It was one of the nice days out yesterday, the kind that makes wearing a coat quite unbearable for me. Coupled with my bank account staying in the black, it was a great sign of things to come for the day.
I told Mark that he isn't allowed to take the pokewalker with him to school, so for the afternoon I had both in my pocket, he with a drowsy, myself with a Farfetch'd named Zod. (One of my favorite pokemon, and rather unappreciated. The name seemed fitting, with the image sprite the way it is.)
When picking him up, they said that he would have a bonus day of school today, due to the snow days (preschool, gotta love it!) and that they should wear green today. Mark gets to wear his kilt today to school, so it will be interesting to see. I don't get to go to any of the local parties, not a good place to go with two kids in tow. Last year, my plans were messed up by the babysitter flaking out last minute. This year I have no plans.
On the way home I decided that dinner should be a picnic, and told my wife. With a bit of flip flopping, we decided on Wendy's and at at the Hollow. It was Enzo's first picnic, and he ate most of what he felt like eating sitting on a picnic bench, and a bit on my lap. He was done as soon as Mark finished and ran off to play.
I don't know for sure if Enzo had been in a swing before, I imagine his grandparents probably have taken him to the park by their house, so I bet he has. Had to teach Mark how to pee in the woods, which I think he enjoyed too much. Really though, he sleeps in a tent most nights, so it is probably a good skill to have down. (The tent is in his room, on the floor by the foot of his bed. He loves it, though he did get up about 6ish this morning and curled up on our bed, watching me play pokemon before he fell back asleep.)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Pokemon, day 2
Mark is beginning to learn how to use the pokewalker connection on his game, but he is enjoying himself on the game, 2 badges behind me. I remember a fair bit of the game, but a lot seems different. I played through it twice before, actually, the original Silver, as well as Crystal. It feels almost new to me now.
I decided that I can use the pokewalker to reflect my mood, most of today I had a Koffing on it, with the skull and bones easily visible. It can be a pleasant diversion.
The time change is really messing with me, though the overcast rainy skies are partly to blame as well. I always feel physically sick for a few days after the time change, as I adjust. Changing time zones is easy, the the internal solar clock is almost painful.
I can't imagine that any alien worlds would have such a barbaric thing as daylight savings time. Maybe it was a good idea at the time, but I think that its time has come and gone.
The gash in my finger, right on the inside of the joint, is a bit better today, when I looked this afternoon it was virtually still an open wound though. It is a bit worse than I thought yesterday, but the bandage still holds, and for the most part I still have use of both hands. My internal clock is fried, but my hands work.
Time Warner sent a letter today, it demanded that I send them $300 or they would turn off my service. The letter was dated over a week after I returned all their equipment. The talking voice on the other side of the help line tried to claim it was really $195, eerily the same amount they say I owe from Cincinnati. The help person, named Nick, which was easy to remember for some reason, did mention an amount of about $126, but refused to repeat it. That is the likely correct amount, since he tried to claim our $75 deposit didn't really exist. I think I ought to just send the whole damn thing over to the state attorney general, I've done such things before, with good results.
I decided that I can use the pokewalker to reflect my mood, most of today I had a Koffing on it, with the skull and bones easily visible. It can be a pleasant diversion.
The time change is really messing with me, though the overcast rainy skies are partly to blame as well. I always feel physically sick for a few days after the time change, as I adjust. Changing time zones is easy, the the internal solar clock is almost painful.
I can't imagine that any alien worlds would have such a barbaric thing as daylight savings time. Maybe it was a good idea at the time, but I think that its time has come and gone.
The gash in my finger, right on the inside of the joint, is a bit better today, when I looked this afternoon it was virtually still an open wound though. It is a bit worse than I thought yesterday, but the bandage still holds, and for the most part I still have use of both hands. My internal clock is fried, but my hands work.
