Author: Grant

My DELL laptop is having problems once again (seems to be the hard disk and/or motherboard this time). Can’t these guys produce a machine that just freakin well works and lasts for more than a year or two???

I’ve written it up over in the Soap Box area as Don’t Buy Dell Equipment

Spoke to Nykolai’s teacher this morning and she told me that he’s doing extremely well with his work. At the start of the year, he was practically on level 0 with his reading and only getting about 6 out of 100 with his spelling. Now he’s on level 20 and is getting 79 out of 100. This is a most dramatic turn around and we’re all very happy about it.

Of course, the down side to this is that I’d promised to get him into go-karts if he did really well at school this year. Guess it’s time to go find a place that teaches kids how to drive :)

Confirmed with Greg at Holdies today that I would not be progressing the repairs on the HD (he wasn’t surprised). Now to try and save some money to get another car…

Just found out that it’s going to cost about $4,500 to repair the old HD (new rails, panels, gear, respray, labour, etc). That’ll take the total investment to about $7.5k (not including rego) for a $3k car which, when all’s been done, is still a pain in the butt to drive on wet roads.

Today is “Rememberance Day” where we take a minute’s silence to remember those who have died in war. If we truely wish to honor them, shouldn’t we stop sending people into pointless military actions (eg: Vietnam, Iraq, etc)?

It’s sad that we seem to have forgotten that which we’re supposed to never forget…

Lest we forget…

Nykolai’s school held their concert tonight and it wasn’t too bad. This year we were in the National Theatre in St Kilda (a beautiful old style performing arts theatre) which really helped the atmosphere. Perhaps I’m getting used to it, but it did seem better – I felt very much less like the Addams Family when they go to the school concert this time :)

At least Nykolai and the other kids had a blast – that’s what’s important in the end.

Went down to the tow truck yard today to pay for my HD to be towed to Holdies for assessment. Took some photos of it for the record. Not a happy looking vehicle at all. I’m dubious as to whether it can be salvaged or if it’s time to consign it to the wreckers…

Bugger :(

Wow – another year gone and here I am turning 37. All those of you who took bets that I’d be dead before now have, despite my best efforts, lost again :)

Keeping it quiet, not making a big thing of it and just cruising through the day.

Thanks to those who called, emailed and/or sent cards :)

Well, guess who managed to crash the car… Yup – the ol’ HD never did behave too nicely in the wet and tonight on the way home from the office, I let my concentration lapse while going up a left hand bend onto an on ramp. The back end started to slide out so I turned into the slide, the front end snapped around and WHAM, nose first into the concrete wall of the ramp. Bounced back into the lanes, turning around 180 degrees and tapping the back left corner against the wall as it came to a halt.

Wasn’t going that fast, but the impact banged up the front, knocked my glasses off and bruised my knees on the dash. The engine was pushed around and would not respond properly as I tried to fire it up so I could get off the road. Managed to find my glasses in the passenger seat footwell and got out to push the car as best I could out of the way (wound up blocking 1 of 2 lanes).

It was after midnight so not much traffic (none at the time of the crash). I called for a tow truck and spent the next 3/4 of an hour waving down traffic so they’d slow down and get past the car safely. A few stopped to check if I was OK and chat, a couple wizzed passed, while most took my “thumbs up” as a sign all was fine, waved and headed on.

So, the HD is now in the towie’s yard waiting for me to pay the towing fee (will get it shipped down to Greg – my mechanic – for assessment). Bloody annoying but, there are some good points:

1. I bruised myself and took a major hit to my ego but no other people were injured/killed/etc

2. No other cars were involved and the onramp isn’t even scratched

3. Nykolai wasn’t in the car with me

4. The office didn’t pay me on Friday night as they usually do – if they had, I would have just paid $500+ rego on the car over the weekend via online payments

5. I’ll be taking public transport for a while – less convenient and probably a bit more expensive than the fuel I was burning, but the walking to & from trains/trams/buses will do me good :)

So, yeah, it’s annoying as hell and rather inconvenient, but I’m OK and other things are going OK, so I’ll get through alright. C’est la vie and all that :)

(start Yoda voice)
Adventure…
Excitement…

A Jedi craves not these things…

Sex, drugs and thumping techno – that is what a Jedi craves!

(end with manic Yoda laughter)

Hmmmm – always wondered why the he was all wrinkled, green and tiny but still kept on going… Preservatives R US, huh?