1. In the new issue of mental_floss magazine, we’ve featured a few reader-submitted photos with celebrities. For the next issue, we’d love to show off some of your nerdiest childhood photos – and we’ll post a bunch of them here on the blog, too, like we did last year (above: Chris Higgins with his science fair face on). So go searching through your parents’ photo albums, find a scanner, and email your best pics to flossypics@gmail.com.
(We also owe you a gallery of reader tattoo pics. InternAndréa is working on that right now, and it’ll go up next week, too.)
2. Speaking of InternAndréa, she’s in New York today, up from school in Philadelphia. At first, I thought it would be an exciting day trip for her. But when the phrase “transfer in Trenton” came up while discussing her 3+ hour tour, I realized this wasn’t exactly a business trip to write home about. What’s your best or worst experience with business travel?
3. During the Yankees-Rays game on Wednesday, A.J. Burnett had a no-hitter through six innings. I weighed in, via Twitter:
Of course, the very next batter broke up the no-hitter, due in large part to my big jinx. (Sorry, A.J.) Now, I don’t really believe my Twitter activity had an impact on a baseball game in Tampa. But I seem to jinx stuff all the time (Two recent examples: “The site hasn’t crashed all day!” and “At least the painters didn’t find any ceiling damage.”) What events have you jinxed, whether you believe in that kind of thing or not?
4. On the way to the bus this morning, my 2003 Toyota Camry cruised over the 110,000 mile mark. What’s the most miles you’ve put on a car? (And is it still on the road?)
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My jinx story is similar, but with more dire consequences. In 2007, I picked up Phil Hughes in my fantasy league in the fifth inning of his no-hitter for the Yankees. The next inning he tore his hamstring and missed the rest of the season. Oops.
posted by Josh on 4-17-2009 at 3:11 pm
2. My worst business trip was a week in Paris. I had expected we’d be able to get away and see the city, but I literally never left the hotel once until we headed back to the airport (we set up a conference room downstairs for our meetings, and food was brought in). I’ve never been able to get back, either.
3. Maybe I jinxed that week in Paris by buying a half-dozen tour guide books before leaving.
4. I sold my Toyota 4Runner after putting 123,000 miles on it. Now I live in a city so I’m car-less.
I love the picture of Higgins, by the way.
posted by Stephen on 4-17-2009 at 3:19 pm
4- My ’98 Civic has 175,000 and still going strong…though I’ve probably just number 3′d myself.
posted by melly on 4-17-2009 at 3:30 pm
2…i was laid off during a business trip once. we were supposed to be back on thursday night but our flight was canceled, so we stayed an extra night. at the houston airport on friday morning, my boss told me i was getting let go that day (as were 3 of the 4 people on the trip).
3…i used to live next to the loudest, most obnoxious couple. we moved, and i said several times how much i loved our new neighbors. of course, the husband was transferred to another state, and an even worse couple moved in. louder and more in-our-face. i blame myself.
posted by christina on 4-17-2009 at 3:31 pm
This week, at around 5 p.m., a colleague told me that Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox had a perfect game going against the Oakland As in the eighth inning. About 30 seconds later, I got to my computer and found the online gamecast. The moment the gamecast appeared on my screen, Wakefield gave up a walk, ruining the perfect game. About a minute later, he gave up a single, ruining the no-hitter. A few minutes later, he gave up a run, ruining the shutout.
My colleague has promised never to tell me about such things again.
posted by Paul on 4-17-2009 at 3:32 pm
2. I had a job interview (I eventually got the job) in Texas City, Texas. I was from Dallas, but was moving to Houston to live close to my then fiance’. I remember driving over a bridge on Highway 146 and getting my first view of Texas City, refineries, smoke, all around nastiness. Now I live in another refinery town, not nearly as bad as Texas City though.
3. Ever since Tony Romo became the starting QB for the Cowboys every season is the next Cowboys Super Bowl victory. Incidentally, I probably shouldn’t say this, but this season the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl.
