Living in the light

Goodbye to Forrest.....

2012-01-06T16:37:00.002-06:00

This is an update to the Vestibular post from July.

Many of you that read or follow know that I have a dog, Forrest.

Forrest had very few health problems in his life. He had a hip replacement, Glaucoma in 2007, which took his vision, and he adjusted very well to it. Then Vestibular Disease (like vertigo) in July of this year. In Late September, things started to decline. Forrest started wandering the house in the middle of the night, confused, and slipping on the kitchen floor, unable to get up. The vet diagnosed it as a combination of arthritis pains and doggie dementia. We got medication to help for both, and Forrest got upgraded to share my king sized bed with me. This arrangement actually worked really well, no alarm clock needed. 5 am dog panting in your face

Things seemed to return to normal (or the new normal), he even was able to walk fairly normally again. Last Monday, in the middle of the night, Forrest fell out of bed. I picked him up and put him back in with me, not thinking anything was wrong, but when I woke up, I realized that he had suffered another vestibular episode like this summer. This time, it didn't seem as severe, as he was drinking and eating, so I figured he would bounce back and be fine. Christmas morning, I picked him up and put him in the back yard, and he started crying for me to bring him in. So I did, and put him on his dog bed on the floor, and within a few minutes, he was whining again. Finally I put him in bed with me, and he seemed happy. We spent our last Christmas day together snuggled up in bed, watching old Christmas movie re-runs and eating junk food. At one point, he rolled over and laid his head on my chest and "gazed" at me with his blind eyes, and I knew, he was telling me that it was ok, and he was ready to go. In true Forrest fashion, to reinforce that he was ready, he let me know again that night by leaving a "present" in the bed for me.

So yesterday morning, I took him to VERGI, the local vet ER, and had him put down. It was a very peaceful and calm event, but it doesn't make it any easier. They laid him on a comforter on the floor and let us have all the time that we wanted before the process was done. Forrest went very peacefully and quietly. Thanks to my friends that showed up at the ER with me. The only comfort I have is knowing that he's no longer suffering. It was the right thing to do, and the ultimate responsibility of a pet owner.

For those of you that knew Forrest, you already know what a smart, kind and funny dog he was. He was well trained and had me well trained too. He knew how to open the screen door, and bark to come back in. He knew how to wake me up by breathing hard, then sneezing in my face, and ultimately bumping the bed with his butt, so I could let him out. When I was outside in the yard or the garage, he wanted to be out there supervising. He knew many tricks, and loved to perform for treats. Forrest lived the life of a college student throughout my Journey at A&M. He had many kind roommates that loved on him as much as I did, and he loved them equally. Forrest also got to stay with my sister and her roommates and my mom for some time too, being doted on by girls, and spoiled by my mom.

Forrest like me, loved cars, and loved riding in them, head stuck out the window and smelling all the scents that the world had to offer, many times to our trips to the dog park. He kept guard of my truck when we went to home depot, hopping in the driver seat like he was driving, taking in the cool A/C in his face and listening to the radio. He loved chewing ice. When he was younger and had his vision, he loved catching ice and chewing it up. He spent many summers terrorizing the squirrels in my mothers neighborhood, and actually plucked one off the tree that had frozen in fear, killed it, and left it on the side door of the house.

Forrest was a loyal and loving dog, and lived almost 15 years. Born 15 March 1997, Passed 26 December 2011. I'll never forget you my friend.

If you are interested, here's a brief poem that was written for those who have lost pets.
http://www.petloss.com/rainbowbridge.htm

Thanks to everyone for your kind support and prayers.

Vestibular Disease in Dogs

2011-07-22T09:16:00.006-05:00

Maybe you found this by googling Vestibular Disease in dogs, or you think your dog had a stroke. Maybe you read my blog. But here's a short story about my Dog and our journey with Vestibular Disease. Don't panic, first off. This is not the end for your dog, but you should seek medical attention.

Is your dog unable to stand/walk?

When he moves, is it like hes drunk or dizzy?

Do you notice rapid eye movement?

Keep reading my tale of my dog.

So when I got home from work last Thursday, it looked like my 14 year old chow, Forrest had a stroke. He had vomited and lost his bladder and could not stand up, when he did, it looked like he was drunk. What I did NOT notice, is the rapid eye movement that he had, which is a classic sign of Vestibular Syndrome. I called a friend and she advised me to get him to the ER ASAP.

Trying to make as many calls and texts before I left, while trying not to burst into tears, we rushed to the Veterinary ER and I was sure that this was going to be my goodbye with my best friend. Fortunately, the Doctor diagnosed it as vestibular disease, which he can fully recover from. Commonly mistaken as a stroke. Its like vertigo in humans. He is off balance and cannot walk or stand. The good news is, this is fully recoverable and seldom happens again.

We were given medicine and bed rest for a week or so.

I took him home and gave him some water and let him rest in the back yard a little and he slept on his dog bed pretty comfortably. The next morning I carried him into the back yard, he drank some water, went potty, and I fed him some canned dog food. I carried him into his favorite spot, my bedroom closet, on a blanket. This week, I have been checking on him at lunchtime.

Last weekend, I canceled all appointments in order to stay home and be with Forrest. I took him outside this morning, and he drank water and was able to go potty. I let him sit outside for about 30 minutes. He was still unable to stand or sit up, and when I put him down, he laid on his right side.

I brought him in and set him up in the living room on a bed sheet and a towel under his back area in case he had an accident, and he laid there most of the day. I made him some chicken, but he has not been interested in eating, mostly due to the nausea. Mom stopped by for a visit and he wagged his tail a few times.

At lunch time, I took him in the back yard again, and he drank water and went potty again, this time actually laying on the grass but his head up and looked like he was enjoying the sun. I waited outside with him for about 30 minutes, and brought him inside again. He laid down again, on the right side. His head was still cocked to one side, and he doesn't like to move.

When we got back from church, I took him out again and he drank lots of water, and I was able to feed him two bites of wet dog food. This whole time, I have been giving him water from a bottle, but I tried with a small bowl tonight, which he eagerly drank from.

When I carried him in and set him he was able to balance a little, but in the end, he wanted to be laid down, he was able to hold his head up while laying there, still cocked, but this is the first time he has not laid his head down to the side. Saturday evening I put him on his dog bed, and he laid there on his chin, so I felt like we were making baby steps towards recovery.

Earlier this week, Forrest showed me that he can drink from a water bowl (was bottle feeding him) and can hold his head up (but still tilted).

By Monday of this week, Forrest was accustomed to our "routine" now. I take him outside, and he's starting to want to stand on his own, and if he stands between my legs, he can stand up and stay standing, however, without me there, he will fall. When I ask if he wants to go out, he tries to get up on his own, but his balance is still off. I still carry him. He is, however, moving around more on the grass, while laying he will use his back and front legs to move himself into different positions. Sunday around noon, I put 2 pieces of canned dog food into his cheek so he would chew it, then after the first bite, he realized that he was hungry. So he ate half the can of dog food. Still no interest in crunchy things like dry dog food, biscuits or ice.

Tuesday, I went home at lunch time and he finished the last 1/3 of the can of dog food. His eyes are no longer twitching (part of the Vestibular Disease), and his playful personality is starting to peek out a little bit. Tuesday night, he ate a piece of chicken that I grilled.
During the week, he will wake up around 5 AM, so I take him outside and put him in the grass until right before I get ready for work, around 6:30. I will go home at lunch for a while to make sure he's ok.

Wednesday, I got home from work and he was standing in the entry way, waiting for me. Forrest is now able to get up on his own (if he's on Carpet or Grass), he can walk, but he's pretty unsteady. I can help him walk from inside and out into the back yard, and he will move around on the grass for a little while and have himself a seat. Progress has been good, and as a big surprise, in the middle of the night last night, he walked out of the bedroom and went and got himself a drink from his bowl in the kitchen.

His appetite has returned, but he still is refusing dry food, dog biscuits etc, things that are crunchy. I suspect this is due to the vestibular disease, and his ears being sensitive to the crunching noises when he eats, but we'll see.

Forrest still has some head tilt, but the doctor explained that some dogs never recover from this, however, it does not affect them other than kind of looking silly. Its not as extreme as it was a week ago, and I'm hoping we keep progressing at this rate.

Track Day

2011-03-07T11:06:00.002-06:00

Those who know me know I'm a HUGE gearhead, well, I've been running around with the Local Mercedes club, and from them, I found a few guys running Caterhams, and from that, I started attending their Track Days at Grandsport Speedway which is an awesome Track located near Gulf Greyhound park.

Lots of Lotus, Caterhams, and all kinds of other exotic stuff showed up for this event.

Heres some pics of our Fun Saturday. Lots of nice cars out there.

Ford Customer Service...what customer service?

2010-12-10T09:45:00.004-06:00

Many of you know that I am a HUGE Ford fan. I bleed blue. I have driven nothing but Fords since before I got my license. Lots of Crown Vics, F-Series, Mustangs, Super Duties, Marauders, a Five Hundred, a Countour SVT, and most recently I ordered a 2010 Taurus SHO about a year ago. I have always recommend Ford products to my friends, and many of them are very pleased with their purchases. I guess I got bit on this one.

Well, she arrived right before Valentines Day 2010. I loved her from the Get-go, she was pretty, she was fast, and stealthy. I special ordered because nobody had what I wanted. I wanted the Performance Pack, which had special brakes, a different axle ratio, and stiffer springs and struts. It was worth the wait.

So around June of this year, I notice that when I'm leaving the neighborhood, the engine stutters/falters a little when I'm waiting for the light to turn green. This happened every day, and to the point where I started trying with the A/C on, A/C off, etc. Still did it.

It concerned me, and I made a note to take it in to the dealer to have it looked at. Around September, the brakes exhibited a groaning noise at low speeds, and I also noticed, while moving the car down the driveway, I noticed a clicking noise when going from Park to Reverse, and then Reverse to drive. This was enough to warrant taking the car in to be looked at.

I took the car into Tommie Vaughn Ford in Houston, where I bought the car from. They had the car in for three days. Their solution was to reflash the PCM, perform the brake TSB, which addressed the groan, and clearly stated, for Performance Package Taurus SHOs, NOT TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS. Guess what? They replaced the pads. When I picked the car up, I read the paperwork and pointed out to the advisor that the TSB was performed incorrectly. The advisor also told me that the clicking noise was gone. He offered to change the pads back to the original ones, however, I had no time, so I just got them back and left.

When I got the car back, I noticed that the clicking noise was still present, as well as the rough idle, to the point where the car died, however, immediately restarted. I called the Dealer and talked to my advisor, and explained that I was really disappointed. I buy from Tommie Vaughn for the good reputation. I took it for service there because thats where the car was purchased. I know Ford doesn't offer loaner cars unless you buy extended warranty, so I didnt expect them to provide me with alternate wheels, but I asked what his suggestion would be to resolve this problem. He told me to bring the car in and they would give me something to drive. I took the car in again. This time, they kept the car for 9 Days. I drove to the credit union to make a car payment in a rental car.

I picked the car up, they replaced the spark plugs, and the brake pads (to the correct ones) and the Brake Calipers. Supposedly the cause of the clicking noise. When I picked the car up and left, I noticed that the brakes didnt feel quite right. I brushed it off as to having driven a different car for a week and I'd get used to it. Well, when I left the office that evening, first stoplight, the brake pedal goes to the floor. To add insult to injury, while waiting for the light to turn green, the car exhibits the rough idle again. I immediately called the dealer. He advised me to bring it in.

Over the weekend and part of the next week, I drove my other vehicle, because I did not feel safe driving the car in the way that it was with the soft brakes. I did take the car in, around November 16th and I met with the Service writer, as well as the Service manager. I explained my frustration that this was the THIRD time the car was going in. He assured me that this would be taken care of and put me in another rental car. I suggested getting a Field Service Engineer involved or Ford direct. Later that week, my advisor called and said that they found #1 Cylinder was 'dropping out' and coming back. Ford techline advised them to move the spark plug and coil somewhere else to see if the 'drop out' followed. It did not. Ford techline suggests that the dealer replace the fuel injector, so they "emergency ordered" an injector. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I got a call stating that the injector was in, and the technician would be installing the injector to see if the problem was fixed. Friday, I called the dealer and talked to the service advisor, and he told me that the tech that was working on my car was on vacation, and that I would need to check back on Monday. Monday, my advisor calls me and says that the Shop Foreman actually drove my car and the problem was still present. So the FSE told them that they wanted to swap the computer, and could I bring my other key to the dealership, since they would need to reprogram both keys. I took my spare key to the dealer and my service writer was not there.

I spoke to the service manager after he got back from lunch. I asked him for an update, which he was not aware of any further updates. I told him to keep "throwing parts" at the car until they had it fixed. He said "Well, we're not throwing parts at it, we're diagnosing." Lets see. You have reflashed the PCM, Replaced Spark Plugs, Moved Coils, replaced the Fuel Injector, and now, you want to change the PCM. If thats not throwing parts at the problem I'm not sure what is.

Later that week, my advisor called and told me that the SHO they had on their lot that they were planning on swapping PCMs with did not match my car, however, when they pulled the spark plug on #1, the technician saw "Something Shiny" down the plug hole. So the Ford Engineer asked them to pull the head. The advisor thought that the engine would have to be removed for this operation and I tended to agree with him. This was around December 3. Over the weekend, I went to the dealer and took photos of my car sitting on the rack, which the exhaust unbolted, in various stages of disassembly. Looked like they were well on their way.

Tuesday, December 7th, I called the dealer for an update. The advisor had left, so I talked to the Service manager. He advised that they were told to pull heads by the Ford Engineer. Which I already knew. He claimed that the engine did NOT have to be removed.

Wednesday, December 8th, My advisor called around noon to tell me that the heads were off and the valves were "Carboned up" Like you would not believe. Then he starts asking me about what kind of Gasoline I used. I told him, Premium, only Chevron or Shell. Then he told me that the service manager said that only 87 should be used. I told him that I thought this was incorrect, they may want to check the owners manual in the car, as well as on the gas tank door. 87 Octane is acceptable, however, 91 or better is recommended for optimum performance in the SHO motor.

