Archive for misc
Upcoming Adventures + Babylon 5
I’m apparently going to be traveling a bit coming up soon, meaning that it’s a very good thing that I’ve got a giant stack of free travel courtesy of Airtran. This Friday, we’re headed for Florida for Drew’s other grandfather’s funeral (we went to Drew’s first grandfather’s funeral 2 months ago, and then 2 months before that Drew wen’t to Neil’s funeral, so it has not been a good year for Drew so far=\). The current plan is that, on the next Tuesday, we head to Richmond, and stay there until Saturday when we leave with his Dad & co. to go to the Outer Banks where they’re rented a house for a week. We stay there a few days, then head back to Denver. However, it seems I might be needed out in California for family-related purposes at an unknown point in the future, and so I’m hesitant about scheduling all of this flight time. Helps to have the travel vouchers and all, at least. I do like traveling by planes, which helps.
So I ordered a bunch of laptop parts, I’m gonna upgrade my netbook’s RAM and hard drive, and then try installing Ubuntu on it. See, it’s becoming a hindrance that I’m trying to do all of this stuff with php and Drupal and am doing it off of my Windows XP computer. I haven’t used Linux much at all, but apparently it’s much easier to do backend web programming with it then with a Windows box, and it’s time I figured out how to do that. Assuming I figure it out in the next 4 days and get the netbook set up, I’ll have a teeny workstation to use while traveling to work on the Drupal site I recently started.
So I’m almost done watching Babylon 5 – we’ve got a few episodes left, and maybe a movie. I totally caved and ordered figures, which arrived today. They’re certainly not action figures, being that Sheridan is the only one where you can move both the arms and the legs, but they’re still cute. I’ve also got Delenn, G’kar, and Londo. Now I just need to figure out how to get the rest of the figures that I want via finding the internet sellers that are trying to unload them for cheap, rather then the sellers that think they’re super valuable and are pricing them accordingly. I found someone selling Ivanova and Vir for not too much, so they might be my next order. I can substitute some of my pre-existing figures for other characters. Aragorn makes an excellent Marcus (though I might still get a Marcus character if I see him), and Legolas makes an excellent Number 1. Honestly, I never liked Number 1, I kept thinking of her as “Mars Resistance Leader Hannah Montana.”
Season 5 hasn’t been quite as exciting as Season 4, but Drew warned me of that. All of the Londo/G’kar stuff has been excellent, at least. I didn’t care for the telepaths, and they took up most of the first half of the season. I also think there’s been a huge hole where Ivanova used to be, she was a great character and I don’t think Lochley was a good replacement. As much as I liked Delenn, her character stopped being as interesting once her and Sheridan became official, which happened around the same time the Minbari caste conflict ended as well.
It’s been a bit exhausting watching through so many seasons of something, so it’s good timing that we’re finishing up right before we leave, since I could use a TV break!
Wheels Within Wheels
My bike has a flat tire. The last time my bike had a flat tire, I spent an hour wrangling with it, getting saturated with dirt and grease, only to have the inner-tube not on correctly and need to go to the shop to get it redone anyhow. That was the back tire though, the one intertwined with all of the gears and such. The tire that is currently flat is the front tire. Given that it’s a simple procedure to get the tire off, I’m going to give it a go again, since I’ve got a spare tube and all. Hopefully it works. Even if I am successful, I think I’ll still take my bike to a shop the next time the back tire goes kaput, as a shop has much better equipment to deal with a persnickety back wheel then I do.
I’m going through a slight conundrum with my car. See, I just took it in for it’s 90K checkup, and spent a buttload of dollars getting it fixed up. Which I’d expected. The thing is, I really liked the shop I went to. It’s an oil change and car repair shop that also has a coffee house attached. While I sat and waited for my car, I down two different types of chai tea, one of them on the house due to my really long wait. The one I actually paid for was some of the best chai tea I’ve ever had. So, this shop has an oil change deal where, for $99 you can buy 4 oil changes + 4 drinks. The problem is, I’ve got my own ramps, and my own pan. I’ve been changing my own oil for several years now. It saves me money. But then again, it’s not like it saves me a huge amount of money. And it was also a huge pain to change oil in the winter, given that the parking lot was perpetually covered in wet slush most of the time. And I live in an apartment, so it’s also a pain just storing the oil changing materials (especially since I lack a balcony or backyard). In any case, I’m currently debating selling my oil changing stuff and just going to this shop. If I do this, I might hold off until the weather gets crappy again, since changing your oil in the summer is no biggie. That slush last winter sure was awful to lie in, though!