Time Warner sent a letter today, it demanded that I send them $300 or they would turn off my service. The letter was dated over a week after I returned all their equipment. The talking voice on the other side of the help line tried to claim it was really $195, eerily the same amount they say I owe from Cincinnati. The help person, named Nick, which was easy to remember for some reason, did mention an amount of about $126, but refused to repeat it. That is the likely correct amount, since he tried to claim our $75 deposit didn't really exist. I think I ought to just send the whole damn thing over to the state attorney general, I've done such things before, with good results.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Pokemon G/S day 1
We got to the mall about noon, and got to wait in line for the release of Pokemon. It seems like we were the only ones that had paid it off, was easy to get the games and go, but had to wait for the people ahead of us to pay. Got home, and the inlaws were over with our tax forms, signed them and off they go. (The forms, not the inlaws.)
Before they left, we heard a clang, and the blower stopped working on the furnace. We thought we would wait a bit to deal with it, since it was rather nice out, but then it got cold. I called a local heating place, one where I have known the owner most of my life. He came out, and the bloody thing worked fine. Hate to see the bill for that one, but he said it happens sometimes. Turning it off for a while and then back on might have reset it.
We got the new fridge today. By new, I mean Ruthie's parents old one. It's bigger than what we had, and I moved the other fridge to the laundry room. Slashed my hand doing it, fair bit of blood, but nothing a bandage or two didn't solve.
Mark is already addicted to the new Pokemon game, we both have 2 badges already, he is close behind me, but he does have more pokemon than I do on it. The pokewalker is really nice, better than I expected. It will give me something to do when I wait to pick Mark up from preschool. I have caught a few pokemon on it already. I ditched a Mareep on it as of now, I think Mark went with an Eakens on his. Looks neat at any rate.
Before they left, we heard a clang, and the blower stopped working on the furnace. We thought we would wait a bit to deal with it, since it was rather nice out, but then it got cold. I called a local heating place, one where I have known the owner most of my life. He came out, and the bloody thing worked fine. Hate to see the bill for that one, but he said it happens sometimes. Turning it off for a while and then back on might have reset it.
We got the new fridge today. By new, I mean Ruthie's parents old one. It's bigger than what we had, and I moved the other fridge to the laundry room. Slashed my hand doing it, fair bit of blood, but nothing a bandage or two didn't solve.
Mark is already addicted to the new Pokemon game, we both have 2 badges already, he is close behind me, but he does have more pokemon than I do on it. The pokewalker is really nice, better than I expected. It will give me something to do when I wait to pick Mark up from preschool. I have caught a few pokemon on it already. I ditched a Mareep on it as of now, I think Mark went with an Eakens on his. Looks neat at any rate.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
mini golf and a new tire
I came downstairs this morning to my 5 year old watching a marathon of the Orange Island episodes of Pokemon. Personally, the Orange Island arc was my favorite, even though it was more cheesy than the newer episodes by a bit. I am a little irked by it, not because it skipped episodes a few times, but the last episode in the marathon was the first part of the championship battle, and thus ended with a cliffhanger. There were other oddities I thought in the arc, but hey, it was good to see them again. If I had the spare $20, I'd grab the boxset from FYE.
After the marathon, or the capstone to it, I guess, they played Pokemon 2000. Mark refused to let us switch in the DVD of the movie, he wanted to watch the TV version. To me, the washed out color was almost painful, but it is still a decent movie.
I understand partly why they had the marathon on. Tomorrow at noon we will go out and pick up Gold/Silver, once the mall opens. We did the preorder and all. What I don't really understand was the choice of what they showed. Yes, the Orange Islands began to show some of the Generation II pokemon, and the same with the second movie. (fittingly at least, the second movie takes place in the Orange Islands.) They could have shows some to the Pokemon Johto episodes, the ones taking place in the region of the games that come out tomorrow. Also, they could have shown the 3rd movie, which was a rather good one, though I admit to liking the second one better.
Once the movie ended, we loaded up in my wife's car, which I had to put air into the tire of, and went to the mall to play putt-putt. The local Salvation Army set up an 18 hole course inside the mall, and according to the fliers, today was the last day. I lost to Ruthie by about 3 strokes, but Mark came in dead last by at least 30 strokes. It might have been 50 actually, but I don't care to go look for the card. Enzo seemed rater put out that we didn't let him play too, can't imagine that turning out well though. Mark needs to play a bit more Gator Golf I think, Enzo needs to stop running with the Gator Golf clubs...
