Productive & Relaxing Long Weekend - Part 2

Saturday Night: After bf cleaned up from dirtbiking, we joined my mom and her beau for dinner. The remainder of the night is kind of a blur, NOT because I was drunk but because I just have a bad memory. I probably started the 2nd sock and watched TV, maybe some more Guitar Hero with roomie and our honorary roomie (hr).

Sunday: Bf had to go back to work so it was just the usual Sunday for me. Do some chores around house: laundry, bank, prep dinner. I did pull up almost all the weeds around our house, which was A LOT. We pretty much neglected yard work for a good 3 months this summer after I gave up on the veggie garden. The first 4-5 weeks, bf and roomie tried to mow the lawn everyday Friday but they got lazy and so did I. Our backyard & front was completely overgrown. I'll post the before and after pictures of just the area behind the tool shed. Yikes, scary! I also put the floorstep & seat back on the Ruck and went for a ride around the neighbourhood. I don't have a license or insurance so I can't take it on the real streets. She's doing good though! I restarted the 2nd sock several times this day because I counted my increases wrong the previous night and the toe's shape was getting all funky. I passed out while I was knitting from working the weeds in the afternoon, and napped on couch for a few hours. This night I was very happy because after roomie left for our friend's cottage in the middle of the night, and after hr left from post nightly WOW session, I woke up from my nap and bf and I had a really nice time just the two of us until the sun was rising. I really appreciate those times, no matter how insignificant what we did was, when I am reminded just how much I love him. The afterglow of it lasts for days, it's wonderful and brings me to tears just to reminisce on these times even when we are fighting hardcore.

Monday: Not much more again yesterday other than more chores around the house. Bf booked the day off and I'm happy that he actually did it with me. We bagged all the weeds I pulled together, he trimmed the hedge and mowed the lawn while I vacuumed and mopped. He and hr were supposed to take apart the swing set in the backyard to give to bf's buddy at work but as expected, as soon as hr came over, they had a long WOW session until it was dark. So of course, that didn't get done. I also forgot to move all the junk lying around upstairs to the basement which was something else on the chore-list. Oh well, he's still sore from dirtbiking anyways, I'll give him a break. He should really wait until roomie gets back and make the lazy idiot do something anyway. On the knitting forefront, I made it 1/3 of the way up the 2nd sock. Maybe 2 more days and it'll should be done. Then I really need to get back to the secret project that I've been procrastinating on because of all the slow hand sewing that is required. Oy!

On another note, thank you Kathleen for your comment about the sock-knitting class at the LYS. I thought about it a few months ago when I first heard about it and was going to bring my mom along for the class. But she seems uninterested now and after this pair of socks for bf and the secret project, I have to get started on the 2 other projects I bought yarn for during Knitter's Attic's Canada Day sale. Otherwise, I will just feel guilty, break-down and not knit anything. Can't let that happen. :P

Productive & Relaxing Long Weekend - Part 1

Friday night: made it JUST in time to catch The Simpsons Movie and the auditorium we were in wasn't too crowded, even though the rest of the theatre was packed! I was sure we wouldn't get tickets, and if tickets, then no seats. We ended up sitting in a decent spot, smack dab in the middle of the third row in the centre section. I'd say that's prime seating AND there was little complaints from bf and roomie as they are usually such babies about going to the movie theatres on a Friday night. The only thing roomie said was that the guy behind him kept kicking his seat. Honestly, I don't know how "kids" and "teenagers" are always "making snide remarks", "kicking the seat" and generally be very annoying all in the vicinity of their seats. It's like when they sit down, they enter into the cliche bad movie theatre experience universe where everyone is a jerk. I always come out saying it was fine. Pessimists, that's what they are.

Anyhoo, the movie was quite funny, as good as a Simpsons movie released this late in their seasons could be. I personally didn't think they should've waited this long to release it. Sure, now it's a worldwide phenomenon as the commercials are so keen to advertise, and the show has fully permeated popular culture across the globe, but for about 5, maybe more seasons now, it's just not as good as it has been. They shoud've made this movie back at the end of season 10 to mark the 10 year anniversary when the show was truly at its peak. Now, even though the movie was decent enough and contained all the classical Simpsons self-referencing, it's almost become the butt of it's own joke. It's become a vehicle for nostalgia to its own memorable moments. It really isn't new anymore. However, the movie does satisfy the insatiable thirst of both Simpsons fans from new and old generations so it was a great success nevertheless.

Saturday: I probably slept in but honestly can't remember much of what I did. That's a sign of a good holiday! I know I didn't really go out, just hung around the house. I know bf went dirtbiking with a friend in the afternoon and came home all bruised and scratched up. (He likes to brag about the hurt though, hehe.) Oh, now I remember! I finally got off my ass and worked on the Ruckus and I am so proud of myself! I cleaned* the carburetor, drained the engine oil and gas tank, then put in new oil and gas. Now she runs smoothly, no more chugging!

*I say cleaned because I tried to but couldn't take the damn thing apart. Those idiots at Honda put on these dumb-ass Philips screws that are so easy to strip! I thought I was just doing it wrong and got really frustrated with myself for stripping them but after some research on TotalRuckus, it turns out it's not just me. Now I hafta wait until the next major maintenance for bf to remove those screws for me but it's sketchy to remove it via drilling on the carburetor. BAH! So i pretty much just cleaned the outside of it and blew some compressed air through.

Another thing to do!

I have been putting off doing maintenance on the Ruckus because I wasn't going to get a license or insurance. But that's not gonna stop me from riding around in the small streets...where all the youn'uns are. After a long winter of sitting there, I have a bunch of stuff to do to it or it might not even start. I know roommate & bf know how to do it because they do it for their bikes too but they already went through 2 bikes, have 1 more to do and I'm sure they don't want to deal with my dinky scooter. It would be good for me to learn anyways. I have a manual at home that I need to read and understand. From reading forums & sites, here's a list of what needs to be changed, cleaned or checked:

1) oil
2) oil filter screen
3) rear end fluid
4) air filter
5) air filter seals
6) carb
7) spark plug
8) radiator flush - not sure what that even means
9) tire pressure
10) brakes
11) mirrors - some dude backed out of a parking spot and hit bf, knocking him and scooter down, snapped the mirror right off!

You know, by the time I figure out and do all this, it'll be winter again.