Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Tie Rods: very important parts of your car.

Apparently my big white hippie van's wheel almost fell off. Before we complain about the van, let's just tell the fun story of what it feels like when your wheel is about to fall off. I was driving down the road when I noticed the car was shaking. Not badly, but a very noticeable steering wheel shake. I slow down and pull over just to make sure all the wheels are alright. They look fine, so I get back in and as I'm getting back up to speed, I notice that the car pulls very hard to the left every time the wheel goes around. By 35-40 mph the whole car is shaking, and making me very nervous, and as I get up to 65-75 it actually gets a little better, just because I can't feel the individual shakes anymore--so only the steering wheel is shaking . . . after a few conversations with my dad, we decide to tow the car to the nearest mechanic and get it looked at. Turns out a bolt on a tie rod was loose and about to come out, which I believe means cya l8r wheel!

Fun, eh? Now back to the hippie van. Yes, that's right, I drive a big white hippie van. "But Kendall," you must say, "why do you drive a big white hippie van? It's so bad for the environment, and bad for your badass reputation!" Yes, I know all of these things. The fact is that it's still cheaper to pay an extra 100$ a month on gas than it is to pay a car payment (old car--all paid off) and insurance (which my parents have so lovingly taken care of, because it turns out paying for insurance for 5 people isn't that much more expensive than paying for insurance for 4 people.). Awful, right? Cheaper for me ... but not cheaper for the environment. Who will pay the cost in the end?? (cue ominous music!)

Anyway, I decided to pay off my carbon debt by giving this tid bit of advice. (If you already know this, then I'm screwed! ) Did you know you can recycle those plastic starbucks cups? They are plastic number 1--better known in the polymers world as polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), or the plastic that every bottled, water, coke, moutain dew, etc. is made with. In fact, most clear plastic solo-type cups are made with this stuff. The sad part is that the classic red solo party cup is actually made of polystyrene, which, if you've been reading, you know we can't recycle in this country. If you use the clear plastic cups (and surely they make a tinted version), you can just throw them in the recycling bin when you're done. Which is what I'll do this weekend.

By the way, San Diego was awesome. You should all visit sometime.

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Friday, July 4, 2008

San Diego

I'm going to San Diego!! Leaving early tomorrow! I'm going to do lots of fun stuff like go to the beach and probably shop!! Anyway, San Diego is ridiculous, because I just checked the 'weather,' and, well, I didn't expect to be surprised, but I was! I thought to myself, "Self, you better pack a jacket in case it gets chilly at night."

. . . But apparently it doesn't. I'm looking at the highs and lows from weather.com, and I just can't believe it. There's not even a 10 degree difference between the highs during the day and the lows at night! Some days it's a 3 degree difference! and other, it's seven. Wow. Seven degrees. Bet that'll chill me out. One reason to live in San Diego! except that I think I'd get bored ;-). But vacations will be awesome there . . . here I come!!

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Wednesday, July 2, 2008

It's just like in middle school, only less running

OK, now. I was tagged, but I want to preface this by saying that I like Stephanie, so I'll do this one, but never again. probably.

What were you doing 10 years ago?


Today, 10 years ago I was riding my bike down a old country rode, when I met a gopher whose name was Max. Alright, that didn't happen. 10 years ago I had just graduated from 7th grade and was looking forward to 8th--probably because we had the science teacher most of the day in 8th grade (that school was complicatedly small--there weren't enough teachers to actually go to a different one for each subject, so we faked it). She didn't teach science all day, but she was still pretty entertaining. Now for the life of me, I can't remember what I did in the summers in middle school. I remember working in High School, and obviously I remember college summers...but I really can't put my finger on what I would have done during the summer before I had a car. I guess I was playing with the neighborhood girls, but they were kind of bitchy, so... wow, I really don't know.


List five items on today’s “to do” list.

Gosh are you all so organized that you actually have a to do list? I so don't work like that. So I'll make one right now!

1. I need to run my adsorbtion experiments through the HPLC. Now that I got all the air out of the line, I think I'm good to go ;-)

2. Then I need to work on a mini budget for my professor just so we can see how far we can take this experiment before running out of money.

3. I need to call my mother at some point today, because it's her Birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!

4. I need to finish watching Destiny of the Daleks, because I'm trying to get all the Davros Episodes in before the finale on Saturday (at which point I'll be in San Diego and not able to watch it until Tuesday, drat!!). If you understand that, you're a very special person indeed ;-)

5. I have to go to work! (the restaurant) Waitressing is fun, but not on Tuesday nights. Thank God it's Wednesday. Last night was simply awful . . .


What snacks do you enjoy?

Does anyone else think this chain post thingy sort of jumps around a lot? Um . . . I like sugar snap peas. And I buy an apple fritter from the coffee shop in my building about once a week or so (they are massive! so they last awhile). I also really love the fried cheese at my restaurant, but man is that bad for you! So I don't eat those very often (read, just smell them and watch the customers eat them :-( ). And jelly beans.


What would you do if you were a billionaire?

That's a good question. It's what I'm trying to figure out right now . . . At least the whole 'if money wasn't an factor, what would you want to do?' I don't really know yet. I bet I would just hop around and work all over the place. I kind of want to see what it would be like to be a cop, or a park ranger, or an actress, or own a restaurant. I'd really like to be able to fix a car, too...I just don't have time to do stuff like that. plus it's messy. I'd have to use my billion dollars to buy me some coveralls . . . Oh, and I would travel. A lot. all over the place. put that money to good use in more of an Andrew Carnegie sort of money?-my-kids-don't-need-my-money! fashion. My children will hate me. Especially since I didn't earn this sudden wealth


Where would you live?

Hmmmm . . . I'd have a house in San Diego for the winter, a house in Oklahoma for the spring, an apartment on Marlborough in Boston for the summer/October, and a vacation place in Germany!! Oh boy. That sounds like fun. Where can I sign up?


Um, so apparently I'm supposed to tag people. Uh, well most of the people I know with active blogs have already been tagged (yeah, I don't know that many bloggers), so I'll tag Nicola (who will probably do it), and Alisha (who probably doesn't have time). I'd tag Patrick, but I don't think he will do it. Ah, what the hell, you're it, Patrick. Whew. I'm done.

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