We went to leave after that, and I went out to get the car, where I found the tire flat again. Never a good sign for it to go flat twice in the same day, so we went back in and over to Sears to have it looked at. They told us according to their records, we had replaced 3 of the 4 tires with them, so we had about a 75% chance of it being free.
Now, I know that really means 'you'll pay out the ass' because it's never the covered ones that go bad. Miracle of miracles, it was a covered one. And, it was dead beyond repair, so we had to buy a new one. Well, miracle again, the coverage that was on the now dead tire took care of most of it, except that the same tire was out of stock, so we had to get a more expensive tire, and we ended up paying $10. I can't really complain, $10 for a new tire seems damn reasonable to me.
Waiting for the tire to get done, we walked the mall again. We had been about to buy Girl Scout cookies from a troop that was a good ways from here, I think 20 miles away, give or take. I have become partial to them, but they were packing up as we walked by, so I made sure when they would be back. Since we had last walked by them, a new group had taken over. Now, this second group is from here in town, afaik, and they were trying to get 'donations' for troops overseas, who I think deserve Girl Scout cookies, but I would think they would melt to easily. They also had coupons for milk, and they wore their uniforms. I walked past with Mark and Enzo, as Ruthie was getting her jewelery cleaned, and they asked if I wanted to buy some cookies. I said simply that I was partial to the group that was there before them, and I swear the one nearest to me muttered something under her breath that was rather nasty, not that I could make out the words, just the intent. Now, on principle alone, I will not buy from that troop.
Overall, aside from the rather nonstop rain, it has been a good day. Dug my shorts out of the closet, wasn't nice enough to wear a kilt, fitting as it may have been for minigolf, but glad to have something other than pants to wear for once. Spring can not arrive fast enough for me.
After the marathon, or the capstone to it, I guess, they played Pokemon 2000. Mark refused to let us switch in the DVD of the movie, he wanted to watch the TV version. To me, the washed out color was almost painful, but it is still a decent movie.
I understand partly why they had the marathon on. Tomorrow at noon we will go out and pick up Gold/Silver, once the mall opens. We did the preorder and all. What I don't really understand was the choice of what they showed. Yes, the Orange Islands began to show some of the Generation II pokemon, and the same with the second movie. (fittingly at least, the second movie takes place in the Orange Islands.) They could have shows some to the Pokemon Johto episodes, the ones taking place in the region of the games that come out tomorrow. Also, they could have shown the 3rd movie, which was a rather good one, though I admit to liking the second one better.
Once the movie ended, we loaded up in my wife's car, which I had to put air into the tire of, and went to the mall to play putt-putt. The local Salvation Army set up an 18 hole course inside the mall, and according to the fliers, today was the last day. I lost to Ruthie by about 3 strokes, but Mark came in dead last by at least 30 strokes. It might have been 50 actually, but I don't care to go look for the card. Enzo seemed rater put out that we didn't let him play too, can't imagine that turning out well though. Mark needs to play a bit more Gator Golf I think, Enzo needs to stop running with the Gator Golf clubs...
We went to leave after that, and I went out to get the car, where I found the tire flat again. Never a good sign for it to go flat twice in the same day, so we went back in and over to Sears to have it looked at. They told us according to their records, we had replaced 3 of the 4 tires with them, so we had about a 75% chance of it being free.
Now, I know that really means 'you'll pay out the ass' because it's never the covered ones that go bad. Miracle of miracles, it was a covered one. And, it was dead beyond repair, so we had to buy a new one. Well, miracle again, the coverage that was on the now dead tire took care of most of it, except that the same tire was out of stock, so we had to get a more expensive tire, and we ended up paying $10. I can't really complain, $10 for a new tire seems damn reasonable to me.
Waiting for the tire to get done, we walked the mall again. We had been about to buy Girl Scout cookies from a troop that was a good ways from here, I think 20 miles away, give or take. I have become partial to them, but they were packing up as we walked by, so I made sure when they would be back. Since we had last walked by them, a new group had taken over. Now, this second group is from here in town, afaik, and they were trying to get 'donations' for troops overseas, who I think deserve Girl Scout cookies, but I would think they would melt to easily. They also had coupons for milk, and they wore their uniforms. I walked past with Mark and Enzo, as Ruthie was getting her jewelery cleaned, and they asked if I wanted to buy some cookies. I said simply that I was partial to the group that was there before them, and I swear the one nearest to me muttered something under her breath that was rather nasty, not that I could make out the words, just the intent. Now, on principle alone, I will not buy from that troop.
