StandingWater Creations

Well, got a hankering for buttermilk biscuits and looked up a recipe (or several) I could alter so that it was gluten free (GF).

The reason: Erin has been hankering KFC biscuits of late and I will go and buy them when she wants them and when KFC is open. I'm jealous.

So, I found a recipe and decided to substitute a GF All Purpose flour for the all purpose flour the recipe called for. I went to the store, bought the ingredients and then had to go back to the store a couple of times in order to get the rest of the ingredients I needed because I discovered we didn't have enough things.

On the plus side, the dough was workable... Erin and I discovered (mostly Erin) that GF doughs were often sticky and more of a batter than a dough. The outcome is (really, really) messy.

Anyway, worked the biscuits, bought the ingredients, and baked them. They did not turn out. I will, probably, need to look at a variety of recipes to include GF ones to see what I can do the next time to improve the outcome.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay. Not a lot. Friday night Erin and I drove to Salt Lake so Erin could get her hair cut by Kelly. Kelly is a friend of mine that I met when doing Crimes of the Heart, which makes for a fun time when we go for a visit... mostly when Erin is getting her hair cut and done. This time, she was getting color added or removed or highlighted or something.... I actually spent the fist few minutes playing Guitar Hero and then did some homework that I didn't have to do, but allowed my group in eLang to get information we needed to make an educated determination about some modern translations of Beowulf. Wicked fun, I am sure.

After that we went home.

Saturday is exactly what Saturday always is... we get up, putter around the house, clean a bit, run errands, avoid people, and then end up at home together still avoiding people. Sure. It would be cool if people wanted to hang with us... and sometimes we go out of our way to spend time with other people.

There was a bit, earlier in the week, about us going on a road trip, leaving Friday, coming back Sunday... but that didn't pan out. Erin is still feeling ill most days (we are at, about, week 15). As a result, and because of other things, we decided that a long trip (eight hours one way) was not conducive to Erin's current state as a pregnant mom-to-be.

On Saturday we rented three movies, all relatively new releases. First was Dan in Real Life. This was an interesting movie. It stars Steve Carrel and has him as an advice columnist of sorts, a widower, and father of three girls, two of whom are teens. The film doesn't offer more information than is necessary to allow the story to move forward. I am not, exactly, a fan of Steve Carrel, though people like to talk about his TV show The Office. His commedies are... stupid. And yet, this movie comes across more as a drama than a comedy - a dramedy maybe.

Anyway, it was enjoyable... very, very enjoyable.

Yesterday (Sunday) we watched Enchanted a Disney movie. At the time this movie was in theaters, people were raving about it. At different times, I heard people tell me that this was the best movie, coming out of Disney, they'd seen in a while. And then I watched the movie. I didn't like it - I liked the ending, though... kind of surprised we made it that far.

The point, though, is that the movie starts and tries to shove an ENTIRE Disney animated movie into something like ten minutes. And then Amy Adams, Gisselle, gets pushed down a well, enters the real world, and begins to find that Happily Ever After doesn't always happen. The movie was... uncomfortable; the animals (cartoon) were actually rather abusive, closer to the Simpson's internal cartoon series Itchy and Scratchy than a Disney movie. At one point I think I looked at Erin and said, "If this doesn't get better soon I am going to turn it off." By the time we were done, we were done with the movie. This movie just didn't come off as great as everyone thought it would and caused me to want to watch The American President for a blurb toward the end of the movie where the president is telling one of his staff members why people drink sand when they can find water in the desert:

People drink the sand because they don't know the difference.

The movie actually turns the traditional fairy-tale story on its head, with the girl being the rescuer and the guy needing rescuing (in the end), it removes the notion that you can love someone immediately, and it promotes different ideals, such as dating and actually finding out if there is something in common between you and your true love.

Even with the on its head nature of the movie, it wasn't very good and I think people are so desperate for Disney to return to the kinds of movies that made it a household name that they are willing to accept the 2D animation combined with live action and CG (chipmunk) and to accept animals hitting each other, knocking each other around, and more (in the beginning of the movie).... This is sand. The movie is sand and not water. I think it's pretty sad.

Finally, we also watching In the Land of Women. This movie was... odd. Basically, a man (26) who writes adult oriented movies breaks up with is girlfriend, decides to visit his grandmother (who claims she is dying) in Minnesota (north-mid-west), meets a neighbor whose husband is cheating on her, and spends time with her 17 year old daughter, and ends up having a life changing experience all the while talking about John Hughes films and realizing what is right in front of their faces.

