a post!

Yeah, I haven't been blogging again, although I've been told that having an online reference to the Shaw boys so that people can prove to their friends that they actually do exist is a help.

Jacy's home, so I've been spending a lot of time cooking and cleaning, although people bring meals, which is nice. Jacy doesn't so much create the extra work as I actually have to keep up after my own messes so she can navigate the house.

But today I finally found what I had been waiting for...the Good family treasure. Previous searches had yielded only half a Goodwill's worth of well worn socks and undershirts, ties from the 70's, my dad's collection of true crime novels, his wisdom teeth, and an overflowing four drawer filing cabinet that after removing all the maps, vacation brochures and other paperwork long rendered obsolete by the internet, was decimated to one half drawer of important documents and one drawer of old newspapers. While moving said filing cabinet, I found it in the corner of my parent's closet behind 14 containers of generic Gold Bond, stacks of bar soap, shampoo bottles and disposable razors...a box with a combination lock on it.

I could pry the box open slightly, enough to see more disposable razors, but that just had to be a ruse. I managed to get 2 of the 4 bolts off of the latch, but the other 2 would not budge. I chiseled at the weld, but couldn't get it to peel off. I fruitlessly tried sawing through the lid around the latch. I tried to knock the pin out of the hinge to no avail, so I found a grinder and took it to to bolts. Then I went and got a pair of sunglasses should a spark land in my eye. After my second attempt was aborted due to fear of a spark nesting in my hair, I got a hat, and after catching a few live ones on my feet, put on jeans and shoes. My fourth attempt was pay dirt, I slowly ground off the head of the bolt, and, not equating 2 minutes of showering sparks with friction related heat, promptly burned myself.

I opened the lid.

On top, World War II commemorative stamps. These were mine from approximately 1991, and instinctively knew that they were not worth enough to mail a letter. Next, a peanut butter container filled with old coins, along with an appraisal sheet stating their value at a little under 300 bucks. Not bad.

And finally, there it lay. A pile of various shotgun shells and .22 rounds. The most valuable thing known to man, 'cause once the economy falls through, no one can afford utilities and we're back to the dark ages, the only thing a man is left to do is terrorize his neighborhood, shootin' 'n' lootin'.

I'm lazy

yeah, i went into another period of neglecting my blog. I've been kinda busy.

1)I've been working a few days a week. Breaking rules, closing pools. My new favorite situation is when a customer calls and says that their automatic cleaner isn't working properly. We go out, and of course, to their dismay, "of course it works when you're here!" We stand there and watch for it to go in circles, get stuck on the drain, only do the deep end, etc. but it never does. Because it's not broken. They just don't understand that it's random, so its not going to zip all over the pool picking up spots of dirt. You tell them this, and they swear it happens all the time. Then you point out how clean the pool is, and they go "oh, it works great, I love it, it just [reason they think it's broken]" and never seem to realize that they just exclaimed that it's not broken. Then I pretend to adjust something and tell them to call again if they notice it's not cleaning the pool.

2) My long-distance not-official girlfriend broke up with me...or whatever it is they do when it's not official. However, this continues the streak of girls I've been interested in who "don't want a boyfriend right now." I understand this is often code for "you're funny and cool to hang around, but after you have a few beers, the way you look at me kind of scares me. And you sweat a lot. A Lot," but obviously that's not always the case, as some of them let me...um...sweat on them. I wonder if it's me, or if I have some uncanny ability to spot girls who truely don't want relationships.

3)I bought an iPhone. It's pretty cool, but I miss coming home and going "I wonder if anyone e-mailed me?!" But now the excitement is gone. I already know that only Apple (wanting to sell me an ipod touch), my bank (with an exciting new offer/change in terms), and a J.D. Salinger mailserver I joined in college have tried to contact me.

um. that's all I can think of right now. Jacy should be home next week...I'm excited/terrified. It'll be the greatest thing that ever happened to me to have her living with me. It'll be hell when relatives come every night to "visit" aka sit around and force awkward conversation all night so I can't get shit done and/or drink heavily. Um, that's about all for now, although I have some funny conversations.

