We went on a little boat ride in San Antonio to check out all of the sites there. We also went to Austin on this week. Plenty more photos on the ol' Flickr.
Friday, December 30
Monday, October 31
Office
I'm hoping they never do a sequel to Office Space. I mean, as long as things like this keep on coming, we should be alright.
In other movie news, Maria and I rented the Princess Bride over the weekend. She's never seen it. And as we all know, it's required viewing if you grew up here. She really liked it. I forgot how amusing it really is. And of course, all the small things that you don't really notice the seventeen previous times.
The next movie that I think we're going to tackle is Indiana Jones. We might just do all three of them at once. Either that or do all of the Star Wars in order. At least if we do them in order, the good ones will be at the end.
In other movie news, Maria and I rented the Princess Bride over the weekend. She's never seen it. And as we all know, it's required viewing if you grew up here. She really liked it. I forgot how amusing it really is. And of course, all the small things that you don't really notice the seventeen previous times.
The next movie that I think we're going to tackle is Indiana Jones. We might just do all three of them at once. Either that or do all of the Star Wars in order. At least if we do them in order, the good ones will be at the end.
Friday, October 28
Shrimp Salad
For your shrimp-hating pleasure. Which of course reminds me of the first time I had shrimp salad. We were in Baltimore having some kind of buffet lunch thing at a hotel where my dad had a conference. This was maybe 15 years ago or something. It was at the Hyatt. Anyway, they had shrimp salad there. A giant, heaping tub of it. And I loved every little orangy-pink bite of it.
I don't think I've had it that good since, but I guess that's just another goal for this weekend.
Also, I just found out that you can print your Flickr photos at Target. We shall be doing this aplenty. I noticed, however, that most of my photos that have been uploaded don't have a high enough resolution to come out nicely. I will be re-uploading a few this weekend that I want prints of. (Apparently you can get the first 10 4x6 prints free with a Flickr account or something.) If you see one of them that you'd like to print out, let me know, and I can post a higher resolution version.
I don't think I've had it that good since, but I guess that's just another goal for this weekend.
Also, I just found out that you can print your Flickr photos at Target. We shall be doing this aplenty. I noticed, however, that most of my photos that have been uploaded don't have a high enough resolution to come out nicely. I will be re-uploading a few this weekend that I want prints of. (Apparently you can get the first 10 4x6 prints free with a Flickr account or something.) If you see one of them that you'd like to print out, let me know, and I can post a higher resolution version.
Thursday, October 27
Wednesday, October 26
Suppose
I'm guessing the point of this is to share a bunch of random stuff that I find online. I've been pretty bad at that, so I'm going to try to make up for it over the next few weeks. I've been sending out stuff that I find to a few people, but then it occurred to me that maybe everybody might want something else to do besides work.
So, we'll start with the dumbasses of the day. Julie pointed out that there are not one, but a few dumbasses in this particular story.
If you're a Calvin and Hobbes fan, this is perfect for the season. Also keep in mind that the full collection is now out. It can be had for "relatively" cheap.
And, if you're wondering how good we have it here concerning ATMs, read no further than what almost happened across the pond. I still remember having a card that just said "MAC" on it. Blue thing.
Lastly for today, we have the best version ever of "We are the Champions." From the good folks at Renault after winning this year's F1 Championship.
So, we'll start with the dumbasses of the day. Julie pointed out that there are not one, but a few dumbasses in this particular story.
If you're a Calvin and Hobbes fan, this is perfect for the season. Also keep in mind that the full collection is now out. It can be had for "relatively" cheap.
And, if you're wondering how good we have it here concerning ATMs, read no further than what almost happened across the pond. I still remember having a card that just said "MAC" on it. Blue thing.
Lastly for today, we have the best version ever of "We are the Champions." From the good folks at Renault after winning this year's F1 Championship.
Tuesday, October 25
1000K
Finally, here's a photo of my odometer after the trip to Canada. All hail the wonders of the diesel. Also, new photos on Flickr!
Monday, October 17
Almost two months
Man, I'm bad at this. Anyway, as you can imagine, there have been quite a few things that have happened since we last talked. We went to Toronto two more times, for one. I dropped Maria off at her aunt's place one weekend and drove up the next to pick her up. I've also started my classes at Pitt to get my master's. Those are pretty rough, but I think I'm slowly figuring stuff out.
The biggest thing about those classes is that I'm a lot dumber than I thought. I'm not sure when this happened. But I think that it can be attributed to working for the past four years. Not too much intellectual stimulation. Maybe some of it started drifting away in college. No, not likely. Definitely work.
Pitt's been doing spectacularly crappy on the football field this year. But things have started to turn around. I'm thinking we can still tie atop the Big East and half-ass our way into a BCS bowl. All the other kids in PA are happy about penn state. I'm glad they lost in Michigan last weekend, though. And what a way to lose, too. Wonderful. I was thinking that even if penn state wins another national championship anytime soon, they'd have three total. Wow. Only SEVEN more and they'd have more than Pitt. Better get going. And better stop losing close ones to Michigan.
USC also handed it to Notre Dame in the final seconds. Again, very happy about that. The thing about that game was Notre Dame scoring late to put themselves ahead. And I kept on thinking as I watched about the Patriots-Steelers game from a few weeks ago. Too much time. Brady's gonna do it. Well, USC is the same way. Give them time, and they'll stick it every time. That's why they're No. 1.
The condo is still slowly coming along. We were on hiatus for a while. Now it's back to buying shelves, painting and thinking about putting in new floors.
Maria also passed Part I of her exam! Yeah that was pretty exciting stuff. Now it's on to the TOEFL and Part II before applying to dental school. For now she's going to take a break and look for some part-time employment.
The biggest thing about those classes is that I'm a lot dumber than I thought. I'm not sure when this happened. But I think that it can be attributed to working for the past four years. Not too much intellectual stimulation. Maybe some of it started drifting away in college. No, not likely. Definitely work.
Pitt's been doing spectacularly crappy on the football field this year. But things have started to turn around. I'm thinking we can still tie atop the Big East and half-ass our way into a BCS bowl. All the other kids in PA are happy about penn state. I'm glad they lost in Michigan last weekend, though. And what a way to lose, too. Wonderful. I was thinking that even if penn state wins another national championship anytime soon, they'd have three total. Wow. Only SEVEN more and they'd have more than Pitt. Better get going. And better stop losing close ones to Michigan.
USC also handed it to Notre Dame in the final seconds. Again, very happy about that. The thing about that game was Notre Dame scoring late to put themselves ahead. And I kept on thinking as I watched about the Patriots-Steelers game from a few weeks ago. Too much time. Brady's gonna do it. Well, USC is the same way. Give them time, and they'll stick it every time. That's why they're No. 1.
The condo is still slowly coming along. We were on hiatus for a while. Now it's back to buying shelves, painting and thinking about putting in new floors.
Maria also passed Part I of her exam! Yeah that was pretty exciting stuff. Now it's on to the TOEFL and Part II before applying to dental school. For now she's going to take a break and look for some part-time employment.
Sunday, August 21
Me and Brandon at the game
Brandon and I enjoying the Steelers game last Monday night. There's a few more photos over at Flickr.
Thursday, August 18
Our Family/Living Room
Have I posted this? I think not. This was taken a few weeks ago. Things have changed, but very slightly. Go to the Flickr page for more comments (mostly snide) on our living situation.
Fireworks in Canada!
Independence Day in Canada is like, July 1st or something. How nice. So, when we were there for the long weekend, we still saw some nighttime lights. We went to a dodgy beach with a bunch of other Canadians and saw what was basically New Year's in Lancaster. Well, maybe half that.
Flickr Account
So, I started up a Flickr account. And no, I don't know what took me so long. I put a link in the sidebar so that you can see some more photos lest I get lazy and not post them all. But there is some kind of synergy now between Flickr and Blogger, so things might get better.
Messing about with Flickr
Since I was having problems uploading photos through Blogger, I've gotten myself a Flickr account. This should be fun. So this is the only image that I could find on the ol' work computer that might be amusing.
Wednesday, August 17
No photos?
Seems that the good folks at Blogger have changed their interface somewhat to make putting up photos a bit tricky. So none from work today. However, there is a good bit of summary to include, particularly the past weekend when Nelms, Brandon and Amy came over.
When Nelms came over on Saturday afternoon, we did a bit of housework. Nothing like making your friends do something to earn their bed. We ran off to Home Depot to buy some sandpaper and other such stuff ... The sandpaper was for the door that I installed in our guest bedroom since there wasn't one there before. Well, after hanging it, I found out that the frame was crooked and the door didn't close without considerable effort. So, Nelms and I did a little bit of sanding to the door -- down to the wood -- and now it fits fine. However, it'll not fit again after we paint it, but that's another issue.
We also managed to hang a tapestry-type thing that Maria brought from Pakistan. It first involved fishing hooks and lead weights and ended up only involving a bit of sewing, some safety pins and the lead weights. The fish hooks are pretty brittle.
