Sturgeon’s Law Ninety percent of everything is crap.
Derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once said, “Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That’s because 90% of everything is crud.” Oddly, when Sturgeon’s Law is cited, the final word is almost invariably changed to ‘crap’.
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Almost didn’t drive the car at all today. Took the free electric shuttle bus to downtown early. We then walked across the pedestrian (and bike) only Walnut Street Bridge to the other side of the Tennessee River and visited some not yet open shops and Coolidge Park with its marvelous carousel (not open yet either.) Walked back across to go inside the Tennessee Aquarium. We visited it way back around the time it opened in 1992 and it was worth the re-visit. They had a special sea horse exhibit downstairs that was worth the price of admission alone. After the Aquarium we had an early lunch of Japanese food at Sekisui right across the street. We were going to catch the matinee showing of Minority Report, but were about an hour early so we ducked into the Tow Truck Museum. Officially called the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum and at 4 bucks a pop for admission, well worth it. The first ever wrecker was made just one block away at the Ernest Holmes Company. After watching the movie we walked the 12 blocks back to our hotel. In the evening we wanted to go see the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts play a game and planned on taking the shuttle back in town and walking home afterwards. But at the last minute decided to drive and maybe take a short nighttime drive afterwards. Stayed for the whole game, which the Lookouts won 4–3, but were so tired afterwards that we just went back to the hotel and crashed.
Went to a matinee of “Minority Report” today. I love Sci-Fi films and Donna usually humors me, of course having Tom Cruise in it helped. Unfortunately the graphic eyeball transplant sequence caused me to have to promise to take her one Julia Roberts movie *and* one Sandra Bullock movie before I will get to pick another movie for us to see. All in all it was a very good movie. Interesting concept that was well executed, up until the very end. At the point where the credits should have rolled, it gave us not one, but two answers to questions that we didn’t ask and really didn’t need to know. I guess the film makers or the studio felt we had to have a warm and fuzzy feeling as we left the theater instead of just the satisfaction of a mystery solved.
Started out early with the intention to do the Big Three of Chattanooga tourist attractions, Ruby Falls, Rock City and the Incline Railway. Did the Railway first as it is the first one you come to and the first trolley was leaving in 15 minutes. At the top we got off and walked over to Point Park to snap a photo or two of Chattanooga from the top of Lookout Mountain. No dice as the haze was so bad we were lucky to see down to the Tennessee River directly below. After we took the Incline back down we decided we had had enough of the heat, humidity and tourists, so we cancelled the other 2 attractions and headed over to the Hamilton Place Mall to do some air conditioned window shopping and get some lunch. Afterwards we went back to our hotel room and took a two-hour afternoon nap. We awoke refreshed enough to tackle one last touristy thing, am IMAX movie. A 3-D flick about the building of the International Space Station.
Maybe back in the day Holiday Inns were a nice place to stay. Nowadays unless you get to stay in a newly constructed motel, they all seem like a place going to seed, not yet there, but drifting that way. Our home away from home these last four days has been the Holiday Inn Choo-Choo Hotel in downtown Chattanooga. They have changed the elegant old train station into the lobby, restaurants and offices of the hotel. They have even turned some of the old railway cars into rooms and dining. A nice concept, recapture the glory days of rail travel in America. Unfortunately today’s tourist is not really interested. The kids get a kick out of climbing on the steam engine and standing in the engineers spot, but only for a minute, then they want to go to the pool or play in the video arcade. The place fits my expectations of an older Holiday Inn and it is sad. The rail cars look like they need a renovation instead of the every other year paint job on the roof. You just know that today’s style corporation will use and use just patching things until it stops making money then discard it. Pardon me boy, was that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?
