867-5309

I just attempted to order a new cell phone. We shall see how this goes. I still have the old phone until then and lately I am making actual attempts to keep it charged and on me at all times - and this is a direct result of DRAMA in my office of late - we have houses burning to the ground, major surgeries, breakups and intrigue and just... well I have to actually be available lately, so if you need me and you have the old number - it still works until I tell you otherwise.

Just, don't, you know - actually call me. Cause I hate talking on the thing and everytime I hear it ring I assume someone is sick or having a baby right this minute.

And the reason I hate being on the telephone is not because I hate people. I normally love and am fascinated by people - even people without superpowers. I just hate the telephone. The telephone is my nemesis - my foil. We are engaged in an endless battle of wits and wiles, destined to be locked in the other's disdain and hate until finally one day, we realize our folly.

Wow - we are kind of like Clark/Lex in a way.

::writes sisabet/phone fic::

Now I realize that my hate was actually masking my extreme love for my phone! I should totally stalk my phone and maybe I could just devote the front room of my apartment to, like, a cell shrine or something? If I was confined to a scary asylum unjustly and against my will - I bet my cell phone would stage an escape that would be ultimately unsuccessful, but no less heartbreaking.

And then the lies just got to be too much and I just snapped and that is why I think I hate my phone, but I don't cause look at it! How can I hate it? It is blue. I love blue.

Baby You Can Drive My Car! Wait - No You Can't. But *I* So Totally Can. Whee!

Happy birthday to permetaform who should be out celebrating and eating sushi instead of reading this LJ. Go - par-tay.

Now - as a Public Service Announcement - if you live in Fayette County Kentucky and for any reason you need to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles, you should wait until the first game UK plays in the NCAA championship starts. Go then - seriously, March Madness will clear the way - you shall see no lines. There will be County Clerks sitting behind their desks with nothing to do!

In related news, my car is now the proud wearer of an adorable cat/dog license plate that urges us all to spay and neuter our pets. I used to think the Buick couldn't get any cuter. I was wrong.

Now - if you know me, you might have known that for months now I have been dreading my vehicle's inspection. In fact, I have been dreading it so much that if I hadn't gotten a ticket for having expired tags, I'd still have expired tags. See, my tail-lights still worked after the uninsured woman rear-ended me last year - but the left one was all cracked (and okay, fine, broken) and everyone I spoke with told me that there was no way I could get my vehicle's registration moved to Kentucky because I won't pass inspection like that.

So I fretted and that was pretty much it until I got the ticket and sockkpuppett explained to me that if I continue to do nothing then it could result in a bench warrant and dudes! I can act all tough and stuff, but only on paper. I would never survive prison. I watched Oz!

So last week a local salvage yard found a taillight for me and Daddy was able to install it and now my car looks so much better. Seriously - I was so sad everytime I saw the crunched up part and now all I have to do is locate a bumper (and since there is no aftermarket for the bumper it is either buy it OEM or locate a crash part and Buicks take time to show up in junk yards because the little old ladies that drive them don't tend to, you know, total them out. I knew this when I bought the car, but man. If it was a Camry - I'd have it fixed already. Hell - even a Jeep. People who buy Jeeps so can't drive them).

But now the Buick is back to being all cute and almost shiny (I have to wash it) and so when the inspector came out into the parking garage today to look it over, I was ready.


Me: So - do you need me to turn the car on?

Inspector: [comparing VINs] Yes, I need mileage and this thing is digital, right?

Me: Right [starts car]. You want me to turn on the lights now?

Inspector: Not necessary - I only check the VIN, mileage and I need to see your driver's license.

Me: [hands over license] Are you sure? Here [turns on lights] they all work, see?

Inspector: I've got all I need.

Me: Well, can you just make note somewhere that all my lights are intact and work?

Inspector: [Walks back into the building]

Me: [following] Just like, in the margins? Could say "lamps intact" somewhere? Sir? Sir?




That was just so disappointing! But, my car is looking better and I am monitoring eBay and I have a salvage dude on the lookout for any black buick bumpers that will fit my model year, so there is that.

I also have to get new brakes soon for the car, but I think that will be the end of any major stress for at least a few months.

I'd get a Buick Icon, but they totally pissed me off with this whole new marketing campaign that I am just not even talking to them. Grrrr. But hey! My default shattering sisabet icon kinda looks like my car! To me it does.

