Reile's CIC blog

quadgun · Post by **quadgun** » 19 Sep 2007 19:20

Sorry for messing up the blog ... heres a qoute!

The Actual Sized E wrote:Time for the yearly blog update.

Not too much new to report regarding freestyle. I hit Wet Dream last Sunday for the first time and was planning on posting about completing my goal to hit 100 unique triple dex tricks, but as it turns out I miscounted and it was only my 99th. I was planning on post the list of all 100 once I finished, but now it seems kind of lame to me. I don't know, maybe I still will. Anyway, when I hit wet dream I was in a circle with Tom, Nathan, and Josh and after I hit it I said, "All right, that's it, one hundred, I can finally quit freestyle now." Tom, not satisfied with that, said that if he could hit Wet Dream first try than I couldn't quit. The bag came around to him, and BOOGE, first* try! It was very impressive, I've only seen him hit that once before, possibly even never. So that made me happy, I didn't really want to quit. I've been getting a lot better at Merlins lately too. During a super humid session I hit it back to back for the first time as well as Pixie same/op Merlin bs and Fairy same/op Merlin bs for the first time. Oh, and Blurry Merlin a couple times. Some other newish tricks: Vertigo, Spanish Fly, Pdx Ducking Dlo, Gyro Torquescrew (unsealed), Atomic Torque, and Pixie same Egg. Some new strings:

PSYCH! I don't do that shit .

Also, I've started getting into net lately. I can be SO fun. It can also be SOOO frustrating. The first day I tried it was by far the best. We played a bunch of games and I felt like I was doing really well for my first day. Every time I've played since then (4 times I think) I've gotten successively worse . I still have some fun with it, but the frustration is slowly overtaking it. I just bought a new pair of shoes for it though and I'm hoping that will help out some. Here's a pic of my new Air Max 90s:

I hated the way they looked at first, but they're starting to grow on me. They have great flat outsides, and nice tread on the bottom for traction on grass. It should be a huge upgrade from the modded Lavers I was playing in before.

On the non-footbag tip I've gotten into something new that's pretty cool, and back into something that is all the way at the other ass-end of the spectrum from cool. The cool thing is windsurfing. I didn't even know it was something that people did on Lake Michigan. My dad heard about a class at Northeastern U where you can take a couple lessons and then use their facilities, boards and sails for a month so I signed up with him. Like net, it can be SO fun and SOOO frustrating, but I'm definitely hooked. I'm going to sign up for a season membership (may-oct) next year fo sho. Based on that and what I learned about surfing from the turtles, I know that if I lived somewhere on the ocean with real waves I would be a surfer. Cowabunga!

The other thing that's been taking up way too much of my time and consciousness is - hold on as I push my imaginary glasses further up my nose - Magic the Gathering. I used to play a lot back in high school but stopped right around graduation, so I had a lot of catching up to do to pick up the last 7 years I missed. I bought 7 booster boxes and started running some mini drafts with my fellow nerds, it's been great. I forgot what an addictive and fun game it is. Anyway, here's a quick synopsis of my last month and a half:

A month and a half ago:

OH SNAP! Look at this str8 up T-H-U-G, just call me Jeremy Mirken!

Here's me now:

NEEEEEEEERRRRD! What a dork, a true Jeremy Mirken.

Actually both of those pics are of me circa 2002

Moving on.... I've mentioned this in a couple other threads without going into much detail, but the good news is I've been off the hard drugs (H and Cr) for a little over a year and a half now. I've actually unintentionally been almost entirely drug free (minus a couple trips). A lot of you who knew me personally at the time when I was using (a period of a little over 3 years) probably didn't even know. Maybe you did, I don't actually know how obvious it was. Anyway, nearing the end it was getting really unhealthy, expensive well beyond my means, and just not cohesive with an adult life with responsibilities, so I stopped. It's a little bittersweet because it feels like the death of youth, at least of my reckless uninhibited youth, but that's ok, I'm really starting to enjoy being an adult. Thanks to all those who stuck with me as a friend

Ok, enough typey, let's look at some pics:

Here's a weird-ass cactus I rescued from my mother's new house. It smells kind of like armpit BO.

This one's for Nathan, but I gotta tell you guys, this is pretty great.

I picked these up a couple weeks ago from a customer. He said he had some headphones that he wanted them refoamed. He was old so I was expecting something big and silly looking but nothing like this fighter pilot helmet he lugged out.

Here's the side view

A pretty sunset over the graveyard behind my deck.

