melog-20110818.log

well, i diagnosed my car problems correctly. once i found that the fuel filted wasn't the fix, i started looking at the spark plugs.

but i didn't feel comfortable changing those.

but, my car started making this horrible, dreadful knocking sound. i thought it was the end!

but, i read the car manual and saw how a pully could be loose or a tooth on the gear that pulls the belt could be missing. i had a bit more hope after reading that. so, i towed it to the repair shop.

they changed my spark plugs and that fixed the lull in my takeoff and acceleration. the knocking sound was a pully and they also found that persistant, pesky oil leak that that no one could ever fix-- behind the pully!

awsome moment of troubleshooting; awful moment in car expenses.

any way, now i can get to work again.

#Rootstrikers

http://www.rootstrikers.org/

melog-20110808.log

Well, changing out the fuel filter didn't fix all of my problems.

But . . . my car runs much better. My car is still sluggish when I accelerate from a total stop or go in reverse. But, it does it far less. Rather than threatening to cut off at every stop light when the air is running, not it only does it a few once and a while.

I changed the air filter on my car. That didn't seem to help the situation. But, hey . . . I can't recall the last time that car had the air filter changed. I don't think I've ever changed it since I've owned it.

I'll try some of that gas treatment stuff to see if that helps. After that, I'll probably need to take it to a professional car mechanic.

melog-20110807.log

ok, been a while-- yada, yada, yada . . .

my car has been sputtering when i try to accelerate-- especially when i run the air conditioning. it's been nasty, hot and humid in my town. driving with no air conditioning is like taking a bath in a pit of hot coals. but, the car ran worse when the air was on.

i did some reading in the car manual for my car model. i started thinking . . . sounds like the problem is my fuel filter.

It looked easy enough to replace.

I called a nearby auto store and asked how much one costs for my model.

Just ten bucks! Cool!

I read the procedure on how to remove the fuel filter and ran up to the store to pick one up.

The book instructed to remove the fuse that powers the fuel pump first. Turn on the car and make sure it cuts off. I did this and then removed the negative battery cable.

Next, I proceeded to loosen the clamps around the hose that runs to the fuel filter.

And that's when things got ridiculously tough!

First-- my dominant hand has been really hurting. I've even seen a doctor about it and I wear an arm splint most of the time. I even sleep in it. I hardly have any strength in my hand-- I have no grip. Typing is a chore, too. But, not as hard as squeezing toothpaste onto my toothbrush.

So, I wasn't surprised that I had trouble getting the hose off of the old fuel filter. But, damn!

What the hell?!

I found that the secret was to make a twisting motion as you pulled the hose off from the filter.

OOWW!!!!

I had to take frequent breaks.

Finally, the hose on the top of the filter gave way. Gas trickled out. Luckily, the car manual recommended wearing latex gloves. Boy, I'm glad I did!

Now it was time for the bottom hose.

I finally got it free and plugged in the new filter.

No leaks.

I drove around with the air on and everything ran smoothly.

You know what? I think I fixed my car.

I only paid ten bucks, two Advil, and an icy gel pack inserted in my arm splint.

Feels so nice.

melog-20110701.log

boy . . . i haven't posted in a while. some of it is being busy, some of it is being lazy. some of it is having nothing to say. some of it is being a bit bored with blogging. (gasp!)

some of it is also not having the wherewithal to describe everything that is happening. it's like trying to explain what happened at work to someone who has no idea what you do for your career. you can't clearly communicate much if you don't take the time to lay some ground work first.

there isn't any context.

trying to build context can be lengthy, sometimes. the talker doesn't feel like saying it all, and the listener sure as hell doesn't feel like listening, either.

that's one of the reasons why old friends that you've had for years are so priceless. they know the context and they keep up with it as it changes and evolves. sometimes, you don't even have to speak-- they already know the context and understand where you're coming from when you sigh, moan, grunt, or simply fall silent.

