Health:  This must be the year for tooth issues.  I started suffering pain in one of my molars, so I called my dentist to get it checked.  Lo and behold, yet another tooth that needs a root canal.  At least I have my benefits now, so the procedure is almost affordable.  I did get the permanent filling on the tooth I had fixed last month, so at least I can eat on the right side.  I was able to get in to my endodontist Tuesday morning, so I will be pain-free before we leave.

Car:  We took the car back into Midas on Monday, where Mom and I confronted the manager about the poor quality of the muffler and exhaust pipe (in short - constant rattling + so low to the ground that I smacked it on speed bumps going 1mph = crap).  He agreed to order parts from a couple of different suppliers if he could have the car for several hours today.  We agreed and dropped the car off last night and carpooled to work today.  When we picked it up this afternoon, we immediately noticed it was much higher off the ground than the first one, and the muffler was similar to the original one my car had.  And no more rattling!  So, it seems we have success in this department.  As for the other loud noise, it stems from needing the flex pipe replaced, and that is being taken care of tomorrow - the car is already at the shop, and I will pick it up tomorrow.

Shopping:  Mom and I ran to Bath and Body Works earlier this week, where they were having their Semi-Annual Sale.  I picked up four of the foaming antibacterial hand soaps for $10 - 50% off!  I also grabbed three of the travel-size antibacterial gels for the trip.  At Wal-Mart, I purchased some blank DVDs to use to store pictures from the trip, as well as some munchies, and while waiting for my antibiotic prescription to be filled, decided to check out the toy section.  Big mistake.  I saw the Star Trek Scene It game, which I really wanted to buy, but did not.  Then I saw the Star Trek Barbies - I could only afford to get one (there are three - 1 Barbie and 2 Ken) so I grabbed Barbie as Uhura.  I also picked up two of the Star Trek action figures, and called Dad to let him know so he could look at getting the others.  I also found a Star Trek wall poster, and in the home dec section, four placemats with a grape design for the dining table.

Trip:  All of the hotels are booked, my packing list is completed, and I have started making plans with April and Maggie (although nothing is in the final stages).  I will be doing most of my packing this weekend, as well as doing my hair, working around the house, taking Goodwill stuff and recycling into town, and printing off the driving directions.  All of the hotels have free Internet, and I plan on posting a blog and pictures every night.

1.  Loaded the car.
2.  Went to work.
3.  Left at 12;15pm (15 minutes later than I planned).
4.  Drove 45 minutes to Delaware to my mechanic.
5.  Brake pedal is not squeaking - the rear brake springs are squeaking - nothing serious.
6.  Car does not need a balance - vibration is caused by tires being cupped - nothing serious, although I need new tires before winter.
7.  Rattling noise is caused by cheap muffler and exhaust pipe put on by Midas.  Uber-pissed.  If I had known that, I would have spent the extra money to have them replaced at the dealership.  Now I must go bitch at Midas to fix the problem to my satisfaction or get my money back.  *sigh*  I hate confrontations.
8.  Drove 30 minutes to Powell to pick up new glasses (pix below).
9.  Drove to Polaris to use restroom at Wendy's and grab a late lunch.
10.  Drove to Lee's house, loaded the van, rode over to the hotel, and checked in.
11.  Unpacked luggage, picked up my badge, and then got hooked on Vampire Wars on Facebook.
12.  Went over schedule.
13.  Changed into Tonks (pix below, but not great ones).
14.  Had dinner in the food court.
15.  Went to my first panel - Harry Potter and the British Life - it went very well for an 11:30pm panel - good discussion.
16.  Changed into pj's and uploaded pix.
17.  Typing this, checking my vampire, and then going to bed.


New glasses!

   


Tonks - I forgot to have someone shoot a pic, so I had to do some myself.  I will probably wear this again on Sunday, so I PROMISE to have better pictures.

   

Well, for the second time, I missed hitting a deer my mere inches.  A group of does  was grazing in a field about fifty feet away when they suddenly decided to bound across the road.  I hit the brakes as soon as I saw them start running, and the first two made it clearly.  I was sure I was going to hit the third one though; she was so close I could see the fear in her eyes.  My car flashed by where her hind feet had been less than a second before.  That's one way to suddenly wake up in the morning!

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We have a rather large group of Canada geese at my office, and several pairs are nesting right next to the parking lots and walkways.  On the way back to my car with a co-worker, one of them came right up to us and then hissed.  We quickly left the area - lol.

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Speaking of my car, I took it into Midas to see what they said about my exhaust.  I liked the fact that they showed you what was wrong and described what the parts did.  The bad thing was that I needed a central pipe, two gaskets and a muffler.  The good thing was that they were 40% cheaper than the shop at my dealership.  I went ahead and had them do the work, since the gaskets were severely corroded.  However, when I got home and looked underneath, I noticed part of the pipe set lower to the ground than the old one.  I compared it to my mom's car, and hers also  looked like my old pipe.  I'll give them a call tomorrow and see if it is supposed to sit that low, as I am a little concerned that it could break if I hit a large bump or something.

