I'm back... Again, just offline for a while due to slight internet problems... i.e., no internet. I'm once again at Elmo's drinking coffee, downloading work stuff to work on over my break, and doing random internet stuff.
Tomorrow morning I fly to Chicago for ten days. Return the day after Christmas. Ironically, I'll probably be online more while I'm in Chicago.
Today I had to ship eight FERC mugs to Chicago. They're gifts for all the aunts and uncles. Yes yes, cheap crap gifts, I know, but you should see what they give me. And they're all coffee addicts anyway. They'll actually like them, I swear. Anyway, you should have seen the way I packaged the mugs. I cut down a xerox paper box and divided it into eight sections with strips I cut from an old foam poster of the NERC regions I found in the file room that was badly outdated. Then I taped it all up with gummed tape (my favorite stuff in the world, btw), weighed it in our mailing room, printed out a label and postage, and walked it to the post office. In case you want to track it's progress... (0503 8555 7490 0313 1339).
Well, I gotta get out of here. Still have to do laundry and sleep before my 6AM flight.
15 December 2006
03 December 2006
I'm back...
Where have I been for a week? Well, here's the story. My internet magically disappeared. It does that from time to time. And I have a "no blogging" policy at work. It's a strict policy I've imposed. But here I am at St. Elmo's cafe enjoying a cafe americano and some free wifi on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.
I'm still really desiring to attend a Christmas market this year. I mean here in DC... I've already made plans to lead a small team of mulled wine-drinkers to the Chicago Christkindlmarkt, as I believe I have already mentioned in a previous blog post. But I've found nothing in DC so far. Pia and I went to this Alexandria Scottish Christmas Market yesterday for a couple hours. In the paper they said that they would have hot drinks. Well, the only hot drink that I saw was a thermos of coffee. And the market was rather sucky. You can skip the Alexandria Christmas Market, in my opinion.
Last Friday I ran my first semi-real experimental auction. I say semi-real because we didn't actually pay anyone, and the participants were just professors and grad students. But it was cool. I spent kinda a lot of time making my data reduction software, and it worked the best of any of the auctions I've seen run by students so far. But I got a lot of good feedback on things that can be improved. All in all it was pretty fun. Thinking I might like experimental economics. It's basically playing games for a living. I think I could do that.
Going home in two weeks. Tentative plans, aside from normal Christmas/family stuff: aforementioned Christkindlmarkt trip, meet Christine and Matt's son, take little sister wall climbing, drink, run on lakefront w Evanston Running Club, dinner w Rich and Andrea, swim at NWU, see some live music, watch some Illini basketball, eat at some of my Chi-town restaurants, etc. Am I missing anything?
OK, I think that's enough for now. Oh, some advice before I go: Beware of Kai's new dog. I've got the bite marks to back up that statement...
I'm still really desiring to attend a Christmas market this year. I mean here in DC... I've already made plans to lead a small team of mulled wine-drinkers to the Chicago Christkindlmarkt, as I believe I have already mentioned in a previous blog post. But I've found nothing in DC so far. Pia and I went to this Alexandria Scottish Christmas Market yesterday for a couple hours. In the paper they said that they would have hot drinks. Well, the only hot drink that I saw was a thermos of coffee. And the market was rather sucky. You can skip the Alexandria Christmas Market, in my opinion.
Last Friday I ran my first semi-real experimental auction. I say semi-real because we didn't actually pay anyone, and the participants were just professors and grad students. But it was cool. I spent kinda a lot of time making my data reduction software, and it worked the best of any of the auctions I've seen run by students so far. But I got a lot of good feedback on things that can be improved. All in all it was pretty fun. Thinking I might like experimental economics. It's basically playing games for a living. I think I could do that.
Going home in two weeks. Tentative plans, aside from normal Christmas/family stuff: aforementioned Christkindlmarkt trip, meet Christine and Matt's son, take little sister wall climbing, drink, run on lakefront w Evanston Running Club, dinner w Rich and Andrea, swim at NWU, see some live music, watch some Illini basketball, eat at some of my Chi-town restaurants, etc. Am I missing anything?
OK, I think that's enough for now. Oh, some advice before I go: Beware of Kai's new dog. I've got the bite marks to back up that statement...
26 November 2006
I did it... all by myself...
My day's work...
Private Sub BtnRunModel_Click()
SolverReset
'clears solver parameters/constraints
SolverOk SetCell:="$J$16", MaxMinVal:=2, ValueOf:="0", ByChange:= _
"$F$2:$F$16,$J$2:$L$2,$K$5:$L$5"
'minimizes cost cel J16 by changing dispatch, voltage magnitude, voltage angle
SolverAdd CellRef:="$F$2:$F$16", Relation:=3, FormulaText:="$C$2:$C$16"
'constraint: dispatch levels must be >= min gen limits
SolverAdd CellRef:="$F$2:$F$16", Relation:=1, FormulaText:="$D$2:$D$16"
'constraint: dispatch levels must be <= max gen limits SolverAdd CellRef:="$J$2:$L$2", Relation:=3, FormulaText:="$J$3:$L$3" 'constraint: voltage mag must be >= min voltage limits
SolverAdd CellRef:="$J$2:$L$2", Relation:=1, FormulaText:="$J$4:$L$4"
'constraint: voltage mag must be <= max voltage limits SolverAdd CellRef:="$K$5:$L$5", Relation:=3, FormulaText:="-Pi()" 'constraint: voltage angles for bus B and C must be >= -pi
'note: voltage at bus A = 0
SolverAdd CellRef:="$K$5:$L$5", Relation:=1, FormulaText:="Pi()"
'constraint: voltage angles for bus B and C must be <= pi
SolverAdd CellRef:="$D$38:$D$43", Relation:=1, FormulaText:="$E$38:$E$43"
'constraint: apparent power flows into each bus from each line must be <= thermal line limits
SolverAdd CellRef:="$J$11:$L$11", Relation:=2, FormulaText:="$J$12:$L$12"
'constraint: real power injection balanced in each bus
SolverAdd CellRef:="$J$13:$L$13", Relation:=2, FormulaText:="$J$14:$L$14"
'constraint: reactive power injection balanced in each bus
SolverSolve UserFinish:=True
'skips user dialogue box when true
SolverFinish KeepFinal:=1, ReportArray:=Array(2)
'1 means final results kept; Array(2) returns sensitivity report
'copies shadow prices from sensitivity report and pastes into model spreadsheet
Sheets("Sensitivity Report 1").Select
Range("E43:E48").Select
Selection.Copy
Sheets("Rounds and Model").Select
Range("G21:G26").Select
ActiveSheet.Paste
Sheets("Sensitivity Report 1").Select
Application.CutCopyMode = False
ActiveWindow.SelectedSheets.Delete
'deletes sensitivity report when finished
End Sub
I Know Damn Well What Time It Is...
But I can't sleep. Had one stupid cafe Americano at St. Elmo's tonight while I was working on some homework, and now I'm wide awake. How about that...
So, earlier tonight I made a phat phat spreadsheet to run my reactive power auction next Friday. It looks a little something like this...
I need someone who knows how to code in VBA to help me write a few macros tomorrow (today actually... Sunday). I'm willing to buy you a pizza if you can do what I need. Not kidding. Pizza. Macro. Let's make a deal. Tyler... I just thought of her. I bet she knows VBA. I'll have to get up with her tomorrow... Or Andy.... Am I forgetting any computer nerds we know?
Talked to my dad today about Christmas gifts. He tried to get me the ties I wanted apparently, and Brooks Bros is all out already. And they told him they didn't know why he was asking for those ties because they are "summer ties." Well biznitches, they were in your f-ing November catalog! I'm no meteorologist, but unless you're in Australia, I don't think November is anywhere near summer. Anyway, the point is that my poor dad went all around trying to get me a tie that doesn't exist.
OK, I should try to go to sleep. But just remember...
Anywhere you go, I am gonna find you.
Every time you flow, I'll be right behind you,
Just to let you know and constantly remind you,
You can never be as dope as I am, god damn.
That's what I'll be rapping in my head, as I drift off...
So, earlier tonight I made a phat phat spreadsheet to run my reactive power auction next Friday. It looks a little something like this...
I need someone who knows how to code in VBA to help me write a few macros tomorrow (today actually... Sunday). I'm willing to buy you a pizza if you can do what I need. Not kidding. Pizza. Macro. Let's make a deal. Tyler... I just thought of her. I bet she knows VBA. I'll have to get up with her tomorrow... Or Andy.... Am I forgetting any computer nerds we know?Talked to my dad today about Christmas gifts. He tried to get me the ties I wanted apparently, and Brooks Bros is all out already. And they told him they didn't know why he was asking for those ties because they are "summer ties." Well biznitches, they were in your f-ing November catalog! I'm no meteorologist, but unless you're in Australia, I don't think November is anywhere near summer. Anyway, the point is that my poor dad went all around trying to get me a tie that doesn't exist.
OK, I should try to go to sleep. But just remember...
Anywhere you go, I am gonna find you.
Every time you flow, I'll be right behind you,
Just to let you know and constantly remind you,
You can never be as dope as I am, god damn.
That's what I'll be rapping in my head, as I drift off...
23 November 2006
This Post is All About Germany...
OK, this computer is friggin hot! Not in a sexy way either. Like in a 170 degrees way.
Well, this Thanksgiving was fairly uneventful. I did watch Borne Supremacy though, and it reminded me of a story I'm not sure I've told anyone. Borne checks into that hotel, and the hotel clerk says he needs to hold his passport. That's when it all came back to me...
Back when I was working for UL and they sent my ass to Germany for my virgin trip outside of the US, I was checking into this hotel. The hotel was near the client I was visiting, kind of in the middle of nowhere. My head was kind of spinning from the million things that I didn't understand that I had encountered from the airport to the hotel.
When I was checking in, the provincial and kinda seedy looking hotel clerk demanded my passport and said he would give it back when I checked out. That didn't make any sense to me, especially since I had just read all of this literature I had received at the post office where I got my passport that had tips for protecting your passport and suggestions that you make copies and take some with and leave some with your family and blah blah blah. They certainly didn't make it sound like leaving it with some stranger at the front desk of the hotel was kosher, and the way clerk was asking for it didn't seem legit at all.
Anyway, I was like "My passport?" He insisted that he was required to hold my passport. Anyway, I refused and it took me an hour to check in, because I had to call our travel agent's "emergency hotline" and see if that kind of thing was normal. By the end of it, I'm sure he thought I was a big American idiot. Maybe he was right.
Hmmm... that wasn't as interesting a story as I thought. I should have stuck with my plan to keep stealing Elaina's blog posts. I'm keeping that as an option for later.
So I got my tix home for Christmas. I get in about 7AM on Saturday, Dec 16, and leave about 6AM Tuesday, Dec 26. That's TEN DAYS in Chicago, folks! I'm planning an evening of drinking gluhwein at the 11th Annual Chicago Christkindlmarkt, which will take place on Saturday, Dec 16. Put it on your calendar... Coincidentally, part of the reason I love the Chicago Christkindlmarkt is because it reminds me (a little) of the Augsburger Christkindlmarkt that I went to during my first trip to Germany mentioned above. I'm currently searching for something resembling a good Christkindlmarkt near DC. Anyone know of something?
OK, must sleep. Happy Thanksgiving...
Well, this Thanksgiving was fairly uneventful. I did watch Borne Supremacy though, and it reminded me of a story I'm not sure I've told anyone. Borne checks into that hotel, and the hotel clerk says he needs to hold his passport. That's when it all came back to me...
Back when I was working for UL and they sent my ass to Germany for my virgin trip outside of the US, I was checking into this hotel. The hotel was near the client I was visiting, kind of in the middle of nowhere. My head was kind of spinning from the million things that I didn't understand that I had encountered from the airport to the hotel.
When I was checking in, the provincial and kinda seedy looking hotel clerk demanded my passport and said he would give it back when I checked out. That didn't make any sense to me, especially since I had just read all of this literature I had received at the post office where I got my passport that had tips for protecting your passport and suggestions that you make copies and take some with and leave some with your family and blah blah blah. They certainly didn't make it sound like leaving it with some stranger at the front desk of the hotel was kosher, and the way clerk was asking for it didn't seem legit at all.
Anyway, I was like "My passport?" He insisted that he was required to hold my passport. Anyway, I refused and it took me an hour to check in, because I had to call our travel agent's "emergency hotline" and see if that kind of thing was normal. By the end of it, I'm sure he thought I was a big American idiot. Maybe he was right.