Aunt: "Now I don't want to nag you like your mom, but you haven't been drinking too much have you?"
Goody: "Oh, well yeah...but not anymore than usual."

Neighbor: "Let us know if you need anything"
Goody: "I think I'm fine, Jacy and Steve might like some meals when they move in."
Neighbor: "Ok, Whatever you need!"...starts to walk away..."is your lawn mower still working?"

...yeah, I guess I should take a hint and get on that. One more mow before snowfall should be fine, right?

Jared M. Good Home for Wayward Ruggers

It's been a little while. The week at the shore ended spectacularly, with Dan "Sea Mammal" Shaw and me going Kayaking in the ocean. Ten-year-old Krista repeatedly reported to us that Dan "sucks" (her words, not mine) at paddling. I thought this would only be semi true...however, it was very true. We were kayaking for 3 hours, a trip that I think I could have made in 1 given the amount of time I spent paddling back out to Dan in order to make sure that his progress was sufficient enough not to warrant his mom calling the coast guard to come get us.

We saw a pod of dolphins. I hoped they were friendly, but not too friendly, as I think they would have flipped my unsteady kayak if they jumped over it. Dan said he never felt so close to his kin.

Then I went to Alexandria for a weekend with Muhammad Aubri, who does not approve of that nickname. Probably the first time I can report being happy and care free in a long time.

In other news, the UCR team was kicked off campus for preseason due to partying on the first night, so Huggy has taken up an internship at the Jared M. Good home for Wayward Ruggers. We've been running 1-2 miles every night, plus walking about another, so he is somewhat in training. Not only will he be ready for rugby matches, but also for drinking Pabst and sleeping on a sofa.

Dan's Mom's Misconceptions

Dan went for a jog today, he was gone for about two hours, causing some concern for his well being, as Dan's mom claimed that Dan had "not run in two months" and "weighs almost as much as me." We had to inform her that Dan had not run in what was closer to two years, and had, in fact, probably surpassed her in weight in the mid 90s.

She called the hospital to see if they had admitted anyone wearing a yellow nascar bandana. However, we felt certain that he would not be at the hospital, as the hospital does not serve icecream.

Apparently, his jog included someone yelling "hustle fatass!"

one fish, two fish, red fish, SHARK!

So I was swimming yesterday, if you want to call it that, as we're by the bay (no watermelons growing from what I can tell) and the water is fairly shallow. Anyways, we're out there and I felt something large brush against both my legs, I could feel it had some girth to it, and it was obviously big enough to span my stance. and it was kinda warm.

then today some guy in a boat told Berber that they had seen a shark, so maybe one touched me.

Kristin: "touched by a shark" sounds like an awesome TV show.
Goody: yeah, but it wouldn't be. It would just me giving dan a scared look, realizing he's too far away to touch me with his leg and going "something just touched me. something big." and rapidly exiting the water and peering back at it looking for a fin for 45 minutes.

this and that

nothing too spectacular. Slept till noon, rested my sunburn today, I have a nice stripe on me where I fell asleep yesterday morning with my arms folded on my stomach. I'll see if I can get a pic.

Last night we went to rehobeth.
Goody: "Dude, seriously, what were you thinking when you put on that fucking straight brimmed hat and plaid shorts, were you trying to look as douchey as possible?"
Random Kid: "You're wearing a vest."

Alex Morra should be coming down to add to the excitement tonight. We're building a fire in celebration, and perhaps sacrificing the contents of Jenna's stomach if all goes well, despite the memorandum prohibiting vomiting posted momma Shaw.

Goody: "I hope everyone on this beach understands that it's perfectly fine to take a leak in public just so long as you take a knee..."
Dan: "I'd be more worried about the people on the ferry"
Goody: "You were there when the girls I coach were shocked by a guy pissing at the tourney?"
Dan: "yeah, although a rugby field is the only place before today that I saw someone do that, although you are wearing rugby shorts."
Goody: "I think rugby shorts are key to the process."
Dan: "I think a lack of shame and a lack of a need for privacy are key to the process."
Goody: "and 5 beers."