From glue.
1. Copy the following list into your livejournal.
2. Bold the movies you’ve seen.
3. Add five more movies that you’ve seen to the bottom of the list.
4. Pass it on.
Life Lessons and Other Nonsense
I learned something important this morning. A lesson in life. That lesson (to which many of you will say “Yes, Andy, of course, why didn’t you know that, I told you that but you didn’t listen.”) is this: “Never bother getting out of warranty repair on any appliance worth less than $200.” The microwave has a broken door switch, it doesn’t know when the door is closed, so it won’t start cooking. The replacement switch is $15. The labor to replace the switch would have been $150. (Not to mention the cost for the actual service call and estimate… which I won’t mention because I’m ashamed.) So there are two direct outcomes from this: first, it looks like we may be borrowing Hank’s extra microwave and not using the one built in to the oven/stove. And secondly, well, I’ll point that one out when it happens. Eventually, I should replace that whole unit, or even get two separate units to prevent this sort of replacement scenario in the future, after all, the thing is 16 years old.
Secondly, it appears that, as a part of the whole construction going on around the SR-85/US-101 interchange in Mountain View, the NB-101 -> Old Middlefield offramp is going to be closed starting today… for a year and a half. That’s not fair! I use that ramp twice a week when I go to play Magic! *sigh*
Also, today was a very weird day at work. It turns out that, even though I was physically moved, it was so last minute that I wasn’t added to the official move list, so many of the other things that are associated with a move didn’t happen. My phone didn’t work in the new location, my information in the corporate directory wasn’t updated, and my mailbox didn’t move. Now, I’m used to my phone not working, it hasn’t worked for at least a day, at times up to two weeks after I move, but this was sort of frustrating that the phone guy couldn’t actually change me until he confirmed with the move coordinator that I was, in fact, in a different place.
Technology, hah!
The microwave just stopped working last night — after all it is 15 years old. Unfortunately, it’s part of a stove/oven combo, so getting it repaired is probably a better (i.e. cheaper) option than buying a whole new unit. So I was planning on calling GE Appliance Service today, and I just did a few minutes ago. Their posted hours on the website are 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET, and it was 2 p.m. PT. I got dumped by a message saying they were closed… a message which repeated the posted hours. Hello?! It’s not 6 p.m. for 45 more minutes! Argh! I suppose I’ll have to call tomorrow.
Of course, the reason why I didn’t call until 2 p.m.?
A change in plans…
Modern technology.
After marvelling at the relative ease at how quickly I was able to pick up a package at the FedEx facility last night, just by them scanning the bar code on the door tag they left, I marvelled at how easy computers have made the shipping business.
Today, I found out that UPS had accidentally shipped my thinkgeek.com order to Sunnyvale, TEXAS. The order has my address correct, this was UPS’s mistake. Now I have to wait even longer for my cube toys. Technology is a two-edged sword.
On a related, but completely tangential note, I forgot to mention that the Albertson’s grocery nearest our house where I do all my shopping has gotten the self-checkout installed. It’s true… the robots are one step closer to taking over the world.
Advice for us all.
My feet hurt
As my previous entry alluded to, I was at
The next morning, I woke up rather early and BARTed to Grand Prix Oakland, where I was one of 15 or so judges presiding over the nearly 500-person event. It was my first judging experience in a while, and the first one of that magnitude. I was doing fine, except for not noticing an error at the end of the day. I got home at about 12:30am, and Luke was out at RHPS, so I had to move my car to the street and go to sleep without anyone else there… and I couldn’t figure out how to turn the damn light off in the living room.
I woke up at 6am, packed up and drove this time, picking up a fellow judge on the way. Day two wasn’t as long, but was more tiring, my feet already hurt when the day had barely begun. I made it through the day without making any more mistakes, until the very last match I judged. Thankfully, the reporter left out the error I made– it was brought to light after the match had finished. (I answered a hypothetical question incorrectly, by overthinking or underthinking the problem, depending on how you look at it. I could explain it, but as soon as I start saying things like “State Based Effect” and “Triggered Ability” most of your eyes would glaze over.) I was tired, and should have conferred with the head judge. But now that’s all behind me. After that match, I drove home and took a nice warm bath, then went to sleep at 9pm and didn’t wake up until 9:30 am.
Ironically, both incidents involved the same damn card. That damn thing has too many abilities and makes me cry.
On a completely different note, I think my Palm Pilot’s batteries are dying, it refuses to hold a charge any more. Also, I finally got my badge at work functional again… I have been having to beg to get through the gates so often that I just got waved through the security booth this morning, I’m glad that’s over for now.
Lots of people
I’m at bigdumbthing‘s…. there’s about 35 people here all crammed into his house, and his roommate isn’t too happy about it.
Oh? A real post? Maybe later.