Hmmm... that wasn't as interesting a story as I thought. I should have stuck with my plan to keep stealing Elaina's blog posts. I'm keeping that as an option for later.
So I got my tix home for Christmas. I get in about 7AM on Saturday, Dec 16, and leave about 6AM Tuesday, Dec 26. That's TEN DAYS in Chicago, folks! I'm planning an evening of drinking gluhwein at the 11th Annual Chicago Christkindlmarkt, which will take place on Saturday, Dec 16. Put it on your calendar... Coincidentally, part of the reason I love the Chicago Christkindlmarkt is because it reminds me (a little) of the Augsburger Christkindlmarkt that I went to during my first trip to Germany mentioned above. I'm currently searching for something resembling a good Christkindlmarkt near DC. Anyone know of something?
OK, must sleep. Happy Thanksgiving...
21 November 2006
Rock and Roll Lifestyle
Wow, this NaBloPoMo thing is getting difficult. Let's face it... I'm just not that interesting. I may have to think of a way to keep this up. I have a few ideas. I may implement them very soon.
I'm having trouble keeping up with my own rock and roll lifestyle.
My friends are not allowed to have any more birthdays until next year. I think I'm gonna go back to bed. I'm one tired puppy.
I'm having trouble keeping up with my own rock and roll lifestyle.
My friends are not allowed to have any more birthdays until next year. I think I'm gonna go back to bed. I'm one tired puppy.
20 November 2006
Constant Comment and Oprah
That's what my day was filled with, as a stayed home nursing a cold.
I decided to do some research on some actual real internet service. Turns out Comcast is my only option. It's $58 w/o cable, and $43 w cable. And cheapest cable is $53. So I ask you... When did $101 become a reasonable amount to spend on TV and internet in a month? I don't think I can bring myself to write a check to Comcast. They're such extortionists. But I'll have to figure something out. Or maybe I don't. Is my life really so horrible right now?
I also spent my very boring day trying to think of things I want for Christmas. Every year my parents ask, and every year I can't think of anything. Thought I'd try to make it easy on them this year. Here's my wishlist so far. Any suggestions for things to add?
I decided to do some research on some actual real internet service. Turns out Comcast is my only option. It's $58 w/o cable, and $43 w cable. And cheapest cable is $53. So I ask you... When did $101 become a reasonable amount to spend on TV and internet in a month? I don't think I can bring myself to write a check to Comcast. They're such extortionists. But I'll have to figure something out. Or maybe I don't. Is my life really so horrible right now?
I also spent my very boring day trying to think of things I want for Christmas. Every year my parents ask, and every year I can't think of anything. Thought I'd try to make it easy on them this year. Here's my wishlist so far. Any suggestions for things to add?
19 November 2006
New Post for Make Benefit Glorious Blog of Tom
Hi all. I'm sick w cold, but still feeling peckish. Just snotty and peckish. But not going to work tomorrow prolly. Already emailed my boss.
Just talked to my little sister for an hour. We discussed water colors, her callouses from gymnastics, our cousin Colleen in Iraq, Yatzee strategy and lucky numbers (related to Yatzee discussion).
Also talk to my mother. Seems my grandmother isn't getting out of bed anymore. Poor thing. Makes me feel bad about not going home for T-day.
Pia and I hung out at Tabbard Inn last night, then went next door and met Aaron and Johanna at Topaz. First time I had been to Topaz. Pia said Tabbard was her "new favorite bar." I'm so glad I can open doors like that. I'm not sure I have favorites, but Tabbard definitely fills a particular bar need of mine.
Hey, speaking of bars, did I tell you all before that Kim passed her bar exam? She got a message while we were drinking beers in Alexandria w Kai and Doug on Friday. So if you need free legal advice, you know who to call (at least until Michelle passes her bar...).
I'm out.
Just talked to my little sister for an hour. We discussed water colors, her callouses from gymnastics, our cousin Colleen in Iraq, Yatzee strategy and lucky numbers (related to Yatzee discussion).
Also talk to my mother. Seems my grandmother isn't getting out of bed anymore. Poor thing. Makes me feel bad about not going home for T-day.
Pia and I hung out at Tabbard Inn last night, then went next door and met Aaron and Johanna at Topaz. First time I had been to Topaz. Pia said Tabbard was her "new favorite bar." I'm so glad I can open doors like that. I'm not sure I have favorites, but Tabbard definitely fills a particular bar need of mine.
Hey, speaking of bars, did I tell you all before that Kim passed her bar exam? She got a message while we were drinking beers in Alexandria w Kai and Doug on Friday. So if you need free legal advice, you know who to call (at least until Michelle passes her bar...).
I'm out.
18 November 2006
Disaster
Me and my group from class had an experiment we ran on Friday, which is largely why I've been missing-in-action for a while. Anyway, it didn't go well at all. I have my own project that I run an auction for in two weeks. I'm going to make sure that one goes much better.
I drove Kai to the train station this morning, in his car, cuz I don't have one. Anyway, the deal was that I can use his car (a BMW) to do some errands and such. So, I've of course been speeding around town with a vengeance.
Hey, I got some promotional Nicorette gum in the mail the other day. I tried it out. One word: tingly.
So, after studying and driving Kai's car recklessly most of the day, I broke down and started looking at computers that I can't afford. I also started planning out races for next year. Those of you in Chicago, put the Shamrock Shuffle 8k on your calendar please. It's March 25, and I'll be in for it. My sis will probably run the Kids Shuffle again. Anyway, registration opens January 1, so put that on your calendar too. And I'm tentatively planning to fly in to do the Chicago Triathlon on August 26. Registration for the triathlon is open right now, and fills up really really early (don't remember exactly when, but maybe by late 2006 or early 2007), so if anyone is up for that, sign up now...
OK, must go make myself pretty for going out...
I drove Kai to the train station this morning, in his car, cuz I don't have one. Anyway, the deal was that I can use his car (a BMW) to do some errands and such. So, I've of course been speeding around town with a vengeance.
Hey, I got some promotional Nicorette gum in the mail the other day. I tried it out. One word: tingly.So, after studying and driving Kai's car recklessly most of the day, I broke down and started looking at computers that I can't afford. I also started planning out races for next year. Those of you in Chicago, put the Shamrock Shuffle 8k on your calendar please. It's March 25, and I'll be in for it. My sis will probably run the Kids Shuffle again. Anyway, registration opens January 1, so put that on your calendar too. And I'm tentatively planning to fly in to do the Chicago Triathlon on August 26. Registration for the triathlon is open right now, and fills up really really early (don't remember exactly when, but maybe by late 2006 or early 2007), so if anyone is up for that, sign up now...
OK, must go make myself pretty for going out...
15 November 2006
2059
OK, this is kinda dark, but I just watched the finale of Six Feet Under, where Claire drives off and streams through her mind all of the future deaths, including hers. It disturbed me. Anyway, I did a little research, and according to statistics, 2059 will be my year to go. Here are the stats...
Life Expectancy Results Life Expectancy: 84.42
Life Expectancy Results
Life Expectancy: 84.42
Lower Quartile : 76.88
Median Lifetime: 86.82
Upper Quartile : 94.66
13 November 2006
Viva Africa!
You know where I just was? The Acoustic Africa concert at the GW Lisner Auditorium. It rocked, seriously. My fav was Habib Koité. That's right, it's got an accent mark. It's French, bitches. Anyway, that guy can fucking play the shit out of a guitar.
Anyhow, I'm totally late on finishing some homework, so I'm just making my token post for the day. But there'll be more tomorrow...
Anyhow, I'm totally late on finishing some homework, so I'm just making my token post for the day. But there'll be more tomorrow...
11 November 2006
Ut Oh...
Shoot, I totally lost the NaBloPoMo challenge yesterday. It was partially alcohol induced, partially homework induced, and partially tennis induced. Anyway, I'm so ashamed at my lame NaBloPoMo performance. But I'll try to play out the game for the rest of the month...
OK, totally just got a dirty message on Friedster this morning. Some young friendly lady who just moved to Silver Spring and invited me to visit her website where she has special pictures for me. These porn guys went through some effort to solicit me, cuz her message is quite personalized to my profile. I'm quite impressed.
Marty sent me a random text msg last night asking what a "dangling participle" is. I responded that "Being in a drunken state, I was unable to understand the purpose of the strange grammar requests my friend sent me via text message." I woke up and found a text message from Marty and George requesting a "dirty" version. I didn't send one, as I didn't get the message, but let's see what the best we can come up with is... the best "dirty and classy" dangling participle... What about this dirty double entendre?
"Because it was dangling and distracting, my participle was ineffective at making my grammar teacher happy that evening, as her naked arm hung off the side of my bed."
Hmmm... not that tight, but the best I can do in two minutes.
OK, totally just got a dirty message on Friedster this morning. Some young friendly lady who just moved to Silver Spring and invited me to visit her website where she has special pictures for me. These porn guys went through some effort to solicit me, cuz her message is quite personalized to my profile. I'm quite impressed.
Marty sent me a random text msg last night asking what a "dangling participle" is. I responded that "Being in a drunken state, I was unable to understand the purpose of the strange grammar requests my friend sent me via text message." I woke up and found a text message from Marty and George requesting a "dirty" version. I didn't send one, as I didn't get the message, but let's see what the best we can come up with is... the best "dirty and classy" dangling participle... What about this dirty double entendre?
"Because it was dangling and distracting, my participle was ineffective at making my grammar teacher happy that evening, as her naked arm hung off the side of my bed."
Hmmm... not that tight, but the best I can do in two minutes.
09 November 2006
08 November 2006
You Can Thank Me Later...
Now, one of my rules when I started this blog thing was "no politics." So I won't get into that much, but I do want you all to know that you can thank me, as I voted in VA.
I saw this image from DCist. It's awesome. (For those of you who don't know, we passes a very bigoted constitutional amendment in VA that not only bans gay marriage, but also bans unions with the same rights as marriage.)
OK, one more thing about voting: This story is pretty much awesome.
Moving on... I started a six-week class in bicycle maintenance at Capitol Hill Bikes tonight. I'm going to overhaul my (formerly stolen and retrieved) blue cruiser bike and learn a lot in the process. I was kinda hoping there'd be some cute biker girls in the class, but no luck. A bunch of tools (not the bike kind), two crabby old yuppie ladies, and me. But the mechanics teaching the course are pretty nice. I was worried, as bike mechanics can be kind of snobby and clickish and sometimes I want to whack them in the head with a pedal wrench. But these guys were pretty good. Anyway, I can't wait for all of these yuppies to bring in their Kestrels and Litespeeds, and I'll bring in that blue steel piece of crap! I guarantee the mechanics are going to love it to death.
Oh, so the fun story of the evening is that about an hour into the class, one of the three mechanics has to go get something from his car. So he walks to the front of the store, then comes back and asks the other mechanics if they have keys to the front door. None of them do, so we're actually locked into the store. (There's gotta be some kind of fire code violation there...) So, they have to call the owner, who has to drive all the way back. At one point, the front door opens, the someone throws some keys on the floor and goes back out the front door. Guess they weren't happy about having to come back.
Anyway, I was thinking maybe we would be stuck locked into the bike store for a while... Like when Bo and Luke Duke get stuck in the airtight vault at the bank... Or when Jamie and Paul get stuck in the stairwell in Mad About You. For a moment I thought we might be stuck there so long that one of us would end up being eaten. But we got out ok. And they had a few stashes of energy bars that probably would have delayed the necessity of cannibalism.
I saw this image from DCist. It's awesome. (For those of you who don't know, we passes a very bigoted constitutional amendment in VA that not only bans gay marriage, but also bans unions with the same rights as marriage.)
OK, one more thing about voting: This story is pretty much awesome.
Moving on... I started a six-week class in bicycle maintenance at Capitol Hill Bikes tonight. I'm going to overhaul my (formerly stolen and retrieved) blue cruiser bike and learn a lot in the process. I was kinda hoping there'd be some cute biker girls in the class, but no luck. A bunch of tools (not the bike kind), two crabby old yuppie ladies, and me. But the mechanics teaching the course are pretty nice. I was worried, as bike mechanics can be kind of snobby and clickish and sometimes I want to whack them in the head with a pedal wrench. But these guys were pretty good. Anyway, I can't wait for all of these yuppies to bring in their Kestrels and Litespeeds, and I'll bring in that blue steel piece of crap! I guarantee the mechanics are going to love it to death.
