Tired and groggy, I drove my car to Jimmy’s shop this morning, dropped it off there, and got a ride to work from my dad. By 9:30, I had news: there was a minor leak from one of the transmission seals. Not a big deal, in itself . . . but, I also found out that the entire steering rack needs to be replaced, as there was a significant steering fluid leak and the steering rack had issues. So, looking at at least $600 . . . and then after clearing a short-term loan from my dad to be able to go ahead and get stuff done, I find out that it’s also going to need new tie rod ends, and an alignment. Yay.

Getting it done, I need a reliable, functional vehicle, but it’s going to make me poor for about the next month. It’s going to take what I have in savings (which was already mostly money I had earmarked for repaying my dad for the last round of repairs on this Acura), most of the money from my check this Friday after I pay rent, and a significant chunk of my paycheck on the 16th to pay for all this. Oy.

Weekend was pretty good.  Spent it with my Kara, we entertained ourselves inexpensively, ate very well (perhaps too well, I need to not be poor again soon so I can afford to get back on my diet), had a lot of fun and many good snuggle times.  Weather most of the weekend was dreary.  I really kinda wanted to see about playing with/test driving some cars Saturday (though Kara really didn’t seem too keen on that idea), but the weather wasn’t cooperative for that.

Entirely too broke right now.  I had to borrow money from a friend until this upcoming payday on Friday so I could afford food to make sure I’d have something other than hamburger and ramen (not the end of the world, I’ve been worse off) and be confident of having enough gas my dad’s van I’m currently driving to be able to get to and from work this week.  Heard from Littlefield Automotive earlier, $350 to get my car from them.  Then haul it to Lubbock this Friday afternoon, and see what the Saab place there says it’ll cost to get things all fixed up.  I’m worried about what they’ll say.  I hope it’s a reasonable figure at all.  Even if I end up in (further) debt to my dad for a year or more, I’d really like my car back in proper working order.  I miss it.  I do like it.  I’d really rather not have to buy something else on the cheap right now.

Link of the Day: Students for an Orwellian Society

Spam of the Day: “Colo Cleanse Plus”

Funny of the Day: Burned by a pharaoh!

Pic of the Day: Irresistable geekette earrings

Quote of the Day: “Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.” - Douglas Pagels

Yesterday, I got home from work, to find my apartment oddly quiet.  Why?  Because my apartment was devoid of power.  They’d frigging disconnected me.  By mistake/accident.  In calling them, on my cell phone, to get this mess sorted out, I got disconnected/hung up on twice.  I was spoken to rudely.  I was berated, accused of lying, and told flat out things that contradict the pink piece of paper I was holding in my hand from Bounce – the one that told me to either call them, or use their web site online to make my payment to avoid disconnection. The final supervisor I talked to was so confused by my bill from Bounce, she ended up arguing with me about what I’d paid and suggested that I was disconnected because I didn’t pay enough.  I quite simply paid what their web site’s billing section for my account said I owed.  Simple enough, right?  My current bill is really amusing.  My current monthly charges, indicated on it?  $-42.99.  Then there’s the amount due for my Next billing cycle, not due until September 8th (Currently, nothing is due – zero balance – as the only semi-intelligent rep I spoke to observed, there’s no reason I should have been disconnected) is $137.01.  Oh, but if I wait until After the due date . . . it’s $134.86.  Wait, what?  I save $2.15 if I pay my bill AFTER the due date?

Lunacy.  Insanity.  Absolute, ludicrous incompetence.  After my power is turned back on, I’m looking for a new energy provider ASAFP.  I’m done with Bounce screwing up with me.

On more amusing notes, here’s something that’s just too awesome not to link:

Automatic Pancake Machine: 200 pancakes per hour

Next up, here’s the next GenCon pic:

This girl was actually featured on an article on this year’s GenCon in the Indianapolis Star: Despite recession, Gen Con Indy drew 27,900 I ran into her as she was waiting for the elevators on Saturday as I was heading up to grab food before my DM shift, and she was en route to the costume contest.