The long drive back from Tennessee
So, last Wednesday night we ended up leaving for Nashville at about 2 in the morning. Errr, we left for Nashville early Thursday morning (somehow, it doesn’t seem to be the next day until the sun actually starts rising). I drove first shift, and got to see a fabulous sunrise in Kansas before attempting to conk out in the folded down backseat of Drew’s car. There’s enough room for a person to stretch out and sleep, but it doesn’t work so well when the car is driving and I’m used to a glorious mattress. We got to Nashville at 11:00 central time. Unfortunately for us, most of the people there were East Coast elitists, so they had just finished watching the ball drop when we went inside, declared it a new year, and went to bed. New Year’s Central Time went unnoticed, and we were conked out in bed by the time Mountain Time New Years happened.
Now here’s something I’m curious about: New York has the ball drop and all, but what about the other time zones? Seems to be that Chicago should have a ball drop for the Central time zone, Denver for the Mountain time zone, and I suppose Seattle for the Pacific time zone. Don’t let New York get all the glory! I’d suggest more southern cities, but it seems that people have this idea that the holidays should be all gobbed up with snow, even though many parts of the US don’t see snow around the holidays at all. However, I’m open to a ball drop in
We were there 2.5 days, whereupon I received stuff and ate stuff and hung out with Drew’s relations. We decided to split up the drive back into two parts, and ended up getting a motel room in Topeka after having eaten some incredibly delicious BBQ in Missouri earlier. I need to either make or get ahold of some St. Louis style BBQ sauce, as it’s really good. I’m a sucker for some sweet and smoky. We might have driven further that night, but at some point the roads got slushy, then icy, and it would have been a waste. It’s interesting to observe weather driving west. It was really cold in Nashville with no snow, bitterly cold in Topeka with bunches of snow, and the further west we drove across Kansas the warmer it got, and it’s gonna hit close to 50 in Denver today.
Incidentally, next time we’ve got this kind of distance to go, we’re gonna try to fly instead. Driving is fun if you aren’t really familiar with the route so much, but we’ve both seen the 430 mile stretch on I-70 across Kansas waaay more then we need to at this point.
And here’s a few thoughts on hotels. I like nicer hotels, but only if someone else is totally covering it. As Drew and I were splitting the tab, we stayed at a Motel 6. In terms of cheap hotels/motels, it often seems better to choose chains over non-chains. With non-chains it’s questionable as to how livable the room will actually end up being. However, it doesn’t matter much for that chain if whoever stays there thinks it sucks, as they’re just passing through and so repeat business isn’t too much of a concern. So, if they’re sheisty or lazy, they can get away with lower standards. However, staying at a chain place, there’s a possibility that you’ll continue to visit their other locations when you travel. Thus, the Motel 6 was as bare-bones as the price suggested, but had the benefit of being appropriately clean and not being sketchy.
We got back last night around 8:30, and Estha was super glad to see us. We now have giant piles of crap sitting everywhere which we should probably deal with at some point. Also, so much junk food. My goal is to not eat it all today. Incidentally, my New Year’s resolution is to not gain too much weight. Screw losing weight. And screw not gaining weight. I’ve accepted the fact that, every winter, I put on lbs. Conversely, every summer, I lose those lbs. All I want is to not gain so many lbs that my bras stop fitting, as that is a royal pain. Mind you, I’ve got summer bras and winter bras for this precise purpose, but when I start outgrowing the winter bras things start getting really pissy for me.
Anyhow, we scored a giant bag of miniature candy (kisses and teeny Reeses cups and such), which pleases the little Martha Stewart part of me as it means we have stuff to put in our candy dish for the next month or so. Incidentally, we decided that we’re gonna keep our Christmas tree and lights up until the beginning of February. See, I get depressed in the winter. I think the excitement of the holidays helps, but January is generally pretty bleak. So, I shall experiment with leaving bonus Xmas light cheer up, to see if that combats seasonal affective disorder type issues.
And on a final note, today is Drew’s and my 4 year anniversary, yay! Unfortunately, Drew is currently passed out in bed with whatever disease he picked up on this trip. We’ll be hitting the Macaroni Grill later for anniversary dinner, whereupon I will gorge myself on sea life and exciting beverages. Until then, I will hang out with Drupal and try to figure out what the heck to get Drew for our anniversary that he hasn’t already received over this long holiday season.
Watch out for little rubber thingies when you change your oil
So we attempted to change Drew’s oil yesterday. I couldn’t get the up-until-now-machine-screwed-in oil plug off, but he could, so that was alright. The oil filter was located in a godawful place behind a bunch of various car innards such that I really needed a few extra joints to reach it properly. Our new wrench is also a pale comparison to the wrench I used to use. Again, Drew managed to get back to it and wrench it off. He also put the new filter on, tightening it as much as he could with his hand. I screwed the oil plug back in, it didn’t go in as smoothly as mine usually does, but seemed to tighten ok.