Oh, so the fun story of the evening is that about an hour into the class, one of the three mechanics has to go get something from his car. So he walks to the front of the store, then comes back and asks the other mechanics if they have keys to the front door. None of them do, so we're actually locked into the store. (There's gotta be some kind of fire code violation there...) So, they have to call the owner, who has to drive all the way back. At one point, the front door opens, the someone throws some keys on the floor and goes back out the front door. Guess they weren't happy about having to come back.
Anyway, I was thinking maybe we would be stuck locked into the bike store for a while... Like when Bo and Luke Duke get stuck in the airtight vault at the bank... Or when Jamie and Paul get stuck in the stairwell in Mad About You. For a moment I thought we might be stuck there so long that one of us would end up being eaten. But we got out ok. And they had a few stashes of energy bars that probably would have delayed the necessity of cannibalism.
07 November 2006
Still here...
Well, I'm sitting here eating my fancy dinner and drinking wine watching the results of the election. This is totally like 2000 flashback for me. In 2000 I totally came home from work, watched a little election results and saw a bunch of stations call it for Gore. Then went in my basement to insulate some pipes, came back a couple hours later and it was un-called for Gore.
Anyway, until a moment ago, Allen (R) was winning in VA for senator against Webb (D), with 97.5 percent reporting. But they just updated and now Webb is winning slightly with 99 percent reporting. The MD governor's race seems to be just the opposite. It was leaning for O'Malley (D) against incumbent Erlich (R), but just flipped back the other way, although only 57 percent reporting.
Anyway, I'm gonna go to sleep soon. But wanted to get my post in. BTW, I notice that blogger actually posts these posts like 10 minutes ahead of real time. So if this shows up as a Wednesday post, that is NOT true. It's 11:58pm on Tuesday...
Anyway, until a moment ago, Allen (R) was winning in VA for senator against Webb (D), with 97.5 percent reporting. But they just updated and now Webb is winning slightly with 99 percent reporting. The MD governor's race seems to be just the opposite. It was leaning for O'Malley (D) against incumbent Erlich (R), but just flipped back the other way, although only 57 percent reporting.
Anyway, I'm gonna go to sleep soon. But wanted to get my post in. BTW, I notice that blogger actually posts these posts like 10 minutes ahead of real time. So if this shows up as a Wednesday post, that is NOT true. It's 11:58pm on Tuesday...
06 November 2006
Whew!
This NaBlaPoMo thing is exhausting. But I think I'm gonna make it...
Grrrr! That's the noise I made when the girl who was coming to get my free art that I posted on Craigslist didn't show up tonight. If I've found one thing about giving crap away on Craigslist it's that it isn't free... for me, I mean. I invariably end up spending time waiting for flakey people who don't even show up to pick up free crap! From now on I'm thinking of saying it's free to the first person to come and get it and refusing to schedule any actual time to pick things up, but I wonder if that wouldn't introduce too much uncertainty into the mix, so that people wouldn't bother coming to get it because they'd assume that it would already be gone. Grrr! I could just throw this stuff away, I suppose. But this is kinda a nice print in a nice frame. Whatever, people are stupid idiots. I mean, not people reading this, but certain other people.
So the reason I'm giving art away is cuz I'm starting new. Getting rid of most of my old crap, much of which was given to me and I didn't necessarily like that much anyway. Anyway, I've got kind of a style in mind, at least for my frames. I think I'm going to hit Eastern Market and get some local art. I bought a print for my office a couple weeks ago that I really like, but haven't gotten that framed yet either. I'm sure this project will take me about a year. Don't worry though... I did not get rid of my kitchy boy peeing into the lake that's hanging over my toilet. Or my asparagus in the kitchen.
I've been thinking about why these kinds of projects take so long. Not just art, but similar things too... buying clothes (casual clothes anyway... I can buy work clothes in a jiffy), that kind of thing. For a while I just thought that I was picky. I think I may have even had a couple conversations w some of you peeps recently about how I pretty much hate every piece of art I've been shopping for lately. Well, I've decided that isn't actually true. I don't really think I'm picky, in the larger sense. I actually do not at all hate most art I see. I like much of it. What I'm picky about is what I actually put in my house. I think I have to get over that a bit, because what happens is just that I end up with empty walls and such for long periods of time. Fucking hang something up there already!
Tomorrow I vote.
Grrrr! That's the noise I made when the girl who was coming to get my free art that I posted on Craigslist didn't show up tonight. If I've found one thing about giving crap away on Craigslist it's that it isn't free... for me, I mean. I invariably end up spending time waiting for flakey people who don't even show up to pick up free crap! From now on I'm thinking of saying it's free to the first person to come and get it and refusing to schedule any actual time to pick things up, but I wonder if that wouldn't introduce too much uncertainty into the mix, so that people wouldn't bother coming to get it because they'd assume that it would already be gone. Grrr! I could just throw this stuff away, I suppose. But this is kinda a nice print in a nice frame. Whatever, people are stupid idiots. I mean, not people reading this, but certain other people.
So the reason I'm giving art away is cuz I'm starting new. Getting rid of most of my old crap, much of which was given to me and I didn't necessarily like that much anyway. Anyway, I've got kind of a style in mind, at least for my frames. I think I'm going to hit Eastern Market and get some local art. I bought a print for my office a couple weeks ago that I really like, but haven't gotten that framed yet either. I'm sure this project will take me about a year. Don't worry though... I did not get rid of my kitchy boy peeing into the lake that's hanging over my toilet. Or my asparagus in the kitchen.
I've been thinking about why these kinds of projects take so long. Not just art, but similar things too... buying clothes (casual clothes anyway... I can buy work clothes in a jiffy), that kind of thing. For a while I just thought that I was picky. I think I may have even had a couple conversations w some of you peeps recently about how I pretty much hate every piece of art I've been shopping for lately. Well, I've decided that isn't actually true. I don't really think I'm picky, in the larger sense. I actually do not at all hate most art I see. I like much of it. What I'm picky about is what I actually put in my house. I think I have to get over that a bit, because what happens is just that I end up with empty walls and such for long periods of time. Fucking hang something up there already!
Tomorrow I vote.
05 November 2006
Games
Geesh, I don't even like professional football, but was a bit sad that my Bears lost today, for the first time. No, I did not watch, but I saw it in the Trib.
Speaking of games that I do like, Illinois basketball begins Nov. 13 (schedule) against the powerhouse Austin Peay. Yes, Austin Peay. I have no idea what "Austin Peay" is, but we play them Nov. 13. Also, my other good basketball school, George Mason, begins their year Nov. 11 (schedule).
In other games news, I just got hooked on sudoku. I also speedily beat my 9 year old sister in Connect Four several times during my recent visit home. Apparently I am a formidable challenger to a 9 year old. And I totally beat that 20 Questions game ball that my mother bought. It totally didn't get Eric Estrada or anthropomorphism. Stupid ball.
Speaking of games that I do like, Illinois basketball begins Nov. 13 (schedule) against the powerhouse Austin Peay. Yes, Austin Peay. I have no idea what "Austin Peay" is, but we play them Nov. 13. Also, my other good basketball school, George Mason, begins their year Nov. 11 (schedule).
In other games news, I just got hooked on sudoku. I also speedily beat my 9 year old sister in Connect Four several times during my recent visit home. Apparently I am a formidable challenger to a 9 year old. And I totally beat that 20 Questions game ball that my mother bought. It totally didn't get Eric Estrada or anthropomorphism. Stupid ball.
04 November 2006
Decisions...
I think I've decided I'm not going home for Thanksgiving. This will be the first time ever. That will be such a fabulous time to be at work! No one will be here, and I might actually be able to get caught up on some things I'm somewhat behind on...
Speaking of evaluating travel plans, do you all know about Farecast? It's a fabulous website that not only is like the best way to find good airfares, but also lets you know, based on their statistical analysis, whether fares to your destination are likely to go up or down. It's fabulous. IF I were going home for Thanksgiving, it would save me a lot of money.
That's all... for now.
Speaking of evaluating travel plans, do you all know about Farecast? It's a fabulous website that not only is like the best way to find good airfares, but also lets you know, based on their statistical analysis, whether fares to your destination are likely to go up or down. It's fabulous. IF I were going home for Thanksgiving, it would save me a lot of money.
That's all... for now.
03 November 2006
And you thought I'd missed a day...
Nope!
Just got back from a little hot Borat action at the Regal Gallery Place Stadium. I'm not shitting you, that's actually the theater's name. It's so "regal" that they had exactly two men's bathrooms. One was out of order altogether, and the other had only two of five urinals working. So I peed on the floor. OK, no I didn't, but I should have.
Words to describe Borat. Funny, obviously... not consistently top-notch funny, but in a few places we nearly fell out of our seats and had problems breathing we were laughing so hard. Painful, a few times. Unwatchable, at least once (yes, I actually covered my eyes for a few moments).
Salon has been going crazy with the Borat stuff. They have a few deleted scenes posted. Some are pretty interesting... (See here and here and here.)
Partha and I were debating how much of Borat is really real. I am pretty sure the whole Pamela Anderson thing must have been staged. The frat boys... I dunno. I guess if they did that a bunch of times they might eventually pick up someone that stupid. Most of the rest seemed to be real, but who knows. If that third deleted scene above is real, that's f-ed up.
OK, switching topics altogether, while home sick today I found an online prisoner's dilemma game theory simulator. Go forth, nerds, and strategize... Speaking of simulators, have I mentioned that I'm addicted to this social behavior simulator called Netlogo? If you're a nerd and can program a little, you can keep yourself busy for a long time with this thing...
That's all for now...
Just got back from a little hot Borat action at the Regal Gallery Place Stadium. I'm not shitting you, that's actually the theater's name. It's so "regal" that they had exactly two men's bathrooms. One was out of order altogether, and the other had only two of five urinals working. So I peed on the floor. OK, no I didn't, but I should have.
Words to describe Borat. Funny, obviously... not consistently top-notch funny, but in a few places we nearly fell out of our seats and had problems breathing we were laughing so hard. Painful, a few times. Unwatchable, at least once (yes, I actually covered my eyes for a few moments).
Salon has been going crazy with the Borat stuff. They have a few deleted scenes posted. Some are pretty interesting... (See here and here and here.)
Partha and I were debating how much of Borat is really real. I am pretty sure the whole Pamela Anderson thing must have been staged. The frat boys... I dunno. I guess if they did that a bunch of times they might eventually pick up someone that stupid. Most of the rest seemed to be real, but who knows. If that third deleted scene above is real, that's f-ed up.
OK, switching topics altogether, while home sick today I found an online prisoner's dilemma game theory simulator. Go forth, nerds, and strategize... Speaking of simulators, have I mentioned that I'm addicted to this social behavior simulator called Netlogo? If you're a nerd and can program a little, you can keep yourself busy for a long time with this thing...
That's all for now...
02 November 2006
Day Two
What did we learn today?
(1) If United Airlines tells you they'll deliver your lost luggage in about an hour, that really means it will show up at 1AM (from a 1PM flight).
(2) Although it's only 12 MB, if you try to download the NOPR for Order No. 888 from FERC's website, it will take all morning long.
(3) It takes about one week for Partha's foot to heal.
(4) USPS can cram a weeks worth of mail into your tiny apartment mailbox so densely that it warps space-time and engulfs your lobby within an event horizon.
(5) Borat comes out tomorrow.
(6) Turbulance is not usually enough to crash a plane.
(1) If United Airlines tells you they'll deliver your lost luggage in about an hour, that really means it will show up at 1AM (from a 1PM flight).
(2) Although it's only 12 MB, if you try to download the NOPR for Order No. 888 from FERC's website, it will take all morning long.
(3) It takes about one week for Partha's foot to heal.
(4) USPS can cram a weeks worth of mail into your tiny apartment mailbox so densely that it warps space-time and engulfs your lobby within an event horizon.
(5) Borat comes out tomorrow.
(6) Turbulance is not usually enough to crash a plane.
01 November 2006
Babies and Stuff
Just got back from Illinois, where I've been since Friday. Busy time...
First, I met Gillian and Mark's daughter Ellie, and Sarah and Woody's daughter Zola. They're both wicked cute. I found that Ellie likes to squeeze my finger really hard, and Zola likes to throw her bowl from her high chair over and over and over... Sarah calls that the "gravity game." Apparently she's played it before. I suspect Gillian and Mark will be playing the gravity game soon enough.
Then saw the fam. My lil sis dressed up as a cat for Halloween.
