| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
My niece's school district is closed today, my sister Eve's office in Portland is closed today, pretty much every business in the surrounding towns, even grocery stores and coffee shops, everything is closed.
I could easily start ranting about how this suspect had a firearm to begin with, but it would quickly get political, so I won't.
I read FaWtL in the morning before I read the news, so at least I knew something was up...
EDIT: Top of the page. "Something was up". Just not going there.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
And today is yet another episode of, "The world really shouldn't work this way."
The body shop I chose has turned out to be a sea of incompetence: First the guy took 10 days to tell me that he didn't have the parts, then he sat on the car for a month before his manager told me that I needed to get the parts, then when I finally got the car back there was a grinding in the suspension indicating they hadn't done the job right. I brought it back in, got it painted, and not only had they not fixed the suspension, but they forgot to even reconnect the turn signals.
So why the h*** would I ever go back there?
Because there's no law that says, "If a shop is too incompetent to manage a job, they have to pay for you to take the car somewhere else."
So the Celica's going BACK in this morning for them to try to fix the problem AGAIN, and I set the probability of them actually finding and fixing the issue at under 10%.
But at least taking it in costs them money and makes them ponder doing a better job in the future... I hope...
Today we're playing "how is my ex-wife going to act b%!~@&* crazy this week".
It's not as fun as it sounds.
Our house is too big, it takes a week to clean it.I just clean the house once a week.Hi yes, it is me, I am humans. Cyz has the same frustrations, although I have gotten slightly better about it.
I also use the floor however.
Sounds like you need a smaller house.
I set aside half a day last weekend just for cleaning the apartment and I was finished in less than an hour.
...are congratulations in order?
So, rather irritating, all in all. The upper mount for the left strut is cracked. It's harmless and we can drive on it until we get it repaired, but somehow a "professional" body shop missed something like that while reassembling the entire suspension.
Yeah, it's under the hood instead of under the car, but still, "We did not bother to check the entire suspension system," does not give me any additional faith in their competence.
(GothBard's immediate question was, "Can we get our regular mechanic to do the work for us?" and I immediately replied, "That's my plan.")
EDIT: Shiro's take was even better: "Yeah, it's completely harmless until one of the kids hits a curb at speed and your strut goes flying through your hood."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Stop to help someone who hit one of syracuses many many concrete walls under the throughway
"How bad is the tire axel bent? Can I still drive on it?
Picks up the tire with a bit of metal hanging off of it to show them
So, rather irritating, all in all. The upper mount for the left strut is cracked. It's harmless and we can drive on it until we get it repaired, but somehow a "professional" body shop missed something like that while reassembling the entire suspension.
Yeah, it's under the hood instead of under the car, but still, "We did not bother to check the entire suspension system," does not give me any additional faith in their competence.
(GothBard's immediate question was, "Can we get our regular mechanic to do the work for us?" and I immediately replied, "That's my plan.")
EDIT: Shiro's take was even better: "Yeah, it's completely harmless until one of the kids hits a curb at speed and your strut goes flying through your hood."
Like everything else, cars have a lifespan. If you want to keep it for posterity, you’ll need to garage store it. Just drive it on the weekends for fun. If you keep driving it for daily use, you’ll eventually wear that automobile out. The repair costs will outrun the value of the car.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Like everything else, cars have a lifespan. If you want to keep it for posterity, you’ll need to garage store it. Just drive it on the weekends for fun. If you keep driving it for daily use, you’ll eventually wear that automobile out. The repair costs will outrun the value of the car.
Oh, buried the needle on that milestone with this last repair job. But even including that, in its 27-year lifespan the Celica has cost us about $55,000 all told. Considering that's not that much more than a new car of similar quality, I'm still feeling good about it.
EDIT: Plus my brother kept a 1970 Volvo running for 40+ years, so I've got that to compete with...
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
2nd date tomorrow!
Pretty excited! Even if it still looks weird typing all that out together in a sentence.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
On the one hand, I know that inventory management is hard. In retail outlets it's out-and-out impossible due to shoplifting. In warehouses it should be accurate, but try getting someone's who's moving boxes and driving forklifts for 8 hours a day to be 100% accurate in scanning every box that moves and you'll find it's nigh-impossible as well.
So I understand.
