Year: 2007

Memorable Camcorder

JVC GR-D770Every year the company holds a service awards banquet and the employees who are celebrating any 5 year increment anniversary get a gift, plus a nice steak dinner for them and their spouse, followed by a DJ with dancing.

Donna and I went for our 5 year anniversary and have not gone back for the past three. The main reason is the building where they hold it allows smoking in the bar area where you have to go to get your alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. The bar is a separate room, but with all the traffic in and out for drinks, you might as well leave the door open. Another reason is the food, it is the usual fare for 150 people, fatty rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes in aluminum foil and a green over cooked vegetable. The HR department does a nice job with all the work that goes into something like this and a lot of people really enjoy the event, but it is just not our cup of tea.

The gifts are chosen from a catalog from a company that specializes in just that thing and is approved by the corporate office, everybody in Emerson chooses from the same catalog. The gifts increase in value as you advance through the 5-year increments. At five years I selected a wooden pen & pencil set, at 10 years I got a nice looking gold plated plastic wall clock (that is keeping perfect time in the garage) and for the life of me I don’t remember what I got at fifteen years. This year I was probably going to end up with anther forgettable gift as well, there were probably 2 dozen items to choose from, but like the event itself, there was nothing in there that was my cup of tea. Then I had an idea. Why not get the camcorder and give it to Donna’s brother and his wife. They have a new baby and it would be perfect for them to capture those precious moments.

When we visited them in May I asked them if they had a camcorder. To which I got the unexpected reply of, “Yes.” It was too late to change my gift choice, I was getting a camcorder. This year’s award banquet was last Saturday night, so Monday morning I got a letter of congratulations and a small box containing a JVC GR-D770. Great, now what am I going to do with this thing, I certainly have no need (or desire) for a camcorder. Giving it as a gift to a relative seemed OK, but somehow selling it on eBay seems ungrateful.

Whatever happens, I will remember my 20-year award unlike the forgotten fifteenth.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 303

CDs

I’m down to the home stretch on digitizing all my CDs. I’m into the soundtracks and compilations now. Over 22 Gigabytes in 5,600 files. Our company is having a yard sale to benefit the activities committee this weekend and I decided to give away some of the CDs. Out of the around 500 discs I have I gave them maybe 40. And they were all ones I never liked to begin with. What the heck am I going to do with the other 460?

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 301

Four

I added 24 pictures to the 2007 Northeast Trips Gallery on page 3 (4-1=3)., but if you are a regular reader there is not too much new for you to see.

If you never got over to the Flickr! page where I posted the photos of my godson Gnorm’s visit to the Gnorthwest this year, I added a gallery here that consisted of 24 (4×6=24) images showing what a good time he had.

We had dinner at Maria’s Mexican Restaurant tonight. It was their 1st Anniversary and to celebrate we had Carnitas which came with 3 tortillas. (1+3=4)

Meal Cost: $9.98
Tip: $2.02
Spent Today: $12.00
Year to Date: $1625.44
Meals out, 95 of a possible 627.

My 4 tickets to my next Miata arrived today. I hope 13 is my lucky number (1+3=4) because I have tickets numbered 0311 through 0314.

My 4 new Koni Sport shocks shipped from California today. If they take four days to get here I’ll have them by this weekend.

Started down, wen up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 299

Sunday

I got the paper.

We watched the Tour.

We did not eat out.

The car did not move.

Don’t Get Technical With Me

We took the Miata back to the dealer on Tuesday for them to adjust the accessory belts to eliminate the squeal. They almost got it. We aren’t taking it back to Columbia for them to have another crack at it. When the service rep returned the car Donna questioned him on why it squealed and what did they do to fix it. He tried to explain that they had to adjust the belt by making it tighter so it wouldn’t slip. But that they had to be careful that they didn’t tighten it too much or they could ruin the bearing in the accessories. He said if it still does it, just bring it back (I guess he thinks we live around the corner.)

It still squeals, but only briefly when shifting while driving the car spiritedly. When you floor it with the A/C on, the A/C will cut out until you let up to shift, at which point the A/C clutch re-engages and chirps the belt. We didn’t notice it until later in the week and we for sure aren’t going to take it back to them. When I get Clunk & Thunk to help me with my shock installation we’ll try and tighten it up a bit more.

I wish I had thought of it at the time Mr. Lazywrench was explaining their belt adjustment period, because I should have asked, “So, what you are saying is that after making over 800,000 Miatas, Mazda’s service manual for car says that to adjust the accessory belt tension, You need to make the belt so tight that they don’t squeal, but not so tight that you ruin the bearings.

From a Miata Forum member red-in-la (I removed the metric stuff.)
Drive Belt Deflection Check
1. Verify the drive belt deflection when the engine is cold, or at least 30 min after the engine has stopped. Apply moderate pressure 22 ft/lb midway between the specified pulleys.

Drive belt New Used Limit
Generator 0.22?0.27 0.24?0.29 0.31
P/S+A/C 0.28?0.31 0.36?0.39 0.45

What do you think? The technician didn’t have the right tool so he just winged it? Or manual, who reads the manual?

We went to the New Moon for breakfast this morning instead of Sunday to beat the crowd. We had two muffins and a bottled water.

Meal Cost: $7.49
Tip: 51¢
Spent Today: $8.00
Year to Date: $1613.44
Meals out, 94 of a possible 624.

The above numbers reflect tomorrow’s meals as well because we two extra muffins for Sunday’s breakfast. If we eat out for lunch or supper tomorrow I’ll change the totals.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 298

No Post Friday

What Happens in Vegas...Rae’s Coastal Cafe. Him, Jerk Chicken, her, Scallops Special.

Meal Cost: $37.89
Tip: $7.11
Spent Today: $45.00
Year to Date: $1605.44
Meals out, 92 of a possible 618.

 

Started up, went down, back up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 296

Rocket Man

Watched Astronaut Farmer tonight. Cute little movie that nearly lost me a few times when the unreality showed through despite my suspended beliefs. I think the only reason I didn’t turn it off, like we did for The Pursuit of Happyness the other day, is because I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up (and what kid didn’t want that if they were 8 when John Glenn orbited the planet.)

In yesterday’s episode of As the Lipids Bounce my numbers were a little better than last time, but not as good as they were the time before. The Doctor has obviously given up trying to make it any lower as his advice was, “Stay the course and I’ll see you in six months.”

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >31 <100 30-150
07/17/07 185 36 117 162
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271

To celebrate this “success” Donna and I went to Hardee’s for breakfast this morning and we both had Biscuits & Gravy.

Meal Cost: $3.80
Tip: None
Spent Today: $3.80
Year to Date: $1565.44
Meals out, 91 of a possible 615.

Now here’s something that doesn’t happen everyday. I got an email from Netflix letting me know that the cost of my monthly plan was being reduced by a buck. Cool, now I can afford that BMW 335i Coupe I want.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 293