Also went to U of I with Alitza to recruit some energy nerds. Went well. We manned the FERC booth at the U of I job fair, interviewed some potential energy nerds, had lunch with some profs, and talked to some electrical engineering students in class. We also had beers at Murhpy's, tried to eat at Radio Maria's (but it was closed Mondays), ate Thai food at the YMCA eatery (yum, it almost makes me want to go back to Urbana just for that), watched some students give "free hugs" on the quad (Alitza opined that "there's no such thing as a free hug"), walked through Krannert Center, drank coffee at Espresso Royale, and other stuff. We drove back to Chicago yesterday. Marty and I showed Alitza around a bit... Giordano's, Signature Room. Then today I met Alitza in the Loop and we went to visit the FERC Chicago field office. It was full of civil enginerds who do dam inspections. Then we walked through Millenium Park and saw the Vagina Building before hopping a blue line to O'Hare.
Pics of my trip here... Still waiting for a few pics of Ellie that have to be emailed to me. Hope to post them soon...
Elaina has informed me that November is National Blog Month, and that there is an open challenge for people to post to their blogs every day in November. I'm not sure if I can do that, but she double-dog dared me, so I will give it my best shot...
First, I met Gillian and Mark's daughter Ellie, and Sarah and Woody's daughter Zola. They're both wicked cute. I found that Ellie likes to squeeze my finger really hard, and Zola likes to throw her bowl from her high chair over and over and over... Sarah calls that the "gravity game." Apparently she's played it before. I suspect Gillian and Mark will be playing the gravity game soon enough.
Then saw the fam. My lil sis dressed up as a cat for Halloween.
Also went to U of I with Alitza to recruit some energy nerds. Went well. We manned the FERC booth at the U of I job fair, interviewed some potential energy nerds, had lunch with some profs, and talked to some electrical engineering students in class. We also had beers at Murhpy's, tried to eat at Radio Maria's (but it was closed Mondays), ate Thai food at the YMCA eatery (yum, it almost makes me want to go back to Urbana just for that), watched some students give "free hugs" on the quad (Alitza opined that "there's no such thing as a free hug"), walked through Krannert Center, drank coffee at Espresso Royale, and other stuff. We drove back to Chicago yesterday. Marty and I showed Alitza around a bit... Giordano's, Signature Room. Then today I met Alitza in the Loop and we went to visit the FERC Chicago field office. It was full of civil enginerds who do dam inspections. Then we walked through Millenium Park and saw the Vagina Building before hopping a blue line to O'Hare.
Pics of my trip here... Still waiting for a few pics of Ellie that have to be emailed to me. Hope to post them soon...
Elaina has informed me that November is National Blog Month, and that there is an open challenge for people to post to their blogs every day in November. I'm not sure if I can do that, but she double-dog dared me, so I will give it my best shot...
22 October 2006
Flugtag
First of all, congrats to Gillian and Mark, who just had a baby girl named Ellie. Haven't seen Ellie yet, but I'm heading home to Chi-town this weekend before going to Illinois to recruit for a couple days. So perhaps I'll see her then.
On to the less important stuff... Yesterday I went to Baltimore with Partha. We met up with Emily and Josh and went down to the inner harbor to watch the Flugtag, which is a competition for the furthest distance flown by a human powered aircraft pushed off of a platform above harbor. Most of them dropped like a rock. I have to say that I was expecting a little more flight and a little less crashing. But that's just the enginerd in me.
Also yesterday, I had my blue bicycle stolen and recovered. I left my house and went to get my bike (locked to a no parking sign at the corner) to ride to the metro, and the bike was gone. I was kinda bummed. It's like a family member that's been with first Marty and now me for years and years. Anyway, I shrugged and started walking to the metro. At the end of my block I walked by this middle school, and when I got to the other side of it, there was my bike with three n'er-do-wells. The were like 36 years old... combined, that is. So I figured I could take the 80 pound kids. I just walked up, took my bike, and walked away. Then I got on and rode to the metro. No words were spoken. They just cowered. Apparently I'm tremendously intimidating to 12 year olds.
So the reason the bike was stolen was that I hadn't locked it up. When I have to ride home from the metro at night, I usually hold my U-lock in my hand while I ride instead of locking it back into its holder, just in case I have to crack a skull or two with it. Then (and I've done this once before too) when I got home, I leaned my bike up against the no parking sign, and proceeded to lock the lock back in its holder instead of locking the bike up. Dumb dumb dumb, but remember who we're dealing with here.
I got new wine glasses today. They were cheap even though they're fabulous. Thanks Crate & Barrel Outlet!
On to the less important stuff... Yesterday I went to Baltimore with Partha. We met up with Emily and Josh and went down to the inner harbor to watch the Flugtag, which is a competition for the furthest distance flown by a human powered aircraft pushed off of a platform above harbor. Most of them dropped like a rock. I have to say that I was expecting a little more flight and a little less crashing. But that's just the enginerd in me.
Also yesterday, I had my blue bicycle stolen and recovered. I left my house and went to get my bike (locked to a no parking sign at the corner) to ride to the metro, and the bike was gone. I was kinda bummed. It's like a family member that's been with first Marty and now me for years and years. Anyway, I shrugged and started walking to the metro. At the end of my block I walked by this middle school, and when I got to the other side of it, there was my bike with three n'er-do-wells. The were like 36 years old... combined, that is. So I figured I could take the 80 pound kids. I just walked up, took my bike, and walked away. Then I got on and rode to the metro. No words were spoken. They just cowered. Apparently I'm tremendously intimidating to 12 year olds.
So the reason the bike was stolen was that I hadn't locked it up. When I have to ride home from the metro at night, I usually hold my U-lock in my hand while I ride instead of locking it back into its holder, just in case I have to crack a skull or two with it. Then (and I've done this once before too) when I got home, I leaned my bike up against the no parking sign, and proceeded to lock the lock back in its holder instead of locking the bike up. Dumb dumb dumb, but remember who we're dealing with here.
I got new wine glasses today. They were cheap even though they're fabulous. Thanks Crate & Barrel Outlet!
12 October 2006
07 October 2006
??
Well, it's one of the first Saturdays in a while where I haven't been busy... in Chicago or mountain biking or stuck at work all day or franticly completing some school project. Slept in. Drank coffee. Installed a rack and some panniers on my blue cruiser bike. These should help me reduce my Flexcar costs. Took some pics...
Here's the rack. Took me a while to get this on there... Some of the hardware wouldn't cooperate. But (start evil Eastern European voice) we have ways of making uncooperative hardware cooperate...
Then here are the panniers. Their hardware also wouldn't cooperate. The bottom hooks were installed on the panniers backwards. But I took those fuckers off and put them on correctly...
Anyway, I'm going to head over to Trader Joe's pretty soon and test these bad boys out.
Went to concert last night at National Geographic w Amanda and Christina and a few of their friends. It was a pretty interesting evening. We saw Emmanuel Jal, who is a Sudanese rapper and former child soldier in the civil war. Among the reasons I thought it was interesting is that is was like 500 white people in this room to see this guy. 501 when you include me. I guess that's good... getting the message out and all. But I kind of wondered what was going through this guy's head while he was doing his thing. Anyway, they had FREE DRINKS! The concert was part of this All Roads Film Project which "showcases breakthrough film and still photography from indigenous and under represented minority cultures around the globe." We managed to get in via some friends of friends who are working at the festival. Jal was pretty good and the whole thing was rather interesting.
Went to housewarming party at Emily and Josh's new place last weekend. Their new place is ginormous. Miles was in from Maine, where he moved last spring. Sounds like perhaps he's thinking of moving back, or at least somewhere other than Maine. Anyway, party was fun. I crashed there about 2AM and set my alarm for 4AM so I'd have time to get my Flexcar back in time. But alarm didn't go off (or I slept through it, which is a v infrequent occurrence, but when alcohol is involved...) so I woke up way late, managed to schedule the car for an other hour, and made it back to Alexandria just in time.
Weekend before last I was in Chicago. Pics here. Saw MK's new apt, which he is moving out of soon anyway. Saw the fam. Went to the KLS Foundation fundraiser.
Weekend before that I went mountain biking w Amanda, Christina, Gordon, and others in Virginia wine country. Pics here. Quite hilly and hard and fun. Afterwards we hung out at Chrysalis Vineyard and ate food and drank wine. Not too much wine though, as then I drove back to DC. I rented a Honda Element from Flexcar to put our bikes in. I got there kinda late, as the quick release on my front wheel busted like five minutes before I was ready to go. Had to stop at two bike stores to find one to purchase.
OK, I guess that's all I have for now...
Here's the rack. Took me a while to get this on there... Some of the hardware wouldn't cooperate. But (start evil Eastern European voice) we have ways of making uncooperative hardware cooperate...
Then here are the panniers. Their hardware also wouldn't cooperate. The bottom hooks were installed on the panniers backwards. But I took those fuckers off and put them on correctly...
Anyway, I'm going to head over to Trader Joe's pretty soon and test these bad boys out.
Went to concert last night at National Geographic w Amanda and Christina and a few of their friends. It was a pretty interesting evening. We saw Emmanuel Jal, who is a Sudanese rapper and former child soldier in the civil war. Among the reasons I thought it was interesting is that is was like 500 white people in this room to see this guy. 501 when you include me. I guess that's good... getting the message out and all. But I kind of wondered what was going through this guy's head while he was doing his thing. Anyway, they had FREE DRINKS! The concert was part of this All Roads Film Project which "showcases breakthrough film and still photography from indigenous and under represented minority cultures around the globe." We managed to get in via some friends of friends who are working at the festival. Jal was pretty good and the whole thing was rather interesting.
Went to housewarming party at Emily and Josh's new place last weekend. Their new place is ginormous. Miles was in from Maine, where he moved last spring. Sounds like perhaps he's thinking of moving back, or at least somewhere other than Maine. Anyway, party was fun. I crashed there about 2AM and set my alarm for 4AM so I'd have time to get my Flexcar back in time. But alarm didn't go off (or I slept through it, which is a v infrequent occurrence, but when alcohol is involved...) so I woke up way late, managed to schedule the car for an other hour, and made it back to Alexandria just in time.
Weekend before last I was in Chicago. Pics here. Saw MK's new apt, which he is moving out of soon anyway. Saw the fam. Went to the KLS Foundation fundraiser.
Weekend before that I went mountain biking w Amanda, Christina, Gordon, and others in Virginia wine country. Pics here. Quite hilly and hard and fun. Afterwards we hung out at Chrysalis Vineyard and ate food and drank wine. Not too much wine though, as then I drove back to DC. I rented a Honda Element from Flexcar to put our bikes in. I got there kinda late, as the quick release on my front wheel busted like five minutes before I was ready to go. Had to stop at two bike stores to find one to purchase.
OK, I guess that's all I have for now...
27 August 2006
tdope on the table
OK, you'll never pick that title up, so I should explain it's an adaptation from a Wire episode. I'm infatuated with the Wire now. You should be too. It's on Netflix, and you should add Season 1 to your queue right now...
Haven't posted in a little while. I been one busy M.F. Major events since I last posted... Melissa had a phat birthday party. Kai and I passed the police on our way out. Several peeps are moving. Mike and Michelle are moving to Boston soon... today maybe? I can't remember. We went out Thursday and got our eat and drink on in kind of a serious way... I was dragging Friday. Anyway, they're dead to me now. Sarah is moving to LA for grad school next week. Speaking of people who live in different places, Steve Chin and his girlfriend Catherine paid DC a visit yesterday. Met them and Kai out for dinner and then drinks and then dancing. That f-ing club was so loud I still can't hear anything. A few weeks ago Sarah and I went to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic men's quarterfinals with Oscar, his gf Linda, and Vinod. Pics here. That was my first time watching live professional tennis. It was pretty cool. We saw Safin beat Moodie in singles, and the Bryan brothers beat Thomas and Goldstein in doubles. Busy busy at work, but enjoying my new office. Might go to U of I in October to recruit for FERC. Going home in September (as I believe I mentioned in a previous email). Saw Guster at Wolftrap w Pia and others. Attended a going away happy hour for Jesse. He isn't moving, but he left FERC to go grad school for architecture at Maryland. Before he left he and I went to the green building exhibit at the National Building Museum, which btw is now my favorite museum. There was a specific exhibit at the NBM a few weeks ago about green roofs that I was supposed to go to w Sarah, but something came up and I missed it. Anyway, I found out a coworker of mine just put one on her house in DC, and she was telling me about it and it sounds really cool. I'm gonna try to convince my dad to put one on part of his house (that top part of the dormer above the back of the bedrooms, if you know the house). Back to Jesse, he wants to specialize in green buildings. I'm pretty sure that will be more interesting than boring energy regulation.