Overall, aside from the rather nonstop rain, it has been a good day. Dug my shorts out of the closet, wasn't nice enough to wear a kilt, fitting as it may have been for minigolf, but glad to have something other than pants to wear for once. Spring can not arrive fast enough for me.
raining again
It is still raining, and looks like it will be all day. I don't look forward to another day stuck indoors, there is nowhere worth going, really though. If I had money, I would be tempted to go to the used book store, to see what I could find. It is sad that the used bookstore in Troy seems to have a better selection than the regular book store in Troy.
The sad thing about Miami County, in Ohio, is that we are truly lacking in bookstores of quality. We have a few used bookstores, the nicest one being downtown in Troy, which I believe is actually larger than the normal bookstore there. It is part of an interesting office building complex, if you go out a back door and turn you can go in the back door of the coffee shop. The coffee shop has another location built connected to the new book store, and a location here in Piqua that is adjacent to the library.
The used bookstore doesn't really have a lot that I am looking for most times, but what they have is random, and often old, usually cheap. Granted, last time I was there I bought a hardback book for $12, but damn it, I wanted that book that day. J&M doesn't even seem to carry that author!
I really do like the used book store though; but it is closed on Sundays, the day I am usually most inclined to go. It's also fun to go into the coffee shop next to it and order a Highland Grogg coffee while wearing a kilt. You kinda see some gears trying to work in the staffs' heads. I just looked it up, and it is supposed to taste like Carmel and Whiskey. I dunno, it's coffee. That's all I know.
Jay & Mary's Bookcenter, as far as a lot of us can tell, used to be a Little Professor bookstore. Little Professor had some issues a number of years back, the company, not the local place, and no longer seems have branded franchises. I think they dropped the name when they moved from the Walmart strip mall to a new building behind it. They staff is nice, but they really can't make up for me never finding a book on my list of books I am looking for. My list is well over 100 books long, so how hard could it be? I went to Springfield mall (Upper Valley Mall is the real name) a few months back, and both of their bookstores were closing. I found more of what I was looking for, and plenty of things that looked like they might be good, in both of the stores. To be fair, or self demoting, not sure which, perhaps they are now closed and Little Professor is still open because the books I like don't sell. I don't think that is the case though, since Borders usually has a lot that I am looking for, as well as Barns & Noble. If both those stores were closer than 45 minutes away... It would make an epic bike ride though, once the bike path is better built up.
You might be wondering, what kinds of authors am I looking for that the local bookstore fails me on. I recognize that Martin Millar is under-appreciated around here, but I used to be able to get Jack Higgins books at Kroger, and he is still writing them, not that you could tell at J&M. (At the used bookstore, you can find a hell of a lot of Higgins's books, usually.) The sad thing with Higgins is that it does become a bit to repetitive at times, I essentially just read 4 of his in a row, and it burned me from the genre for a while. There are a few other authors I look for in general, Lawrence Watt-Evans is a general favorite, if you can find "Among the Gods," it is a good read. I had just read his fantasy series "Lords of Dus" or something like that, and I began to realize some of the influence in his story. I like Robert E Howard's work, and in "Among the Gods" there is a direct reference to REH's work. (Also called Drunner's Wreck if you find it in a used bookstore, it seemed to have been a book club exclusive for a while, like 15 years or something.)
I get most of my books via Paperback Swap which helps keep the price down, and helps find the more obscure books as well. Also a decent way to get rid of books you don't really like.
The sad thing about Miami County, in Ohio, is that we are truly lacking in bookstores of quality. We have a few used bookstores, the nicest one being downtown in Troy, which I believe is actually larger than the normal bookstore there. It is part of an interesting office building complex, if you go out a back door and turn you can go in the back door of the coffee shop. The coffee shop has another location built connected to the new book store, and a location here in Piqua that is adjacent to the library.
The used bookstore doesn't really have a lot that I am looking for most times, but what they have is random, and often old, usually cheap. Granted, last time I was there I bought a hardback book for $12, but damn it, I wanted that book that day. J&M doesn't even seem to carry that author!
