Oppositelock
    • Register
    • Login
    • Search
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Users
    • User Guide
    • Key Stuff
      • Best Of OPPO
      • Overland
      • Planelopnik
      • LaLD
      • Classifieds
      • Shoppo
      • OPPO Discord
      • TOS
    • Support OPPO
      • Merch Store
      • UPPU Stickers
      • Paypal Donate
    1. Home
    2. AestheticsInMotion
    • Profile
    • Following 1
    • Followers 10
    • Topics 443
    • Posts 4883
    • Best 3725
    • Controversial 0
    • Groups 0

    AestheticsInMotion

    @AestheticsInMotion

    13601
    Reputation
    1571
    Profile views
    4883
    Posts
    10
    Followers
    1
    Following
    Joined Last Online

    AestheticsInMotion Unfollow Follow

    Best posts made by AestheticsInMotion

    • My neighbor should be arriving in Ukraine today

      She's a midwife with a laundry list of medical experience. She said she kept feeling like she needed to be there helping people, and the feeling kept getting stronger and stronger.

      From what I understand, she should have arrived in Ukraine today. "flight to Europe followed by an eight hour train ride" was how she put it. I have no idea if she has connections over there, is working with an agency of some kind, or is just... Looking for people to help. From our conversation I got the feeling that this isn't her first time stepping into a conflict zone to provide medical assistance.

      Pretty cool neighbor. I'm looking forward to hearing more about her life when she gets back.

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • How am I alive?

      I met up with a buddy from the window washing era, and caught up after a few years apart. Looking back at the shit we did it's a miracle I'm standing (sitting) here writing (touch-typing) this.

      You couldn't pay me $10,000 to do some of the things I did back then to successfully complete a job. Quite to the contrary, I'd happily divest myself of such a princely sum just to be free of the lingering aches that accompany me to this day—courtesy of numerous OSHA-defying mishaps.

      SmartSelect_20220809-184525_Photos.gif

      Such is the power of being an indestructible young man. Even a knee-cap shattering slip off a wet roof didn't crack that facade of absolute permanence & invulnerability. Further years of experience were necessary to finally get past that stage—and for better or worse I'd say that mental shift more than anything signified the true threshold into adulthood.

      Sure was fun while it lasted though.

      Worked for FBI Special Agents that appeared as normal as white bread, had Microsoft founders serenade me, one of the wealthiest women on the planet would leave a guard with my team despite years of quarterly cleanings, visited MLB players' homes with shrines to baseball in their basement, broke bread with the disgruntled heir of the Oberto family in a sitcom-like shared living space hidden deep within the woods, had a good relationship with multiple Red Robin C-level execs handing out gift cards like beads at Mardi Gras, witnessed a father leaving his lake-front home to pickup his kids from school... In a freakin' helicopter.

      Not bad for a company that started with a bucket and rags, walking door to door.

      Screenshot_20220810-180731_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220810-180722_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-184456_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220810-181303_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-184707_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-184924_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-183046_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-183111_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-183011_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-183020_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-183141_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-184636_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220809-184720_Photos.jpg

      Longtime listeners might recall the ongoing "Sink or Swim" posts of many years ago—a sink-themed progenitor to @exage03040's awesome "This or That. I miss being exposed to the excess that was wealthy-person bathroom design.

      Of the below options, which would you pick and which would you bar from ever appearing in a home again?

      Screenshot_20220809-184935_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-104722_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105104_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105045_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105032_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105019_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-104936_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-104922_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105359_Photos.jpg

      And of course, the best part of the whole job.

      Cats.

      So. Many. Cats.

      Screenshot_20220811-105551_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105557_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105623_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105637_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105716_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105731_Photos.jpg

      Screenshot_20220811-105756_Photos.jpg

      Thanks for strolling through memory lane with me, oppo!

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • I enlisted in the US Air Force

      thebestofoppo.png

      At the beginning of 2020.

      I've never shared this with oppo.

      2019 was an interesting year. I was fired from what I considered at the time to be a good job. What followed were months spent bouncing around.