In home improvement, I just finished replacing my kitchen faucet, and and almost done replacing my bathroom faucet. Got some money faucets at Lowes yesterday. Figured I'm gonna be here for a while most likely, so I'd put some nice digs in. (I kept the old ones so I can stick em back in before I move...) The kitchen faucet has a filter deal integrated right into the regular faucet, and it has a sweet little sprayer, which I really really wanted. The whole filter thing was going to be a problem when/if I get a portable dishwasher, as my Brita screw-on filter was in the way of the dw hookup. Here's the new kitchen f:
Then here's the bathroom f. It's really high, which is what I wanted. I'm not quite done with this mf though. I gotta go to the hardware store today and get a couple new supply lines. The old ones were in bad shape.
I also got these bed risers and stuffed a bunch of my crap under my bed. And I mean a ton of stuff... All nine of those plastic drawers went under there, as well a these two huge clothing storage things and a bunch of boxes and other stuff.
Well, good luck to y'all moving on to other things. I mean, you're dead to me, but good luck anyway...
Haven't posted in a little while. I been one busy M.F. Major events since I last posted... Melissa had a phat birthday party. Kai and I passed the police on our way out. Several peeps are moving. Mike and Michelle are moving to Boston soon... today maybe? I can't remember. We went out Thursday and got our eat and drink on in kind of a serious way... I was dragging Friday. Anyway, they're dead to me now. Sarah is moving to LA for grad school next week. Speaking of people who live in different places, Steve Chin and his girlfriend Catherine paid DC a visit yesterday. Met them and Kai out for dinner and then drinks and then dancing. That f-ing club was so loud I still can't hear anything. A few weeks ago Sarah and I went to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic men's quarterfinals with Oscar, his gf Linda, and Vinod. Pics here. That was my first time watching live professional tennis. It was pretty cool. We saw Safin beat Moodie in singles, and the Bryan brothers beat Thomas and Goldstein in doubles. Busy busy at work, but enjoying my new office. Might go to U of I in October to recruit for FERC. Going home in September (as I believe I mentioned in a previous email). Saw Guster at Wolftrap w Pia and others. Attended a going away happy hour for Jesse. He isn't moving, but he left FERC to go grad school for architecture at Maryland. Before he left he and I went to the green building exhibit at the National Building Museum, which btw is now my favorite museum. There was a specific exhibit at the NBM a few weeks ago about green roofs that I was supposed to go to w Sarah, but something came up and I missed it. Anyway, I found out a coworker of mine just put one on her house in DC, and she was telling me about it and it sounds really cool. I'm gonna try to convince my dad to put one on part of his house (that top part of the dormer above the back of the bedrooms, if you know the house). Back to Jesse, he wants to specialize in green buildings. I'm pretty sure that will be more interesting than boring energy regulation.
In home improvement, I just finished replacing my kitchen faucet, and and almost done replacing my bathroom faucet. Got some money faucets at Lowes yesterday. Figured I'm gonna be here for a while most likely, so I'd put some nice digs in. (I kept the old ones so I can stick em back in before I move...) The kitchen faucet has a filter deal integrated right into the regular faucet, and it has a sweet little sprayer, which I really really wanted. The whole filter thing was going to be a problem when/if I get a portable dishwasher, as my Brita screw-on filter was in the way of the dw hookup. Here's the new kitchen f:
Then here's the bathroom f. It's really high, which is what I wanted. I'm not quite done with this mf though. I gotta go to the hardware store today and get a couple new supply lines. The old ones were in bad shape.
I also got these bed risers and stuffed a bunch of my crap under my bed. And I mean a ton of stuff... All nine of those plastic drawers went under there, as well a these two huge clothing storage things and a bunch of boxes and other stuff.
Well, good luck to y'all moving on to other things. I mean, you're dead to me, but good luck anyway...
23 July 2006
31
That's how old I am now.
Let's see, since last time we spoke I sold my car to a nice young lady from Texas who is crazy and won't stop emailing me for stuff. The other day she emailed me asking her to call her about a problem she was having registering the car. Seems two weeks after I sold it she still didn't have it registered, and was trying to get it registered that day to drive it across VA to where she'll be going to school. Anyway, she was running into bureaucratic troubles and wanted to know if she could please please borrow my license plates. I was like, "Ehhhh, no."
The blue bike MK "rescued" from Champaign is near death. I'm going to have to replace it with something soon, as that's my main way of getting to/from the metro.
I've been battling with Flexcar over a few things. Most recently, I got pulled over in Alexandria because the license plate had expired in March! And this was on my birthday to boot! Anyway, for some reason I can't stop thinking about how Flexcar could improve their operations. I really should quit my job and open my own carsharing business. I think I could really kick Flexcar's ass at this.
Lots of parties this weekend. Pia had a going away party for Mike and Michelle on Friday, for which we made a trip to Laurel to procure a keg. Then Katie had a house-selling party today. I forgot my camera today, but I have pictures of Pia's keggar below.
Massive office relocations at work, and as a result I will now have my very own (and very small) office. No window or anything, but it's moving in the right direction. I mostly got lucky, as they have lots of single offices on the floor I moved to, so even peons like me can get an office. I'm told this is really really lucky for working in the fed government, where in other agencies even senior staff frequently spend their entire careers in cubicles. Anyway, I'm happy about that.
I'm coming home the weekend of Sept 23 for the KLS fundraiser. It's always fun and a good cause, so if you're in Chicago and don't already know about it, let me know and I'll send you the details. Also, as I'm only home for a few days, anyone I can see that evening will help me make efficient use of my time home.
Let's see, since last time we spoke I sold my car to a nice young lady from Texas who is crazy and won't stop emailing me for stuff. The other day she emailed me asking her to call her about a problem she was having registering the car. Seems two weeks after I sold it she still didn't have it registered, and was trying to get it registered that day to drive it across VA to where she'll be going to school. Anyway, she was running into bureaucratic troubles and wanted to know if she could please please borrow my license plates. I was like, "Ehhhh, no."
The blue bike MK "rescued" from Champaign is near death. I'm going to have to replace it with something soon, as that's my main way of getting to/from the metro.
I've been battling with Flexcar over a few things. Most recently, I got pulled over in Alexandria because the license plate had expired in March! And this was on my birthday to boot! Anyway, for some reason I can't stop thinking about how Flexcar could improve their operations. I really should quit my job and open my own carsharing business. I think I could really kick Flexcar's ass at this.
Lots of parties this weekend. Pia had a going away party for Mike and Michelle on Friday, for which we made a trip to Laurel to procure a keg. Then Katie had a house-selling party today. I forgot my camera today, but I have pictures of Pia's keggar below.
Massive office relocations at work, and as a result I will now have my very own (and very small) office. No window or anything, but it's moving in the right direction. I mostly got lucky, as they have lots of single offices on the floor I moved to, so even peons like me can get an office. I'm told this is really really lucky for working in the fed government, where in other agencies even senior staff frequently spend their entire careers in cubicles. Anyway, I'm happy about that.
I'm coming home the weekend of Sept 23 for the KLS fundraiser. It's always fun and a good cause, so if you're in Chicago and don't already know about it, let me know and I'll send you the details. Also, as I'm only home for a few days, anyone I can see that evening will help me make efficient use of my time home.
04 July 2006
Happy B-Day Mom
Update...
Have been trying to sell my car for a while. And a bunch of other stuff. I have a whole Craigslist account now. No luck yet.
I had an incident at Lachelle's birthday party at Home Lounge a couple weeks ago. Long story, but the gist is this... When I got there I started a tab, for which they made me give a credit card (normal) and drivers license (weird). After being there for several hours, I went to close out my tab and go home. They insisted I pay a $25 minimum charge on my credit card, even though I had only two drinks. I said no, and pointed out that they hadn't told me that up front. (I didn't have cash or my ATM card, as I had used it a week or two earlier to buy a Father's Day gift online, and it sat next to my computer for a while, so my CC was the only way I could pay.) Anyway, they refused to give me my card and ID back, and were terribly rude and disrespectful. So I went outside and called the police, who came an hour later and made them give me my stuff back and close me out for the cost of the two drinks. When I called the nonemergency police number, I told them I was embarrassed to be involving them in my silly dispute, and that I would be happy to resolve this the next day when they weren't so busy. But the dispatcher thought that the fact that they had my ID was a big deal that they needed to deal with right away. And they did. Mad props to the DC po po.
Spent a couple of days this weekend building shelves to augment my dismal amount of storage space. (See last four or so photos here.) I am a shelf master now. I also have an idea to get a bed that is high off the ground so I can store stuff under there. But that will be a few paychecks away. Anyway, with the shelves I built this weekend, I have almost gotten everything in my apartment unpacked. Just got a bit of art to hang up. I hung up my bathroom art, the charcoal drawing of the boy peeing. It's so awesome to finally be able to hang up my tasteless kitchy art without having to worry about offending my homeowners or their children.
Elaina was in DC this weekend. We got some sushi and hung w some of her peeps at Brickskeller last night.
My cousin Colleen, who weighs about 90 lbs., is going to Iraq with the Army in a week. We have to say she is going to "France" when we are around her little sister. Anyway, they had a big send off party today at one of my relative's houses today, and I felt moderately guilty for missing it. Also missed my mother's birthday today. My sister and I got her (my mother) gift cards so she could buy some art she wanted at Target. (Yes, my mother has very champagne tastes when it comes to where she purchases her art.) Anyway, my sister called and said she got mom a gift card for $50, so naturally I had to get mom a card for $51, just to ensure that I remain her favorite child. The dude at Target was like, "Really? $51?" Yep, really.
Have been trying to sell my car for a while. And a bunch of other stuff. I have a whole Craigslist account now. No luck yet.
I had an incident at Lachelle's birthday party at Home Lounge a couple weeks ago. Long story, but the gist is this... When I got there I started a tab, for which they made me give a credit card (normal) and drivers license (weird). After being there for several hours, I went to close out my tab and go home. They insisted I pay a $25 minimum charge on my credit card, even though I had only two drinks. I said no, and pointed out that they hadn't told me that up front. (I didn't have cash or my ATM card, as I had used it a week or two earlier to buy a Father's Day gift online, and it sat next to my computer for a while, so my CC was the only way I could pay.) Anyway, they refused to give me my card and ID back, and were terribly rude and disrespectful. So I went outside and called the police, who came an hour later and made them give me my stuff back and close me out for the cost of the two drinks. When I called the nonemergency police number, I told them I was embarrassed to be involving them in my silly dispute, and that I would be happy to resolve this the next day when they weren't so busy. But the dispatcher thought that the fact that they had my ID was a big deal that they needed to deal with right away. And they did. Mad props to the DC po po.
Spent a couple of days this weekend building shelves to augment my dismal amount of storage space. (See last four or so photos here.) I am a shelf master now. I also have an idea to get a bed that is high off the ground so I can store stuff under there. But that will be a few paychecks away. Anyway, with the shelves I built this weekend, I have almost gotten everything in my apartment unpacked. Just got a bit of art to hang up. I hung up my bathroom art, the charcoal drawing of the boy peeing. It's so awesome to finally be able to hang up my tasteless kitchy art without having to worry about offending my homeowners or their children.
Elaina was in DC this weekend. We got some sushi and hung w some of her peeps at Brickskeller last night.
My cousin Colleen, who weighs about 90 lbs., is going to Iraq with the Army in a week. We have to say she is going to "France" when we are around her little sister. Anyway, they had a big send off party today at one of my relative's houses today, and I felt moderately guilty for missing it. Also missed my mother's birthday today. My sister and I got her (my mother) gift cards so she could buy some art she wanted at Target. (Yes, my mother has very champagne tastes when it comes to where she purchases her art.) Anyway, my sister called and said she got mom a gift card for $50, so naturally I had to get mom a card for $51, just to ensure that I remain her favorite child. The dude at Target was like, "Really? $51?" Yep, really.
23 June 2006
Nerd Stuff
Today (my day off) I resolved to fix a bunch of problems on my computer that really annoy me. It took me a little while to research some of this stuff on Microsoft's support pages, so I thought I'd put some of this on here for y'all's sake.