So here we have it folks. As of December 10th, 2010, I have a car that has been in the shop for a total of thirty six days. I have made two payments to the bank in a rental car.

Frustrated? Yes.
Angry? Yes.
Feel like I'm not being taken seriously by Ford or the Dealer? Yes.

Maybe its a lemon I have, but I feel like I'm not being given priority or consideration in this matter. The dealer blames it on their lack of Knowledge on the Ecoboost engine. I don't care what it is at this point. I'm tired of being jerked around and tired of being told one story to the next. I've always been a Ford product advocate and right now, I feel like its a huge slap in the face. I have a damn near 40,000 dollar paperweight that I don't see or get to use. Instead, I'm driving a Budget rent a car Hyundai. Thanks a lot Ford.

Test drive of the 2011 Ford F150's new Engine Lineup

2010-10-04T10:41:00.006-05:00

You guys know, I bleed blue. I'm a die hard Ford man.

Ford has been making bold moves in the past few years.

More frequent refreshes and new exciting product lines, and killing dead weight (note: Ranger, E-Series and Panthers are NOT dead weight. Refresh THEM PLEASE!)

On Saturday I went and drove the F-Series to try their new engine lineup.

My impressions is that the new Ecoboost F150 is a fast truck, the way the power ramps up is very deceptive, but if you look at the speedometer, you're going at a good clip.

They set up 1/8 mile tracks and let people race each other in all the powertrains, 3.7L V6, 3.5L Ecoboost, 5.0 V8, and a 6.2L Harley truck. Also a Hemi powered Ram Quad Cab and a 5.3L Z71 Silverado ext cab were there to drive/compare.

My best time was run in a Ecoboost 4x4 Supercrew launching in 4Hi (hehe). Ford has hit a home run with this setup. The Ecoboost trucks have lots of insulation along the hood edges and sides to attenuate sound to not give you the feeling that you're driving with a 'smaller' engine. The exhaust note at WOT sounds a little raspy, but you can tell Ford spent some money researching how to get the exhaust to sound decent. NVH is almost nil, and you really dont know its a V6 unless you have a trained ear.

The 5.0L V8 is a smooth engine, with its Modular roots but so much better, it is most definitely refined. I was impressed with the changes Ford made to set the engine up for Truck Duty. Feels different than when in the Mustang App. Still sounds like a mod motor starting up though. Slick 6 Speed Auto is across this whole range of trucks.

The 6.2L Harley truck was by far the best sounding and driving truck there. The 6.2L exhaust on the Harley truck sounds like a NASCAR exhaust at WOT. Ford has done an excellent job with this motor. The truck felt the fastest out of the group, but the Ecoboost was faster on paper (at least to my time slips)

Next they had the Tow area, which had a Loaded Mega Cab Hemi Ram and a Silverado hooked to trailers filled with 6000 lbs in the back, and a group of F150 Supercrew 4x2 and 4x4, all with Ecoboost engines.

Does anyone notice that Ford did not offer a 5.7L or 4.6L Tundra for us to try?

I drove the Ram first, found it to be decent on power but having to work it hard to get it to move at a good pace with the trailer.

Next I hopped into a Supercrew FX4 with the Ecoboost and a 3.73 rear end. This truck moves good with a load. Again, its deceptive because you look down at the speedometer and you're moving faster than you thought. With a load, the power delivery is still very smooth, and the braking and trailer sway control all work awesome. You do have to work that Ecoboost to get the truck to get on the freeways, but thats what it was designed to do, with the turbos, provide that V8 thrust, and it does that.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the new lineup of engines that Ford has come out with.

I just wish they hired more knowledgeable people to work these events. They hire 'pretty people'. I got tired of hearing the wrong information over and over again. Finally I just stopped asking. At the tow section, I made are remark about how disappointed I would be driving the Ram, he stated "I'm an independant contractor, and I will tell you, I like the Ram better than the Ford" I raise an eyebrow at that remark. More technical questions asked to "Product specialists" were replied with a total lie, misinformation and then later "Sir, we're not engineers." If you don't know, just say so. These guys lost their cool when you ask questions they don't know. Then they get offended when you try to correct them. I.e. the guy we did the drive challenge said that "the Ecoboost in the F-series had Honeywell GT12 turbochargers". I said "They're borg warner, and the Honeywell GT15 is what is in the SHO, Flex and MKS with Ecoboost. He just looked at me. Later someone else told me , all F150s have rear axle ratios of 3.73 and 4.10. Ugh. Come on Ford. Seriously? /Rant over.

I did run into two Product specialists that actually did work for Ford and not the event company. They even let me check out and start up the new 6.7L Powerstroke that happened to be there. That motor is crammed under the hood of that truck, however, its supposed to be much easier to service than the 6.0 and 6.4s of yore. Those 7.3L days are over, quit dreaming. HA!.

Ford, you've done a good job here. Lets hope you will keep the products fresh and not let things die on the vine.

Overall I'd say Ford has a good new lineup on their hands. Time will tell to see if people are apt to adopt the Ecoboost in the F Series.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Brake Fluid

2010-07-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

How exciting!

Brake fluid is categorized by the DOT rating. Most new cars will be equipped with DOT 3 brake fluid. Your germans and supercars may use DOT 4, and very few will ever use DOT 5 will come in motorcycles and is a silicone based product.

Chemically speaking, the off the shelf brake fluids, like DOT 3 are based on glycol and glycol esters. DOT 4 is similar in composition except it contains borate esters. New to the brake fluid world is the DOT 5.1 that is made of of borate esters.

Do you know what real job of this fluid is? Brake fluid transmits pressure from the brake pedal to the ends of the brake system, where the calipers or drums are. This force from the fluid is applied to the pads (or shoes) against the rotation of the brake disc/drum.

Its the fluids rating or strength not to compress that allows it to do its job well.

Back to the Mr Wizard lesson. Did you know that H2O is not listed as an ingredient of brake fluid?

Duh!

Water boils at 212 around degrees F. When braking, the rotors can and get HOT...over 1000 degrees of heat and transfer 400 of those guys or more to the caliper. Agua is not a good fluid to choose.

Unfortunately, Brake Fluid is hygroscoptic. DOT3 and DOT 4 brake fluids attract water. Right out of the air. Just like the coolant you use is probably glycol based just because it mixes well with water.

So, what do the numbers mean?

The DOT Numbers are the boiling point ranges that they achieve both dry (no water absorbed) and wet (about 3-4% water content). DOT 3 the dry boiling point is at least 401 and the wet 284 degrees. DOT 4 steps its game up to 446 and 311 respectively. Remember, that these are DOT minimums, and there are high performance brake fluids that exceed those ratings.

Some of the high performance fluids are rated well over 500 (to almost 600) degrees boiling point dry. Wet boiling points will also vary, but be well over 400 degrees.

The higher boiling points are critical to those of you that like to get your roll on at a race track or autocrossing. Once you boil your brake fluid, its done. You'll need more fluid. Sorry atari.

Most non racing folks will that their brake performance is just fine by sticking with the fluid that the manufacturer sold the care with, unless they use they hoon the vehicle to the extreme, such as a Autocross, Track, or if you live in the mountains and stuff. How do I know when this happens? You'll know because the brake pedal will start to feel like mashed potatoes as the fluid boils and the pedal may even fall to the floor.

Most joe blows never flush and replace their brake fluid. In fact, if you go to a shop and have a “brake job” done it is highly unlikely that they will do much more than bleed the brake lines. This means that the old – wet – clapped out – brake fluid will still be there. The water can react to oxidize brake components from the inside out. I recommend once a year, at least have a look at it. If its nasty, flush and replace with fresh brake fluid.

If you want to DIY, buy a Motive Bleeder or call a friend over, this can be done at home. If you cant change your own engine oil, go pay someone else to do this.

Unless your factory manual specifies something different you start with the right (passenger side) rear, then move to the left (drivers side) rear, then the right front, and finally the left front.

If you dont have a bleeder, you will have to work in concert with your assistant at the brake pedal. The goal is not to get any air introduced into the system while you bleed it. To prevent air from entering you need to keep the reservoir from going empty. So check it often and add new fluid as needed. If you do have a bleeder, keep the pressure up.

You should also remove as much of the old fluid from the reservoir before you add new fluid to the reservior. A turkey baster or similar device will allow you to do that. Just have spray “brake clean” ready in case any fluid get on painted surfaces. If left on paint it will remove it. PROTECT YOUR EYES.

You will need to continue this until you get nice, clean, new fluid out to the particular brake you are working on and then repeat for the other three. Be sure to keep enough fluid in the reservoir to prevent air from entering the system from that end.

Brake fluids gain contamination as they age and should be replace periodically. If you race you should change your brake fluid as often as you change your oil.

Checking in...

2010-06-21T09:44:00.003-05:00

Well it's been a while hasn't it? I guess I'll dust the cobwebs off the old blog and say something.

The first day of summer is here and is in full effect. And boy is it hot outside.

Well, whats been going on since I last posted?

Hmm, well, lots of stuff really.

I have had some major changes and events occur.

My grandfather passed away.
I thought about moving closer into town next to some friends from church but ended up staying.
My new Taurus SHO came in.
I installed slate tile into my bathroom myself.
I had a "God in my face" moment.

Most of my friends know that I'm still pretty 'young' in my spiritual journey. I'm not a perfect Christian, nor do I have all the answers.

A few months back I had a "God in my face" experience. Too many times, little things happen, and we attribute them to coincidences or something unremarkable enough to not even give a second thought to why they happen. This event was one that I would have never imagined would happen in a million years. And it was really an experience to show me that God is in my life. He is around, and he does things on his timetable. Not anyone else's.

My good friend Gary, once said to me, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans for the day." This has rang true many times in my life.

So now, where do I go from here? I don't really know.

Life in the past three months has been a series of events of ups and downs. And all of this, is part of Gods plan for me. Sometimes I wish I could see the schedule, or have a peek at the plans, but I know, or at least hope, that in due time, it will be revealed to me.

The end result will be an awesome thing, so I just need to have faith that God will show me when he's ready to.

Journaling has been helpful, but I know in the end I need to spend more time praying and asking God to show me his will.

Adios amigos!

New Years resolutions

2009-12-17T11:14:00.002-06:00

Okay so its been a while since I updated my blog and I have been meaning to but really have had nothing to blog about.

Well, for those of you who keep up with me, many know that I had a buddy move in earlier this year, he rented a room in the house and kept his dog in the back yard. Well, I got along with "Tom" just fine, but his dog, who is a 1 year old 100 lb bloodhound, was a different story. Totally unsocialized and crazy. I didn't want that dog coming inside, so a pen was built in the back yard, which the dog promptly dug up and destroyed the grass. I turned the other cheek, since Tom was indeed paying rent. I told Tom that the dog could come in during inclement weather (really cold, rainstorm etc) as long as he was given a bath first. Tom has quite a social schedule and was never really home in the evenings. So the dog stayed in his pen for probably 23 hours a day. On the nights Tom came home late, he would toss dog food out the back door and go to bed.

Now, where am I going with this? Well, last weekend, Tom moved out on Sunday, mysteriously. No Goodbye, no GFY, no see you later. Just gone. I got home and went and looked out the back porch, and the 'dog pen'/mud hole was missing all the cattle panel fencing. The T-Posts were still there (thanks Jackass), and the wood was still there. Missing was the dog house, and rubber mat and his BBQ Pit. This is strange, I went to his bedroom. Everything that was his was missing. Then into the bathroom. Totally cleaned out. I called three times, no answer from him.

Immediately, I started thinking "What did I do?" but I caught myself. I made phone calls to friends from church, and in my support network. They all had the same answer. "Its not you. Its about Tom. You did nothing, This is all about him." So after calming down about the situation, I went to bed, and the next day, arrived at the office to find a "Dear John" letter in my email. Basically stating that he wanted to move out because It wasnt fair to me because I didnt want the dog inside, and wasnt fair to the dog because he was in the mud. Well, Good luck with that buddy. So I know, this was Toms way of avoiding any kind of confrontation or situation that would have arisen. Personally I couldn't see the situation getting out of control, but who knows.

So, I talked to a good friend that night, who usually calls me out on my thinking patterns/errors. I was really upset and agitated at him because I told him that I planned on "letting go" of the situation. He pointed out to me (much to my chagrin), that I way too often let people take advantage of me. And I was thinking to myself, "What the hell is this guy talking about? I dont let people take advantage of me!" Well, less than 24 hours later, this statement would fufill itself.

To be continued.....

So its time for another call center post.

2009-11-24T14:56:00.003-06:00

So one of my vehicles is financed with GMAC. The company that thwarted bankruptcy through the 2009 year of the GM and Chrysler massive fails.

I have planned on replacing this car, so I called to try to get some info on how long it takes to get the title after I paid the note off. Well, I hear a series of clicks, and immediately know, I'm getting routed to an overseas call center. Great.....

Hilarity ensues, and in the end, I write this letter to GMAC. Not that anyone there will ever read it.....

GMAC Automotive Financing
P. O. Box 380901
Bloomington, MN 55438

ATTN: Michael A. Carpenter

RE: Your overseas Call center

Dear Mr. Carpenter,

I seriously doubt you actually read this letter, probably a ‘problem solver’ will contact me on your behalf. However, I want to express to you the displeasure I have with dealing with your foreign call center. I have twice contacted GMACFS to get payoff and title information for the vehicle that I have financed with GMACFS. Both times, I have been transferred to the India call center. And both times, I was unable to understand the employee who was assisting me on the phone. The first man on the phone did not understand at all what I was trying to accomplish, and kept trying to talk over me. The second person put me on eternal hold and I got tired of waiting and just hung up.

Does GMAC have any US call centers that can help? I am selling my car and buying a new one. I will not seek GMAC for credit if the proceeds of my loan are used to fund an overseas call center. How does GMAC expect to serve their clients if the people that they hire cannot understand the customers needs and if the customers cannot understand the people on the other end of the line?

All I want to know is, how quickly, after paying my vehicle off, can I receive the title from GMACFS? I have a person who is interested in purchasing my vehicle. They are buying the car for more than payoff, so they are issuing me a major bank check. I plan on depositing the check, then once it clears, paying GMACFS the payoff amount. I would like to know the fastest way to make this happen so that the buyer can get the title in hand and register it in their name.