We also took a look at the storage space for the condo. Well, it's pretty nasty. Not like grimy and nasty, more like, scary-movie-find-a-corpse scary. There was even a cooler in there which did NOT have a severed head in it. I was a bit upset about that. On the opposite wall to the door is a 2' x 3' piece of wood. Just attached to the wall. There's definitely a body on the other side of that.
Maria and I may end up trying to drywall the nasty ceiling and one of the walls. Maybe toss some carpet in there and use it. It's a good enough space, something like 8' x 8'.
For some reason I can't remember what we did on Saturday night. That's probably not good.
I know that on Sunday we headed up to Walnut St. and Ellsworth to check out the Arts Festival. The Walnut art was far superior to what they had on Ellsworth. I guess the artists on Ellsworth probably paid less to be there? There was also more food and song there, but still, the art could have been better. That was a letdown. Maybe stretch out some of the booths that were on Walnut. But whatever. All around it was nice despite the oppresive heat.
Sunday night we hit up Fuel and Fuddle as we did the Sunday before with Brandon and Amy. Crazy how that worked out.
Monday night Brandon and Amy were still over and we headed over to the Steelers game. Brandon's on the waiting list for season tickets, so every once in a while the opportunity for a single game ticket or preseason tickets comes up. Maria was able to experience her first pro football game. We had good seats up in 520 and the place was pretty packed. I even bought Maria a Steelers polo shirt so she could fit in. Got myself a t-shirt. Brandon found a bowling shirt from the Steelers place and it was oddly perfect on him. Thankfully Monday was much cooler and pleasant than most of last week. There is some hope now for the rest of August.
When Nelms came over on Saturday afternoon, we did a bit of housework. Nothing like making your friends do something to earn their bed. We ran off to Home Depot to buy some sandpaper and other such stuff ... The sandpaper was for the door that I installed in our guest bedroom since there wasn't one there before. Well, after hanging it, I found out that the frame was crooked and the door didn't close without considerable effort. So, Nelms and I did a little bit of sanding to the door -- down to the wood -- and now it fits fine. However, it'll not fit again after we paint it, but that's another issue.
We also managed to hang a tapestry-type thing that Maria brought from Pakistan. It first involved fishing hooks and lead weights and ended up only involving a bit of sewing, some safety pins and the lead weights. The fish hooks are pretty brittle.
We also took a look at the storage space for the condo. Well, it's pretty nasty. Not like grimy and nasty, more like, scary-movie-find-a-corpse scary. There was even a cooler in there which did NOT have a severed head in it. I was a bit upset about that. On the opposite wall to the door is a 2' x 3' piece of wood. Just attached to the wall. There's definitely a body on the other side of that.
Maria and I may end up trying to drywall the nasty ceiling and one of the walls. Maybe toss some carpet in there and use it. It's a good enough space, something like 8' x 8'.
For some reason I can't remember what we did on Saturday night. That's probably not good.
I know that on Sunday we headed up to Walnut St. and Ellsworth to check out the Arts Festival. The Walnut art was far superior to what they had on Ellsworth. I guess the artists on Ellsworth probably paid less to be there? There was also more food and song there, but still, the art could have been better. That was a letdown. Maybe stretch out some of the booths that were on Walnut. But whatever. All around it was nice despite the oppresive heat.
Sunday night we hit up Fuel and Fuddle as we did the Sunday before with Brandon and Amy. Crazy how that worked out.
Monday night Brandon and Amy were still over and we headed over to the Steelers game. Brandon's on the waiting list for season tickets, so every once in a while the opportunity for a single game ticket or preseason tickets comes up. Maria was able to experience her first pro football game. We had good seats up in 520 and the place was pretty packed. I even bought Maria a Steelers polo shirt so she could fit in. Got myself a t-shirt. Brandon found a bowling shirt from the Steelers place and it was oddly perfect on him. Thankfully Monday was much cooler and pleasant than most of last week. There is some hope now for the rest of August.
Monday, August 1
The mysteries of our condo
So it's really getting to the point at our condo where we're starting to think it's haunted or jinxed or something. Because basically everything doesn't work the first time around. Installations, paint, furniture, etc.,
I think that I mentionned the two sofas that couldn't be delivered. Then we ordered a microwave that wouldn't fit the right way. The red paint in our bathroom is still not completely red. We tried to hang up curtain rods by our upstairs window only to find that there was a good amount of concrete behind the wall that had to be drilled through (after messing up several screws). The curtain rod downstairs had problems as well. There was only wood just above the frame -- for about an inch. Thus, the bracket was pulled out of the all precariously. I had to buy some additional brackets to brace that better. This weekend we were hanging photos when one of the screws just wouldn't go any further into the wall. There's no concrete behind there. I tried to drill a pilot hole, but the freakin' drill bit broke off -- into the hole.
You're probably wondering why I was drilling and screwing in the first place. Well, thing is, I'm not a real big fan of those silly little picture hooks. I prefer to use drywall screws. As a matter of fact, there is a box of the things in my toolbox. Best damn things ever. Are the screws that came with the curtain rod breaking? Use drywall screws. Do you need to screw down a floor before carpeting or tiling it? Use drywall screws. They rule. It's simple.
I also managed to go for a 19-mile bike ride on Saturday to downtown Pittsburgh and back. It was fun riding across the bridges and such, but not so much fun stopping and waiting for traffic lights. Yes, I would normally go through them. But not the ones downtown. People are kind of stupid down there and sometimes it's hard to see traffic coming -- or there was traffic coming.
I managed about 30 mph down the long hill of Liberty Avenue. Not that fast. But the whole time I was thinking about how the Tour de France guys go 60 mph or more down hills and how much it would hurt if I fell. Besides, the roads here are considerably dodgier than in France.
I think that I mentionned the two sofas that couldn't be delivered. Then we ordered a microwave that wouldn't fit the right way. The red paint in our bathroom is still not completely red. We tried to hang up curtain rods by our upstairs window only to find that there was a good amount of concrete behind the wall that had to be drilled through (after messing up several screws). The curtain rod downstairs had problems as well. There was only wood just above the frame -- for about an inch. Thus, the bracket was pulled out of the all precariously. I had to buy some additional brackets to brace that better. This weekend we were hanging photos when one of the screws just wouldn't go any further into the wall. There's no concrete behind there. I tried to drill a pilot hole, but the freakin' drill bit broke off -- into the hole.
You're probably wondering why I was drilling and screwing in the first place. Well, thing is, I'm not a real big fan of those silly little picture hooks. I prefer to use drywall screws. As a matter of fact, there is a box of the things in my toolbox. Best damn things ever. Are the screws that came with the curtain rod breaking? Use drywall screws. Do you need to screw down a floor before carpeting or tiling it? Use drywall screws. They rule. It's simple.
I also managed to go for a 19-mile bike ride on Saturday to downtown Pittsburgh and back. It was fun riding across the bridges and such, but not so much fun stopping and waiting for traffic lights. Yes, I would normally go through them. But not the ones downtown. People are kind of stupid down there and sometimes it's hard to see traffic coming -- or there was traffic coming.
I managed about 30 mph down the long hill of Liberty Avenue. Not that fast. But the whole time I was thinking about how the Tour de France guys go 60 mph or more down hills and how much it would hurt if I fell. Besides, the roads here are considerably dodgier than in France.
Tuesday, July 26
NYC for the day
So my boss came up to me on Friday morning and asked if I wanted to visit the Postal site (we're working on a huge US Postal Service project at work) in Manhattan. Of course I said yes. Then there was the debate of driving vs. flying. Renting a car vs. taking my own. After a few minutes of thought, I decided to drive. This allowed for several things:
1. We could leave on our own time and didn't have to worry about dropping off or picking up a car.
2. The diesel could make a trip to Manhattan.
3. I could get reimbursed for the mileage. At 34.5 cents a mile, the 800-odd mile trip will make us about $250.
Friday night my parents were in town with my uncle ... again. They had come back from Canada and visiting my brother. Friday night was very relaxed since they were tired from all the traveling by then. Saturday morning they left for BWI so that the uncle could fly down to South Carolina. Saturday evening Maria and I hosted some friends in town. Sunday we left for Lancaster and a barbecue with Keli and Preston. Almost everybody was there, so I'm glad this chance came up. After a little bit of socializing, we headed up to NYC.
I completely forgot that on a Sunday afternoon there would be traffic on the NJ Turnpike from all the people coming back from the Shore. But whatever. It only last about fifteen minutes. We got to the hotel in a little over three hours. By the way, gas is cheaper in NJ. Which means diesel is EVEN CHEAPER. It was $2.54 in PA over the weekend. NJ? Yeah, only $2.24. Rock.
The Marriott Courtyard is on 40th St and nicely located near Times Square. We valeted the car and headed out on the town. First we started with some general wondering about Times Square. We followed that up with a mission to find a place to eat.
Now here's the thing. I'm not that good at picking places to eat in NYC. I hadn't done any research. I probably should have, but things were kind of on short notice. So we ended up eating at a Cafe Europa, which I think is a chain. Whatever. The food was decent and the dessert even better.
We thought about walking through Central Park, but it was dark by then. So we went back through Times Square. I had to meet up with my boss at 10 p.m. to discuss uh, why I was there in the first place. So we talked for a while which was very informative.
