As of today (27th) the new releases page on their website is still a week behind – not very useful!

In other news, some drunk drove his car into the front of their store Friday night.  Ouch.

Anyway, back to work & off to listen to the new album.

The pictures with less snow are from yesterday, when it was just getting started.  We don’t have as many from today because it’s hard to get out there & get around…Jen just took the trash out (down the back stairs), and that was a mini-adventure.  She did get to break in her new snow boots though.  I really need a pair of boots too…I just hate buying things I’ll only use 2 weeks out of the year.

The pictures don’t really do it justice…there were at least 6 inches stacked just on each of our back stairs – not a lot for some people I know, but a lot for us.

PS: I’m glad we have a garage.

Hopefully it clears up enough tomorrow for Jen to get to work safely.

When we bought this one, the inspectors found a problem with the main sewer line – ratholes and the like (Portland is evidently overrun with sewer rats).  So the sellers paid for the repair of course BUT we had to wait potentially 6 months to get the repairs actually done, due to the city not releasing permits because we are on a party line with the neighbors and other fun stuff.

So yeah.  The main line is backing up now, funky water oozing up out of the basement whenever we use more than a trickle. All our spare towels are wet and nasty and we can’t clean them because that would back it up even farther…neverminding that we have to take minimal showers/baths and, you know, other fun stuff.

The guy came out and took a look just now, and he said hopefully they can get it cleaned out BUT if they can’t we are stuck waiting for the city permit!

FUN.

I saw this dude (who had rather creepy posture) while I was waiting for the bus the other day.  I didn’t get a chance to see his sign – I really wish I had.  I wonder if it says something like “Need $$: lost/stolen bike!”  Oh, and don’t forget the “God bless!” at the end!

So yeah…why was he hiding his bike??

My other image is a response of sorts to Josh’s post:

Maybe just in the sense of “it’s everywhere!” or something.  So yeah, I pass this house whenever I walk to/from the bus and always wondered what the hell was up with it.  At one point the Confederate flag came down for a while and was replaced by a pirate flag, but it eventually went back up.

Also, you can’t see it very well, but there is some kind of design (some kind of blue square or orb or something) in the center of the flag – does anyone know what that means?

]]> http://onefinemess.rhinopanda.net/2008/10/08/2-pictures-from-my-phone/feed/ 6 http://onefinemess.rhinopanda.net/2008/08/19/good-things/ http://onefinemess.rhinopanda.net/2008/08/19/good-things/#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:51:48 +0000 onefinemess http://onefinemess.wordpress.com/?p=438 It’s a crazy year for the Frenches.  A good kind of crazy.

The dice in my head (you know, like Mat from the Wheel of Time series? I’ve literally felt like that for the past month – it was maddening!) finally stopped rolling on Friday.   And it was a pretty good roll.

Everything went through, and after 24 hours with a nigh zero balance in all our bank accounts, they are back to normal AND we’ve got a shiny new set of house keys.  OK, so they’re not THAT shiny.  But I can polish them!

Jen started in her new position as Office Manager on Monday!

I finally heard back on my position title change and raise request…with a positive!

So, after 18 annoying months in Vancouver, things are really looking bright!  Not that they were “bad” before, but man were we so ready to get back to Portland.  It was just something we did to save money and adjust to the financial burden of a new child, and it worked for that.  But…SEE YA!

Next month is our Hawaii trip, 5 year wedding anniversary & Jen’s 28th, then November is my 30th, for which I’ll be meeting some old friends in Vegas (baby!).

Funny/odd world coincidence thing: we both started our new/promoted positions on the same day (technically, if not actually).

So yeah, I pull into the other lane and go around him.  He gives me a dirty look.  SERIOUSLY?

Jesus people, you wonder why drivers get annoyed with you?  Don’t be a goddam jackass.

will we get it?

well, there is no sane reason why we wouldn’t – we offered exactly what the seller asked!

yes, we are THAT tired of hunting.  no, but seriously, it’s worth what they are asking, and someone else would have offered and topped us if we hadn’t started there.

soooo…yeah, we’ll find out tomorrow and maybe good things do come in 3s and we’ll have some happy news for californians.

….have I mentioned that I’m addicted to trail mix in the evening?  fruit n’ nuts. yum yum.

[UPDATE]

Surprise!  They are getting another offer.

I tell you…me+jen = perfect litmus test for a good house.  If we BOTH like it your house WILL sell for what you ask for it OR more.

NO we’re not out of the running yet, they are supposed to tell us by 9 tonight.  Whatever, I already know what the answer is going to be.  If someone knows there is an offer in and they STILL want to put in an offer…they are going to outbid us, and I really don’t want to play that game.

[UPDATE2]

:)  Go us!  I guess we were not outbid.  Crazy.

Now for the next round of drama….inspections, loan specifics, negotiations and big debt.  Go big debt!

Anyway, if you’re curious about that kind of thing, my guide is posted on the CoH/CoV forums here.

Other than that well…let’s see.

We still haven’t found a house.  The jackass bank on that short sale hasn’t so much as spit on us since we made the offer almost a month ago.

Z has been really restless this week (falling asleep early and waking up more at night, extra cranky in the evenings), I think he’s teething again.  It’s either that or sick, and I hope it’s not sick.

It is FINALLY getting warm up here.  I have a feeling it will get too warm to sleep soon, and that will be fuck awful annoying.  I hate extremes – why does it have to go from shitshitty to toofreakinghot?  Can’t it just be mildly warm.  I love mildly warm, it’s great.  I can sleep in it.

I’m thinking I’ll be going to the MtG Eventide pre-release, possibly all by my lonesome, but I did invite a certain Science Hero who may or may not be involved in non-fued.  I’ll probably blog about it and how badly I lost, but how much fun I had loosing.  July 12th I think.

Z is walking around…have I mentioned that already?  Well, he is and it’s cute as hell.  I’m not sure if anything could be cuter than a baby who’s just learning to walk.  I have a feeling it’s all down here from here (except for a nice bump when he finally learns to say “mommy” and “daddy” and then another one when he says “I love you” and give “real” hugs…that will be sweet).

We’ll be hitting Cali up soon for my Uncle’s wedding, and my family will get to see Z for the first time in hmm 8 months I guess?  Not too long, but a lifetime in baby years.

Then…2 months after that…Maui!!!  Our first ever trip to Hawaii!  We’ve got like… a condo with an “ocean view” here.  Soooo freaking excited.

Onward and inward.

OK, so we didn’t party. I did have one drink though – a Mai Thai that came with a fucking garden growing out of it (it was OK, but not great or worth $8 ) – and we had some cheap & good food. $1 for good Miso soup & $4 for a burger that Dirk swore was the best burger he ever had. For me it wasn’t all that (and no it wasn’t just because I didn’t get it with the fucking sauce you bastards!), but it was good. I think I’m just not into fru-fru burgers. For me, my favorite burger joint is still Javan’s, with the Hamburger Habit (now just The Habit I think) coming in a close second. In’N'Out is also awesome. The best burger I’ve found thus far in Portland (and I’ve tried many, many burgers here) is at Skyline (Google street view rocks does it not?).

Oh – half the restaurant/bar has the seats/furniture all bright & white (this is the eating focus section I think) and the other half is black (this is the bar/drunk/happy hour section maybe). We sat on the black side.

Dirk would like everyone to start “wrecking shop” instead of, perhaps, “going to town”.

No, I don’t know where the “meatbox” came from, other than my mouth.

No, Z did not order any alcohol. I don’t think they would have served him anyway – he wasn’t wearing shoes.