Moved In.
The movers called, and said they had a team available, they could be there at 8 instead of 9, if I was ready. I said "SURE!"
Two young beefy guys had every stick of furniture and every sealed box (about 95% of my possessions) on the truck within 90 minutes. Even with a flight of stairs to negotiate. They even had the tools to help disassemble the bed! (I'd already packed mine...DUH!)
I checked and they were padding everything very nicely, and nothing looked at risk.
I gave them directions because I had to let the cat out of the bathroom, and they headed out. I was on the road not far behind them, and paced them for a while. Nice steady 65mph. Very nice.
And they had me unloaded at the new apartment in about 30 minutes! Stairs make a HUGE difference.
Total was about $360, and worth every penny!
I then swung by the store for things I needed immediately (like a show curtain), then went back for the cat and another load.
Man, she hit some new highs on the trip. She hates being in her carrier, because it never means good things. But once we'd been on the road for more than the 5 minutes or so it takes to get to the vet, she started getting REALLY strident. I've never heard her so loud or so shrill.
But once we got to the new place, she came out of her carrier doing that head bob cats do when things are new. And she spent the entire time I was bringing stuff in looking around. No fear or insecurity there!
So I got that load in, and then set my priorities: Bed, Bath, Coffee, Computer. Bed, so I could sleep; Bath, because I needed a shower before I went to Bed, Coffee in the morning, and my Computer for my Morning Funnies.
Bed and Bath went fine. Unpacked the linens, made the bed, put away the rest. Bath was also fine: Hang the shower curtain and unpack the Soap, Shampoo, Towels, Shaving Stuff and TP.
Coffee: no problem. Unpack the basic Kitchen stuff so I could set up the Coffee Maker for the morning.
Computer: actually Computer and TV. TV's closer to the cable outlet, so I started there. The system went back together just fine, but I'm not sure where I put the TV will work. I think it's going to reflect the front window. Oh, well.
Then the Computer. Dig out and set up the Power System (controlled from switches mounted on my computer desk), Speakers, USB drive, Printer, Palm/Camera/Phone chargers/connectors, and finally the Computer itself (and keyboard and mouse). Double check everything, then Push the Button.
Sweet! Everything's booting. Normal starting routine, right up until "Windows had encountered and irreparable Registry Error, and can not continue" (or something to that effect).
Crap, crap, crap! Fine. Let's try it again, just to be sure.
This time it didn't even get that far.
Crap.
Okay, fine, it's time to hit the sack any way.
While I was showering I was reviewing my options:
1) try to boot from the Windows Disc, and do a System Restore. Not bad.
2) dig out the boot disk for my backup system and try to restore it. Also not bad, but haven't done it before, no idea how long it would take.
3) do a fresh, clean install on a new disk. It's way past time to do this any way, so this, while the longest, slowest and most annoying option, might actually be the best choice. I'll seriously consider doing that.
Next morning, even though I tried to sleep later (I'm about half an hour closer to work, now), I still woke up about 5:30, with the computer problem waking me. So I got up and did my normal routine. I went ahead and flipped on the computer, figuring it couldn't hurt, and would confirm that I still had the problem.
While I was feeding the cat her breakfast, I heard my normal Startup Sound, which doesn't play until late in the boot! I look and there's a perfectly normal boot in progress!!!
Well, Blessed Be, and Ave Tyche! I'll take it! I had my normal Coffee and Funnies this morning!
Admittedly, there's probably still a serious problem lurking, and it's still overdue for a full reinstall. This just makes it clear how badly I need to do that.
The next week will still be hell: driving to the old place for cleaning and moving the last of my stuff, arranging for Salvation Army to pick up the stuff I don't want, and getting it inspected by the Landlady.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Moving Day
Today I move to my new home in El Cajon.
I came so close to calling the movers and rescheduling, because I knew I would not quite have everything packed today. But then I remembered that the reason I hired them was to move my furniture.
And, once I shut down and pack up my computer, every piece of furniture that's going will be ready to go, along with all of the boxes that I do have ready -- at least 90% of my possessions.
I have gotten rid of so much stuff, I cannot believe it. I have half-filled the dumpster twice in these two weeks, stopping at that point each time and holding the rest until it's emptied. (I will not be one of those jerks that fills the dumpster, leaving no room for anyone else's trash all week.)
And I can tell just how badly I'm stressing it. Yesterday I woke up at 4AM (6-6:30 is normal on weekends), and today I woke at 2!