Monday I had to work all day. Maria had a chance to do a bit of shopping, a bit of walking and a little seeing of Central Park. We ate dinner at ESPN Zone (again, I knew it would be fine and a fun place to go to). We left at about 6:30 and only had traffic through the Lincoln Tunnel. About three hours back to Lancaster.
I'm really hoping the next time we go to NYC we'll have a few days. Obviously there's a ton more to see. I haven't even seen a lot of Central Park, or many of the museums or any of the smaller neighborhoods. That would be ideal. I liked being able to walk, and Maria was impressed with how quickly the north-south blocks flew by.
We didn't take any phots while there ... but there is good news. I just bought a 512MB card for the camera, so there should be more room for more photos ... soon. I think there are still some more Canada photos or something to post. Niagara Falls, too, maybe.
1. We could leave on our own time and didn't have to worry about dropping off or picking up a car.
2. The diesel could make a trip to Manhattan.
3. I could get reimbursed for the mileage. At 34.5 cents a mile, the 800-odd mile trip will make us about $250.
Friday night my parents were in town with my uncle ... again. They had come back from Canada and visiting my brother. Friday night was very relaxed since they were tired from all the traveling by then. Saturday morning they left for BWI so that the uncle could fly down to South Carolina. Saturday evening Maria and I hosted some friends in town. Sunday we left for Lancaster and a barbecue with Keli and Preston. Almost everybody was there, so I'm glad this chance came up. After a little bit of socializing, we headed up to NYC.
I completely forgot that on a Sunday afternoon there would be traffic on the NJ Turnpike from all the people coming back from the Shore. But whatever. It only last about fifteen minutes. We got to the hotel in a little over three hours. By the way, gas is cheaper in NJ. Which means diesel is EVEN CHEAPER. It was $2.54 in PA over the weekend. NJ? Yeah, only $2.24. Rock.
The Marriott Courtyard is on 40th St and nicely located near Times Square. We valeted the car and headed out on the town. First we started with some general wondering about Times Square. We followed that up with a mission to find a place to eat.
Now here's the thing. I'm not that good at picking places to eat in NYC. I hadn't done any research. I probably should have, but things were kind of on short notice. So we ended up eating at a Cafe Europa, which I think is a chain. Whatever. The food was decent and the dessert even better.
We thought about walking through Central Park, but it was dark by then. So we went back through Times Square. I had to meet up with my boss at 10 p.m. to discuss uh, why I was there in the first place. So we talked for a while which was very informative.
Monday I had to work all day. Maria had a chance to do a bit of shopping, a bit of walking and a little seeing of Central Park. We ate dinner at ESPN Zone (again, I knew it would be fine and a fun place to go to). We left at about 6:30 and only had traffic through the Lincoln Tunnel. About three hours back to Lancaster.
I'm really hoping the next time we go to NYC we'll have a few days. Obviously there's a ton more to see. I haven't even seen a lot of Central Park, or many of the museums or any of the smaller neighborhoods. That would be ideal. I liked being able to walk, and Maria was impressed with how quickly the north-south blocks flew by.
We didn't take any phots while there ... but there is good news. I just bought a 512MB card for the camera, so there should be more room for more photos ... soon. I think there are still some more Canada photos or something to post. Niagara Falls, too, maybe.
Wednesday, July 6
Canada
So we took a little break from taking a break from doing work around the house and decided to go up to Canada this past weekend. Specifically Greater Toronto -- Mississaugau -- where Maria's aunt lives. We left on Thursday night since I took Friday off and it took just under 5 hours. That included about three stops with one being for diesel. (The car got like, 42 MPG on the trip, by the way)
We had no problem crossing the border. Maria got her Green Card a few weeks ago. There's also no longer a passport requirement, so I just flashed my driver's license, answered four questions and we were on the QEW before we knew it.
There are many photos of this trip. But not today. Maybe tonight? My, that would be ambitious. But basically we checked out the Big Huge Mall in Mississauga, which is reportedly the largest in Ontario.
July 1st is Canada's independence day, so we did manage to check out some fireworks down at the lake. They were ok. Nothing too impressive. I've seen better shows after baseball games. Anyway, we walked around a lot of Toronto, walked on the lakefront, snubbed the CN Tower (a two-hour wait) and checked out Gerrard St. Gerrard St. in Toronto is a little strip of Brown Heaven. They've got the clothing stores, restaurants, outdoor vendors, everything. All to make you feel like you never left the Motherland.
We had no problem crossing the border. Maria got her Green Card a few weeks ago. There's also no longer a passport requirement, so I just flashed my driver's license, answered four questions and we were on the QEW before we knew it.
There are many photos of this trip. But not today. Maybe tonight? My, that would be ambitious. But basically we checked out the Big Huge Mall in Mississauga, which is reportedly the largest in Ontario.
July 1st is Canada's independence day, so we did manage to check out some fireworks down at the lake. They were ok. Nothing too impressive. I've seen better shows after baseball games. Anyway, we walked around a lot of Toronto, walked on the lakefront, snubbed the CN Tower (a two-hour wait) and checked out Gerrard St. Gerrard St. in Toronto is a little strip of Brown Heaven. They've got the clothing stores, restaurants, outdoor vendors, everything. All to make you feel like you never left the Motherland.
Tuesday, June 7
This is going to take weeks ...
Slowly some of the projects around the condo are getting completed. I'm getting some satisfaction in the smaller ones -- like fixing the handle on the windows and cleaning out the clogged up vacuum cleaner -- and still slightly overwhelmed by others -- ripping up all the tiles in the guest bedroom, painting another two bathrooms. Joy.
But, yesterday we came one step closer to having the upstairs bathroom painted. It's a lovely deep red color. The trim certainly leaves something to be desired. But I'm not as good with the paint as I thought, and it's pretty easy to tell. Nevertheless, I'm sure a few decorative pieces here and there will provide adequate distraction.
We were thinking for a while about putting in ceramic tile in the bathroom as well. The floor is currently some nasty carpet stuff. That's right. In the bathroom. So when we were at Home Depot last night, it occurred to us that maybe vinyl tile would suffice. Thing is, I'm not the biggest fan of vinyl. But maybe because of the heinous tile that's already in the guest bedroom and the shoddy job of its installation.
But we found some stone-looking tile that had grout-looking edges to them that are pretty sharp. They're also not too shiny and have just a bit of texture to them. One fun thing about being a homeowner is being able to attack random parts of the house with a utility knife -- carpet in this case. After removing the thin layer of foam, I found a solid piece of plywood underneath. Very happy. Can't stick vinyl to particle board. But this'll work. It's also much less work and aggrevation. As much as I would have loved to mix a 50 lb bag of concrete and install backerboard ...
Other things that we've done are to remove the microwave that was over the stove, take out some ugly lights underneath the kitchen cabinets, install a washer and dryer and put up lovely curtains upstairs.
And then there's the issue of the sofas. Right, so we ordered two sofas and both of them wouldn't fit in the condo. I could understand the first not fitting as it was pretty long -- longer than a normal sofa. But the second was a sectional that could have made it in had the movers shown a little more grit. I wasn't there to witness it, but Maria said that they just kind of looked at it and said it wouldn't work. What kind of determination is that? C'mon. So after thinking about it some more, we decided finally on a futon. This way, in a few years when we move out, we can keep the futon for another room and order up a dreamy sectional.
But, yesterday we came one step closer to having the upstairs bathroom painted. It's a lovely deep red color. The trim certainly leaves something to be desired. But I'm not as good with the paint as I thought, and it's pretty easy to tell. Nevertheless, I'm sure a few decorative pieces here and there will provide adequate distraction.
We were thinking for a while about putting in ceramic tile in the bathroom as well. The floor is currently some nasty carpet stuff. That's right. In the bathroom. So when we were at Home Depot last night, it occurred to us that maybe vinyl tile would suffice. Thing is, I'm not the biggest fan of vinyl. But maybe because of the heinous tile that's already in the guest bedroom and the shoddy job of its installation.
But we found some stone-looking tile that had grout-looking edges to them that are pretty sharp. They're also not too shiny and have just a bit of texture to them. One fun thing about being a homeowner is being able to attack random parts of the house with a utility knife -- carpet in this case. After removing the thin layer of foam, I found a solid piece of plywood underneath. Very happy. Can't stick vinyl to particle board. But this'll work. It's also much less work and aggrevation. As much as I would have loved to mix a 50 lb bag of concrete and install backerboard ...
Other things that we've done are to remove the microwave that was over the stove, take out some ugly lights underneath the kitchen cabinets, install a washer and dryer and put up lovely curtains upstairs.
And then there's the issue of the sofas. Right, so we ordered two sofas and both of them wouldn't fit in the condo. I could understand the first not fitting as it was pretty long -- longer than a normal sofa. But the second was a sectional that could have made it in had the movers shown a little more grit. I wasn't there to witness it, but Maria said that they just kind of looked at it and said it wouldn't work. What kind of determination is that? C'mon. So after thinking about it some more, we decided finally on a futon. This way, in a few years when we move out, we can keep the futon for another room and order up a dreamy sectional.
