Stories.... of things that happen to me, things that I've seen, and just stuff I think about. I'll sort it out a bit in the future, but just to get it started a bit....

Some newer tales:

Live in Athens
Grand Tale of Keep It True
The 2004 Headbangers Open Air, Wizard's viewpoint.

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The Great Van Story
Ok, everyone, I know I'm late .... Here's the story. And it's a good one.

I was on vacation in Montana (as you know, I live in California.) I drove the van out, and expected to be back quite a while ago. However, on the way back....

The water pump blew out 10 miles out from Big Timber, in the middle of a storm. I got out, took off the fan blade and belts, and spent the night sleeping in the van. Very cold. The next day, I drove into town, (engine was cool by then), got a water pump, and went through the agony of putting it on. (Air conditioning, power steering, etc. in the way.) Then I took it off and put it on again, because it leaked.

Well, try for a third time, still leaked. Got some stop leak, put it in, and went down the road. To Bozeman. Eventually. Because the van continued to overheat. Ok, let's put in a new thermostat. (another night spent in Bozeman.)

Down the road aways, looks okay... aaaahhhh! Hot again! Now what? I think I can make it to Thousand Springs and get some water.

Thousand Springs. Well, it's still on the map. Nobody bothered to mention the place burned down 10 years ago. Just a couple of burnt out buildings. Another night sleeping in the van. Very, very cold. Below zero. Ice all over the van in the morning. No water.... Well, here comes the Highway Patrol. He's nice enough to run to the next farm to get me a couple jugs of water. Now these jugs barely get me into town before the van overheats and quits. Serious problem here.

Hm. Now the radiator has a leak. Well, let's fix it. Nope. Fix it. Nope. Fix it. Nope. Guess I can't do it alone. The radiator shop is closed; they'll be open tomorrow. No, I gotta go. How about a junkyard? Ok, there's this guy... he has one that will almost fit. I get some hardware from the hardware store, and booger it into place. Yahoo! Down the road. About ten miles. Hot. I turn around to come back. The radiator hose blows out. Lots of pressure that shouldn't be there. Well, I'm spending the night in Wells, Nevada. After spending a day there already.

The next day: the radiator shop works and works and works on the radiator, ok, it's fine. And it is. But the van still has a mystery problem; although all mechanics agree there is nothing wrong with it. All the parts work, but the water doesn't circulate.

I'm getting pretty hot now. I'm about a week behind.

Oh, while I'm running around chasing the radiator, a wheel bearing goes out. That's such a minor thing now, takes a couple hours to fix, that I barely remember it.

So I get a (another) new water pump. The other one still looks fine. I take out the thermostat completely. Although it is working perfectly. I install everything, this time I pour the water into the pump so I know it is primed and full, hook up the hoses, and fill the engine from the top radiator hose instead of through the radiator. Fire it up, and amazing. It all works. Of course, I'm about a week late.

So, deep apologies, most of you know I'm usually very quick with business and shipping, this was highly unusual circumstances. And now I really, really need a break from my vacation. I'm home, your stuff is all safely here, and I'll ship it faster than you can imagine.


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And yet another ebay intro; just to get this area started. Let's call it....
The Fine Hotel.

Oh, no! It’s auction time, and I don’t have my monologue written…. Please stand by. (elevator music begins…)

Hey! Who put that sh** on?

(music changes to heavy metal…)

What, complaints? Ok, ok, wimp. But this is as far as I go.

(Assortment of J-rock and hard J-pop playing)

Ah, I’m back. Megumi Hayashibara is the queen, eh? Well, I hit Ani-Magic last weekend, did you miss me? It’s a bit smaller than I’ve been used to, about 500 people; maybe 15-20 vendors tables…. But it was extremely comfortable. People were walking around with their hotel doors left open, and unattended.
The buildings in the area, hotels included, were only one or two levels high… so there was an anime window display contest. (cool at night, you could walk around outside and see the windows lit up; one was illuminated by a pair of lava lamps.) One had an animated crane/ufo, plucking plush toys up and down.
All the events, including the cosplay, were outside by the pool… set down on a lawn chair and relax. And the location – 2 blocks one way, Carl’s Junior (so you don’t have to eat the required hockey puck burgers they have on those little hibachi’s at conventions), half a block the other way, a 7/11. What, are we in heaven?
I stayed at the greatest hotel of my meager career – it was $65 a night, and it had the normal tv and bed… but also a vcr. You could go borrow movies at the desk. It had a fridge, and… a microwave oven.

But the greatest thing of all.

They left you a bowl of goodies with coffee and such, but most importantly, MICROWAVE POPCORN. And a good brand, not just junk. I nearly fell over. I saw the microwave, and thought, I’d better run get some popcorn… and there it was.

Photos will be up soon, at brocashelm.com… just follow the cosplay link at the top.

Watching this week: Pitaten, Mahormatic II, Azumanga Daioh, and an oddball: St Luminous Mission High School. Not blazingly fast, but the mystery of the disappearing girls can hook you in, like it did me. Not for fight fanatics, though. More of a quiet suspense.

Hey, I got my Lain in bear pajamas figure today… how about you?

And now, back to your regular presentation.

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And how about the sad story of Halloween 2002?

Um. I’m not ready again. Auction day seems to come so fast these days….

Let’s see … story of the day: Yes, Halloween, my favorite holiday of the year. This story is for those of you who think it would be great to live in the big city, and go to the street festivals.

Like Halloween. I go out every year.

This year, it was more packed than usual. I parked about a mile away from ground zero, and walked. The closer I got, the more crowded it got. Soon it’s like rush hour on the freeway (yeah, those of you in the boonies have no idea …. I grew up in Montana, and couldn’t even imagine it until I got here and was in it. Magnify your imagination by 1000, and you’re close.)

Trouble this year, the people were more abrasive than usual… standard amount of drinking going on, of course, but they were meaner drunks. Everyone wanted to prove their points.

After several near fights, I was considering bailing out. Then this guy in front of me was pestering a girl; he had a video camera and she was telling him to take a hike. (yeah, he was being annoying.)

So she walks off, I follow in her trail. (no, not stalking, just following the open wake in the crowd.) Then this idiot runs up, flips up her skirt, and shoves his video camera up inside.

What a winner. But he doesn’t get the prize. She turns around, throws her cup of beer at him.

Hits me. In the face.

Well, I feel it’s justified, just bad aim, so I let it go. Then the guy with the video camera throws his beer at her.

More bad aim. He hits the guy next to her, who gets upset.

In the end, we all walk away with no violence… but it kinda sets the tone of the evening. Some idiot always starts something, and the people around get sucked in.

Later, it gets worse. A little after midnight, I decide to bail…. On my way out, I come through a gap in the crowd and see a guy hit a girl. Man, this sucks. Now I do have to do something, because that’s just not right.

Lucky (for me) she has some friends with her, and they step in. But then this guy has friends, and they step in. About 20 each.

So this launches into a near riot. I manage to swirl out of the carnage as it sweeps around, and avoid the platoon of cops approaching. At least no one pulled any weapons.

So just remember: when you go to these things, you don’t have to prove a point. And give the drunken idiot next to you a little slack. He probably can’t help being an idiot.

Aren’t you glad you live in the country?

How many people? Hm, 10, 15 thousand, you know, entire population of some states.

Ok, watching this week …. Onegai Teacher, Colorful, Saber M J to X, Those Who Hunt Elves II, Spiral, Naruto.

Only a few items – told you I wasn’t ready. I’m gathering up a horde of stuff for the Christmas season, that I’ll put up in a week or two.