Autoplay. This is what happens when you insert removable media (e.g., memory stick, iPod) or connect an external drive. Anyway, I find it really annoying. When I connect media, a window comes up that asks me what I want to do with that type of media (open folder, play, etc.). It gives you an option to not have Windows ask you this again, but that option has never worked for me. Anyway, I have found out that Microsoft has a little webpage where people have written little add-ons for XP, kind of like open source, except it's semi-sponsored by Microsoft. The page is called Microsoft PowerToys, which I know sounds a little dirty. Anyway, one of these PowerToys is "Tweak UI," and it is a little program that lets you set all of these options that you don't otherwise have access to, or that you have to edit your registry to set. I just downloaded Tweak UI (make sure you get the right one, there are two on the page, don't get the one for that special processor), ran the install, and then started Tweak UI from the new PowerToys folder in my Start menu. Then, once Tweak UI is open, select (in Tweak UI) My Computer, and then Autoplay, and then Drives. Unclick all of the drives. It looks like this...
Then go to Types and unclick all of the types. Then this will never annoy you again. I had to restart my computer for it to take effect. Oh, the types window looks like this...
There are lots of other fun looking things on PowerToys. For instance, they have this program that you can set to have your camera take photos at a set interval while you're gone (Webcam Timershot). You're probably not as paranoid as I am, but I'm sure while I'm gone that my landlord is breaking in and taking naps in my bed. If I had a webcam (which I don't) I could catch him in the act. Also, for you serious photogs there is a cool screen color control application (to calibrate screen color easiliy, I think), and a RAW file format viewer/printer. I haven't tried these other PowerToys, but maybe soon...
Second, I have always had conflicts between my XP-based wireless card controller and the Linksys controller that came with the card. And I always get confused, because one loads before the other, and the icons don't show up correctly, and then things get screwed up. I did a little research and found that you should only have one or the other controller running. The XP controller works better, I think. You can turn off your Linksys controller by going to Start -> Run -> type in msconfig and hit return. Select the Startup tab. Then look for your wireless controller. Mine says "Wireless G Notebook Adapter" and says linksys in the command column. It looks like this...
While you're at it, you can turn off the following if you don't want them running: MS Messenger (MSMSGS), Qucktime Startup Loader (qttask), annoying HP software that starts at startup for any of you with HP printers (HP Digital Imaging Monitor), annoying iTunes software that starts at startup for you guys w iTunes (iTunesHelper). I don't find that these things do anything helpful, but the make my system tray huge, and seem to slow down my computer. They certainly make my computer take like twice as long to start Windows. Anyway, if turning off any of this stuff causes problems (like your wireless internet doesn't work or something), you can just come back here and turn it back on.
How's that for two nerdy blog posts in a row?
It rained like an SOB last night. Serious serious lightning. I loved it.
Autoplay. This is what happens when you insert removable media (e.g., memory stick, iPod) or connect an external drive. Anyway, I find it really annoying. When I connect media, a window comes up that asks me what I want to do with that type of media (open folder, play, etc.). It gives you an option to not have Windows ask you this again, but that option has never worked for me. Anyway, I have found out that Microsoft has a little webpage where people have written little add-ons for XP, kind of like open source, except it's semi-sponsored by Microsoft. The page is called Microsoft PowerToys, which I know sounds a little dirty. Anyway, one of these PowerToys is "Tweak UI," and it is a little program that lets you set all of these options that you don't otherwise have access to, or that you have to edit your registry to set. I just downloaded Tweak UI (make sure you get the right one, there are two on the page, don't get the one for that special processor), ran the install, and then started Tweak UI from the new PowerToys folder in my Start menu. Then, once Tweak UI is open, select (in Tweak UI) My Computer, and then Autoplay, and then Drives. Unclick all of the drives. It looks like this...
Then go to Types and unclick all of the types. Then this will never annoy you again. I had to restart my computer for it to take effect. Oh, the types window looks like this...
There are lots of other fun looking things on PowerToys. For instance, they have this program that you can set to have your camera take photos at a set interval while you're gone (Webcam Timershot). You're probably not as paranoid as I am, but I'm sure while I'm gone that my landlord is breaking in and taking naps in my bed. If I had a webcam (which I don't) I could catch him in the act. Also, for you serious photogs there is a cool screen color control application (to calibrate screen color easiliy, I think), and a RAW file format viewer/printer. I haven't tried these other PowerToys, but maybe soon...
Second, I have always had conflicts between my XP-based wireless card controller and the Linksys controller that came with the card. And I always get confused, because one loads before the other, and the icons don't show up correctly, and then things get screwed up. I did a little research and found that you should only have one or the other controller running. The XP controller works better, I think. You can turn off your Linksys controller by going to Start -> Run -> type in msconfig and hit return. Select the Startup tab. Then look for your wireless controller. Mine says "Wireless G Notebook Adapter" and says linksys in the command column. It looks like this...
While you're at it, you can turn off the following if you don't want them running: MS Messenger (MSMSGS), Qucktime Startup Loader (qttask), annoying HP software that starts at startup for any of you with HP printers (HP Digital Imaging Monitor), annoying iTunes software that starts at startup for you guys w iTunes (iTunesHelper). I don't find that these things do anything helpful, but the make my system tray huge, and seem to slow down my computer. They certainly make my computer take like twice as long to start Windows. Anyway, if turning off any of this stuff causes problems (like your wireless internet doesn't work or something), you can just come back here and turn it back on.
How's that for two nerdy blog posts in a row?
It rained like an SOB last night. Serious serious lightning. I loved it.
19 June 2006
Home Sick (as opposed to homesick)
I'm home sick. I think I'll be back at work tomorrow though... feeling much better.
OK, here are the pictures of the new place. Still not quite together. BTW, I'm getting rid of one of those yellow swivel chairs. If you want one, let me know. Otherwise, I'm gonna sell it on Craigslist.
I'm in the middle of trying to kill the bugs on one of my plants. I'm told by high plant authority (Mary) that this particular type of bug can't survive below 68 degrees. So my AC is cranked, and I have to leave it at 67 for two or three days. It feels awfully cold.
BTW, I'm selling my car. I was going to do it on ebay, then I found out they charge like $100 to sell a vehicle. Jeesh! Rip off artists. I'm not sure why they need more money to sell a vehicle than a baseball card, or why their fees for cars are unrelated to the sale price. $100 might be ok for selling a $40,000 luxury car, but for my little old car it was way too steep. Anyway, I'm ditching the car and getting Flexcar. Actually, I have already been testing out Flexcar for the last month or so, and now I'm making the full switch. If you wanna join Flexcar, let me know as we both get cash if I refer you.
Finally got my Skype going, so if you are one of my Skypers and have been missing me, I'm back. I hadn't gotten around to installing Skype after I reinstalled my Windows XP a while back. Last night while talking to my dad on the cel my battery went dead, and I figured it was time to get Skype going, especially since I made him buy those headphones and everything. If you're not a Skyper, you should become one. All you need is a headset (er, and a computer, which I assume you have if you're reading this). I got this Logitech headset for like $40 that plugs in through my USB port (my experience has been that the headsets that plug in through the headphones and mic port don't work very well... had to return a few of those, but the USB headset works great... sounds better than my cel line or my land line). And you can download Skype for free here. (No adware or spyware, they swear.) Calls to other Skypers and land/cel phones in the US are free, and calls to people with telephones in other countries are at various rates. Skype should really pay me for this ad, huh? You can talk OR text chat on Skype, so you can join even if you don't have a headset. Or if you want to go the other way, a few of my peeps have cameras and use Skype video. I don't have a camera. My little sister wants me to get one though... Might do it for her.
OK, here are the pictures of the new place. Still not quite together. BTW, I'm getting rid of one of those yellow swivel chairs. If you want one, let me know. Otherwise, I'm gonna sell it on Craigslist.
I'm in the middle of trying to kill the bugs on one of my plants. I'm told by high plant authority (Mary) that this particular type of bug can't survive below 68 degrees. So my AC is cranked, and I have to leave it at 67 for two or three days. It feels awfully cold.
BTW, I'm selling my car. I was going to do it on ebay, then I found out they charge like $100 to sell a vehicle. Jeesh! Rip off artists. I'm not sure why they need more money to sell a vehicle than a baseball card, or why their fees for cars are unrelated to the sale price. $100 might be ok for selling a $40,000 luxury car, but for my little old car it was way too steep. Anyway, I'm ditching the car and getting Flexcar. Actually, I have already been testing out Flexcar for the last month or so, and now I'm making the full switch. If you wanna join Flexcar, let me know as we both get cash if I refer you.
Finally got my Skype going, so if you are one of my Skypers and have been missing me, I'm back. I hadn't gotten around to installing Skype after I reinstalled my Windows XP a while back. Last night while talking to my dad on the cel my battery went dead, and I figured it was time to get Skype going, especially since I made him buy those headphones and everything. If you're not a Skyper, you should become one. All you need is a headset (er, and a computer, which I assume you have if you're reading this). I got this Logitech headset for like $40 that plugs in through my USB port (my experience has been that the headsets that plug in through the headphones and mic port don't work very well... had to return a few of those, but the USB headset works great... sounds better than my cel line or my land line). And you can download Skype for free here. (No adware or spyware, they swear.) Calls to other Skypers and land/cel phones in the US are free, and calls to people with telephones in other countries are at various rates. Skype should really pay me for this ad, huh? You can talk OR text chat on Skype, so you can join even if you don't have a headset. Or if you want to go the other way, a few of my peeps have cameras and use Skype video. I don't have a camera. My little sister wants me to get one though... Might do it for her.
11 June 2006
Ok ok ok...
Jeesh. I'll make a post already.
The reason for the posting hiatus: moving, school, work. etc. I know in my last post I said that I just had to "get serious" about looking for an apartment. But as it turns out, I found one like a week later, and had to move a week after that. And if any of you know me well enough, then you know that it takes me like a month or two to unpack. I'm still not really done... crap all over my place. I'm hoping to get it really cleaned up in the next week or so. I'll have some pictures then. I'm still cleaning the huge Silver Spring house.
So yes, I moved from Silver Spring, Maryland to Alexandria, Virginia. The new place is just across the street and down a building or two from where Kai lives. He had a nice and pretty cheap apartment. I put in a call to his rental place, and they called me back and basically said that I had to take it immediately (after seeing it), or they would rent it to someone else. Turned out pretty good, as I seem to like the place. Second floor of a four flat. So I got two neighbors below, and one next to me. All wood floors (but, ah ha!, I have my new area rug!). Five or ten minute walk from the Braddock Road metro station. Right near George Washington Memorial Parkway trail right along the Potomac, which I can run/bike all the way down (10 miles) to Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home), or all the way up (18 miles) to Great Falls. And being on a metro stop, I no longer have to take a stupid bus to get to work. I just fixed the old blue bike that Marty "rescued" from U of I, and I can ride that to the metro in about three minutes.
Also just joined Flexcar. I decided to get rid of my car. I'm going to ditch it any day now. Maybe next weekend.
Also also, a team I was on at work just finished the first phase of a big project we have going. It's too boring to talk about here, but we're done w it, that's the important part. So after months of being crazy busy, first with that renewable/cogeneration project, and now w this, I finally have a relatively normal work schedule. I just noticed that, if you go to www.ferc.gov, the two projects I just was on are both of the two top "advertised" projects on the website (OATT reform and new regulations for Qualifying Facilities).
Anyway, so I am in a new place that is considerably smaller than my five bedroom house, but I still have plenty of room for visitors. I have a pull out sofa and a queen Aerobed. So keep that in mind...
OK, I'm out...
The reason for the posting hiatus: moving, school, work. etc. I know in my last post I said that I just had to "get serious" about looking for an apartment. But as it turns out, I found one like a week later, and had to move a week after that. And if any of you know me well enough, then you know that it takes me like a month or two to unpack. I'm still not really done... crap all over my place. I'm hoping to get it really cleaned up in the next week or so. I'll have some pictures then. I'm still cleaning the huge Silver Spring house.
So yes, I moved from Silver Spring, Maryland to Alexandria, Virginia. The new place is just across the street and down a building or two from where Kai lives. He had a nice and pretty cheap apartment. I put in a call to his rental place, and they called me back and basically said that I had to take it immediately (after seeing it), or they would rent it to someone else. Turned out pretty good, as I seem to like the place. Second floor of a four flat. So I got two neighbors below, and one next to me. All wood floors (but, ah ha!, I have my new area rug!). Five or ten minute walk from the Braddock Road metro station. Right near George Washington Memorial Parkway trail right along the Potomac, which I can run/bike all the way down (10 miles) to Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home), or all the way up (18 miles) to Great Falls. And being on a metro stop, I no longer have to take a stupid bus to get to work. I just fixed the old blue bike that Marty "rescued" from U of I, and I can ride that to the metro in about three minutes.