There's my buddy Greg relaxing in a position only he could relax in.

After Cinco de mustache, I had to take the opportunity the mustache lent me to capture my true potential for sleaziness. I think I did pretty well, and the wood paneling background accentuates the sordid feel.

Before I finished the job, I had to do my tribute to the late great G.G. Allin. After I took the pic I cut myself until I bled profusely, took a shit on stage, and proceeded to roll around in the results.

A tall glass of refreshing chunks. Mmm, chunks.

This is from about 4 years ago. I ended up behind this van and was fortunate enough to have my camera with me. Where was I driving to when I saw this? Why, I was on my way to the ghetto in search of dope of course. It was definitely a funny find at the time. Turns out that it is a joke when it comes to dope sometimes

Here's some delicious sushi I made with my pops a couple years ago. Mmm mm.

A pic of my girlfriend Marianne from about a year ago. We've been together for almost 3 years now. I can't believe it's been that long, makes me go

For her birthday last month I took her to Arun's. Arun is regarded as one of the, if not the, best thai chefs in America. The restaurant has no menu and charges a flat fee for dinner which consists of many courses of the chefs choice. Our dinner had 6 appetizers courses, 4 main courses, and 2 desert courses. Each plate was a work of art and we couldn't bear to eat some of the decorative edible pieces like this radish flower and carrot butterfly.

This fish was my favorite

That's the most beard I've ever grown, a two weeks grow I think. P-r-e-t-t-y pathetic

My right ear with earlobe #3. I'm going in a month from yesterday to get it cut off. I've grown a little attached to it though, I'll miss you bubble

There's a bad picture of me with my little sis Florence. At least it's a kind of bad pic of both of us . It was taken at my stepbrother's wedding last year.

And here we are maybe 4 years before that looking real tough. Nothing says "Don't fuck with me" like an Oasis t-shirt and rainbow hair .

My niece Jade. She's an absolute cutie.

This is me this morning staring down my Talk like a Pirate day breakfast. Yarr, it be like lookin in a mirror!

Yes! Great post! I really enjoyed the pictures.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 19 Sep 2007 19:38

The Actual Sized E wrote: Also, I've started getting into net lately... I still have some fun with it, but the frustration is slowly overtaking it.

I've seen you hit ridiculously low saves while hacking with the same outside kicks you were missing during net. Sure, it's a lot faster in net - just keep your eye on the bag. I want to beat Scot and Cory!

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 20 Sep 2007 05:17

Reading that post was like holding two knives.

CIC flurry · Post by **CIC flurry** » 21 Sep 2007 10:14

yay pics, you so crazy... ::chop::

Zjeezy · Post by **Zjeezy** » 23 Sep 2007 08:48

Pirate Cookie!?!?!?!!?!?!

I wish I saw Greg Nelson half as much as you did.

The Actual Sized E · Post by **The Actual Sized E** » 25 Sep 2007 17:44

Young Zjeezy wrote:Pirate Cookie!?!?!?!!?!?!

Yeah, the bakery next door to my work is awesome. They always keep a full stock of smiley and frowny face cookies, but they like to get funky on holidays. All their pastries are really good quality too, they've got these huge trophies from the World Cup of Baking in France

.

Footbag's been really frustrating lately. I feel like I'm slowly getting worse at every discipline that I play. Freestyle's not as bad as the rest because I'm used to it. I've been slowly getting worse over last four years, and that's just because I play so infrequently due to some injury or another. That's ok with me I guess (the slowly getting worse part, not the injury part), I have no ambition to become a spectacular shredder, and I do have fun just trying tricks at sessions. Although whenever I try stringing tricks it feels so boring. I've all but lost my flipside to my right knee. Most tricks (whirls, blenders, barrages, double downs, etc.) just feel like they're destroying it, and I'd like to still be able to walk when I'm fifty. I'm thinking of looking into physical therapy again. I had a bad experience with it when I was younger where it felt like they really weren't paying attention to me and just taking the majority of my paycheck every week. I'll try giving it more of a chance this time.

It's been really annoying to be getting worse at four square though. I'm used to more or less dominating most players, and then keeping generally competitive with Zeke and Tom, but lately I've been playing like a total chump. Twitch has been besting me lately.... He's an animated stalk of broccoli, how this can to be? The only good thing about it was frustrating the hell out of Zeke in that long game of highlander beta we played last Sunday. I was the only one left he need and I just kept killing myself accidentally and going back to the end of the line. At least someone got to share my disappointment with me momentarily

I'm not sure what to think about net yet. I'm still way to new to have much of an opinion on it. It really sucks that it has to hibernate during the winter, but there really aren't many options in a Chicago winter. Oh well.

