learning about tires the hard way

Dearest All-

What a month it's been. The summer is all about July. August has always had a hint of the coming school year in my mind, and so I've learned to compress summer doings to late June (my birthday week, for example) and July (which, to fellow NLers, means Sailfest and Ocean Beach). By August, I get an itch to start playing soccer and find myself sniffing vinyl ring binders, trying to figure out which one smells the least. That smell sets me off. I swear.

And so I find myself, with August quickly approaching, already taking account of the Summer of 2007. It was indeed very nice. I packed in a quick trip to St. Croix for the 4th of July and a wedding on July 7th. Which makes me so glad as to know that I'm still hip enough to get an invite to the busiest matrimonial day in history (or so CNN would want me to believe). So thank you, Rachel Holt and Tim McGrath for allowing me to share in your festivities on your wonderful day. And true story (having already told it on my online slide show on another competing website), Rachel got an heirloom ring (read: from an antiques shop) and when she read the inscription on the inside, it said "Lucky". That's pretty sweet.

But of course, there was work to be had, and so I left St. Croix after 10 wonderful days of playing with my best puppy Miss Rowan (I'm officially tired of friends calling her a him, so until further notice, I'm adopting the Miss to her full title), hanging out at the beach, having a few ice cold Hammerhead Pale Ales (or several, depending on your sources), seeing my very dear friends Capt. Moe, Martino, Dr. Ian, Mikey, Sandals Mikey (though you need glasses if you need help knowing which Mikey is which, or a lesson in the colors of Crayola), Croney Dem, Guerra Dem, Misty H., Nadene L., Sasha B., Bootzy, Dustino, Mr. Tommy, Norma, Cruzan Ryan, Naked Rasta at Paradise Road, and Fast Hands Richard, aka Bob Marley's crack-addled former bongo player. Is that enough shout-outs? Is the orchestra getting louder? Do I need to wrap it up? Ok. Thank you!

There is something wonderful and special about getting a chance to head home for a vacation. I have always enjoyed heading home to CT for some home cookin', as the saying goes. And the same goes for St.Croix. Tropical islands breed a familiarity and rhythm that is so comfortable. Sunday, go to beach. Pass go. Collect cooler full of beer. And so to fall into that easy cycle of passing time during what is the high holy day of summer, 4th of July, was just icing. If only my trip home was as wonderful and easy.

To keep this post short, let's play "MadLibs". Fill in the blank as needed. Ok:

American Airlines was delayed at San Juan International Airport for *NUMBER* hours because a *NOUN* was *ADJECTIVE*. This led the *NOUN* being late to Miami International Airport. Coincidentally, the airline was very *ADJECTIVE*, having moved my requested seat from Row *NUMBER* to Row *NUMBER*. This greatly *VERB* my ability to get off the plane and onto my connection to Dallas. "*EXCLAMATION*" I yelled, when I found out that my connecting flight was scheduled to leave in *NUMBER* minutes but was still at the *NOUN*. Of course, those of you who have been to MIA know that the airport is a complete, *ADJECTIVE* *NOUN*. I got to my gate just in time to see the *NOUN* close. Of course, American Airlines has no phone number for Customer *NOUN*, so all I can really do is *VERB* and *VERB* to let them know that I'm not a *ADJECTIVE* *NOUN*. Of course, that's why they call American Airlines the *ADJECTIVE ENDING IN -EST* *NOUN* known to man.

Of course, they also lost my luggage. And though it's been two weeks, I have yet to hear from them. I'm demanding compensation as a bumped passenger. They told me they released my seats 10 minutes before the plane doors close, but 10 minutes prior to that occurring, they knew me and 5 others were running across the construction site me and my cohorts here at A&M call "Miami International Drug Emporium, Carnival Sideshow and Plane Refueling Stop". They could have saved everyone the hassle by saying we were bumped. But no. It's really too bad that I have 37,000 frequent flier miles with them. boo!

Hope you are all having a lovely summer! Stay away from American Airlines sales agents.

--Goose

QUICK SHOUT-OUT: Happy Birthday Dear Old Dad!

I Learn About Tires Shout-Out to: My new car tires and my new bike tires! Having blown out my left front car tire on a road trip to Galveston (what a time! fishery conference, dirty beaches, seedy hotels that cause you to contract the grippe... i had a blast! at least during the drive to and fro!) I spent the better portion of a month's salary on 4 new slicks for Claus. Only to discover that my back wheel on my bike had similarly departed its useful life. So today I bought two new street-slick tires for my $20 bike. Total Cost: $78. Which means I need another $25 U-lock to keep my sweet red-walled back tire safe from potential purloiners. I swear, it's getting ridiculous.