But it's still frustrating to go online, order a part from a warehouse, have them charge my credit card and say, "We'll get it shipped to you first thing in the morning," then get a follow-up in the morning saying, "Oops! Sorry! We're out of this part, it's backordered, and there's no predicted date for the restock."
I was trying to get an OEM strut mount. Looks like it'll be another call to the Alabama junkyard...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Stop to help someone who hit one of syracuses many many concrete walls under the throughway
"How bad is the tire axel bent? Can I still drive on it?
Picks up the tire with a bit of metal hanging off of it to show them
Jesus, take the wheel. No, wait, not that one!
Jesus, take the wheel. No, wait, not that one!Stop to help someone who hit one of syracuses many many concrete walls under the throughway
"How bad is the tire axel bent? Can I still drive on it?
Picks up the tire with a bit of metal hanging off of it to show them
I mean its a car to chase AND someone basically said "fetch"...
Like everything else, cars have a lifespan. If you want to keep it for posterity, you’ll need to garage store it. Just drive it on the weekends for fun. If you keep driving it for daily use, you’ll eventually wear that automobile out. The repair costs will outrun the value of the car.Oh, buried the needle on that milestone with this last repair job. But even including that, in its 27-year lifespan the Celica has cost us about $55,000 all told. Considering that's not that much more than a new car of similar quality, I'm still feeling good about it.
EDIT: Plus my brother kept a 1970 Volvo running for 40+ years, so I've got that to compete with...
I’m probably just jelly. I think the longest I’ve had a vehicle was about 12 years. I could have kept that one longer, but thought I needed something with more passenger space. My dad had moved into the same assisted living facility with my mom. So I wanted to be able to take them both out together. My little pickup truck didn’t really have that capability. So, I got a Sprinter van. Plenty of room for people, plus great for car camping. Except my mom didn’t like to climb up into the cab, the thing was almost as tall as a semi tractor. So I traded it in for the Tacoma I now have. That whole adventure set me back a good bunch of money. With nothing to really show for it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I grew up with Depression-era parents. My mother's family literally lost (almost) everything and her father had to adopt her cousins because he was the only one in the extended family who owned land, so they grew their own food and sewed their own clothes to make it through the 30s.
So:
(1) If you can still use it, you do. Getting rid of something just because it's old is wasteful. Going to school in a well-to-do area with ironed-on knee and elbow patches was... not fun. But I inherited a LOT of that attitude. If my car still runs and it doesn't cost too much to fix, then why replace it?
(2) A car is nothing more than a tool that gets you from one location to another. Longevity is the primary concern. Gas mileage is the second. Everything else is a waste of time.
So that really explains my approach to cars. I perform maintenance religiously, my cars last forever, and I see no reason to get a new one.
(At the body shop they FINALLY opened the hood and the mechanic apparently called all the other mechanics over to marvel at the engine. "Where's the oil? Where are the worn-out belts? Why does this 27-year-old engine look better than most people's engines at 5?"
Yeah. I take care of my cars.)
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
It's a pretty weird time-line where I'm considered the "normal" parent.
Just saying.
That doesn't sound good...
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Things are becoming estranged between the ex-wife and Crookshanks.
And it's not because of Crookshanks.
To put it entirely too simply and mildly.
Fortunately, I'm the voice of reason between them, and I've picked up the slack as far as parental support and encouragement goes, and everything else.
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
It's just super f*+@ed up when your daughter can no longer go back to the home she grew up in for absolutely no reason at all, basically.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Wow.
I started looking around for the part, noticed that all the dealership web sites looked the same, called the supplier, and they said, "Yeah, we supply most of the California dealerships, so if you order from them you're ordering through us."
OK. Good to know. So I went to a different place. They listed the part as in stock. Same exact result. I ordered it, they charged my credit card, THEN they noticed that the part wasn't in stock and canceled it.
Shiro thinks it's a conspiracy to make interest on the money for 1 day. I think the interest rate vs. work to do all that makes it not worthwhile; they'd make less than a penny in a day of interest, and the processing, server power, automation, etc. probably costs more than that per customer.
I think it's incompetence.
Ah, well, there's a reliable place that provides third-party parts. Guess I'm going with them.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
It's just super f+%!ed up when your daughter can no longer go back to the home she grew up in for absolutely no reason at all, basically.
That does indeed sound terrible. GothBard's parents went through an incredibly bitter divorce when she was young, but she was still welcome at both houses.
