Updatarino
My car registration is due. I'm supposed to get a smog check with it this year.
Thing is, my check engline light was on, and I know that a smog check fails instantly if your check engline light is on, thats the rule. So I took my car in to the mechanic and they checked it out, charged me $95 and told me that they can't fix it because the part that was failing was recalled and that I was supposed to take my car to my dealership to get the recall done.
Trouble is, I have a Daewoo. Dealerships for Daewoos don't exist. So I called the number on the recall notice and found out that there is a Chevy place over in San Jose that does the recalls on Daewoos. Apparently, GM took over the Daewoo responsabilities. Okay...
So then my co-worker, Victor, lent me his key to the bike cage. The bike cage is this big metal cage in one of the parking garages downtown where you can lock up your bike. The only excuse I've had for not riding my bike to work has been a lack of a safe place to lock it. So I decided to start riding my bike to work. Which I did last week.
But then on Friday, my dad and I met at the chevy dealership in san jose, to get my recall done. We left my car there and my dad drove me back to work. Then, a few hours later, I found out that the part in my car was not, in fact, one of the ones from a lot number under recall. However, it WAS the cause of the check engine light, but now I have to pay for it. It was like $240. Fine. So I call my Dad and he picks me up from work and we go back to san jose and get my car.
So I have my car back, but I am still riding to work. I drove on tuesday and yesterday, because I thought it was going to rain. It didn't. So I rode today and I'm going to ride tomorrow, and every other day that I can. I like it. For a few reasons.
1) It saves me time. Sure, it takes me longer to ride 8 miles each way than it does to drive, but it combines my commute with my exercise routine, and that actually SAVES me time
2) When I get home from work, I'm done, I can relax, I don't have to exercise more. I love that. And, I usually get home around 6 or 6:30, not bad at all, considering that I would usually get home from after work bike rides at like 7:30 or 8.
3) It's good for me. It burns calories, it builds muscle. It feels great.
4) It gets me active in the morning. I used to not experience mornings at all. I got up, got ready for work, drove in, and then I was inside the rest of the morning and never got to experience mornings at all. Now I'm up and outside in the morning, on a bike ride!
5) It's pretty. Damn pretty. You would not believe my route, its beautiful. I pass beaches, lagoons.... nice neighborhoods. I could drive that route every morning, but it wouldn't be the same. You have to feel the air, feel the morning sun.....
Now, I have a mountain bike, and it's great, I love it, but its not entirely ideal for my commute. One, because its a mountain bike and therefore not as effecient at moving long distances on roads, and two because I don't want it to get stolen. I solved this by buying a "beater" road bike off some guy. It's not that beat up, really.. its in pretty decent condition, but its old, and unlikely to get stolen. Even if it were stolen... I'm out $100 which isn't nearly as bad as losing my mountain bike. I haven't tried commuting on it yet, however, because I need to buy some gear for it first. I need a lock for it, and I'd like to get front and rear lights for it, in case I stay late at work and it gets dark or something.
Let's see... I got in touch with my old friend Jared recently. We're supposed to hang out and go girl hunting together. Heeheee. He's the man. He has three dates with three different ladies this weekend. What a pimp. I might be able to learn from him, if he takes me as an apprentice. ;-)
I also started playing FFXI again. I play it with Ian F. Joel is there but I never ever see him. It's fun, I'm loving it. I'm currently concerned about my internet connection, however. It was dead this morning, every website I attempted to visit took me instead to comcast's "Walled garden" which is this special website that makes you download their software and crap. Weird. Last night a lady from comcast called me to tell me that I was late on my payments. I guess my automatic bill pay stopped working. Anyhow, I owed $140 and they were going to shut off my internet immediately if I didn't pay over the phone. So I did. This morning, my internet is broken.. hmmm.. could they have screwed up and shut it off anyway? Well I called comcast and the recording said that there was an outage of their internet service in my area. Huh. I'll have to see if I can get online when i get home. Otherwise I'm gonna call up comcast and make them fix it ASAP! I needs my FFXI fix. I be jonesin!
SO yeah. My birthday lunch is sunday at 2. From what i can see, I have 10 people definitely showing up. Which is a lot, actually..... I hope it won't be a problem for Vasilis to host that many in one party.
As with every year, my parents will be there and they are likely to pay, but just in case, i recommend people have cash handy.