4. I drove a Subaru Legacy Station Wagon, my mom cringed when I bought it to go back and forth to college, she told me it already had over 100k on it, and it would not last 3 trips back and forth. Four years later I sold the still running car with 185,000 miles on it for $1200. I should not have sold it, I still miss that car, and my next car will be a Subaru Wagon.
posted by Witty Nickname on 4-17-2009 at 3:36 pm
1. There is a relatively new blog chock-full of nerdy childhood photos: dorkyearbook.com
posted by Francesca on 4-17-2009 at 3:38 pm
#2. Was scheduled to fly from Newark to Chicago on business. Bad weather postponed the flight. I was cool with that. I just hung out in the airport while others were taking other flights or thinking about driving. Flight finally takes off several hours after schedule. No biggie. The flight is nearly empty and I get a whole row to myself. Land and go get the luggage. Only there is no luggage. Not just for me, but for everyone on the flight. So not good. Grab a taxi to the hotel which is on the outskirts. Driver has no clue where it is…we end up going to the WRONG hotel, but at least they told us there were to go. End up paying a phenominal amount of money for this stupid cab ride. Call the airline from the hotel to find out when they will deliver my luggage. Am told it will be there later tonight. Well it was delivered late that night, but to the WRONG hotel!!!! Thankfully some kind soul at the wrong hotel (yes, the same one the cab driver had taken me too) brought my luggage out to me that night (in the middle of a thunderstorm).
#4. I just traded in my 01 Ford Escape which had 90,000+ miles on it. It was a great car; am hoping that the 09 version is just as good.
posted by Beth on 4-17-2009 at 3:52 pm
My 1995 Mitsubishi Montero has 194,000 miles on it and shows no sign of slowing down.
posted by JR on 4-17-2009 at 4:02 pm
#4 My ’97 Saturn has slightly over 250,000 miles on it and my husband still drives it to work every day. You have to add a little oil every few days, but besides that it runs great!
posted by June on 4-17-2009 at 4:07 pm
My wife and I have two cars with 160,000+ miles on them. One is a 2001 GMC Yukon with 163000 and the other is a 1996 Ford Mustang with an unknown amount. The odometer quit working at 165,999 exactly. I estimate that it is close to 185,000 miles on it now.
Who says America can’t make a reliable car?
posted by Brian on 4-17-2009 at 4:08 pm
WITTY NICKNAME, Texas City is my hometown! You’re right, there is nothin’ quite like the smoke, the smell, the refinery skyline… it’s pretty dismal.
Random Fact: yesterday was the 52nd anniversary of the Texas City Explosion.
posted by Taylor on 4-17-2009 at 4:12 pm
I sold my 1995 honda civic 2 years ago for $2500 it had 236,548 miles…. the girl is STILL driving it….
posted by Jen on 4-17-2009 at 4:26 pm
#3 – you totally jinxed him. I watched Jack Morris pitch a no-hitter for the Tigers in the mid-80s, then told my mom afterwards. She was mad for not going to get her, but I told her she would have jinxed him.
#4 – I had an 87 Plymouth Horizon that died in 2002 with 125,000+ miles on it. It was a long, slow 500+ mile death on a return drive from visiting family and Christmas, but it made it all the way to my garage even though I couldn’t go above 50 mph on the interstate and I loved it for that.
posted by Diana on 4-17-2009 at 4:36 pm
My ’97 Dodge Neon made it over 200,000 and is still in use by my parents. I can’t say for sure how many miles it has on it, though, since the speedometer/odometer broke a couple years ago . . .
ReCaptcha: seek President
posted by Jessica on 4-17-2009 at 4:47 pm
4. in 1987 my dad bought a brand new toyota camry. my mom later drove it, followed by me during my college years. when the car finally gave out it was 2004 and there were over 275,000 miles on it. two days after my car (who i named trusty) died, i headed straight over to the toyota dealership for a new car :)
posted by tami on 4-17-2009 at 4:47 pm
2. Two weeks in Norman Oklahoma.
4. My KIA Spectra has 155k+ miles on it. Ima drive it til the wheels fall off. It’s always run great. I change the oil every 5000 miles, and belts hoses and brakes and tires is the only work I’ve had done on it. It’s my second KIA. The first one is still being driven by my son, and has 160k+ miles on it.
posted by Vickey on 4-17-2009 at 5:10 pm
#1 Gosh I’ll have to check the latest issue! Could this be the way my dream of ‘being published’ comes true?
posted by septerr on 4-17-2009 at 5:11 pm
Now, I don’t want to jinx anything here, but we have a Suburban with over 278,000 miles (original engine and trans). As a matter of fact, we don’t own anything with less that 125k – they’re just getting good (and paid for) at that age.
posted by Lynn on 4-17-2009 at 5:28 pm
3: When i was in middle school our h.s. got into the state playoffs. I hadn’t gone to a single game that whole year. Then my dad took me and a friend and they lost. Lame
4: Our old family van (1993 Dodge Caravan) lasted over 110,000 miles before we traded it in for my dad’s new SUV. She drove to Florida and Texas each once and Michigan multiple times!!