This movie had a lot of potential and felt more biopic and poorly directed than anything else. The actors were all top-notch, and yet the acting came across as... BAD. We enjoyed the movie, sort of. And in the end, you know... I don't have a lot to say about this except it wasn't really worth watching and certainly isn't something worth buying. Sometimes, I just wonder how a movie gets greenlit, financed, actors hired, time spent, and then distributed. Sometimes I sit there and think, "I can TOTALLY do better than that."

And yet, school, work, and other things get in the way pretty constantly.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I updated, today, IOTW with an entry on exposition with some expansion to the entry I did here. Click over, read, enjoy... comment if you want.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I updated IOTW... the entry is on the nature of the crime procedural. Go, see, read, enjoy.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 12:28 PM | Permalink

Yesterday, after having signed up for, and playing with (for a few days), StumbleUpon.com, a site that has a lot of different recipes on it. As I was browsing through the site (briefly) before hitting the button to move on to the next site, I saw a picture of Sweet and Sour Pork. I was immediately intrigued. After work, I spoke to Erin, briefly, about making it (mostly gauging her level of interest), and then raced off to the store to buy the needed items.

If you are interested you can find the recipe here.

Upon returning home I alighted to the kitchen, grabbing my computer, and started to put together the bits and pieces that go into making Sweet and Sour Pork.

At the outset, I didn't have any idea how long this would take and had some materials that once opened had to be cooked. So, they got cooked along with the regular portions. Amazingly enough there was enough sauce and marinade and sweet and sour for the portions of meat that I cooked.

What caught me (a little) off guard was the distinct lack of a meat tenderizer that we don't have. So, I took the rolling pin that we have and beat the tar out of the tenderloin on top of a cutting board. I would not suggest this as having to clean the rolling pin was a pain in the **woo-hoo**. However, the pork tenderloin was sufficiently tenderized and then dumped into a ziplock bag with the marinade which was all shoved into the refrigerator for a bit of time.

The thing about most American-Asian foods is the need for Teriyaki sauce... one of the key ingredients of Teriyaki sauce is wheat and so, I have to be careful before buying this. Fortunately, Erin found some a while back and I didn't have to worry about that.

One of the other elements of American-Asian cooking is Sesame Oil... again, Erin had purchased some for a dinner she had planned for us, probably stir-fry, but (before going to the store) we didn't have a lot left. By the time I was done with the first portion of the marinade, I was out of Sesame Oil (nasty taste on its own if you care to know), but fortunately bought some more at the store.

Anyway, there were a lot of little bits that all had to come together to make the meal work. For example, you serve this with rice. I wasn't interested in fried rice, though I do know how to cook that; and had to start a pot of white rice (the remnants sitting the refrigerator so I can quickly have Sweet and Sour Pork quickly in the next day or so), I had to have the sweet and sour sauce simmering while I worked the pork; and I had to adapt the simple recipe for breading from the wheat based ingredients to a gluten-free friendly recipe.

Making the breading gluten-free I decided to go with Bob's Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour... the other half was corn starch (which actually surprised me).

Once the pork was done marinating, I pulled it from the fridge and dumped the contents into the breading and then pulled a wooden (actually bamboo, don't tell) spoon and pushed and pulled and mixed and everything through the flour to make sure everything was sufficiently covered.

While I was covering the pork with flour I had four cups of oil heating up in our wok waiting for me to get done. At first, I thought I could cook the whole bowl of pork at once, but then discovered that wasn't possible. In the cooking phase, I found it interesting that you cook the pork pieces for three minutes, put them on paper towels, let them drain (and the oil heat up again) and then put them back into the oil for two more minutes. In this instance, I cooked half, let it drain, cooked the other half, checked the sweet and sour sauce, put the first half back in, dumped (and stirred) the first half into the sweet and sour sauce; and then did the same with the second half.

When the pork was all in the sweet and sour sauce I started the arduous process of cleaning the kitchen. Honestly, I don't think there was a mixing bowl unused, a wooden (bamboo) spoon, measuring cup, measuring spoon, and etc. not used. The pile of dishes was actually on the verge of excessive.

I stopped that process as the rice finished cooking, asked Erin if she wanted some - RIGHT NOW - and then filled a plate with rice and sweet and sour pork and sat down to eat, far too quickly.