Every answer from the call center was to go to the DMV and transfer the title. How do I do that if GMACFS still has the title? Do you guys offer an expedited payoff/title option?

I sincerely hope that my words reach someone other than beancounters that would rather anger customers by sending them to a phone bank on the other side of the world, nobody on either end of the phone can understand what is happening.

Would GMAC consider serving their US customers with US employees, who can effectively communicate with, and understand our needs without frustrating everyone to no end?

I am sorry to say, that this is my first and last loan experience with GMACFS.

Sincerely,
redassaggie00

Fall is in the air

2009-10-19T08:26:00.003-05:00

Well Fall is starting to peek its way in. For the first time in many years, I feel like I haven't 'dipped' into my annual funk that I usually get into when we get the first cold snap.

This time of year marks an odd point in my life, once a year. The same time that I was laid off from the first job out of school, and my spiritual journey and finding out who I really was. Don't get me wrong, we never went to church as kids, not because we didn't believe in God, my parents just never went. When I got to A&M, I started attending church with friends, and I felt so much more complete, a good 'balance' if you will.

It wasn't until late 2001 when I really started feeling something else, something that I hadn't experienced, maybe ever. And in the most turbulent chapters of my life, serenity.

Last week, our pastor had an excellent talk about 'waking up' and God being there, finding him there with arms wide open, and for me, it was a very moving talk.

You can listen to it here.... Check out the 10/10/2009 talk.

So today, as I write this post, I look back at my life today, all my friends, all my family, my church family, and life in general, I have to smile. Sometimes its so easily to be discouraged. In my 30s, thirty lbs overweight, single, working a job that tests me every day, and walking this journey, but I'm not alone. He is there. Thats one thing I know I don't do enough, I don't trust in God, and know that he has great plans for me. I perpetually try to drive the bus, and I know I just need to sit back and let God drive.

Sorry for the 'heavy' post, just had to get that out there. To end in the words of singer Gary Allan, "Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride."

Netflix...whats going on?

2009-09-30T09:11:00.002-05:00

This may be a well known occurrence in the world, but this is the first time I saw this.

Last night I put a netflix envelope next to my front door so I would remember to take it to work today to drop in the mailbox.

Thats when I noticed, the return address is to Austin....All of my movies have come from the Houston center, since thats close to where I live.

Check it out:

So I have heard of Netflix throttling the DVD rentals, and they also got in trouble for it a while back.

Is this another sneaky way of getting around that?

We'll see.

Life on Autopilot

2009-09-11T08:51:00.003-05:00

Ever feel like you're on autopilot? I realized for the past few weeks, that everything has been really going well.

I'm trying to maintain a "conscious contact" with God throughout the day, giving stuff to him that I can't handle. Its working well for me. I'm much happier at work (even happier when I leave), and everything is copasetic. This week, I just feel like everything is the same over and over. Go to work, go home, go to mens group, go to church, work on cars, etc. I look back at this month, and I've done LOTS of stuff. Had Dim Sum with friends, worked in the yard, harvested watermelons from my garden, went and visited friends I haven't seen in forever, helped at church, saw my grandpa. The list goes on. Maybe next week will be better eh?

I have lots of friends that I talk to now and then, but a lot of them are married and have families now, and can't hang out anymore. I do have a few handful of married friends who are allowed to get away for a while and go hang out and do stuff with, but its sad to see the loss of those friends that are under obligations of a family now. Maybe I'll understand one day.

On the romantic side of things, theres not much to report. I had a few dates with a girl my friends set me up with, but she's got a LOT of baggage, more than I care to deal with. Don't get me wrong, I've had my share in the past, and I have had LOTS of grace extended to me, but I had to realize that it was her, not me, that had issues. So, I moved on, once again. I can remember last year at this time, was Hurricane Ike. I was in a relationship that my friends warned me was not a good idea, yet I pursued it anyway. 3 days with the same person and no power can really show ones true colors.

Anyway, I have made amends, licked my wounds, seen my therapist, and I feel like I'm ready....but for what? Ready for another relationship? Ready for life?

Maybe the right answer is, whatever God has in store for me.

More Child care funnies

2009-08-21T14:16:00.003-05:00

In honor of my Friends J and L who have a new bundle of Joy, I give to you the baby care pics I never posted....These are tips for J, who is a first time dad...

GM, out of bankruptcy and smelling like....a Cadillac?

2009-07-23T08:51:00.002-05:00

So GM has pulled itself out of Bankruptcy.

Whoopdeedoo. You guys know I tend to like American brand cars. Fords mostly. The stuff that GM has put out has been lackluster at best. I was in a rental Impala for ten days while my car was in the shop and it was the worst car evar.

Now GM has decided that its going to come out with some fragrances....

The star reports that GM is coming out with a line of smell good stuff.

I don't know about you, but usually the smell of a Cadillac conjures up the smell of old people, moth balls, stewed prunes, and the like. Apparently GM thinks they can do better than that. Now if they had a fragrance like "CTS-V" that would be better, but Cadillac brings to mind grandpas 93 Fleetwood.

I guess I can't fault them, I mean, the Mustang has its own line of fragrances.

Movie Review: Knowing, and random mumblings..

2009-07-20T14:51:00.004-05:00

Just FYI, if you're going to see the movie, there are spoilers in this post, so you may not want to read.

So I usually dont like the "End of the world" type doomsday movies, but my friend and his wife were visiting from out of town, and she had rented "Knowing" with Nicholas Cage. I had seen the previews, and decided that I wasn't going to watch it, in the theater or when it came out on DVD.

Well, we watched it Saturday night, and it really left me feeling discombobulated and out of sorts when it was over. Basically in the movie, a girl in 1950 is summoned by voices to write down a bunch of numbers, instead of drawing a picture to put in the time capsule, she has page of numbers written all over it. Later she disappears from the dedication of the time capsule, and they find her in the basement of the school in a closet scratching numbers into the door, continuing from what she drew on the paper earlier.

Fast forward to present day, Nicholas Cage's son attends the same school, where the anniversary of the time capsule is due, and they open it, giving all the kids pictures of the drawings that were drawn in 1950. Cage's son gets the girls drawing with the random numbers on it, then he starts to hear all these whispering voices, and sees a man in the shadows. The movie goes on and Cage finds the drawing, and starts looking at it while drinking, and discovers the numbers are dates of major catastrophes, and also show the number of people that die. Cage is drinking, mourning the loss of his wife, who died in one of the tragedies of the paper. Theres also another set of numbers that they can't figure out what they're for, Cages colleagues at MIT scoff at his theory. Later they discover that the other numbers are Latitude and Longitude (he refers to them as GPS coordinates) of where the next death occurs.

I'm skipping a bit, but later, Cage discovers the last tragedy shows a date and "EE" which later means "Everyone else" or the world. Cage finds out that the Sun is going to Flare and scorch the Earth, and everyone dies. Cage and the Girls daughter try to escape to caves, but Cage later discovers the Coordinates of where they need to go are etched to the door of the closet of the school. While all this is happening, Cage's kid and the granddaughter of the girl from the time capsule get kidnapped by the man from the shadows, and Cage finds them, the men turn out to be aliens, who are "taking only the ones who are called" away from earth, to save them and let them start again new. Cage and his son walk towards the UFO, and the alien tells the boy that only he can go, not Dad. The next scene is Cage saying goodbye to his son and boarding theUFO, with hundreds of others of UFOs leaving earth, Cage falls to the floor in grief, and wakes up later, then Cage goes to his parents house, which he is estranged from, and it shows him hugging his family as the world is hit with a huge flare from the sun and the earth burns down. Later it shows Cage's son and the granddaughter of the girl that wrote the numbers in an Adam and Eve type setting, fields of grain and an Apple tree, and the world is pure again.

So anyway, there are several annoyances I have with this film. One, I can't see why any parent, in their right mind would give their kid to an alien who is promising some kind of safe place to be, because the world is ending, its just inplausible to me. I guess the main thing is the movie had a larger impact on me than I realized, leaving me feeling like everything that we do here while we're on earth is futile, and that the world will end etc. I've fought battles in my life, long and short, and I guess I let the movie get the better of my emotions.

I checked in with a few people today, and one of them, a close friend left me with this gem:

"God is in control. He's got your back, he loves you, and wants the best for you. He walks with you every minute. Dump the fear and embrace faith."

This left me feeling a lot better, because more often than not, I feel like I let fear control me, and as far as I feel that I have come in my spiritual journey, sometimes I get frustrated that I still can get into those 'pockets' of fear.

Another good friend reminded me "Its just a movie". Which is true. I guess I need to be more cognizant and draw the line there a little better.

At the end of the day, this movie did have one thing for me, and that's to be appreciative of my support network of friends and the ability to let go of the fear sometimes and let someone else upstairs drive the bus now and then.

2011 Mustang Gets new powerplants

2009-06-16T11:26:00.002-05:00

2011 V6 Mustang is rumored to get the 3.7 Duratec V6.

The base model mustang has always soldiered on with a meager, yet reliable powertrain.

Finally, it gets something decent.

Everyones been asking for either the 3.5 or 3.7L since they've had them in the Edge and Flex etc, but that engine was designed for FWD application. Well, Ford's been seeing the light and making some changes to go in rear wheel drive fashion, only because the F150 is supposed to get the Ecoboost V6 as well. Not sure if its going to be an optional motor or the base one. (cant see it being the base motor).

Going unchallenged in the pony car war for 6 yeras does that I guess. Then the bowtie drops 300 HP V6 Camaro I guess will light a match under your rear.

The MKS and CX9 both use the 3.7L and put out 273 hp with regular Fuel Injection. Will we get some direct injection action? That should put it up there with the Camaro.

Ecoboost V6 Mustang Anyone?

I want to hear more about the new 5.0L V8 coming out as well. 400/400.

The Fallout of GM and Chrysler Bankruptcy

2009-06-11T13:41:00.003-05:00

From Autoblog:

Completing the Obama Administration's plan to replace its fleet of government vehicles with newer, more efficient vehicles, the U.S. General Services Administration is reporting a purchase of roughly $210 million worth of new vehicles from Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.

Of the three American automakers, Ford was the clear winner of government funds with a total of 7,924 Blue Ovals bought and paid for at a total of $129 million (about $16,280 per car). GM was well represented too with the Fed's $105 million outlay bringing in a total of 6,348 cars (about $16,540 per car). Chrysler held up the rear with a total of 2,933 vehicles purchased for $53 million (about $18,070 per car).

Though the breakdown of actual models purchased has yet to be released, the GSA says each of the new vehicles will replace a fully operational older vehicle that was ready to be retired. To qualify for the program, the new vehicle needed to achieve better fuel efficiency than the car it replaces. In other words, we can only assume that the old fleet of Crown Vics are being turned over with new Fusions or maybe even Focuses.

Soon, the GSA plans to complete its spending ways by investing another $15 million on a new fleet of advanced technology buses and electric vehicles. See the official press release after the break.

2009-06-02T13:44:00.000-05:00

In other news.....

GM divebombing and Ford climbs.

I am curious as to why it shows 184,000 cars last year and this year only 150,000 units. Were gas prices that much last year to boost car sales over truck? I guess we owe four dollar gas and a new 2008 Focus sales to the higher numbers. Not sure if the Edge crossover counts as a truck.

Maybe the 2010 Fusion, Mustang and Taurus will all be grand slams and Ford will continue to do well!

Wall Street Journal
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is preparing an effort to gain market share while its two main rivals are bogged down in bankruptcy and restructuring.

Ford, the only one of Detroit's Big Three that didn't need a bailout from the federal government, plans to increase production of cars and trucks in the third quarter by about 10% from the level of a year ago, a company official said. It will be Ford's first significant production increase in almost two years.

In contrast, General Motors Corp., which is expected to file for Chapter 11 protection Monday, and Chrysler LLC, which is nearing the end of its bankruptcy reorganization, are planning to shut down their plants for nearly all of the third quarter. The difference in production plans will give Ford a chance to push sales through the prime summer selling months while GM and Chrysler focus on their internal issues.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to separate us from our other domestic competitors," said a person familiar with the matter at Ford. "No one is going to gift-wrap it for us. You have to deliver the product people want to buy. That said, you have to take this historic opportunity to grab market share."

Ford has seen a gain in retail market share in six of the past seven months and expects to see another boost when May auto sales are reported Tuesday. As of April 30, Ford's U.S. market share was 13%, according to the company.

In the third quarter, Ford plans to produce 150,000 cars and 310,000 trucks for a total of 460,000 vehicles, according to company officials. A year ago it built 184,000 cars and 234,000 trucks for a total of 418,000. The bulk of the increase stems from high production of the company's highly profitable F-150 pickup trucks.

The move represents a gamble, however. Gas prices have been creeping higher in recent weeks, topping $3 a gallon in some parts of the country. Further gas-price increases could damp F-150 sales, and a worsening of the overall economy could slow sales of both cars and trucks. If either happens, Ford could end up with elevated inventory levels later in the year.

The truck market "is still going to be a challenge," said Michael Maroone, president and chief operating officer of AutoNation Inc., the largest chain of car dealerships in the U.S. and the largest Ford dealer by volume and locations.

Ford executives played down the notion the company is trying to take advantage of the troubles of GM and Chrysler. "I feel for my competitors. It's got to be very, very difficult," Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, said Sunday. "This is not a case of 'Gee, let's stick it to them.' We have been watching our inventory levels and we've seen our market share grow. This is really just us working our plan."

Like most other auto makers, Ford is still losing money -- it lost $1.4 billion in the first quarter -- but it has been faring better than GM and Chrysler, in part because it borrowed $23.5 billion in 2006, before credit markets started to freeze up, and was quicker to sell some of its fringe brands. As a result, Ford had a larger cash cushion. Recently it also raised $1.6 billion in a common-stock offering.

Ramping up production can be seen as evidence of Ford's cautious but growing confidence in the state of the U.S. auto market, which saw one of the most severe downturns in its history last year and may now be poised for a rebound.

"We're starting to see the light nearing at the end of the tunnel," Mr. Fields said.

Ford's production increase also raises the prospect that the Dearborn, Mich., auto maker could surpass GM in North American production this year, something that hasn't happened in decades, according to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm.