      I apprenticed as a tile guy in a non-union position for a few months. The pay wasn't great, but it passed the time and as I told myself—tiling was a relevant skill. I could renovate my bathroom at long last! Yeah... It wasn't long before 50 mile commutes in the Miata took their toll on me. Between that and the physical demands of the job that I was struggling to keep up with, I had to walk away.

      I spent a week washing windows again for my old boss—but I couldn't live with the feeling that I'd just regressed back to six years prior, with little to show for it.

      So—with dwindling funds—I purchased a laptop. With an uncharacteristically sunny Seattle June, I spent every day out and about networking. Coffee shops, parks, gyms... Everywhere was fair game. I was a shark, and small business owners my prey. The sweet spot was single crew to three crew operations. These outfits were generally run by an older guy who had done well enough to have a successful business, but didn't have the knowledge necessary to push the company to the next step where growth really takes off.

      See, I'd put together three pretty slick advertising packages. Different tiers, if you will.

      Cut through the BS, and it was just basic marketing tools. Buy a domain, make a a company email address, create a modern website. Join and be active on social media. Engage with people online. Advertise, advertise, advertise. Automate schedules, maintenance, and every other piece of low-hanging fruit that can push growth and remove the opportunity for human error.

      $999.99 and I'd set up the basics.

      $1999.99 and I'd do the basic plan plus head a full advertising campaign on Google, and FB, along with design vinyl wraps for company vehicles and more tradition physical advertising methods, such as yard signs.

      $3499.99 would get you the premium plan (basic - premium - premium plus. Where's my oppo card?) plus teach an optomized hiring process, set the company up with various timekeeping, scheduling, payroll apps, and create a 5 year plan based on company goals.

      Not a single client went with the "basic" plan.

      Slightly over two months of this, I walked away with just over $20k. I sold the company to a former employer for half that, and without a career of any kind, flew off to Asia with a friend for two weeks. What I didn't tell him was that I had neither purchased a return ticket, nor was I planning on coming back with him.

      Two weeks went by and my friend returned home. I decided to leave Tokyo and head back to Bangkok, where my remaining money would stretch about twice as long.

      A drunken hookup led to a relationship of sorts with a wealthy Thai woman. I was deeply entrenched in a for-the-love-of-god-do-not-think-about-the-future mentality, so... I hung out in Bangkok for awhile. Bouncing around between airbnb's and hotels, I spent a lot of time exploring some of the best nightlife in the world with my new "girlfriend". She also paid for literally everything, which uh.... Was equally unsettling and appreciated by my wallet. Somehow in the span of a few months, I'd gone from middle-management, to a skilled trade, to an entrepreneur, to unemployed with a sugar momma. She tried to talk me into staying permanently, getting a job as a teacher. Probably wouldn't have been a bad life...

      Alas, I started getting restless and flew off to a tropical Thai island. Hiking, hanging out with wild cats, exploring the reefs... If your goal is to escape, well, everything, you couldn't ask for much more.

      Eventually though I ran low on cash, and the part of my brain that I'd been silencing for months broke through—admonishing me to think about my future. The clock was running down and I had no job, no money, a home I hadn't seen in months, and I needed to do something—anything—to progress my life.

      I flew home.

      Back to the normal life. Depression came roaring back, with nothing but weekly hikes holding the crushing waves at bay. Well, it was more the person I was hiking with. A few months pass, and things went sour between us. Your mind does a wonderful job of smoothing over pain, and for that I'm thankful because the next few months were the lowest point in my life. Motivation and health dropped inverse to depression. I stayed in, saw nobody outside of the few days a week I worked.

      Work. My job as a delivery driver was a constant source of frustration. I desperately wanted out, but the fog was thick and I could see no better options.

      December, 2019. I vividly recall flipping a coin. Heads, I leave my job and summit Mt. Rainier the next day. While I was a strong hiker, I lacked any alpine experience, let alone gear. Attempting this in the heart of winter... Well. A flip of a coin is why I'm here now writing this.