Drove home from Chattanooga, TN today. We left the Hotel at 9:00 PM and pulled into the Garage at 6:00 PM. That is a lot more driving than we really like for one day, but it is done and we now have the next 4 days to recover from it before heading back to work. We know better but somehow forget to leave all big towns via the Interstate for about 20 miles before getting onto US or State Highways. Left out of Chattanooga via US 27, then 41 figuring we would be in the mountains sooner, NOPE. Just lots of stoplights and shops and cars and stuff. Oh well, once we got into north Georgia we found some awesome roads. The trip to Elijay vis GA 52 was excellent. The rest was pretty good too, but after 150 miles of it we were ready to be home. Stopped at Amicalola Falls for a peek at the 729′ water fall, cool, but a bit of a hike/walk/climb to get to it. They have a neat lodge in the State Park and we plan a revisit to spend a night and explore more.
Took a little notebook along as promised. Wrote in it dutifully everyday. Man it was really hard not having a backspace key! Lots of overwriting and crossed out bits and stuff on top of a line and things in the margins with arrows and I’ll still have to filter it to get it in here. It will be tomorrow or Friday…plan is to just put it in this one post for today so it “looks” like I wrote it all in when I got back on Wednesday.
My wife and I took a weeks vacation. We went away for 5 days and came back with 4 more days off still in front of us. We came back without spending a week away because Donna’s sister and husband were flying up from Florida to spend the extended 4th of July weekend with us. When I say fly, I mean that he was renting a plane and piloting the 2 of them up from Cape Coral. They had to cancel because of the iffy weather. Paul only has a VFR license, so he can’t (or really isn’t allowed) to fly if there are like clouds in the sky.
Driving home yesterday seemed like a Saturday, because we always come home from vacations on Saturday, so we can decompress on Sunday before returning to work. So today felt a lot like Sunday, except I knew it was like the middle of the week in the back of my mind. Making it seem more like a Wednesday was the placing of recyclables by the curb for tomorrow’s pick-up. Normally that occurs on Thursday, but being as today was a holiday they will pick up on Friday instead. We have an early morning appointment with our financial planner tomorrow, so the alarm is going off at around 7:00 PM. The early wake up call will make tomorrow seem like a Monday, so is today Sunday? Wednesday? Or Thursday?
By the time you see this the crisis will be over, because if it wasn’t over you wouldn’t be seeing this.
From staus.blogger.com:
We had a major server bite the dust this morning. Pro(2) is publishing (for most blogs). Publishing is off for basic and template editing is down for all. Working on getting the back-up online.
That was sometime this morning. I’m still waiting. Another reason I should get my own domain name and find a webhost, but from past experience, that is not necessarily an any more reliable way to go.
To make up for yesterday’s lack of attention we drove the Miata this morning to an appointment downtown and on the way home stopped at AutoZone and bought 4 quarts of Penzoil 10w-30. Came home and washed & dried the car outside and then pulled it in the garage for the interior cleaning and changing the oil. While I was at it I cleaned and conditioned the leather seats. Ooh, and tried somewhat in vain to remove all the bug guts of the nose of the car with some blue goo. Got most of it but I won’t win any car show. After that I waxed just the nose of the car. In a few minutes we’ll take a night time drive, because the heat index will possibly be back in double digits. As a consequence of that there will be a few new insect inards plastered to the front. 
Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 169
Just a few mile errand was all the exercise the Miata got today. It was like middle 90’s with the heat index way up in the middle 100’s so I drove around with the AC on. When I got home I decided to try and locate my hot weather rattle. Started as a mild annoyment towards the end of last summer. Disappeared for the entire winter and reappeared in late spring. The rattle only happens when the temperature is above 85 degrees and sounds like it is coming from the glove box. Donna has pushed/pulled/pounded on every possible surface on her side of the car. I even tried driving around with the glove box removed once a few months back, but the rattle was still there. Today I decided it must be under the hood somewhere, so that is where my hunt began. I pushed/pulled/pounded on a bunch of things until I got to the windshield washer fluid bottle — it rattled slightly! I tightened the two top bolts and lined a hole in the fender with duct tape where a plastic stud from the bottle sits. I’ll let you know…
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 169
At 3 PM today the Weather Channel site said it was 95 degrees outside but the heat index made it feel like 104. The term “Heat Index” is the summer equivalent of the wind chill factor and I think was invented by the folks at the Weather Channel because it makes the hot temperatures seem more exciting. Here is a quote from their definition: “The Heat Index is a function of temperature and relative humidity. The combination of the two results in an apparent temperature which gives an idea of what it would feel like under normal-to-low humidity conditions.” Here is my definition: If it is above 85 degrees it is hot. Simple, huh?
