This and that: the heat, the car, Comic Con, and Oslo :(

[wraithfodder]

Wow, can’t believe Borders is truly gone now, or will be rather shortly. Despite having two Barnes & Nobles with relatively not-hideous driving distance, I have barely gone to them. I just loved Borders a lot more. They gave me coupons for discounts without making me pay to get a card to get a discount. I suspect that the bulk of my book purchases will be at library book sales (cuz, well, they’re cheap and I can find some gems) and online. I went to B&N today, looking for a blank book. I’d picked up a pretty one at Borders but B&N’s selection is well, sorry to say, dull. I did get an email from Borders that my Borders points are being transferred over to the I-still-can’t-figure-out WOW points. My brain hurts.

  And, it’s HOT here. Over 100 Fahrenheit and oh crap, I forgot to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Too late now. I’m watching the San Diego Comic Con coverage on the G4 channel and it’s four (4?!) hours long. An excuse to stay cool. However, I miss any mention of Stargate since the show is gone. Sigh. But as for the heat, we lost power yesterday around 6:00 pm, the result of everybody coming home from working and turning on those friggin energy-sucking X-boxes and big-screen TVs. I think they should tax any TV over a certain size to pay to improve the electrical infrastructure. That, or put commercial meters on all those MacMansions and make they pay the hideous commercial rates. Maybe then they wouldn’t leave those TVs on standby all day long… Anyway, I’d love to do SDCC but it’s on the wrong coast and it sells out for the next year at the con itself. Now if I win Powerball, then I could do it, cuz I’d need to just to pay for the gouging hotel rates!

I’ve become a bit addicted to books on CD. I keep taking them out of the library, and while I started with some medical thrillers (Robin Cook), I then went to Tony Hillerman, and got hooked on anything narrated by George Guidell. Next I found “One Second After” narrated by Joe Barrett, so I took out “Ten Hours Till Dawn”, a book I’d never have read I’m sure if he hadn’t narrated, and am now listening to “Lay of the Land.” And a friend suggested the C.J. Box books. I loved the one audiobook (narrated by David Chandler), but the rest I’ll have to read as they don’t have all the books on CD. Darn.

And, well, not long after MediaWest*Con I was in a car accident. I’m okay (slight whiplash) and the car honestly did not look all that bad, but being nearly 20 years old, the insurance company said “totalled’ and I was out of car. Ack. I knew I’d have to replace it, but looking at new cars is a dreaded chore. I compared used vs. news, Toyota vs. Hyundai vs. Honda. Well, I finally broke down cuz I couldn’t borrow a relative’s car forever, nor I could renew my plates for several months without having a car to attach them too. So, got a 2011 Honda Civic LX sedan. I was tempted to get used, but the prices around here are so hideous on used aka pre-owned that in the long run, the new car was better, as when I buy a car, I keep it till it dies of old age (well, hopefully). The plus side is I now have heat and A/C, and OMG, a CD player! I’ve moved into the next century. It also comes with a doohickie for my iPod, which whenever I get an iPod, will be useful. The user’s manual is nearly an inch thick. The user’s manual for my old Accord was very thin and easy. I do miss the old car as it was simple to get fixed, mostly. Just wish it’s had a CD player and not so much rust in the rear quarter panel (flaw of that design).

Here’s a photo of the money pit to which I am now indebted for several years…and will no doubt worry incessantly about that first scratch or nick, and some evil bird pooped on it today. ARGH!!



Meanwhile, words fail me on the heinous acts committed by that person in Oslo, Norway. I seriously hope that the Norwegian government will reassess their penal system and lock that person away for the rest of his life and never let him see the light of day ever again… and never let him speak on camera. That's what he wants. Ban it! 

 

Comments

[luveskane.livejournal.com]

The thought that Borders is going to be no more is very upsetting. It is my favorite book store, I have gladly passed by several B&N and Books A Million stores to shop at Borders. :(

Sorry to hear about the accident, glad you are ok. The new car looks nice and whoo hoo to having a cd player and ipod dock, I still havent reached that stage yet LOL.

Did you hear that Joe is going to be on an episode of Fringe? I just found out about that today, don't watch the show but I will watch his episode.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, made another entry right after this one about Joe being on FRINGE. Now I'm gonna HAVE to watch it! ;)

I know the feeling about Borders. It had such a good vibe to shopping there.

I would have held out for a lot longer on the car had the accident not occurred. It IS nice having a CD player though. Still adjusting to driving an automatic. been driving a stick for ... since the beginning! ;)

[luveskane.livejournal.com]

I saw that right after I posted my comment. Had a D'oh moment haha.

It really did have a great vibe, I could spend hours in that store. Guess it might be time to break down and get an e-reader.

I know what you mean, I always drive my cars until they start costing more money to repair then they are worth. I have been thinking I may update to an HD radio this year for my suburban.I never have gotten the hang of a stick shift lol.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Stick shifts are fun, if you don't live in a congested area. Never used to be that way, but now it's like L.A.

[luveskane.livejournal.com]

They would stink in this area then. The roads are terrible!