vroom vroom goes the cars

Posted on May 2, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I brought Sam to the doctor today. The doctor, like many doctors I hear about often do, told me bad news. Fortunately, they kept me up to date throughout the day so they didn’t have to lay it on me all at once. They also needed to do that so they knew what to take apart, what to fix, all that stuff.

Anyway, my grand total came to $430. Another fortunate thing is that I didn’t have to pay for the major recall that was on my car, so that saved me over $1,000. I can’t really be sure because they actually found 2 recalls with my car and fixed both per recall agreement. However, what they did find that unfortunately wasn’t recalled and I hoping was, was the issue with my check engine light, which has been on probably half the time I had the car now.

CYL 1 MISFIRE, ENGINE OVER TEMP. BAD FUEL INJECTOR, NOW ON #2 CYLINDER. BAD HEAD GASKET, COOLANT LOW, CO2 TEST FAILED. RECOMMEND HEAD GASKET AND FUEL INJECTOR. EST $1606.00 +TAX. CUST DECLINED REPAIR AT THIS TIME.

I feel great about that. Apparently, this is a serious problem, because the two things wrong could spell certain inevitable doom to poor Sam. One is more serious than the other, and if one goes, the other is sure to follow. Sorta like the Twin Towers or a married couple that’s been together forever.

But that will be a repair for another day. For the time being, I have a plan to look into these parts needed, try to find them for cheaper, then goto my pal down the street OR call on my best friend to see if they could save me some money. These are some big IFs though… Because I need to find the parts first. And right now, I don’t have a clue of where to start. Well, other than Amazon.com which is where I find a lot of the things I have now that I found savings on. And at this point, shipping & handling is the same as if bought gas and I drove out to the store to get whatever I was looking for.

In other news, I saw a really awesome movie today since I was home and immobile. Normally I save the reviews for MySpace, but this one really got me since I’m developing a road trip themed series of short films. The scary part is the main character, whom is played by James Marsden(aka X-Men‘s Cyclops), is a college grad on a road trip to search for meaning while also avoiding following his father’s footsteps. Fortunately, this movie makes a lot of different turns which made me enjoy the movie a lot. In fact, I may recommend this movie to a lot of people because it’s so different and entertaining than a lot of road trip movies I’ve seen. Well at least I think so. Takes a lot of htose elements of inquisitive college kids, fairy tales, “the road less travelled”, romance, comedy… I don’t know, it’s just great.

And should you get to see this movie and wonder why it might make you think of Back to the Future besides cameos by Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, the guy who wrote and directed this movie, co-wrote and co-prodced the trilogy. I didn’t look into the movie’s score, but it also sounds similar. Plus, it’s another car movie! C’mon!

Well, ’tis time for me to go a-churchin’ once again. Then when I get home, I begin a-bakin’. More on that later. I’m about to be left.

Posted in babbling, car, movie

too pooped to poop

Posted on May 1, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

What a disgustingly long day today has been. I started out tired, and I decided to be coffee-free today, which really isn’t that much of a stretch. I don’t drink coffee as much as I used to. And I’ve been refraining from my usual medium iced caramel swirl lattes (with whipped cream). Nothing like starting the day off right, ya know? Anyway, I went back to my old usual–french vanilla iced coffee, although I’ve upgraded to medium, but I might go back to a small tomorrow. Yes, I’m getting one tomorrow. Try and stop me.

That’s not why I’m so pooped. It’s a start. I kinda had a late night last night because I felt the urge to watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report which I never got to watch and really wanted to. So I did. No real regrets… Other than the lack of sleep and energy.

Work was work. Nothing new to talk about. Nothing I can remember anyway.

It was the after-work that killed me. More moving of my grandmother’s things from point A to point B. Oh, and I met the movers today during my lunch break. I kind’ve wish I didn’t, but I was there for my grandma because my dad couldn’t stay. They weren’t the typical guys I’d hang around, but they made me laugh because they kept messing with the “boss” guy with this little rubber ball-string thing. They pulled it back, and let it fly right in the man’s bald head. It made a “bloop!” sound, so the guy doing it kept saying it, making everyone else laugh. Four guys altogether.

