got through a couple of necessary sections in a book on vikings, got a couple pages of notes. Got about 3 or 4 pages of notes from an anthropology article on alcohol in ancient societies as well. Got a polished outline for the entire chapter done now. Before, it had been close, but had been missing one or two things, and a conclusion. Now I’m ready to finish ‘er up.

plus finally got all the joysticks/buttons/locks/wiring replaced on the arcade machine. Finally got the sound working on the MK2 board, and played a bit of that. Good times.

Meanwhile, one of my friends that I made out here has some pretty severe need for prayer, it’s the best I can do for her. Her dad is suffering quite a lot from cancer, and while you’re talking to the Big Guy, if you could put in a word or three for help for her and her kin, I’d appreciate it.

just picked up another class to teach this evening.

too bad it’s already got the book, and it’s a different one than what I use. Also too bad that I don’t have a copy yet.

Oh well, good pay anyhoos…and it seems that I can get a lot of things done when I’m busier than busy…somehow I made it through the second year of grad school while teaching, working at the hospital, and going through two programs, and writing my master’s thesis.

This’ll be sorta the same thing. I hope I can swing it.

so this morning, I let my cat outside. In about 10 minutes I hear a very menacing growl outside, and take a gander out my office window. The neighbor’s cat is sitting quietly on the lawn, while Milly is approaching quite angry. She growls once more and I head out to break it up, but she has managed to chase the cat outside the lawn.

So I take her in and throw a collar on her, so that in case there is a fight, I can be sure that Milly is not amongst the torn destroyed corpses.

For a one-eyed cat, you’d think she’d be a little more hesitant to start trouble.

to err is human, to arr is pirate.

oh snap, facebook. well played!

Beam collision
When the collider is commissioned, the beams will cross paths at allotted points along the tunnel, smashing into one another with cataclysmic force.

Dr. Egon Spengler: There’s something very important I forgot to tell you.
Dr. Peter Venkman: What?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Don’t cross the streams.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Why?
Dr. Egon Spengler: It would be bad.
Dr. Peter Venkman: I’m fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, “bad”?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Dr Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Right. That’s bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

maaaayyyyybeeeee they should watch ghostbusters again.

I’m am now roughly $1.50 richer than this morning before I started doing laundry.

I found out that the rattling in the dryer was caused by change getting stuck in the metal rollers. Figured out how to take the top off, loosened the rollers tipped all the change out, and now it sounds like a regular dryer rather than an entire regiment of mechanized automatons.

I am teh roxxorz.

I will never understand why this college doesn’t have a Germanic or Scandinavian studies department. Its library is LOADED with books in those subjects! Not to mention mythology in general…good gravy, I underutilized this resource when I was here.

Honestly though, they ought to hire me to start up a department for them.

It is now 1:38AM. I can get 2 hours of sleep (or so) to get down to my lil’ bro’s to head out by 5AM to go back to God’s Country.

A variety of factors led to this decision to act like this, namely one of my good friends had to head back to her home much earlier than planned, so we had a going away party for her tonight. That coupled with trying to get the washing machine going the last couple days meant that my time was at a premium for getting stuff done…and hence staying up until now. The plus side is that almost everything is packed (outside the bathroom stuff) and I”ll get that on the morrow.

Good times, good times.

at least they’ll find you handy.

The last few days has been a hubbub of moving and getting things squared away. Between yesterday and today there was an epic struggle between a dryer, a washing machine, and myself.

Both appliances were free. And these experiences merely underscore my long held opinion that free things are more often than not more trouble than what they’re worth. Anyway.

I had to go to Lowes because the dryer hookup kit that I had gotten was missing a piece, and that piece was necessary to hook it up. So I went there with a faucet, because a faucet for the Washing Machine was leaking like a sieve when turned on. I wanted to just exchange the one, but the people at lowes either would give me cash or put the money on the card, instead of just letting me exchange it. Talk about a waste of time and energy. Jerks. Anyway, so I go back and try to find what I’m looking for. I find it, also picking up a universal washer waste pipe hose.

Funny story there, I had to move the washing machine so I could close and lock the door because our gardeners were here when I left. These guys are getting fired, and I didn’t know if the landlord had told them that or not, so I wasn’t about to leave any doors open and unlocked with them around. So I was moving the washer, and the old rubber hose didn’t have near as much play as I thought it did and snapped off the plastic piece coming out the back of the dryer. I was not pleased.

So that’s why I picked up the other rubber hose, hoping that it’d fit nice over the broken bits still out the back of the washer. Anyway, so I return to the house. The bolt and the washer won’t come off the pipe in the wall. NOrmally this wouldn’t be a problem because the faucet looked to be an almost exact fit. Almost doesn’t cut it when water’s involved. Sooooo….I head on over to home depot.

I get an EXACT match on the faucet this time, get the water hooked in correctly, no leaks. I test out the rubber hose. I can get it over the broken plastic bits, but it still drips water. “Well, slap me in the face and call me sally,” I said. Actually, I didn’t say that. There was much more profanity during this whole process than any sane person could probably imagine. Anyhoos, dripping water. So I took the broken end off the old rubber hose and head down to home depot again.

I manage to find some tubing that an employee was kind enough to cut down for me that fit into the broken plastic pipe, and we got a clamp for it. I also picked up some plumber’s epoxy hoping that’d help. And back home I went.

I first tried to epoxy the plastic tube inside the broken bits on the washer. That didn’t work so hot. At all, actually, even giving the epoxy time to cure. “Well, sweet sassy molassy,” I said. Again, no, not really. Anyway, I then struck upon the brilliant idea of putting the plastic hose inside the broken pieces, and then putting it inside the rubber tubing, and then clamping it as close to the washer as possible. I didn’t try this before with just the rubber hose, because that would have just snapped the plastic more. Anyway, that did the trick. No more leaks from the back of the washer.

So then I walk the washer back into it’s lil’ nook and cranny, and bring in the dryer to hook up. With the correct kit, I hooked up everything necessary and turned on the gas (yeah, this ain’t a regular electric dryer). I didn’t hear any hissing or smell any odor. So I got some soapy water and dumped it on the connectors just to be sure. No bubbles. This pleased me. So I walked the dryer back in the corner and tested it out. It works great, the only problem is that it is REALLY noisy, and there sounds like a screw or something rattling around when it rolls. I’ll fix that after the MN trip.

Soooo back to the Washer. I notice that the washer is leaving about a gallon of water inside everytime it runs. I try a variet of things, and nothing works. I check the hoses, I check the drainage. Everything works. I siphon about 10 gallons out of the tank, and try to get it working that way. No go. I try unplugging it in the middle of the drain, and then replugging it in. Nothing.

So this morning I decide to take it apart. My roommate was not pleased. I made mention of two things then: 1. The washer was free. 2. the washer wasn’t working anyway. He relented and went somewhere else to do his laundry looking a bit put out that our free washer wasn’t operational. I tried all electrical connections, tested the water level situation, everything checked out. Unplugged some more pipes, no problems.

Finally, in desperation I call my Father, he isn’t home. So my Mom checks the maytag washer manual there for any troubleshooting, but no go. So I hang up and putz around with it some more until my dad can call back. My mom then calls MJB in bemidji apparently, and they say could be a loose belt. So she calls me and lets me know, and I check the belts. Sho’ ’nuff, the pump belt is exceedingly loose. So I unscrew the pump move it over as far as I can to tighten it up, and then cross my fingers and hope it worked.

And ye, there was no water left in the tank afterwards. It was good, and now I’m cleaning clothes.

Enjoy.

dependent, or course, on finding a prophecy about me moving stuff today.