Bowling Bonanza
Ok, so it wasn’t really a bowling bonanza. Apparently they started closing at 11pm for “summer hours.” You’d think that means close later, but nope. So, we only got two real games in, and I totally sucked. Then, Jake, Tony & I had one more game left (Mike came late so he only bought 2), so we did some speed bowling. It’s pretty much just bowl as fast as you can without hurting yourself or the bowling lane. Actually, scratch that last part. Anyway, during that speed bowling round, I bowled my first turkey (huzzah) and got a final score of 143. It’s not my highest, but it’s certainly good, considering the situation.
I miss Alan a lot. This weekend I hung out with Renee and we watched When Harry Met Sally and went out to a party that was filled with the kind of people I don’t usually see anymore, having graduated from a good university and now being in the working world. All of this made me appreciate having someone that I feel comfortable with and can really love. I’ll stop with the sappy stuff now, I just had to get it out.
Feeling: I can’t believe I woke up of my own volition at 7:30 this morning.
Listening to: CDs in my Eclipse, cuz it seems to be running significantly better (but it’s too early to judge if the problem has vanished)
1 comment May 15, 2005
Car Pay Diem
We picked up my Eclipse from the dealer today, after having them (with resistence) replace the Catalytic Converter for free (required by law for 8 years). I drove it home from the dealer, and it was amazing. Pretty much like it was new. Dad thinks that we still need to replace the plugs for the umpteenth time in the year and a half that it’s been bad, and (I think because of that) it’s not quite perfect, but it doesn’t make a helluva lot of sense. Dad specifically requested he get “props” on my blog for his help in this situation. I guess since yesterday was his birthday, I’ll humor him.
Anyway, I will be writing to Mitsubishi soon about how this one part (which was FREE to replace, no less) took this dealer a year and a half to replace, and ONLY after we made them do it. In the meantime, I had to deal with a car that *sometimes* didn’t accelerate when I pushed the pedal. If nothing else, they should reimburse us for the $400 ignition coil that was replaced for no reason. It doesn’t cover the 8 sets of spark plugs & wires we went through in that year and a half, or the pain I endured from having my first beautiful car (seemingly) die a slow death. That letter should be an interesting one to write.
Feeling: Uncertain
Listening to: Renee’s crappy country music (she’s over working on some homework)
May 11, 2005
Champaign Visit v202
Happy birthday, Alan! (tomorrow)
So, I’m going to Champaign on Saturday, leaving at 3pm so Alan can get some sleep/work done/pretend work done. I’ll get there for dinner, and we’ll probably go to Miko’s or wherever he feels like going, being the birthday boy and all. Then we might do some light apartment partying. Sunday I’m leaving kind of early, since my Grandma is having a party that I’m supposed to go to. I’ll go straight from Champaign to the Grandma party, then from there to home to watch Family Guy. Then from Family Guy to weekly bowling. What a full weekend.
Feeling: Starting to get Renee’s cough, dammit.
Listening to: Dashboard Confessional – Saints and Sailors, Hands Down, Vindicated (I need a larger variety of their CDs/mp3s)
May 6, 2005
Carpoo
Yesterday, Renee, Michelle, Chris and I went to the Sox/Detroit game. It went into overtime… and it started at 7pm. So we were there late. Not that I remember much; I don’t like baseball and so I did what everyone who doesn’t like baseball and goes to the game does. Drank $15.75 worth of beer (3 cups, + 1 free from Renee).
So, according to my dad and my uncle, it’s not my valves it’s my catalytic converter. Apparently my car doesn’t have normal torque in high RPMs, or something. When you’re at 4,000 RPM and you floor it, it doesn’t redline. That’s not normal. So anyway, catalytic converters are free to replace, since they’re part of emissions. According to the guy at CarX (way to go guys) it’s the law that they have to be warrantied for 8 years. We made it in just under the wire. So, my dad called up and argued with the manager and they said they’ll take it in for the catalytic converter sometime this week.
I’m going to Champaign now, because I want to see OTR. It’s at 9pm, so I have to stay the night (in spite of Alan being busy with his final project, etc) and I’ll leave there after lunch tomorrow. I will definitely be back in time for bowling.
That’s all I got.
Feeling: Stomach still in turmoil from last night
Listening to: Dashboard Confessional – Hands Down
April 30, 2005
Total Eclipse of the Car
My car is very very sad. Ok, I’m very sad, and I’m projecting the emotion onto my car, which is sick. The car, not my emotion-projection. Anyway, a year and a half of terrible misfiring whenever I accelerate from a stop, the Mitsubishi dealer finally figured out what was wrong with my car. Or at least they think so. To help you understand, this is all I know:
October, 1997: Car bought new by original owners. (5-year warranty)
June, 2000: Car bought by us at Mitsubishi dealership (32,000 miles on it, purchase an extra 3-year warranty)
October, 2003: The last remaining warranty expires.
November, 2003: Problem causes spark plugs to fail the first time; on the way home from Champaign on I-57, I get an engine-light while going 65ish. Pull over, dad picks me up with a tow dolly, we tow it to the dealer. Dealer says “Plugs are shot, and we need to replace the ignition coil.” Over $400.
April, 2004: Engine light returns while I’m in Champaign. Dad switches cars with me, tows Eclipse back to Mitsubishi dealer at home. Dealer says, “Plugs are shot, wires are shot, we need to fix the timing.” Under $100.