      Tails.

      Join the military. The closest thing I could imagine to the fresh start I desired so greatly.

      I chose the Air Force.

      With help from a fellow oppo, I settled some legal issues and began the application process. For a month straight I trained body and mind—newfound purpose lighting a fire that had been out for far too long.

      Character references were contacted without issue. Interviews were aced. Aptitude tests left me with my destiny as an airman in my own hands. I signed, shook my recruiters hand, and walked away with a massive weight off my shoulders. I had a future lined up.

      Then came Covid-19, with the first known US outbreak happening in my city, just miles from my home.

      I'd transfered to a new group within the overarching umbrella of my greater company, and the shift was huge for my mental state.

      With Covid becoming more and more of a problem, the Air Force shut down training facilities. I was still in touch with my recruiter, and one day he sent an email asking me to re-submit a document. A minor clerical issue, but it was apparently enough to keep me out until fixed.

      I spent a lot of time weighing my options.

      In the end, I never responded to the recruiter.

      Mere weeks later I was promoted to junior management following unprecedented growth in the shipping and e-commerce industries. Another two months and senior management was mine for the taking, a full 44 months earlier than the jump would have occurred during normal times.

      As the chaos grew, so too did opportunities for advancement.

      I still think about the life I would have had in the Air Force, but at the end of the day I'm happy with my choices and the personal growth I've achieved.

      I can say with confidence that the loss of a job will never again hurt me in any way other than monetarily, because I've learned that for me at least, the only battle is the internal one, and I can't lose if I never admit defeat.

      Merry Christmas oppo. Thanks for all the help through the years. May 2021 be a year full of growth—in whatever way you need.

      20201224_170725.jpg

      posted in Best of Oppo
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: Well.... damn it. Integra will be a 4 door

      @musashi66 just wait until they reveal the bottom half and we realize it's a plastic-clad 4 door crossover-coupe

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • This was a great day

      I'll do a real writeup later when I get a chance to look through photos and videos. 20220416_165720.jpg

      For now I'm still feeling a mile high after a full day of rally instruction at Dirtfish. Amazing team with a rock-solid curriculum, rediculously fun courses set on an old logging property at the base of Mt Si, and an overall experience that I will not soon forget. I learned so much about car control. I had thought that my time in the Miata sliding around forest service roads would give me a good head start in figuring everything out, but that was not the case.

      Don't wait, go sign up! @roadkilled

      20220416_104542.jpg

      20220416_135646.jpg

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: At what point can we take 'er out back behind the shed and end the suffering?

      @aestheticsinmotion pallet cleanser for the eyes-BMW-M3-GT-E36-17.jpg

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: Vehicle trends that annoy me.

      @carsoffortlangley counterpoint: I'm all for tron cars.

      In all seriousness though, I think the more pressing issue is the number of people who drive without headlights on because they don't realize that DRLs ≠ headlights & taillights. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I think new cars should have lights on 100% of the time and no way to turn them off short of an aftermarket solution.

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • My life has taken a turn for the better

      After fourteen months of waiting, the company I run has finally sold off 30% of it's routes, and the necessary assets to handle those routes. Think trucks, employees, management, etc.

      In reality, we sold the headache-inducing part of the company. The part that kept me in for 18 hour days solving problems left, right and center, the part that had me writing checks constantly to fix property damage complaints, the part where my drivers constantly got stuck on rural roads—always when all tow truck drivers inexplicably decided they'd rather just not work...

      Today was the second day since the split. My stress level has plunged dramatically. I no longer feel like I need to plan for hours each night to prepare for the morning. I don't have any dread about what's coming. Shit is easy—relatively—and I'm here to enjoy it.

      I wish nothing but but good things to the owner that purchased what we sold, but I have to say.... Seeing him get a taste for the problems that put so many grey hairs in my head and being able to internally say to myself "not my problem!" has to be one of the highlights of working for FedEx. I'm here to offer him and his two managers every bit of advice, knowledge and experience I can muster up—but they're responsible for the legwork and ultimately for the success of their company. For me there are no longer any stakes and it is unbelievably freeing.