It's not even a bitter divorce, we get along just fine, it's just she's started believing conspiracy theories and such.
For the sake of the kids I haven't called her out on them since the argument that led to her filing for divorce in the first place.
But Crookshanks couldn't take it any longer so she called her out on them.
Now she's not allowed back, unless someone else is there.
WHICH IS PRETTY F**#ED UP.
It's cool! I'm fine!
Just, Grrr!
qui bono?
no, i'd figure that the interest gained off the transaction doesn't go to the supplier -- it goes to the conglomerate that owns them. probably a clause buried in a subsection of the 159th page of legalese in the business contract.
"the profits are made up, but the numbers are real."
and so i ask again: qui bono?
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
It's amazing the stupid little things you learn as you maintain a house over the years.
We've had issues with pilot lights: The studio heater's pilot light went out every time someone slammed the door (which was disturbingly frequently), and the core house heater started sounding like a jet engine last winter.
This morning it was time to vacuum, blow, and light the pilot for the core heater. I watched burning gas roil all over the burners from the pilot and first thought I had a gas leak. Tracing the line, I found a tiny gold "pilot adjustment" screw. I cranked the pilot waaaaaaaay down, and suddenly it was behaving like a normal pilot again. Woo hoo!
Inspiration immediately dawned so I went out to the studio heater. Sure enough, hidden under the heater was that same gold "pilot adjust" screw, so I cranked the pilot waaaaaaaaay up.
I may have solved all my household's heater problems without having to pay a professional to come out and do the adjustment for me without ever telling me that it's dirt simple to do it yourself.
We'll see how the heaters behave over the next month or two as it actually gets cold enough to need them, and then we'll know.
(At the moment, it's still mid 60s to low 70s during the day, but it's down to the mid 40s at night so with no heat it was starting to be noticeably chilly when I got up in the morning.)
Since the AARPG's "Orc-toberfest" gathering last month was a rollicking success, we're going to game in costume tomorrow.
Happily, I already had chainmaille running pants and rashguard, so I picked up some felt to make a tabard with the symbol of Torm on it, and I'll buckle my swordbelt over it. Yes, I'm damned well taking the sword. Even if it is as dull as Bucharest on a Monday night.
And if you didn't catch that reference, you need to see my second-favorite vampire movie.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
But Lost Boys had nothing to do with Bucharest!
:P
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Nope. Love at First Bite, the disco-era comedy starring George Hamilton. It's cheesy and stupid and I love it.
But my absolute favorite will always be Shadow of the Vampire with Willem Dafoe, which imagines that, in the making of "Nosferatu", Max Schreck was actually a real vampire feeding off the cast and crew with the knowledge and permission of the director.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Since the AARPG's "Orc-toberfest" gathering last month was a rollicking success, we're going to game in costume tomorrow.
Happily, I already had chainmaille running pants and rashguard, so I picked up some felt to make a tabard with the symbol of Torm on it, and I'll buckle my swordbelt over it. Yes, I'm damned well taking the sword. Even if it is as dull as Bucharest on a Monday night.And if you didn't catch that reference, you need to see my second-favorite vampire movie.
I keep reading that as AARGH.
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
If you would have told me a year ago that someday in the future, I would be able to look myself in the mirror, point at my reflection, and say, "that's a guy who knows how to make his own pasta sauce," I would have called you a damn liar. But here I am...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
But my absolute favorite will always be Shadow of the Vampire with Willem Dafoe, which imagines that, in the making of "Nosferatu", Max Schreck was actually a real vampire feeding off the cast and crew with the knowledge and permission of the director.
That's a hell of a good movie. I'd say tied with Guillermo del Toro's Cronos for my favorite vampire film.
But my absolute favorite will always be Shadow of the Vampire with Willem Dafoe, which imagines that, in the making of "Nosferatu", Max Schreck was actually a real vampire feeding off the cast and crew with the knowledge and permission of the director.That's a hell of a good movie. I'd say tied with Guillermo del Toro's Cronos for my favorite vampire film.
Ooh! I didn't know about that one! (Adds to list.)
Ooh! I didn't know about that one! (Adds to list.)But my absolute favorite will always be Shadow of the Vampire with Willem Dafoe, which imagines that, in the making of "Nosferatu", Max Schreck was actually a real vampire feeding off the cast and crew with the knowledge and permission of the director.That's a hell of a good movie. I'd say tied with Guillermo del Toro's Cronos for my favorite vampire film.