Ok, end of rant. On the upside, I have been getting lots more done in my everyday life lately. I've been making a list of all the things I'd like to accomplish every month and checking them off as I go. It's amazing how much of a difference just writing it down makes. Over the last two months I got up to date with doctor and dentist visits, got involved with the 401k at work, and cleaned out my van cab and room amongst other small shit. Also, I got to the last stage of FFXII last night which I had been putting off for a while. It's funny that playing a video game is a chore, but it is, I just want to be done with it already, 140 hours is enough!

edit: Another good thing. I took the greatest shower after work today

. I came home covered in sawdust and woodchips stuck to my skin from sweat and all in my pockets and clothes and hair. It feels so great to be totally clean after being the exact opposite.

full nelson · Post by **full nelson** » 25 Sep 2007 19:00

And I thought I was ready to be finished -- I just clocked 100 hours in that game.

The Actual Sized E · Post by **The Actual Sized E** » 01 Oct 2007 19:24

Work's been pretty good lately. I had a great day last week. It was finishing up a single room surround sound system, hanging an lcd over a fireplace and programming a remote. Pretty similar to what I do everyday, but this particular customer has a very attractive and flirty nanny that takes care of his kids which made the day much more enjoyable. At the end of the day, I demonstrated his system for him and could tell he really liked it, which always makes me happy, and then he tipped me $100

. That's only the second time in the 10 years that I've been working this job that I've received a tip that big. That made my day.

Then today, while working, I ran into a former coworker on the street and ended up catching up with him over a couple of beers after work. The really cool part is that not only is he an old coworker/friend, but he's also the singer/guitarist for several very influential bands that I really like, most notably Slint. It was fun, we talked about music and work and just general shit, hopefully we'll get together again soon.

Not too much new to report footbagwise. Zeke, Nathan and myself played 3square last saturday, which was pretty fun, despite reinjuring my hip/groin

. I felt like I was playing like shit, but I managed to win the first two games. Sometimes it feels like Zeke is more or less letting the other players score points so that they feel like they're actually participating in the game, but in reality he is actually controlling everything that's going on. He'll play the first half of the game like a normal person, fucking up here and there, and then all of a sudden he'll score the last remaining 12 point all in a row. It's a conspiracy I tell you, there's no real competition! Anyway, for what it's worth, I appreciate the effort to include me in the game sometimes, thanks Zeke

.

wolfpac444 · Post by **wolfpac444** » 01 Oct 2007 23:33

I was reading your post and right as I got to "couple of beers", I thought to myself, I wonder if that's the guy from Slint

Now that I'm in Madison, I should really make it down to Chicago sometime soon.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 01 Oct 2007 23:43

After seeing your facial hair after 2 weeks of trying, I think i can safely anoint you an honorary asian brother.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 02 Oct 2007 04:59

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 02 Oct 2007 05:17

Re: 4square - didn't you recently win a game while keeping everyone else to fewer than two points? That was a dominant performance. But I can feel your frustration with 4sq. in general.

We should work on our games and try to get better for NYJ (lord willing).

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 02 Oct 2007 08:59

QuantumBalance · Post by **QuantumBalance** » 03 Oct 2007 03:26

Reile and Zeke you were sorely missed in the doubles and singles 9 square games at worlds!

CIC flurry · Post by **CIC flurry** » 10 Feb 2008 08:41

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 09 Jun 2008 06:13

Happy birthday! A day late.

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 09 Jun 2008 11:44

happy birthday! i didnt know...

love the pictures and stories. miss you and the crew. only 3 more semesters and im done with school and moving up there!

The Actual Sized E · Post by **The Actual Sized E** » 14 Aug 2008 18:18

I haven't check the blog in a while, thanks for the b-day wishes 2 months ago guys

I was driving to a customer's house today listening to my Ipod on random and Ice Ice Baby came on. My arm instinctively reached out to skip tracks but at the last moment my hand made the executive decision to turn it up instead. I let the song play out.

Later when I got home, after a shower I was just going to shave my face and my hand made the executive decision to shave stripes into my head. Check out the hook while my dj revolves it.

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 28 Aug 2008 12:52

is that a boner?

Moxie · Post by **Moxie** » 03 Sep 2008 00:18

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fbGZV3Y3R0[/youtube]