A strawberry tamale. So yummy.

Last night coming home around 8:20, the check engine light went on on my dash. There was a problem before that was made better by a software download that had caused that to happen before, so I feared the section 2 to that problem, which would have envolved a lengthy stay for warrantee repair, was going to now ensue, finding a dealer, rental car, etc. etc.

I don't know if I wrote in here about my last trip to my regular repair shop. I did not come away happy, because of differences between what was on their list of things to be preventative maintenanced on the car and my list of things to be fixed on the car, I was kept waiting too long, and had a minor blow up when, after five hours of waiting, I got my car back without all the stuff done, and one of the stuff not done was the oil change, which it really really needed (I stopped off at an auto store on my way out of town for a quart, because I had ignored it for that long).

So anyway, after not calling them back from the message I found on my answering machine at home after that event (I needed some weeks to cool down, it was back the weekend after the first of the year I think, somewhere in that vacation). I'm back to calling them from work saying I need them to check this out for me. So I go over at lunch, they take the car, I wait to find out what the issue is before Dee gives me a lift back to work. We make amends for our difference a ways ago, I agree to get the rest of the service done at the same time.

It isn't the same code. The code says I need a new catalytic converter, but they test it with some sort of other tool and find that it is a blockage further up, some "banjo valve" is suspected that has a habit of getting crudded up after years. It still is going to take 3 hours to get to (my car is like that). So I get that ride back to work, and a coworker brings me back after work. I had mentioned that the car had been like surging when in idle, and this had been going on as long as I can remember, but probably had been getting worse, and was part of the first failure causing the car to stall out when stopped before the aforementioned software download. They had said "Oh!" like that was not supposed to work that way . . .

Well, after they uncovered, and contorted themselves to get out, clean and reinstall, that little banjo valve (wow, I have another reason to hate banjos now), it doesn't work like that anymore! It idles as smooth as glass. I think the mileage is better too.

They also fix whatever "position light" was out, and they didn't charge me for parts, to make me happy after the last time strung me along so far in the waiting room (during which time the did fix the sunroof, I mean they were doing good stuff, but communication and expectations failed).

A nice romantic song for Valentines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLPZWj2ozkA

What a great guitarist.

http://www.coudal.com and find the game. Up to layer five at this writing. Not the most inspired game, but what could be better for a rainy Friday at work?

I want to go out to lunch, but don't have cash.

I just got a bunch of money put into my corporate AMEX card, that I had already paid, they were extremely late in approving my expenses for a trip last year--so I want to use my AMEX card for stuff like lunch. I just don't have anyone to go with to a place that takes AMEX.

I don't have enough stuff around the office to eat either. I hate going out to lunch alone.

Edit: others decided to go for Ramen and we had to stop by a bank atm first for someone else, so I just got out more money that way. At least I didn't have to eat alone. We ended up at Pho, because Ramen was way too crowded--you have to show up at 11 there to not stand in an insanely long line.

Saw a wierd caravan this morning, they must have been traveling together on 80 going south a bit past 6 this morning. First I came upon a bobtail truck, white box, no particular markings, towing a small pickup, and there was something packed in the pickup's bed that was tarped well. That was kind of strange. I'm used to seeing motorhomes pulling a car behind them on hwy 5, but it's not too common otherwise to see one vehicle using a complete pickup as a trailer.

I was going faster than it, so I meandered past, and in front of it was a larger utility pickup towing another small pickup, and they both had tarped payloads. Then I passed another couple bobtails, again towing small pickups, with tarped payloads, then I passed a small flatbed truck with a small pickup on the flatbed, with a tarped payload, and towing another small pickup, with a tarped payload. I may have even passed another bobtail after that, towing a small pickup with another tarped payload.

Nope, I don't think I will ever know what that was all about.