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Today was a looooong day at work.  Not only did I start the day a half-day behind on work (thanks to some old issues I had to deal with yesterday) but the other employee who works on some of the same projects as me left early today.  On top of all that was the fact that our customer service phone person was out today due to training for the new systems we are moving to in June.  Therefore, we all had to have a shift on the phone, answering questions and putting in work orders.  I am not a huge fan of the phone in general, and especially not when I never know when a call will come in and what the nature of it will be (I find the phone to represent chaos, which is anathema to a lover of order like me).  I also really don't know how to answer the questions, so I am constantly asking others what I am supposed to do.  Even the shift is only an hour, by the time you answer the calls, put in the work orders, email the vendors, enter the information into the phone log, make notes in the system, check the voicemail for any messages left during your shift, and call those people back, that hour stretches into two hours.

I hate the phone.  Everyone, now say it with me.  I.  HATE.  THE.  PHONE.  (Very good).

We have to do the same thing tomorrow too - ugh.  At least the other person who helps with my work will be there all day.  I can really use his help, considering that, even after not taking lunch and staying an extra half-hour, I am still at least a quarter-day behind.  *grumble*  The good news is that our phone person may be back on Friday, because the training is evidently going quicker than they anticipated.  *crosses fingers*

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So that was my day, and I am tired.  I need a massage.  *wistful sigh*

Rumors of my death and my sudden urge to keep the Internet away from me are both greatly exaggerated.  Basically, I haven't been online for a very good reason - our phone lines stopped working and we couldn't get on (yes, we are still in the Jurassic Era and use dial-up).  Fortunately, the problem got resolved and now I get to play catch-up on five days of posts.  *sigh*

I swear, my life seems to go up and down more often the all of the world's roller coasters put together.

-DOWN: Can't seem to find decent hotels at my stopping points for the road trip that are within my budget.
-UP: Mom agrees to come with me on the road trip, splitting hotel and gas costs!  For as much as I complain about her, I do love her and we have fun on trips.  Plus it will be nice to have someone to talk to on the drives and while out and about.  She has already said she will go off and do her own thing while I am hanging out with my friends, so that is cool.
-UP: I pick up the latest Warriors book.  [This is one of my fave series.  Written by three women under the penname of Erin Hunter, the books concern clans of cats and their lives.  It is grounded in reality, with death, fighting, births, and sickness all portrayed, but some fantasy elements are woven into the narratives, including the cats' ancestors (who form a clan in the heavens called StarClan), prophecies (which tend to drive the stories), medicine cats (who act as spiritual advisors, as well as being practical doctors to their clans) and leaders gifted with actual nine lives.  They are set up in sets of six books in a series, each series having an overall story arc, but the later series build on previous ones.  The book I just picked up is the last book in the third series.  There are also manga and standalone books too - and yes, I have them all!]
-DOWN:  Finished the Warriors book, and cried a few times.  Sad ending, but a nice twist that sets up the next series.
-UP: Gorgeous day today!
-DOWN: Took car into shop for an oil change and to get the engine looked at, because she has been louder than normal.  The engine is fine, but it is the exhaust system that's a wreck.  It might be able to be repaired at a chain for cheaper, but to have the components replaced, it will cost at least $800!  Of course, three payments to go and this happens.  So until I can afford to get it taken care of, I get to drive a car that sounds like a freaking truck (no offense to truck owners, but I don't want my car to sound like one!)

33 miles per gallon.  That's the mileage my car still achieves when I have a lot of freeway driving.  Not bad for a 10 year old full-size car with 145,000 miles.

Well, my flu/cold/sickness thing hasn't killed me.  I am about 90% back to normal, just some lingering coughing and congestion. 

I got my car fixed Saturday - evidently the seal around the tire was not tight, which is why is was leaking air.  Today was the first day I've driven since then (Mom carpooled me to work Monday and Tuesday so I could be doped up on Nyquil) and the first time I turned on the radio for about a week.  Of course, now my front left speakers seem to not be working.  I will fuss with the settings tomorrow; if that doesn't work, then I guess I will get them checked out next time I am in for an oil change.

Finally got my W-2's, so now I can get them to my aunt and hopefully get a nice refund.

Great news on the job front.  I have an interview tomorrow at my previous department for a full-time position.  Also, the open position at my current department will also be a really good fit.  I'll be picking it up on Tuesday when the current employee leaves for her new position (she trained me on her duties last week).  So I should be FT by the end of the month!

Why does it feel like I am always taking my car into the shop?  Not for major repairs (thank heavens) but for stupid little random stuff, like slipped drive belts or a burned out console light.  Now it's a tire, and I have a feeling it is the same thing that happened to another tire about four months ago.  Evidently the metals used in my model year for the tire rims is prone to corroding - not enough to be dangerous, but enough to be an annoyance.  My left front tire's rim had rusted by the valve stem, and it was leaking air; it was so bad you couldn't even get a consistent reading on it.  Now my other front tire is losing air.  I noticed it looked low this morning, so before I left work I checked it, and sure enough, it was 15psi lower than the other three.  So I put some more air in it with my little compressor, and checked it again when I got home.  It visually looks better, but it still read about 9psi lower than the others.  So Eric (my mechanic) will be getting yet another visit from me on Saturday morning.

I really need to learn to Apparate.  *sigh*