GM Files for Bankruptcy

2009-06-01T09:48:00.002-05:00

This is what happens. Its a surprise to me that this didn't happen much earlier.

General Motors filed for bankruptcy today, forcing the 100-year-old automaker once seen as a symbol of American economic might into a new and uncertain era of government ownership.

The filing is the third-largest in U.S. history and the largest-ever U.S. manufacturing bankruptcy. The company listed $82.29 billion in assets and $172.81 billion in debts.

The decision to push GM into a fast-track bankruptcy, and provide $30 billion of additional taxpayer funds to restructure the automaker is a huge gamble for the Obama presidency.

But in a sign of progress in the government's high-stakes effort, a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of substantially all of U.S. automaker Chrysler's assets to a group led by Italy's Fiat S.p.A. in an opinion filed late on Sunday.

Chrysler's bankruptcy, also financed by the U.S. Treasury, has been widely seen as a test run for the much bigger and more complex reorganization of GM.

President Barack Obama is due to speak on the auto industry shortly before noon Eastern time today. A news conference by GM CEO Fritz Henderson will follow.

The GM plan as detailed by U.S. officials is for a quick process that would allow a much smaller GM to emerge from court protection within 60 to 90 days.

'The hard part'

"Now the hard part begins, which is making GM and Chrysler competitive. If they don't do that, then we'll be doing this all over again in a few years," said Christopher Richter, auto analyst at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets in Tokyo.

"The immediate implication is that the companies are going to get smaller and so market share is up for grabs, which means that rivals like Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai are going to gain share."

Since the start of the year, GM has been kept alive with U.S. government funding as a White House-appointed task force vetted plans for a sweeping reorganization that will be undertaken with $50 billion in government financing.

By preparing to take a 60 percent stake in a reorganized GM, the Obama administration is gambling that the automaker can compete with the likes of Toyota Motor Corp. after GM's debt is cut by half and its labor costs are slashed under a new contract with the UAW.

The governments of Canada and the province of Ontario agreed to provide another $9.5 billion to GM in a late addition to the plans for the bankruptcy that have been taking shape for weeks, U.S. officials said.

GM plans to close 11 U.S. facilities and idle another three plants. It has not provided an updated target for job cuts but had been looking to cut 21,000 factory jobs from the 54,000 UAW workers it now employs in the United States.

The UAW would have a 17.5 percent stake in the "new GM." The Canadian government would own 12 percent stake and GM bondholders would get 10 percent.

Sunday brunch at Hugo's. Not so much.

2009-06-01T09:31:00.004-05:00

Hugos restaurant was one of my favorite restaurants to eat at in Houston until this past Sunday. Their food is excellent, including their Sunday brunch.

We have been eating at Hugos for 7 years regularly. Over time, the service has gone from good, to O.K. to medicore to pathetic.

We visit Hugos about 6-8 times a year. Usually always for Mothers Day brunch and dinner other times. The food and service is usually always decent. However, the last 2 years, they have tried to seat us at the table NEXT TO the buffet line, which is loud and interruptive to enjoy brunch. This is even with reservations.

I made reservations with Hugos on Tuesday for Sunday brunch to celebrate a 70th Birthday. We arrived at for our10:30 reservation, and the lobby had a bunch of people there, but nobody was being seated. After waiting in line to talk to the Maitre'd, I had my turn, gave him my name and he said "We'll seat you next."

The next thing, the hostess comes back and seats 2 other parties. I bit my tongue. Finally, we get seated by someone, who was either a bus boy or new, and spoke very little english. He takes us right back to the table that backs up next to the brunch line. We've been put here before, and its always a hassle to get another table. When the guy showed us the table, I immediately cringed. I asked for another table. The host looked at me like he was trying to figure out what I was saying, and said that there was no other tables available (tons of tables around were empty).

I asked to speak to the manager. The host told me that there was nothing we could do. So I walked to the front to talk to the main guy at the maitre'd station. I told him calmly that we, for some reason, always get seated there, and the host that seated us said that there's nothing that can be done. I told him that I didn't like how we continue to be placed there over and over again.

The Maitre'd looked at me like, sarcastically apologized, and then with a angry look on his face asked me to "calm down" and there was "no reason" to "act like that". To which I was surprised, since I had maintained my temper without getting angry. I wasn't happy with the way we were being treated, so we left.

Service like this is not going to fly, no matter how good the food is.

To the owners of Hugos, you need to get your staff under control and start treating customers like they're customers again.

We ended our jaunt at Kenny and Ziggy's where the service and food was excellent.

Send a Birthday Smile to a Veteran

2009-05-29T15:29:00.005-05:00

So this was emailed to me, and after checking snopes and google, it seems to be true.

ON EDIT. His Birthday has passed, but we can still send a "Hello" or Friendship card!

Please go out and spend a few dollars on a card and a stamp, or make a card and help this fine gentleman who has served our country.

There is a wounded soldier at the Fisher House in Fort Sam Houston, Texas by the name of Sgt. Thornhill. Sgt. Thornhill lost both legs and I think both arms as well as being burned on 56% of his body while serving this country in Iraq. He has been at the Fisher House for 2 years and his parents have reached out for support. They are not asking for money or anything like that, but they are asking for as many service members, veterans, and others as possible to please send him a birthday card. His birthday is this coming week and it would be nice if a lot of us send him a birthday card to show him how much we love him for what he has sacrificed for his country. His parents are worried about his emotional status and he hardly ever has visitors.
Let's help this soldier and send him a lot of cards. Show your love.

Mailing address:
Sgt. D Thornhill
Fort Sam Houston Fisher House
3623 George C. Beach Rd
Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234

Ford Five Hundred Cabin filter

2009-05-21T09:21:00.003-05:00

So my biggest complaint about the new to me ride is, the lack of a cabin filter. I work in the dust bowl. There is a daily smattering of ultra fine dust on my car every day when I leave the office.

How much of this dust is SUCKED into the car and into my lungs? Surely, Ford has decided to put a cabin filter in their newest sedan in their model line up. Nope.

Not only is air quality of concern, but its unhealthy for the AC system. Dust on the blower motor and evaporator core wreak havoc on the system.

However, they did have a cutout for where one SHOULD be.

So I checked around. The 2008 Taurus which has a cabin filter, uses a popular number, that many cars, including Acuras use. So I went out, picked up a cabin filter, and armed with my dremel and a fine toothed hacksaw, I went to work.

This mod is applicable to the 05-07 Ford Five Hundred, Ford Freestyle, and Mercury Montego. I am not responsible for you destroying your evap case due to poor decision making on your part.

You'll need to to get all your junk out of the glove box.

Next, you want to pull up on the button as shown here.

Now you have access to the evap case.

Notice Ford had made provisions for Cabin filter access cutout in the blower box.

You'll want to cut between the 2 ridges. All the way around. Dont worry about being perfect. Keep it between the ridges, youll be fine. Dont throw the piece you cut out away.

Now heres the cutout removed. Notice that Ford had every intention of having a filter here. Square opening, flat floor ridges, etc. Also notice the amount of dust in there. Blech. Windex and paper towel time.

So heres our new cabin filter installed.

Now heres the piece we cut out, back in place, and some Aluminum tape, holding it all in. Not the prettiest, but functional.

Now I can enjoy clean filtered air! Most manufacturers recommend annual replacement, so I'll check in a year from now and we'll take a look at that filter!

NW Houston Engrish

2009-05-13T13:50:00.003-05:00

So I met my good friend C for lunch today. We used to work together and enjoy the same type of food, particularly Asian stuff.

So I called her today and she wanted to go to this new Vietnamese place. "All they serve is noodles" she tells me.

Boy she wasnt kidding. Nothing but soup and noodles. No rice, no egg rolls. Soup. Thats all.

I had to laugh when we got there. More Engrish.

Not "Noodles", just one. "Pho Danh, house of noodle"

The soup was indeed good. Place was nice and clean inside. Lets hope they make enough money to be able to afford that "S".

I made it to Failblog!

2009-05-11T15:04:00.001-05:00

A lot of you guys know I follow Failblog.

I caught one the other day when I was getting some books for my niece, and its on the voting page now!!

I'm on the voting page! Please vote for me!

more fail, owned and pwned pics and videos

Chevrolet kills the Impala SS...Again

2009-05-07T11:22:00.004-05:00

To me, its been dead since the last V8 Rear wheel drive B Body rolled off the line in 1996, with GM scrambling and putting the Grand Prix GTP Drivetrain inside the W Body FWD Impala. The 3.8L V6 with a blower on it put out 240 hp stock. We all know that the LT1 that was in the B Body Impala was underrated at 260.

Later, with the last iteration of the Impala, we got the 5.3L V8, again, turned the wrong way. And now, nothing. Just an Impala LS for the rental fleet, LT and LTZ for the rest of us.

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f39/impala-ss-gone-2010-a-78975/

General Motors has killed off the Impala SS, again. For the 2010 model year, the Impala line will be available in base LS, mid-range LT and range-topping LTZ trim. The loss of the SS edition will also mark the end of the end of the line for GM's 5.3L V8 engine in the midsize front-wheel drive Chevy sedan. That means the biggest available engine will be the 3.9L LGD pushrod 60-degree V6.

Maybe too many warranty claims on that 4T65E Transmission with the V8.

Here's to the only Chevrolet product I really ever liked.

Test Drive a Ford, raise money for Breast Cancer Research

2009-05-06T08:39:00.003-05:00

From April 21, 2009 to June 1, 2009, Ford is helping raise money for the Komen for the Cure.

Heres how it works:

FORD ADVANTAGE PLAN TEST-DRIVE PROGRAM,
BENEFITING SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE ®

THE RACE CONTINUES AT YOUR
FORD AND LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERS.

In times like these, giving back to the community is more important than ever. So when you test-drive a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle between April 21, 2009 and June 1, 2009, Ford will donate $20 on your behalf to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® - up to a total of $1 million. Come in today and be a part of Ford’s ongoing commitment to the fight against breast cancer.

Log in here: http://www.fordspecialoffer.com/fordcares/
Fill out a certificate, and print it out.
Take it to a Ford Dealer.
Test Drive a car of your choice.
Ford Donates 20 dollars to Komen for the cure.

Lets all pitch in and help!

Flat tire fun

2009-05-05T08:18:00.003-05:00

So I get a call yesterday from a guy in the office. "Hey I think you got a flat tire."

I go out there, and sure enough, its leaking air, going flat but not completely yet.
First time I've had a flat in 10 years.

Scrambling around, I ask a few people if they have an air compressor. I usually carry one, but because I autocrossed this weekend, I took it out.

One friend and coworker of mine had a compressor. At 5:30 I go out and start to air it up. The tire doesnt seem to be responding. My friend came out and looked under the car. There was a screw, and it had punctured completely through the sidewall, and out the other side!! Had I aired it up earlier in the day. I might have gotten away with getting only one puncture. Oh well. My fault.

So I had to put the donut on. Those of you that know me, know that I cannot STAND temporary spares. I already have a spare full size rim for the car, I just havent gotten around to putting a tire on that rim yet.

I get home and decide to plug both holes (DO NOT do this). They seemed to hold air, but when I got up this morning, the tire was flat again.

Time to go get some new tires!

From Tire

Autocross Fun!

2009-05-04T11:12:00.000-05:00

Last year, I started participating in the Mercedes Benz Club Houston Sections Autocross.

This was a FUN event!

I won second place in the D Class this year (Non Mercedes vehicles). Was beaten by a caterham 7, which of course, slices like a razor through an Autocross course.

Video here! This is my fastest run of the day.

Garage Door Opener Issues

2009-04-14T14:04:00.002-05:00

Well, as most things go with time, they tend to fail. One case is my Craftsman garage door opener.

Its been getting noisy over time but I didn't realize how much until it completely failed Monday morning. If I didn't look in the rearview mirror and saw darkness. Got out and I hear the motor running, but the door had only moved about 3".

Well, looks like I have problems, but I'm on the way to work, so lets open and close manually and have a look later.

Well, this is what I found when I got home.

The gear that is driven by the worm gear has eaten itself alive. Upon further research, this gear needs to be lubricated regularly, which it obviously has not been. I've lived here almost 4 years and I've only greased the rollers and lubed the chain.

So off to Sears service center I go. Well, guess what, Sears cannot help unless you have the model and serial number. This happened to me about 12 years ago at this same place. Why should it be different now? I get online on ebay, theres a seller there that has the gears. I call his #. He asks "Do you have the optical eye at the bottom of the door?" yes, I do. Then tells me "its the same gear from 1984 to today". Why can't sears figure that out?

I ordered the kit, it arrived in 3 days. My next post will illustrate replacement and chain adjustment.

Call Center (chat) Fun.

2009-04-06T09:54:00.002-05:00

Okay so last November, I replaced my well worn Sidekick III with a TMobile G1.

How is it? Its ok, but its one of these deals, where its a computer first, and a phone second.

I have had friends complain about calling me sometimes and having error messages like "Number is not in service", and then they'll call right back, and I'll be fine again. I also get dropped calls, and times when I wont even get a call, yet friends will call and it rolls straight to voice mail.

So I got online today and chatted with a Tmobile rep. Heres a copy of the chat. Note how she really doesn't directly address my issues, rather just updates my "system". I think when my contract is up, I'm going to seek another provider. I've been with Tmobile for 5 years, and customer service is declining rapidly.

You have been connected to Demetria E.

Demetria E: Hi Redassaggie00 , welcome to T-Mobile live help. I’m Demetria and I will be happy to help you. Please give me a moment to review your question.

Demetria E: For your reference, my ID number is xxxxxx.

Redassaggie00 : ok thanks

Demetria E: For security purposes, can you please provide me with the last four digits of the account holder's Social Security number for verification? Once your account is verified we will be more than happy to research this issue further.

Redassaggie00 : XXXX

Demetria E: Thank you.

Demetria E: How long have you been having the problems.

Redassaggie00 : about 4 or 5 months

Demetria E: Redassaggie00, do you receive an error message?

Redassaggie00 : every now and then, my friends will call my cell

Redassaggie00 : and it will say that my number is out of service

Redassaggie00 : and these are people that have me stored in their phone books

Demetria E: Can you place a test call to the device at this time?

