False Spring

It was supposed to get into the middle 70s today. Tomorrow rain and the weekend cold, so Donna convinced me to take the afternoon off and enjoy the day.

We headed over to Sportsman BBQ and got a plate and a sandwich to go. And go we did. We went up to a small park next to Clark’s Hill Lake. We had a little picnic at one of the tables overlooking the lake and the dam. After eating we spread out a blanket and lounged in the sun to read some. A fairly short time after we got settled, another car showed up. A minivan with a young family. They proceeded to unload a huge amount of stuff, strollers, bikes, coolers, fishing poles, etc. Mom and young daughter were in constant communication, “Stay here.” “Alright,” as she wanders off. “Don’t go far. ” “I won’t,” as she keeps on walking. “Come over here.” “Mom?”

We packed our books and blanket in the trunk and went for a walk around exploring every nook and cranny of the small park. After about a half an hour we got back in the car and went for a nice drive in the country before coming home.

Really nice day for a convertible. But somehow I feel we are going to have to pay for it with a couple inches of snow in February…

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 12

I Hate It When That Happens

Even when it happens for a totally different reason than usual.

I love to read and I usually have at least one book going at a time. My current source is a used book store in town which we visit every other weekend. My usual MO for picking a book to read is to open it up about a third of the way and read a page. This lets me know A) if I like the style of witting and B) hopefully will tip me off that I might have read it before. It always works for A, but sometimes it will fail the B criteria. I have been known to take up to 1/4 of the way through a book before I realize that I have read it before. Because I usually don’t remember how it all finishes up, I’ll just reread it. Hey. people watch a movie they like more than once don’t they?

The past batch of books included one called “Tell No One” by Harlan Cobern that I really enjoyed, so on this past weekend’s trip I told myself that I’d get another one of his books to see if it was as good. There were three on the shelf, so I grabbed on called, “Gone For Good.” Didn’t even read any of it because I knew I liked his writing style.

Well sure enough, by page 10 I knew I had read it already, so I reread it. Good book, not as good as “Tell No One” though. My next trip back to the bookstore, I’ll get one of the other two that I (hopefully) haven’t read already.

Uniblab

They have recently updated the voice activated automated prescription refill software at our local CVS. Before it was generic female computer generated voice, but now we’ve got radio announcer guy to lead us through the button pushing process.

The best part is now when his voice says, “Please wait while I input that information.” Instead of 3 seconds of silence we now get a computer sound (here is where an audio post might actually be germane) that sounds like something that would come from Uniblab as it computed George Jetson’s severance pay.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 12

My Ship Has Come In

Bogardus

I write this august letter in confidence, believing that it will reach you in high spirit and I believe you will maintain the level of confidence and trust matters of this nature requires. Though, I know that this proposal may make you apprehensive and worried, but I assure you that all will be well at the end. Before proceeding, I wish to introduce myself. I am Mr John Clark, personal accountant to Late Engr. Mark Bogardus.

The Proposal:

An American Citizen, Late Engr. Mark Bogardus, a Petrochemical Engineer died in an autocrash in May 2000. He operated a domiciliary account here in London and had a closing balance as at the end of September 2000 amounting to $10,000,000.00 ( Ten Million United States Dollars only).Valueable efforts have been made by the security company to get in touch with any of Late Mark relation as beneficiary to his estates without success.

Consequently, the chairman and the board of Directors are planning to declare the fund Unclaimed and then forfeited into the governments account because of the security company’s inability to locate a relation or next of kin. In other to avert this negative development, I now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the estate of late Engr. Mark, so that the fund $10,000,000.00 will be released and paid into your account as the beneficiarys next of kin. I will help to arrange all documents and proves to enable us get this fund out.

I have secured from the probate registry an order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiary and more so, I am assuring you that this transaction is risk free. Once the fund is moved to your nominated account, you will be entitled to 40%, 20% to charity while i get 40%.

As soon as I receive your acceptance in principle, I will furnish you with the necessary modalities for commencement.Finally, I am relying in my confidence in you, having opened up to you, if however you are not interested,please feel free to destroy this information.

