Tiamatlady

- Anyone need plastic milk crates? I have 21 of them a pile on the balcony that I'm going to freecycle unless someone here wants them. There's um, more than a dozen, less than 30, I haven't counted, but will. Speak up if you want em. Just in case someone reads back - milk crates are gone. Freecycle FTW, this time!

- today I took Big Recycling Box to shipper to go out, full of the rest of my video tapes, some audio tapes to fill the gaps and all the old "WTF is this?" computer parts I cleaned out of my computer parts box. I'm SERIOUSLY PLEASED by this.

- What isn't seriously pleasing is the number of audio tapes that remain. There's another box in my future, I think, but I'm officially not dealing with it until after I get back from the UK.

- BY the way - I'm off to the UK for Whitby in a few weeks. Let the Squeeing commence. There also might be some naughtiness with my little pet. But don't tell him tho. He thinks my intentions are pure. They are not. *evil grin*

- also having left the house is three boxes (only half full each) of various recycling items. Paper, plastic, etc, to the local dump. I also confirmed they take appliances, so the portable washer is going to the Kitchen in the Sky before I go. That was weird, because I asked the question for the guys in the booth - directly in front of the pile of appliances. I said "I didn't know if this was a free-for-all appliance pile" and the guys laughed. So not entirely a blonde after all.

- some other goals for today include throwing out a few more items I want gone from the house, my old bed rails for example, a desktop that was left on the balcony and is ruined, ditto for the rug from my storage unit. *sighs* That one was a loss anyway let's face it.

- I'm also HOPEFULLY putting up a quickie display of the big items I'd like to sell. Then when I get back I will be able to mailing list some of them. I just don't have time now to put them up and get things shipped unless it's at my timetable. Maybe I can work on cleaning things up while in the UK - I will have a few days of my own stuff to do.

- Also need to post my books link to the used book lists here. I'd like to send it to the mailing list but can't until next week. Stupid posting rules. That will give people about a week to get orders in. Cutting it close but after that I want the books gone - anything not sold from this list will go to the Got Books! donate box except for the SciFi which I might try and call Pandemonium about - maybe I can email them a list so I don't waste anyone's time.

- After that, I work on the "Keeper" bookcases. My Intent is to rid myself of as many as possible, once I make sure the ones I REALLY want I Have on digital edition. I know what you guys are saying, and NO this will not eliminate books, but you know it WILL eliminate my collection to the ones I MUST keep, which will be manageable. And not 25 boxes of "What do I do with this?" (I'm not exaggerating)

OK - need to post this, and get moving while still motivated. I kinda need a new kitchen rubbish bin, and I've seen one I like at Target but I think I will wait until I get a call from one of my clients, they have a different Target that might have the basket AND cover at the same time *gasp* plus there's a Stop & Shop with gas station there too - I have enough points to get about 20 cents per gallon off and I LIKE THAT! hehehehe.

Records that is. *grins*

Feel free to forward this on to anyone you think might be interested.

Just so we're up front, and I don't waste your time - There is not one Duran Duran or DD side project in this pile. I'm also keeping all the B52's and most of the Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks stuff. I actually found some rare stuff in the 45s, and it fills out my collection nicely.

I'm also going to post a link to this list to Facebook, so apologies if you see it twice.

( Stuff I'm going to put up to Ebay, maybe, I think I should be able to get a couple of bucks for, maybe make me an offer )

( Records I'm Giving away - will go to Got Books if no takers )

( 45's I'm thinking of putting up to Ebay, make an offer )

( 45's for free, condition is meh, ask me for details )

*loves*

And I can tell it's running better. I'm not sure what to say about such a gradual change that I don't see it/hear it. I can't ask about something I don't notice and it's doubtful something's going to be caught if it's not noticed by the end user.

The damage financially also wasn't as bad as anticipated. I misheard the dude on one of the charges.

Now things need to STAY this way. No more fuck ups this week.

"Can we put a new battery in it, because it's not running long enough for us to diagnose the problem?"

Well YEAH put in a battery - but I'm curious as to WHY they don't have a battery for just this purpose - which they won't necessarily have to charge me for. For, you know, testing purposes.

But maybe I'm too fastidious. And think service shouldn't necessarily cost me $150 before it's looked at.

This is here to remind me to find a mechanic I trust. For the next time.

(also, yes of course the Check Engine light is on. it's been having a bad WEEK so far, a Check Engine light is the least of my issues!)

(and honestly - are we sure a new battery is going to fix this issue? I just don't think so but hey, I don't fix cars for a living what do I know?)

the short answer - the car has been sent off to the dealer.

So Stepfather came over (I'm still not sure of using the term, but it DOES belong on him married or not, whether my mom is talking to him or not. Which she's not. This should make my next convo with her AWK-ward) and poked and prodded the engine. I don't think he exactly believed me until he saw the car REFUSE to turn over. What I heard this time were the clickings of a car trying to start, and not starting, that I didn't hear the other night. And, as he poked, things started coming on in the cabin. The lights, the dash, the radio - which I realized then hadn't lost time.

This isn't good - it means the battery is NOT dead. And the problem is not a dead battery.

So we jump the car (twice - the first time the jumper cables fucking SMOKED - I was pretty scared. *snort*) and it does start, just like Friday. And just like Friday it sounded NORMAL. the revved as it started up, everything was working fine. he sent me into the house to google "How to test if your alternator is working without a tester" (Let me promise you - it's scary) I came back out in about 10 minutes - I needed to pee, I needed to find an actual answer to the question instead of the "DON'T DO IT!" that I was finding, and I brought him a big glass of water. As I stepped out I realized - I couldn't hear my car.

yeah, he says, it just shut off no warning and now nothing, just like you said.