Redassaggie00 : you want me to call my cell phone?

Demetria E: Yes, that is correct Redassaggie00.

Redassaggie00 : ok

Redassaggie00 : calling now from my office

Redassaggie00 : its ringing

Demetria E: Thank you.

Redassaggie00 : this doesn’t happen all the time

Redassaggie00 : but several times a week

Demetria E: I am going to update the service, Redassaggie00.

Redassaggie00 : what service is that?

Demetria E: ON my end, power the device off and back on again.

Redassaggie00 : ok

Redassaggie00 : what service are you updating?

Demetria E: The network, Redassaggie00 have you powered the device off and back on again?

Redassaggie00 : I see

Redassaggie00 : yes I have

Demetria E: Thank you, please make another test call to your mobile number.

Redassaggie00 : its ringing

Demetria E: The service, is working, Redassaggie00?

Redassaggie00 : yes

Demetria E: So at this time the service you can receive calls?

Redassaggie00 : I was able to receive calls before

Redassaggie00 : just every now and then, at least weekly, I would get callers complaining about the number being out of service

Demetria E: Okay, at this time Redassaggie00, the service is working, I have updated the network and you should not be experiencing the problem anymore.

Redassaggie00 : so every time the network is updated, do I need to go onto chat and ask for my number to be updated?

Demetria E: No, it will be fine, but if you want to make sure you have a strong network connection, I would like to make a suggestion, that you power the device off at least every 72 hours, for at least 10 seconds then power the device back on again.

Redassaggie00 : I see

Redassaggie00 : last time I contacted tech support

Redassaggie00 : they informed me that G3 coverage near my home was low

Redassaggie00 : and the I wouldn’t receive calls, but people would leave voice mails and I’d get those, then

Redassaggie00 : the phone automatically switches between 3G and edge

Redassaggie00 : and kills the battery. Is there a solution?

Demetria E: Yes, I see do you have any additional questions, or concerns.

Redassaggie00 : yes

Redassaggie00 : I’m concerned that Tmobile has not resolved the 3G coverage issue in my area

Demetria E: We are currently working on the issue Redassaggie00.

Demetria E: Is there anything else we can assist you with today?

Redassaggie00 : apparently not.

Redassaggie00 : Thanks.

So there you have it. We'll see what the next few days bring.

GM and Ford Jump on the Payment Bandwagon

2009-03-31T10:11:00.003-05:00

Most of you probably saw the Hyundai Commitment commercials around Superbowl time, lose your job, Hyundai makes your payment for a few months while you look for a job, and if you can't? you can return your car* (minus depreciation etc.).

Well, Ford and GM have now jumped on the bandwagon.

I have mixed feelings about this.

Ford and GM have both jumped on the Hyundai coat tails.

"Lose your job? We'll make your note for you!"

Ford said Tuesday it will cover payments of up to $700 each month for up to a year on any new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle if consumers lose their jobs. The program runs until June 1.

GM's payment protection program is much like Hyundai's Assurance Program in that the automaker will cover your payments in the event that you lose your job. GM's program covers you for 24 months and will make up to nine payments valued at up to $500/month. According to GM, if you qualify for state unemployment benefits, you'll qualify for the payment protection to kick in.

Part of me thinks this is great and will help out lots of people, but the other part of me feels that those people that were that financially irresponsible to buy a car they couldn't afford, or didn't have a emergency fund to cover 6 or 8 months of living expenses (which includes your car note and mortgage) should let this be a good reminder of living beyond one's means.

Sure, when I replaced my 290,000 mile car 2 weeks ago, I really wanted something nice, a pre-owned Infiniti M, A V8 Genesis, Town Car, etc.

What did I settle on? A Good deal on a used reliable 4 door sedan. A Ford Five Hundred (which has been renamed Taurus in 2008). Why? The uncertain economy, I didn't want to drop 35 Grand (or even 20 grand these days) on a NEW car, and really folks, what do you need a car for? Basic transportation. In this case, to and from work. I got it with around 50,000 miles, and paid less than 1/3 of the sticker new. I'm familiar with the powertrain, familiar with the chassis, and it has good reliability ratings according to Consumer Reports, and Excellent Crash test ratings. Leather, Sunroof, 6 CD Changer, power everything and all wheel drive to boot. Has new tires and new pads and rotors all the way around. Maybe when things improve, I'll get something 'nicer', but for now, this is a pretty darn nice daily driver.

Forgot to Remind all you readers! (DST Time again!)

2009-03-19T11:34:00.000-05:00

Once again, we have DST!
This is a good time to remember other things that need to be taken care of, specifically on your car, and at your home!

I like to remind folks that really aren't into car care, that at least twice a year, (a good reminder is around the time change) you should:

Change the oil (more than 2x per year but if you can't remember do it now)
Rotate your tires, correct air pressure
Inspect/Replace your air filter
Wash the car really well (including the wheel wells and rails/drains).
Remove the garbage inside the car
Inspect all your exterior lights

House:

Fertilize the lawn (Fall Fertilizer, and Spring Time too)
Change the Ice maker Filter
Change the A/C Furnace Filter
Open the windows and let some fresh air in!
Drain that hot water heater
Check/Replace any light bulbs that burned out

Hurricane Ike Fence Repair...Continued

2009-03-17T09:19:00.002-05:00

So after Ike, the fence behind and to one side of my back yard was knocked down.

The guys on the side of me said "Don't worry, we're gonna let insurance handle it." As did the people behind.

No problem. Now its the middle of March, six months later. Still not a peep. The guy next door finally fixed the fence that faces the street, before that, you could drive by and look straight into my back yard. Several times, I have approached him and offered to split the cost and help him repair the fence between us. He gets all gung ho about it, and we set a time and date, and when the times up to do it, he's nowhere in sight.

The folks behind me have propped the fence up pretty well, but it still is an eyesore. I'll have to work on them next.

So a few weeks ago, I set out and picked up some 4x4 posts and 2x4 posts, to lay the framework out. I thought about being a jerk and fixing the damage only to where the 'pretty side' was facing me, but I'm not repairing the entire fence, just the fallen part. I went ahead and flip flopped each section.

With my Craftsman circular saw, level, sharpie, demo bars, shovels and Quikrete, I was able to start the project in a timely manner. This is really the first time I've done any kind of construction project of any significance, and it sure is satisfying. Still not done yet, but its better every day. Don't have to look at their neighbors trashed out back yard.

I've been cutting the old fence/debris into smaller pieces for the garbage men to take away, hopefully the back yard will start looking decent soon enough.

Heres the frame work, new 4x4 and 2x4 rails. I was hoping the builder didn't use concrete for the posts but they did

First section up and running, second section started.

Second section completed. Third starting (gotta go buy more pickets)

I'd like to end this entry with a Robert Frost Poem....

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun,
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
'Stay where you are until our backs are turned!'
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbors'.
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
'Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
Where there are cows?
But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down.' I could say 'Elves' to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me~
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors."

DirecTV is in the house

2009-03-16T10:14:00.002-05:00

Well, after waiting for the satellite guy to come in, I'm officially no longer a Comcast customer. I went to the local Comcast office on Thursday, where I, with 2 dozen other people waited in line at lunch hour while TWO people worked the counter, processing folks through. Over half the people there were canceling service.

DirectTV is now in, but it's still taking a little getting used to with the new Channel line up. I also found out, according to the DirecTV installer, that a bunch of cabling was hooked up incorrectly in the attic. Go figure.

Anyway, back to the world of having 3000 channels and nothing to watch.

Actually, 2 weeks with no cable TV was an interesting thing. I really didn't miss it too terribly, with Netflix and all.

An Update to Goodbye Comcast

2009-03-04T09:00:00.003-06:00

Well, an update to my post in February about "Goodbye Comcast"
http://redassaggie00.blogspot.com/2009/02/goodbye-comcast.html

After getting a comment from "Comcast Cares", Mark Casem, whose job is to scour the net for Comcast comments, I sent a letter and got a call from his 'team members' reassuring me that they would be contacting their 'team members' in Houston.

Guess what Mark Casem?? The Cable was turned off March the 2nd, as requested, and NOBODY has contacted me regarding ANY promotions that comcast has/had whatsoever.

Comcast does not care, and comcast fails miserably in my eyes. Did I expect anything more or less from Comcast? I shouldn't have.

Failblog

2009-02-25T15:34:00.003-06:00

Many of you know I follow Failblog. A website full of funny 'fail' pictures.

This was posted the other day. Totally hilarious!

Irony....

2009-02-16T09:48:00.003-06:00

So, my friend, we'll call him "Dieter" called me on Saturday, and was pretty excited about something, and he had to tell someone. So as he was rattling on while I was laughing my arse off about what he was telling me.

Lets back up a little bit....

Without going into too much detail, Dieters wife left him suddenly with no explanation. Later it was discovered Dieters wife ran off with a guy she met online. Funny huh? Anyway, Dieter was out of work for a while, because the Sprocket industry was in low demand, and things were tough. But he found a job at a Sprocket place and was getting it back together. I must add, that the whole time Dieter was out of work, the wife never did anything to help, (i.e. get a job, temp work, Prostitute herself etc) thereby forcing Dieter to support his family on Credit cards and drive his finances into the ground. Well apparently, the whole time this was happening, Dieter's ex was talking to a guy in gondwanaland, lets call him Joe the tool, who is also in the Sprocket business, and was a good looking fella, relatively fit, and financially sound.

So Dieter found himself on his own, working to put his life back together, to which he has been pretty successful doing so, I must add.

So now you know the background there, Dieters call Saturday was to tell me, that he got a call the other day from a friend, who told him that not only has Joe been out of work since late summer last year, Joe has also gained all the weight back that he lost in order to woo Dieter's ex away and off to gondwandaland. So now she has a fat loser with no job.

This is ownage at its finest folks.

Goodbye Comcast

2009-02-12T08:03:00.000-06:00

Some of you that follow my blog remember a while back my issues with Comcast.

Comcast did make it right, after a call to their billing center by crediting my account. However, when I got my bill this month, the rate had gone from a reasonable 56 dollars a month to 81 dollars!!!

I usually do whatever provider is giving for promotions for a year, and when it ends, I leave. Last year, when I called to leave Comcast and go somewhere else, after my promotion ended, the rep on the phone asked what it would take to get me to stay. We talked it out and I eventually agreed to a lower bill, 1 more year of free DVR (That I dont use), and a secondary HD box in my bedroom.

Imagine my surprise, has it been a year already? That my promotion is over. Easy enough. I'll call comcast.

A call to their call center leads me to "bubba" who is telling me "Ya see son, its like you go to Sams club, and you buy a case of soda water, you get a better deal than if'n you go to Randalls or Krogers and buy 2 six packs." Then goes on to explain that my "Problem" is that I'm not buying enough goods and services from Comcast, and if I did, they may be able to do something about my bill. I asked why they couldn't extend it to keep me as a customer, and he said,

"Let me tell you, I used to live in Galveston County, and i had to pay 125 a month for a phone line! Just a metro line to get in and get a 281 phone number!" I'm sitting here at this point thinking, "why is this guy giving me his life story??".

I politely mention that I would be signing up for another cable tv provider and I'd be calling back to cancel. He said "ok" and hung up. Go figure. They sure aren't working very hard to keep me as a customer.

So Mar 1, 2009, at Casa de Redassaggie, DirectTV is coming in and Comcast is going out. Honestly, I even considered doing what my friend, Network Geek did, and get rid of Cable all together, but I like having Food Network.

I have a 1 year promo with DirecTV, and after that year, I'll probably switch again. Yeah its annoying to learn all the channels again, but hey, if its going to save me 30 bucks a month vs staying with comcast, I'll do it.

I called comcast back to cancel, and talked to their 'retention' department, where they told me that my bill was 81 for march, but would be going to 95 in April, because my other promotions expired. If I wanted, I could lock it in for a year at 78. I said no. Then she said 'you can switch your service from Plus to starter'. I said no, I dont want to change the service, I just want to keep the rate, why can't you do that? She said that my rate is the lowest she's ever seen.

So, Thanks a Lot comcast. I'm sorry to see our relationship go, but your folks did nothing to keep me.

Breaking news, the 2010 Taurus SHO is a reality!

2009-02-11T08:49:00.005-06:00

Autoblog has confirmed, The Taurus SHO is a reality!!!!

365 hp, 6 Speed Automatic, AWD, and American! YEEHAW!

Dropping summer 2010!

Read the press release here

Think driving a truck is 'safer' than a car?

2009-02-11T08:15:00.004-06:00

Lots of folks always have the misconception that a pickup truck is safer than a car, given the frame and the higher ride height, etc, often times gives you a good feeling of security.

Well, the IIHS latest test results show otherwise. Sadly, the latest rated pickups don't do too hot.

The IIHS tested the new Silverado, Ram Pickup and Nissan Titan.

You can read the results of the test here

Interestingly enough, the new F-150, Tundra and Ridgeline were all top safety picks by the IIHS.

Call Centers

2009-01-26T09:35:00.002-06:00

So last week, I get a text message saying "Good News, T-Mobile has added a new tower near your home for better call quailty! T-Mobile, stick together!"

This is great, because every day, on my drive home, I always drop the call when I drive through one particular intersection. Two days before I got that text, I noticed that the calls weren't being dropped. This was a nice surprise.

So Friday afternoon, I'm sitting at home and the phone dings, I look down to see that I have a voice mail. Funny, I don't remember the phone ringing. I look again, no bars, and the "X" above the bars and "No Service" on the screen. HUH? I rebooted the phone and had signal, 5 seconds later, the X again. Weird.

I called Tmobile Tech Support, where I was on hold for less than one minute, and immediately had an ENGLISH SPEAKING representative on the line, that spoke with no accents (well maybe a little southern drawl). He was concise, clear, and understood my issues, and his directions to try to help solve the problems were easy to follow. This was GREAT. Anyway, its temporarily band-aided, his guess is there's something not plugged in or configured right at the new tower. Regardless, I have signal (2G Network). I thanked him and told him that I appreciated T-mobile keeping some of their call centers in the USA with good english speaking folks working there. He laughed and thanked me.

