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Post by E on Apr 28, 2009 17:57:05 GMT -5
Bear, are you totally narrowed down to Toyota? Have you taken a look at Hyundai? I can honestly say I'm impressed with them. They seem to have taken incentive of the recent economical decline and really pushed their limits.
Den, is the train the only public transportation that is available? I would think that they would offer buses to accommodate their "oops'". Bastard bureaucrats.
Q, I am so proud of how far you are coming in your scholastic endeavors. You are amazing! You had mentioned J's latest "project in that other thread. Can you expand on it a bit? What is she looking for in a "client"?
Shannon, you have got to do something about the computer thing. Damn hard drives. There has to be quicker solution, I'm impatient.
Well to the community at large I have some exciting news.. I'm pregnant. It would explain my moodiness and overall pissy attitude, fatigue and general voracious appetite. Have I told you how GOOD cinnamon rolls are?
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Post by Denethor on Apr 28, 2009 18:50:42 GMT -5
They don't offer much in the way of buses that go where I want to go on Sundays; 'sides, if they did they'd only run every half an hour, and take twice as long to cover the distance. Don't know why a major city can't do better than that, but there it is. From today's adventure: There are three of us in a car; there's the driver, I have shotgun, and there's a backseat driver. We're approaching a light. Backseat driver: Speed up speed up speed up!Regular driver: Why? Backseat driver: This is just a really long light... Me: ...yeah, it's one of those where you look at the other drivers, and they're all skeletons with cobwebs to the window... Backseat driver: Yeah...if you hadn't made that light, we'd have been there for like five minutes, I swear... Which really is long for a light, but I still found myself wondering what Spinoza (or for that matter anyone not a modern American) would have thought of that exchange. Backseat driver gets credit, I might point out, for keeping us all conscious on the way home and seeing to it we were able to find our way back, so that role is not exactly a bad thing here. Sampling went miserably. The area we have been assigned is undeveloped (meaning no running across Realtors, but...) and full of so much undergrowth that the little orange flags we have to place beside each station, so that we can find it later, are always invisible in brambles and/or tall grass. Next time I'll take the Realtors, hands down. We couldn't even find most of the relevant spots with the GPS units we had available. At one point someone went out with the corporate charge card to find a fancier GPS (nice surprise expense for the company), which took more time as people learned how to use it...in short, it looks like we'll be sampling all week to make up for today. Today anyway was a ten hour day; tomorrow and Thursday probably will be also; no telling about Friday. The good news is that I can "bank" these hours to use as vacation time any time up to the end of the year, or take straight-time overtime pay. I'm still deciding. Oh, and there was a fairy full-size creek that didn't show on the aerial photographs, which were taken too early in the year for vegetation to show it clearly, and too early in the morning for the water to show. There are several places where electric cords had been planned from generators to air sampling machines, which will have to be re-planned as their original routes crossed said creek. Your tax dollars at work! Wish us better luck tomorrow!
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bear
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Post by bear on Apr 28, 2009 22:20:58 GMT -5
E, I've been weighing the differences between a Honda Fit/Toyota Yaris/Nissan Versa type car to a Prius/Civic Hybrid/New Insight type car. My first cut through the analysis showed that if I keep the car for 200,000 miles (and that is the plan), a hybrid is cheaper in the long run. At first I was leaning towards the Insight. But they announced the starting price at $19k instead of the original planned $17.5k. Then I settled on the Civic because it is nicer, cheaper, and more comfortable. Gas would have to be super expensive for the base price Prius to beat the Prius in long term cost with it's better mileage.
However right now the Prius is cheaper. Because Honda just undercut the Prius with the Insight and Toyota is releasing the 2010 Priys next month, they have knocked down the 2009 Prius price. By my calculation, as long as gas is more than $2.25, I'm better off with the Prius than a nonhybrid car for a 200,000 mile life.
Sorry about your Metro hassles D. I like your Mordor comparison. I'm hoping the Light Rail Cupcake Land line will open up this winter or next spring. They are putting in some of the caternary pole bases in right now and that catenary goes in last. So maybe.
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Post by E on Apr 29, 2009 0:12:11 GMT -5
Bear, makes sense. But being female and having kids and having a spouse that drives my car as well as an older 02 Durango. I think you should consider the comfort factor. Shawn is pretty tall (like you I'd assume) and his head nearly brushes the roof (not something we took into account), the 2nd row seating is a total pain in the ass to get the kids in and out of the 3rd row (again I didn't think about everyday use) and the maintenance on the pig has turned me from Chrysler products.