Wednesday, June 1
Moved in
Well, the move is complete. The actual work isn't though. And probably won't be for several months.
My parents helped us with the move along with Turner, which was really nice considering the heavy lifting involved and the forcing of box springs around corners. Maria and my mom cleaned up like crazy while my dad and I did things like replace toilet seats and prime the bathroom wall. There was nasty wallpaper in there which was on pretty good, so we decided that instead of trying to rip it off and screw up the drywall, we'd prime instead.
Now, about that washer, dryer and microwave. Oh yeah, the sofa, too. Well, the sofa was supposed to be put in yesterday. It was delivered, oh sure. But they couldn't fit it thorugh the front door. So they took it back. Now we have to buy a smaller one -- lengthwise, that is -- and perhaps a small chair to go with it.
As per the microwave ... last night we managed to remove the old nasty microwave and discovered that the wall behind it had holes in it. Large holes. In the drywall. So, instead of slapping up the new unit, I'm going to get some drywall and fix it up before the installation.
The washer and dryer also won't fit in the tiny closet off the master bedroom. We tried like hell last night -- me and an old friend from high school -- but to no avail. Well, last night after getting back from buying some lovely red paint from Home Depot, I went at the door frame with a screwdriver and some pliers. Fifteen minutes later and there was enough room.
I'm beginning to see how this home ownership thing will really start to add up. Especially with a bunch of little projects, tools needed, etc., But we've sort of made a list and prioritized things, so that should help. And some of the bigger things we'll put off for now until we get bored later.
Unfortunately I left all of my tools back in Lancaster. Fortunately, we've been able to get by with tools that I've bought that I know I don't already have. Like a drill.
Also, it may be a good thing and a bad thing that Home Depot is less than a mile away.
My parents helped us with the move along with Turner, which was really nice considering the heavy lifting involved and the forcing of box springs around corners. Maria and my mom cleaned up like crazy while my dad and I did things like replace toilet seats and prime the bathroom wall. There was nasty wallpaper in there which was on pretty good, so we decided that instead of trying to rip it off and screw up the drywall, we'd prime instead.
Now, about that washer, dryer and microwave. Oh yeah, the sofa, too. Well, the sofa was supposed to be put in yesterday. It was delivered, oh sure. But they couldn't fit it thorugh the front door. So they took it back. Now we have to buy a smaller one -- lengthwise, that is -- and perhaps a small chair to go with it.
As per the microwave ... last night we managed to remove the old nasty microwave and discovered that the wall behind it had holes in it. Large holes. In the drywall. So, instead of slapping up the new unit, I'm going to get some drywall and fix it up before the installation.
The washer and dryer also won't fit in the tiny closet off the master bedroom. We tried like hell last night -- me and an old friend from high school -- but to no avail. Well, last night after getting back from buying some lovely red paint from Home Depot, I went at the door frame with a screwdriver and some pliers. Fifteen minutes later and there was enough room.
I'm beginning to see how this home ownership thing will really start to add up. Especially with a bunch of little projects, tools needed, etc., But we've sort of made a list and prioritized things, so that should help. And some of the bigger things we'll put off for now until we get bored later.
Unfortunately I left all of my tools back in Lancaster. Fortunately, we've been able to get by with tools that I've bought that I know I don't already have. Like a drill.
Also, it may be a good thing and a bad thing that Home Depot is less than a mile away.
Monday, May 23
Washers, dryers and a microwave
So all of last week Maria and I were in Pittsburgh. We spent most of the evenings going out and checking out new things for the condo. The day before my birthday we bought a gigantic sofa. The kind that seats four people and the kind that a taller person like me can sleep on comfortably. On my birthday, we bought a washer, dryer and microwave for the place. Most exciting birthday gifts, ever.
We also managed to check out paint colors at Home Depot. I'm not sure why it took over an hour to review them for a 960 sq. ft. condo, but it did. We made a few decisions, put off many more, and remained good friends throughout.
The closing is still supposed to be this Friday. The Big Move will start on Saturday morning when I go get the UHaul and finish on Memorial Day when I drive aforementionned UHaul into a tree. I do hate the entire institution of UHaul, particularly the long amount of time it takes to first get and also to return, a damn truck. The last time I moved -- from Philly back to Lancaster -- the damn truck's AC wasn't working. Fine for the evening drive home, sucky for the drive to Philly.
And that's another thing. For that move, it was cheaper for me to get the truck in Lancaster and call it a "local" move than to rent one-way from Philadelphia. It'd be nice if that made sense. I'm almost tempted to check the same pricing for this move.
We also managed to check out paint colors at Home Depot. I'm not sure why it took over an hour to review them for a 960 sq. ft. condo, but it did. We made a few decisions, put off many more, and remained good friends throughout.
The closing is still supposed to be this Friday. The Big Move will start on Saturday morning when I go get the UHaul and finish on Memorial Day when I drive aforementionned UHaul into a tree. I do hate the entire institution of UHaul, particularly the long amount of time it takes to first get and also to return, a damn truck. The last time I moved -- from Philly back to Lancaster -- the damn truck's AC wasn't working. Fine for the evening drive home, sucky for the drive to Philly.
And that's another thing. For that move, it was cheaper for me to get the truck in Lancaster and call it a "local" move than to rent one-way from Philadelphia. It'd be nice if that made sense. I'm almost tempted to check the same pricing for this move.
Thursday, May 12
Old Post
So the post below was rather old, but finally got put up. Much has changed, as you can imagine. We managed to get a condo in Pittsburgh! The closing should be at the end of this month. We're shooting for the 27th provided the loan people come through. They had a little mistake on the forms earlier, so that's being redone and maybe I'll be signing away most of my riches by the end of this week.
We also had the house inspection yesterday evening. That went very well, although I also realized that maybe parts of the condo were uh, slightly smaller than I first remembered. Oh well. The living room and "dining" area kind of blend into one. Putting a table in the middle of the floor would be a hazard; the current tenants have theirs against the wall. The dishwasher is also a bit dodgy, but does work. May have to add that to the list. The refrigerator is also decent, although a trip Tuesday to the Sears Outlet o'er in Lawrenceville was very encouraging. Overwhelming, too. It's insane how many appliances (especially refrigerators) they have there.
The main thing right now will be to get a washer and dryer. After asking the house inspector about the power, he said that we'd need to get a stacked unit. No problem. They have those at the Sears. Right inside the front door, to boot.
What else do we need ... oh yeah, a really comfortable couch. Did some research earlier this week out here in Robinson Town Center. Levin Furniture, with their creative financing options, seems like the way to go. Can't beat taking home a couch that you won't be paying for for another 24 months. It's like it's free! Or something.
Anyway, I'm sure that once the laptop starts working again (the power cable is all messed up) I'll post some photos around move-in time. They were painting the hallways of the building yesterday, so that was cool. Then I remembered that we'd be painting the inside of our place with limited windows over the summer. Can't wait for that heatstroke.
Oh yeah, the new job is also going well. I'm really pretty busy here and still learning a lot of the process. Much of it is available through their Intranet and so forth, so it's nice having everything organized one way or the other. They also gave me a lovely tablet PC to type and scratch away on. Not to mention another computer monitor so I can have like, 18 windows open (which is a necessity) and not have everything stacked on top of each other.
And of course, we can all thank Pat for the proper kick in the ass he gave me to finally update this damn site.
We also had the house inspection yesterday evening. That went very well, although I also realized that maybe parts of the condo were uh, slightly smaller than I first remembered. Oh well. The living room and "dining" area kind of blend into one. Putting a table in the middle of the floor would be a hazard; the current tenants have theirs against the wall. The dishwasher is also a bit dodgy, but does work. May have to add that to the list. The refrigerator is also decent, although a trip Tuesday to the Sears Outlet o'er in Lawrenceville was very encouraging. Overwhelming, too. It's insane how many appliances (especially refrigerators) they have there.
The main thing right now will be to get a washer and dryer. After asking the house inspector about the power, he said that we'd need to get a stacked unit. No problem. They have those at the Sears. Right inside the front door, to boot.
What else do we need ... oh yeah, a really comfortable couch. Did some research earlier this week out here in Robinson Town Center. Levin Furniture, with their creative financing options, seems like the way to go. Can't beat taking home a couch that you won't be paying for for another 24 months. It's like it's free! Or something.
Anyway, I'm sure that once the laptop starts working again (the power cable is all messed up) I'll post some photos around move-in time. They were painting the hallways of the building yesterday, so that was cool. Then I remembered that we'd be painting the inside of our place with limited windows over the summer. Can't wait for that heatstroke.
Oh yeah, the new job is also going well. I'm really pretty busy here and still learning a lot of the process. Much of it is available through their Intranet and so forth, so it's nice having everything organized one way or the other. They also gave me a lovely tablet PC to type and scratch away on. Not to mention another computer monitor so I can have like, 18 windows open (which is a necessity) and not have everything stacked on top of each other.
And of course, we can all thank Pat for the proper kick in the ass he gave me to finally update this damn site.
