new links

Thanks to TO: http://catholicvu.com/ interesting question and answer section

And I came across this one today: http://www.oneacrefund.org/ I'm so impressed. The founder is a 2006 MBA graduate; pretty darn impressive for a new grad.

toilet

Worked on the toilet yesterday, due it sounding like the water was always running. It had been like that for weeks now. Replaced the fill valve, and replaced the wax ring and the caulk around the base too while I was at it. I hope it wasn't illegal, as in only a licensed plumber was supposed to do that. It was kinda difficult removing the old caulk without damaging the vinyl flooring. In fact, I did tear a part of the flooring, but caulked over it in the end.

Instructions for the wax ring was to apply it to the toilet and then place the toilet over the hole. Not much luck with that. So I put the wax ring over the hole and then placed the toilet over its mounting holes and that worked better, or at least I think it did. There is no way to inspect. I probably need to replace the mounting stuff between the tank and the bowl, but I'll wait until it actually leaks.

A slight miscalculation in tightening the feeder pipe sent water spraying up when I turned it back on. Tightened the bottom connection, turned on the water, and now it sprayed to the floor (top connection needs tightening). Tightened it and it seemed okay, except that there seems to be a slight drip on the bottom connection. Drain the tank again, disconnect the feeder tube at the bottom, applied the magical Teflon tape to the male threads, reinstalled, and that seemed to fix the problem.

I may have been a little too agressive with the caulk. A light touch in forming the seal with the finger is better. Finger needs to be wet. A wet rag nearby for clean up is essential. Rinse the rag often. I think the gap between the bowl and floor is a bit on the big side, requiring alot of caulk and hence a bit more difficult to make a clean looking seal. But it's ok. It looks better than the dingy old caulk.

eye candy from the MoMAstore

I like the pull doggie-like pull toy the best, but at $42, I'd be afraid to let kids play with it.

cool robot

Sony's really cool robots:
http://www.plyojump.com/qrio.html
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/top_nf.html

Checkout the joints on those!

Youtube video of the robots dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vwZ5FQEUFg

handsome

zzz

I didn't go bicycling because I was busy snoozing.

mmm

I like Vietnamese sandwiches.

french bread, some sort of yellowish spread, slices of whatever meat, cucumber, parsley, soy sauce, and slices of pepper if you want (which I don't)

I like cucumber in cold meat sandwiches.

I could wrap this thing in plastic and leave it in the fridge for a few days. Then I take it out, heat up the toaster oven real good, then stick the sandwich in there for maybe a minute. The outside gets crispy (I have to be careful not to burn it) and the inside stays soft. Yum.

numb

I have long neglected my dental health, due mainly to lack of moolah. Today I got a deep cleaning in half of my mouth. I am so numb. They numbed it so they can get in there with a jackhammer and really break up and dig out the plaque. Well, okay, it wasn't a jackhammer. I think I can feel the numbness from my nose to my ear and my tongue is unresponsive on that side. I'll be out of approximately $200 total for the completed cleaning; insurance picks up the rest. Unfortunately, the corner of my mouth droops with the numbness. I look, uh, horrible. I guess it will be soup for supper for me.

would've been nice

This is what Target had advertised last week and which I was not able to find on the last day of sale.

blah

I'm having a blah day. Did not go cycling because it was threatening rain; went to mass instead. Then we went looking for this cat thing that Target had advertised and they didn't have it. Got breakfast and came home. Then I got on the computer and was pursuing updating a website we had. I don't know CSS. And I'm impatient about learning. So after spending some time browsing CSS templates, I'm still at square one, as in no progress. I think that project is going to go on the backburner again.

I'm not in a learning mood at all. I've had my camera for a few months now, and I still don't really know how to use it beyond the point and shoot and setting the timer.

Ugh. I think I'll go iron some T-shirts that have been waiting for weeks. It's a no brainer. And yes, it is raining.

I do have profound thoughts for my readers ... but apparently never while I'm sitting at the computer.

yawn

back

Just got back into town. I'm grabbing something quick to eat, change clothes and then head into the office. I think I have a meeting this afternoon. I don't know if it was a fruitful trip, but it sure is more enjoyable than sitting at my desk. Our hosts were very hospitable. However, I'm just as glad that the trip is over. It seems that the only way they can occupy us is to put us in meetings, either one after another or all day long.

Anonymous, I will have to check out that song. If nothing else, I should go to the office just so I can get downloads. :)

My neighbor has fixed my car while I was gone. Yay!

blue jean blues

I must be old-fashioned, because I can't find the blue jeans I want at the stores. I want the plain blue jeans that are normally displayed folded in stacks and then it's just a matter of finding your size. I don't want them faded. I don't want them decorated. I don't want the stretch kind. I don't want flared legs or boot cut. I prefer them to have some weight; the original jeans were meant for the working person--they were rugged and durable. After foraging for four hours, I came home with one pair of blue jeans one size too large. They will do. If baggy jeans are in, then I'm all set.