I guess my point becomes, consider how you will use it, how you will fit it and how much repairs are on it.
I sound like a damn old lady don't I?
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qira
New Member
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Post by qira on Apr 29, 2009 7:40:23 GMT -5
Good morning, friends, neighbors, country(wo)men.... Had a really solid day of studying yesterday, with little breaks throughout to talk with the guys doing our yardwork. Had to go rent them a chainsaw since theirs broke. Took them ice and water. Talked with them about how to trim the rose of Sharon. You know, things like that. E, as for coaching clients, that's a great question. Julie's looking for people who are really interested in figuring out what their next steps should be...who are interested in learning more about the process of making change in their lives. And really, people who are just interesting and engaged with their lives, you know? If you go to her website, www.newleaflifedesign, there're some FAQ's there. And she'd be more than happy to get emails about it, of course. Meanwhile, today is more studying - at least, that's the plan. It's all overcast and blessedly cool today, though, so I feel like curling up on the couch with the dogs. And I'm rereading a book I really like. Hmmmmmmmmm....we'll see what happens. Qira
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Post by Shannon on Apr 29, 2009 10:43:00 GMT -5
Good morning, guys. Good luck and congrats with all your ventures!
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Post by Denethor on Apr 29, 2009 18:01:12 GMT -5
Well we went to a Quizno's for lunch today and that's where all the Realtors were...at least there were a bunch of people in cheap suits of the correct vintage (the current bland smile/glassy-eyed stare combo is pretty unmistakable too), and we were reasonably near a large three-unit building that currently features a Long and Foster's, a Re/Max, and a unit open for lease...plus the building itself is For Sale...but they were afraid of us. Maybe it's that we were two teams of two, everyone soaked to the bone and muddy, our ratty outdoors-clothes duct-taped to our arms and legs because the ticks are that bad this year, bits of the Wild in everyone's hair and on everyone's boots...and we ordered these big meaty Mountain Man type sandwiches... Boy did everyone stare. Plus, the folks behind the counter were unnaturally polite to us, in the way that says they were really this far --><-- from tossing us out and calling the police. Nice highlight to our ten hour day of tramping around a "wetland" to take environmental samples. And to save the world, the lady in the Chevron ad will "unplug stuff more". Good for her. Still don't know the plan for the rest of the week, but like all things fieldwork it's partly weather-dependent so that's natural. I'll keep people posted who want to know.
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Post by Shannon on Apr 29, 2009 21:09:10 GMT -5
BEN has taken to sleeping in the closet on a travel mat so that he can sleep during the day.
WEIRD...
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qira
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Post by qira on Apr 30, 2009 6:51:14 GMT -5
that is hilarious, shannon. totally hilarious.
den, that's the kind of stuff that used to happen to me when I would leave the farm during festivals to go get ice in town or something. all camping-y and ruffled, wearing my pagan gear. pretty funny.
as for me,i appear to be having some early signs of a depression. TOTALLY ANNOYING. crying at nothing, wanting to sleep all the time, sleep not being refreshing, thinking Julie should leave me. it's not fun. so I'm trying to nip that in the bud. wish me luck!
Qira
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Post by blackrose on Apr 30, 2009 8:29:54 GMT -5
I'm exhausted...
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bear
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Post by bear on Apr 30, 2009 11:02:25 GMT -5
E, I try to think of all those things. I didn’t when I bought my old Jeep Wrangler. And I think that’s why I fell out of love with the Wrangler a little when I rolled it. Then I fell completely out of love with it when Little Bear was born. Its not a family car. It’s a bachelor car, and it barely qualifies as a couple car.
I’m 6’1”. If I put the Prius seat completely vertical and I sit with excellent posture, I might brush my head against the roof. I have that problem in just about any non-SUV car. So I tend to recline a little bit and slouch a little more. I’m thinking if I recline it one more notch and slide a notch forward, I might have a comfortable way to rest my arm on my leg and still grip the steering wheel. At least that’s my conclusion after having driven it home last night and in this morning.
By the way, so far I’m getting 52mpg! So far I've used 1.2 gallons of gas driving it home last night and in this morning. My old Wrangler would have used 3.2 gallons. My old Dynasty would have used 2.3 gallons.