Was I moping?  Maybe I was just being practical, given that my car is sitting in the shop, with still no prognosis (I’m giving Littlefield until 3ish, and if they haven’t called me by then – which they won’t, of course – I’ll call them for a status update), and I needed some sleep and me time.  I had offers for companionship, which I rejected.  Some of it, genuinely because I didn’t really want anyone to intrude (oh, and Saturday, my left shoulder was sore and aching horribly) on my solo veg time.  Some of it, maybe . . . because I just didn’t really think that being with someone else I didn’t really want to be with when the person I wanted to be with was off with someone else for the weekend would make me feel any better.

Some friends had a poker game Saturday night that I’d have really liked to be able to go to, but I lacked transportation, and they couldn’t find anyone willing to give me a ride to and from their place.  Understandable, I guess, but I really would have liked to have been there.  I could have used the companionship and fun.  Does that seem to be a contradiction of the other offers of companionship I mentioned above?  All I can say is, they’re different sorts of things, really.

I’ve already had a couple of texts from one woman hinting that she wants to do something with me tonight.  I haven’t figured out yet how I’m going to decline.

Link of the Day: Jeremy Clarkson Sound Box video

Spam of the Day: “LUKY JUNE ONLINE CASINO PROMO”

Funny of the Day: “How’s the Magma?”

Pic of the Day: Kermit the Frog + Internet Horror

Quote of the Day: “(757): Shark Week may as well be Shark Weed.” – another gem from TFLN

No transpo?  Yeah, getting back to the terrible fucking Thursday last week . . . It rained Wednesday night/Thursday morning.  Lots and lots of rain.  Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

That’s the sort of open field that dips down a little across from my apartment complex, and behind a host of businesses right along on the Loop 250 service road.  It stretches from this paved alley behind them that runs from Midkiff to my apartment complex, up to Caldera.  It was basically a humongous pond, or a shallow lake.  Unfortunately, so was a good stretch of Caldera.  I stepped out of my apartment that morning, greeted by this continuing rain, water all over the parking lot, in a rush to try to make it to work and Not end up a couple of minutes late.  I hopped into my trusty (so I thought) car, and drove across the parking lot, and saw Caldera underwater.  Hmm.

Keep in mind, this was right at pretty much 8:00 a.m., I hadn’t had been awake very long yet, and what little caffeine I had in me thus far had not kicked in yet.  I’m not fond of mornings at the best of times, unless I approach them from the “still awake from being up all night” angle.  This is the only defense I can make for the terrible decisions I made.

I decided I’d try to make it across a bit of Caldera to Crista Lane on my way to work.  This was a bad decision.  The water was really quite a bit deeper than I thought it was initially.  This is something I discovered as I was trying to begin my turn towards Crista Lane on Caldera, as my car’s engine sputtered and died.  Then, being sleepy and stupid and panicked, I tried to restart it.  Only afterwards, reading on the web, did I realize just how terrible of a thing that potentially is.

A City of Midland Transportation Services truck happened to come driving by (though the water – that truck has ground clearance of about up to my windows) right as I was getting stuck.  They radioed for for someone to come get me out.  A couple of police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck all showed up, with a wrecker supposedly on the way.  Two firemen got out of their truck, put on waders, and pushed my car out of the water up onto Crista Lane – so the tow truck ended up being unnecessary.  Later that morning, Corey pointed out a bit on the CBS7 web site about a water rescue being reported in Midland “near Loop 250 and Midkiff.”  That was probably the host of vehicles with various sorts of flashing lights that showed up for me.

While I was waiting, in the water, I took a couple of pictures.  This one, when, hrm, I felt something wet on my ankle:

Water was coming up from under the car, through whatever various holes or crevices or whatnot, and filling my floorboards.  It got to being a couple of inches in each of them.  Not fun at all.

