Harbor Freight Period

So on yet another trip to Harbor Freight, Americas Favorite Tool Store. I managed to buy some stuff just to make a new thing out of. Anyone whos worked on just about anything knows, once in a while you need to make your own custom tool. Shortening a wrench, bending something to make an S curve, or even welding 2 tools together to make a better tool. Well Harbor Freight is perfect for this. The tools are pretty much shit. Not in the classic, breaking everytime you need them way. But in the Not made of hardened steel to last forever kind of way. So its possible to bend or modify without destroying. Craftsman and Mac are great, Snap on are pretty much the best, and they are all expensive. HF tools are good enough quality and cheeeep. Perfect for a guy like me.

Now this brings me to my point. I watched this vid on Instructables a while back about making Noise *Blocking* headphones out of Jackhammer ear muffs. I said once my headset breaks Im going make a pair. I did. I took my old Sonys (good headphones to) and stuffed them into a set of 7$ 25db Jackhammer ear muffs. I look like a fucking retard, but man are the great. Better than any noise cancelling pair Ive ever used, 200$+ Bose included.

They are great because my office is just white noise from fans and computers and drives, its irritating and I think its damaging my hearing. These make everything awesome.

A long drive for a short trip.

Wow, heres my last 24 or so hours. Leave SD, drive through LA to Santa Barbara. at about midnight I was getting tired so we pulled into the nearest hotel. It was overpriced and a smoking room. Not awesome. The next morning we drove up to Solvang for what was my Wifes worst meal at "The Mustard Seed". Lucky for me it was only my 2nd worst. Besides the fact that Solvang felt like Main St at Disneyland it was boring. Then cruised around the area and went home. Stopped a few times to take in the scenery. The Oil Rigs out in the sea is a really cool sight. A few spots along the Railroad is beautiful. The trip itself was fun though. I wouldnt trade it for anything.

Harry Potter and the waiting for Response

So yeah. Bid fucking placed. Listing agents On Fucking Vacation. Wait, what? Yeah on vacation. Who puts a submission deadline and their first day of a week long vacation on the same day? Rank fucking amateurs thats who. 2 agents, 2 vacations, 1 day. Its not a huge deal if they dont accept our offer. But its sorta time sensitive. We haven't stopped looking. We're not so foolish to pin our hopes on this alone. Unfortunately Easter, family issues in every direction, and now my wedding aniversary this weekend, will put us 2 weekends behind in the search. Thats kind of like running to Athens, and around 12 miles along Pheidippides realized he took a wrong turn.

Harry Potter and the placing of Bid

So, last week we put a bid in on a house. I felt pretty good about the bid. The house is sweet, and the offer was strong. But even if they pick us, there's inspections. And if the inspections are not ideal, then were back at square 1. This process is stressful and frustrating. Having worked at Universities my entire adult life I brush bureaucracy off like Shawn Corey Carter. My wife on the other hand is on edge. It pretty much consumes her every waking moment. Most of the evening I just sort of diffuse her nerves and pick dinner. I don't get scared until its too late. It's pretty much a blessing and a curse.

Mastodon and the Crack in the Skye

On the heels of my last post I figured I would say something about Mastodon. I just got their new album. I got it on iTunes, Im at work don't judge me. Its fantastic. Everything I love about Mastodon is represented, though some of the vocals do sounds a little off. Im not sure if its a style thing, a mix thing, or just them changing as people. Its not *bad*, just off on some tracks. The iTunes version I got has (Score) tracks, aka the Instrumental track. There is something to be said when an album removed of vocals can stand up like this. Its the Dennison of albums. Its available to the masses with little effort, it wont be as good as the Carol Shelby mix but its good. Yeah motherfucker thats a 2 chili reference.

Harry Potter and the status of Quo

So lately my life has been more or less in a static state. Not stagnate, static. My wife and I applied for a home loan around mid Feb, and its been a tiptoe through the tulips kind of month. Nearly every spare second has been pondering my future in a very real way. Babies, Houses, Taxes, Death, etc... They have a way of sucking the spontaneity out of nearly every interaction. Incredible what an unfocused mind cant accomplish. For a little over a month everything has become more difficult to approach. Work has been tainted because I cant focus. Home has become temporary proposition at best, and living in flux at worst. Even choosing dinner becomes exercise in tactical assault. Then yesterday the other shoe dropped. We are in for a penny in for thirty million pennies. Shopping for a home now begins in earnest and a real consequence that will last for up to 30 years...