My measure of a back seat is if I can fit in it comfortably. If I can fit it comfortably, it should be good for everything else. And I do fit into the back of the Prius maybe not comfortably, but I'm not cramped either. Its technically a midsize, but it doesn’t really look it. Our daughter can climb in and get into her seat fairly easily. My old Jeep was the worst for getting her into and out of. Everything else, compared to it is easy. The booster seat is remarkably easy to hook in too.
There is more space between the front and back seats in the Prius than in the Dynasty. Little Bear can't kick the center console as much as she could in the Dynasty. However, the back seat is not a roomy as the Scion xB my wife drives. But it is more of a light van design.
It is funny though. We do have a guy in our office who like 6’-6” or 6’-8”. He can’t get into the office Prius. I think if he tried, he’d make it look like a clown car. (That’s my other nickname for the Prius, BTW.) He’s tall enough that he gets special dispensation under ADA. Our office has to let him rent an SUV for his inspections.
D, have you guys considered getting lath and hammering it in to help you mark your flags in the bramble/wetlands?
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Post by E on Apr 30, 2009 17:28:45 GMT -5
Bear, Well I have to say that you cannot beat that kind of mileage, you just can't. What does Mrs Bear think of it? I have to laugh about Little Bear asking about "Mommy's car?". THAT is too cute. Q, you should give me a call. I think a little break from the routine will do wonders. Hugs Den, I hope the field work is progressing faster than anticipated. Sooner it is over the sooner the reprieve.
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qira
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Post by qira on May 1, 2009 7:59:08 GMT -5
E -- feel free to call me on my cell when you have some moments -- 240-515-4366.
Yeah, Den, I hope that you're not at work today. Definitely looking forward to coffee shop time. Your stories about the fieldwork are hilarious. Today wouldn't be such a bad day to be out, except for the thunderstorms that could be coming, I suppose.
I had coffee and reading time this morning, and I'm catching up on email and things. Julie just ordered me two books from my UU ministerial preparation reading list, so that's nice. I'll read them during my two-week break from school. Got my textbooks for summer - there's a bunch of them. Should be receiving my financial aid check soon, which will be nice. Gotta pay them bills!
Anyway, hope everyone is well. Big hugs.
Q
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Post by Denethor on May 1, 2009 15:50:00 GMT -5
Aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhh!!!! About a million times over. Today, I wasn't on the field team; it was my turn, along with one other person, to stay in the office and enter the data from the last run we made, which is supposed to be easier. Going by the last similar project, I expected to spend a half-day entering the data and packing the samples to ship, because that's how long it normally takes. Well I got in promptly at 6:45 am, and starting then, just about every conceivable thing went wrong. Samples were missing. Data forms were also missing! (From different samples, of course). The USB cable to take the pictures off the digital cameras was missing; someone had to run out and buy one of those, fer chrissake. No extras in the office. Then we go to pack the samples we could find into the coolers to ship. No ice-packs. A trip to a different store. No bleach wipes. A trip to the storage unit. Meanwhile, in the field it was once again raining; those people also kept the purchasing guy on his toes, so he's having a long week too. We kept having to call the team leader (who was busy in the field, with a bunch of subcontractors, at least one of whom turned out sick) for guidance on this and that missing thing. Upshot of the deal was a basically full day, working through lunch. Also, landlord hasn't yet taken the house off the market as promised; Realtor Dude called me at quarter to nine last night (bedtime for those who get up at 4 am) to ask if he could show the house, including my apartment (which looks more mad-scientisty than ever!) at one this afternoon. At the time, I'd thought that was when I'd be just getting home from work today. I literally bit my tongue, as in it still hurts, and said, now is a very bad time. Apparently icicles jabbed out of RD's phone at quite a clip, because his voice sounded distant as he said, ok, I'll just tell them they can't access that area. Oh, great, this week has caused me to alienate another almost human being. Sigh. And next week, we have the real data samples; this week was just the "background". Sheesh, and I already need a vacation. Or a new job. Maybe RD is hiring. Edited to add: next time, I'll tell RD he can show the place if he'll do me a favor. It's just over in the next state, and it's basically a walk in the park...
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hydra
Junior Member
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Post by hydra on May 3, 2009 8:08:57 GMT -5
I am waking up with coffee and a few cigs. I have been looking forward to today as my Circle group will gather later to celebrate Beltane. We will be having a handfasting of two of our members today as well as our traditional maypole ritual.
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