Here’s a view from my car while I was stuck in the effing water:

Tried to do what things I could Thursday afternoon after work, Friday after work, and then Saturday, to get my car driving.  No luck.  Sunday, Kara and Matt came over, and we pushed my car back to my apartment complex, parked right downstairs.  It doesn’t start, and the electrical system is haywire.  I reached out to my dad for help, having no other real alternatives.  Finally got my car towed on a car carrier to Littlefield Automotive Wednesday during lunch.  Haven’t heard anything from them yet, going to call in a bit and see what, if any news, they’ve got for me yet.

I’ve been really severely stressed most of this week and last weekend.  Stressed about my car, about everything going on at work right now in crunch time (well, until this morning anyway), stressed about money being entirely too tight until my next payday.  Having a non-functional vehicle, and that adding unknown added costs to repair it (or possibly end up getting a cheap used vehicle if repair on it is too costly to be considered feasible) and having to work something out with my dad, probably on a payment plan basis, just added heaps of stress for me.  Some of that is why I haven’t posted a damn thing on this site until today.  It was just something that so seriously wasn’t anything of a priority for me.

So, yeah, that’s a bit to catch things up.  All I really feel like writing about it for now anyway.  Linkage commences:

Link of the Day: SDCC 2009 Hot Cosplay Chicks

Spam of the Day: “Time For a New Copier?” – from, of course, Copier King

Funny of the Day: “Try and spell shield that“

Pic of the Day: Interesting Top

Quote of the Day: “(760): I wish they had nachos that got you drunk” – another gem from TFLN

If you’re going to criticize someone with snarky, sarcastic rhetorical questions, on their own web site, on a domain they’ve owned for 11 years . . . man the fuck up and register as yourself.  Don’t do it anonymously.  Anonymous sniping like that just shows you to be a small-minded chickenshit.  Congratulations, you should feel awesome about yourself, as you annoyed me (as this post proves) with your little petty commentary.  You should be enshrined in the Internet Fuckwad Hall of Fame.

Maybe if you showed some fortitude and didn’t hide behind anonymity, I’d feel the slightest bit compelled to discuss with you details that really aren’t any of your business, but which you seem to be interested in.  Since you haven’t, I have absolutely no need, or desire, to justify or explain anything at all to you.  Here’s an idea, how about you go troll celebrity self-wanking sites like Perez Hilton or something where other twits of a like mind with yourself can participate too.

This morning, an auspicious, lovely start to my day, I head downstairs, and notice, hmm, that’s funny . . . that (front passenger) tire looks low.  No, actually, it looks bloody flat. I hobble the car to work (thankfully it’s a very short drive), go tell James I’ve got a flat and am going to the tire place (Discount Tire, also, thankfully, very close by).  I hobble it there, park it right in front, apparently smack in the way of practically everything.  They were really busy.  I spent probably 10+ minutes waiting just to get talked to.  Told it’ll be 45 minutes or so before they can look at it and give me an assessment.  I call James, get a ride back to work.  Get a call a bit later.  Verdict?  Wheel is badly bent, they’re doubtful a new tire on it will even stay inflated.  ~$190 for a new wheel and tire.  Oh, and also, the rear passenger wheel is pretty badly bent.  It should really be replaced too.  Except I can’t right now.  I simply don’t have the money.  MAYBE I can swing getting another wheel (hopefully I won’t need another tire with it too) next paycheck.  The timing on this sucks ass.

So, went and picked up my car – $190.64 total – during the process of writing this post.  I’m past being angry now, and am just sort of weary and demoralized.  All by 10:15 a.m. today!  AWESOME!

Tried to be mostly lazy last night.  Semi-succeeded, Mummy Wrap Chick came over, we hung out, watched Vexille, fooled around.  Mixed feelings there.

Chatted online with a good friend until probably slightly too late – I’m tired and cranky this morning.  But it was worth it, very enjoyable chat.

Link of the Day: Fancy Fast Food – via @kpereira

Spam of the Day: “Kelly Clarkson brutally raped”

Funny of the Day: Well, it IS a valid point.

Pic of the Day: Just Plane Awesome.

