Keeping it cool

Well, many hundreds of dollars later, my car has a brand new radiator, upper and lower radiator hoses, and a complete coolant flush. It feels happier, I feel poorer, and the world is at equilibrium again.

I took my car to the same shop that I used recently for new tires and an alignment. They took a look and called me with what needed to be done as well as an estimate on the damage about to be incurred on my wallet. The quote was much higher than I had anticipated, so I called another shop in a nearby town that some guys at work had recommended. I told them exactly what needed to be done (thanks to the conversation with the first shop), and asked for an estimate. Theirs was $263 cheaper.

Now I had a conundrum. I had taken my car to the first shop because I could drive there with my limping car, since it was only about 3 miles away. I had to stop once and refill the engine coolant along the way. Even doing that, my temperature guage was fully in the red for half of the trip, and to the absolute farthest point of red by the end of the journey. I was not going to be driving it much farther, so if I took it to another shop, I'd have to have it towed. Plus, I would still owe the first shop just for looking at the car.

I called the first shop back and told them about the much lower quote. He hemmed and hawed a little bit, and then said he could do everything with the exact same parts as before for $140 less. I asked what was different this time. He said he just added in some price matching and coupons. Thanks and all, but why couldn't we have done that the first time?

I ended up letting them go ahead and fix the car, since by now the still $123 difference would have been completely eaten up by paying them the diagnostic fee and towing. Picked it up after work, good as new!

Is it just the car industry that acts this way? I don't go to McDonald's and have to negotiate for a better price. It really makes me wish I was more mechanically inclined. I can tear apart a computer, build one from scratch, write you a software program to balance your checkbook or perform automatically scheduled backups, but I often have no idea where to begin when something goes wrong with my car.

Yes, I can change a headlight, change the oil, change a tire, and maybe even put on new brakes by myself now that I've helped with that before. But the expensive stuff, not a chance.

DotD: Expert Painter-Parents willing to come up and help paint for free. I have 6 rooms, 2 hallways, and ceilings for all of those to paint this weekend. All in all, we'll have about 12 gallons of paint and primer hanging out at my place ready to be splattered everywhere.

And a bonus for you today, 50 Verbatim DVD+R discs for $5.99 after rebate.

One of those days

Today was one of those days. You know, the kind you wished would just end already, so you can climb back into bed and try again the next day. Well, it's finally almost time to try just that.

The day started off on a low note. I was running late to work. I walked into the garage to leave, and I smelled a strange, sweet scent. I also saw dark stains on the cement floor, orange puddles in the cracks, and my garage door dripped when I opened it. No, it did not rain Hi-C Orange in my garage last night. A quick check under the hood of my car, and sure enough, all of my engine coolant was gone. Problem. Well, so much for driving to work, I think the car is staying right where it is.

In my extreme lack of car knowledge, I did check to see if a hose was leaking somewhere. No such luck. The leak was coming from the bottom corner of the radiator. Bummer.

Later on, in our softball game, my little sis tried to catch a pop fly at shortstop and ended up catching her other hand a bit funny. From the outfield, I couldn't quite tell what was going on, until she and a couple other people left the field heading for their cards. I ended up waiting in the urgent care room with her after the game (which we were leading in until the last inning, when they scored 10 runs and then won), since I had to get a ride to the clinic (see above paragraphs). She hyper-extended two fingers and her wrist, and had some nasty gashes on her fingers. Nothing was broken, but she needed four stitches, a lot of cleaning, and a splint for her wrist and hand.

We finally got home and Ms. Fiance and I managed to get my car over to a repair shop so they can look at it in the morning. I filled the coolant reservoir before leaving, but had to stop once to refill it about half way to the shop. The coolant would just come streaming out whenever the engine was running, and for the first time ever, I was driving my car with the temp gauge not just in the red, but at the farthest end of the red mark. The repair shop was only a couple of miles away, and there my car now sits.

Thinking nothing else could happen today, I then remembered that I still had to sign checks at church. It was already late, but I headed over there in my sister's vehicle after stopping by CVS with little sis to get some prescription pain killers for her. There was a little bit of extra work to do at church besides signing checks, but not bad. I then checked my box in the office, and found a copy of a letter written to one of the church staff from a church member. It was given to each member of the leadership team. It was so full of venom, anger, and hate that it really turned my stomach. How can people be so mean to others, especially in a church? I could not believe what I was reading. Pure venom is the best way to describe it. Unbelievable.

So, it's finally time to go to bed and put this day behind me. Here's to tomorrow!

DotD: Prescription painkillers for softball injuries - $10 copay - What's the cost without insurance, little sis wanted to know? $10.99. Whew, good thing we didn't have to go that route! ;-)

We talked about what you talked about...in your talk

TEC 68 has come and gone, and my sleeping patterns have not righted themselves yet. It was a great weekend, though draining and frustrating at times. It's so easy to slip back into that atmosphere of love and fun, and just want to remain suspended in it.