I only left the house twice — er, no three — times today. First, early morning before the heat, Donna and I went for a short 12 mile bike ride to go and get some fresh bagels for today and subsequent breakfasts. The second was in the middle of the heat of the day in the MSV with Mom in tow to go to the mall for sneaker shopping. And lastly in the fading light of the evening for our walk around the block. The Miata sat all day, we’ll find out if the fix for the “Hot Weather Rattle” worked tomorrow after work.
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 169
A few weeks ago a bolt from on high struck near enough to smoke check several electrical devices in the homestead. After doing all the song and dance the insurance company wanted we are still lacking in a big TV for the living room. We agreed to let the folks at State Farm replace it through the State Farm Replacement Service. Figured if they could save a few bucks some how on the deal they be friendly to me in future transactions. When we gave them the original OK to go ahead we were told 5 to 7 days. That was pushed out further because the model we picked could not be located anywhere in the local area. Unfortunately that meant delivery might occur while we were away on vacation, so I had them move the date out until next week. My mother-in-law was here, but I want to make sure this thing works good before I sign off on it, hopefully this week we will get it.
The “Hot Weather Rattle” persists. Still sounds like it is behind the glovebox. I guess I’ll have to start dismantling it bit by bit until the noise stops or I could just not drive the car until winter.…right. Or I could just live with it until what ever is loose, gets so loose it falls off.
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 169
What’s this? Tucked in amongst the usual junk mail today was a little hand lettered postcard with a smiley face sticker in the upper left hand corner. Oh, its an ad for a Summer Special Sale. 2 spaces for $895.00 in the Bronze or V.A. Gardens is being offered by the friendly folks at the Southland Cemetery of Aiken. How thoughtful. I know I am middle aged because I actually thought about it for a minute. Then I remembered we agreed to be cremated, so I won’t be needing any land. If you want to take advantage of this offer just email me and I’ll send it to you, it doesn’t say it is non-transferable. The City Fathers are trying to promote Aiken as a nice place to retire, I think it probably isn’t a bad place to be buried either.
My 24 hour notice from the TV delivery person turned out to be more like 24 minutes. I got a call from my mother-in-law at 1:30 that the TV would be here between 2 and 3. At 3:30 she called to say the delivery person was here, but didn’t know what to do with the TV. 15 minutes later I was home and got the real story, the driver’s paperwork didn’t specify in home delivery. He was only required to get it to my front porch. If I wanted, he would help me put it in the house, but he couldn’t be held responsible if the TV got damaged while we did it. So carefully we moved into the living room using his dolly. Upon opening the box I realized just how big this TV is. It wasn’t going to fit in the armoire without me trimming a bigger hole in the back, so the tube would poke out far enough in back, so we can close the front doors. I wouldn’t sign the receipt and let him go until I at least hooked up the cable to it and tried it out. Looked OK so I sent the trucker driver on his way and I went back to work. After we got home I got out my trusty jigsaw and sliced up the particle board so it would fit. Then my wife and I hoisted this puppy into the armoire. If it was any higher up we would have never made it, it weights 150lbs. They webpage said the width was 33–7/8 and the opening of the cabinet was 34–1/2 one of those is a little off as one door slightly rubs one side when opened or closed, any more and the TV wouldn’t have fit. Here is what a JVC AV-36260 looks like, of course it is much bigger in person. 