Thing is, my check engline light was on, and I know that a smog check fails instantly if your check engline light is on, thats the rule. So I took my car in to the mechanic and they checked it out, charged me $95 and told me that they can't fix it because the part that was failing was recalled and that I was supposed to take my car to my dealership to get the recall done.
Trouble is, I have a Daewoo. Dealerships for Daewoos don't exist. So I called the number on the recall notice and found out that there is a Chevy place over in San Jose that does the recalls on Daewoos. Apparently, GM took over the Daewoo responsabilities. Okay...
So then my co-worker, Victor, lent me his key to the bike cage. The bike cage is this big metal cage in one of the parking garages downtown where you can lock up your bike. The only excuse I've had for not riding my bike to work has been a lack of a safe place to lock it. So I decided to start riding my bike to work. Which I did last week.
But then on Friday, my dad and I met at the chevy dealership in san jose, to get my recall done. We left my car there and my dad drove me back to work. Then, a few hours later, I found out that the part in my car was not, in fact, one of the ones from a lot number under recall. However, it WAS the cause of the check engine light, but now I have to pay for it. It was like $240. Fine. So I call my Dad and he picks me up from work and we go back to san jose and get my car.
So I have my car back, but I am still riding to work. I drove on tuesday and yesterday, because I thought it was going to rain. It didn't. So I rode today and I'm going to ride tomorrow, and every other day that I can. I like it. For a few reasons.
1) It saves me time. Sure, it takes me longer to ride 8 miles each way than it does to drive, but it combines my commute with my exercise routine, and that actually SAVES me time
2) When I get home from work, I'm done, I can relax, I don't have to exercise more. I love that. And, I usually get home around 6 or 6:30, not bad at all, considering that I would usually get home from after work bike rides at like 7:30 or 8.
3) It's good for me. It burns calories, it builds muscle. It feels great.
4) It gets me active in the morning. I used to not experience mornings at all. I got up, got ready for work, drove in, and then I was inside the rest of the morning and never got to experience mornings at all. Now I'm up and outside in the morning, on a bike ride!
5) It's pretty. Damn pretty. You would not believe my route, its beautiful. I pass beaches, lagoons.... nice neighborhoods. I could drive that route every morning, but it wouldn't be the same. You have to feel the air, feel the morning sun.....
Now, I have a mountain bike, and it's great, I love it, but its not entirely ideal for my commute. One, because its a mountain bike and therefore not as effecient at moving long distances on roads, and two because I don't want it to get stolen. I solved this by buying a "beater" road bike off some guy. It's not that beat up, really.. its in pretty decent condition, but its old, and unlikely to get stolen. Even if it were stolen... I'm out $100 which isn't nearly as bad as losing my mountain bike. I haven't tried commuting on it yet, however, because I need to buy some gear for it first. I need a lock for it, and I'd like to get front and rear lights for it, in case I stay late at work and it gets dark or something.
Let's see... I got in touch with my old friend Jared recently. We're supposed to hang out and go girl hunting together. Heeheee. He's the man. He has three dates with three different ladies this weekend. What a pimp. I might be able to learn from him, if he takes me as an apprentice. ;-)
I also started playing FFXI again. I play it with Ian F. Joel is there but I never ever see him. It's fun, I'm loving it. I'm currently concerned about my internet connection, however. It was dead this morning, every website I attempted to visit took me instead to comcast's "Walled garden" which is this special website that makes you download their software and crap. Weird. Last night a lady from comcast called me to tell me that I was late on my payments. I guess my automatic bill pay stopped working. Anyhow, I owed $140 and they were going to shut off my internet immediately if I didn't pay over the phone. So I did. This morning, my internet is broken.. hmmm.. could they have screwed up and shut it off anyway? Well I called comcast and the recording said that there was an outage of their internet service in my area. Huh. I'll have to see if I can get online when i get home. Otherwise I'm gonna call up comcast and make them fix it ASAP! I needs my FFXI fix. I be jonesin!
SO yeah. My birthday lunch is sunday at 2. From what i can see, I have 10 people definitely showing up. Which is a lot, actually..... I hope it won't be a problem for Vasilis to host that many in one party.
As with every year, my parents will be there and they are likely to pay, but just in case, i recommend people have cash handy.