November 2006

This was one of those surreal movies that you only understand when you reach the very end.

My comment to my friend: “I didn’t know Hugh Jackman could do a full lotus.”

It was either that or they had a body double from the waist down. He also looks… different bald.

Anything coherent is a potential spoiler, so I leave you with breadcrumbs. The fountain of youth. The tree of life. The queen of Spain. Lots of cutting back and forth to different points in time. Pretty woman, Hugh Jackman, and beautiful special effects. If you liked the brain-twistiness of time travel movies/episodes, sentimental romance that lasts for all time, and Hugh in any mode of dress (the costume people must have had a ball with him), this movie is for you.

I know I’m not getting all my mail. I just got a collections notice for something for which I was never billed. Granted, it was my old cell phone account, but I couldn’t change my address with them because the phone stopped working the instant my number was ported to the other service, and calling from anywhere else resulted in endless prompts to enter my account number, which was my cell number, which no longer belonged to them. Nor does logging in at their website appear to work. Although, that may have been me forgetting another password.

Security is a good thing, all right, but it sure t’d me right off getting a collections notice when I never even got a bill. And the notice was addressed incorrectly, too. It’s a wonder it even showed up in my box.

In other news, IT’S COLD HERE. Quite suddenly. And it rained. I attribute the rain to the serious thoughts of washing my car today. Pre-emptive rain!

When you have the tv, dvd, vcr, stereo and assorted other things all where you want them and working, do not put a nail in the wall unless you are certain the wiring does not run through that square centimeter of drywall.

x_x

I borrowed the first season of The West Wing from my friends. In the first three episodes, Jed the fictional president articulates a sane stance on abortion and politics and reacts to terrorists shooting down an American aircraft in a reasonable way (well, by the end of it he steps down to hitting a few military bases instead of bombing a whole country). And I’m thinking, where the H#^& are the politicians keeping the rational folks and why can’t we get them in office? Only on television are we going to get sane people in office.

In other news, I baked a cake, ruined my pasta/broccoli lunch by burning it to a crispy little wafer in the bottom of the pan, discovered that Longs does not sell ironing boards, and that there are now phones of the cordless persuasion that you can download ringtones and whatnot to, so when you’re running through the house tripping over the cat to get the phone you can do it to “Oops I did it again” or perhaps “Ricky don’t lose that number” or that old pop song that features some heartbroken guy singing about the telephone line needing to give him some time, as he’s listening to the girl not picking up the phone.

Also, I went nowhere and did nothing for Thanksgiving. Not even the movies. The line was hideously long for two days straight. And because I could not see the latest iteration of Bond, James Bond, I tried to watch Enterprise again yesterday. About the point where Archer tantrums about the aliens not giving them some part (carburetor? injector?) for the ship, only to find out that the aliens are offended because he let his dumb dog pee on one of their sacred trees, even though he knew from the start that 1. dogs are not people and do not have good manners, and 2. these people are easily offended, and 3. it is totally stupid dimwitted and idiotic to take less than well mannered crew along, let alone a dumb beagle who shouldn’t be on the ship in the first place — and then! and theeeeeen, he tantrums some more because the dog got SICK! on the mission he shouldn’t have been on in the first place! Talk about logical consequences!

Yet still, Archer does not learn. I waited long enough to see that the explanation wasn’t that Archer got stuck in a transporter accident that turned his brain into that of a four year old, which still wouldn’t have been much of an excuse considering the crew of the 1701-D were actual children (after their transporter accident) and managed to act more like adults than this clod, and then I put in Constantine, hoping that Keanu Reeves and His Wooden Acting Skills would amuse me more. And they did. Probably because I have no expectations of Keanu, and I do seem to have lingering expectations of the actor formerly known as Sam Beckett, who I actually liked.

So now I want two bumper stickers: “Jed Bartlett for President”, and “Fire Archer! Bring Back the Shat!” And something tells me it’s already been done.