I was an ATL this time around, and my table was challenging at times. It was a much different experience than my last go-round as an ATL. There were times when we had some really deep stuff come out from half the table all at once, and other times when it felt like we were getting nowhere. By the time we got to closing, I was blown away by the changes I saw and the comments from the candidates. Truly God was working through the team this weekend to reach these candidates!

Yes, the title of this post was an actual comment made by someone while sharing after a talk. Yes, it was an ATL. Yes, it was me. I got part way through the sentence (right where the elipsis is), and decided I might as well go all out and add the last one for good measure.

The talent share was good times as well. My table was the very first act, and we did a short little skit. Since the Anderson's were pretty much having a family reunion, we did a skit together (which I titled Anderson* on the sign-up sheet, since Ms. Fiance was involved). Chicken Farming at its best! Kelly and Ms. Fiance made excellent chickens, and my Dad made an excellent chicken farmer. Me, I just played narrator/chicken seller.

It was cool to see a lot of my peeps there this weekend, but sad to know that a bunch of them were there for the last time AS YOUTH. Emphasis on the youth part, because working as an adult is pretty much wonderful as well. You just have to have a little bit of patience.

DotD: TEC - $35 for candidates, $40 for team - May be the best $35 or $40 you've ever spent.

Great Outdoors

I can't wait until the work day is over. Immediately afterwards, I'm heading home quick, packing a few last minute things (like food), and then Ms. Fiance and I heading to Interstate Park. It's going to be a short camping weekend, but it should still be quite fun.

This is our alternative to the SonShine Music Festival which is going on right now. I had to take a bunch of vacation days during the school year to get various projects done, and I need to save some vacation for next year, meaning that SonShine got the axe. It was sad, but we're doing the next best thing, which doesn't require about 3 days of vacation.

We're coming back Sunday just in time for the last TEC meeting. Can't believe next weekend is TEC already! These past couple of weeks have flown by. I need to get my little body in gear to get stuff ready for next weekend.

Oh, and there's going to be a card night on Tuesday, which means Monday night I need to make some decks. It's going to be a busy week!

DotD: Norton Internet Security, Norton Partition Magic, and Norton Ghost bundle - $0.00 - Pretty sweet deal if you ask me, and easy on the wallet (after mail-in-rebate). This bundle has it all: Antivirus, Antispyware, Antiphishing, Firewall (incoming and outgoing), partition management, and disk imaging and backup. Did I mention free? 

My short career as a uniform salesman

I just got back from Boston yesterday. It was a really short trip. I flew out on Sunday night after leaving early from the TEC meeting, had an all-day UML training class to attend on Monday, and then flew back Tuesday morning.

The class itself wasn't really worth the trip, since we've covered UML in my undergraduate and graduate level courses quite a bit, but the entire software team was required to go. I could have condensed the useful-to-me training from 8 hours to 30 minutes. Basically all I learned was the new changes to UML 2.0 (which are actually quite nice). I did, however, get to have dinner with a former coworker who lives out there now, and I got to play with his new iPhone on Monday night. That was fun. 

I did have some travel-related quirks to the trip, however. Because of the storms that rolled through on Sunday, instead of arriving in Boston at 10:30, we were delayed and arrived at the hotel at 2:00 am. Then, when I went to check in, they couldn't find my reservation. As I was searching for my confirmation number, they desk clerk found my name, but said I'd already checked in.

Say what?

Yep, according to their records, I had checked in early that evening, and that person was in my room. Furthermore, when that guy checked in, he said he worked for a company that sells uniforms, not exactly my company's line of work. That room was already switched from my credit card to direct billing to the uniform company, so I didn't have to worry about being charged for their stay. But still, very odd.

The guy at the desk was very apologetic, however, and was joking with me about my career change and my apparant multiple personalities. He also upgraded me to a room with a jacuzzi. 

Now, since I had to be up in about 4 hours for the class, I didn't get to take advantage of it that night. But I did try it out the next night. It was nice, but a big small for my legs. There was no way to completely stretch out my legs, so either my feet or my knees had to be out of the water. Such poor living conditions, I know... ;-)

And thus, Tuesday morning, my career as a multiple personality uniform salesman came to an end while I checked out of the hotel. It was a nice run while it lasted.

Oh, and watching episodes of Star Trek: Voyager on an iPod is an excellent way to pass the time at the airport and on the airplane. I decided to start watching the series from beginning to end, since I've only seen a few of the epidodes up till now. I made it through about the first 5 on my trip. Favorite moment so far: the doctor slapping Tom Paris in the face to show that holograms aren't just images. It was hilarious!

Oh, and Baron thought I looked very manly at the TEC meeting when I ran into him in the hall. It made my day. I'm not sure if it was because of my handsome good looks, or because I was holding onto Ms. Fiance's purse for her. Or it could be because he was so excited to see me that that's the best compliment he could think of as his brain shut down in wonder. I'm going to assume the latter.

