all the news that isn't

Thought from this story: why do you like to pop bubble wrap? Put your answer in the comments.

Personally, I like to pop bubble wrap first and foremost because of the feel, not the sound. How about you?

(and don’t forget the 19 micrometer six head technology as well!)

Pulled out my VCR today. Out of it’s original box. Still in the box: the receipt, from American Electronics in Rockford, purchased 5/30/98 for $199.75. Also the receipt ($35) for when I had a shop clean it when I lived in Wichita. Don’t ask my why, I only had a television for a short time in Wichita. Wait, I think I had it cleaned before I sent the VCR to Adrienne for her use in Oregon when hers broke. So this Toshiba (top-rated at the time, if I recall) went from Rockford to DeKalb to Wichita to Salem, OR then to NJ.

Whew.

And tonight it’s helping me transfer a coworker’s VHS tape to digital for DVD. It might be time to pull out the Animaniacs tape. Hmmmm.

Since I’m sharing crappy cell phone pictures, here comes another one…

Many years ago while living in Wichita I decided to go to the airshow (it’s an aviation town, plus I wanted to get some cool photos (like this one and this one)). But to get in the gate, I had to give up my Swiss Army Tinker knife.

Man, that was a sad day. I can’t even say I remember my decision process. I think parking was such a hassle that I really didn’t want to go back to the car. Who knows, it’s a fog now. I liked the Tinker – nice feature set, though part of me wanted to upgrade to the Tinker Deluxe for the pliers. So there I was without a pocket knife. I’ve always had a pocket knife since that fateful day I bought one at The Alamo. (Which a quick reference to the vacation journal puts me at 8 years old at the time.) I felt incomplete!

I think it was just a couple months later Mom and Dad came down to visit around my birthday. We went to what was for me, a fancy restaurant. It was fancy but not too fancy. On the West side. The sort of place I imagined becoming a regular visit kind of place once I got older. (I just spend a minute at google maps and deduced/remembered it was LeMonde cafe.) I had the talapia and steamed veggies. We went to Kohl’s afterwards and as a birthday present I got a slow cooker (I could finally make italian beef!). And I think Dad gave me a Leatherman Juice – think a big leatherman, but pocketable. A very nice replacement for the missing Tinker. In fact, I would come to regard the Leatherman a much superior replacement.

(As I type this I start to question whether I got the Leatherman for my birthday or Christmas, but I’ve already taken the time to type that fading memory out, so it stays!)

The leatherman has served me VERY well throughout the years. So flash forward to a couple weeks ago when I started all this nonsense with a new bathroom ceiling and then I need a new fan and then I need to work on the electrical. (Parts one and two are done now, at least!) There I am in the hot attic crawlspace with my leatherman (and other tools, yes), trying to get things done. At some point I put the leatherman on the rafter, and I think it must have fallen into the loose insulation. Because next time I think to look for it to use it, gone. After a while I diligently finger through all the insulation where I think it could be. Nothing. I wonder if I left it somewhere else, so I give it a couple weeks to turn up. But what does that leave me? Again feeling sad and incomplete!

So I couldn’t deal with it anymore, I really think I’m addicted to the utility of the tool and being able to have it so near. I spent some time considering if I should upgrade or side-grade to a different model, but ended up figuring the CS4 really is the perfect tool for me. So Amazon, send me another!

I’m looking forward to many years of use (in it’s first night its philips and straight drivers have already helped fix Adrienne’s umbrella, made by another Portland-based company); I’ll try not to lose you!

Really I love what HiFi means because I love how music sounds. Simple as that. But there’s also sometimes the unabashed absurdity of it all. Take for instance, some photos of products from the recent Consumer Electronics Show.

Room filling speakers:

400lb, 1500watt, $90,000 amp (times two):

And a diamond-diaphragm supertweeter that fires upward at a Golden-Ratio–proportioned Swarovsky crystal.

Thanks to Stereophile.com for the photos. Crazy stuff. I’m going to go listen to some music.

Just some photos this beautiful Saturday morning. Celli soaking up the sun:

Garden update – I’m still not exactly sure what’s going on with the parsley, but everything else (including the purchased (not seeded) rosemary and grape tomato plants) is coming along nicely.

And the spinach has buds, who knew?!

Happy Saturday everyone!

The train I ride to and from work (and into the City) is slowly beginning to replace its fleet. I’ve seen other new trains at the stop – all sleek and quiet with fancy displays and pre-recorded announcements you can actually hear and understand – but I’ve always been going the other way. Until today!

It was, I have to say, a little exciting. I suppose I should try to get out more.

Sometimes I see how people accessorize and wonder what it reveals about their personality. Take, for instance, this large-headphone, gold-Casio-Databank-wearing woman I’ve seen twice on the train:

I remember saving $40 to purchase my plain-black-plastic banded (which was notorious for cracking and breaking) Databank. Those were the days. Could calculate, could store the phone numbers of my 50-closest friends (yeah, I don’t think I ever filled it), could store all my appointments… so cool, and yet agonizing to use. Since then I’ve moved on to a good old Timex Ironman, which pretty much stays on me 24/7, and well, takes a licking and keeps on ticking. In some ways, I guess the Timex – durable, reliable, just sporty enough, not too complicated – may be is a good reflection of me. Or maybe not, who knows. Anyway, what are you wearing? 🙂

I’m not exactly sure why we didn’t have fresh cherries when I was growing up (cost? not available? not favorable to the childhood palette? pit-spitting is too tempting when you have 3 siblings?). Good ones are a nice evening treat, for sure.

Today’s PSA: comfy shoes that provide adequate support and cushioning are important. Please think about what you put on your feet on a daily basis. You might be surprised by the difference good shoes can make!