And now, on to “Blake’s 7.” If I’ve got to go back in time to get watchable sci fi, so be it.

Appointments: 3
Cancellations: 1
No show: 1
Show: 1 really cute little guy (most of my clients seem to be little guys)
Calls made: 10
Calls returned: 1
Messages left: 8
Answered by mum who moved to another county, thereby knocking another possible client off my caseload: 1
Plans thwarted: 3
Upset stomach: 1
Headache: 1
Bedtime: 8, probably. Crashing fast.

Why do I always get sick around Thanksgiving?

This was an eventful weekend. It was my first whole weekend in the new place - didn’t have to drive to the old home town. First time I ever successfully hung a door all by myself. (It ain’t pretty, but it closes okay.) And, I have ficced, and posted, albeit not in the One True Fandom, but in BSG.

Also fixed DSL. Also, got some paperwork done that needed doing. And laundry. Still no idea about a yoga class, but now that I have a phone book that will change.

Updated Home in a Handbasket with some additional pages.

Am concerned about a variety of things, not the least of which is whether the post office is really going to deliver my mail.

Internet was down most of the day today. Bleh. I had to argue with tech support - just because it said ‘wrong password’ didn’t mean I was typing it wrong. Also, if you have DSL, you also get dialup as part of the package, and the login is the same - tech tried to BS me about needing a different password for DSL. Uh, no, it worked before, regardless of my usage of dialup, it is the same either way. Just because my DSL abruptly stops working in the middle of surfing my usual blog rounds and you don’t have a clue what’s wrong, that does not mean you can make up crap just to sound knowledgable. All I wanted to know is whether they were having server issues, not to get a lecture about ‘you have to type it the same both times, ok?’ And for the eighty bajillionth time - I HAVE A MAC, stop telling me to use Windows software to do things, and HEY, your web page code is CRAP, it’s not my browser! As I recall the page didn’t load on the Windows box I used when setting up the router the first time, either.

Why yes, I hate calling tech support.

Good: third client showed up today.
Bad: I’ve been calling people for two weeks solid. I should have ten.
Good: Payroll went in last week.
Bad: Direct deposit doesn’t seem to work. It should have been there yesterday.
Good: Supervisor likes my writing skillz.
Bad: No clients, not much to write.
Good: Still breathing, eating, and sometimes even reading or writing.
Bad: Need to finish hanging the garage/kitchen door. It’s cold in here.
Good: Settling in and setting up array of toys necessary to do my job.
Bad: Still lacking a Really Good Poster. And at home all the walls are bare.
Good: Like co-workers. They seem to like me.
Bad: Everyone is really behind and really busy.
Good: Totally stoked.
Bad: Totally deprived of any energy or creativity to blog. So much to do! So much to fix!
BAD: My window on the passenger door, driver’s side, will not stop sliding down on the freeway, thus treating me to cold blasts and lots of traffic noise, and occasional diesel engine stench.
Meh: I have run out of things to say. I go now to re-hinge a door.

I used to be a registered Republican. I also used to be conservative. I saw a comment on another blog somewhere, something to the effect of “my politics are the same, it’s just the political landscape moving around beneath me….” I can’t remember changing my mind on a whole lot of issues, yet somehow I can no longer vote the party line.

I think I may have even voted Green/Independent on one slot - I really didn’t like either of the top two options.

And now I am hoping a door hits Rummy on the way out, and the Dems can use their power for good, not bureaucratic BS (I hesitate to say ‘evil’ just because I always hope that people are doing their best, it’s just not necessarily the best I would want).

But my car runs without steaming, leaking, or blinking red lights at me.

And now that it’s working, I did a costco run. Hopefully by next Tuesday (payday!) I will be able to function as a fully employed human adult, and get actual groceries instead of quick fix food. (You know, they say it’s cheaper to cook than to buy pre-made and so forth… but I’m having Issues. As in, I need some of those plastic storage containers, and staples, and some other things I left behind or just borrowed from Roommate.) By then I will have run all the previously stored dishes through the dishwasher and unpacked all the boxes, thereby creating an environment in which I will not discover some critical item is still “in a box.” I’ve been averaging a box a day, and slowly figuring out how to reconfigure my things into the available cupboards, nooks and crannies.

