Not bad linky, Zdnet not like hotlink, went back and edited.

tinyurl.com/ymkrsm

Drama last night:

I worked a bit late because I knew Andi was working in Northfield until 10 pm, so I left work, and got back into town a little before 10 pm and hit the two grocery stores.

At 10:15 I was waiting out in front of the house in my van, so that Andi could pull into the driveway when she came in a few minutes later.

I waited. And waited. at about 10:30, I decided I had better get in and check messages.

There were two from Andi. Her van had broken down a few miles out of town, radiator blew. She was at a local gas station hoping I would check the messages.

I immediately looked up the number and called the gas station, "My name is daniel-" I began. "Here she is" he says. I let her know I would be there asap.

Problem 1 was the fact that I had purchased a large number of chicken and beef products at the stores and the house had two very hungry cats pawing at me. I threw the products into the fridge and freezer as fast as possible, and flew out the door to go get Andi

Upon arrival, I observe two cop cars in the parking lot. They were busting a drunk, so that was good.

I accepted a kiss from Andi and we set off to find the van.

She tells me that the Temp gauge van had redlined, but we paid around $100 for it, so not all gauges can be trusted. However, as she drove, there was a sudden "Wump!" and the car rolled to a stop on the side of a two-lane highway in the middle of nowhere. A river on one side, and a slough on the other.

Andi got out and started to walk to the road to the nearest farmhouse, a light showing on the other side of the slough. A few cars whizzed by, and one of them apparently stopped at the station with the drunk bust and told the cops. A cop car came by to pick her up before she got to the turnoff to the farmhouse.

We got to the van. The brightest emergency flashers I've ever seen were blinking, you could see it as you rounded the curve a mile away.

Coolant everywhere on the ground, I Decided it had probably cooled off enough to start again, and maybe we could nurse it back to town.

The engine turned over, but it didn't start. Since the temperature was around zero Fahrenheit and the windchill was in the -30 region, I said "fine" and we locked it up and drove home.

Once home and settled, I called Steve He said the battery might freeze if the blinkers run it down, so we should go out and see what we can do and turn them off. We left Andi at home to thaw out.

Went out to the van opened up the hood, and looked in. A 10 inch section of the radiator hose had split and ripped itself from the rest. It also took out the coil wire and two spark plug wires from the distributor cap.

Steve and I found the coil wire and put them all and place and tried starting. Battery too low. Jump started, it ran rough, but it ran.

Locked it up for the night and decided to come back today.

Today, After Steve showed up with the new radiator hose, I gathered some warm water in old antifreeze jugs, and we set out with some tools for repair.

Drove all the way to the van before realizing I didn't have the keys.

Drove back to the van and got he hose installed, and a bunch of water later, on the road. Steve thinks it's a thermostat. We made it home, with only one stop for more water.

Steve went out to buy a thermostat and get some recycled antifreeze, and Andi took my van to work. We hope to have it set up by the time she gets off work.

Good thing I have the day off, eh?

Better then when that crap happens when you don't have the day off. Good grief, that sounds like no fun. Thermostats not working do screw things up. Of course we use coolant, not antifreeze, but same idea. Good to hear that the cops gave Andi a lift. Not fun to be walking like that at night in any weather.

A bat's tongue is 1.5x the length of it's body: [link]

"That's why they call me Batman!"

Daniel, your tag reminds me that I ordered the Night Court DVDs. If the boys don't like Night Court I shall return them as defective.

eta: return the boys of course, I'm keeping the NC

Night Court. That was some damned funny TV.

I always wanted to have a Barney Miller reunion on Night Court.

Beverly, hey! I ran away after I posted. I am... freezing cold right now, so I'm going to build a fire. Well. Throw on a fire log. I don't have any real wood since last week's fires. More's the pity.

Generally, feeling good and getting ready for the holidays. I think I may drag the tree up tonight. Or maybe tomorrow. I'd like to be staring at it right now, all decorated, but all the steps in between here and there seem hard at the moment.

How you doin'?

Oh, ugh, Daniel and Andi. That's a lot of no fun, with a side of PITA.

Three dresses listed so far; unfortunately, I have no dress form and no decent pictures of myself wearing any of them, but hopefully the listings don't completely suck.

Dress #1

Dress #2

Dress #3

Two more to go, but one needs ironing and the other looks great on a human body but like ass on the hanger, so I have to take that one to my one friend who owns a dress form and beg for a few minutes of its time.