Every other month we met at the Stoplight Deli in downtown. They open in the evening just for us, nice folks and really good food. Needless to say, because the only people in the joint are there for the meeting it makes it great. The other month’s we alternate between member’s homes and pot luck it for food. These work out well for the same reasons, no interference from outsiders. This month was supposed to be at a member’s house, but nobody volunteered to do it, so some one suggested that the meet at Teresa’s Mexican Restaurant on Whiskey Road. This suggestion was not meet with resounding approval, but no one wanted it to be at their house, so Teresa’s it was.
When we got there there were only 4 other people at a table in the main room, so we joined them. A few minutes later the woman who said she was going to arrange us a spot entered and saw us there. She immediately found the manager who offered a choice of some tables in the no-smoking section or the Cantina room where the bar is, but rarely are there anybody in there on week day nights. We picked the Cantina. Wrong choice as it turned, but we didn’t want to move again because the six attendees had doubled in size. They make a lot of margaritas at the bar, which means a blender is almost constantly whirring. Then to top it off, another family reunion/birthday party came in and used the other half of the room. They were kind of boisterous which added to the din. We did manage to get the meeting in, but you can bet we won’t do that again.
Another scorcher this afternoon, but fortunately the sun was behind some clouds for the ride home and I didn’t have to turn on the AC. Unfortunately, they dropped just enough sprinkles later that we had to put the top up while inside Teresa’s Mexican Restaurant for the Aiken Bicycle Club meeting. Afterwards we put it back down and took the long way home.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 171
Just went ahead and put the top up while at work because of the high percentage chance of rain. Fooled again, didn’t rain. Left it up until after the Miata Club meeting because it looked like rain at any moment. Put it down for the drive home and we made it all the way home and in the garage before it rained where we were. It did rain at home earlier and on the drive we drove through sections that had just got rain, but we never got wet.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 173
You’ve seen them on the backs of cars, those symbols of Christianity placed so you can tell that the person in front of you is a religious sort. Tonight I was behind a car that had a variation of one on the trunk lid that I had not seen before. In place where the eye of the fish would be, there was a small cross. I suppose it was there to maybe clue in the uneducated as to what the fish symbol meant, but I thought the x-ed out eye made it look like a dead fish.
Anxiously awaiting Monday — Leather shift boot, leather e-brake boot, pearl magnum Voodoo shift knob and pearl Voodoo e-brake handle are on their way from Serious Auto via truck.
Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 175
When I first bought a DVD player about 2 years ago, everyone asked my if the picture quality was so much better than video tape. My response was always, “Not that much, in fact if you have a good copy of the tape it seemed about the same as DVD.” I won’t say that any more. Tonight a friend lent me a copy of Blackhawk Down on VHS. First off is wasn’t letterboxed so that seemed way different, but the movie didn’t seem as sharp as I have gotten used to. The real difference was in any subtitles, signs, words, etc. The real kicker was at the end of the movie they scroll some updates about the real people involved and they were practically unreadable.
Wasted the evening on the couch watching “Men in Black.” I don’t remember specifics, but NBC was promoing some show called “Dog Eat Dog.” I am hopelessly out of touch or old or quite possibly both, but I recognize crap when I see it (after all that is what this blog is) and anything from the producers of “Fear Factor” and “The Weakest Link” copying/combining elements of those crappy shows will be CRAP!
Miata didn’t move at all today — kinda like a Sunday, but only it is Saturday. Drove to Columbia to run an errand and made it a family affair by taking along Mom and using Mom’s MSV. While we were there we made it a mission to eat our favorite Capitol City institution, Maurice’s Barbecue. Rained most of the afternoon and evening so we stayed inside and watched movies.
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 175
My wife wants to go for a drive in the Miata in a few minutes. I told her that would ruin the whole thing. She asked, “What thing?” I told her we had yet to drive the Miata this weekend. No sympathy, a ride she wants, a ride she gets. “Please Brer Fox, don’t throw m in that briar patch.”