      On the flip side, I now feel like a veteran of the industry. So many companies get too big and split up, or find a more profitable delivery area and sell off their old spot, or any number of other "moves" that see them moving into a different region. This means that the veterans have often owned the routes comprising 4, 5, or even more different businesses. I suppose I'm now at 2, with some management in another 2. That's... That's veteran status. A weird thought.

      Not sure what to do now. Normally I'd still be working, and worrying about getting enough sleep to have the mental health to deal with the clusterfuck coming the next day....

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • Moto-camping with AMGtech

      We met in the heart of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which I would soon discover is a mecca of all things off-road. The big dualsport handled the three and a half hours ride down from Seattle surprisingly well, with plenty of speed and very little discomfort. No drama to speak of.

      20211007_123331.jpg

      Off-road was a different story. Dirt, gravel and clay, whether smooth, bumpy or filled with gaping cracks, the Husky seemed to wake up from a deep slumber with an insatiable appetite for crawling over all manor of terrain. There was a moment where I thought to myself, "if I pointed this damn bike at a tree and ripped the throttle, it would probably just climb up the trunk and ride atop the canopies."

      20211008_091200.jpg

      20211007_123045.jpg

      We spent a little under 80 miles off-road on this trip—bouncing between various lakes and trails—and I'm already thinking about next time. The less pavement the better.

      20211008_110717.jpg

      20211008_095718.jpg

      That said, I can't fight it any longer. Heated gear is a must. Even with five layers up top and windproof over pants covering my riding pants, I was freezing for 90% of the roughly 400 miles put on the Husky. Meanwhile @AMGtech had a thin little heated jacket under his normal riding gear and often had to turn it down after getting too hot!

      Another necessary upgrade? Going through the parts I've put on and retightening the bolts with some thread sealant. Tourqed to the reccomend specs, I still nearly lost a handful of hardware from all the vibes off road.

      In addition, I need a bigger foot on my kickstand to keep from sinking into softer ground, and a headlight upgrade. The stock unit was close to useless on our late-night forest road excursion!

      Screenshot_20211008-180211_Gallery.jpg

      On to camping...

      20211007_211124.jpg

      With a guesstimated nighttime temp around 20° Fahrenheit, this made for a great test of my new camping gear.

      20211008_074740.jpg

      The 20° rated sleeping quilt was incredibly comfy, and performed as expected—keeping me alive at it's temperature rating but far from comfortable. And in fairness, I had base layers, mountaineering-grade wool socks, and a thick fleece jacket on. Next time I'll be dumping a bucket-full of hot hands into my bag. Or maybe a ring of fire around my tent to scare the cold away.

      Speaking of which, the new tent was a breeze to set up, and was the perfect size for one big dude with a bunch of gear. No moisture buildup on the interior walls, lots of storage nets, and a great rainfly that I'm onlynowrealizingIlefttheventsopen onnowonderitwassodamncold.

      Sleeping pad sucked. Low R-value, not firm enough, and I kept falling off of it while tossing and turning. I may look into a warmer and wider two-person backpacking pad...

      Moto luggage held everything I needed for two nights, which for me is the sweet spot. I am think I could do a week in the saddle with just a bit more strapped to the top of the two bags. Oh... Although I did forget to pack any food so... Who knows (can you tell which one of us did the planning for this excursion?)

      In the end, we had zero falls between us, nobody ran out of gas (I hit my low fuel light twice), and nothing broke. Already can't wait to get back down there.

      Screenshot_20211009-091936_Gallery.jpg

      20211007_123522.jpg

      posted in Best of Oppo
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • You know what really helps you run fast?

      A big ol' mama bear moving towards you with two little guys behind her. I delivered a package at the front door, turned around, and saw the bear ten feet away, coming towards me. Never have I ran so fast in my life. Maybe I need some bears to get my team to move more efficiently....

      Once I was back in my truck she stopped approaching and I took a few pictures. Now I've come in close contact with bears, cougers, bobcats, and a fox in my suburban delivery area. Neat!

