Ah, I have run my mower over something and now it's making a terrible grinding noise. And the lawn is only half mowed.

Grr. I just tried my mower again and it sputtered and died. The good news, I think my mower is still under warranty. the annoying news: I can't find my manual, so I called the convenient 1-800 number on the mower, waited on hold, only to be told that the dept I need only works M-F, 9-5. If I could have shot death daggers through the phone, I would have.

Winthin an hour, I saw two dead birds on the street this morning. Dead birds have always been a bad omen for me. I think after this mower business, I may just spend the rest of the day indoors.

the dept I need only works M-F, 9-5.

Because so many people mow their grass then. Sigh.

DH's flight home from Portland was canceled. Fortunately flights are frequent, but at this point I have no idea what time we'll need to be at the airport.

Last night he called me from the history section at Powell's and read off various titles from my era to see if I needed them for my research. They didn't have anything directly related to my WIP that I didn't already have, but he's bringing a biography of Horatio Nelson and a copy of Harriette Wilson's Memoirs. ( [link] )

I think he's a keeper.

I just caught the end of The King & I, and tried the beginning of it, then I remembered I don't like it all that much. Then I caught the end of While You Were Sleeping and remembered that it charmed me entirely,

I stayed up until 2 am watching The Last Samurai. I can't help it. That movie is just so gloriously BAD. It's gorgeously shot, with some really great fight and battle sequences, but it's SOOOOOO BAD.

And, while Hollywood is notorious for being wildly inaccurate when it comes to history (Battle of Sterling Bridge without a bridge in Braveheart, I'm looking at you), Last Samurai may be the most wildly historically inaccurate historical film ever.

And yet, when it comes on TV, I have to watch it. It's almost mesmerizing.

That's probably Ken Watanabe's fault.

I just went to a deli (not my normal one), and I wonder if it was being robbed, or shaken down, or something. When I walked in, there was an older white guy standing across from the counter, but he wasn't talking to the deli guy, and the deli guy seemed nervous, or maybe just weird, and the vibe was just odd. Probably I'm reading stuff in, because I don't know what that guy is usually like (it took him forever to add up my order, but maybe it always does?), but I do wonder what was going on.

I think i'm getting another lovely spring cold. not to mention that i had to take my car in yesterday for an oil change and get the air conditioning looked at because it wasn't blowing cold. i have a feeling it's going to turn out to be an expensive overnight stay for my baby. apparently i need new brake pads for the front, new windshield wipers and i apparently have some kind of valve leak. there goes my stimulus check, i guess. fuck.

New brake pads and windshield wipers should be cheap, tiggy. Like, $100. If they're charging more than that, take it somewhere else, unless it's more than just the pads (was it squealing? Do you need new rotors or calipers too?)

That sounds creepy, Jesse...but I wish there were a deli around here where I could get a good bagel or egg sandwich!

I officially know I am old when I am *proud* of myself for sleeping until 10AM. LAME.

I slept until 9:30, which almost never happens to me. Dee-lish. I shall be well-rested for Indy tonight!

New brake pads and windshield wipers should be cheap, tiggy. Like, $100.

yeah, but add that to the other crap they've done and it's probably going to be more than i want. the diagnostic to see what was wrong with the air conditioning alone was going to be $125. *sigh*

The ceiling of the our usual cafe fell in last night - we had to go to panera for breakfast. Which was ok, but they don't know my coffee order, so I had to think.