So T-Mobile, Thank You for having good, understandable, competent and friendly folks staffing your call centers in the USA.

Is it 1986 All over again?

2009-01-12T16:59:00.004-06:00

For those of you that were around in 1985, Ford launched the Taurus, the car that saved Ford.

Are you humming the cheesy song? Thank goodness the car was good enough to overcome the terrible commercial.

What happened? 2007, the last Taurus rolled off the line. Long since becoming a favorite of company cars and rental fleets. Ford let a good product die on the vine. Seems to be something they're good at doing. I don't think Taurus was competitive in the retail Market for at least 4 or 5 years before it died.

Ford does this with a lot of their vehicles, Ranger, Econoline, Crown Victoria, fleet favorites that probably would remain competitive with a little refreshening. These are all vehicles that are reliable, durable and well built, and unfortunately, outdated.

Fast forward, Ford rebadges the 2005 Five Hundred to the 2008 Ford Taurus, which a bunch of little changes (for the better) and a Decent 3.5L 24 Valve Duratec, good for 263 hp. While its not 'all new', I appreciate Ford bringing back the name. But its not good enough to go head to head with Camry and Accord, missing may nicities and key features and the general panache and buyers expect...yet.

Lets face it, there are too many damn nice cars that are available in the 20-25K range, both new and used. What makes the 08-09 Taurus Stand out? Not much...

On Sunday, Jan 11, 2009, the 2010 Ford Taurus was released. This is an all new design that will bring Ford back. This car is equipped with the Proven 3.5L Duratec, 6 Speed Automatic, (SEL and Limited will get paddle shifters).

Three trim lines, SE, SEL and Limited, base price of $25,995 for the SE, but that gives you a Standard V6 with a 6 speed automatic. Accord and Camry make you pay extra for the V6.

I think its better looking than what Japan has to offer, and the fit and finish look rich and switchgear look of quality. While I'm generally not a fan of Front Wheel Driven vehicles, this car does appeal. Job #2 (late 2010 Production) will bring a 340 hp Twin Turbo "EcoBoost V6 to the mix. I also hear rumors of the SHO returning....

I'm pretty excited that Ford has decided to get back into the car game. Don't get me wrong, I love how they're really doing well with trucks, but a few years ago, they made the mistake of putting all their eggs in the Truck/SUV Game, letting their cars become favorites of rental fleets. This is good for Ford. Check back when I review the 2010 Fusion Next!

Comcast: Its our mistake, but you Pay.

2009-01-09T10:41:00.004-06:00

So back after Thanksgiving, I get home, and turn the tube on while I make supper.

Nothing, just a blank screen. There's a channel guide, but no picture. So I use Comcast chat and they tell me someone will be out there on Friday afternoon. Friday rolls around, Comcast shows up, come to find out, when they installed my cable, they didnt 'tag' my line as a paid customer, 2 years ago. So earlier that week, Comcasts auditors were in the area checking the lines, and seeing my line wasn't tagged, they disconnected it. No problem. The tech reconnects it and leaves, not checking anything inside.

So, 30 minutes after he goes, I sit down to have a bite to eat in front of the TV. Guess what? The Channels work fine except for the HD channels. Everyone on HD has tourettes and stuttering. I check the bedroom TV, all channels fine. Guest room TV, all channels have snow and ghosting. Great. So Christmas comes and goes, and I get back on Comcast Chat to talk to a person, telling them that this was not like this before they ever messed with the cable. She told me there is a problem, so they'd come out Saturday.

The tech comes out Saturday, checks the drop and the signal, and says that a Booster needs to be put in, and usually "we need to do it because so many new houses are being put in around here". No problem. Guy puts it in, checks a few channels and says I'm ready to go. He leaves, and its 95% better, but still does it a little, but I can live with it.

Low and behold, the next cable bill comes, and its got a charge of $24.95 on it for a service call!!! I was never told anything about charges that I would have to pay for something that was working FINE until they turned it off because they didn't tag it correctly. Un-BELIEVABLE. The chat line rep said nothing, the Tech said nothing. The bill says $24.95.

Maybe its time to switch to U-Verse.

Citrus Marinated Grilled Shrimp and Spicy Rice

2009-01-02T20:50:00.001-06:00

My mom, the Gardening Queen, has given me a few lemons, and with some of the Oranges on my tree, I made a marinade tonight and grilled some shrimp, and made some spicy taco meat rice.

I just took the shrimp, de-vined and marinated in lemon juice, orange juice, and fajita seasoning, covered with saran wrap and refrigerated for about an hour. Afterwards, I skewered the shrimp and grilled them, using a brush and some olive oil to keep the shrimp nice and oiled.

Next, I just took a pound of ground turkey, and taco seasoning, browned it and seasoned per instructions, and I made spanish rice (using the chinese rice cooker) with Tomato Sauce, Cumin, a can of Rotel Stewed Tomatoes, and chicken stock, then I mixed it all together.

The end result?

Engrish, Live from Chinatown Houston

2008-12-31T10:46:00.000-06:00

I took my mom and stepdad out for a Chinese Sunday brunch. I had to go buy some Ramen (the REAL stuff) from Chinatown. We went to Classic Kitchen, which is a restaurant that serves Taiwanese Comfort Food. This place is run by the Soup Nazis Asian relatives. Cash only, and the waitstaff is rude, but what Chinese restaurant is known for good customer Service?

We ate and left, and when I was walking out, I had to snap a pic, Engrish is abundant here guys!

Happy New Year, Friends! Hope you have a great and very prosperous 2009!

Is that Really your name?

2008-12-30T10:36:00.002-06:00

So I was cashing out at the grocery store the other day and this Girls name caught my eye.

I snickered and texted my friend, "Dude, this girls name is Diselina!" (pronounced, "Diesel-ina").

Of course, K texts back, "Pics or it didn't happen" of course this was as I was loading the groceries in the car.

So of course I went back and took a picture. She didn't want me to snap her face, so I just got her name tag.....

Yup. I have too much time on my hands....

Christmas Tree

2008-12-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

Ever since I bought my house, every year I buy a live tree. Remember when you were a kid? Didn't the tree seem like it was 10-20 feet tall?

According to my mom, our trees were always about 6-7 feet, no more.

Heres a pic of the Noble Fir that I bought this year.

and in the dark...

Merry Christmas to all of my Friends!

Engrish....part II

2008-12-01T16:50:00.002-06:00

So I against my promise of not going out of the house on black Friday, one of my friends asked me to meet him for lunch. I had to go to Costco anyway, so I decided to meet him at a Chinese buffet off I-10.

We had a good time and then the fortune cookies came out. We BOTH got the same fortune....his first comment was "They could have used correct grammar."

Engrish is all around us now....

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T12:03:00.001-06:00

Hey Gang!

Happy Thanksgiving! This year, I have a whole lot to be thankful for. More than I can even say on the blog!

Enjoy your day. Stop a moment and think about those who aren't able to be with us today, especially those who are serving our country.

Engrish

2008-11-25T08:38:00.002-06:00

Engrish. The attempt for people that don't speak or write the English language well to speak/write something that others find funny......

I was having lunch with C yesterday at our Favorite Thai place. C is half Filipino, and we used to work together. Anyway, we both appreciate good food, so we meet up for lunch and then laugh about our Asian heritage and catch up. So we're looking over the menu, and C points out something, I look and chuckle, and she asks "Where's it going?" which sent me into a roar, loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to glance over.....Thanks for the good laugh Cyn!

I ordered the Pad Thai, and asked her to make it spicy. It came out, not spicy enough, so I asked for some chili sauce. I should have kept my mouth shut. This was one of the few times I haven't been able to finish a meal because it was so hot. I was sweating profusely, and when I returned to the office, I could feel the spicyness eroding my stomach!

Retro Commercials.....

2008-11-21T08:42:00.001-06:00

I love them...I can't help myself....heres one from 1980!

Love the clothing and music!

Free Parking?

2008-11-21T08:30:00.005-06:00

Well, Network Geek finally has his entire driveway back!

A little history....

In 2005, I bought NG's old car, which had been sitting idle for a while, with the intention of fixing and selling. Fast forward to November 2008, NG is having a get together at his house on turkey day, and I owe him a Entertainment center that I promised him from March of this year. I decided to stop procrastinating and bring him the stand, and when I went over there, I saw the car, sitting with layers of grime and dust, lookin kinda sad. Thats when I finally decided, well, 3 years of free parking and no efforts to get that thing running, NG's trying to get his house cleaned up for Turkey day, so I'll help the effort by removing 2 tons of steel off his property.....
So off she goes to the world of Craigslist. And what do you know, within 1 hour of posting, a guy from 2 hours north of here is coming to get her! To top that off, the new buyer found a set of wrenches that I had bought and left in the car back in 2005. I always wondered where those things went off to! ;)

He arrived an hour before he said he'd be there, loaded the car and paid up, and left! Thanks again NG for the free parking for the last 3 years!

I've actually been paring my fleet down little by little, so much to the point that I'm getting a little nervous about how many vehicles I'm down to! I'm sure this will be a temporary situation of course!

More Cookin

2008-11-19T13:03:00.000-06:00

I love Sunday nights. My mom used to make a big deal out of Sunday night supper. So now a days, living on my own, I still like to make a nice home cooked meal on Sunday nights.

Heres one I tried a week ago. Home Made Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes (from Scratch not a box you lazy guys!), Creamed Corn and a Salad. Really? There wasn't a lot of prep involved. This was an easy meal to make.

Heres the meal in progress....

And the finished product......

Probably not the healthiest choice with the Fried Chicken, but a nice home cooked meal really feels good on a Sunday night!

2nd Gen Lexus GS300 Valve Cover Gaskets

2008-11-18T10:16:00.000-06:00

Heres another technical post for you car nuts out there. This past weekend, I replaced Valve cover gaskets on my friends 2nd Gen Lexus GS300.

"Gasket(s)?" You ask? On a GS300? Isnt that an inline 6? Why yes, yes it is. But Lexus has separate valve covers. One for Intake Side, and one for the exhaust side. So I went ahead and ordered the gasket set from Oreilly Auto Parts, which carries Fel-Pro.

For this project you'll need:

-Standard set of tools, specifically allen wrenches, 8,10,11, 12 mm sockets, a ratchet
-in-lb torque wrench
-Gasket Set
-RTV Sealant
-Brake Cleaner/Carb Cleaner
-Rags

Here you'll see the view of the intake assembly. The intake tube, throttle body and "Y Pipe" all have to come off, but you have to take each piece off, remembering to mark Vacuum hoses and electrical plugs if you can't remember where they go. Note the water bypass hose. Remember to put the clamp back on when you slide the hose back. The "Air intake chamber" Does not have to be removed to do this job.

Now that you have all that out of the way, you have easy access to both valve covers. You may have to unplug some of the ignition coils or the spark plug wires. BE VERY CAREFUL: these plugs are brittle from heat cycles and could crumble!!

This is also a good time to replace the plugs if you haven't done so in a while. I like NGK or Denso Plugs in Japanese cars.

Remove both valve covers and use the cleaner and a rag to clean the mounting surfaces of the cylinder head, paying attention to the front of the cam where the RTV sealant is.

Next, remove the old valve cover gaskets. This car has 180,000 miles on it, and the gaskets were hard and brittle and were no longer doing their job. Clean the seating area of the valve covers well and if you like, apply a gasket sealant to the inside of the valve cover where the gakset rides, and insert the new gaskets.

Go back to the car and apply some RTV sealant where the cams ride near the timing chain to help promote a good seal. Let this set a few minutes (10-15 in warm weather).

Now, we're ready to put the covers back with the new gaskets. Sit the cover on the cylinder head and replace all the bolts and 2 nuts, finger tightening each one and then using the in-lb torque wrench to snug to 95 in-lb. Start from the center and criss cross the bolts all until snug at 95 in-lb.

Now, throw it all back together. The Y Pipe has two very small vacuum lines and a larger one on the firewall side. Dont forget about them. Reinstall the Throttle body and the coolant line, make sure you put the clamp back.

Now for the intake tube. Plug all the electrical connections back in and you're ready to go!

Start the car and check for leaks.

Believe it or not, I love to cook

2008-11-17T15:31:00.002-06:00

It may come to a surprise to some of you readers, but I actually DO enjoy cooking!

Recently I picked up some Pork Chops on sale at HEB. I usually grill the pork chops, but now I have an easy and tasty way to make em!

Preheat oven to 350.

Thaw them out, I let them season with Fajita seasoning for about an hour in the fridge, covered.

Rub with olive oil, then coat with Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Then put the chops on top of a 2 layered pan, one with the vents on top, to let the juices run into the lower tray.

Bake 15 minutes on each side at 350. Serve em with whatever you like! Sorry boys and girls, no pictures. I'll take some next time!

Still Learning how to bend...

2008-10-22T14:40:00.003-05:00

Okay, so some of you (well most of you) know that I'm in a new relationship. This is the best, healthiest relationship I've ever been in, yet we still have struggles, but I have to say, the challenges that are posed sometimes really bring me very deep insight.

OK guys, I'm not going soft on you here, but I'm really just trying to learn how to do this whole relationship thing. I'm enjoying the challenges at the same time as I'm learning more about this person, I'm learning more about me at the same time. She brings balance to me (aka not work 500 hours a week), and I'm actually enjoying just doing nothing (now and then). Its weird how God works, but this was something that I was joking with a friend of mine about and it ended up turning into something great. I'm still learning how to do this whole relationship thing, and actually COMMUNICATING with her! The good and the bad stuff, and we talk about it! This is amazing stuff because I never was shown this as a kid, so being able to use the tools that I have gained over the years and yield great results is awesome.

This Gary Allan Song was on the radio the other day and I had to laugh, because it's a good description of how things are going, and where I'd like them to go....

I'm still learning how to pray
Trying hard not to stray
Try to see things your way
I'm still learning how to pray
I'm still learning how to trust
It's so hard to open up
And I'd do anything for us
I'm still learning how to trust

Chorus:
I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend

I'm just trying to understand
It's all in someone else's hands
There's always been a bigger plan
But I don't need to understand

Chorus:
I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend

I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'll be there till the end
I'm still learning how to bend

For those who want to hear the song, Heres the Video...