The full story will be posted after the fact, if you're interested ;)
I came so close to calling the movers and rescheduling, because I knew I would not quite have everything packed today. But then I remembered that the reason I hired them was to move my furniture.
And, once I shut down and pack up my computer, every piece of furniture that's going will be ready to go, along with all of the boxes that I do have ready -- at least 90% of my possessions.
I have gotten rid of so much stuff, I cannot believe it. I have half-filled the dumpster twice in these two weeks, stopping at that point each time and holding the rest until it's emptied. (I will not be one of those jerks that fills the dumpster, leaving no room for anyone else's trash all week.)
And I can tell just how badly I'm stressing it. Yesterday I woke up at 4AM (6-6:30 is normal on weekends), and today I woke at 2!
The full story will be posted after the fact, if you're interested ;)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2012 is NOT the end of the world
All this foofoorah over 2012 is pure crap. There's nothing special about the Mayan Great Cycle ending in 2012. It's already done so 12 times before.
The Mayan calendar has several cycles of varying lengths. So does ours. We call them "weeks", "months", and "years".
Theirs also had some very long ones, including the longest, the Great Cycle, a little over 4000 years long.
2012 will be the end of 13th Great Cycle since the creation of the universe (according to the Mayan mythology).
All it is is the calendar resetting to zero. Just like ours does every year.
The Mayan calendar has several cycles of varying lengths. So does ours. We call them "weeks", "months", and "years".
Theirs also had some very long ones, including the longest, the Great Cycle, a little over 4000 years long.
2012 will be the end of 13th Great Cycle since the creation of the universe (according to the Mayan mythology).
All it is is the calendar resetting to zero. Just like ours does every year.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sherlock Holmes is Not an Action Hero
I'm one of those "fanbois" who've read all the Holmes stories. Multiple times. And I'm not going to be going to see this.
I have tried and tried and tried, and I just cannot wrap my mind around Holmes as an action hero. Sure, he knew "Baritsu" (actually Bartitsu), but he was NOT a physical hero.
Of course, no one but Holmes fans will care, but so be it.
I have tried and tried and tried, and I just cannot wrap my mind around Holmes as an action hero. Sure, he knew "Baritsu" (actually Bartitsu), but he was NOT a physical hero.
Of course, no one but Holmes fans will care, but so be it.
Avatar -- Go see it
I saw it yesterday (Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are THE best movie days of the year). I enjoyed it thoroughly, except for one glaring technical error.
The Story is good, and given the indigenes abilities, is believable. The CGI is awesome, and bodes well for the future of Sci-Fi movies. The 3D worked VERY well, there was no 3D for the sake of 3D, and the only "Comin' at ya!" was appropriate for the scene. (I also came out with much less of a headache than I normally get from 3D movies.)
I think the ending was overly optimistic, though, and I expect the bad guys will be back, with more force.
Be warned, though, that if you're an archer, too, then the way the natives fire their bows is going to give you hives. Accept it, dismiss it, and enjoy the rest of the movie.
4 stars
Technical explanation for those who care:
When you use a finger draw, the bowstring rolls off your fingers as you release it. Because the fingers are normally on the opposite side from the arrow, this rolling pulls the arrow against the bow, and just keeps it in line.
If you were to draw the way the Na'Vi do, with your fingers on the same side of the bow as the arrow, that rolling will pull the tip of the arrow away from the bow, and screw up your shot every time.
Cameron showed the Na'Vi extending a finger along the arrow, probably to make up for that, but you wouldn't do that twice! you'd get friction burns from the shaft of the arrow and the fletchings, and quickly start moving your finger farther out, and there goes your aim.
It's another example of the "I don't care if it's realistic, it looks cool!" attitude towards the audience.
The Story is good, and given the indigenes abilities, is believable. The CGI is awesome, and bodes well for the future of Sci-Fi movies. The 3D worked VERY well, there was no 3D for the sake of 3D, and the only "Comin' at ya!" was appropriate for the scene. (I also came out with much less of a headache than I normally get from 3D movies.)
I think the ending was overly optimistic, though, and I expect the bad guys will be back, with more force.
Be warned, though, that if you're an archer, too, then the way the natives fire their bows is going to give you hives. Accept it, dismiss it, and enjoy the rest of the movie.
4 stars
Technical explanation for those who care:
When you use a finger draw, the bowstring rolls off your fingers as you release it. Because the fingers are normally on the opposite side from the arrow, this rolling pulls the arrow against the bow, and just keeps it in line.