I really do like the used book store though; but it is closed on Sundays, the day I am usually most inclined to go. It's also fun to go into the coffee shop next to it and order a Highland Grogg coffee while wearing a kilt. You kinda see some gears trying to work in the staffs' heads. I just looked it up, and it is supposed to taste like Carmel and Whiskey. I dunno, it's coffee. That's all I know.
Jay & Mary's Bookcenter, as far as a lot of us can tell, used to be a Little Professor bookstore. Little Professor had some issues a number of years back, the company, not the local place, and no longer seems have branded franchises. I think they dropped the name when they moved from the Walmart strip mall to a new building behind it. They staff is nice, but they really can't make up for me never finding a book on my list of books I am looking for. My list is well over 100 books long, so how hard could it be? I went to Springfield mall (Upper Valley Mall is the real name) a few months back, and both of their bookstores were closing. I found more of what I was looking for, and plenty of things that looked like they might be good, in both of the stores. To be fair, or self demoting, not sure which, perhaps they are now closed and Little Professor is still open because the books I like don't sell. I don't think that is the case though, since Borders usually has a lot that I am looking for, as well as Barns & Noble. If both those stores were closer than 45 minutes away... It would make an epic bike ride though, once the bike path is better built up.
You might be wondering, what kinds of authors am I looking for that the local bookstore fails me on. I recognize that Martin Millar is under-appreciated around here, but I used to be able to get Jack Higgins books at Kroger, and he is still writing them, not that you could tell at J&M. (At the used bookstore, you can find a hell of a lot of Higgins's books, usually.) The sad thing with Higgins is that it does become a bit to repetitive at times, I essentially just read 4 of his in a row, and it burned me from the genre for a while. There are a few other authors I look for in general, Lawrence Watt-Evans is a general favorite, if you can find "Among the Gods," it is a good read. I had just read his fantasy series "Lords of Dus" or something like that, and I began to realize some of the influence in his story. I like Robert E Howard's work, and in "Among the Gods" there is a direct reference to REH's work. (Also called Drunner's Wreck if you find it in a used bookstore, it seemed to have been a book club exclusive for a while, like 15 years or something.)
I get most of my books via Paperback Swap which helps keep the price down, and helps find the more obscure books as well. Also a decent way to get rid of books you don't really like.
Friday, March 12, 2010
19 books this year
I just finished reading Angel of Death by Jack Higgins. It took me about two weeks to get through this one, though that is more a factor of being tired of the genre part way through than anything else. I have now read 5 of his books this year so far (though 3 were in the same volume in a special edition, so I only counted it as 1 book) I decided to try to keep them in order, I have the next one ready to read now, but I think I want to at least step away from the author for a time, I'll probably hit whatever the third Twilight book is next, get it out of the way. New Moon was a fast read, I did it in about 2 days. I figured I needed to have it read before my wife got her copy. (2 actually, she bought both the Blu-ray and DVD of Twilight at the same time.
I do have one of the 'spy novels' by Gilbert Cross. John Winters is his pseudonym for that book. I want to read it, but I am definitly still a little burned out. I'll probably read it before "The Presidents Daughter" or whatever the next Higgins I have yet to read is. I am waiting on volume 5 of YuGiOh to arrive, it is the 'first season' which is before what they showed on TV here in America. I kinda like the asshole that is the alter-ego of the main character. If he was like that past the first season, there would have been a lot less people dare try to kill him off.
I wanted to go on a bike ride today, but I can see by way of the weather map that before I would be a good distance down the path I'd be in the midst of a nasty storm. Probably a bad time to be next to the river and pulling a bike trailer.
I still have no idea what to do for dinner tonight, I made meatloaf last night, third time making that dish, but it came out rather edible. We usually leave the meat leftovers out for the cat, whom seems to really like the taco meat I make. The cat refused to touch the meatloaf. It's the damnedest thing, I didn't open the new bag of cat food because of the meatloaf, and she decided not to eat it. Silly (and probably hungry) cat.
I just looked over at the cat sniffing the meat loaf. She convulsed in an almost funny way, and jumped away from it. Guess I should go toss it out. The meatloaf, not the cat.