Quote of the Day: “just fyi, Sneezing while on the phone with TXU’s bill pay system Will get you put into the spanish speaking menu.” – Kara

The last two days, I’ve been trying to fight off getting sick.  Monday I had a throat that started off tickly, and proceeded to scratchy and raw.  Yesterday, and today, throat is better, but I’ve got massive head congestion, and mucus production is in overdrive.  Meh.  Also, I worked late the last 2 days, and have been really very busy both of them, so I didn’t take the time to post stuff.  At least making token effort today.

Link of the Day: Fake Time Travel to Land Your Female Friend?

Spam of the Day: “Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo”

Funny of the Day: “Bartender, fetch us from frosty beers and fancy outfits!”

Pic of the Day: I honestly have no clue what to make of this.

Quote of the Day: “and cheap, srsly, i would never sit in a stranger’s noodles for only a buck” – Kara

It’ll be a couple of days before I hear anything. Or, if is as it has been for them thus far, they never call me back, and I decide to call them Friday and ask what the hell’s up.

Link of the Day: Stem cell contacts cure blindness

Spam of the Day: “Your presence is obligatory”

Funny of the Day: This wouldn’t have been a problem for me.

Pic of the Day: Colorful map of the brain

Quote of the Day: “If you go away, On this summer day, Then you might as well, Take the sun away” – Cyndi Lauper, If You Go Away

I also ran my Dad around for various vehicle rodeo tasks Monday and Tuesday as he was getting his truck worked on (mostly annual maintenance stuff) at Jimmy’s shop (World Class Automotive, I highly recommend him for any domestic or Japanese import work).  He sprung for lunch both days, and both Monday and Tuesday I was bad, breaking my diet repeatedly.  2 days of carb devouring, up 2 pounds.  Yeah, so I started back pretty severely limiting my carb intake yesterday.  

Monday night, I had a late, impromptu date with J . . . we went to a strip club, Jaguar’s Gold Club.  I hope their busier days/nights are better than Monday nights, because it was like a parade of some of the skinniest girls I’ve ever seen.  There were maybe 3 or 4 dancers there with honestly attractive bodies – seriously, there were half a dozen girls there that were just scary, like 12 year old heroin user girl, skinny.  They didn’t need to eat a sammich so much as a deli.  Then yesterday, after work, talking J on the phone . . . she tells me a lot of stuff that I probably should have been made aware of a lot earlier.  I’ve come to the conclusion that she has basically been using me for money (not too much, but still, principle involved) and ego boosts (a lot of there).  Rather irritating.

Went and visited Ivy and Kodi last night, we hung out and talked and tried some decent wine, 7 Deadly Zins, which Ivy wants me to write up a “an old-Joe-style review” for.  It might happen.

Link of the Day:  Top 50 Text Acronyms Parents Should Know

Spam of the Day: “Wake up your porkmonster”

Funny of the Day: “Tell all your friends their lunches are non-notable!”

Pic of the Day: I simply don’t have the words . . .

Quote of the Day: “To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography and the dancers hit each other.” - sayings on Sports by Jack Handy

Finally heard something after a month of NOTHING from Goddess yesterday afternoon.  Not entirely happy, but very relieved to finally get some communication at all.

Drama from M last night.  Passive-aggressive hypocritical game crap.  Hope it’s done with.

Got a new toy last night, courtesy of Ivy and Kodi.  Haven’t figured out how to make iTunes cooperate with me entirely, but already enjoying it.

Link of the Day: Fish eats a DUCK!

Spam of the Day: “Wanted: ugly timeshares”

Funny of the Day: Why is it glowing?

Pic of the Day: Very funny.  Wait until you see what’s in your shoes tomorrow morning.

Quote of the Day: “that’s why i use a straw and blow bubbles in it first. or there is always wine bonging” – mtdewd (in response to a nutshell explanation of wine decanting)

So, I finally get semi-industrious last night, and try to go install the water filter I bought like 2-3 weeks ago.  The primary thing for which I borrowed James’ cordless drill/driver.  I clear out all the cleaning supplies, trash bags, etc., out from under the sink, and worm and maneuver myself up under and into there to get at the hoses running from the cold water valve to the faucet.  After all this contorting and work, I discover . . . the hose is larger than the one that came with the filter.  Like, 1.5x the size.  Thus, to my dismay, the filter I bought . . . yeah, totally won’t work with the plumbing for my kitchen sink in my apartment.  