*hack*

The sounds of the Barfmaster 10,000 at work. (Well, it’s actually more of a *hokhokhokeeeechkkk* but that’s so difficult to spell that I opted for the familiar.)

She’s still freaking out about the move, I guess - now her fun thing to do is not eat cat food all day, then snarf up a ton when I get home, then barf it up in assorted spots.

My favorite was the very middle of my comforter.

Time for the understudy comforter, which is not as soft but is also not caked with EW.

When you say “my car needs to go into the shop but I don’t know how to get to work if I do that” and no one says “I’ll give you a ride.” It was more along the lines of “Enterprise has good rates…”

Of course, that’s assuming I can get to the car rental place in good time. Enterprise picks you up, but is there one close to the good mechanic? Probably not.

The trouble is, of course, my coolant system is leaking. I got a new cap and the rest of the system goes poof. Typical.

Saturday: move in. No power
Monday: power. Things aren’t working. Stove won’t heat things, dishwasher won’t wash things, various lights are not working, smoke detector missing battery… and a list of minor things that aren’t so important. No dial tone.
Tuesday: Sigh. Car coolant tank light comes on. Mechanic declares sensor stuck, sends me on my way with instructions to have it fixed at next oil change. “Pay attention to the thermostat instead.”
Wednesday: Figure out hot water not on under sink. Fixes dishwasher. Car getting hot while sitting at lights. Sigh. Refrigerator freezes salad fixings solid, ruining all the vegetables and creating a block of milk. Turn it down to room temperature and hope for the best. Double sigh.
Thursday: Stove finally comes on. Note also that sink has stopped leaking. Things still frozen. Car still acting hot at lights, but not overheating. Dial tone! But no DSL.
Friday: drive to OldTown. Car acts fine, as long as I’m on the freeway. Note before leaving that DSL works.
Saturday: workshop goes okay. The car nearly overheats while driving and while sitting at lights. Panic - stop at a chain auto repair place and receive reassurance that if the fan is coming on I will be okay until I get back to my mechanic. Check fluids - car has burned through half a quart of oil and coolant tank is… empty. Note stains on engine block. Wonder if fizzing engine was why people honked in my vicinity. Sigh. Go out to dinner with Roommate and get buzzed, watch movies, wait til next morning when WalMart is open and I can get coolant.
Sunday: Wake up with cat on chest. Get coolant and bagel and coffee (not all at WalMart) and fill tank, screwing down cap as hard as possibly can. Re-check oil. Fill car with forgotten items. Drive like a bat outta on freeway - new washer and dryer will be delivered sometime today. Note car is running cooler than it has in months, even though coolant low light stil blinks, curse self for being ignorant car owner. Reach north end of New Town - receive call from appliance delivery guy. Stall him. Show up just as new washer and dryer are being unboxed in the street. Spend rest of day washing and drying everything - dishes in dishwasher, clothes/sheets/towels in new wonderful efficient washer that seems able to scrape away the layers of cat hair to find the clothing within.

Note to self: ask mechanic for steep discount, due to his having left the cap loose and causing much panic and engine wear.

Download shows, noting there is no broadcast tv in New Town and that satellite or cable will in fact be necessary if I want to sit idly channel surfing, or watch the news.

Siiiiiiiiiiigh.

After I hit ‘publish,’ I mean.

I feel like I am trapped in a time warp. No internet access for a week? I lose all touch with chronology. Add the time change (what daylight are we saving again?) and days of trainings and talking to people I don’t know about things I don’t understand completely yet, and whee!