I do have one of the 'spy novels' by Gilbert Cross. John Winters is his pseudonym for that book. I want to read it, but I am definitly still a little burned out. I'll probably read it before "The Presidents Daughter" or whatever the next Higgins I have yet to read is. I am waiting on volume 5 of YuGiOh to arrive, it is the 'first season' which is before what they showed on TV here in America. I kinda like the asshole that is the alter-ego of the main character. If he was like that past the first season, there would have been a lot less people dare try to kill him off.
I wanted to go on a bike ride today, but I can see by way of the weather map that before I would be a good distance down the path I'd be in the midst of a nasty storm. Probably a bad time to be next to the river and pulling a bike trailer.
I still have no idea what to do for dinner tonight, I made meatloaf last night, third time making that dish, but it came out rather edible. We usually leave the meat leftovers out for the cat, whom seems to really like the taco meat I make. The cat refused to touch the meatloaf. It's the damnedest thing, I didn't open the new bag of cat food because of the meatloaf, and she decided not to eat it. Silly (and probably hungry) cat.
I just looked over at the cat sniffing the meat loaf. She convulsed in an almost funny way, and jumped away from it. Guess I should go toss it out. The meatloaf, not the cat.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
TW is stupid
Yesterday I got a letter from Time-Warner Cable. They want me to add phone service to digital TV and internet, starting at just $99.99. It isn't the letter I expected from them really, since two weeks ago the cut us off for a bill they say we owe them from '06 in Cincinnati. I told them in January to prove it, and now a good 45 days later, they have still not done such. Two weeks ago tomorrow their 'credit division' turned off our services. I complained, since they hadn't proven the debt within the required 30 days, not that they cared, and I was told that even if I paid, I'd have to wait till Monday before they would have a person in the office that could turn it back on, since it wasn't customer service that turned it off. Adding to that, the possibility that they might d/c me from the pole before then, requiring an extra $50 reconnection fee.
I called Dish Network and got set up a mere 2 days later, Sunday evening we had the Olympics on in time to watch the end of the Mens' Hockey game. Monday, I gave the cable boxs and the modem back to TW at the local office, and in the time that passed since they decided to send me a letter telling me I am a valued customer and can add phone service to my package. How fucking stupid do they think I am? Yeah, I pay for my HD now, but damn it, you pay for tap water too, because the free water at the river would probably give you dysentery and nobody wants that. I get a lot more HD channels this way, though we no longer get the local WB in HD. It's the damnedest thing.
We were able to get our internet through AT&T, we have our cell phones through them, but apparently you have to have TV with them as well to make a bundle, which isn't available here. But it works, and TW can suck it.
I have to admit at least that today was a good day, started out well, though I probably should go to the store and get groceries. I am out of breakfast food for tomorrow, and I really ought to do something about that.
I called Dish Network and got set up a mere 2 days later, Sunday evening we had the Olympics on in time to watch the end of the Mens' Hockey game. Monday, I gave the cable boxs and the modem back to TW at the local office, and in the time that passed since they decided to send me a letter telling me I am a valued customer and can add phone service to my package. How fucking stupid do they think I am? Yeah, I pay for my HD now, but damn it, you pay for tap water too, because the free water at the river would probably give you dysentery and nobody wants that. I get a lot more HD channels this way, though we no longer get the local WB in HD. It's the damnedest thing.
We were able to get our internet through AT&T, we have our cell phones through them, but apparently you have to have TV with them as well to make a bundle, which isn't available here. But it works, and TW can suck it.
I have to admit at least that today was a good day, started out well, though I probably should go to the store and get groceries. I am out of breakfast food for tomorrow, and I really ought to do something about that.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
New battery
I changed the battery in the bike computer tonight, a real pain in the ass. I think I set it right, it wanted a 4 digit number that starts with 2. The Bell website is down, and the image for the splash page of the down site really looks shopped. The solution I was able to come up with was to read the wheel size on the tire, put it into the circumference equation, and then convert it to mm. It was only about 150 from the default, so I think I did it right.
Really, it was a 'cheap' computer, $15 if I remember correctly. Would it really be that hard for a cheap ass device to just ask the wheel size in inches? I don't know about my other computer, it was set by the bike shop, but it was somewhere between $30 and $60.