Now, the reason I bought the under-sink in-line filter, was because the sink itself is really shallow, and the faucet head arcs out in a very low arc, giving maybe 7 inches, if that, of clearance between the bottom of the faucet and the sink.  I’d originally planned on just an on-faucet filter, but if I go with one of those, I’ll lose around an inch to an inch and a half of clearance, on something that’s already a small space.  I suppose I could replace the entire faucet assembly, but that’d be a lot more work than I’m comfortable with right now, would run a much higher risk of being noticed by the complex . . . and I think I’d still have to come up with some sort of adapter or something to go from the weird size of tubing from the valves to the faucet.  Oh, and it’d cost a lot more money.

So, I don’t know, maybe I’ll have to go with a filter pitcher or jug or something.  Not really happy either way.  If Midland water wasn’t so terrible, I wouldn’t care so much.

Called Dr. Doctor’s office this morning, to try to get her to pick up the ball she – or someone – dropped and get my damn prescription sorted out with the insurance company and pharmacy so I can start the treatment I apparently need.  Haven’t heard back yet.  I’m going to give them another 10 minutes or so, and call them again if I haven’t heard anything.  And then every 2 hours until 1, at which time I’ll start calling every hour if they haven’t taken care of it.  Ridiculous crap.

So, finally, Dr. Doctor said to come in and see her, briefly, she wouldn’t charge me.  I went in for an 11:10 a.m. visit.  Waited about 5 minutes, then got in to see her, spent slightly more than 5 minutes on the phone (she kept saying if it took more than 5 minutes she was going to charge me for a visit, and said she was watching the clock).  She griped at me for being impatient with her staff, then apologized to me.  Supposedly the pre-approval is taken care of, and I should be able to get the actual script filled now. 

Link of the Day: Geocities to (finally) close. – Amusingly topical, as I decries Myspace as Geocities 2.0 on Twitter today, and apparently that’s the funniest thing since suicidal clowns.

Spam of the Day: “Prepare for every possibility” – Uhm . . . how, precisely?

Funny of the Day: “We’re fucking marketable“

Pic of the Day: I didn’t realize cameras were required for that, Pentax.  I’ve been doing it wrong?

Quote of the Day: “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is a little voice at the end of the day that says… I’ll try again tomorrow.” – Anonymous

Anyway, to cut a lot of cruft out of this recounting, I’ve got to call Dr. Doctor in the morning and get her to call the insurance company to request pre-authorization.  *mutter*

Still no ketones in my urine this morning.  Irritating.

Went back to see Dr. Doctor this afternoon.  Waited for an hour and ten bloody minutes, and finally poked my head out of the room’s door to ask them if they’d forgotten about me, when finally she came in to see me and talk to me.  One of my hormone levels came back low on my bloodwork.  So that gets to get treated.  I was offered two options – come in every 3 weeks for a shot, which would result in big spikes and then falling levels of said hormone, or a gel that’s rubbed into the skin (and I guess permeates it and get into the bloodstream, like patches?) applied daily.  Opting for the latter, which the doctor thinks is the better option of the two (though more expensive) I’m going to get that filled tonight and get to start this treatment tomorrow morning.  Yet another thing I need to budget time in the morning for.

Oh yes, and she set me appointments for seeing both an Opthamologist and a Dermatologist.  I “possibly” have Rosacea, and I “possibly” have schleritis, but she’s worried about the way the redness on my skin is and how only the outer portion of my left eye seems inflamed, and listed an autoimmune condition in the tissue on my face as a possibility.  Probably not, but maybe.  Now, being someone who has watched every single episode of House broadcast, a little part of my mind started to freak out at the word “autoimmune.”   Lovely.  All of these office visits, and probable prescriptions to go along with, will of course cost me more chunks of money. 

