Hello, Lovine.com

There is exactly a week before Coachella starts.

Happy days in 2008!

I've been worried about the weather. It's weird. I usually don't like the summer season, since unnecessary sweating bothers me. But I find myself re-checking the weather forecast every few days and finding that this year's Coachella looks AT LEAST 30 degrees cooler than all the previous years I've been. What is happening!? What will it be like without the death-defying heatwave that makes you spend all your money on lemonade and seek shelter getting fire hosed by the Do Lab freaks?? Will it ever be the same?! And never in my wildest dreams would I think of finding myself wanting to be scorched bone dry in the desert. It just won't be the same without pain!

I need a beer. I spent too many hours again underneath the bus. I finally hooked up the heater control boxes and tried valiantly to set the control cable. Am learning some obvious lessons on how to pay attention to detail and becoming more thorough in your work and analysis, which of course manifests itself at the 11th hour when you realize that a few things have already gone wrong. After awhile, I eventually managed to stick one heat exchanger up into the exhaust heads, but quickly realized that there is an unwanted dent in one of fresh air channels from the engine fan that is preventing a flap from opening completely. I'll have to hammer it out tomorrow. Not like I have any more time to dilly dally - I need to get this shit together and still pass by the shop to get my EGR filter welded back on in time for her maiden summer voyage of 2010.

As my dad asked for the umpteenth time tonight, "What are you doing??"

"You should spend more time with your girlfriend, instead of that bus."

It's not really that deep, but I thought it looked pretty cool. Was lining up some parts on the Veedub this afternoon, but my hand slipped. Dabbed on some expired (2008) liquid bandage, taped it up, and crawled underneath the bus to pry out the exhaust gaskets on the heads.

My dad walked in the garage and asked what I was doing and why I was underneath it. He said something like, ayan bulok kasi kotse mo (that's what you get for getting a shitty car). I chuckle to myself, and he says "Mag-ingat ka diyan, baka mag-earthquake" (Take care underneath, there might be an earthquake). Lima-Oscar-Lima.

More pictures from New York here.

Just got back into the west coast from almost a week in New York. Spent the week with plenty of cool refreshments and met up with the usual cool cats of the East Coast, sponsored by Casa de Gatchalian. In a few hours I still have to take the Bart, make the OAK - LAX leg, and ride the Vespa up the 405 straight to work. It was a good run, and excited to see how the pictures will turn out. The weather was perfect while we were there, with the exception of one wet day. I took a lot of TTV shots, and got a lot of stares because of my ghetto cardboard tube light blocker thingamajig.

The weirdest part, was randomly running into people. First, was Jaime and Nic spotting us in the outskirts of Central Park. I mean, how the hell do you run into people you know in a sea of billions of people? And second was running into my old coworker OJ right by his bus stop. The funny thing is, the exact same thing happened the last time we were in the city and ran into Donna, my neighbor who I haven't seen in forever. Nuts.

I think I just felt an earthquake.

With so many of them happening around the world in rapid succession, I wouldn't be surprised if we're up next!

Took the Vespa to work today. Just my luck, that it started pouring as soon as I got out of dinner. I was still a ways off, and had to ride the entire stretch in a pour. I'm happy with my jacket, which rolled off all the water. It wasn't too bad except that I wish I had some RainX on my face shield and my butt was super cold and wet by the time I got home. Felt like wearing an old soggy diaper.

I've only ridden in the rain once before, when Ms. Kat brushed off the thunderstorm and lightning and insisted we ride up to SF from the Easy Bay to meet up with other scooterists (SFSG) for a rally. What a gangsta.

Anyway, not the first time that the lack of weather knowledge has gotten me into a wet situation. :)

It's one of those days that you need a beer for no good reason. Just because.

Tasty Christmas Treatz

To love, to life.

Today's sunset will be my last in Manila for this month, as I'm scheduled to fly out in a few hours back to soggy San Francisco. It was a good run. Despite all the chaos in the grit of the third world, there will always be something beautiful out there to pick out, and take home with you.

And then you quietly realise that there really is no such thing as home - because you take it with you wherever you may come, and you find it wherever you may go.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Aquino!! :D

The bigger versions on Flickr are nicer. But never as nice as the real thing.