Drew starts the car, and there’s a “bloop” noise and gushing…then dripping. A bunch of oil slowly oozed out of the car. As it was getting on towards dusk and we had no idea what was going on, we stopped for the night. The internet mentioned a few possibilities, with a few curses thrown in the direction of Jiffy Lube and their ilk. I was able to snake my hand in from the top and grab the oil filter, and it seemed tight enough. Today, I peered under the car and tried to make out where the oil plug was. I couldn’t see it, and, reaching around amongst the oily patches, I thought I felt a hole with oil around it (neglecting to realize that the entire freaking underside of the car had oil on it at this point).
So we headed over to Advance Auto, where, along with dumping the old oil, we pick up some new oil plus an oil plug. In this fabulous overcast 30some degree weather with the parking lot still partially covered in snow (and the remainder now covered in motor oil, unfortunately), we rolled the car back onto the ramps. I get underneath, and the plug’s still there. Looking up, I can also see that the oil definitely came from the filter. However, I can’t seem to tighten it any more with my hand. So Drew gets under the car, and can’t tighten it any further, either. So then we switch tactics, and he removes the oil filter altogether. Oil filter looks fine. Then I decide to stick my hand down where the oil filter used to be, and poke around to look for any funny business. After I’d grown a few new joints in my forearm, I manage to get my hand into where the filter goes…and pull out a twisted little rubber ring, left behind from the last filter. Hooray!
Drew screws the oil filter back in, saying that it screwed in both tighter and easier then the last time. And the car is fine, now. Which is good, as that would have put a serious damper in our upcoming trip otherwise. Now all we have to go is go get a bunch of kitty litter and some newspapers to take care of the mess we left in the parking lot!
Lubricants and pliers and meats and other fun things
So my car needed an oil change. We picked up the oil and filter, and, as the wrench I’ve been using was Carolyn’s, I looked for a new wrench. All they seemed to have at Advance Auto were these weird belt wrenches, which I’d never used before. As Drew needed help figuring out stuff for his car, there was some guy helping us (who couldn’t have been a day over 20). I asked him about the wrenches, and he said he didn’t recommend the belt wrenches, and that you can remove your oil filter easily by whacking a screwdriver into it and twisting it off that way. I was wary of this method, as it sounded both messy and potentially difficult to achieve given the angle I had to position myself into in order to reach my oil filter, but I thought I’d give it a whirl as he seemed to adamant that this was the way to go.
Well, it was both messy and awkward. I’d hoped I could just twist the filter off with my hands, as I had a Fram filter on and they have a really good gripping surface. No go. Tried it with one of those kitchen rubber lid twisty things, still no go. Tried whacking a screwdriver into the filter using a hammer. Got it in, and found it impossible to turn, so I had to whack said screwdriver in further. By this point, residual oil is dripping down the screwdriver, onto my hand, down my arm, and onto the hammer. I kept having to rest my arms, as there were all of these car parts in the way and I needed to hold both arms at angles not comfortable to hold for long periods of time. Got the screwdriver in enough, and twisted. It turned, just a little bit, until the lever that the screwdriver made ran into other car parts. Still couldn’t get the filter off with my hands, even with the loosening. So, made another hole. Everything is doused with oil at this point. Hole took entirely too long to make, as I was sore and pooped. It worked, eventually, and I got the filter off. Had to throw my poor blue hoodie away, though, it was unsalvageable.
Didn’t do Drew’s car yet, no way in Hell are we undertaking that method for his car. Don’t even know where the parts are gonna be on his, as he’s never changed his own oil before. So we went to Lowes and Home Depot, neither of them carried oil filter pliers, the bastards! I’ve located a pair, though, at Checkers Auto, so I’ll have to stop by there tomorrow or whenever next is convenient. Incidentally, there is an infinite amount of schlock carried at Lowes and Home Despot now, what with their tupperware bins and home accents and stuff. It’s like everyone wants to compete with Walmart. Soon you’ll be able to buy underwear and bananas at Lowes/Home Depot, too.
In other news, I just got a lb. of ceviche from the grocery store for a little over a buck a pound. It’s got a kick to it, too.
Put Xmas lights up, along with our wee little purple tree. Once Xmas is over this year, I look forward to scarfing up reject lights and decorations off of Craigslist so next year will be fabulous.
My poor smooshed car
So my car is ‘fixed’. Or about as fixed as I’m capable of making it.
I ordered the rear brake light, and that came in the other day. I was worried that I might have difficulty trying to attach it, but it attached with a single plug, no wiring involved or anything. We popped out the backseat and I crawled into the trunk that way, after emptying of all the junk, including the ramps I’d just bought before the accident. Everything that needed to remove came off easily with your standard range of tools plus a bit of oil. It was kind of awkward maneuvering in the trunk, but the plug for the rear light was obvious, so that got hooked up pretty easily. Tested the light, works perfectly, yay!