Link of the Day: Worst. Ninja. Ever.

Spam of the Day: “Forearm Forklift – Your Solution to Heavy Lifting”

Funny of the Day: Bringing the “A” Game

Pic of the Day: Finger Arm Lickin’ Good?

Quote of the Day: “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Link of the Day: Zoomarama 3D Graphical Representation of Net Traffic

Spam of the Day: “Obama caught in lurid scandal”

Pic of the Day: Scraped my face this weekend.  It looks way worse than it is.

Quote of the Day: “Not everyone wants a machine that’s been washed with unicorn tears.” – MS Marketing Honcho David Webster

It’s been a very good weekend.  Got almost nothing accomplished as far as cleaning/organizing the apartment, or any of the leveling I’d sort of planned on in WoW.  That’s perfectly ok.  I spent a lot of time with Goddess this weekend.  Good, good times.

Edit: I started this Monday but was so busy with work, I didn’t get a chance to finish it.  Then it slipped even further to Wednesday.

Link of the Day: Zen Habits - I like this site so much, it’s not only today’s LotD, but it’s joined my “blogroll” links list on the left column.  Good stuff.

Spam of the Day: ”Queen guitarist May named university chancellor”

Pic of the Day: Madonna Before and After Photoshop

Quote of the Day: “Satisfy your lover . . . WITH STAGGERING PENIS SIZE!” - Name Withheld by Request

This weekend so far has been fantastic.  Nothing I should really post any details about here.

I really need a new Pointless Poll.  I just don’t have any ideas for a topic for it right now.

That really stresses me.  I’ve used a sick day, in Mid-March.  Not even halfway through the year, and 1 of my 2 sick days is gone.  Despite (truthfully, probably because of) past issues, I’ve really been working on trying to fix some of my bad habits, and have been doing pretty well.  With 2 sick days, I intended to not use one unless I was flat out, down-right unable to physically get myself moving out the door and make it in, or unless I was informed by a doctor that I was a horrific raging source of contagion or something similar.  I take my multivitamin everyday, I’ve been working on eating healthier and losing weight (and oh, I tell you, the most tempted I’ve been to break down and eat carb-laden comfort has been while I was sick this week), and being sick, especially with this particular timing that’s costing me so much productive time, has been extremely irritating.  What have I gotten done on the apartment this week since I moved in?  I’ve got my two desktop computer systems – more or less (no speakers on either yet) – up and running, and the router running.  I’ve done a little bit of laundry.  I’ve taken one small load of trash out.  

That’s pretty much it.

Lots of boxes and bags with stuff strewn haphazardly over the living room and near my closet?  Yeah, still there.  Practically untouched.  Frustrating.  Depressing.  I should have been spending time this week getting that stuff sorted out.  Instead, I’ve been either sitting in a chair like a zombie, or been zonked out in bed trying to let my system hurry the hell up and get back to a state where I can DO things.  Today, Friday, is finally the first day this week that I feel almost human again. I’m still clearly sick, lots of stuff wanting to come out of my nose or run down my throat, but I sort of actually feel like someone who’s started to rally and is watching their body fight this thing as a winning battle . . . albeit entirely too slowly in the endgame.

I’m going to go buy a microwave tonight, and hopefully a couple of other little things.  I’m going to look at some furniture options again this weekend sometime.  I’ve decided I definitely want a different, better computer desk, because the mess of kitchen table and little Wal-mart desk I’ve been using just doesn’t work well for my setup.  A couch would also be rather convenient.  Oh, and I’ve got a ton of stuff I need to sort out, get put up or away, or get rid of, the sooner the better.  I’m tired of the mess ‘o boxes.

I need a microwave, and more furniture.  More money would make all that easier, but have to go gradually on it.  It’s just kinda frustrating.

Why, out of everywhere I’ve been and everything I’ve done, does it seem like I’m finally putting things in my life together for once (again) after coming back to Midland?