Also just joined Flexcar. I decided to get rid of my car. I'm going to ditch it any day now. Maybe next weekend.
Also also, a team I was on at work just finished the first phase of a big project we have going. It's too boring to talk about here, but we're done w it, that's the important part. So after months of being crazy busy, first with that renewable/cogeneration project, and now w this, I finally have a relatively normal work schedule. I just noticed that, if you go to www.ferc.gov, the two projects I just was on are both of the two top "advertised" projects on the website (OATT reform and new regulations for Qualifying Facilities).
Anyway, so I am in a new place that is considerably smaller than my five bedroom house, but I still have plenty of room for visitors. I have a pull out sofa and a queen Aerobed. So keep that in mind...
OK, I'm out...
30 April 2006
One More Week...
OK, updates since last post... I'm almost done with my class. Gave presentation last Friday. Have paper due this week. That's pretty much made me socially nonexistent the past two weeks, with a few exceptions. Oh, one of the exceptions was a little Virginia vineyard tour I did last Saturday.
We're also hard at work at work. I got two projects going on. The first I can't talk about. It's top secret, but might be wrapping up. The second was publicly unveiled this week (or was it the previous week?). It's a new website about renewable and cogeneration power plants that I wrote. Takee a look. There's a menu on the right that takes you to all of the eight subpages (lest you think I only wrote one silly little page).
Got quote for having rug cleaned... $200. Four times the price of the rug. But still I think that $250 for a good rug is pretty good.
Went to a concert at the 9:30 Club on Friday. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. They rocked out. Go to iTunes right now and buy you some Antibalas. Who Is This America? is the disc I just bought. If you want some individual songs, try you some Big Man or Indictment or Who Is This America Dem Speak of Today.
Then, whoever it was that recommended A Life Less Ordinary is now out of my will. Luckily for them, I can't remember who it is.
Looking ahead... I finish this class when I email my paper Friday. Then I have to start being very serious about finding me an apartment. Also have to start preparing to take me the GRE so I can actually apply to this program that I'm pretending to be in at the moment. I also fully intend to run my first triathlon in at least a few years this fall, so gotta start preparing for that.
We're also hard at work at work. I got two projects going on. The first I can't talk about. It's top secret, but might be wrapping up. The second was publicly unveiled this week (or was it the previous week?). It's a new website about renewable and cogeneration power plants that I wrote. Takee a look. There's a menu on the right that takes you to all of the eight subpages (lest you think I only wrote one silly little page).
Got quote for having rug cleaned... $200. Four times the price of the rug. But still I think that $250 for a good rug is pretty good.
Went to a concert at the 9:30 Club on Friday. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. They rocked out. Go to iTunes right now and buy you some Antibalas. Who Is This America? is the disc I just bought. If you want some individual songs, try you some Big Man or Indictment or Who Is This America Dem Speak of Today.
Then, whoever it was that recommended A Life Less Ordinary is now out of my will. Luckily for them, I can't remember who it is.
Looking ahead... I finish this class when I email my paper Friday. Then I have to start being very serious about finding me an apartment. Also have to start preparing to take me the GRE so I can actually apply to this program that I'm pretending to be in at the moment. I also fully intend to run my first triathlon in at least a few years this fall, so gotta start preparing for that.
15 April 2006
Happy Easter
To celebrate Easter right, I'm taking a moment this evening to listen to David Sedaris read from one of his essays about how Easter is celebrated in France. It will make you pee your pants. It starts at 47:15 of this This American Life archive broadcast, so be sure to skip ahead to that time.
Oh, so much has happened since last we spoke. The biggest news right now is that I am the proud owner of a huge area rug formerly owned by Dorothy Hamill. I purchased it today. I really wish I had more pictures of the ordeal of getting this thing home. It was in a warehouse in Baltimore. I had to schlep this thing, which weighs about 200 pounds, back to my house in Silver Spring. First I went to Home Depot and bought two 2x4s and one 2x6. Then I screwed them together to make a beam with lips on the side that the rug could ride in on top of my roof rack. It worked well, but it was still a bitch to get this rug on the roof of my car. We rolled it up and got it up there and strapped it all down. Myles helped w that, but I had to get it off of my car and into my house all by myself. I nearly got a hernia. Anyway, I have some pictures... Check them out.
The rug is intended to go in the place that I move to. I have nowhere to put it currently, except in my hallway. I'll get it cleaned before I move in June.
Aside from that... Oh, Kai turned 30, so I'm not the only old man in DC anymore. I had seven light bulbs burn out within three days of each other. Someone stole my outdoor garbage can... and they took the garbage in it too! I haven't found an apartment yet, although I'm #3 on the waiting list to move into Kai's group of buildings. Other than that I'm having a hard time even finding listings for June yet. Very strange. On the other side of things, I helped write an apartment ad for my dad and step-mother's new apartment in Glenview. I hear they have some calls already. Almost done with class for the semester. Just got a presentation in two weeks, and a paper to turn in the week after that. Then I might see if I can do some kinda independent study for the summer. Or maybe I'll take a real class, I dunno. Actually, maybe I'll just study for the GRE. Might be a better idea.
Today I went through old floppy disks. A million of them. I transferred what was important to my hard drive, and threw the rest away. It was interesting to read all of my old papers and resumes. And maybe a little scary.
Oh, so much has happened since last we spoke. The biggest news right now is that I am the proud owner of a huge area rug formerly owned by Dorothy Hamill. I purchased it today. I really wish I had more pictures of the ordeal of getting this thing home. It was in a warehouse in Baltimore. I had to schlep this thing, which weighs about 200 pounds, back to my house in Silver Spring. First I went to Home Depot and bought two 2x4s and one 2x6. Then I screwed them together to make a beam with lips on the side that the rug could ride in on top of my roof rack. It worked well, but it was still a bitch to get this rug on the roof of my car. We rolled it up and got it up there and strapped it all down. Myles helped w that, but I had to get it off of my car and into my house all by myself. I nearly got a hernia. Anyway, I have some pictures... Check them out.
The rug is intended to go in the place that I move to. I have nowhere to put it currently, except in my hallway. I'll get it cleaned before I move in June.
Aside from that... Oh, Kai turned 30, so I'm not the only old man in DC anymore. I had seven light bulbs burn out within three days of each other. Someone stole my outdoor garbage can... and they took the garbage in it too! I haven't found an apartment yet, although I'm #3 on the waiting list to move into Kai's group of buildings. Other than that I'm having a hard time even finding listings for June yet. Very strange. On the other side of things, I helped write an apartment ad for my dad and step-mother's new apartment in Glenview. I hear they have some calls already. Almost done with class for the semester. Just got a presentation in two weeks, and a paper to turn in the week after that. Then I might see if I can do some kinda independent study for the summer. Or maybe I'll take a real class, I dunno. Actually, maybe I'll just study for the GRE. Might be a better idea.
Today I went through old floppy disks. A million of them. I transferred what was important to my hard drive, and threw the rest away. It was interesting to read all of my old papers and resumes. And maybe a little scary.
30 March 2006
Go Mason (again...)
A whole article in the Washington Post today about George Mason University's "different set of all-stars: its economics department."
29 March 2006
Go Mason!
As some of you might know, the new school that I attend part time here in DC is George Mason, who is currently kicking some serious butt in the NCAA men's basketball tourniment. I've taken a whole 1.5 classes there so far, so I feel very involved with their success.
Well, my sisters came and went. We did a million things (see pictures). Pandas at the zoo. Lincoln Memorial. Watched March of the Penguins while having a fire (in the fireplace this time) at my house. White House. Old Post Office Tower. Capitol. Library of Congress. Supreme Court. National Cathedral. Jefferson Memorial. Tidal Basin/Cherry Blossoms. Arlington National Cemetery. All in 2.5 days. I am a damn good tour guide.
One of the cases I worked on has finally been through the federal court of appeals. I'm very proud to say that we won. Although the judges called our reasoning "perhaps less than robust" (see p. 14 of the decision). But, they said, "we are not persuaded that its distinction between extraction and reinjection is so deficient as to warrant our intervention." So, I'm not *that* deficient. In our defense, we were trying to make sense out of some rather scrambled existing case law. So we did the best we could. Sometimes that doesn't allow you to be robust, apparently. I've never really considered myself a robust person anyway.
Well, my sisters came and went. We did a million things (see pictures). Pandas at the zoo. Lincoln Memorial. Watched March of the Penguins while having a fire (in the fireplace this time) at my house. White House. Old Post Office Tower. Capitol. Library of Congress. Supreme Court. National Cathedral. Jefferson Memorial. Tidal Basin/Cherry Blossoms. Arlington National Cemetery. All in 2.5 days. I am a damn good tour guide.
One of the cases I worked on has finally been through the federal court of appeals. I'm very proud to say that we won. Although the judges called our reasoning "perhaps less than robust" (see p. 14 of the decision). But, they said, "we are not persuaded that its distinction between extraction and reinjection is so deficient as to warrant our intervention." So, I'm not *that* deficient. In our defense, we were trying to make sense out of some rather scrambled existing case law. So we did the best we could. Sometimes that doesn't allow you to be robust, apparently. I've never really considered myself a robust person anyway.
22 March 2006
Fire!
The good news: the smoke detectors I installed late last year work like a charm!
The bad news: I know this cuz I just had a fire. Not kidding. Nothing was really damaged, except one of my Revereware pans and my contact case...
Yes, I'm a dumbass. Was sterilizing my contact case, which I do every now and then. Put the case in a pan, filled the pan with water, covered it up and put it on the stove. Usually it works very well. Except today I got distracted making the guest room bed for my sisters who are coming to visit tomorrow. Before I knew it, something smelled weird and the smoke detector was going off. The best part is that I couldn't even remember that I had put this on the stove! I was seriously like, "What the fuck could be burning?" I think I have ADD or something lately, I swear.
The bad news: I know this cuz I just had a fire. Not kidding. Nothing was really damaged, except one of my Revereware pans and my contact case...
Yes, I'm a dumbass. Was sterilizing my contact case, which I do every now and then. Put the case in a pan, filled the pan with water, covered it up and put it on the stove. Usually it works very well. Except today I got distracted making the guest room bed for my sisters who are coming to visit tomorrow. Before I knew it, something smelled weird and the smoke detector was going off. The best part is that I couldn't even remember that I had put this on the stove! I was seriously like, "What the fuck could be burning?" I think I have ADD or something lately, I swear.
09 March 2006
X-Ray Vision
Went to my physician assistant yesterday. She gave me some pills with a "broader spectrum" than those first antibiotics. They're what I like to call "more bad-ass" than the first pills. I don't want to jinx myself, but I've been on them for 24 hours, and I think I might feel noticeably better already. Is that possible?
After my appointment with the PA, I quietly slipped into radiology and requested my X-rays. They didn't even ask who I was! The only thing I can think of is that maybe they recognized me from when I had them taken. Or maybe they just give out x-rays to anyone. Anyway, the films were enormous, so I had to scan them in sections on my scanner. You can tell a little when you look at the image.
OK, here's what you've been waiting for...
After my appointment with the PA, I quietly slipped into radiology and requested my X-rays. They didn't even ask who I was! The only thing I can think of is that maybe they recognized me from when I had them taken. Or maybe they just give out x-rays to anyone. Anyway, the films were enormous, so I had to scan them in sections on my scanner. You can tell a little when you look at the image.
OK, here's what you've been waiting for...
07 March 2006
Anthrax or TB
Hi kids,
OK, I still have a cough. In case you're keeping track, we're going on day 67. That's right... This is no longer like a normal illness. In duration it is much more similar to a hostage crisis. I just finished one course of antibiotics. I seemed better (much better) the first few days after I started, then it got worse. I'm going back to dr tomorrow though. They took a chest xray last time... Check back here, cuz if I can get a copy of that thing, I'm totally posting it on my blog (props to Janna for that idea).
Anyway, I don't know much about medical stuff, but here's a list of all of the cough-related illnesses I can think of. Please tell me others in the comments if you know any...