Serendipity, so generous with the free fridge (see previous posting made from Friend’s house), has left me in the lurch. I am only now recovering, and slowly. The power was turned on Monday after a whining phone call to Huge Corporate Utility Company, and my cat, after two days and nights in a cold empty apartment alone, was absolutely worshipful when I deigned to actually sleep in my bed. She purred for two hours straight - I am actually underestimating this, probably, as I wasn’t timing her and she was purring when I woke up the next morning too.

The phone company said my service was on, but alas, no dial tone - so they blamed inside wiring, which lets them off the hook. I just waited til today, when the dude was supposed to physically show up and get me DSL. Dude must have noticed no actual phone service and hooked me up, as I expected he would. But, still no DSL, which is why I’m on dialup trying to pay the bills online before my cell phone provider repos my phone and my credit card adds a late fee. I came home to an actual phone message on the machine that’s been plugged into the wall since Monday - the phone company, telling me there’s a problem with my cabling so DSL will have to wait a while longer. I’m already sweating the loss of Lost, which has re-engaged me only because of the plight of Desmond and the endless curiosity about what the frak will happen to Locke, who totally made me angry last season but has now become something of a tragic character to me - if only because he’s so in need of serious therapy. I hope DSL happens in time to catch BSG. Of course, I’ll be driving to Fresno tomorrow night, partially to pick up items such as my microwave, which conveniently got left in the apartment when we loaded the Uhaul…

…which precipitated a whole week of eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, because… my stove doesn’t work, which I didn’t know over the weekend because the power was off, and with no way to heat water for tea/coffee? reheat leftover chinese? boil pasta? Heh. My kitchen is where I go to be frustrated by all the dishes I’ve kept in storage and need washing.

Becaaaaaause, my dishwasher didn’t work, either.

And at this point I nearly blew a gasket and left a message on my property manager’s voicemail. Holes in window screens are to be expected. Not being able to shift dead spiders and white filmy gick out of my glasses in a single run of the dishwasher was just icing on the I-hate-moving cake.

I realized while typing all this just how much emotional turmoil I’ve been going through. It’s difficult to move from an environment where no one pays any attention to you to an office where the support staff knock on your open door, approach you with respect and snap to it when you ask them for something — just a few months ago, I was support staff. It’s difficult to be in a town where you don’t know how to drive or which lane to be in — that sounds trivial, but if you get in the wrong lane, you have miles of stop and go traffic just to find a u-turn opportunity, because it’s bumper to bumper here all day. And, my car is slowly coming to pieces. Neither of the back windows work - I have the feeling the motors are disconnected from the whatever-holds-them-up, and one of them slides downward while I’m driving. The coolant tank idiot light comes on all the time. It’s full, and the car’s fine, but it flashes like I’m running a disco on my dashboard. I took it to a mechanic who said it was a sensor and I’d have to have the reservoir replaced to fix it, which isn’t a big deal. Except, where it used to run with the needle right between C and H, now it gets really hot and the fan comes on every ten minutes, where it used to never come on at all.

And, no furniture. Nothing on the walls. Just me, the bird, the cat, and lots of books. On top of everything I miss my roommate.

The laundry’s piling up. My washer and dryer come on Sunday.

The good news? Well, I still like my job. I’m calling to set up appointments and finding some parents who will actually bring in their kids. I have another friend who’s interviewing for jobs in NewTown as well. My new apartment is quiet at night. My renter’s insurance actually dropped in price with the move. (My car insurance went up - go figure. Probably due to fender benders, which I’m betting happen all the time around here in stop-n-go city.) And I figured out the dishwasher didn’t work because the hot water was turned off under the sink. They’re bringing someone in to fix the stove soon, and I’ll have a microwave by Saturday night.

I feel like I’ve been gone somewhere forever and ever, and it’s only been five days since my last post. I think I need to start keeping an actual journal.

ETA: The salad stuff is frozen. The milk is frozen. My fridge is too efficient and again with the nothing to eat.

And, well, now I have to drive to Fresno, but there’s DSL.