If you were to draw the way the Na'Vi do, with your fingers on the same side of the bow as the arrow, that rolling will pull the tip of the arrow away from the bow, and screw up your shot every time.
Cameron showed the Na'Vi extending a finger along the arrow, probably to make up for that, but you wouldn't do that twice! you'd get friction burns from the shaft of the arrow and the fletchings, and quickly start moving your finger farther out, and there goes your aim.
It's another example of the "I don't care if it's realistic, it looks cool!" attitude towards the audience.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wood splitting
All you folks who split your own wood every year should get a chuckle out of this:
It's been a few years since I used anything but a fakelog (Duraflame, etc.) in my fireplace. This year I decided to get one of those bundles of actual wood and have a real wood fire again.
I used to do this in the past, and I had a gas starter in the fireplace then, or I'd just use a bunch of newspaper to get the fire going.
But this fireplace doesn't have the gas connection, and I haven't subscribed to a newspaper in years. The first attempt was a total disaster. I [i]know[/i] you need kindling to get the large wood burning, and you need some kind of tinder to get the kindling going, but I tried it anyway.
Needless to say, that didn't work too well. But I did learn a few things about what [i]doesn't[/i] work.
"No problem," I said to myself, "I'll just split a couple of the pieces down into kindling, and split the large pieces into two or more to make it a more manageable fire."
Man, I forgot how much [i]work[/i] splitting wood is! Even just little quarter- and eighth-log pieces!
But I now have a stack of nice, wrist-thick pieces, another stack of finger- and thumb-thick pieces, and a whole bunch of chips and splits for kindling. Since my fires are more decorative than functional, that will do me just fine.
It's been a few years since I used anything but a fakelog (Duraflame, etc.) in my fireplace. This year I decided to get one of those bundles of actual wood and have a real wood fire again.
I used to do this in the past, and I had a gas starter in the fireplace then, or I'd just use a bunch of newspaper to get the fire going.
But this fireplace doesn't have the gas connection, and I haven't subscribed to a newspaper in years. The first attempt was a total disaster. I [i]know[/i] you need kindling to get the large wood burning, and you need some kind of tinder to get the kindling going, but I tried it anyway.
Needless to say, that didn't work too well. But I did learn a few things about what [i]doesn't[/i] work.
"No problem," I said to myself, "I'll just split a couple of the pieces down into kindling, and split the large pieces into two or more to make it a more manageable fire."
Man, I forgot how much [i]work[/i] splitting wood is! Even just little quarter- and eighth-log pieces!
But I now have a stack of nice, wrist-thick pieces, another stack of finger- and thumb-thick pieces, and a whole bunch of chips and splits for kindling. Since my fires are more decorative than functional, that will do me just fine.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Disabling Child-resistant Caps
I hate child-resistant caps. I live alone, I have no kids, nor do I ever have other peoples' kids in my home. So I have no hesitation about disabling them, leaving the container easier to open.
The most common ones, the "Press Down While Turning" kind, are the easiest. They consist of two pieces, an inner and an outer. Cut off the outer cap by whatever means works for you, and voila!, you have a normal cap.
The second most common one I run into is the "Squeeze Here While Turning". This one has two "lugs" inside the cap that engage two "ears" on the neck of the bottle. Cut off the "ears" (I usually use a pair of toenail clippers) and you're done!
Now, don't be stupid with this. You are disabling a valid safety measure. If you have small children in your home, whether they're yours or someone else's, I wouldn't advise doing this unless you take the kind of precautions we did before "Child-Resistant" packaging: keep potentially dangerous products secured and/or out of the reach of small children. But if you don't, there's no good reason for you to put up with the hassle.
If you do this, YOU are responsible for any outcome from it. So don't be stupid, okay?
The most common ones, the "Press Down While Turning" kind, are the easiest. They consist of two pieces, an inner and an outer. Cut off the outer cap by whatever means works for you, and voila!, you have a normal cap.
The second most common one I run into is the "Squeeze Here While Turning". This one has two "lugs" inside the cap that engage two "ears" on the neck of the bottle. Cut off the "ears" (I usually use a pair of toenail clippers) and you're done!
Now, don't be stupid with this. You are disabling a valid safety measure. If you have small children in your home, whether they're yours or someone else's, I wouldn't advise doing this unless you take the kind of precautions we did before "Child-Resistant" packaging: keep potentially dangerous products secured and/or out of the reach of small children. But if you don't, there's no good reason for you to put up with the hassle.
If you do this, YOU are responsible for any outcome from it. So don't be stupid, okay?
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