Sunday, May 1
New Job ... new house?
So the details of the Seattle trip will have to be filled in later. Suffice it to say that we had a really good time on Thursday night that we weren't able to top for the rest of the weekend. And Brandon almost made me late for my flight by dropping me off at noon for a 12:40 departure. Thanks.
Anyway, the big news is more that I resigned. That's right. No more working in Philly. I resigned and took a job in Pittsburgh. About a year after I left Pittsburgh, I started wanting to go back. Finally, it's happened. It's with a much smaller company than before, and I couldn't be more excited. I keep on thinking about how great Pittsburgh will be this summer and into the fall and for the next few years. I'd like to go back to school as well, so hopefully ol' Pitt will take me back part time.
This past weekend I headed up to State College to hang out with Nelms and Emily and then Saturday Nelms and I went down to Pittsburgh for a whirlwind house showing. We saw a bunch of places in Squirrel Hill, two in Shadyside and one in Oakland. The one in Oakland is definitely out, mostly due to proximity to campus (don't want to be that close) and the fact that the lobby of the condo building smells like the dorms did freshman year. Riiight.
I guess this might "jinx" it or whatever, but I don't care. I put an offer down for a place in Shadyside. We'll see how that pans out over the next few days. All the places in the Hill were basically a lot of work. Like, rip up the carpets, resand the hardwood, buy all new appliances, new coat of paint, etc., Ugh. Places in Shadyside are a little further along.
Strangest development of the day (besides seeing an honest-to-goodness hitch-hiker on the way from State College to Pittsburgh) was that there are things called "Pittsburgh Pots." These are stand-alone toilets in the basements of some of the older houses in Pittsburgh.
Ick is right.
The realtor told Nelms and I that it dates back to the coal and steel days when the workers would come in all dirty and head straight for the basement to clean up before going upstairs to say hello to the family.
Huh.
Anyway, I'll try to post some more Seattle photos this week. This week I'm also off, but I need to start packing and possibly gather together all the paperwork to like, buy a house.
Maria's back this Saturday; I start working in Pittsburgh Monday. What fun.
Anyway, the big news is more that I resigned. That's right. No more working in Philly. I resigned and took a job in Pittsburgh. About a year after I left Pittsburgh, I started wanting to go back. Finally, it's happened. It's with a much smaller company than before, and I couldn't be more excited. I keep on thinking about how great Pittsburgh will be this summer and into the fall and for the next few years. I'd like to go back to school as well, so hopefully ol' Pitt will take me back part time.
This past weekend I headed up to State College to hang out with Nelms and Emily and then Saturday Nelms and I went down to Pittsburgh for a whirlwind house showing. We saw a bunch of places in Squirrel Hill, two in Shadyside and one in Oakland. The one in Oakland is definitely out, mostly due to proximity to campus (don't want to be that close) and the fact that the lobby of the condo building smells like the dorms did freshman year. Riiight.
I guess this might "jinx" it or whatever, but I don't care. I put an offer down for a place in Shadyside. We'll see how that pans out over the next few days. All the places in the Hill were basically a lot of work. Like, rip up the carpets, resand the hardwood, buy all new appliances, new coat of paint, etc., Ugh. Places in Shadyside are a little further along.
Strangest development of the day (besides seeing an honest-to-goodness hitch-hiker on the way from State College to Pittsburgh) was that there are things called "Pittsburgh Pots." These are stand-alone toilets in the basements of some of the older houses in Pittsburgh.
Ick is right.
The realtor told Nelms and I that it dates back to the coal and steel days when the workers would come in all dirty and head straight for the basement to clean up before going upstairs to say hello to the family.
Huh.
Anyway, I'll try to post some more Seattle photos this week. This week I'm also off, but I need to start packing and possibly gather together all the paperwork to like, buy a house.
Maria's back this Saturday; I start working in Pittsburgh Monday. What fun.
Monday, April 11
Seattle
Well, so I'm here now in Seattle for the week. Visiting Brandon and Amy in Silverdale. So it's kind of far away from the actual downtown, but whatever. It's still the Pacific Northwest, and I'm here for the first time. I had last week off and just hung out in Lancaster ... did some cleaning and organizing. A lot of relaxing, actually.
Got here on Saturday afternoon. Brandon picked me up, we went back to their place, hung out, grilled, talked. Also went shopping. Brandon has two hilarious habits -- pulling the cart aroung (instead of pushing it) and just leaving it at the end of an aisle. Amy and I were constantly ripping him for this and at one point walked through the entire store because we coulnd't find where he put the damn cart (it was in the freezer aisle). Oh, and he also puts the items on the checkout conveyor in a specific order because the baggers are incompetent.
Amy and Brandon also managed to fall asleep on the couch after the SNL monologue.
Yesterday (Sunday) we went out to Kinko's (since I forgot the cable from my camera to computer and needed to put them on a CD), saw Sin City (a great movie) and grilled ... again. The constant grilling is very solid.
Here's a bunch of photos.
Brandon driving me back from the airport, trying to look cool as always.
Driving over the Tacoma Narrows bridge. The one that replaced Galloping Gerdie. Kind of a big deal if you're an engineer like me. I never thought I'd have a chance to see this area up close. Should have realized it after I planned the trip.
Ok, so it was raining here and there on the way back from the airport. But today the sun is shining something fierce and taking the edge off the 50-degree temperatures. You can see the mountains from Brandon and Amy's apartment. Fantastic.
Our shopping cart, abandoned and lonely. Just waiting to be taken advantage of.
Brandon going all OCD on unloading the cart.
Amy and Brandon asleep on the couch as SNL gets underway. I didn't make it too far, either. The show wasn't terribly funny, although Jimmy Fallon is still hilarious.
The walkway at O'Hare between terminals. Plenty of moving sidewalks, but I was more for walking and stretching out my coach-cramped legs. Even a 3.5 -hour flight is rather horrid for me.
Brandon is a surprisingly good griller.
Got here on Saturday afternoon. Brandon picked me up, we went back to their place, hung out, grilled, talked. Also went shopping. Brandon has two hilarious habits -- pulling the cart aroung (instead of pushing it) and just leaving it at the end of an aisle. Amy and I were constantly ripping him for this and at one point walked through the entire store because we coulnd't find where he put the damn cart (it was in the freezer aisle). Oh, and he also puts the items on the checkout conveyor in a specific order because the baggers are incompetent.
Amy and Brandon also managed to fall asleep on the couch after the SNL monologue.
Yesterday (Sunday) we went out to Kinko's (since I forgot the cable from my camera to computer and needed to put them on a CD), saw Sin City (a great movie) and grilled ... again. The constant grilling is very solid.
Here's a bunch of photos.
Brandon driving me back from the airport, trying to look cool as always.
Driving over the Tacoma Narrows bridge. The one that replaced Galloping Gerdie. Kind of a big deal if you're an engineer like me. I never thought I'd have a chance to see this area up close. Should have realized it after I planned the trip.
Ok, so it was raining here and there on the way back from the airport. But today the sun is shining something fierce and taking the edge off the 50-degree temperatures. You can see the mountains from Brandon and Amy's apartment. Fantastic.
Our shopping cart, abandoned and lonely. Just waiting to be taken advantage of.
Brandon going all OCD on unloading the cart.
Amy and Brandon asleep on the couch as SNL gets underway. I didn't make it too far, either. The show wasn't terribly funny, although Jimmy Fallon is still hilarious.
The walkway at O'Hare between terminals. Plenty of moving sidewalks, but I was more for walking and stretching out my coach-cramped legs. Even a 3.5 -hour flight is rather horrid for me.
Brandon is a surprisingly good griller.
Monday, March 21
Home ... Alone
Well, Maria is now gone as well as my parents. I'm at home, unsupervised. Fortunately, we spent Friday cooking and freezing food, so I probably won't starve. And the basement is a complete disaster, so it's not like I won't be bored. Apparently all the college/first two years out of college crap that I've accumulated and left downstairs aren't just making themselves scarce. Thus, I'm going through it all and leaving what might be scrapbook worthy. A scrapbook, of course, that I will probably never, ever put together.
Other than that, I have a few other things that I'd like to get done. I need to print out many more photos at Hirtech and start selling those for real. I apparently didn't do too well selling them on this site, so I'll have to do it in person someplace in town. That's yet to be determined.
I should probably also start seriously considering where we'll be living once we move back to Philadelphia. Before, I was living on the Main Line, which I enjoyed very much. But that was mainly due to having a porch. And being within walking distance of like, three pizza places. Might try to do the same this time around, but it's a pain looking and not having photos.
I have no idea -- based a quick look -- what this is all about, but Adam sent it to me, and I'm only posting it this evening because I wasn't sure if it'd be blocked at work.
Also, because of my impending time off, I've been thinking more and more about going to London to see Maria's brother. I don't think it'll happen, but it would be nice to have a place to stay and just be able to roam the streets and take photos.
And, in case anybody has been wondering what I've been doing at work lately, it's been reading and downloading this so that I can get it bound and read it later instead of buying a nice copy.
I know, I'm cheap. But getting stuff bound at Kinko's is fun.
