Friday, September 19, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Ah, making bread
Bread is one of the most basic foods one can make. And yet, I'd never done it until last night. I bought a bread machine for $9.99 at the Waterford Saint Vincent de Paul thrift store (dating from the 1980's but apparently unused) and put it to work last night. Flour, sugar, water, salt, yeast and a tiny 1/2 teaspoon of milk was all it took. The bread is delicious. I'll be doing this again!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
My Walking Route Today
Didn't go too far today. Lots of downhill, though, followed by a tremendous uphill. Good walk.
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
No walking yesterday
I decided to give my calves a break, poor things. Instead, I went to the Lowes and picked up a Pur brand water filter for my sink (I can't really say I'm a fan of the taste of Waterford tap water) and some sticky-sided weatherstripping for my front door, which rattled due to the 1970's era weatherstripping having disintegrated over time.
Then I went to the VG's grocery store in White Lake. Nice place - very clean, quite new-looking, lots of different choices. Of course, being me, I just picked up a few frozen pizzas and headed home.
And that was pretty much it for yesterday.
Then I went to the VG's grocery store in White Lake. Nice place - very clean, quite new-looking, lots of different choices. Of course, being me, I just picked up a few frozen pizzas and headed home.
And that was pretty much it for yesterday.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Comcast Cable Out This Morning...
I got up early this morning, debating whether to drive to work for an 8 a.m. meeting or to dial in using my company's virtual private network (VPN). The decision was made for me - at about 6:20 a.m., the cable service went out. So I drove to work.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Land of the Blue Fire Hydrants
Since moving in, I've been taking some exercise in the evenings, and I've noticed that the fire hydrants in Waterford are all painted blue.
Curious.
That's it for now.
Curious.
That's it for now.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Moving and moving
Had to finally break down and hire movers to complete the relo from Royal Oak to Waterford, but it was well worth it. All moved in to the new digs now.
Had breakfast at the Honey Tree restaurant. Farmer's breakfast, quite good. Bacon was awful, but the rest was excellent.
Attempted to burn down the apartment on Sunday while trying to cook a frozen pizza. Apparently, the cleaning people had left some sort of chemical on the stove elements prior to turning the apartment over to me, and when I put the oven on 'pre-heat', the heat caused a lot of smoke, which set off the smoke detector over and over again for about a half-hour.
As Shakespeare said, much sound and fury, and signifying dinner.
Later, I dreamed that someone told me "Never underestimate the value of an Iron Man lunch box." No idea what that was about. But I thought I'd share.
Had breakfast at the Honey Tree restaurant. Farmer's breakfast, quite good. Bacon was awful, but the rest was excellent.
Attempted to burn down the apartment on Sunday while trying to cook a frozen pizza. Apparently, the cleaning people had left some sort of chemical on the stove elements prior to turning the apartment over to me, and when I put the oven on 'pre-heat', the heat caused a lot of smoke, which set off the smoke detector over and over again for about a half-hour.
As Shakespeare said, much sound and fury, and signifying dinner.
Later, I dreamed that someone told me "Never underestimate the value of an Iron Man lunch box." No idea what that was about. But I thought I'd share.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Honey Tree Restaurant
Had dinner last night at the Honey Tree Restaurant, at 4176 Pontiac Lake Road, in Waterford. I didn't know it at the time, but it is yet another Greek restaurant - which are commonly known as 'Coney Islands' in Michigan (but nowhere else in the world). Typical diner fare, with the day's specials on a chalk board at the front. I was greeted promptly and escorted to a clean table.
Service was friendly but a tad slow, and the waitress seemed to be on the 'new' side, as she had to go into the back to determine what the day's soup selection was.
I ordered one of the specials, the chicken-fried steak, which came with carrots and mashed potatoes. It was OK but not great - I would not have disliked it if I had encountered it in a TV dinner, but at a restaurant, I expected a bit more.
The bread basket and soup arrived AFTER the meal was served, which is backwards in my book, but I am glad that I saved room for the soup - it was the beef barley, and it was fantastic. More than made up for the chicken-fried steak.
Price was fine, about $10 for the entire meal, including a coke and a refill. I'll go back, hopefully I'll remember not to order the chicken-fried steak again.
On checkout, I was greeted by the owner, who has got to be named 'Gus' or 'Stavros' or something. Where do these guys come from? Are they all from some neighborhood in New Jersey, where they wear wife-beater tee-shirts with dress slacks and say "howza you dinner?" as you leave? Do they go to some school somewhere to all look, dress, and act exactly the same?
Not that I'm complaining, but it is kind of funny.
So that's the Honey Tree, in Waterford. Let's say three stars out of five, subject to revision at a later date.
Service was friendly but a tad slow, and the waitress seemed to be on the 'new' side, as she had to go into the back to determine what the day's soup selection was.
I ordered one of the specials, the chicken-fried steak, which came with carrots and mashed potatoes. It was OK but not great - I would not have disliked it if I had encountered it in a TV dinner, but at a restaurant, I expected a bit more.
