Disappointing Results...

A week! A week is how long it's been since I've restarted my goals. Well, guess what! I have to restart AGAIN! "Huh? You were so enthused the last time we spoke! Why Mr. Bideux, the zeal practically dripped from all of your known orifices! How could you have possibly allowed for this treachery upon your renowned dedication stand?!" I know, I know...and I do apologize to you my patient and ever-loving audience. I pray that you forgive my shortcomings and allow for this battered hero to arise from the heavy fragments of a shattered dream! A bit over the top? Yeah, I think so too....

#1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 103, & 107...
The shame is unbearable! I was doing great! MAGNIFICENT (except for #1)! And then the storm came (which will be explained under #54). I'm going to hold true to my rules for this project, which is: the project must be restarted even if one session is missed. Nothing much more to say here, well...except that those damn Listerine dissolving whitening strips DO NOT dissolve within 10-15 minutes! Lies! It takes at least 30 minutes to disappear and even then you still need to break out the toothbrush to brush away any remaining residue. F*ckin' false advertisement! The bastards!

#43 Read 100 African American classic/contemporary novels
The Color Purple
I've finally finished The Color Purple. In it Walker weaves a tale of personal strength, growth, and unexpected triumph. I'm not going to get into a full blown synopsis of the story here...I think it'll suffice to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the novel's touch on the importance and power of love, which I believe to be the novel's focal point (that's not to say that there weren't any other issues, such as racism, homosexuality, temptation, fragility of the male ego, etc., that Walker felt compelled to delve into).

The next novel I'm starting is Richard Wright's Native Son. This book was a required reading in my 11th grade honors literature class, so I've read this story before. However, as is the usual outcome of required reading, I glanced through the novel and retained only the information that'd get me an A in the class. So, this time will be a very different experience.


#54 Fix the CIVIC and supe it up...catalytic converter
ARGH!!!!! Oh the plot twists I experienced with repairing this SMALL piece of equipment! So, about a week ago I visited my friendly neighborhood MIDAS to get an estimate on parts and labor. They quoted me $575. I was cool with that and asked for them to go ahead and order the part. $200 up front...which leaves a cool $375 to pay, right? WrOnG!!!!! They get the part in on Friday and I drop the CIVIC off to the ole' OB/GYN. Well, I get a call from the mechanic about an hour later:

Mechanic: "May I speak to Mr. Bideux?"
Semaj: "This is he"
Mechanic: "Hey man, ummm...well, I noticed after removing the catalytic converter that you also need an O2 Sensor."
Semaj: "Yeah? Well, how much is it?"
Mechanic: "$229"
Semaj: (GODDAMN!!! That sounds a bit steep!) Well, do I have to get it now?
Mechanic: "Pretty much...or your car will sound like a truck. You can come take a look at the part before I install it if you want. I could show you the crack in it."
Semaj: (Sigh) "Na, just go ahead and throw it on and show me when I come to pick it up"
Mechanic: "Okay, sure thing"

I've no idea what it was that he put on, but he showed me the part that was in my car. It was rusted and cracked from the heat and emissions of the engine that the catalytic converter is supposed to reduce. Well, the converter, O2 sensor, and labor added up to be $912 (with tax)! And yes, I know I could have found someone and gotten the hook-up. I know this, BUT the converter requires welding and if this were to take a wrong turn I'd be sh*t outta luck! With hook-ups you get no receipts and no real accountability on the part of the mechanic. But if something goes wrong in a real shop I could always make them pay for the damages. Sigh, that was some of my tuition money too...ah well, back to the overtime we go! Oh, and to add insult to injury, I spent all day waiting for my car, which caused me to miss a couple of tasks. I was kidnapped by momdukez and taken to a MetroPCS store, which killed some of my time. Only had 4 hours of sleep that day....

#18 Take a cruise to the Bahamas
I'll have to reevaluate this cruise to the Bahamas. Or maybe I just need to look at different cruise options. I took a look at the Carnival site, but for some reason their cruise wasn't running during the time I wanted to jump aboard. If I have a difficult time finding a cruise here I'll just have to change this to the Caribbean.

#4 Construct 15 new ideas for wardrobe not influenced by hip hop
Okay, you're going to have to bear with me on these ideas...I'm trying to experiment with things I normally wouldn't. I think the outcomes would be pretty nice though:



Okay, the theme behind this outfit is Preppy/Rock. Now, you see the V-neck sweater, dress shirt (which obviously will be worn underneath the sweater), and watch. Those three items go in the preppy category. Then you see the claw ring, pants chain, bootleg jeans (I'm going to distress them myself), and skull wing belt buckle which is rock. The shoes are extremely 'safe' and they act as my last resort. The shoes that I want to get are here. It feels good to break from the terrible mundane that is hip hop....

On a side note, I surprised momdukez with a bag (cannot wait till I can get her a real one):








And this great smelling perfume:










She squealed with surprise! It was a great feeling and I think I'll do these type things more frequently...now to think of something for my popz!