Other than that, I have a few other things that I'd like to get done. I need to print out many more photos at Hirtech and start selling those for real. I apparently didn't do too well selling them on this site, so I'll have to do it in person someplace in town. That's yet to be determined.
I should probably also start seriously considering where we'll be living once we move back to Philadelphia. Before, I was living on the Main Line, which I enjoyed very much. But that was mainly due to having a porch. And being within walking distance of like, three pizza places. Might try to do the same this time around, but it's a pain looking and not having photos.
I have no idea -- based a quick look -- what this is all about, but Adam sent it to me, and I'm only posting it this evening because I wasn't sure if it'd be blocked at work.
Also, because of my impending time off, I've been thinking more and more about going to London to see Maria's brother. I don't think it'll happen, but it would be nice to have a place to stay and just be able to roam the streets and take photos.
And, in case anybody has been wondering what I've been doing at work lately, it's been reading and downloading this so that I can get it bound and read it later instead of buying a nice copy.
I know, I'm cheap. But getting stuff bound at Kinko's is fun.
Friday, March 18
Peeps
First things first. It's almost Easter, and, thanks to Nelms, we have this wonderful distraction.
Also, as I'm sure you've all seen, Pitt lost in the first round of the tournament. Thus, for the next few weeks while the kids are playing basketball, I'll have nothing to do but wait until baseball season. By which I mean "football."
I, of course, filled out my bracket with Pitt going the whole way, because really, there was no other way for me to fill it out. Have to believe and whatnot.
Anyway, Maria is leaving tomorrow for Pakistan. Today I took a sick day since my throat feels like it's being sandblasted and my voice is off-and-on.
I should probably also mention at this time that on Wednesday night, we decided to make a slightly irresponsible trip down to the DC area. I dropped Maria off at her cousin's house and then headed into DC to see Brandon who was in town for a Naval exam. We hung out in Crystal City and Brandon talked much, much louder than was necessary. Walz also made it down after his class (which ended at 7 p.m.) and Glover rolled in from his place in DC. All told, a really good time. My favorite part, of course, was the occasional realization that yes, it was a Wednesday night.
I also talked to my boss back at the home office yesterday. He told me that yes, there is very likely going to be work come April. I'm slated to wrap things up in Lancaster on 4/1. I told him that I'd want to take those next two weeks off and then start. He said that'd be fine. So, now I'm thinking where to go, what to do, who to see, etc., Although I may very well take that first week off and just hang around here, taking photos and developing them.
Also, as I'm sure you've all seen, Pitt lost in the first round of the tournament. Thus, for the next few weeks while the kids are playing basketball, I'll have nothing to do but wait until baseball season. By which I mean "football."
I, of course, filled out my bracket with Pitt going the whole way, because really, there was no other way for me to fill it out. Have to believe and whatnot.
Anyway, Maria is leaving tomorrow for Pakistan. Today I took a sick day since my throat feels like it's being sandblasted and my voice is off-and-on.
I should probably also mention at this time that on Wednesday night, we decided to make a slightly irresponsible trip down to the DC area. I dropped Maria off at her cousin's house and then headed into DC to see Brandon who was in town for a Naval exam. We hung out in Crystal City and Brandon talked much, much louder than was necessary. Walz also made it down after his class (which ended at 7 p.m.) and Glover rolled in from his place in DC. All told, a really good time. My favorite part, of course, was the occasional realization that yes, it was a Wednesday night.
I also talked to my boss back at the home office yesterday. He told me that yes, there is very likely going to be work come April. I'm slated to wrap things up in Lancaster on 4/1. I told him that I'd want to take those next two weeks off and then start. He said that'd be fine. So, now I'm thinking where to go, what to do, who to see, etc., Although I may very well take that first week off and just hang around here, taking photos and developing them.
Tuesday, March 15
Sports nutrition
So a few weeks ago, I'm minding my own business at the Barnes and Noble (which, according to stupid people, is 'Barnes and Nobles') standing around in the magazine section when this rather tall guy comes up and starts talking to me. Now, since people normally don't do this to me in public spaces, I'm a bit confused. I finally pick up what he's throwing down; asking about whether or not I'm interested in photography (he had seen me flipping through photography books ... creepy) and what I did around here.
So I start telling him since I don't really care and have a hard time lying to people. No, really, I do. Anyway, so he tells me that he's 'starting a business' in the area and trying to get some young professionals on board. Would I be interested in talking to him for 45 minutes about this?
Sure.
Even though it seems rather shady, dodgy and/or sketchy, what the hell. At least it'll make a good story.
So I get home and Googled this guy. Well, well. Isn't he just wholesome. So then I'm thinking the poor guy (and his wife) probably got caught in some pyramid scheme, and when he tells me about it, I can point out the error of his ways.
Walz, of course, took that and added that they may try to convert me or make me join their cult. Seemed about right. I was also thinking of messing with his head during the meeting by saying things that were just a little off, like, "So, you're a elementary school teacher?"
Last night was the meeting. He and his wife, at the Barnes and Noble again. Quite a dissapointment. They talked about getting into Sports Nutrition Franchising. As in, cut out the middleman, set up an Internet site, guide traffic through it and make a little profit on the side. It only lasted about 15 minutes. Their queries into my personal life and getting my cafe mocha took longer.
Now here's the thing. While I certainly wouldn't mind making a little more money on the side, at this point in my life I've realized that what I need to start doing is take money out of the situation and ask myself if I would still do something. Would I want to sports nutrition franchise? Really? Would I? No. I would rather spend my free time taking photos, developing them and trying to sell them.
And really, the whole thing seemed very late-night infomercial-esque. And I'm not getting on that wagon.
But, if anybody is interested in such a thing, let me know and I can hook you up with a former Bloomsburg basketball player who wants to quit his day job.
So I start telling him since I don't really care and have a hard time lying to people. No, really, I do. Anyway, so he tells me that he's 'starting a business' in the area and trying to get some young professionals on board. Would I be interested in talking to him for 45 minutes about this?
Sure.
Even though it seems rather shady, dodgy and/or sketchy, what the hell. At least it'll make a good story.
So I get home and Googled this guy. Well, well. Isn't he just wholesome. So then I'm thinking the poor guy (and his wife) probably got caught in some pyramid scheme, and when he tells me about it, I can point out the error of his ways.
Walz, of course, took that and added that they may try to convert me or make me join their cult. Seemed about right. I was also thinking of messing with his head during the meeting by saying things that were just a little off, like, "So, you're a elementary school teacher?"
Last night was the meeting. He and his wife, at the Barnes and Noble again. Quite a dissapointment. They talked about getting into Sports Nutrition Franchising. As in, cut out the middleman, set up an Internet site, guide traffic through it and make a little profit on the side. It only lasted about 15 minutes. Their queries into my personal life and getting my cafe mocha took longer.
Now here's the thing. While I certainly wouldn't mind making a little more money on the side, at this point in my life I've realized that what I need to start doing is take money out of the situation and ask myself if I would still do something. Would I want to sports nutrition franchise? Really? Would I? No. I would rather spend my free time taking photos, developing them and trying to sell them.
And really, the whole thing seemed very late-night infomercial-esque. And I'm not getting on that wagon.
But, if anybody is interested in such a thing, let me know and I can hook you up with a former Bloomsburg basketball player who wants to quit his day job.
Monday, March 14
Open letters
An open letter to the choreographer of the Events of This Morning when I dropped Maria off in York to take her exam.
To the idiot who put the address in the system for the testing center:
The location, my friend, that you have given the world is not of a strip mall testing center. It is, in fact, that of a cul-de-sac off of Route 24. It is in nearly the mirror opposite -- by using Route 30 as a mirror -- as the actual location. Could I have checked it against a real mapping system? Yes. Should I have? Yes. Should we have made a dry run? Yes. Did we? No. Is any of that the point? No.
To the stupid lady working at the testing center:
The instructions that are given to test takers is to be there a half hour before the exam begins. The exam was set to begin at 8 a.m. Thus, we were there at about 7:33 (see story above). But where were you? You were still on your way. And showed up about 7:45 and didn't let us in until 7:50 when we had to KNOCK ON THE DOOR. Could you maybe have turned the lights on? Little help?
To the pinhead in the Buick Rendezvous:
In an empty parking lot, with so many choices, why would you choose to park directly in front of me? You coulnd't have parked next to me? Or in another row? I guess you thought that I was staying. No. So instead of pulling through, I had to back up. Because you were in front of me.
To the knucklehead in the white Saturn:
You showed up to take an exam early in the morning just as Maria. But you came alone. And when you parked your car in the giant empty parking lot, you actually took the time to back into a space. Did you not notice the 200 empty spaces that you could have simply driven into? Why did you have to back into a spot? Really? Why?
To Adam:
Thanks so much for allowing yourself to be woken at 6:30 a.m. with a frantic, "Where the hell am I in York?" call. Without you, we would probably still be driving around aimlessly in York, looking for the testing center in some silly residential area.