I secured the light as best I could with duct take (gorilla tape!), and also taped up a bit of plastic in the areas where I was concerned about potential leaking. From there, I slathered duct tape all over the areas where possible leak areas, along with parts where the paint was completely flaked off. I still need to get a hold of some paint at some point, as the paint is peeling off of other parts of the car. Suppose it’s less of a rush now, since the car is technically worth negative dollars and all, but I’d still like to see it run as long as possible (where “as long as possible” means “when I have a steadier income and can actually afford to get a new car”). I had been thinking about getting some black car paint to touch up places, and then I could do…something(?)…to make the ghetto-fabulous back not look so awful. Not sure what that is, though. I don’t care too much though, I suppose. Car still runs fine, and that’s all that really matters. I’ll miss the use of my trunk, though.
Though, there is one good thing about all of this. The cost of getting the brake light plus shipping, plus the cost of the tape I bought? About $150. The amount of the check the insurance company mailed to me for the car? About $3000. I heart dollars.
Adventures in unpacking, future adventures in writing, etc.
We are 99% unpacked. This is an achievement, as we didn’t reach that state at the last apartment until about 8 months in. I am super happy with Drew for being rather gung-ho about getting everything out of boxes and onto shelves and such. It also helped that we got a ginormous 7′ x 3′ bookshelf off of the free section of craigslist. It clears the ceiling by about a few inches. I’d love to get rid of the other shelves and just have a second shelf like it, it makes that corner of the apartment feel like a library (possibly because we’re about 84% sure the shelf originally came from some sort of library!). We’ve got partial ghetto apartment going on, as videos are hanging out in shelves made of boxes, but we’re working on that part.
NaNoWriMo is coming up in less then 10 days now, and both Drew and I are gonna do it this time around. I wanted book #1 to be out of the way before book #2 got started on, and I’m just waiting on proof copy #3 (the final one, at least it better be) to come in the mail. Assuming that’s perfect, I can set the book for sale on Createspace and Amazon. Then comes the fun part of figuring out how to market one of these babies.
More Job Stuff
So I didn’t get the sushi job. Which is unfortunate, as I was rather excited about the opportunity and felt like the interview went really well. Like, I felt like I proved my skills, that I interacted well with the guy I talked to as well as with a few people at the bar, I asked pointed questions, and just felt pretty comfortable and confidant with the way things went. But no go. It’s gotten to the point where I feel like I have no gauge at all in recognizing when a job interview has gone well and when it hasn’t. And I know that a lot of it is simply if I’m the most qualified person for the job, and that due to the economic climate, there are quite a lot of qualified people out there that are interested in the same positions that I am also interested in. But psychologically I still want to assume that it’s something that I’m doing that’s keeping me from getting these positions. I guess I feel that if it’s my fault that I’m not getting anywhere, that it’s also within my control to make the next time actually successful. I think I feel better with the idea that I’m simply not trying hard enough, rather then thinking about how I’m just another face in that sea of faces clawing on top of each other for that rare and elusive open position.
In any case, I should be grateful for what I do have. I’ve got a freelance job, which is good. And while it is a finite position, it will be another site on my resume to show potential employers. That, and I’ll feel much more confidant regarding Drupal, so hopefully that will help propel me onward.
More updates on the following weekend
I am posting this link because I am ridiculous like that.
It’s been cheap/free furniture time lately! We’ve got two desks: paid $20 for one, it’s decent but definitely used. We got a second desk completely free off of Craigslist, it’s a corner desk that all we had to do was disassemble and remove from the couple’s house, it’s nicer then any desk I’ve ever owned! Getting a microwave from someone today for $10. The larger furniture will have to wait until we have a moving truck. Speaking of moving trucks, we’re getting a truck from Budget truck rental for 25% off the regular price: apparently this isn’t exactly a big time of year for people to be moving. Anyhow, due to the distance we’ll be driving it, they require us to have it for a week (and we’re planning on doing the drive from Richmond to Denver in 3 days), so we’ll hold onto it for the extra days and use it to pick up a couch and such from other unsuspecting Craigslist people. Yup.
And if none of the above makes sense, here’s the dirty details: Drew and I are coming back to Richmond the 25th and leaving Monday the 28th with all of our stuff in a truck to go to the apartment in Denver (Arvada, technically) that we will have as of this Monday. Super driving party! And we get to fly on a plane on the 25th as well. I love flying on planes. Too bad it causes me to not hear properly out of my ears for several days afterwards. D’oh!
