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Austinvines

Certifiably Surly
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Posts posted by Austinvines

  1. New toy arrived on Thursday and I was able to season it before heading to the beach Friday. Got home yesterday in time for the first cook of Philly cheesesteaks. They turned out great, even if I forgot the onions. Bonus for my wife is that there were no pots and pans to clean. I do not normally clean as I go and somehow use twice the number that should be needed by a responsible cook.

    Smash burgers with bacon tonight.

    6a7a6b70aff65ba0d9f838fa9154a440.jpgd41df734691a6e360b5b3303ac46e948.jpg

    • Like 1

  2. So I was down to Cannondale Trail 5 or 6 and Specialized Rockhopper. I’m buying Rockhopper tomorrow unless you guys think I’m making a mistake because it rode well and was 1x. It has a Microshift rear derailleur so I’m a little concerned about that, but the Cannondale Trail was 2x9.



    What’s “microshift”? Buy the bike you like that fits you/feels the best. If you love the how you feel on the bike, you will ride a lot and end up wearing out the beginner components that come with the lower end bikes (no judgment) and can then easily go to an XT drivetrain that is very durable, smooth and a 1x.

    Good luck.
  3. I have indetical twin sons who are seniors at Bowie (Austin). One is top 7.5% and the other is top 13%. UT is both their first choices, but one wants to do graphic/UX design and is taking his first programming class this year (Top 7.5), while the other has no idea and thinks liberal arts is fine. They both got identical 1340s on the SAT which is the 90th percentile. I figure the higher GPA kid was a bubble to UT and the lower one would probably need to CAP in.  My wife cajoled them into taking the ACT in August and the higher one scored a 33 while the other did not score any higher relative to his SAT score.

    Any idea how the admissions department will treat a kid with a 90th% SAT and a 98th% ACT?  The SAT scores were sent to UT so they will see both for the higher ranked boy. We didn't send the ACT scores just in case they didn't improve relatively.

    Bowie HS has a "scatterplot" where the kids can plug in their GPA and SAT or ACT and see all the admits/denies to UT from Bowie. Neither of the twins' plots show kids that had the same or better scores/GPA get denied, but I know the lower one's only chance is maybe Liberal Arts or CAP.

    My hope is that the high end kid will keep his eyes in state since we have the Texas Tomorrow Fund and a private or out of state school converts to only what you paid with a marginal return, if that. His score/GPA makes him competative in a whole new realm of schools we never even considered.

    I am stoked as hell for the 33er and bummed for his twin. The twin with the lower scores works a lot harder than the other who gets better results with less effort. Life isn't fair, but tonight may be tough celebrating a huge accomplishment for the one while not making the other feel like a dummy.

    • Like 1
  4. How many mass shootings have  been done by people abiding by the law?
     
    The problem is PEOPLE.  Not guns.  Wake up...



    If people are the problem, shouldn’t we try to find a way to make it harder for those people to obtain and keep guns?
    • Like 2
  5. Got a SATN ride in this morning with a twist. About halfway into my ride I came across a hiker with a big German Shepherd. She asked if I saw a smaller female the way I had come, which I hadn’t. I’m back on a keto diet and haven’t quite gotten fat adapted again so was feeling weak and decided to ride the trails up and back to see if I came across her. The trails cover lots of acreage but if you follow one far enough, you will do a circuit.

    Luckily, the owner always parks in the same place so I figured the dog would head back to the truck but I made several passes and never saw her. I ran back into the owner and her other dog was really starting to feel the heat. There is no water in the creek so that was a little worrying. I’ve seen rattlers in the area, too.

    I made a veloway loop before heading home and never ran across the dog. I’ve had dogs dig out from our fence and been gone overnight and that is just a sickening feeling.

    When I got home, I had a text from the owner saying the dog had come back to the truck so that was a good end to the ride. All in was about 13 miles with an avg speed of 8.5 mph. Now I’m kicking it on the pool deck, taking dips and thinking about an afternoon cocktail.

  6. I’ve had shoulder pain for several months. I thought it was some kind of tendon inflammation but it hasn’t stopped. I’m a side sleeper with my left arm under my head but that ends up causing me a lot of discomfort.

    I’ve got reduced internal rotation (can’t move my left arm up my back like I need to scratch) and scratching my head with my left hand is weak.

    I had some significant lower back pain earlier this year that was solved through 4 sessions with Airrosti and stretching.

    Do I try PT through my GP first and do PT or go to my shoulder surgeon and get X-rays to see if it’s a torn rotator cuff?

  7. My twins just started their senior year of high school. I'm excited for them to be finished but I'm not quite ready for them to be legal adults. Plus it means I'm old. 



    Right there with you and we just celebrated my sons’ 18th bday (born at 32 weeks so we redshirted them). They are our first, second and last kids so when they go, the spouse and I are in for quite an adjustment.
  8. Bank of America had a decent exchange rate and fee (about $7.50). We took about $200 in Pounds for four people/four days and came back with around £20. A contactless credit card with no foreign transaction fees is the way to go. We ended up spending our cash just because we had it, never because we needed it.

    For getting around the city, an Oyster card is awesome. It lets you tap in and tap out at any tube station and bus. There is a daily max that may be around £10 if she stays in the touristy areas of London. I hear Uber works well but we never needed it.

  9. Cage definitely had the best set. That little monkey man can put on a show. The crowd was hopping for Beck but the energy was way different. His set was short.

    Our friend scored us wrist bands to the Crown Royal area which was great. Cheaper drinks, food and shade. No idea what the delta is for access but it was cool.

  10. Is the Blackstone the one to get? What are the accessories that are must haves? I have a ceramic kamado and a propane grill that I use for veggies and quick stuff. The grates are iron and about to rust through in parts and the burners need to be replaced. I figure now is a good time to make the jump. 

    If it is going to be stored outside on an uncovered deck Which cover is best, the hard or the soft (or both)?

  11. I really like Misen. Online co. That started as a kickstarter I think. Not Japanese, but not German. $65 for the 8” chef’s knife and free sharpening for life. I now have their paring knife which is really a great “set” and all that you need to start with. They aren’t stainless and need to be taken care of but nothing like a Japanese carbon blade.

    My in-laws got me the sauté pans for my bday.

    https://www.misen.co/

    • Like 1
  12. Hey PhD,

    That storm just pushed through from the north and heading south in a hurry. After it slacked off, we left our friends’ house and just saw the flags at an apt complex flying straight north. Why do it do that?

  13. I'd suggest a chiller if you're in Texas. Big difference between 86 and 92. 82-84 if my wife isn't around.


    My pool is so shaded I have to heat the pool for a few hours to 86 for my bride. It sucks during fall and spring when the leaves/flowers are dropping but once I get all the organics out and can just add bleach and acid, it’s well worth it.
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