I get the blasted device set for the wheel size, and then it demanded to know how fat my ass is. Ok, it was just the weight, it seems to figure out calories burned. I forgot about that, but I have a watch that does the same thing, usually. It sometimes thinks my pulse in in the 200 range, and starts beeping at me like I am about to die. That would probably be true it if my pulse was that high, but it isn't. That tends to really screw up the calorie counts for the ride. I don't know how to change the weight on the computer, it took me 2 minutes to figure out how to change the clock. Seriously, I've rebuilt cell phones back in the day, and I was getting my ass kicked by a 3 button speedometer.
While writing the earlier blog today, my wife looked over and saw me typing and asked "wait, when did you start blogging?" with an almost incredulous sound to her voice. I kinda knew the next question was coming though, as I had answered her with "a long time ago, just never did it much." Yes, I had blogged before she had done a blogging lesson with her classes during the summer semester. Though to be even more fair, I had done a number of journals on DeviantArt back before blogging was really much of a word. Not that I expect to pull off even updating this. I updated the one for Bottles of Fire a whole twice. oye.
(AG12 battery from Radio Shack was just over $5 with tax. I guess it is thinner than an AG13. I know its not really an AG, I think the AG means akaline, and the new one is either silver oxide or Li. I don't really care which, as long as I don't need to bother with setting the damn wheel size again.)
Really, it was a 'cheap' computer, $15 if I remember correctly. Would it really be that hard for a cheap ass device to just ask the wheel size in inches? I don't know about my other computer, it was set by the bike shop, but it was somewhere between $30 and $60.
I get the blasted device set for the wheel size, and then it demanded to know how fat my ass is. Ok, it was just the weight, it seems to figure out calories burned. I forgot about that, but I have a watch that does the same thing, usually. It sometimes thinks my pulse in in the 200 range, and starts beeping at me like I am about to die. That would probably be true it if my pulse was that high, but it isn't. That tends to really screw up the calorie counts for the ride. I don't know how to change the weight on the computer, it took me 2 minutes to figure out how to change the clock. Seriously, I've rebuilt cell phones back in the day, and I was getting my ass kicked by a 3 button speedometer.
While writing the earlier blog today, my wife looked over and saw me typing and asked "wait, when did you start blogging?" with an almost incredulous sound to her voice. I kinda knew the next question was coming though, as I had answered her with "a long time ago, just never did it much." Yes, I had blogged before she had done a blogging lesson with her classes during the summer semester. Though to be even more fair, I had done a number of journals on DeviantArt back before blogging was really much of a word. Not that I expect to pull off even updating this. I updated the one for Bottles of Fire a whole twice. oye.
(AG12 battery from Radio Shack was just over $5 with tax. I guess it is thinner than an AG13. I know its not really an AG, I think the AG means akaline, and the new one is either silver oxide or Li. I don't really care which, as long as I don't need to bother with setting the damn wheel size again.)
Digging out the bikes
As the forecast suggested the weather would hit 60 today, it seemed like a great time to dig out the bikes. With the new house, I can store them on the front 'porch' instead of the back, hopefully that will help me get out more. I found the file on my computer that I use to keep track of my riding, in 2008 I rode 184 miles, in 2009 I only hit 41. Fourty-one miles. The Strawberry Festival ride netted me 31 in '08.
Its a mix of faults that I only got on my bike 5 times last year, oddly the first time was March 7 of last year. Enzo was born in the summer of 08, and since Ruthie was off that summer, I was able to get out a fair bit more. She took a year round teaching job at the end of that summer, coupling that with Enzo being a bit too small for the bike trailer last year, I could only get out after she got home from work or on weekends, and we tended to keep our weekends busy.
Looking at the file I keep, I found that I never used the bike that I have set up for the trailer at all last year. Granted, I only rode 5 times, but I am still surprised I never took out the 'tank' as I like to call it.
The tank was the one I brought up from the basement, I bought it used in '07 from a local bike shop. It's an old Royce Union bike, and it cost me a bit over a hundred, I think. I wish I could remember, not that it matters. It is a heavy beast, and a little to big for me really. I have a base for a removable child seat on the back, but it works well for a rack. It has the wide tires on it, and I have the hitch for the bike trailer on the rear wheel. It really feels like a sturdy bike.