:o)
posted by Lindsey on 4-17-2009 at 5:38 pm
2. Flying into Chicago on a business trip we hit a weather delay. The holding pattern didn’t quite miss the storm, it was like being a passenger on a basketball for about an hour.
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 4-17-2009 at 5:50 pm
The love of my life, a blue 1991 Honda Civic Hatchback, just hit the 221,000 marker yesterday. I’ve had her for about 6 years and she’s even been stolen but I got her back. I love that car and seriously hate the idea that she might die someday.
posted by Colene on 4-17-2009 at 6:26 pm
My dad bought a 1986 4 runner when I was three years old, and drove it until I hit 16. I then inherited it, and drove it until my second year of college when the engine gave out at 272,000. We put a new engine in it, and I drove it for about another 65,000 miles to 336,000 or so. I still find myself reaching for the clutch with my left foot even though I haven’t driven a stick shift since th3 4Runner. I miss it.
posted by stacey on 4-17-2009 at 6:55 pm
2. My worst business travel experience (so far, I’m sure there will be more), was flying home from finishing up a national tour of a musical. The tour bus dropped me off at the Des Moines airport at 8 a.m., my flight was around noon. I went to check-in at the kiosk and ended up having to go to the counter because my flight to Chicago O’Hare had been canceled because of snow. After about 5 minutes, they rebooked me on a flight directly to St. Louis–my final destination–Chicago was a pointless lay-over anyway. The flight wasn’t until 2 p.m. That was one loooooong day in an airport.
4. My 1989 Ford Taurus kicked the bucket in 2007. It had well over 200,000 miles on it, I had it for 6 years and drove it until the transmission finally called it quits.
posted by Mary on 4-17-2009 at 7:41 pm
3. Last fall I noticed that during the Houston Texans – Indianapolis Colts game that every time my kitty jumped in my lap, the Texans started doing bad, but when I put her down, the team started doing good again. No dummy, I put her outside so she could not jump back into my lap. The Texans built a 27 – 10 lead with 5 minutes to play, so I figured that it was safe to let Punkin back in and let her hop up on my lap. Indianapolis scored three touchdowns in the last five minutes and it is all my fault!
4. 1994 Plymouth Voyager 210,000 miles in 03 when I gave it to a young mother who had no vehicle. Maybe I should have given her the cat also.
posted by Tex on 4-17-2009 at 9:47 pm
This isn’t about me, but still a serious superstition in my house. My dad and I noticed that whenever my mom was in the room when a Pats game was on, they’d start losing, regardless of whether she was watching or not. As soon as she left, they’d pick it back up. We tested it through enough games to now have effectively banished my mother from the family room every Sunday through the entire football season. Not that she cares.
posted by Cassie on 4-17-2009 at 11:04 pm
my chevy blazer had almost 200K on it. honestly though, that car cost more than it was worth in the end with repairs and worry. i can’t even tell you how many times i was backed into, hit and ran (not even kidding, as others from austin, tx may be able to relate) had my windows broken out etc. it was even stolen once. i didn’t even have anything IN there. we named her Bad Luck Betty because that blazer just could not catch a break.
she still runs, but is just sitting in the parking lot, glaring jealously at my super awesome new toyota yaris.
soon she’ll be sold for parts, or sent to the scrap yard…and for all the trouble, i still totally loved that truck.
posted by em on 4-18-2009 at 3:25 am
2. I actually just came back this morning after a 5 day trip to San Diego for work. After lots of meetings, hours standing at the booth and a red-eye back home I’m utterly exhausted, but overall it was actually a good time. If you’re ever in the area of the convention center, the Hard Rock is actually a really great place to stay.
My worst was the couple of days I spent on the outskirts of Chicago, never once leaving the hotel (until my flight), but that doesn’t beat my coworker who stayed at a Y with no cable and bear warnings posted everywhere.
3. I went to the U of Delaware, and football games are big. Every single time I went to one, they were losing in the first half. Twice I left at halftime, and twice I was in the parking lot when I heard massive cheers-and by the time I got home they had won. The games I actually stayed for, they lost. I didn’t go to any games after I realized that one.
posted by Kate on 4-18-2009 at 3:16 pm
Bought a used 87 Dodge Colt in 1988 with 5,000 miles on it for $5,000. I averaged more than 50 miles a day for 13 years and sold it at the 275,000 mile mark. I saw it several months later still on the road. Best car ever.
posted by Bob on 4-20-2009 at 11:48 am