Transformers

 19th day sober. Ken came by last night and I got my pay check, $300 this time because our sales are in the toilet right now. 

I sorted and labeled the last of the IC's after cooking dinner (some "night time soba" from a kit from H Mart, which turned out to be spicy, well, I *did* buy it from a Korean market...) and before I knew it, it was 4AM and that's when a sensible person calls it quits. 

I went to bed at about 6AM and woke up around 2PM, had my vitamins and nuts and so on, and was out the door at 3:35. I dropped off trash one place, a couple of books at one of the little free libraries (it seems the bums have discovered reading and there haven't been any good books in them for at least a month now) and stopped at the main library to drop off a package and a letter. Of course the mail boxes outside aren't working; no doubt the zombies infesting the park next to the post office try to break into them with regularity, shit in them, etc. So I locked up the bike and went inside. 

All in all my ride downtown was pretty uneventful with only one actual threat to my life. As I was riding away from the post office, some asshole in a large truck objected to my ... existing ... and honking the horn and cussed, to which I replied with a loud and enthusiastic "FUCK YOU!!" and "the bird" and then "FUCK YOU WITH A BULLET" and the old shooting with a gun hand gesture. 

I got to the bank and did my deposit and mentioned how I was lucky with only one attempt to kill me on the way over there, and mentioned it's not time for me to start "carrying" yet, but when it comes to that point I'm ready. The lady there asked if I'd really shoot someone, and I brightened up and like a kid describing a prospective trip to Disneyland, said, "I sure will! With enthusiasm!". 

I keep brainstorming ways that are easy for Joe Schmoe to build, that can be used to destroy cars. I keep trying to think of EMP methods and so on, and the one advantage of those is, if you can fry every semiconductor in a car you've pretty much totaled it, and done right, the car will look normal (may reek a bit from burning semiconductor packaging) so it'd be easier to get off scot-free. 

But really, it's heard to beat good old gasoline. Each car coming with the fuel to immolate it. I think the idea would be something that can be tossed into a car window you've broken using a piece of ceramic, some sort of gasoline bomb. Even a water balloon full of gasoline and a lit cig tossed in right afterward would do it. 

Of course if a car full of zombies is chasing you and you're packing, and "turn off" the zombies, I guess it's best to pile them into their Zombiemobile then get out the gas and burn the whole thing. Can't have the zombie virus spreading. 

These people who charge around in 1000s of lbs of metal because they're too lazy to walk or ride a bike and too cowardly to step outside their iron cage and fight fair, are going to find the coming times quite interesting and not in a good way. As the Nazis found out with their tanks in urban areas, cars are really quite vulnerable. 

After I was done at the bank, I really had to use the bathroom so I went up to the SoFa marketplace thing and used it there; that's what I get for drinking so much tea. Then I went to the Amazon place and picked up some bubble mailers and the respirator I bought in preparation for when the air turns red. 

I left the bike there for a few minutes while I walked to the 7-11 on the opposite corner to see if they stock O'Douls. There was a zombie standing out front talking to the voices and holding out a quarter, which it dropped. "Heads or tails," I said as I walked in. They didn't have O'Douls though. That 7-11 doesn't sell alcohol (it'd be a real nightmare around there if it did) and O'Douls is a Budweiser product. 

I rode from there to Nijiya and did some shopping and got $10 cash back. I'll just get some O'Douls from TAK Market even if it's pretty high priced from there. But TAK Market was closed today. Considering the neighborhood, probably recovering from a stickup and pistol-whipping or something. So I rode home. At least I've got some fizzy lemon-lime at home. 

It was windy as hell today, to the extent that the wind would blow my bike backwards when it was locked in front of Nijiya, only being stopped by the chain. The ride home was mostly just a bit over walking speed. Every account of what the End Times will be like mentions that it will be very windy and so far the predictions are true. 

I got back here and put things away and had the bowl of cold soba noodles with pork and shrimp I'd bought, but since it was cold the broth had jelled so after eating the goodies off of the top I put boiling water in to warm it up, then it was fine. I have a real weakness for soba.