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 175
This is the worst night of the week, because tomorrow is Monday, the first day of the work week. Sunday is otherwise a very nice day, sleep in, big paper with lots of ads to dream about, lunch out, movie in the afternoon and celtic music from the Thistle and Shamrock from 6 to 7 PM. After that the dread starts in, have to shave and shower and go to bed — next thing you know it is Monday and the crap rolls in for the next 5 days.
I love Brown. UPS man delivered my goodies from Serious Auto today. Pearl Finish Voodoo Magnum Shift /knob and E-Brake Handle along with leather shift & e-brake boots. Of course the first thing I did when I came home was put the stuff in. Looks better than before, especially the emergency brake area. The leather boot is several rungs up on the aesthetics ladder compared to the plastic and the Voodoo handle is much nicer looking than the MGW it replaced. My stock vinyl boot was coming apart at one of the seems so the new leather boot there was needed for function as well as style. The pearl knob replaces my Frankensteinish shift knob that I liked functionally, but not visually. The shift knob was something I called a MGWoodoo, because it started life as a Spun Voodoo and I had it machined to hold the rubber gripper portion of a MGW knob.
Enough positives, lets toss in the negatives: the leather is pebble grained while the seats are smooth. Actually if I was rich I would get some pebble grained seats, like that feel and look. The finish on the knob and handle is the same, pearl, but because the shape of the items are so different, they almost look like different colors.
The positives outweigh the negatives, but I’m not sure if they overcome the cost values. Looks nicer, and Miata nuts might notice, but $160 is a lot for the slight improvement.
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 175
God bless my mother-in-law. Really nice lady and great to have around, but she comes up with the weirdest things. We were sitting on the screened porch last night eating supper. We were watching the birds chase each other around the back yard and out of the blue she tells us that when she cuts her toe nails, she saves the clippings and throws them into the back yard in the belief that the birds use them for nest building. WHAT?!? She then suffixed that statement with, “I don’t know how they find them ( the clippings.)” Do they really want to?
I swear that the new polished Voodoo knob is taller than the spun on I had. It may be just the way the new leather boot fits. Tomorrow I’ll measure it. Bead blasted the dull finish off my vent rings and chucked them up on a lathe. Using some 200 grit sandpaper I reapplied the former spun finish back on. Then I put a couple coats of clear gloss paint to try and match the pearl. Not exactly, but I’ll reserve my final judgement until I see them in the sunlight.
Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 175
Well, the heat finally broke me. We went out to lunch to Burger King and it was hot, really hot. We made the trip with it down and even just used the cockpit cover for the afternoon. After work we had to run an errand so we put the top up and rode in air conditioned comfort. Had a busy afternoon and evening, so I didn’t check shift knob height and at quick glance I may just leave the vent rings off. I’ve got enough silver in the center of the dash (with radio, toggles switches & AWD heater panel) that it breaks up the all black nice enough.
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 176
The medical insurance plan at work has it where if you have your lab work done by a company called LabOne it costs you nothing out of pocket. There is a local lab (Mullins) that acts as a drop off point. The forward the samples off to who knows where for LabOne processing. A couple of month’s ago I went in to my primary physician (and again, it costs nothing to see him) to have an ugly little mole-like thing on my forehead looked at. he removed it and said he would send it off to the lab for analysis. Unfortunately he didn’t label the sample as LabOne and the local lab ran the sample. In case you care it was nothing, but that is not why I writing this. Mullins lab is not in our circle of friends so when Mullins billed my insurance, my insurance said no money for you. I have a $200 yearly deductible normally, but for out of service work it is $400 so it denied the claim. So now I owe Mullins Lab $160 for the work. Well I figured the doctor messed up he should pay. Last week I mailed him a letter outlining what had happened and since it was his error he should pay me the $160. Got a certified letter from the doctor today for the $160. The contents of the letter told me that I was no longer welcome as a patient any more. He would treat emergencies for the next 10 days, but after that, too bad. Just tell him where to send my records.
