almoststarted.com

So I’ve never been one for toolbars in a web browser. Nothing has been compelling enough to make me install it, that and I’ve seen far too many spyware bull@#$$ bars get installed automagically that I’ve had to remove from far to many computers that I’ve had to fix.

That said, I just installed the Google toolbar for Firefox. The spellcheck and the autolink for google maps were compelling. The only drawback so far is the giant google search field. I search google from the address bar in Firefox, always have, probably always will, so for the moment, it’s just taking up space, as there isn’t a way to turn it off, as that’s probably the primary reason for a Google toolbar (even though there’s a search box option for the toolbar in FireFox that defaults to google, which I’ve also got turned off).

And now that I’ve tried it, I must say, the spell check feature is quite snazzy. There’s probably a spell check hidden in movable type somewhere, or offered as a plugin, but I’ve never sought it out, so I’m sure there’s some very questionable spelling going on in my older posts, but hopefully, not anymore.

So the two wheels that had been “left” in Hodgkins magically appeared at my doorstop last night while I was at class, along with the two that ups said were “out for delivery.” They were used, so they had a bit of curb rash going on on the very edge of the lip, and a bit of grime built up in a few spots, so I went to work on them with a rotary tool. Buffed out the brake dust spots, and sanded down the curb rash before hitting it with some 2000 grit sand paper. You can hardly tell there was any curb rash to begin with. Got the tires mounted on the wheels this morning, and the car looks DAMN good, and I do say so myself. All that’s left to do is to procure VW center caps for the wheels (they’re OE Audi TT wheels), and then finally order a suspension kit to lower the car. After that, it should be all little homebrew projects left for the car (like a new pc). And I have no idea if this will work, but it theoretically should:

Click here for a larger image.

So I regularly read the BBC news, as I find that it’s generally a far superior source of information as compared to CNN, but from time to time I get stuck. I think I know what they’re talking about, but then suddenly I don’t, and it all comes down to colloquialisms and abreviations. When did it become ok for news agencies to use them? The articles in question today kept talking about MP’s, which to me is Military Police, which didn’t fit the stories. After hitting up dictionary.com, I found that it also stands for Member of Parliament, which makes perfect sense now, but not being a Briton, I have no concept of MP being Member of Parliament. Silly British.

So in a clear case of poor self control, I purchased a set of 17″x7.5″ Audi TT 5 spoke wheels off a guy on the VW Vortex forums, and I’ve been waiting with baited breath ever since for their arrival, which is supposed to be today. They went on a ups ground truck last Wednesday in Cali, and showed up in Hodgkins, Il. yesterday, so all seemed well for their delivery today. But then I check on the status today, expecting to see that they first hit Northbrook (the local distribution hub) and then that they were out for delivery. But instead I put in the tracking number and see that it still has the package in Hodgkins. So I keep checking all morning, hoping to see it put on a truck and sent out for delivery. I finally check the details on all the packages (4 wheels, 4 packages), and see that two made it to Northbrook last night, and are now out for delivery, and TWO ARE STILL IN HODGKINS! WHAT THE @!#$. It still says they’re scheduled to be delivered today, but as it gets later and later in the day, I get the feeling that the description will magically become “lost in warehouse, delivery delayed,” as has happened a number of times before. Stupid UPS. However, they’re still better than USPS, who’s “tracking numbers” don’t actually work until after the package is delivered. Yeah, way to call them tracking numbers (confirmation numbers).

My mind’s already going. And I’ve just turned 24. I couldn’t remember the username and password to my own blog that’s running on my own server. That made me feel like an idiot. I suppose its similar to the curse of the cell phone. I don’t know anyones phone number anymore, I’d be screwed if I lost my phone, as everythings in there. Same with my login for this, it’s stored in Firefox at home. I also use a different username here than I do everywhere else which only adds to the confusion, as it always takes me a while ot remember that, only adding to the number of user/password combinations I must go through. Oh well, heres to being 24.