June, 2004: Engine light returns, reset it at AutoZone.
July, 2004: Engine light returns. Dealer says, “Plugs are shot, wires are arcing. It’s because of your remote start on your car alarm.” Take it to Action Audio, who installed car alarm. Action Audio says, “It’s not our fault. *calls Mitsubishi dealer* Dealer says it’s not our fault either.” Under $50.
-Engine light on continuously, car at 61,000 miles-
April, 2005: Took car into dealership. Dealer says, “It’s not anything electrical. We’ve checked the EGR Valve, Coil, Plugs, Oxygen Sensor, vacuum, and Computer, and they’re all working fine. The car is running rich. The next step is to replace the valves on the engine, and that’ll be $2,200.”
So, if you count up all the times the dealer or my dad replaced the spark plugs in the past year and a half, you’d get 7. And one set is supposed to last for 30,000 miles.
Now I am torn between driving the car I love and causing a serious accident as a result of being unable to accelerate… between fixing it and selling it ($4,500?)… between driving one of my parents cars (which I hate) and buying my own car (which I am no longer sure about).
Do I even want a CRV anymore? I know I can’t afford one outright yet. I could put a decent down payment on one, but I don’t want to have car payments. I did everything I could to be able to afford a car without payments. Should I get the boring, slow Civic? My car isn’t in *that* bad of shape… 
Feeling: Blue and sick to my stomach (Wendy’s?)
Listening to: Kelly Clarkson – The Trouble with Love Is
April 28, 2005
Weekend in Review
I had a very nice weekend. Alan’s parents bought us Biaggi’s for lunch and we all ate my cheesecake. Alan took me shopping, but I wasn’t able to pick anything out for myself for our anniversary. Then we went to Lexi’s play on Sunday and it was pretty good. It was very amusing to see Alex go up on stage and tell his two physics jokes about atoms.
After her play, Lexi, Scott, Alan, Alex, his friend and me went to Borders (where I again failed to find something for Alan to buy me) and then to Steak & Shake. It was nice. Next time, though, I’m making Alan find me something. It’s much easier to have him pick me out something that I pretty much have to like than to find something myself.
After I got home I went bowling with the guys as usual. It was fun, I bowled a 139 my first game, which is my highest score in a while. My last game was a 132 or something, too, but the middle was … poor. We bowled 4 games, since there were 5 people there and we didn’t have time to bowl the usual five. Oh well, lunch is just about over, I should go.
Feeling: Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired. (very little sleep last night)
Listening to: Jewel – Standing Still
April 25, 2005
Champaign Visit v201
Happy 3-Year Anniversary to me and Alan. As my boss so astutely said, “So it’s getting pretty serious, then?” I’m making cheesecake so I have to make this quick.
Friday: Visit Renee at work (Lonestar), drive to Champaign ~7:30, arrive ~10.
Saturday: Alan’s parents in town for lunch (Biaggi’s?), grocery shopping, nice dinner (that asian food place that starts with an “M” and cooks your food in front of you and I can’t think of the name because the Taco Bell I just ate is making my brain fart), then maybe that Martini bar that Alan went to and said is nice (I never can remember the name of that place either).
Sunday: Lexi’s murder mystery theater with food at 1pm. I have to be home in time for bowling with the boyz at 9 or 9:30.
Feeling: Cheesecake AHOY!
Listening to: Anna Nalick – Breathe
April 22, 2005
Post-Wallpaper 1
So, the long-awaited question, “what does the wall look like without that terrible wallpaper?” has been answered. 
We painted “Crisp Linen” on the walls and “Alumina” on the ceiling and trim. We still have a little bit of touch up to do, we’re rearranging the living room, and replacing the light fixtures, window treatments, doors and carpeting. But other than that…
Today I went to the CVS after work, and it was nice to pointlessly wander around the store while waiting for my prescription to be filled. Their prices aren’t great, but they have had a helluva lot of coupons lately. After that I finally went to GNC to get more of that multivitamin I’ve been taking. I can’t completely credit my 10+ lbs lost on it, but it certainly did help me not get sick when everyone else was. Total Lean Multi, if you must know. I’ve been taking it for about three months.
Feeling: Accomplished
Listening to: Taking Back Sunday – A Decade Under the Influence
April 12, 2005
Party Pics (Minus Virus)
If you’re not old enough to remember the “party pics” virus, man, I’m not going to explain it to you. But anyway, here are the pictures from Vicki’s Birthday party.
And last, but not least, a picture of my favorite boyfriend:
Pictures from the newly painted walls have been taken but not revised yet. They will be up by tomorrow. As for now, it’s really late and I have to get some sleep.
Feeling: Tiiiiiiiiiired. Still happy about the nice weekend though. Need to picnic more often.
Listening to: My fish being depressed
1 comment April 11, 2005
Selling Yourself
In Marketing, you indirectly learn how to sell yourself, because it’s hard to be able to sell other things (that you don’t understand as well as yourself) if you can’t sell yourself. So, I guess “Human For Sale” will be able to tell me how good of a marketer I am. What would I be worth if I were to sell myself on the black market? I am worth $1,718,018.00 on HumanForSale.com
That’s a respectable score, I think. But I really don’t know how well others are scoring. So, comment with your scores if you feel you can.
Feeling: Worth almost two million bucks
Listening to: Shinedown – 45
April 9, 2005
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