Did he object to the word error? Oh, well, got to start hunting a new primary doc tomorrow.
I was one of them today. Didn’t sleep at all last night with a stomach ache and didn’t have the energy to go to work. Laid around on the couch and watched TV a lot. There sure must be a lot of sick people watching TV during the day, about every other ad was for some prescription for something or other that would make you a healthier person. None of them were for anything that ailed me, so I switched to PIP and surfed other channels while waiting for what I was watching to come back on.
Finally went out measured the shift knob heights, they are the same, 4–1/32 high. I used a level and placed it on top of the installed knob, I then dropped a steel ruler down from the bottom of the level, ’til it hit the top of the center console and they came out identical. Must be an optical illusion. Feels taller too though, kinda makes me want to get a short shifter kit now.
Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 178
I don’t care what I used to say, 100? is too hot for driving around in a convertible. It was 101 according to the Weather Channel this afternoon at 4:30, so after work we put the top up for the drive home. That is OK because the Miata has a small cockpit and it cools off pretty quickly inside. The humidity was way down, 27%, so it was a dry heat, but I don’t care what that old saying is, today it was the heat.
The Miata just sat in the garage all day. We went out as a family this morning in the MSV and spent the afternoon inside and napping. Going to be just like last weekend, we won’t even drive the car until Sunday when we’ll take a night drive. The car needs to rest anyway because next weekend we are going to the Gap, not the store, the road! 318 tuns in 11 miles, wOOt!
Started up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 178
Damn Yankees. After the Red Sox got 5 in the top of the eight to take a one run lead, the Yankees tied it in the bottom of the eight. Then they won the game in the bottom of the 11th inning. Damn Yankees.
Damn Fox. Just because I live in South Carolina doesn’t mean I want to see the Braves play the Phillies. Jeez the Braves are up by a dozen games and the Phillies are like 18 games behind. The Yankees and the Red Sox are fighting it out for top spot in the AL East with only 3 games separating them, that is the game I should have seen.
As predicted. at 8:45 PM we went for a drive. Actually felt cool as the temperature had dropped into the middle 70’s. Let’s hope it holds and tomorrow we can stay in only the 90’s instead of triple digits.….
Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 179
Damn Yankees. They won tonight’s game in the bottom of the 9th inning. Damn Yankees. we’ve still got 5 games against them (2 home & 3 at NY) before the season is over so we can get some revenge still. One good thing is we’ve got 4 games coming up against Tampa Bay this week and the Red Sox have positively owned the Devil Rays this year. (Damn I hope haven’t just jinxed them.)
Managed a ride to work with the top down, but just put it back up on arrival as there was a 70% chance of rain today. Didn’t rain at all until about the time we walking to our car. Left the top up because of it. Never did actually rain though, mostly just sporadic drizzle. Used the AC to kill the mugginess and for the firs time in ages. There was a little puddle on the garage floor from where all the condensation dripped out of the AC. I was reminded of it each time I went out to the laundry room. The puddle formed right where my first step lands naturally each pass, good thing I was barefoot.
Started up, went down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 182
I’ve got a few sites linked over to the left, I plan on keeping it a few too. Other blogs I visit have a thirty-hundred links and you know they only keep up with a small percentage of them. They look like my favorites folder, so big and ungainly that I’m actually hoping for a catastrophe to wipe them out. I need to start over again, but I don’t have the courage to just delete them in one fell swoop and I don’t have the time to go through them and weed out the dead or should be dead. But I digress…
When I first start my blogging routine every evening I always poke through the recently updated list on the left of Blogger.com at a title or two I find interesting. Today there was one titled Steve’s Rant so you know I had to look. Steve has just started and I think I’ll add him to my links. Well that got me thinking that maybe I should break my links into a couple of categories, those that I read and ones with rant in the title. Did a Google search for rant+blog and snagged a couple more. Watch for the updated link list soon.