So I’ve finally gotten the trifecta of basic car mods accomplished, exhaust, chip, and finally this weekend, intake. It’s amazing how much space in the engine bay is taken up by the factory air box. Replaced it with a 2.5″ dia tube that puts a cone filter in the bumper, right infront of the passenger wheel well. Had to trim a bit of the backend of the bracket that holds the passenger corner of the bumper to the frame, just enough to be able to get the cone filter to match up with the intake tube.

So what this means is that I’ve basically done all of the inexpensive performance upgrades, anything further and it’ll be a big chunk of change, whether its cams, intake manifold, or something more drastic like a turbo, which would necessitate drive train work as well. So now its just a matter of suspension and wheels as far as big things go, and I think I’ll be happy.

So it’s finally come to this. I’m finally starting work tomorrow. It’s amazing how little you get done when there’s no impetus to get it done. And what I mean by this is that when I’m working, or at school, or otherwise busy, I’m always trying to make time to work on something else. Yet when I have an entire week to kill, I don’t even get my room unpacked. I just mope about. I’m not sure if its the time crunch, or wanting to be doing something other than say working that motivates me to work on side projects when I have the least time, but it’s something along those lines.

This has also brought about the revelation that almoststarted is a even more fitting title for me than I originally thought. Almost finished would also be fitting, as I have a tendency to get 95% of the way through a project and then never finish it. I built a desk 4 years ago that I never finished staining and sealing. I built a bookcase this winter that I need to putty the nail holes, stain, and seal, and a pc case that I’ve been working on in an on again, off again manner for two years that’s not done either. It caries over to work too, I get all excited about what ever new project that lands on my plate and dive into it, only to have to struggle to finish. I suppose its just one of those valuable realizations that I’ve had about myself, or rather, the way I do, and don’t work.

So as I’m not starting work until next Monday, I’m being a bum. I woke up at 2pm today, after going to bed some time after 3 am, and am now doing not much of anything productive. The only thing that I need to do this week is make sense of the giant mess that my room has become with the addition of all the stuff I had at school to my already packed room.

So some how, I managed a B- in DifEq. Which I found quite amazing, seeing as I was praynig that I some how eeked out a C, so it went better than planned. On top of that, got two A-’s and two A’s in the remaining classes.

On another note, my sister is gradumacated. Just got back from Montana this evening. She finally decided on a degree in Business Administration for the University of Montana, Missoula. I can’t believe she’s all done. I can’t believe that I’ll be all done in two years, or that if I had gone straight through, I’d have graduated two years ago. Way crazy.

Also met her boyfriend, which is the first boyfriend that we’ve ever met. It’s crazy to think that I might have just met my future brother-in-law. Neither of us have ever been big on the dating, so the fact that she’s been seeing him for over a year, even though we only found out this past christmas, says a lot. I suppose only time will tell. He seemed like a really nice, down to earth guy though. And his mom was really nice as well.

Still can’t find the motivation to study. Only ended up studying for an hour or two for my DifEq final, could have used more, my feelings on the matter are that I knew the stuff I got right on the previous tests, and still didn’t know the stuff I didn’t know, so I’m ok with it. Right now I need to be studying for chem, but instead I just finished watching GITS all the way through. I’ve been watching GITS Stand Alone Complex on cartoon network, so I decided I had to go back and watch the original all the way through. Good times.

Also did a end of the year engineering crew dinner thing at Schoops. Reid, Rebecca, Colin, Derek, Brent and myself were in attendance. It’s still crazy to think that as of 10 am tomarrow, the years finished, and I’m signed up to check out at 7 pm, which should give me plenty of time to slowly pack up my room. And pay my fireworks ticket over at city hall.

I can’t believe that I only have 3 or 4 semesters left, it’s actually a bit frightening at times. I’ve sucessfully put off the realworld thus far, even though I was working, I got the job because I knew my boss, and I simply lived at home. Fake real world. Having to strike out on my own does indeed scare me, it will be interesting to see how my sister is dealing with the jump to the real world, as she graduates Sunday.