      20210516_131440.jpg
      Screenshot_20210516-153627_Gallery.jpg Screenshot_20210516-153644_Gallery.jpg

      Speaking of things that move fast in the woods...
      20210516_131757.jpg

      Having to come in and drive today really screwed up my schedule, but it is nice to get outside and see what the world has to offer. With vaccine distribution going surprisingly well, I think it's safe to say that this little corner of civilization is healing.

      20210516_134739.jpg

      One nice thing about living in an area where $800,000 can get you an entry-level home (if you waive everything, at least), is that you start to view car prices much differently. A $100k car is only 1/10 the price of the average home! See, not that bad! $30k Datsun? Pocket change! At least... By comparison.

      Screenshot_20210516-154336_Gallery.jpg

      Thanks for tuning in.

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion

    Latest posts made by AestheticsInMotion

    • RE: I Regret to Inform You Oppo is Now an Offroad Blog

      @AMGtech I'm pretty sure you told me this would happen. But hey, just means I can focus my car enthusiasm towards other avenues. I never had any interest in luxury vehicles before the bike days!

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: Dodge Will End Charger and Challenger Production

      @CarsOfFortLangley said in Dodge Will End Charger and Challenger Production:

      Sad day for boomers and aspiring rappers

      Sad day for everyone. These were the two most unapologetically old-school muscle cars around. I for one have genuinely loved every year of Dodge continuing to stuff crazier and crazier engines into mature yet attractive shells.

      So long, Dodge Challenger SRT Jailbreak.

      Screenshot_20220815-205808_Chrome.jpg

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: Water Politics

      @DipodomysDeserti let us know when we need to start mailing Dasani your way

      posted in OPPolitics
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: Thought experiment: It's 1963, what would you drive?

      Not a huge fan of 60's iron—up until the 2nd year or so of the Mustang debut. So I'm going to go with this...

      1963 Triumph Bonneville Desert Sled

      1963bonnevilledesertsled-1000x600.jpg

      Or a BMW R60/2

      Screenshot_20220815-201827_Chrome.jpg

      (a Triumph TR4 would also work I suppose)

      004-600x338.jpg

      Oh, or pretty much anything Volvo made in the 60's. Or a bunch of Mercedes'. Huh... I guess I like 60's cars more than I thought.

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: NSX: The ULTIMATE History of Honda's Supercar (Part 1)

      @Barchetta this was a great read. I'm looking forward to part 2!

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: For our outdoorsy Oppos, especially those in the northeast...

      @Albino-Kangaroo said in For our outdoorsy Oppos, especially those in the northeast...:

      Stage 3, can set in months or years after initial infection (if you didn't handle it in stage 1 or 2) and your borked. Memory loss, arthritis, etc.

      I briefly dated a girl with this level of Lyme disease. Quite literally changed her life, affecting memory and cognition. She said she felt like she was living in a fog, unable to fully use her mind. And then there was all the usual "sickness" stuff that would come and go. Terrifying stuff.

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: Hair: Cut

      @ttyymmnn amazing

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: I Regret to Inform You Oppo is Now an Offroad Blog

      I was thinking about this recently too. Really is interesting to see. Now I've got the capabilities to do both with the Busa/Husky, but honestly... I don't think I'll ever buy a true sports car again after owning bikes.

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: This or That 213

      @Exage03040 this one's tough. I think I'm going Oldsmobile simply because I don't fit all that well in most single-cab trucks.

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion
    • RE: Childish insults

      @tae I try not to antagonize other drivers, regardless of fault. No airbags, no seat belt, and no crumple zones makes for an almost guaranteed poor outcome for me. If someone is tailgating, I just move over and let them pass. Easiest way to diffuse the situation.

      That said, I'll admit that occasionally when someone flashes their brights at me—assuming I'm an asshole for riding around with mine on—I'll actually flip my brights on and create a second sun for a few seconds.

      posted in Oppositelock
      AestheticsInMotion
      AestheticsInMotion