To the idiot who put the address in the system for the testing center:
The location, my friend, that you have given the world is not of a strip mall testing center. It is, in fact, that of a cul-de-sac off of Route 24. It is in nearly the mirror opposite -- by using Route 30 as a mirror -- as the actual location. Could I have checked it against a real mapping system? Yes. Should I have? Yes. Should we have made a dry run? Yes. Did we? No. Is any of that the point? No.
To the stupid lady working at the testing center:
The instructions that are given to test takers is to be there a half hour before the exam begins. The exam was set to begin at 8 a.m. Thus, we were there at about 7:33 (see story above). But where were you? You were still on your way. And showed up about 7:45 and didn't let us in until 7:50 when we had to KNOCK ON THE DOOR. Could you maybe have turned the lights on? Little help?
To the pinhead in the Buick Rendezvous:
In an empty parking lot, with so many choices, why would you choose to park directly in front of me? You coulnd't have parked next to me? Or in another row? I guess you thought that I was staying. No. So instead of pulling through, I had to back up. Because you were in front of me.
To the knucklehead in the white Saturn:
You showed up to take an exam early in the morning just as Maria. But you came alone. And when you parked your car in the giant empty parking lot, you actually took the time to back into a space. Did you not notice the 200 empty spaces that you could have simply driven into? Why did you have to back into a spot? Really? Why?
To Adam:
Thanks so much for allowing yourself to be woken at 6:30 a.m. with a frantic, "Where the hell am I in York?" call. Without you, we would probably still be driving around aimlessly in York, looking for the testing center in some silly residential area.
Friday, March 11
Rants
Well, after having lunch and dinner with Walz yesterday, I thought I should link to his newfangled blog. I only started reading it, although it looks entertaining enough to last me to lunch at Wawa.
"It is extremely difficult to make it in the record industry. If you're ugly - you're not going to be a pop star."
I'm sure there's other good stuff in there. Just let me look.
And, in case anybody cares, you can now rearrange the Google News site. For some reason, I think this is like, the greatest thing on earth. For instance, you can get rid of the stupid "Health" bar and add something important, like articles that contain "Pitt, Pittsburgh and Panthers." Very handy. News on Pakistan? There. I imagine you could also make it all Martha, all the time if you'd like.
The possible move back to Philly looks like more and more of a reality. I should have some concrete info by the middle of next week. Well, it's either that or I'll be going on one LONG vacation. Huh. Anyway, for now, it's time to save money for a deposit on some dreamy place with a porch.
"It is extremely difficult to make it in the record industry. If you're ugly - you're not going to be a pop star."
I'm sure there's other good stuff in there. Just let me look.
And, in case anybody cares, you can now rearrange the Google News site. For some reason, I think this is like, the greatest thing on earth. For instance, you can get rid of the stupid "Health" bar and add something important, like articles that contain "Pitt, Pittsburgh and Panthers." Very handy. News on Pakistan? There. I imagine you could also make it all Martha, all the time if you'd like.
The possible move back to Philly looks like more and more of a reality. I should have some concrete info by the middle of next week. Well, it's either that or I'll be going on one LONG vacation. Huh. Anyway, for now, it's time to save money for a deposit on some dreamy place with a porch.
Thursday, March 10
Guess what today is?
Today, for those of you who didn't have a roommate named Mario in college, is Mario Day. You see, it's March 10. So if you abbreviate it ... Mar 10, it looks like Mario.
Here's what else is going on in March.
For some (see roommate above) this is somewhat of a national holiday. However, there must be some kind of conspiracy going on because I couldn't find any Mario Day cards at Hallmark last night. Sorry, Machi.
Here's what else is going on in March.
For some (see roommate above) this is somewhat of a national holiday. However, there must be some kind of conspiracy going on because I couldn't find any Mario Day cards at Hallmark last night. Sorry, Machi.
Wednesday, March 9
A regular thing, again
Well, since I had a pretty good response to the new look of the site (thanks, you two!) I thought I'd make more of an effort.
Anyway, here's the kind of stuff that I'm reading these days.
A short about James Michener and his thoughts on continuing education.
"Obviously no college education could prepare a young man for all that he will have to do in his years of employment. The best a college can do is to inspire him with the urge to reeducate himself constantly."
And, since Healey and I did this in school, here's another version of an old favorite. I'm working on one myself which should be done next week. Ooops. Gave myself a deadline.
The first one there really sort of hits home for me. As many of you know, I've been thinking for a while about going back to school. The longer I work, the more I long to go back. It's interesting how after junior high school, things start happening in four year chunks. High school, college, job. Well, this coming August will be exactly four years since I graduated. I think it's time to move on to something else. What, though, I'm not sure yet.
Anyway, here's the kind of stuff that I'm reading these days.
A short about James Michener and his thoughts on continuing education.
"Obviously no college education could prepare a young man for all that he will have to do in his years of employment. The best a college can do is to inspire him with the urge to reeducate himself constantly."
And, since Healey and I did this in school, here's another version of an old favorite. I'm working on one myself which should be done next week. Ooops. Gave myself a deadline.
The first one there really sort of hits home for me. As many of you know, I've been thinking for a while about going back to school. The longer I work, the more I long to go back. It's interesting how after junior high school, things start happening in four year chunks. High school, college, job. Well, this coming August will be exactly four years since I graduated. I think it's time to move on to something else. What, though, I'm not sure yet.
Monday, March 7
Long weekend
This past weekend seemed longer than most, and I'm going to attribute that to going out on Friday night and then waking up "early on Saturday."
Friday night we went out to First Friday in Lancaster. All the galleries were open a bit later and there were quite a few people out thanks to the warmer weather. However, I wasn't all that impressed with the offerings. There were some reruns as well, which sort of made the trip that much shorter. There are still no real photographic exhibits downtown. The one example is a bunch of crappy photos of the Amish. Not that the Amish are crappy. No, the photos are pretty worthless. And they're of the Amish, which pisses me off.
Saturday morning I decided to take matters into my own hands and finally develop a bunch of black and white photos at the local darkroom. It was a lot of fun. I was glad I remembered so much. And still able to make a print with a simple guess of time and exposure than using something silly like a gradient time wheel. Who does that? Really? There was nobody else there, so that made it even better.
Saturday afternoon we ran out to the Main Line so that Maria could pick up some test materials from Kaplan. We met up with Ila and did some shopping at Target. Oh, sweet lovely Target.
Sunday was relaxing. Went to the gym and had some people over at night for pizza and good times. The weekend seemed nice and long, which was really nice. This week shouldn't be too bad. Maria's exam is a week from today, so she's into that something fierce now.
Friday night we went out to First Friday in Lancaster. All the galleries were open a bit later and there were quite a few people out thanks to the warmer weather. However, I wasn't all that impressed with the offerings. There were some reruns as well, which sort of made the trip that much shorter. There are still no real photographic exhibits downtown. The one example is a bunch of crappy photos of the Amish. Not that the Amish are crappy. No, the photos are pretty worthless. And they're of the Amish, which pisses me off.
Saturday morning I decided to take matters into my own hands and finally develop a bunch of black and white photos at the local darkroom. It was a lot of fun. I was glad I remembered so much. And still able to make a print with a simple guess of time and exposure than using something silly like a gradient time wheel. Who does that? Really? There was nobody else there, so that made it even better.
Saturday afternoon we ran out to the Main Line so that Maria could pick up some test materials from Kaplan. We met up with Ila and did some shopping at Target. Oh, sweet lovely Target.
Sunday was relaxing. Went to the gym and had some people over at night for pizza and good times. The weekend seemed nice and long, which was really nice. This week shouldn't be too bad. Maria's exam is a week from today, so she's into that something fierce now.
Friday, March 4
Jobs and the car
Every once in a while, thanks to my resume being on Monster since forever, I'll get a random e-mail from someone concerning employment. Most are just kind of looking around. It's the same thing I'm doing. Sending something out to hundreds in hope for a single catch. Recruiters are the same way. The first time I was searching for a job, I came across the concept of a recruiter. I thought it was great. Go to one person, give them all the work, and sit back. No. I still haven't heard from that first guy, and I think they're all pretty sleazy now.
So yesterday I get an e-mail from a guy in Jersey. It's a recruiter. Can you call? Sure, why not. Might as well be entertained. He tells me about a vague position that I'm not really qualified for. He realized that I'm not qualified for it. So then he asks me if I know anybody who might be. No. Well, could I call him if I think of someone or if someone might be looking? Uh, sure. Sleazy. So he basically turned the whole thing around on me.
The other thing that I realized this morning is that, if I really, really wanted to get out of work for a few days, I could lie to the people at work and tell them that I was in [another] car accident. Just call from the highway or something. Then drive home. Take a few days off. When I returned -- since my parents are abroad now -- use their car instead of mine. By the time they got back, I'd "have the car fixed."
Desperate, but intriguing nonetheless.
So yesterday I get an e-mail from a guy in Jersey. It's a recruiter. Can you call? Sure, why not. Might as well be entertained. He tells me about a vague position that I'm not really qualified for. He realized that I'm not qualified for it. So then he asks me if I know anybody who might be. No. Well, could I call him if I think of someone or if someone might be looking? Uh, sure. Sleazy. So he basically turned the whole thing around on me.