Rebuilding Houston....

2008-10-01T10:51:00.002-05:00

Man, After Ike, Houston and Galveston are slowly getting back to normal, but I still see signs all over town.....

Amazes me how Hurricanes make people unable to spell....

Houstons (and possibly the Worlds) Nastiest Apartment!

2008-09-27T09:32:00.001-05:00

This is from a Forum that I check out now and then....Man I thought we were messy in college....
This has nothing to do with the Hurricane. We had a resident who had an outstanding balance for over a month and no one could get ahold of her. The Bookkeeper went inside after so many tries to leave a note and this is what we found.

The pictures do NO justice. There is suppose to be 2 cats living here but we cant find them (we think they’re dead somewhere inside the apartment-we contacted the SPCA). The place REEKS to say the least, i gagged non stop.

Why I dont shop at Wal Mart

2008-09-26T09:29:00.003-05:00

Howdy All,
Been a while since I posted, been meaning to log in and make a post, just been busy, hurricane and all!

Well, most of you know that I dont like Wal Mart, for many reasons, Most of the stuff there is made in China, the employees just need a pulse to work there, and they squeeze out the local small businessman/woman.

Well, last night I needed some supplies, I was tired, and Super WalMart is closer than the HEB that I usually go to, so I made a quick run to get groceries and some cleaning supplies.

I go to the check out line, where the employee doesn't know ANY of the produce codes, and rings my lettuce up as cabbage, then my Celery as green onions.

When I make large purchases, I pay by check, so I can keep track of it easier than just swiping my Debit card. Back in 2005, when I became very aware of ID theft and cleaning my credit, I started printing my checks with my Initials and Last name, address, and nothing else. No License number, phone number etc, to make it harder for someone to steal my checks and go on a spree.

When she gives me my total, I hand her my check and license. At Wal Mart, when you write a check, they scan it, take your Routing number and account number and do an EFT as your payment and you get your check back. She looks at the check, looks at my license, then at me. "Your name does not match your license." I raise an eyebrow....huh?

"Your drivers license says XXX XXX, but the name on your check is Wells Fargo."

At this point, I'm looking around for Candid Camera's Peter Funt to come out and say "SURPRISE!" but nope. I point out to her my name is on the top of the check.

"Your name is XXX XXX, but your check only says "X. X. XXX".

By this time, the woman behind me is looking at me and looking at the cashier like shes crazy.

I calmly explain, "Those are my initials." She keeps studying the check.

"Your address is 17,600 Katy Freeway, Suite 100?"

Now, at This time I'm losing my cool.

"No, thats the Banks address." My address is below my name up here, and I show her my address, as well as the one on my drivers license. "See? They match."

At this point, she looks at me, like shes getting agitated.

Have you never seen a freakin check before lady? She finally scans my check, it goes through fine and she gives me my reciept.

Once again boys and girls, this is my annual trip to Wal-mart, until I get crazy and decide to go again.

Transporter 3

2008-08-26T10:51:00.002-05:00

So my buddy Enrique got me hooked on the Transporter movies, you know the ones with Jason Statham.

After Transporter 2, I figured there wouldn't be a 3rd....but there is!

These movies are great action, but totally unbelievable in the stuff that happens in them, but hey, we all need some excitement and mental escape right?

Looks like this will be released around Christmas!

Check out the trailer....

Did you know....

2008-08-19T08:37:00.003-05:00

That an AC adapter or battery charger continues to use electricity even when it is not plugged into the device? Recently, manufacturers have reported that most adapters or chargers continue to consume as much as 40% of the electricity that it normally does during usage or charging of the device... such as mobile phones, power tool chargers, laptop computers and the like.

In these times of increasing energy costs, higher prices of everything, we need to minimize use of things, right? Unplug that alarm clock in the guest room! Unplug the phone charger when its not in use, your laptop charger? unplug it if its not being used!

You may notice that when these chargers are plugged into a wall outlet, they're a little warm even though they are not plugged into the device they are designed to power up or charge. This heat can only be created by the consumption of electricity. The transformer in these adapters continue to draw electricity and produce the heat at anytime it is plugged into an electrical outlet.

So, unplug all of your unused chargers and adapter when not in use... you will save some electricity, and although it may not be noticeable on your electric bill, it may be saving you a couple of bucks per month.

A Good old fashioned Gas Price War...

2008-08-12T16:43:00.003-05:00

Thats right boys and girls. Chevron and Shell at it.

Current price is 2.61 as of 4:45 PM!

UPDATE: 2.39 as of 5:30 PM

http://www.click2houston.com/news/17171733/detail.html

HOUSTON --

A gas price war that has fuel selling for less than $3 a gallon turned into long lines for two northwest Harris County gas stations, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.Two gas stations on Eldridge Parkway at FM 529 started the price war at about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.Word quickly spread and long lines formed when gas prices kept dropping. At one point, the lines continued onto the street.

At 3 p.m., gas was selling for $2.85 a gallon at the Shell station and $2.83 a gallon at the Chevron across the street.Even big rigs got in on the action when diesel dropped to $3.69 a gallon.There's no word on how long the gas price war will last, how low prices will go or how long the gas will last.The average gas price in Houston on Tuesday was $3.62 and diesel was $4.44.

Another LOL Cat

2008-08-12T08:02:00.000-05:00

Okay so this one is probably not as good as the Firefox one, but if you guys ever saw office space, you'd appreciate this one!

moar funny pictures

Shaving down the excess....

2008-08-11T09:44:00.002-05:00

So these days, I have been trying to shed the economic drag thats on me, and that includes things that I pay for that I dont necessarily require to exist.

One thing was selling my Ford Diesel truck. I miss it, but I couldn't justify the cost of diesel fuel and insuring such a vehicle that gets used for weekend projects. The extra cash was nice too.

So I've been paring down on excess, and using it to pay off more of my credit card debt, which is looking better every day. My score is up and I feel better knowing that financial freedom is near!

For example. I have a Napster account, so I can listen to what I want to while at work....its 15 bucks a month. Well, Youtube has 99% of the songs I want to listen to, and its free! Okay, so we're 86ing the napster account.

Lunch? I honestly spend 8-10 bucks a day on lunch, eating out. So, now, 2-3 times a week, I pack my lunch. A sandwich, leftovers from what I cooked the night before, a Can of Soup, etc. Saves a few bucks too.

Of course you all know I clip coupons.

Anyway, just a post to check in, I'm still alive and kickin!

Hot Enough For ya?

2008-07-22T13:04:00.002-05:00

Well summer offically started June 21, so the hot days are here!

I just ran out and got a bite to eat, and here's what car's thermometer had to say....

Thats right, summer is definitely here. I know, the temp is from sitting in the parking lot with that hot concrete bounching back, but still. Its warm out!

Old Car Commercials on Youtube

2008-07-17T12:57:00.002-05:00

I love youtube.

They have all these old car commercials that I used to remember. You know the ones, they were more artsy and focused on the car more. Newer car commercials seem to be 'special interest' stories.

HEres a good example of a mid 80's Oldsmobile Commercial...

I liked how these used to be!

Anyway, Sorry for not posting recently, work's been busy!

Stalled Server Room

2008-06-25T16:06:00.003-05:00

I know this is more for my buddy the network geek, but I had to share this one.

This came from the Daily WTF.

A few months back, Jen Frickell's company was given some bad news. When their lease ended, they'd have to move out of their second-floor suite. The good news, however, was that a suite would be available on the first floor. All they'd need to do was pack up and move downstairs.

It was a fairly reasonable request, so the company's executives signed a new lease and prepared to move. There was, however, just one, small hitch. The nice little server room they built in the back of their office - equipped with air conditioning units, ventilation, dedicated power, backup power, and so on - could not be relocated. Not only would it cost too much, but there was simply no room for it. The server room would just have to remain upstairs.

Obviously, the new second-floor tenant wouldn't want their neighbors walking through their office to access a server room, so building management and the company's executives came up with an alternative: wall off the server room door and build a new one. It seemed simple enough, but there was, however, just one small hitch. The only available wall to install a door was adjacent to the women's restroom. Inside the handicapped stall.

And since you're reading about it here, you know that didn't stop them. Here is the email from building management:

From: ---- --------
Sent: Monday, May 5, 2008 4:37 PM
To: Everyone
Subject: Server Room Access

Hi all.

As you all are aware, we have new tenants that have moved into
the 2nd floor suites.  The access to the server room is now via
the women’s bathroom.

There will be a sign on the woman’s door that can be changed
from OPEN to CLOSED and vice versa.

Should you need to enter the server room, please change the sign
to CLOSED.  Once you are done, please change it back to OPEN.

Once you enter the bathroom, you will be able to access the
server room via the handicapped stall. Please close the stall
door prior to entry, just in case someone doesn’t see that the
bathroom is closed.

I know this isn’t ideal, but if we adhere to this protocol, I
don’t think anyone will be disrupted.

Thanks!  Let me know if you have any questions.

---- --------
Building Management

Lifetime Warranties

2008-06-17T08:52:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I miss the days when they used to "make em like they used to..."

Now I find that products that are bought are just total crap. Recently I've been noticing more products have a "Lifetime Replacement Warranty" or maybe a longer than typical warranty.

Example, last spring, I bought one of those fancy "Dial A Sprayer" garden hose attachments, you know the chrome ones with the rubber grip and 63 selectable settings, Shower, mist, angle, cone etc. I think I paid around 12 bucks for it.

After I got home, I noticed the tag. "Life time replacement warranty". Hmm. Interesting.

Let me take the tag off and staple the sales receipt to it, and put it in the 1 gallon ziploc I have for 'warranty' stuff.

Well here it is, the peak of watering season 2008 in Texas. I'm noticing that the chrome is starting to come off on the sprayer, not in little pieces, but in big chunks. So I keep using it, until all the chunks of chrome are gone, and now, the pot metal underneath starts to turn white and deteriorate. Hmmm didn't I remember something about a warranty?

So I found the receipt and warranty info. A quick filling out of the form on the Gilmour website and I had a response 3 days later, promising me a replacement. I asked how I should send the old one back, and the lady said just to chunk it.

Now, I have to say, one one hand, I'm delighted that their warranty service is that wonderful, no questions asked. On the other hand, it irks me that the company doesn't even care enough to find out the cause of the defect, that it would just be cheaper to throw the customer a new one rather find out what the root cause of the issue is.

Another company that is good on warranty is Delta Plumbing Fixtures. No questions asked. Call them with the model number, and its a lifetime replacement on anything newer than 1995. I've had my water diverter cartridge in my shower replaced twice with their warranty (labor not included of course), each time I've had a new cartridge show up on my doorstep via UPS. Its wonderful.
Anyone else have a 'good guys' product they use/like?

LOL Cats Part II

2008-06-10T13:44:00.001-05:00

So I'm Famous....

The LOLCat Caption you saw below actually made the front page of I Can Has cheezburger.

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

So I made a LOLCat

2008-05-28T15:04:00.002-05:00

For those of you that don't know what a LOL Cat is, go to www.icanhascheezburger.com

Its basically captioning whats going on. I know. I must be bored at work.

Just click on the picture and it will take you to the page, click the hamburgers and vote for me please!

Thanks!

Oh How I love dilbert....

2008-05-27T16:48:00.002-05:00

Heres one of my favorites from 2001....

And a recent one....

Smart Cars..Maybe not so smart....

2008-05-22T09:47:00.000-05:00

So I'm sure with the high gas prices, you're all running around in circles (at least in your mind) about "Gas prices, what should I do????"

So Mercedes decides to start bringing the Smart Fortwo into the US.

Yes, its passed all the NHTSA tests and is legal for US operation. Heres a Mercedes W220 (00-06 S Class) and a Smart Car doing a offset frontal crash test....

I dont know about you, but I think I'll pay a few more bucks at the pump and live.

Ever Wonder

2008-05-21T15:44:00.001-05:00

To those one hit musical acts?

About a year ago, I started hearing a new one by Lady Antebellum. Pretty Catchy, but they all but disappeared recently.

Seems like they'll be a one hit wonder.

Anyone else have a song/band they liked, and they just had their "Fifteen minutes of fame" and thats all?

Lamborghini Reventon

2008-05-20T10:30:00.004-05:00

The One MILLION Euro Lambo! That's right boys and girls. This is how it comes, in its own wooden crate. Packed like fine china!

More electronics.....

2008-05-06T10:00:00.003-05:00

So my latest product I have been testing, is Logitech's Harmony One Remote. Okay so I sound like a product testing infomercial now, right?

This new remote allows you to control everything like a Universal, but theres one huge plus. You can program the remote's actions in the computer and sync it via USB.

So you can program all these activities in it. (Watch TV, Listen to Radio, Listen to CD, Watch DVD etc) and when you're done, one button turns it all off.

Here's an example. I want to watch a DVD. Press "Watch DVD" on the remote, and it powers on the:

TV, DVD player, and Home Theater unit......one click.....and also, it will tune the home theater to "DVD", open the DVD player, and set the volume on the home theater to my preprogrammed level.

Pretty nifty huh? All from ONE remote. No batteries to replace, theres a charging cradle like a cordless phone!

Home electronics......

2008-05-05T09:42:00.003-05:00

So, the Oral-B electric toothbrush I've been using for the last TEN years finally had its last hurrah before heading to the electronics trash bin in the sky.

So I went to Target to look for a replacement, and picked up an Oral-B Sonic Complete. Apparently, sonic tooth cleaning is the new trend, as last time I went to the dentist, the scaler that the hygenist used was also sonic.

Its very wierd at first because, 1. Its quiet, 2. it does a really good job without having to make large brushing motions. Just let the bristles do their job. Quite nice once you get used to the feelings. The charging light on the base is a neat blue color, kinda matches the UV brush sanitizer I have too!

The Post office..part II

2008-05-02T14:31:00.001-05:00

Well I got a response from the post office beleive it or not....So I replied....

Lets see what happens....

Dear redassaggie00,

Thank you for contacting us about the behavior of one of our employees at the Park Row Post Office.

I apologize this occurred. This type of conduct is not acceptable under any circumstances. As with any business, much of our public image depends on the manner in which our employees interact with customers.