Anyway, after work I went back and loaded my car up with pillows and some other random things. I should’ve taken a picture. Sigh. Honestly, it looked like a small portion of my Comfy Room idea. I’ll talk more about that later. I’ll also take the rest of her stuff out later. I instead helped unload my dad’s truck and my mom’s van, full of mattresses, clothes, boxes of hats, and just… stuff. Some heavy, some cumbersome, some in between. My entire body was screaming. Mostly my lower back and most of the body of my feet. My feet’s yelling was muffled by my shoes. They are still whimpering because of the pressure I’m putting on them right now. And my back?

A few weeks ago I saw an infomercial for a device my father and I mocked and laughed for a good 5 minutes where basically you strap yourself on a board, then you make the board turn you on an upside down slant, I think at a 45 degree angle. But it’s supposed to help your back in some way. And right now, I want one.

In the meantime, I will eat my chicken quesadillas I ordered a little while ago, and try to call it a night way before midnight arrives. I’ll take some pictures of some other things later. Like the jungle in my dining room and my Bob Dylan kit.

Posted in family, office

productive

Posted on April 29, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I guess you can say today was a good day. Why not? I completed 47 or 48 files at work. (I can’t remember.) I “fixed” the fax/copy machine. (I just hit cancel when someone decided to made 115 copies (or more) of 3 pages when I think they meant to fax it… it was newbie.) And in the past 24 hours I’ve written 2 brand new poems. Well, I started the 2nd completed one a week ago, but I finished it at work. But of which are now posted on here. I’m loving that I can just email my thoughts to this blog now.

I’m actually home right now… so that’s different. I’m still playing with the settings, which have recently changed a bit. Like the fonts. I don’t know if that’s me or my various posting methods. I’ll figure it out eventually. I finally have a link to the other blog I post to now. Unfortunately you’ll have to scroll down to see it.

Anyway, my grandmother is here now. She’s slowly but surely moving in her essentials. The rest is going in storage until she finds an apartment. I’ll send a pic of the jungle in our dining room later. I hear her banging around in the kitchen so I better get down there and act sociable. I’m sure she’ll learn that I usually dwell in my room until food is prepared or served. Not that I’m antisocial, I just prefer being in my room, or out of the house. Is that so bad? Didn’t think so.

Posted in blogging, family, office

Forever Lasts Tonight

Posted on April 29, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

Orange meets purple, here comes the tide.

The shore begins to darken, waves continue to ride.

As the sun kisses the sky goodnight,

a group of friends approach in the lunar light.

Sandy beaches under star speckled skies.

The full moon shines down where a blanket lies.

Familiar music plays that I know I never heard

but some how I’m able to sing each and every word.

Unaware that perception of time seems to fade,

understanding memories were meant to be made.

Laughing, living, loving with carelessly gentle ease

as the natural and comforting warm summer breeze.

Slowly, silently, we lament that time is not still.

We all agreed, if we could, it would be our will:

this summer’s night would last forever.

The night will always reign a month before September.

We found tranquility in our little piece of the world.

If only we could share it with every boy and girl.

Alas, time moves on, and the sun returns to reign,

forcing the moon, stars and night from whence it came.

The friends continue to marvel at the beauty of hues.

The sun melting away darkness into light yellows and blues.

We, too, think it’s due time we slip into sleep,

but we’re too afraid to leave a place so serene and sweet.

Inspiring poems, stories, dreams, memories and songs.

It’s hard to go home when it seems this is where we belong.

Posted in poetry

this poem needs a title…

Posted on April 29, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

She found herself beautifully, tragically flawed,
always jumping for love when she should’ve crawled.
She’d tell you that’d say different, seeing what she saw–
looking past the imperfections and excluding all exceptions.
Ready to give affection with a heart san protection.
Again and again her heart gets broken.
And they say what doesn’t kill, makes stronger.
Again and again I wonder, how much longer?
How much longer can her heart continue to burn?
How much longer until she’s loved in return?
Have you ever looked in her eyes?
Have you ever seen them when she cries?
Do you know where she goes when she hides?
Do you follow the tracks of tears when she cries?
That’s where she truly resides.
That’s where her truth lies.
And it’s a sensitive place…
with gentle grace…
soft embrace…
slow pace…
wait…

Within minutes, hours, days
her heart has regains strength.
It beats to a new rhythm that plays
as a new love flows from her heart,
from her soul, to yours, and out to the world.
The girl who loved to love, because she learned it from above.

