After quite some time and a few google searches, I realized how my headset works. I checked the bag of stuff with the fork for my cross and was getting all confused looking for the expanding cartridge. But the MTB doesn't have that type.

Anyway, I did slide everything out and clean it but I don't have any grease so I will pick that up tomorrow. Probably a lot of this was a result of me taking the stem off before just to try a smaller size. Duh. But now I know how to adjust a headset and stem.

So Billingeracet is on again as long as my current sore throat doesn't develop into some svininfluensa.