Well I went ahead and did it. New links and old links in a different set up. Exciting huh? Taking a couple of nights off from blogging, be back Sunday write it all in. I’ll take my notebook along and write (with pen & paper no less) out any rants I have. If you want to know where I am just take a look at THIS. Probably the only rants I’ll have will be for the stupid slug-like tourist who won’t pull over and let a little sports car by.
Thursday night and Friday morning were fine, but Friday afternoon and on Saturday I felt feverish and had stomach pains so I did not even drive the famous road. Oh, well the Club goes up in September I’ll drive it a couple times to make up for missed opportunities this trip. Not to say I didn’t get in a few runs of some very twisty roads. In some respects it was better on the trip up than some runs on the Gap itself. Friday morning Donna and I had the back roads of north Georgia almost to ourselves. Carving up a lot of not-so-intense windy roads is more satisfying than a free 2 mile stretch of the gap and then 9 miles of frustration behind a minivan that won’t pull over.
Started down, went up, went down, went up — Thursday
Started up, went down, went up — Friday
Started up, went down, went up, went back down –Saturday
Still down — Sunday
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 193
We stayed there on Thursday night on the beginning of our long weekend. It looks like it is rapidly approaching the losing of its franchise status and becoming a place where you can rent rooms monthly or by the hour. Judging by the style of the building I would say the place is no more than 15 years old and once looked just like the photos on the Days Inn web site. But perhaps the materials used in construction it is deteriorating fast. Peeling wallpaper. The mattress looks like it has been around for a century. And the furniture may have looked classy when new, but now looks like Flea Market finds. Oh, well, the AC is pumping out nice cold air and the shower is couple of notches above the usual mist level.
I’m in the middle of doing the 2 monthly newsletters and I don’t have enough time to blog and blog surf like I like. Only 4 more to go of the Aiken Bicycle Club’s newsletter then I’m done. Hopefully I’ll get some time back to waste on the Internet.…
Did you see this cool thing that you can add to your links toolbar called NextBlog? It allows you to hit a random recently updated blog, I love it when they make wasting time so time efficient.
Almost a repeat of yesterday, except that I put the top down in the garage this morning instead of it being down already. Well it is the end of the month and I get my allowance to spend on Miata goodies. I’m thinking of going with some aluminum pedals. I do want to upgrade my door and headrest speakers as well, but can’t do it at this level (I would have to wait until next month.) Oh the dilemma, instant gratification with pedals or anticipate the sound upgrade
Started up, went down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 194
Both my wife and I are tired of being tired all dang day. Our normal bed time has been between 11 and 11:30 and with a 5:30 wake-up call that is not much sleep. So today we decided that the light was going out at 10:30 to give us a little extra shuteye. There goes another hour of time that I can’t use to do stuff. Couple that with the fact that work is busy, things are starting to backlog.
Had a test of the cockpit cover’s rain protection today. Heard the thunder and went outside to check to see if I should put the top up. It was already sprinkling hard, so I headed out to put it up. By the time I walked 10 more steps the sky opened up. Since we park out in the north forty, I figured I would get soaked on the trip out and the inside would too on the transition, so I went back inside to wait out the rain. Poured big time for about 15 minutes. After the rain virtually stopped I went out to inspect the results. The inside was fairly wet. The cover I’m sure reduced to quantity of water by lots, but it took a towel I keep in the trunk and a half a roll of paper towels to get the inside of the top and the seats dry enough to drive home in. At home I placed a bunch of other tools on the carpet behind the seats and on the rear package self to soak up the rest of the water. Not entirely dry inside now, but if I leave the windows open a crack tomorrow with the top up it will dry the rest of the way (as long as another errant shower doesn’t pass by.)
Started up, went down, went up, back down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 197
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