My other bike is a Schwinn from Smitty's Lock Service. Yeah, the local locksmith owns the local Schwinn dealership. I think it is a 'voyageur' or something like that, spelled funny. It was a previous model year, so it saved me a bit. I used part of the income tax refund that year to get it, after adding some bells and whistles, I've got more than $350 in that bike. (Giving me me an average cost per mile of about $2.40/mile)
I know the Schwinn needs a tune up, next year should be the Royce Union bike. I had it done just after I got the Schwinn, but since I didn't ride it last year...
I saw that I needed to replace the battery in the bike computer for the tank. Actually, I saw that when I put the bike in the basement. I looked to change the battery today, and saw it was a smaller button cell than I had thought. I actually expected it to be one like one computer motherboards, a common one, then I saw it was a smaller opening than it would need. Cool, I thought, an AG13. I usually joke that most things using AG13's are cheaper to buy again than to replace the batteries.
Sadly, I was wrong yet again. It was an AG12. I look at it, and I really was completely taken aback. I had never came across an AG12 before, and it sure has hell looked like a damn AG13 to me.
Walmart doesn't sell AG12's. Two types of 13's though. No 12's though. A new computer for the bike would just be $20, but I don't want to buy one and install it all over again. Now I just need to figure out how many mm's the wheel is, the battery change lost that data. phooey.
Oh well, only a few more days until Pokemon Gold/Silver get released. again. Mark is counting down the days, I just wonder what to do with/about the pokewalker. I am not sure he should have it. Guess I will know in a few days.
At least it is warmer out.
Its a mix of faults that I only got on my bike 5 times last year, oddly the first time was March 7 of last year. Enzo was born in the summer of 08, and since Ruthie was off that summer, I was able to get out a fair bit more. She took a year round teaching job at the end of that summer, coupling that with Enzo being a bit too small for the bike trailer last year, I could only get out after she got home from work or on weekends, and we tended to keep our weekends busy.
Looking at the file I keep, I found that I never used the bike that I have set up for the trailer at all last year. Granted, I only rode 5 times, but I am still surprised I never took out the 'tank' as I like to call it.
The tank was the one I brought up from the basement, I bought it used in '07 from a local bike shop. It's an old Royce Union bike, and it cost me a bit over a hundred, I think. I wish I could remember, not that it matters. It is a heavy beast, and a little to big for me really. I have a base for a removable child seat on the back, but it works well for a rack. It has the wide tires on it, and I have the hitch for the bike trailer on the rear wheel. It really feels like a sturdy bike.
My other bike is a Schwinn from Smitty's Lock Service. Yeah, the local locksmith owns the local Schwinn dealership. I think it is a 'voyageur' or something like that, spelled funny. It was a previous model year, so it saved me a bit. I used part of the income tax refund that year to get it, after adding some bells and whistles, I've got more than $350 in that bike. (Giving me me an average cost per mile of about $2.40/mile)
I know the Schwinn needs a tune up, next year should be the Royce Union bike. I had it done just after I got the Schwinn, but since I didn't ride it last year...
I saw that I needed to replace the battery in the bike computer for the tank. Actually, I saw that when I put the bike in the basement. I looked to change the battery today, and saw it was a smaller button cell than I had thought. I actually expected it to be one like one computer motherboards, a common one, then I saw it was a smaller opening than it would need. Cool, I thought, an AG13. I usually joke that most things using AG13's are cheaper to buy again than to replace the batteries.
Sadly, I was wrong yet again. It was an AG12. I look at it, and I really was completely taken aback. I had never came across an AG12 before, and it sure has hell looked like a damn AG13 to me.
Walmart doesn't sell AG12's. Two types of 13's though. No 12's though. A new computer for the bike would just be $20, but I don't want to buy one and install it all over again. Now I just need to figure out how many mm's the wheel is, the battery change lost that data. phooey.
Oh well, only a few more days until Pokemon Gold/Silver get released. again. Mark is counting down the days, I just wonder what to do with/about the pokewalker. I am not sure he should have it. Guess I will know in a few days.
At least it is warmer out.
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