I also have a wholly illogical nostalgic soft spot for John Carpenter's Vampires, so take all of my opinions with a massive block of salt.
Nothing like solar power to make you less appreciative of classic Bay Area weather.
We had a nice, unusually foggy October. I found it charming and pleasant. Now I see that that "nice" fog cost me an extra 4 kWH/day. Hmm...
I still like it.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Fantasy NPC: Lord Quaysall And Lady Dorvenor.
A pair of courtly schemers who lost their heads to their intrigue.
2nd date tomorrow!
Pretty excited! Even if it still looks weird typing all that out together in a sentence.
Well, that was that.
Back to the beginning I guess.
"lo, there do i see my father. lo, there do i . . . "
oh. waitaminnit.
good hunting, cap!
Fantasy NPC: Lord Quaysall And Lady Dorvenor.
A pair of courtly schemers who lost their heads to their intrigue.
I like these two. Any way to turn them against one another?
Since the AARPG's "Orc-toberfest" gathering last month was a rollicking success, we're going to game in costume tomorrow.
Happily, I already had chainmaille running pants and rashguard, so I picked up some felt to make a tabard with the symbol of Torm on it, and I'll buckle my swordbelt over it.
I've seen those leggings/rashguards - can't remember the name of the company who makes them (Lamellar?), but they look nice, if expensive.
You could try, though they can't really hurt each other—literally, they lack attacks or abilities capable of injuring undead. At best you might push them even deeper into mutual psychological abuse.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I've seen those leggings/rashguards - can't remember the name of the company who makes them (Lamellar?), but they look nice, if expensive.Since the AARPG's "Orc-toberfest" gathering last month was a rollicking success, we're going to game in costume tomorrow.
Happily, I already had chainmaille running pants and rashguard, so I picked up some felt to make a tabard with the symbol of Torm on it, and I'll buckle my swordbelt over it.
Lorica. They are very well-made, quite expensive, and take forever to ship.
I had a Visa gift card from parents at my school.| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I swear external car care is beyond my comprehension.
When Shiro heard we were getting the Celica restored, he immediately shipped us a car cover for it.
Imagine trying to set up a tent with no poles and no doorway to orient you, so you have no indication which end is front.
Now imagine trying to take down and put away that tent every time you want to drive, and putting it back up again every time you park.
I may be mildly obsessive-compulsive, but that's WAY beyond my effort vs. reward scale.
People used to use them extensively here, but now that you mention it, I haven't seen one in ages.
People used to use them extensively here, but now that you mention it, I haven't seen one in ages.
Switch from rusty metal to rust proof plastic and better rust proofing paints would be a big difference wouldn't it? Anything the weather is going to do to a car made in the last 30 years is entirely aesthetic.
People used to use them extensively here, but now that you mention it, I haven't seen one in ages.
We're in California. Snow? Salt or sand on the roads? Mud?
Nope. Paved highways for hundreds of miles, very little rain, so all that gets on the car is sunlight, tree sap, and bird poop. And of the three, the sunlight's the worst, but it takes a decade to do any real damage to a good paint job.
And BigNorseWolf is right -- the paint's coming off the metal parts of the Prius, but the plastic ones still look darned good.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
It really gets to me just how hard Microsoft is trying to fail.
As of Windows 11, you no longer get a convenient set of tiles in your taskbar listing all the file names you have open. Instead, you have to click on the icon in the taskbar to get the list, then you have to click the file. It's "only" one extra click, but considering Global Megacorporation is spending tens of millions of dollars of development effort to reduce the number of clicks a user has to perform, any change that increases the number of clicks is dumb. They also removed the ability to jump to a window from the task icon in the lower right. I see a chat indicator flash in the lower right, click it, and too bad. I need to click the icon on the left in the taskbar. It's driving me batty.
With the latest update they "improved" Notepad by allowing you to have multiple files open in tabs. But of course, they blew it. If you open a file twice, it opens two tabs. Even worse, it remembers what tabs you had open. So every morning I try to open my "To Do" list. Since it was open the day before, it opens a second tab. And it only records the edits in one of the two tabs.
Microsoft. Decreasing employee productivity since... er... their founding?