MexicanDragon

Nice, Ben! I got out for a few miles with Xavier Friday night. I figured it'd be a few miles only, so I was like "I'll just wear some regular shorts, I don't need to get the bike shorts out." Turns out even with a few miles, the pain the saddle caused was noticeable even with a ton of nerve damage. Next time, shorts... even if it's a mile. I've realized that I need a new cassette. 12-25 (even with a compact) just isn't going to cut it, especially in this hilly new neighborhood. I think it's time for an 11-28. **BRENT**

I can't wait to choke you the next time I see you. Dick. **BRENT**

I miss my matte black Fisher. I had one for about 8 years before I lost it Hmmm... **BRENT**

Happy early belated b-day, Al! **BRENT**

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Larry, I consider 225$ more of a "HC Budget" as opposed to "actual budget" range. If this was something I would use a ton, possibly, but I do most of my listening at work, so vinyl is more of a tertiary medium for me, since it will be another source at home. **BRENT**

Heh. Real budget, not "HC Budget." Thanks, dan. **BRENT**

Hey guys. I traded a buddy for a turntable a while back, but it doesn't have a cart. It's a NAD 5040, which I think is a copy of a budget Rega an ADC 1700 made by BSR (but with an ADC designed arm) from back in the day. I don't know what much of this means, other than "it's a turntable," and it's better than the lack of a turntable that I had before that. So, before I go researching a ton of budget carts, and blah blah blah, I was going to see if you guys had any decent budget carts you had around, or would recommend looking for. I also don't have a phono stage, but I do have a little older Sony integrated amp with a phono stage that I was going to use with some Wharfedale Diamond II bookshelf speakers (10$ at a thrift store, killer bloody deal). I do have a NAD receiver I came across a year ago which is completely outdated for video (tops out at S-Vid), but still is decent for audio. Perhaps I'll wind up with a NAD phono pre for that one day. Thanks. **BRENT**

I have some Audible credits. I should grab them again for work listening. **BRENT**

CJ, did you read the book? I used to live Thomas Harris (if memory serves.) Red Dragon was a great book. Wasn't PSH also in that movie? **BRENT**

Thanks, Larry! **BRENT**

So two months out and the weather is finally starting to normalize to where it's not sub-freezing/equally stupidly cold. Time to really work on training and get ready for a ride that's about 20% longer than last year, with *gasp* more elevation gain! I'm not quite looking forward to that part, but I remembered being at the closer turn-around point last year, and realizing that I was dealing with something tough for a few hours, while other people had been struggling/dealing with an issue for years, if not their whole lives. I kicked things off with a self-donation today, and appreciate any and all donations. Thanks! Brent

Wifi or hardwired? **BRENT**

Dan, when did you move to within 50mi of Chattanooga? **BRENT**

I have gigabit. I'm waiting until I can afford a laptop that can handle gigabit wireless, then I'll get some bad-ass router to serve it up, all so I can win the thread. All this overtime has got to be good for something, right? Oh, wait, all the overtime is to pay bills? *sigh* Oh well. EPB Fiber Optics serves up 100Mbit for 57.99$, or 1Gbit for 69.99$/mo (no taxes/extra fees). No cap, just a dumb pipe. OK, I think I must've been downloading something in the background. That's probably getting close to a hardware limitation on a 2.5 year old laptop that won't even support my 5GHz network. **BRENT**

Bah. Stupid router. I need to fix the settings. (Wifi, btw. I still need to do hardwired.) **BRENT**

He loves it! A lot better than his last bike. He's going up one hill back by home then up another. <3 **BRENT**

http://www.schwinnbikes.com/usa/bikes/kids/mesa-24-boys We picked this up today. He test rode quite a few bikes, and went back and forth on what he liked, but he settled on this one. It works out for me, because it's the closest shop (just over a mile away), and I like the people there, and it was on the floor at 10% off, then marked down another 20% off that price. 20% off a new lock, and a spare 24" tube. Out the door with extras for less than the next cheapest 2013 close out, pre tax, bike only. Now, some of you may notice the Schwinn name and remember that they sold out and are in large box stores (Target, etc) now. That's true, but they have recently started back with the "Signature" line, which is only sold in bike shops. The build is a good bit better than the Target "Schwinn Brand", and the parts spec is only beat out by the 92$-more-expensive-even-at-closeout-price Trek MT240. The shop stayed open a little bit later to take care of us (first time customers, but I'd been in there a few times to look at bikes... once to pre-shop, once to bring Xavier during the "try 'em all" phase, and one when he'd narrowed it down to this one and another one). The shop I've been going to since the late 90s didn't even treat me as well as these guys did. So, Schwinn isn't "cool" in my mind, anymore, but it's the bike that Xavier liked the most, and wanted to ride the most, so we got it. The deal was that he pays part of the bike cost, though. After talking to a few people, this seemed like a great idea. If he "owns" a piece of it, maybe it will mean more to him than if he just got it as an early Thursday present. I couldn't (and still can't) find my bike rack, so we couldn't take it home today, but it gives them a chance to run through the gears and give it a quick tune-up before we pick it up tomorrow. They were very attentive with adjusting the brake levers when they weren't quite right for his reach. I'm excited to take our first ride of the season together tomorrow afternoon. He already has his bike gloves and helmet laid out, and is ready to get out and ride. Since it was 75 today, it will probably snow tomorrow and kill our chances of a good ride, but I'll try to post pix tomorrow. **BRENT**

Happy b-day, you filthy animal! I hope we get to meet up soon! **BRENT**

I need to jack into my gigabit to see what I'm getting hardwired. **BRENT**

I got the largest they had. If I don't fit then I guess I should just lose some weight, no? **BRENT**

Arm twisted. I need shorts badly and don't have a favorite. 36$ shipped with tax (new to TN) for two pairs, can't pass that up. Thanks! There was also a pair of Canari shorts for ~22/each in all sizes with prime shipping if anyone was interested. Almost out of the Sugoi but there seems to be plenty of stock on the other. **BRENT**

Come to Tampa tomorrow. Colin will fix it for you. **BRENT**

I would rather listen to KSC-75s than HD800s. **BRENT**

YES! I had forgotten but I almost had flashbacks to near mild panic attacks when I realized it. I don't remember the music changing as much as the panning shots being cut by about a third each to add a few more in. All but the Nationals one and the final one seem WAY too short, if memory serves. They dropped frames from the Nationals one it felt like, but not as many, or as large of a percentage. The opening one cut out the cop car at the red light. Seriously, I had to quit watching the opening. I rather enjoyed S2, though, even if it may have felt like it rushed a few things. **BRENT**

G'luck, guys. Here's what we're looking at getting down here this week. **BRENT**