Yours Faithfully,
John Clark.

It’s The Power Supply Stupid

My new replacement fan from Dell arrived this evening. I cracked open the case and felt the fan force when it was running, not much air movement. Popped out the assembly and pulled the fan off its rubber mounting posts. Installed the new fan and snapped it back into the case. Leaving the case open I hit the power button.

Fan started running, so far so good. I felt for air movement and it didn’t seem any better. As the computer finished booting up I just listened. It seems like the new fan has a tick to it that the other didn’t. Sigh, but at least it isn’t making the horrible vibrating sound. I scissor the case halves together and stand it upright. Just as I reach vertical….brrraaattttttttttttt. The sound is back.

I carefully laid the case back down horizontal….brrraaattttttttttttt. Opened up the case again and unplugged the new fan and….brrraaattttttttttttt, the noise is still there. Put my ear up to the power supply and that is where the racket sounds like it is coming from. Rap on the power supply grating hard with my knuckle and the noise stopped.

Damn! I was so sure. While trouble shooting it was making the noise and I unplugged the CPU cooling fan and the noise stopped, how could this be? The only thing I can think of is the first time I unplugged the fan it jostled the computer enough that the power supply fan quieted down.

Back to the Dell website to see about ordering a power supply. If you remember I complained about struggling to find the parts ordering section on the Dell site, I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. All you have to do is click on the pertinent system type on the blue menu bar along the top and right there second from the bottom is Dell Parts & Supplies. But you didn’t think it would easy though did you? Nope, drill down through the hierarchy and sure enough you are told that these items can not be purchased on line, please dial 1-800-Phillipines.

Well, I’m not going there. I’m going to go to Centrix International. It might even be a used power supply, but I’ll be darned if I’m going to have to deal with the refusing to buy a book or putting it on my Dell account madness again. Let alone how much they will want for that sucker. Centrix-Intl has four numbers listed as fitting my box, Guess I’ll be cracking open the case again to check the part number of the P/S.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 10

Continuing Wine Education

Tonight’s Netflix selection was “Sideways.” Going to have to buy that movie and watch it multiple times so I can get the lingo down.

Miles Raymond: A little citrus. Maybe some strawberry. Mmm. Passion fruit, mmm, and, oh, there’s just like the faintest soup?on of like, uh, asparagus, and, there’s a, just a flutter of, like a, like a nutty Edam cheese.

Wine Aficionado

This morning everything seems better, here is last nights lame post:

With all the studies that show that drinking a glass or two of red wine a day may be good for your health I have decided to try my own study. Regular readers here know that my cholestrol is somewhat on the high side and I’m working with my doctor to try and get it in the “normal” range. I don’t eat too badly (realative to the general population) and I exercise fairly frequently, so I’m guessing a lot of my problem is hereditary, maybe drinking wine is the ticket.

Donna’s brothers and sister are big wine drinkers, so that after the house cleared out Thanksgiving weekend we were left with a couple of bottles. Instead of the usual pour it down the sink and recycle the bottle as in years past, I resolved to drink them empty, one glass at a time, strictly for my heart you understand.

After finishing off the leftovers, it was time to buy some wine on my own. Knowing nothing about wines my first replacement was just another bottle of the same kind that was left behind, Yellow Tail Merlot. Apparently it is from Australia because it has a cute Aborigini looking kangaroo on the bottle. As a bonus, it was cheap. Seeing as that wasn’t too bad tasting, my next bottle was chosen for its inexpensiveness as well. I don’t remember what brand it was, but I’m sure it came in a snazzy bottle. It cost less than the Yellow Tail and it didn’t have that cork thing, you just screwed the top off and poured. It really didn’t taste too bad either.

With the cost factor now really unimportant, anything under $10 a bottle being fine, I have now started working my way through the local supermarket’s wine aisle picking out my beverage by how I like the bottle/label design. Our latest stock consists of a Syrah from Red Bicyclette.

The next bottle might be from the folks at Twin Fins winery. Their bottles have a stylized back end of a 50s convertible with a surfboard sticking out of it.

Started down, went up, back down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 10