bob, he gave me a very cool new geektoy that I'll have to write about later.) Until then, I'm going to putz around with Jim's computer. I feel so very at home here. Not that I don't feel at home in Michigan; it's just very good to be here for a while.