i'm not up for building the kind of context that it would take to go into all that is going on right now in my life. at least, not here in this blog.

i will say, however, that i realized that today i have a deep regret.

i regret not being able to say that i have a life time of study in anything. i'm good at a lot of things, but i'm not a master at anything. i see people almost half my age coming along, showing great promise and talent in some many interesting things.

i just sort of fell into what i do. but, some of these kids-- they were born with a motherboard in their laps. I'm running into 20 somethings with 15 years of experience with computers. that's hard to compete with when you ambled into the field only ten years ago-- and took about five years to even understand what you like about the field.

anyhow . . . i feel a bit inferior today. not too bad, but it can't deny it. throwing down a few sam adam's helped a little bit. so did the belgium chocolate cheese cake and the honey-mustard, chipotle chicken crispers and the strawberry smoothie-- with a mountain of whip cream on top.

oh, and i had mozzarella sticks, too.

i'm gonna be sick tomorrow.

i've gotten lax on my exercising. i haven't totally given up. i haven't gained it all back or anything. but, i need to get back on it before i find myself filled with more regret six months down the road.

my wife gave me the evening to hang out by myself tonight since she get's so many "girls' night" outings. she's ten to my two, or something like that.

i've been tempted to drop this blog and revert back to the other one i had "uruk's black box". i have no idea why. it wouldn't matter much in the end. kind of stupid to change around low profile blog.

well, had better wrap it up. i'm at a coffee shop and they look like they're trying to close up.

the wireless signal is strong with this place.

melog-20110513.log

Finally! Blogger's back.

Ouch-- that was a long outage as far as Internet, cloud services go.

Anyhow . . .

I finally got my air working again. I had a server issues at work where I had to manipulate the jumpers on a hard drive. Doing that inadvertently trained my mind to notice the shape of the little shunts that fit over the pins.

Well . . . it got so hot that my wife just complained and complained and complained.

And rightly so . . . it was quite miserable in our house.

She left to go visit a friend and get some touch ups done to her hair. While she was gone, I took a flash light and some tools. I opened the air conditioning unit in the back of my house and shined the light down and tried to make sense of it all.

I got nothing.

At first.

Then, I noticed a black wire with a little shunt attached to the end of it-- very much like a hard drive jumper.

Hmmmmm . . . .

Then, I noticed a tiny metal flange that was begging for something to slide over it.

Like that shunt on the end of that black wire.

Worked like a charm. I'm chillin' like a villain.

Things are getting better about my mood lately. My (meager)study of Kung Fu has taught me that every obstacle should be met with an attitude that is as relaxed as possible. So, when I get frustrated, I assume the seated relaxed position where you sit on the floor cross legged with your wrists resting on your knees. I take deep breaths and meditate and center myself.

That helps a lot these days.

Anyhow, things are getting better around the house, too. I've got virtually all the laundry done. Now-- step by step-- time to work on the rest of the house.

*Breath deeply*

melog-20110511.log

I had gotten my air conditioning fixed a few days ago. But, now it's not working again.

I also had a long day at work because things weren't working.

I notice that all around me, things don't seem to work.

Entropy. It is what has made the universe, and it is the thing that tears everything apart.

Lately, I feel like I keep fighting my way uphill-- even on the things that I thought would be simple.

I'm getting tired and want a break from all the entropy. A break from the struggle.
I want my air to work. I want the ants to go away in my kitchen. I want the house to stay clean. I want my son to let the toilet lid down and stop rummaging through out the house at 2:00 in the morning when he's in a sleepy stupor. He marches through the house like someone who can't hold his pee any longer, but wanders aimlessly through the house, room by room-- lost.

And sometimes, he doesn't quite make it to the bathroom when he's in that state of mind.

But, that's not his fault. Still though, will he ever grow out of it?

So many broken things to fix. So many broken people, too.

I see why those who seek enlightenment don't own anything.