The bread basket and soup arrived AFTER the meal was served, which is backwards in my book, but I am glad that I saved room for the soup - it was the beef barley, and it was fantastic. More than made up for the chicken-fried steak.
Price was fine, about $10 for the entire meal, including a coke and a refill. I'll go back, hopefully I'll remember not to order the chicken-fried steak again.
On checkout, I was greeted by the owner, who has got to be named 'Gus' or 'Stavros' or something. Where do these guys come from? Are they all from some neighborhood in New Jersey, where they wear wife-beater tee-shirts with dress slacks and say "howza you dinner?" as you leave? Do they go to some school somewhere to all look, dress, and act exactly the same?
Not that I'm complaining, but it is kind of funny.
So that's the Honey Tree, in Waterford. Let's say three stars out of five, subject to revision at a later date.
The Windows...to...my car.
Well, now that the radiator is repaired in my little car, I needed to transport it to Waterford. To do this, I came up with a fiendish plan. I had a friend of mine follow me over to a parking area near a suburban Detroit Amtrak station and then bring me back to work. I then drove back to Waterford in my SUV. This morning, I called a taxi and had it take me to the Pontiac Amtrak station, where I boarded the Amtrak from Waterford. I got off where I had left the car, and drove it to work. Tonight, I will drive it back to Waterford, and I will have both cars with me.
One little problem. Now that the radiator is repaired, the rear passenger side window has decided to remain at half-mast. It will no longer go up or down even a smidgen. My guess is that this is going to be yet another expensive fix.
In the meantime, I have stretched a hefty bag over the door frame at the top to keep the rain out. And yes, it rained quite a bit last night.
Fun times.
One little problem. Now that the radiator is repaired, the rear passenger side window has decided to remain at half-mast. It will no longer go up or down even a smidgen. My guess is that this is going to be yet another expensive fix.
In the meantime, I have stretched a hefty bag over the door frame at the top to keep the rain out. And yes, it rained quite a bit last night.
Fun times.
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Weekend in a Nuthatch
On Friday, I attempted to drive home to Waterford from my place of employment, which is in another Detroit suburb. Unfortunately, my car broke down and I had to call AAA to come get the thing and haul it to a repair facility, then take a taxi to yet another Detroit suburb, where my second car was parked (due to my recent move to Waterford, I was shuttling between cars, being unable to drive two cars at one time). Then I was able to drive back to Waterford, leaving my poor little broken car in a repair facility for the weekend.
The problem turned out to be a broken radiator. Repairs on the order of $600. Oh joy, oh bliss.
The rest of the weekend was unremarkable. I moved a few items to my new Waterford apartment from my old place using my bigger vehicle, but there is much more to go. Looks like I may have to hire a local 'hire me and my truck' guy from Craigslist or something like that to get the heavier stuff moved (bed, shelving, computer desk, dresser). My new apartment will still be awfully empty.
The problem turned out to be a broken radiator. Repairs on the order of $600. Oh joy, oh bliss.
The rest of the weekend was unremarkable. I moved a few items to my new Waterford apartment from my old place using my bigger vehicle, but there is much more to go. Looks like I may have to hire a local 'hire me and my truck' guy from Craigslist or something like that to get the heavier stuff moved (bed, shelving, computer desk, dresser). My new apartment will still be awfully empty.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Cold Showers and Other Fun
The Comcast cable guy was unable to get the internet installation done, so he left around 2:30 p.m. Not exactly the best customer service experience (except for that johhny-on-the-spot blog reply to my previous lament).
So I went out and did some shopping. Not too much - I didn't want to get carried away. Good thing I didn't - the power went out in my apartment complex (perhaps all of Waterford?) last night around 11 p.m. and did not come back on until 7:30 this morning.
So I woke up to a sweltering hot apartment, no hot water for my shower, and no coffee. Oh yes, and all the perishable food I bought last night is ruined. I'm wearing a huge happy hat here.
My first thought was that the rocket scientists at Detroit Edison had managed to confuse my request to put the electric service at my apartment into my name with an order to turn the power off entirely. Brilliant. However, a quick check outside revealed that no one in the complex had power, either. So at least it wasn't personal. That's good, I think.
There was one bright spot. As I got out to my car, even as I was turning the key in the lock, I heard the sound of a thousand air conditioners kicking on. Ah, the power returneth. I checked my watch and decided that I had time to make a pot of coffee, so I headed back to my sweat lodge and made a nice cuppa joe.
Well, at least I got to come to work early, since I could not bear sitting around sweating in my new apartment. And that led me to do two things:
1) Call Comcast and ask them once again to 'provision' my internet service. This time, they did, no problems. I hope it worked - won't know until this evening.
2) Make this post.
So there you go. Time for work now. It's going to be a lovely day. At least I have my coffee. Probably no one will be injured.
