Speaking of iMacs

Dancer just put 2gig of memory in ours - it's much happier being an itunes server now!

I also just did a wiring job in my car. When I bought it, I wanted to get the upgraded rear view mirror - one with Homelink included, and auto dimming. Unfortunately at the time I couldn't get it as part of the package I wanted.

So I bought a used one from a very reputable guy on ebay, for less than half what Toyota wanted. I also installed it myself, meaning I did my first wiring job in my car. Made a few mistakes, learnt a few lessons, but everything is working as intended. I now have Homelink, auto dimming mirror and a compass built into it, and it's really neat too.

Tomorrow I have Circuit City hard wire my radar detector in, making that another clean installation.

Up and down

We've been having a roller coaster week.

I'm still waiting on my car, it was due today, but these things aren't always science.

We received news today that our annual bonuses were the maximum possible, and getting paid in the next paycheck, which is a month shorter than we normally expect, and we've never had the 100% of our bonus before (the goals to get it are always high, so we don't expect to get it normally).

Not only did we do well enough to get a full bonus, but we were also sent an Amex gift card with a few hundred on it, which was fantastic, a bonus bonus if you will.

But the ups came with the downs. I've been very quiet this week. Too quiet. I've been getting bored, and trying to find ideas of things to occupy my time. Dancer has also had a rough week, but we pull through these things well together with each other.

We're looking forward to a fun weekend, it's three days off work and we have friends coming over. We've got no plans other than hang out, potter around the homestead and clean the lawn up.

It can't get here soon enough!

New car?

I put a deposit down on a 2007 Toyota Camry today. I'm fed up of my teeth rattling on the way to work and back, and having to shout over the radio to anyone in the car (if the radio is down, the engine noise drowns it out).

The specific model I ordered was a Camry SE V6, with moonroof, leather, heaters in the seat and mirrors and the upgraded stereo. If we're going to be doing 100 miles a day in it, we may as well enjoy it!

It doesn't arrive at the dealership until next week, so I've not had chance to get a good look at it yet, but I drove a 4 cylinder version in Miami over the last few days, and have test driven both the V6 and 4cyl, so I know what I'm expecting.

Mine will be black exterior, with black leather interior.

The bad with the good

It always happens, you have a good run, lots of nice and fun and rewarding experiences and things happen to you and your loved ones.

Then something bad happens. That happened today. Not too bad though, fortunately.

Normally, we take my car to the office, but this morning I knew it needed gas, and we were tight for time, so we took Dancers. It had the GPS on the dashboard mount, and mine didn't. We parked in our usual spot at the office.

At lunch I went out with a friend for lunch, Dancer stayed. We came back and parked in our usual place again, around 1:30pm.

When we left to go to the dance class, I noticed that there was glass on the ground. And no glass in our passenger window. Nor was their a GPS on the dashboard mount, nor a dashboard mount. Or cable.

So yeah, someone smashed and grabbed. I called 911, they came out very quickly and promptly and I filed a report ... obviously nothing will happen and no one would be found, but I wanted it for the insurance report.

Unfortunately, the glass repair company can't come out until Monday, so we found some clear plastic and taped the window up. Fortunately my friend had driven himself in, and not come in with us like normal, so he drove Dancer home (missing her class, unfortunately!) and I had a cold, loud drive home with tarp on the window. It's in the garage now, safely home, and I'll work remotely on Monday to get it fixed up.

Hopefully thats all the bad we face this time around!