At that point, we decided that short of replacing the battery and having that NOT be the problem, and after a phone call from his older brother )that went "Yeah, we did that, yeah, that too, yeah that's what I thought" ) we really had no choice but to get professional help, and it should probably be the dealer.

Now OK - I KNOW the dealer is not necessarily the best course. But something is REALLY weirdly going on with this car, and if anyone would have seen it before it's the dealer who only works on these cars. They should be able to get the computer to cough up the diagnostics for it. I'm leaning towards it being an electrical short somewhere, and more than likely involving the starter. It COULD potentially still be the alternator/battery setup, we just don't know. (Hopefully it's not ALL of them, because then I will have a heart attack and my situation will be worse than a damn broken car!)

A bit of a funny with the tow truck - he went EVERYWHERE but where my car was - three different driveways and he got it all wrong until I came out front. Then they're all "You don't have Premium service!" and I said uh YES I do - see the GOLD CARD in your hand??? They had to "check on it" and that took 15 minutes and the question "Do you SEE the gold card?" *facepalm* THEN he couldn't get it into neutral, towing for the Saturns are by flatbed is possible, so it needed to be rolled up to it. _I_ hop in and get it in neutral, but not before he'd reversed the truck in order to jump it one more time, to start up the car, and put it in gear. SO he had to turn he truck around AGAIN and rep;ace the hooks. Duh. This is also after he looked at me and said "are you SURE it won't start? Can I try?" well yes sure, but it wont' start and if jumped won't STAY started, so it needs to be looked at, and I'm choosing the dealer.

Maybe I'll get REALLY lucky and it will be a part needing recall and I won't have to pony up for it! and hopefully I won't have to call AAA again, because I'll lose my Gold status for a year by going over my call limit.(I think I have one more freebie left) I swear it's paid for ITSELF in the past 2 days.

Anyway, so that's it for now. Service will look at it tomorrow and deliver the news. I'm considering a walk to CVS for milk and some other things, but not until it cools off. Not a cloud in sight and I'm DYING from heat.

Am I wrong to not want to go anywhere that involves me driving in the busiest parts of town/highway at rush hour?

Trying to make ujp my mind what to do, in what order. I want to do laundry at the place I favor, and I'll be honest, I'd rather do it LATER tonight. That means Client Then Laundry. Rather than Laundry then Client. ANy of these things involve a busy road, at rush hour. *sighs*

I think I will eat something, hit the bank to upend my piggy bank (which seems light. I'm REALLY trying not to think the obvious, since there will be some offense, but honestly - it feels like Piggy was raided a few months ago. *sighs again*) and get some money for quarters, then head over to client, then to laundromat. I'd also like some Hot and Sour soup while I'm out and about.

It's all about eating a late lunch now though, I have leftovers from last night. Nom.

then I landed on the History Channel.

Unedited, un-narrated minute by minute bystander video from NYC.

The pile of firefighters and police waiting to, and barging into Tower 2 is genuinely heartbreaking.

It's by far the scariest thing I've ever seen.

is anyone interested in looking through my Cassette Tapes?

The second box for recycling is full, and I Haven't gotten any computer stuff into it, and I have a small box of cassettes left to put in.

There's so few items left that I have no issues tossing these, inserts into the paper recycling, but hey, let's get them al in the box.

If there's anyone who might be a taker, I'll pull them into a storage box and arrange a time for a rummage. Otherwise it's going. I just frankly don't have the room to keep them and no real cassette player for them - not in the car, although I still have a walkman, I'd LOVE to ditch that too. We has an Ipod precious and it has lots of lovely stuffs on it.

I'm trying to be busy. I'm failing.

ETA - OK actually if I pull some of the cassettes and send them separately I can send it media mail or Priority Flat Rate AND get the extra computer stuffs in there too. So less intensive but the offer still stands.

the Freecycler who FINALLY took my mother's stupid giant George Foreman grill was super nice, said thank you incessantly, came when she said she would and followed up.

I think she just restored some faith in the world for me. And I'll be giving stuff to HER if she wants it.

Now hopefully Newbury Comics will give me a boatload of money for my vinyl!

Please just take them. I'm just not sure if they'd even be of any use at a Goodwill store!

- Arms for an Ikea desk chair. I bought my chair from the As Is section, with arms attached and I hated them. I still hate them and it's time they left. Caveats - they only fit two styles of chair (see link) and if there's hardware to hold them on, it's long gone. I'm certain you could charm the nuts and bolts out of Ikea. And even if it's a couple of bucks, these are $20 worth of arms you're getting for nothing.

- a bag full of purple "Christmas" light strings, for the gothy 12 year old in all of us. I have too much crap, for serious. I don't need these. I think there's at least 4 strings, but don't quote me.

- some multi colored hanging files, for filing. And stuff. Purples and reds, some other colors. Like these maybe about 2 dozen or so. Promised to dali_muse

- Milkcrates. LOTS of them. They're a bit dirty, have been stored outside all winter, but I don't have hose capabilities here. Take as many as you need/want. I might pop these up as freebies on Freecycle around Labor Day for the College Student instant furniture section.

- 4 precut wood slats - they were for my bed and didn't work because my measuring skillz SUCK. If you need scrap wood - this is what you need! they're about the length across as a queen size frame - maybe a WEE bit less (See mad failure measuring skillz)

Um there may be more as I think of it. Feel free to pass this entry on to any friends you know of that might need the above.