Posted in poetry

pics!

Posted on April 28, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

yay!

Posted in Uncategorized

blogging for the sake of blogging

Posted on April 28, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

1000 apologies for not really blogging lately. Since I’ve recieved my long anticipated LG Voyager, I’ve been trying to hook it up to all the things that I like using, such as email, MySpace (haven’t tried actually), games, music, banking and blogging. This blog has a feautre where you can send text messages to your blog and it’ll post it, so I can literally blog from anywhere as long as I have a signal.

Which gives me an idea… hmmmm… What methinks is I should text a PICTURE and see if that works. And yes, I’m thinking “out loud.”

If that doesn’t work, I still have my back up plan which is send emails to a special email address that is linked to this blog. I haven’t tried it at work or my phone yet. Whenever I do, I won’t be able to check it until I get home.

Back to the original thought… my phone is too advanced for this site I guess. Since the Voyager ranks with the iPhone, they aren’t capable of the special text-to-blog feature. Oh well. You win some you lose some.

In the meantime, I think it’s due time for some picture updates of things that have been going on around my house and at work. Nothing big, but since when do you need a big reason to post pics. Huh? HUH?? That’s what I thought.

My room is freezing due to the lovely New England weather. I have a love-hate relationship with the climate here. Right now, I guess it’s kind’ve neutral. Like the feeling you get when you meet your ex’s new boyfriend. Or your new girlfriend’s last boyfriend. In most cases, that’s usually not a good feeling. But if you are as passive as I am, most people you know live in the range between 0 and any positive number.

I’m supposed to be cleaning my room. And I’m almost done… sort’ve. I just need to vacuum. My floor is so trashy. From many strands of hair from the last time I untwisted it, to tiny Smartfood Popcorn pieces that missed my mouth. Which is odd in itself because I eat them one at a time. So I think I’ll go spray some Febreeze-like-fragrance-stuff made by All, then vacuum, giving my room that fresh smelling smell versus whatever it may have smelled like before. If only I had the energy to really clean up in here and throw stuff away.

Let’s talk about cloning real quick. I’d really rather have the power to split myself up for a little while, so one of me can sort through papers and junk mail, and another me can throw things away, and another me can hang/fold clothes. I think one of me would take a nap, and another me can continue blogging. THEN when all is complete, we all join back up and I will have these tasks completed, and an extra boost of energy because one of me was resting. It’s fun to dream.

Posted in babbling, blogging

Earth Day

Posted on April 22, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

So it’s Earth Day again… and some have heard me predict this time around, people will actually care. This makes Al Gore happy.

Am I do anything special for Earth Day? Earth no! Why the earth should I when we are supposed to be doing the whole “going green” thing everyday? It’s like showing love to your brethren and fellow man only on Christmas. I actually watched a Netflixed episode of the late animated cartoon Dilbert… yes based on the comic strip. Well this particular episode was titled “Holiday” and Dilbert complains how there are too many holidays at his job which means no one will ever get any work done. Although I do wonder if anyone works at that place besides him. And it’s apparent why the animated series didn’t last very long–the jokes are a little too complex. But then again so is the comic strip. At least I get those jokes. I gave up on Cathy years ago.

But we’re talking about Earth Day. All the years before I remembered everyone-men and women, boys and girls, of all ages, races, walks-of-life–all holding hand and wearing matching white T-shirts with giant globes plastered on them and doing community service like picking up trash or planting a tree. And that was it. You might be lucky to see the same kind of Earth-P.D.A. around Arbor Day, which to me is a joke. A holiday for trees. Why not a holiday for grass? Dirt? Water? Air? Sunlight! Oh wait, that might be Sunday… Which, oddly enough, isn’t always a sunny day. I think I’m thinking a wee bit too deeply about this all, because I feel the next step would be worshiping these natural things… which I know some people do anyway, but to some it’s considered paganism.