DotD: Free Squishee (Slurpee) at 7-Eleven today-only to celebrate the 80th birthday of 7-Eleven.

Wedding Blues

Come on now, don't get so carried away already! I never said these wedding blues had anything to do with my upcoming wedding. Get your facts straight before you jump to conclusions like that!

Anywho, Ms. Fiance was in a wedding this weekend, the much-hyped 7-7-7 thing. As wonderful fiance, I attended the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. I did not go to the wedding itself, since I did not know the bride or the groom at all (hadn't even seen a picture), and since Ms. Fiance was in the wedding, I would have been sitting by myself, not knowing anyone (except a couple of people I met at the rehearsal dinner), in a Catholic wedding. I get a little nervous in Catholic churches, always a bit afraid I'm going to be standing or sitting at the wrong time, or doing something that only Catholics are supposed to do or something. I think I need a Catholicism For Dummies book or something to help me out.

The rehearsal dinner itself was fine, although as previously mentioned, I went into it knowing nobody besides Ms. Fiance. I did get to chat with a couple guys who were going to be sitting near me at the reception the next day. Yep, because Ms. Fiance was a bridesmaid, I got to sit at a reserved table, having my own name card and everything. 

And where, pray tell, did Mac Man get to sit?

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Oh, none other than the front-most, center-most table other than the head table. In other words, here were the guests at my table:

1. Bride's mother

2. Groom's mother

3. Groom's father

4. Groom's grandmother #1

5. Groom's grandmother #2

6. Priest

7. Scripture reader and husband of one of the bridesmaids (no, not Ms. Fiance)

8. Me

Oh, and my chair was the absolute closest to the bride and groom of anyone in the entire room, other than the wedding party. Even the parents were farther away than me.

Don't get me wrong, it was a nice reception, pretty good food, and Ms. Fiance and I enjoyed a little swing dancing, a little polka, a little YMCA, a little Chicken Dancing, and a little slow-dancing. But man, was the whole ordeal uncomfortable at times. 

Random happy thought from the wedding reception: I saw two iPhones in use. A husband and his wife each had one, and the husband, who was also the Best Man, also made reference to Steve Jobs in his toast. Nifty!

DotD: 320 GB hard drive - $59.99 - A great price for this size hard drive. You can either install it inside your computer, or buy an external case for it (like this one, free after rebate) and be able to move it from computer to computer.

Fireworks vs Cars, Round 1

The first round of the battle pitting fireworks against cars to capture our hearts, imaginations, and interest is over. The results are a bit mixed, so let's take a look at the fight so far...

Pre-fight warm-up

While making a late-night run to Blockbuster on Tuesday to rent Along Came A Spider due to the DVR cutting off the last 20 minutes when something ahead of the movie ran over its alloted time, we were suprised to see big fireworks going off in Anoka (this was July 3rd, after all). We happened to have Charlie (my cat) with us at the time, since he loves car rides. We pulled into a park, got out of the car (bringing Charlie with us), and watched the fireworks for about 25 minutes.

Ding! Round 1 begins

I held Charlie in my lap as we watched the fireworks, but he could care less. Instead, he kept turning his head to watch the cars go by on the street next to us.

1 Point: Cars

Last night, some friends and I (including Cooper) went to see the Roseville 4th of July fireworks. Tom's 1 year-old, Kira, was with us. She was a bit afraid of the fireworks, but stared intently at them the whole time, ignoring the passing cars that kept driving by.

1 Point: Fireworks

Before the Roseville fireworks began, a little boy near where we sat yelled out, "Look, a Corvette!" It was a Pontiac. And besides, the fireworks hadn't even started yet.

No points awarded

Ding! End of Round 1

Like I said, the results are mixed. It's a close one, certainly too close to call right now, as we're all tied up 1-1. Keep tuning in for your up-to-the-minute Fireworks vs Cars coverage!

All in all, a pretty good 4th of July. I had the day off from work, we played some games and pool at the Marlin's while grilling, and I got to see two different fireworks displays, even if one was by accident.

The bad news is that the next holiday I get off work for without using vacation is Labor Day.

DotD: iPod Shuffle - $29 - A refurbished original white 512 MB iPod Shuffle that is the size of a small pack of gum. It cost $99 when it came out, and is a great cheap small iPod. I got one for this price about 6 months ago, and it's been great for those times when I don't want to carry around my regular full-size iPod (because of size, weight, or fear of it breaking). Also available, the newer clip-shaped 1 GB refurbished iPod Shuffle for $49. Smaller, twice the storage space, and a convenient clip instead of a lanyard for a little bit more than the other model.

Here we go!

I begin my new adventure as a member of the worship team this morning (approximately 2 hours). Hopefully that goes as well as Baron's day at KT.

Also, today is the first team meeting for TEC. My sister, fiance, and I will be in the conference room, and my Dad will be in the Support room. Can't wait!

DotD: iPhone - $499 or $599 - Couldn't resist. Buy one already!