So I went out and did some shopping. Not too much - I didn't want to get carried away. Good thing I didn't - the power went out in my apartment complex (perhaps all of Waterford?) last night around 11 p.m. and did not come back on until 7:30 this morning.
So I woke up to a sweltering hot apartment, no hot water for my shower, and no coffee. Oh yes, and all the perishable food I bought last night is ruined. I'm wearing a huge happy hat here.
My first thought was that the rocket scientists at Detroit Edison had managed to confuse my request to put the electric service at my apartment into my name with an order to turn the power off entirely. Brilliant. However, a quick check outside revealed that no one in the complex had power, either. So at least it wasn't personal. That's good, I think.
There was one bright spot. As I got out to my car, even as I was turning the key in the lock, I heard the sound of a thousand air conditioners kicking on. Ah, the power returneth. I checked my watch and decided that I had time to make a pot of coffee, so I headed back to my sweat lodge and made a nice cuppa joe.
Well, at least I got to come to work early, since I could not bear sitting around sweating in my new apartment. And that led me to do two things:
1) Call Comcast and ask them once again to 'provision' my internet service. This time, they did, no problems. I hope it worked - won't know until this evening.
2) Make this post.
So there you go. Time for work now. It's going to be a lovely day. At least I have my coffee. Probably no one will be injured.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Waiting for the Cable Guy...
Well, here it is, 9:40 in the morning, and no cable guy. Comcast said he'd be here between 9 and noon. So I guess maybe it is too early to begin grousing, but I like to get a head start on things. Why wait to be disappointed, I say.
Last night, I got an automated phone call from Comcast. They wanted to confirm my appointment for this morning, but first, they demanded that I enter my 'home phone number'. Well, they called me - they have my 'home phone number', don't they? But I obligingly entered it. Nope, the voice declared - that is not my home phone number. OK, maybe I fat-fingered it. I tried again. No, no, no, the voice scolded me. That is not your phone number. OK, I give up.
At this point, the voice assured me that the cable guy would arrive in the morning and gave me the option of pressing '5' to hang up. I wonder why I just can't hang up? Does pressing '5' cause something to happen that ordinarily would not? Ever the obedient consumer, I pressed 6, 7, and 2, then hung up.
Now I wait in hope for my cable guy to arrive.
Oh, and in the meantime - I am posting this using a neighbor's wireless internet - they really should encrypt their router, but at the moment, I'm grateful for it.
More news as events warrant...
UPDATE: Well, here we are at 12:04 and no cable guy. I called and was told that he'd be here between 9:30 and 12:30, which is 25 minutes away. I asked to be transferred to the dispatcher, and was. She (Tracy) got in touch with the installer and he apparently told her he was hung up on an install where the customer wanted much more than they had originally requested, so he was going to be 2 p.m. or even later. I am being bugged by my employer to get to work - so this is not looking good. Tracy offered to have the installer come between 4 and 7 p.m. - not really helpful. She then offered to reschedule for a different day. No, I've already taken one day off work and got my boss mad at me, I really can't take another. She agreed to call a supervisor and see if someone could come out here and hook me up. I now await a call from a supervisor. Sigh.
I would like to say that cable companies are not all like this - but you know, they're all like this.
Last night, I got an automated phone call from Comcast. They wanted to confirm my appointment for this morning, but first, they demanded that I enter my 'home phone number'. Well, they called me - they have my 'home phone number', don't they? But I obligingly entered it. Nope, the voice declared - that is not my home phone number. OK, maybe I fat-fingered it. I tried again. No, no, no, the voice scolded me. That is not your phone number. OK, I give up.
At this point, the voice assured me that the cable guy would arrive in the morning and gave me the option of pressing '5' to hang up. I wonder why I just can't hang up? Does pressing '5' cause something to happen that ordinarily would not? Ever the obedient consumer, I pressed 6, 7, and 2, then hung up.
Now I wait in hope for my cable guy to arrive.
Oh, and in the meantime - I am posting this using a neighbor's wireless internet - they really should encrypt their router, but at the moment, I'm grateful for it.
More news as events warrant...
UPDATE: Well, here we are at 12:04 and no cable guy. I called and was told that he'd be here between 9:30 and 12:30, which is 25 minutes away. I asked to be transferred to the dispatcher, and was. She (Tracy) got in touch with the installer and he apparently told her he was hung up on an install where the customer wanted much more than they had originally requested, so he was going to be 2 p.m. or even later. I am being bugged by my employer to get to work - so this is not looking good. Tracy offered to have the installer come between 4 and 7 p.m. - not really helpful. She then offered to reschedule for a different day. No, I've already taken one day off work and got my boss mad at me, I really can't take another. She agreed to call a supervisor and see if someone could come out here and hook me up. I now await a call from a supervisor. Sigh.
I would like to say that cable companies are not all like this - but you know, they're all like this.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Dreaded First Post
Short and sweet - I have arrived in Waterford, Michigan. The cable guy arrives tomorrow morning, I guess that will make me official. The terror has begun.
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