I will be happy to document this complaint. In order to do this, I need some additional information so this can be sent to the correct office and you can be contacted. Please reply to this email with the following information:

- Your home telephone number
- Your address
- Date of incident
- Time of incident
- Whether you would like to receive a call regarding this issue (There is no guarantee that further information can be provided via email.)

If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for choosing the United States Postal Service®.

Regards,

Linda P

The Post office....

2008-04-30T14:05:00.002-05:00

Most of you know that I run a website/internet mail order company from my home, and 98% of the product I ship is within the US. I use private carriers most of the time, but sometimes I use USPS for international or small stuff I can jam into a priority flat rate box.

I recently printed a label with "Click n Ship" service going to Canada, and I went to the post office near my house to drop the package off.

From what I understood on the website, All I had to do was to get the special international envelope for the customs forms that I printed and then drop it off at the Post office.

When I arrived there, the disgruntled worker, waited on me. I showed her the information I had, and that I had not done an international label online before. Then she proceeded to tell me, that,

"They dont train us how to handle online, I have no idea what that is" then she told me that the tape I used was masking tape "This ain't no box tape, this here some masking tape." I explained that it was Pressure sensitive adhesive tape that was USPS,FedEx and UPS approved. She then went on to say "You don't have the address on the box, you be usin' the wrong tape, and that package isn't ready to be shipped."

I run an internet sales company. We ship worldwide. I spent thousands of dollars in shipping last year. When I do ship USPS, I use a Post Office by work, where they have NEVER said the tape I use is improper.

So I asked if I need to write the address on the box, since the USPS Prioirity international label was not good enough to her. ANd her reply was "I dunno, they dont train us about that, you jus droppin a package off and you get a discount, really I dont have to help you because you printed that online." And put me at an empty station with my box, and helped the next customer.

All the while making snide comments about the way my box was packed and "You need to go get your money back cause thats the wrong tape right there." I did not feel like arguing with her anymore, but I don't appreciate the non stop sarcasm, rudeness, and being yelled at like a five year old for something that she thought was done incorrectly that I have done HUNDREDS of times before at other post offices with no problems.

Anyway thats my rant today. The post office is a Joke.

the Big 3-0

2008-04-13T13:27:00.004-05:00

Well it's over, the big 3-0. I'm officially in the middle age zone....woo hoo! I guess....

I started enjoying easy listening, and just accepting it when I go to the store and people call me sir.

Oh my GAWD, where did the 20s go???

I celebrated with around 80 people, and it was a wonderful night.

Spaghetti warehouse took great care of us too!

Heres a pic of one of my oldest friends. We've known each other since 1987!

The rest of the pics are available, if you didn't get a chance to see them, drop me a note and I'll send you a link to them!

Help the Police

2008-04-10T16:00:00.002-05:00

Remember the NWA Song F*ck the Police?

Here's the version if you have kids....

Spring Planting time!

2008-04-03T09:19:00.002-05:00

Well its that time, time to rip out the old 'winter' flowers, and plant spring ones.

The pansies survived this time around, but now I'm gonna pop them out and put some spring stuff in. I already have my tomato plants in the ground, and I just have to work on the corner plot now to get it weeded and some mulch added in.

For those of you who aren't already using this stuff, I have used Scotts Bonus S MAX for the last two years in a row, and have had ZERO fire ants in the yard. You do pay more but man does it do a good job of keeping the fireants out, and keeps the yard looking nice throughout the summer too!

Kia Sorento Crank Sensor

2008-03-28T09:23:00.000-05:00

If you're reading this post, more than likely you're either a car nut like me, or you've searched the net to come upon my site to figure out why your Kia Sorento SUV is acting up.

My neighbors, have a 03 Sorento with 99K miles. It died on them mysteriously the other day, and they had it towed home. The car starts and runs but you rev it and the check engine light comes on and it dies.

Well, I scanned it and it comes up with a Crank Sensor Fault. Heres the problem, the crank sensor access requires timing cover removal....which requires FEAD removal. This project is not for the faint of mechanicals but can be done in around 5 hours if you have air tools. This would also be a good time to replace your FEAD belts (3 of them) and inspect your timing belt. My neighbors had the belt replaced at 60, so we wont touch them.

The sensor is a Borg Warner CSS1002, and is available at Pep Boys for around 130 bucks. Its a simple operation, take everything off, and put it all back together.

What about the 10 year, 100k warranty, you ask? Read the fine print. The warranty is a bare bones deal, covers the block, crank, and certain hard parts. Nothing like sensors and other stuff that tends to fail with heat soak. So, what happens if you end up not having a neighbor like me? Your first instant reaction would be "Oh I have a warranty", and have it towed in, and then letting the dealer tear it down, and then tell you its not under warranty. I asked my neighbor to call and ask what it costs to do the repair at the dealer. HE was quoted "Around 750 dollars" OUCH!

Time for another trip to the store!

2008-03-20T21:31:00.001-05:00

Well once again, this single guy made his usual pilgrimage to the local grocery store to stock up on supplies. As usual, I challenge myself to save as much as I can, and this time, looks like I knock almost 20% off my bill with coupons.

Remember my trip last time?

Anyone else care to play? The lady behind me was getting impatient until she started looking at the screen. "Wow, almost 17 dollars off??? Thats really good!"

TVs GALORE

2008-03-16T09:15:00.000-05:00

So now I have a 65" TV in the living room...which means the 42" will go into the Bedroom...then the 37" will go into the...um...guest room....Now...the 21" will go to the hmmm...where else should I have a TV....uhm Garage, on a wall mount....and the 13" will...sit in the dark corner of the closet!

Seriously, I never thouhgt I'd have too many TVs.

For those of you who were considering putting a plasma in your bedroom, they put out LOTS of heat. I'm going to attempt to mount it on the wall in the next few weekends before my dad and his wife arrive.

Used Oil Analysis....More Car fun...

2008-03-11T08:59:00.003-05:00

Some people may think I take the car maintenance thing a little too far sometimes. Well perhaps I do.

On my diesel Mercedes, I run 12,000 miles between oil changes. Yes thats right, twelve thousand. I do change the filter and top the oil off every 3,000, and at 6,000 and when I change it, I send a sample in to Blackstone Labs for a UOA or "Used Oil Analysis". Theres two reasons I do this.

I want to know whats going on with my car. I'm approaching 280,000 miles quickly and its nice to know whats going on inside. Kind of like bloodwork.
I use Synthetic Oil, which is costlier but one of the key benefits I like is better protection and extended drain intervals (or so they claim)
Extended Drain intervals means less impact on the environment, even if you do recycle the oil.

I'm not a big environmentalist or anything dont get me wrong, but there's no reason to pollute more than I need to.

So the last UOA report I just got in, shows that wear materials are high, and potassium is high. I spoke with a guy at the lab and he explained that just changing the filter isn't going to remove the amount of wear materials (iron copper etc) from the oil, and most certainly not coolant. Now if I had a bypass filter on this car, then I would be fine for thousands of miles more, but how far are we going to take this on a car fast approaching 300,000 miles?

Anyway, heres a link to the report.

I think the plan here is to change the oil at 5,000 this time and send a sample in again to see whats going on. The odd thing is, I'm not losing any coolant. Go figure.

Daylight Saving Time!

2008-03-08T11:10:00.001-06:00

Dont forget to "Spring Forward" before bed Saturday night.

Interesting tidbit I never knew. It's "Daylight Saving Time" not "Daylight Savings Time" Someone actually wrote a whole article about it.

Anyway, dont forget to change 'em before bed tonight!

Hmm...Interesting Messages

2008-02-22T14:34:00.003-06:00

So I went to lunch with some clients the other day to a Chinese restaurant. Where I received this Fortune Cookie...

On the front....

and then....

on the back....

Hmmmm...I find it ironic and true at the same time....Crazy huh...

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo!

2008-02-19T09:39:00.001-06:00

Its that time of year again! The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is upon us!

Here's the performers and the rodeo events happening. I always like the Chuckwagon races!

Anyone else going this year? The cookoff is coming up soon too! YEE-HAW!

Monday, March 3	Tim McGraw Super Series I, Go Round 1
Tuesday, March 4	Faith Hill Super Series I, Go Round 1
Wednesday, March 5	Kevin Fowler Super Series I, Go Round 3 & Championship Round
Thursday, March 6	Alan Jackson Super Series II, Go Round 1
Friday, March 7	John Legend Super Series II, Go Round 1
Saturday, March 8	Martina McBride Super Series II, Go Round 3 & Champ. Round
Sunday, March 9	Hannah Montana - Miley Cyrus Super Series III, Go Round 1
Monday, March 10	Sugarland Super Series III, Go Round 2
Tuesday, March 11	Rascal Flatts Super Series III, Go Round 3 & Champ. Round
Wednesday, March 12	John Fogerty Super Series IV, Go Round 1
Thursday, March 13	Toby Keith Super Series IV, Go Round 2
Friday, March 14	Clay Walker Super Series IV, Go Round 3 & Champ. Round
Saturday, March 15	Brad Paisley Super Series V, Go Round 1
Sunday, March 16	Duelo / Los Horoscopos De Durango Super Series V, Go Round 2
Monday, March 17	Miranda Lambert Super Series V, Go Round 3 & Champ. Round
Tuesday, March 18	Big & Rich Xtreme Bulls
Wednesday, March 19	Fergie Super Series Semifinal 1
Thursday, March 20	Dierks Bently Super Series Semifinal 2
Friday, March 21	Pat Green Super Series Wild Card Round
Saturday, March 22	Brooks & Dunn Super Series Championship

Valentines Day...2008

2008-02-14T09:37:00.000-06:00

For the first time in years, I actually have a date with someone on Valentines!

An old friend from High School, we're just having dinner, but who knows whats to come of it?

Keep your fingers crossed readers!

Baby Care, Final Episode!

2008-02-01T09:36:00.000-06:00

OK this is the last of them!

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!!

Baby Care, Episode 4

2008-01-31T13:33:00.000-06:00

I'll stop with these soon, I promise!

Baby Care, Episode 3

2008-01-30T11:31:00.000-06:00

These are hilariously insane!

Baby Care Episode 2

2008-01-29T08:29:00.000-06:00

More of these funnies!

Baby Care, Episode 1

2008-01-28T13:26:00.000-06:00

So my sister sent me this email the other day, not sure if it's a hint for when she and my niece come to visit, but here goes...because there's so many, I'm going to post a few every day......

Are you hungry?

2008-01-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

One of my friends went to lunch at Nit Noi, a Houston Thai Food Restaurant that has pretty good food. I've been there a few times for lunch and we go there sometimes after church.

Heres what she and her friend had for lunch the other day......

MMM. Yummy! I guess Recycling is a good thing, but this may be a little too far.....

Home Renovations!

2008-01-15T09:29:00.000-06:00

So my buddy N and his significant other P, came over and we did some upgrades to the house!

N is a genius at lighting and P is a whiz at home decor/color schemes, I went to their house on New Years Eve, and they were painting away. I was instantly in love with their color scheme and lighting ideas, so we decided to 'pimp my house'. A big thanks to them for spending the entire weekend working on the place! We all had it in our heads that it would be done Saturday by 4, but after working into 10:30 PM and then 2PM the next day, we were all beat! N and P especially.

We worked ALL weekend getting this stuff done, and it looks great. The builder installed the fluorescent fixture in the kitchen with butterfly bolts. Oh yeah, they forgot to anchor the drywall to the studs in the middle of the drywall, so the drywall was hanging with a 50lb light fixture pulling down on it, thereby causing the drywall to form a crack that got longer every year I lived there.

Enough is enough! Recessed can lights in the kitchen, we added lights to the living room, and replaced the ceiling fan with a more modern looking unit!

Check out the pics!

Here's a before shot....

And After....

Things to take care of in the new year....

2008-01-09T21:30:00.001-06:00

Okay guys, I used to really be psycho about changing my furnace/Air Conditioning filter, but I, myself am guilty of letting this one slip. After doing some renovations of the house this weekend, I looked at my thermostat and saw the sticker I had placed on there called for a filter replacement in April 23, 2007. Meaning the last time I changed the filter was Jan 23, 2007!! Wondering why your house doesnt stay warm/cool, or why your light bill is high? I'm sitting here with the 'fan' mode on right now, I can feel the airflow again in bed!! WOW.

I use 3M Filtrete purple filters, which is the 2nd best they make, and they claim its good for up to 3 months. I guess after a year is quite a bit. I can't believe I let it slip this long!!!

Okay, here a pic....Click for the full size....BLECH!

Another thing for you guys that don't stay on top of these things. Lets do this in January!
1. Change your A/C or Furnace Filter in your home
2. Change your water filter in your icemaker if you have one
3. Drain that hot water heater! Prevents the banging and clanging of Calcium Deposits!
4. Clean those gutters!
Any more tips? I'm sure there are a zillion things to do when you're a homeowner, these are some major things that I think off the top of my head... Post em here!

Annual Car tips.....
1. Rotate your tires (do this 2X per year at least!) on your car and check your air pressure (monthly) don't forget that spare tire!
1a. If you're my friend RC, this would be your ANNUAL oil change! Thank goodness your wife takes care of you!
2. Change your Car's Air Filter. This can be done in less than 5 minutes. If you have a newer car, you may have a Cabin Filter. Time to swap that out too! Makes the bad smells in your car go away!
3. Wash your car, not at the car wash. Do this at home. This would be a good time to clean out the insides of your wheel wells, rinse away all that salt, sand, and dirt that will breed rust all in your car!

Retro Thursday!

2008-01-03T14:34:00.001-06:00

This used to be my favorite cartoon back in the day! WOOHOOO!!!!

They don't make cartoons like this anymore. Stuff now just stinks! Remember Warner Brothers? Those were the good old days!

The ORLY Owls are back!

2008-01-01T14:54:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!
I was really sad when I heard the ORLY Owl Page was gone...but now its back!

For those of you who aren't hip to internet culture, this owl (along with a bunch of others) was used on some forums and now are EvERYWHERE, including peoples LICENSE PLATES!

Only in New Orleans

2007-12-26T13:49:00.000-06:00

My Boss just got back from there and showed me this picture he took from his camera......
Click the pic to get the bigger version...