These family murder suicides are disturbing to me. I have to try to reach out to people I know and make sure they don't feel too alone. We have invested a lot in raising people up to adulthood. I don't want to lose anyone I know because they don't feel useful anymore. We are all useful. As a country our organizations are thrashing now.

We especially need the cooler heads. Freaking will not help.

The "Bad Bug Book"! A very useful publication from the FDA formally called: Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/intro.html

It has info on:

17 PATHOGENIC BACTERIA
4 ENTEROVIRULENT ESCHERICHIA COLI GROUP (EEC Group)
10 PARASITIC PROTOZOA and WORMS
5 VIRUSES
10 NATURAL TOXINS
1 OTHER PATHOGENIC AGENT

OMG, these are so fun.

The squash soup is done. Came out a little more watery than I expected, but, oh my does it make me feel better. True comfort food--probably the chicken fat in it from the freshly made stock, but there is no other fat in it, and it made up to well over a gallon probably a gallon and a half. Not too much fat per serving.

Yesterday was a busy day. I did shopping in the morning, then my son and I joined an old friend, Russell, and his mother for lunch at Zachery's, the one on College in Oakland (I had just been to the one on Solano before, but it tastes the same). I think Russell would have preferred his mother not to have monopolized the conversation as much as she did, since he has stuff to talk through with his family. My son buried his nose in some manga, and I just did my best to be charming.

From there, we went down and visited my mother. I gave her a check for the rent here. Then we went by my work to pick up some stuff I left there by accident on Friday.

Then we went to look for a theater showing Slumdog Millionaire. At first I thought we were in luck because there is a movie theater near my work (that I had forgotten about), but no luck, it wasn't playing there. We had passed a theater near Mission College on 101, and we went back to that.

It is a good movie--I recommend it. The plot, while stretching belief, is still very satisfying, and I don't know much about technical movie stuff, but everything else seemed fantastic, even the music, which perhaps I do know something about. Edit to add that I think I'm much more like the pragmatic Salim than the idealistic Jamal, oh well.

Then we had dinner at Subway and went on to the Palo Alto dance. I got chilled again by the second half and left early. I'm not going back there until the temperature outside warms up 15 degrees. I may go to the hayward dance today, or out for a long walk to get more exercise. I am not getting enough aerobic lately.

so I'm curious what will happen

Q: Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search.
A: Edith needs in her life to sort out the mess that’s been forced upon her
.

Q: Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search.
A: Edith Clement (apparently a possible Bush appt for replacing Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court)

Q: Type in "[your name] says" in Google search.
Edith Says. Lou Reed ought to've written a song about Edith -- 'cause who cares about Stephanie, Candy, or Lisa? I mean, really.

Q: Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search.
A: Edith Crepp - Whatever Edith Wants (youtube video)

Q:Type in "[your name] does" in Google search.
A: ITEM: EDITH does P L A S T I C. (You know, this is way cool.)

Q: Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search.
A: Did you mean: edith HAYES South Court Inn Photo The Edith Hayes Room Edith Hayes has jumped from the 19th to the 21st century. She now sports a one-person whirlpool tub with shower!

Q: Type in "[your name] asks" in Google search.
A: www.askedith.com: Expert Real Estate Advice

Q: Type in "[your name] likes " in Google search.
A: But Edith likes to leave it up to you to find them.

Q: Type in "[your name] eats " in Google search.
A: Edith Eats Some Peas (and there is a youtube video . . . )

Q: Type in "[your name] wears " in Google search.
A: Edith wears stripes and chats (another youtube video)

Q: Type in "[your name] was arrested for" in Google Search.
A: EDITH LOCKLEY ARRESTED; The American Estates Association Recovers Its Books from the Defaulter's Wife. THE WOMAN THEN SET FREE She Was Preparing to Move When Detectives Acted -- They Had Watched Her for Weeks -- Accounts Found to be Straight.

Q: Type in "[your name] loves" in Google Search.
A: Edith Loves My Alarm Clock on Vimeo (Edith, in this case, is the bloggers cat.)