I can’t stay on topic today. I think I just wanted to say “I told you so” to those I told that Earth Day ’08 will be one of the more biggerer Earth Days that we’ve had. I don’t remember any concerts going on last year. We, they had the Live 8… But that wasn’t for Earth Day.

Moral of this story – go outside. Play in the dirt like you were 9. Plant a tree, or a flower, or reseed my lawn with some thick and lush grass. Do it for the Earth. But do it EVERYDAY! Not just today.

Posted in Uncategorized

working in connecticut

Posted on April 15, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I just got through reading about quirks in Connecticut from a news anchor blog, and it made me realize two things: where I live is sort’ve a quirk, and I haven’t blogged in a while.

Surely I have blogworthy news. Not necessarily work-related. We’re having pziza today, but surely that isn’t something I’d write home about. There is always some kind’ve food festivity goings ons around here. Not as often as my sister’s workplace. She had the nerve to text me and tell me it was “fried dough day.”

I drank my iced latte pretty quickly. I wonder what kind of effect that will have on me later. Normally I’ll drink a medium from about 7 til noon. Gives the chance the ice to melt and water some of it down. Which actually isn’t all that great.

On related news, I need to buy new earphones once again! And just like the day I was in serach for Smartfood Popcorn, not a pair of the ones I like were in stock anywhere. So just like the Smartfood Popcorn, I’ll have to wait a few days and then return. I also need to wait because Friday is payday.

What’s so great about Smartfood Popcorn? Well it is one of my favorite snacks. But I’m very particular how, when and where I eat it. I need to be relaxed and probably watching TV, so I can have a good amount of time to ENJOY the cheesy puffs of air one by one. Yes, I eat each and every full popcorn, one at a time. I could consume a whole bag, but if I can help it, I’ll just eat half and wait til later to finish it. Anyone, one day I was craving the Smartfoods and stopped by a local gas station and alas, they were sold out. By the way, I love the $2.49 bags. 99 cent bags are okay, but never enough, and the $3 bag doesn’t have enough cheese, and forget about the family size. Hey, I’ve been eating this stuff for years, you would have it down to a science too. Anyway, I went to a bunch of places and they were all sold out. They had the reduced fat kind, but those have reduced flavor. So I was popcornless for a few days until I finally found a bag at a store recently stocked. It was like a bad dream.

Anyway, it was like that when I was looking for some new earphones. So while I’m at work, I use the “reserves” which is a backup older pair I bought and leave at my desk for use with my computer.

Hey, I got a new phone.

Posted in Uncategorized

so much work not to do

Posted on April 9, 2008 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

Well, it’s not really a problem… more of a undoing, which will be redone later. Should I stop speaking in riddles now? Okay.

I may have explained before, but if not, I’m on one side of the team working on specific kinds of files. I’ve been given the opportunity to move to the other side of the team to work of the more involved files. HOWEVER, I need to be trained to do that, and unfortunately do to all the new people recently hired, there weren’t enough trainers for little ol’ me. So I am being switched back to the other side. I’m waiting for that to be confirmed so I can go back to pulling the files I can work. So in the meantime I told my manager I’d keep myself busy until the change was made.

So far I’ve knitted a sweater, planted a tree by the parking lot, molded some clay into a cartoonish looking mouse, memorized the 3rd act of Hamlet, discovered the secret of lucid dreaming, tagged a small portion of the building, due to having strong morals, values and a guilty conscious, I promptly removed it, washed my car, took a short hike, made coffee, and I was about to embark on finding a cure for diarrhea… or why it has an “h” in it… but that bored me so I decided to “blog” instead. And by “blog” I mean write myself an email of what I would be blogging if I could get into my blog from here.

This would be a perk to working at home I think. Speaking of home, I need to make a phone call regarding car and cable information. Because those are calls I never feel like making when I’m at home. Call it laziness. 7 times out of 10, that’s usually what it is anyway. 2 of those times, it’s a memory problem. And sometimes that 1 time is I’m already busy doing something else… like sleeping. Well, I need to do something, so something I shall do. It won’t involve diarrhea either.

Posted in office