The other thing that I realized this morning is that, if I really, really wanted to get out of work for a few days, I could lie to the people at work and tell them that I was in [another] car accident. Just call from the highway or something. Then drive home. Take a few days off. When I returned -- since my parents are abroad now -- use their car instead of mine. By the time they got back, I'd "have the car fixed."
Desperate, but intriguing nonetheless.
Tuesday, March 1
Nearly as ugly
And with that, the look of the site has changed. I figured I'd do that to appease all three of you who complain. And as most of you who know who are e-mailing me regularly, I am actually busy this week at work. Ain't nothing like a pause for the cause. Hope you like the green.
Monday, February 28
The Truth
Thanks mainly to Adam, I'm updating this site. Adam basically e-mails me every day, every hour, to harass me about updates. Well, here you go Adam. No photo. And probably no new photo of the baby until the middle of March. Nay, probably later than that. Hard to say.
As per what's been happening. Maria and I have been busy like, going to the gym and getting in shape. Great fun. Well, maybe not too much in shape, but hey, we're going and that's all that matters. I've noticed that the stair climber thing is rather evil and that I can't watch Pitt basketball games on the television while getting my treadmill on because the pace of the game dictates the pace of my steps, which may or may not result in my tripping and falling off.
Anyway, the parents are planning to leave for Pakistan the day after tomorrow. So once again we'll be left home alone. While that may seem like an excellent time to party, it'll also be a nice little wake-up call as to what it'll take to vacuum and keep clean a house for a few weeks. Maria is still planning on going to Pakistan on March 19th through the beginning of May. So I'll have some completely alone time. I plan on taking more photos, developing them by hand and getting them some decent frames so this little hobby of mine can start paying for itself.
Maria will most likely be taking the digital camera, so there will be less than zero digital photos on this site for some time. Unless I buy a new digital camera ... hmmm... an interesting idea indeed. But nay, I shall stick to old-school methodology and try to scan some black and white artwork instead. And I'm sure I'll stick to that ....
Anyway, we watched, over this past weekend, Garden State and Napoleon (sp?) Dynamite. If I weren't so bloody lazy, I'd link both of those up. Whatever. I'll post my thoughts on them later. Hope you liked that lengthy diatribe, Adam.
Oh, and Brandon complains too, once in a while.
As per what's been happening. Maria and I have been busy like, going to the gym and getting in shape. Great fun. Well, maybe not too much in shape, but hey, we're going and that's all that matters. I've noticed that the stair climber thing is rather evil and that I can't watch Pitt basketball games on the television while getting my treadmill on because the pace of the game dictates the pace of my steps, which may or may not result in my tripping and falling off.
Anyway, the parents are planning to leave for Pakistan the day after tomorrow. So once again we'll be left home alone. While that may seem like an excellent time to party, it'll also be a nice little wake-up call as to what it'll take to vacuum and keep clean a house for a few weeks. Maria is still planning on going to Pakistan on March 19th through the beginning of May. So I'll have some completely alone time. I plan on taking more photos, developing them by hand and getting them some decent frames so this little hobby of mine can start paying for itself.
Maria will most likely be taking the digital camera, so there will be less than zero digital photos on this site for some time. Unless I buy a new digital camera ... hmmm... an interesting idea indeed. But nay, I shall stick to old-school methodology and try to scan some black and white artwork instead. And I'm sure I'll stick to that ....
Anyway, we watched, over this past weekend, Garden State and Napoleon (sp?) Dynamite. If I weren't so bloody lazy, I'd link both of those up. Whatever. I'll post my thoughts on them later. Hope you liked that lengthy diatribe, Adam.
Oh, and Brandon complains too, once in a while.
Tuesday, February 8
Nadia Nasir
My brother called us on Saturday morning to tell us that his wife, Amira, had been admitted to the hospital. The family quickly deployed itself to Akron and later that afternoon -- at 1:13 p.m. to be exact -- Nadia Nasir was born, 6 pounds, 6 ounces, 19 inches.
Maria and I went straight to the hospital to join my parents, who had left a half-hour before us, and Amira's mother who had come from Pakistan. We hung out there and Nadia opened her eyes occasionally to see what all the commotion was about. My brother had hardly slept the past few days and we left them in the evening to stay the night at their apartment.
On Sunday we went to the hospital again to check on them. They were still doing fine, of course. Although we managed to watch the first half of the Superbowl at home, Maria, Amira's mother and I went back to hospital to hang out with Nadia and her parents. My brother and I watched the fourth quarter in the hospital lounge as the women bonded with the baby.
Monday the hospital finally let them go home. My brother and I had a fun time fitting the car seat into his Passat. Although it was a balmy 55 degrees Monday, it was still chilly for a newborn. We threw every blanket we had on her walking out to the car. Maria and I left Monday afternoon to go back to Lancaster.
So I'm an uncle again now! Very exciting. Maria's sister had a boy in August who we haven't met yet. I guess that makes me a domestic uncle. We're hoping to get out to Akron a few more times in the next months to hang out. My brother thankfully got a week off work -- he's a resident at the hospital -- so he'll have more time to bond. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her grow up and take everything in. Their tiny apartment is pretty cramped with all the baby stuff now, and I'm sure I can buy her even more stuff down the road.
Some interesting things ... Nadia is an American citizen by virtue of being born in the States. But her mother isn't yet. My brother and I have been American citizens longer than my parents. I thought that was kind of funny.
As far as the Superbowl, I wasn't impressed by the commercials that I did see. I didn't see any halftime, either. As for the game, I don't really think the Patriots won, it was more like the Eagles lost.
This is the only photo that I have right now of Nadia. It was taken by my camera phone. I'll have better ones up either tonight or tomorrow when I get a chance.
Maria and I went straight to the hospital to join my parents, who had left a half-hour before us, and Amira's mother who had come from Pakistan. We hung out there and Nadia opened her eyes occasionally to see what all the commotion was about. My brother had hardly slept the past few days and we left them in the evening to stay the night at their apartment.
On Sunday we went to the hospital again to check on them. They were still doing fine, of course. Although we managed to watch the first half of the Superbowl at home, Maria, Amira's mother and I went back to hospital to hang out with Nadia and her parents. My brother and I watched the fourth quarter in the hospital lounge as the women bonded with the baby.
Monday the hospital finally let them go home. My brother and I had a fun time fitting the car seat into his Passat. Although it was a balmy 55 degrees Monday, it was still chilly for a newborn. We threw every blanket we had on her walking out to the car. Maria and I left Monday afternoon to go back to Lancaster.
So I'm an uncle again now! Very exciting. Maria's sister had a boy in August who we haven't met yet. I guess that makes me a domestic uncle. We're hoping to get out to Akron a few more times in the next months to hang out. My brother thankfully got a week off work -- he's a resident at the hospital -- so he'll have more time to bond. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her grow up and take everything in. Their tiny apartment is pretty cramped with all the baby stuff now, and I'm sure I can buy her even more stuff down the road.
Some interesting things ... Nadia is an American citizen by virtue of being born in the States. But her mother isn't yet. My brother and I have been American citizens longer than my parents. I thought that was kind of funny.
As far as the Superbowl, I wasn't impressed by the commercials that I did see. I didn't see any halftime, either. As for the game, I don't really think the Patriots won, it was more like the Eagles lost.
This is the only photo that I have right now of Nadia. It was taken by my camera phone. I'll have better ones up either tonight or tomorrow when I get a chance.
Wednesday, February 2
The worst picture, ever.
This photo of me (below) has been up on Punxsutawney Phil's Web page for a few years now. Well, ever since I went up there my junior year of college. Let me explain this photo, though. That day that we drove up there it was bitterly cold. And it had rained a good bit as well. So while I look as though I weigh 300 pounds, it's actually quite a few layers that I have underneath my coat. No, seriously. I also wrote an epic poem in The Pitt News that isn't available online about the event. I didn't realize until we went up there what a huge party Groundhog Day is. But I'm glad to have gone, just to say I was there.
Sunday, January 16
The occasional Photo
Not too much to report from this end, so here's a photo instead. It's from our trip to Ohio a few weeks ago. We're still waiting for snow over here.
Thursday, January 6
Efforts
So I almost made it a month before a new post. We have certainly been busy on our side of the State.
Over Christmas weekend we visited my brother in Akron, OH. His wife is expecting in February, so that should be exciting in a few months. It's pretty fascinating since the last time we saw them was in September. Now she's obviously further along and even said that the baby occasionally keeps her up at night. Neat.
New Year's was spent in Harrisburg where we watched the Strawberry drop. Pretty good time. The weather was warm and the friends aplenty. I shall have photos up soon.
Over Christmas weekend we visited my brother in Akron, OH. His wife is expecting in February, so that should be exciting in a few months. It's pretty fascinating since the last time we saw them was in September. Now she's obviously further along and even said that the baby occasionally keeps her up at night. Neat.
New Year's was spent in Harrisburg where we watched the Strawberry drop. Pretty good time. The weather was warm and the friends aplenty. I shall have photos up soon.
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