Cold
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Asthma
TB
Anthrax
That's all I got. Anyway, I think after 67 days we are sure it isn't a cold, right? They said the xrays were fine, and I think (if I'm not mistaken) they would have spotted pneumonia or bronchitis from the xrays. Asthma, based on what I've been reading, doesn't really sound like a productive cough kind of thing. Mine (if you must know) is productive... more like an infection of some kind than a chronic lung thing. So I just seem to feel like it ain't asthma. So it is clear. I either have TB or anthrax. I'll be sure to tell my dr tomorrow that I've narrowed it down to those possibilities. Yes, I may be on my way to a sanatorium. Sanitarium? I don't fricking know... whatever that place they put TB people in.
I was home sick today. V boring. Daytime TV sucks in DC.
Found out my dad and step-mother bought an apartment in Glenview recently. They're fixing it up. That's about all I know, except that it's going to hopefully be rented in April.
I'm moving out of my cushy house June 1. Might move to Alexandria, VA. Might move to downtown Silver Spring, MD. Not really sure. I can't really even look yet, cuz no apartments are listed for June yet. It's going to be a pain, as I have finals just before I have to move. I'm not looking forward to living in a place with no washer/dryer in the unit. It'll be hard to go back. And having a driveway and carport and all is pretty nice. I'm in for a shock.
OK, that's plenty...
OK, I still have a cough. In case you're keeping track, we're going on day 67. That's right... This is no longer like a normal illness. In duration it is much more similar to a hostage crisis. I just finished one course of antibiotics. I seemed better (much better) the first few days after I started, then it got worse. I'm going back to dr tomorrow though. They took a chest xray last time... Check back here, cuz if I can get a copy of that thing, I'm totally posting it on my blog (props to Janna for that idea).
Anyway, I don't know much about medical stuff, but here's a list of all of the cough-related illnesses I can think of. Please tell me others in the comments if you know any...
Cold
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Asthma
TB
Anthrax
That's all I got. Anyway, I think after 67 days we are sure it isn't a cold, right? They said the xrays were fine, and I think (if I'm not mistaken) they would have spotted pneumonia or bronchitis from the xrays. Asthma, based on what I've been reading, doesn't really sound like a productive cough kind of thing. Mine (if you must know) is productive... more like an infection of some kind than a chronic lung thing. So I just seem to feel like it ain't asthma. So it is clear. I either have TB or anthrax. I'll be sure to tell my dr tomorrow that I've narrowed it down to those possibilities. Yes, I may be on my way to a sanatorium. Sanitarium? I don't fricking know... whatever that place they put TB people in.
I was home sick today. V boring. Daytime TV sucks in DC.
Found out my dad and step-mother bought an apartment in Glenview recently. They're fixing it up. That's about all I know, except that it's going to hopefully be rented in April.
I'm moving out of my cushy house June 1. Might move to Alexandria, VA. Might move to downtown Silver Spring, MD. Not really sure. I can't really even look yet, cuz no apartments are listed for June yet. It's going to be a pain, as I have finals just before I have to move. I'm not looking forward to living in a place with no washer/dryer in the unit. It'll be hard to go back. And having a driveway and carport and all is pretty nice. I'm in for a shock.
OK, that's plenty...
26 February 2006
Alone Again
All of my visitors have left.
Marty...
was pushed out of my moving car at the National Airport earlier this afternoon. He had been here since Wednesday. He was very useful, helping me locate an acceptable hair cutter in the DC area. His assistance has made me think that perhaps I need a personal assistant. He also interviewed with my bosses, and may become a FERCer. MK and I went to Baltimore yesterday to visit Josh, Emily and Myles. For some reason I have no pictures of MK's visit... I guess we were too busy.
Keri...
was dropped off at National Airport early on Wednesday, before Marty arrived. She was visiting her sister in NY and planned a trip to DC and Charlottesville to do some work on a documentary on radio astronomy she is writing/directing. On Monday we went to some monuments and saw the Mars IMAX movie, and met up with lots of you at News Cafe. On Tuesday I went with her to Charlottesville where she did some research at UVA. First we looked through the John Kraus archive at the National Ratio Astronomy Observatory. Then we went to a film studio and looked at footage of radio telescopes. Kind of a long day, but interesting. I have a single picture of Keri's visit, as we were also busy.
Elaina...
was in DC this weekend and her friends met Kai, Craig and me out last Friday for her birthday. We were at a karaoke bar in Adams Morgan, the name of which I can't remember. Just south a block or so from the falafel/fry place. There are some pictures of that event. I sang karaoke for the first and maybe last time. Father Figure, in case you were curious.
A lot of you have heard me talking about my new sport coat. I finally got it back from being altered. It is fabulous. (pic and pic... it looks black in these photos, but it is navy... sorry, I don't have any photo software at the moment to fix that with...) I can't wait for an occasion to wear this thing.
Marty...
was pushed out of my moving car at the National Airport earlier this afternoon. He had been here since Wednesday. He was very useful, helping me locate an acceptable hair cutter in the DC area. His assistance has made me think that perhaps I need a personal assistant. He also interviewed with my bosses, and may become a FERCer. MK and I went to Baltimore yesterday to visit Josh, Emily and Myles. For some reason I have no pictures of MK's visit... I guess we were too busy.
Keri...
was dropped off at National Airport early on Wednesday, before Marty arrived. She was visiting her sister in NY and planned a trip to DC and Charlottesville to do some work on a documentary on radio astronomy she is writing/directing. On Monday we went to some monuments and saw the Mars IMAX movie, and met up with lots of you at News Cafe. On Tuesday I went with her to Charlottesville where she did some research at UVA. First we looked through the John Kraus archive at the National Ratio Astronomy Observatory. Then we went to a film studio and looked at footage of radio telescopes. Kind of a long day, but interesting. I have a single picture of Keri's visit, as we were also busy.
Elaina...
was in DC this weekend and her friends met Kai, Craig and me out last Friday for her birthday. We were at a karaoke bar in Adams Morgan, the name of which I can't remember. Just south a block or so from the falafel/fry place. There are some pictures of that event. I sang karaoke for the first and maybe last time. Father Figure, in case you were curious.
A lot of you have heard me talking about my new sport coat. I finally got it back from being altered. It is fabulous. (pic and pic... it looks black in these photos, but it is navy... sorry, I don't have any photo software at the moment to fix that with...) I can't wait for an occasion to wear this thing.
05 February 2006
I'm a Human-Animal Hybrid!
Good week. Illinois beat Wisconsin on Tuesday (although those fuckers lost to Penn State on Saturday AT HOME for the first time since January 10, 2004!). New QF rules went out on Thursday. Had class on Friday afternoon. My prof told me in a stern voice to "see him after class." I was kinda worried that maybe I had accidentally plagiarized my latest paper or something. Really he just wanted to tell me that he liked my paper and to try to convince me to apply for a real grad program rather than just taking classes. That was kind of nice of him... I was flattered. Although maybe he just wants my money. Saw Walk the Line with Kai on Friday evening, after drinking coffee on the waterfront in Alexandria. We fed some seagulls and caused quite a stir when a million birds were swooping all around us. Watched Ask This Old House and checked out swanky new bar called Gallery in Silver Spring on Saturday. Went to Super Bowl party with Mike and Michelle Sunday. Won about $20 in some kind of Super Bowl pool that I didn't even understand and that I borrowed money from Mike to participate in.
That's about it. I still have my cough. They say everyone has it, but I haven't seen anyone else coughing like this. It's pissing me off and cramping my swimming and running big time.
Got a really cute email from my little sis thanking me for sending her the March of the Penguins DVD. It said she wrote it all by herself... I'm suspicious.
That's about it. I still have my cough. They say everyone has it, but I haven't seen anyone else coughing like this. It's pissing me off and cramping my swimming and running big time.
Got a really cute email from my little sis thanking me for sending her the March of the Penguins DVD. It said she wrote it all by herself... I'm suspicious.
30 January 2006
NoMa
The area where I work got a name recently: "NoMa" (short for "area north of Mass Ave"... kind of a SoHo rip off, I guess). I'm so humbled to work in the neighborhood that is being called the "new frontier for gentrification."
28 January 2006
Damn This Cough!
My cough has become so annoying that I have considered ending my life. It's my little way of saying "Fuck you, cough! You think you got me? No you don't!" But, instead I may just continue to take my crappy tasting cough syrup.
I just read that Al Gore has written another book about the environment called An Inconvenient Truth, and made a movie out of the book that just opened at Sundance to very good reviews. My fav quote of that article from the Post is their pretend sales pitch for the movie as a date activity... "Imagine this sales pitch: Babe, it's a movie about global warming. Starring Al Gore. Doing a slide show. With charts. About 'soil evaporation.'" Anyway, I'll be going to see this when it comes out. Anyone wanna come?
Went to DC today to visit some museums with Christina, Kai and Sarah. Almost went to see the Mars Imax movie, which I'm looking forward to almost as much as the Gore movie. But Mars was sold out. So we went to some other museums. Below is the pic of my favorite poster at the American History Museum.
Other updates: Started classes last Friday. A big project at work goes out next Thursday. Was just kidding about ending my life over coughing (no calls from psychiatrists, please). My little sister may come to visit me at the end of March. Oprah is a maniac.
I just read that Al Gore has written another book about the environment called An Inconvenient Truth, and made a movie out of the book that just opened at Sundance to very good reviews. My fav quote of that article from the Post is their pretend sales pitch for the movie as a date activity... "Imagine this sales pitch: Babe, it's a movie about global warming. Starring Al Gore. Doing a slide show. With charts. About 'soil evaporation.'" Anyway, I'll be going to see this when it comes out. Anyone wanna come?
Went to DC today to visit some museums with Christina, Kai and Sarah. Almost went to see the Mars Imax movie, which I'm looking forward to almost as much as the Gore movie. But Mars was sold out. So we went to some other museums. Below is the pic of my favorite poster at the American History Museum.
Other updates: Started classes last Friday. A big project at work goes out next Thursday. Was just kidding about ending my life over coughing (no calls from psychiatrists, please). My little sister may come to visit me at the end of March. Oprah is a maniac.
21 January 2006
65 Degrees
Went to Baltimore yesterday to play violent video games and see Capote. I can't decide if Capote is a genius writer and I need to read In Cold Blood, or if he's a self-absorbed maniac and doesn't deserve my time. Anyone read this book?
Also went running yesterday on the mall. It was 63 degrees outside... on January 20. Crazy. Anyway, I'm getting ready for my Philly race in February. Today it's even warmer. 65. I wanna go running again, but I can't move.
Josh and I took Emily's new Prius to the movie yesterday. I think that's the first time I've been in one. There's a chance I might have been in Sarah's, but I can't remember... Maybe I had been drinking. Anyway, it was pretty high-tech. And has lots of head room. I'm gonna try to get my dad to buy one. Dad is getting a new car soon, and his primary concern in buying a car is always head room. I can give my dad head room and make him hip in one fell swoop.
Just got promoted at work. Congratulate me when you get a chance...
Also went running yesterday on the mall. It was 63 degrees outside... on January 20. Crazy. Anyway, I'm getting ready for my Philly race in February. Today it's even warmer. 65. I wanna go running again, but I can't move.
Josh and I took Emily's new Prius to the movie yesterday. I think that's the first time I've been in one. There's a chance I might have been in Sarah's, but I can't remember... Maybe I had been drinking. Anyway, it was pretty high-tech. And has lots of head room. I'm gonna try to get my dad to buy one. Dad is getting a new car soon, and his primary concern in buying a car is always head room. I can give my dad head room and make him hip in one fell swoop.
Just got promoted at work. Congratulate me when you get a chance...
15 January 2006
Still Alive
The tortellini was apparently not lethal.
My little sister Alexis got a violin this weekend. My mother is going to LOVE this... She really appreciates loudness. Anyway, Alexis was very excited. She starts Suzuki lessons this Wednesday, I believe. Somewhere in Glenview. I'm reading up on the heated debate over Suzuki vs. traditional violin lessons...
I believe the first race of the season may be a five-miler in Philly on Saturday, Feb 18, with Janna and Linus. It has the cutest webpage...
My little sister Alexis got a violin this weekend. My mother is going to LOVE this... She really appreciates loudness. Anyway, Alexis was very excited. She starts Suzuki lessons this Wednesday, I believe. Somewhere in Glenview. I'm reading up on the heated debate over Suzuki vs. traditional violin lessons...
I believe the first race of the season may be a five-miler in Philly on Saturday, Feb 18, with Janna and Linus. It has the cutest webpage...
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