~Off Topic Thread~

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I meant to say make sure the oil level HASN'T gone up. Durrrr.

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

As soon as I posted the last message, I immediately felt that I should have asked you not to tell Bruce, because I felt he might be terribly dissappointed in me, and by bad car maintenance. But that is very very good to know. And now I'm glad I did post it. So it's ok to put water in the engine coolant place?

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Yes, you should put water in there BUT the engine must cold, practically stone cold. NEVER put cold water in a hot engine; it can crack the engine block.

Have to go to bed -- let us know how it goes!

[StillThePrettiest 3]

oh, pointy, I hope it works out! car trouble is so anxiety-making

[Jeraly 4]

Ack - yeah can vouch for head gasket being expensive... when I got my first car the head gasket went and cost me over £300 - about a month later the car was stolen and written off... not a happy Aly I couldn't drive half a mile without the car overheating and I didn't have a clue what was wrong - freaked me out

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I can't believe I'm actually typing this but Bruce has two job interviews next week. Two! Okay, they're not auditions (which he is going on already), but they're honest to goodness part time jobs. One is as a doggy daycare attendant in the evenings (doggy nightcare?) and the other is for writing exam questions for a high school history department. Fingers crossed!

[*julez* 124]

I can't believe I'm actually typing this but Bruce has two job interviews next week. Two! Okay, they're not auditions (which he is going on already), but they're honest to goodness part time jobs. One is as a doggy daycare attendant in the evenings (doggy nightcare?) and the other is for writing exam questions for a high school history department. Fingers crossed!

Woooooooooooooooooo! Go Bruce!!!!

[Jeraly 4]

Great news!!! He's doing better than me!!! Sound like they will both give him some time to work on the jag as well

I'm back to working on my website again... I can't wait until I have enough momentum to get it online and things - I need to buy cheap materials at the very least though so I can make prototypes... Maybe plastic Walmart beads aren't exactly the way forward but Czech fire polished beads are cheaper than Swarovski

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Yay for Bruce!! , and double yay for him also going on auditions.

The car is in the shop. The heater was leaking. I filled the coolant tank with water and drove to the shop, it was empty by the time I got there. They're going to simply bypass the heater (just the one that sends the hot air in to the car cabin) and so bypass the leak. Hopefully I didn't do any other damage while the car was running hot. It will cost $100 and I gotta go pick it up shortly. I reaalllllly hope the gasket is still there and doing ok.

P.S I hate cars.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

People that I'm close to I will write a longer message. But people that I write cards to out of duty I just sign it.

I do have a funny Blagojevich story. This past St. Patrick's day I was at the big parade downtown. Anyways, all your big politicials show up and march around...for example Mayor Daly (who is probably just as corrupt but leagues smarter than Blagojevich). So I had snuck in a big bottle of Bailey's and was taking swigs of it as the pipes and drums and leprechaun shaped balloons went by...slowly getting more and more wasted as the parade went on.

Then I spotted some guys in the parade walking along the fence in front of me. I then spotted a huge mink like furry critter...and I knew it was Blagojevich marching in the parade. He was walking near the fence and whenever he saw a baby he would come up to the kid and its mom and kiss it.

I kid you not, the guy that wanted to deny funding to the Children's Hospital was kissing babies in true corrupt politician fashion.

Now, every high ranking politician has a cadre of body guards protecting them in situations such as the parade. Most of the time they are clean cut and rather serious looking men. Instead of such All-American types, he had what I would best describe as a "gaggle of goombas" surrounding him. These guys could have been pulled straight from the Sopranos...and I have no doubts that these guys were likely in some way connected to the mob.

So, being quite full of liquid courage at this point I decide to be a complete and utter smartass. As Blagojevich was about ready to kiss the baby directly in front of me, I yelled:

"BLAGOJEVICH, I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!!!"

The crowd around me started roaring with laughter...everyone in this state knows that he is a crook and I can't think of one positive thing I've ever heard about him. Basically, he has no fans. The governor looked up at me and shot me the look of death while I pointed and laughed along with the crowd, and he then shuffled off, deflated, with his clutch of cons.

Me, shortly before insulting the govenor of the State of Illinois

So yeah, that is my Blagojevich story!

Ginger -- I just wanted to say I LOVE your story! Awesome, pure genius.

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

yeah, I told it to C, and he p'ed himself laughing

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

So I picked up the car, and drove it home, and the thing seems to be working fine. I was so relieved, but I was still really watching and listening like a hawk for funny behaviour, being totally paraniod.

It didn't heat up, and I'm really hoping that no further damage was done. Phew! (touch wood)

Aly - do you guys have a Michaels nearby - they should have loads of what you are looking for. You would be in heaven. They do have an online store: http://www.michaels.com/art/online/home

P.S. Thanks to dev for pointing me to michaels in the first place

[StillThePrettiest 3]

we have a Michaels, AND every week I get a catalogue in the mail with a '40% off one item' coupon in it

it's one of the only catalogues that doesn't go directly into recycling...

we have a Hobby Lobby close by too, and while the two places are pretty similar, HL is better than Michaels in some ways, so check them both out if you can

[Jeraly 4]

I've been using http://www.firemountaingems.com/ who are pretty good - I bought the silver and gold fill findings and crystals from there for Christmas presents but I really want to check out the other places - something tells me that it would be best to wait until I had a job though... or at least until the Christmas shopping is all done

Catalogue every week?! *runs to sign up* At least window shopping from home is allowed Bless Jeremy he also bought the Christmas present things from FMG but I don't want him to have to fund my expensive habit

[Jeraly 4]

Hmmm can't seem to get the paper one so just have to make do with the e-mail