I did also get one cheap pair of sneakers.

I must also be getting old. My jeans used to wear out at the knees. Now they're wearing out at the pockets, where the hip bone protrudes.

I guess I kinda hate shopping. It's so inefficient. I wear my clothes and shoes until they really are no longer presentable or are practically falling apart. It's so hard to find replacement shoes as comfortable as the ones I've broken in. And it sure is hard to find replacement jeans.

Some of my new shirts (purchased earlier in the year) are nice, but they're hot. My new pants don't have pockets ... or belt loops. Pants without pockets, now that's an alien concept. I bought dress jackets at that time as well; and they too, do not have pockets. grrr.

The next time I find jeans that fit my tastes and size, I better just get a stack.

week recap

Tue Wed and Thur ... spent night at hospital keeping Gumby company then got up early to go home, wash up, and go to work, also to vacate the curbside parking before the pay-for-parking hours start.
This means (1) the house is a mess and (2) quality of sleep sucks.

Thur left work early because I didn't feel well. Came home, took some meds and I was out like a light until Gumby called.

Gumby was discharged Fri nite per doctor's authorization. Hospital staff thinks it's too soon. Gumby will just have to be careful. Follow-up appt on coming Tue.

Replacement PC is here. I was up until almost 4am Fri nite working on setting it up. Looks like I have all the data I care about (i.e. I didn't lose them). Turns out that I had burned photos onto a CD, so I didn't lose those either. I've a stack of CD's and didn't see the photo CD until I dug around for the recovery CD. Replacement PC is not an exact copy of what I sent back; it's better hardware. woohoo!

update: Well, I spoke too soon. I did lose some of my pictures. For sure I've lost all the ones with the CDP Sisters also a bunch of bicycling pictures, and the few I had with the Dominicans. Looks like I didn't get around to burning those onto CD.

Got up this morning and went bicycling. I did extend the distance another 3 miles. Wind to my back sure helps. Photo of after-effects of the rainy ride I had a few weeks back.

hospital

Gumby drove to the hospital and walked into the emergency room this morning. They ran some tests and it looks like they'll be keeping Gumby for a few days. I have to pack and bring Gumby's stuff.

element

Your Element Is Water

A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious. That's because you're good at going with the flow - but you also are deep. Highly intuitive, you tune in to people's emotions and moods easily. You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others. You prefer a smooth, harmonious life - but you can navigate your way around waves. You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

What's Your Element?

I don't know how true it is. It's two in the morning and I'm not sure I was all that accurate in figuring out what I would do in these fictitious situations. I do know that I don't seem to be all that easygoing lately (as in the past two years). I'm a bit more glum and more easily irritated and my temper is starting to show more frequently.

reason to rejoice

We have reason to rejoice: two men were ordained into the priesthood in our diocese yesterday! Thanks be to God.

Some months ago, we also had a huge number (~20?) of men ordained to the Permanent Diaconate. That was a four-hour mass.

no ride, strange habits

I didn't get to ride my bike this Saturday. Some other person obliged me to attend an ordination mass. I have been to quite a few of these ordinations over the past few years. Usually attendance is by invitation only, by virtue of the fact that it's not publicized, probably for crowd control -- can't fit the entire Diocese in one parish. This means that I'm usually an oddball at these ordinations: no, I don't know any of those being ordained. I know a few of the clergy and Religious but that's about it.

Speaking of religious, there were some groups there who were dressed funny. Well, okay they were in religious habit, but they (the habits) were a bit wacky for me. The men had funny hats. The women looked as if they were dressed for a funeral, complete with black lace on their heads. On another occasion, I had seen a group whom I thought were perhaps the cast from "Robin Hood." C'mon folks, let's not pretend that what we wear doesn't matter. I look at these Religious and I wonder if they are aware that we are now in the 21st century. Our dress is not of the utmost importance, I agree, but it most certainly does matter. Just think "job interview;" our dress has a huge impact on our credibility.

I don't mean to make fun of these groups. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for our Religious. I'm just saying that these habits were strange to me and are slightly mind bending; I would have to conciously exhort myself to ignore the visual and related connotations, and TRY to find the individual.

OP evening

Friday evening, I was invited to a Dominican event and gladly attended. I am starting to know some of them by name, much to my surprise. I had certainly looked forward to seeing them, but somehow I didn't feel the excitement on the drive there. I think I may have had a mixture of fatigue and apprehension. "Socials" generally stress me out. Even though I enjoyed the time with them, I didn't stick around to help with the clean-up as would be usual for me and I wasn't on a high when I left. I was quite tired and just went to bed when I got home ... I didn't even read my prayer before bedtime.

My Dominican liason likes to rib me. Sometimes she refers to God as "She" just to tease me. This night she says to me "we might be doing some sun worship tonight." I am happy to report that there was no sun-worshipping going on.

And in case you are wondering: the meeting with my Dominican liason didn't happen due to events outside of our control. I think it may be several weeks before the occasion may be a possibility; I know the next two weeks are out.