So - now I pay my fine for the expired tags, I pay for my sofa and if anything is left from the combined fund of "Don't go to jail/Find a Place to sit" then I can buy Carnivale. Or go to the eye doctor.

I really should go to the eye doctor. And putting off my trip to the Dermatologist because he might want to do more biopsies and my PPO sucks is pretty stupid, especially since I keep telling me flist to go. And then there is the other stuff I have been negligent about without the regular physical checkups.

Okay - so now that my car is getting repaired and legal - it is time to take the focus on improving/maintaining my body.

This is all getting older is - isn't it? There isn't any great big banner or party - it is just now you have to kind of make certain that you work on maintenance on everything.

Although, on the plus side? When I am deciding which cereal to buy, I can totally base my purchase on what the toy surprise is and no one is there to tell me otherwise.

Whoo- Hoo!

DVD Player with DivX Capabilities:

So - I recently purchased the Philips DV642 DivX-Certified model (after getting one for drdawn for a Christmas present and this was after a rec from fazalot).

My impression so far is that I really, really like this machine. The remote is strange, but since all remotes feel strange to me (seriously, I have a sort of remote-dyslexia thing happening)this is not a big deal. This machine can do the two most important things that I need it to do: I can hack it to play multi-region (and a truly simple, 5 second hack it is) and it plays avi (well mpeg-4) files burned to CD-R or DVD. This means that I can pop in a DVD of Full-Metal Alchemist eps in avi format or Stargate Atlantis and just watch. I don't have to upload these files to my computer - run them through tmpenc and reburn with Nero. I just sit and watch.

I like sitting and watching. Multi-region means I can pop in a disc of The Invisible Man Season 1 and kick back as well. So far, the picture quality seems excellent although my TV is dying a slow death (thankfully very slow).

The price is incredibly low (IMO) considering all the machine can do, but lately I keep seeing a lot of online retailers on backorders. My local CompUSA has a ton of these things in stock - so if you are buying it, you might want to give local retailers a call.


Now - I've seen a few other DivX machines today on Amazon and I want to know more about them:



The Norcent DP-220 looks interesting, especially considering the price is $40-50. If I had more than one TV, it might be a good buy.

I wasn't able to find a multi-region hack for it. Does anyone have this machine? Thoughts?



RCA DRC240N - DivX Capable Progressive Scan Player actually looks to be somewhat competitive with the Philips model in price, with better reviews on the interface and ability to decode avis, but I can't find any region hacks for it (although there is an interest in finding the hack - just no success stories yet).



So for now, I am very happy with the Philips 642- I highly recommend it - but what about DVD players I am missing? Are there more - will there be more? Cause I love this Divx stuff.

SGA Thought...

So I keep thinking the actual sparkage is between Sheppard and Ford, but this is admittedly based on the first ep with the mutual saving and then keeping close and freaking all out flirting at the end.

But you know - you're new in an ancient city and dude next to you is hot. It could just be a hook-up thing. I get that.

But - as time goes on I am seeing something with McKay and Sheppard. Something I couldn't define at first and just now it hit me:

They are like Dave and Maddie.

And I go back to my couch cause I am so not fit for human company right now.

More SGA Thoughts - The Defiant One

I like this show. I do. The cast is interesting and well drawn, the premise is interesting and so far the plots, while not entirely original, are spun enough to be fresh-like. And I like familiar things - this is why all of the characters I play with in my head will eventually visit Fantasy Island.

Yet, the McKay/Sheppard thing... I wanted to be all down with it, I did - but...

Is John really good enough for Rodney? I mean - I understand why in my first post about Atlantis when I stated that I liked Weir and I loved McKay that some people assumed this meant I was all about liking them together.

And, um. No. See, the only Rodney/Elizabeth fic I am interested in, would be me as the relevant Elizabeth. And that is kinda icky - cause when sherrold brought up the issue of Rodney's body-type today, she caused me to spend a good hour contemplating how I would want my own tummy addressed in any NC-17 fic about me (I needed the distraction from work). My conclusion is that NC-17 fic about me should never ever never exist under any circumstances.

But back to SGA - I was watching for John/Rodney and I saw some snarky sparks, I did. It was a smitten kind of snark but I was still hesitant. John is a fly-boy with a roving eye (I am sorry - something happened with Ford) and I had reservations.

Then I watched "The Defiant One" and ( Read more... )