I think the process took me about an hour and a half to two hours. Cleaning took me between an hour and an hour and a half. When all was said and done I was done with the day. Granted, the cooking was good; I appreciated the fact that I found a recipe that was good and filling and that Erin liked (she commented that I experiment with foods and flavors too much and was surprised that this one came out well). In the end, I discovered I really enjoyed the process and, if for no other reason, signing up to a new website that will probably spam me way to much was totally worth it.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Erin and I missed everything yesterday. We stayed at home sick and were glad of it.

When we got back into our lives today, the only thing that we discovered is that life may have happened without us, and we were not (really) missed as a result of it.

That is not to say that nothing happened yesterday. Instead, I did go to the store for food that Erin was willing to eat. While there, I bought stuff I thought I was willing to eat only to discover that between how I felt and the OTC medications I was taking, I was not (exactly) thrilled to be eating - period.

As a result, I went to bed, last night, and woke up this morning not having eaten a whole heck of a lot. That needs to change and I realize that not eating because I don't feel like eating is not a good thing. In fact, it's a very bad thing.

That, and I can never remember whether you feed the flu or starve the flu or feed the cold or starve the cold or... GAH!!!!

Regardless, we, I, are back to work, back to life, and back to the frustrations that accompany all of that.

Tonight I get to go through five lines of an Old English version of Beowulf. I have to translate it into modern English and then parse it. Fortunately, one of my classmates sent a rather lengthy email explaining what parsing means. This will, I am betting, help immensely in the process of working through the assignment. Of course, I still need to write five one-page response papers that were described as, "closer to a movie review or my opinion of a movie I just saw...."

Being sick will prove to be very entertaining, I am sure. Though I don't know who will receive the entertainment.

Anyway, I was not entirely missed (though the process of "calling-in" sick was not followed by all parties involved) as my boss emailed me to a) let me know he had looked for me and could not find me; and b) that the wiki's I'd been asking about for additional resources and information were available and ready for me to start using. Other than that, and a trip to the store, nothing much happened.

And as I say that, Erin actually got tired of watching The Cosby Show which was an interesting thing to behold. I was expecting to make it all the way through Season 2 before she would get tired, but hours of Cosby in a row can tire people out. She is convinced that I am a closet fan of the show; but I have to disagree with her on that one. With my disagreement, though, I am sure Erin has collected (at least mentally) examples to prove me wrong.

We did (both of us) miss our monthly appointment with the research doctor for new research vitamins and such. Erin called and set up a new appointment. She tells me she is doing well, though today her blood pressure was a little high - the nurse taking it thought it might've been the result of her hurrying from the car to the hospital. Apparently, we get to have the next ultrasound in a few weeks and there we will also get to find out of we are having a little boy or a little girl.

Before marrying me, Erin was pretty set on boys; since marrying me, she's decided we need (at least first child) a little girl. Before anyone decides to ask questions: No, we don't have any names picked out for boy or girl... well, I believe skunkweed, rhododendron, and gladiolus are all perfectly fine names for a boy or girls. At least, that is what I say when we start talking names. So, if'n you ask, you know (in advance) the names we are considering.

Regardless, we are excited either way, boy or girl.

On to other things:

I am very interested in driving. As, I am sure, has been stated before, I drove semis after my LDS mission to have the opportunity AND to get away from 24/7 shadows (e.g. mission companions). The result was an experience I still talk about, and one that I would never suggest anyone ever do. Truth told, most of the people I know would not fit within the strict mold of what it takes to be a successful truck driver.

In case you are curious:

• ability to lie with a straight face
• doesn't need nor care for the company of other people
• can live with their own thoughts
• can live with the consequences of their own thoughts
• doesn't mind not bathing for days/weeks on end
• doesn't mind others not bathing for days/weeks on end
• cares at all about the future
• doesn't care whether or not they are available - ever
• and etc....

This is only important if you care. If you don't then ignore my list (above) and understand that the joy of driving, fahrvergnügen, is one of my reasons for driving semis. I still hold that (personal) joy and look (on occasion) for opportunities to get behind the wheel and just drive. I think, lately, the possible need may be back. Anyway, as I was surfing a variety of websites, today, I came across one (MSNBC) that showed the Top 10 scenic drives in the world.

I was interested in Utah and since the U.S. Government and Department of the Interior actually create and maintain (not only) a list of Scenic Byways as well as having an official designation on some roads, well... I discovered this site.

If you have the same malady as me: Fahrvergnügen, then you might enjoy looking up your area of the United States and finding a scenic byway you would enjoy exploring.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

--This should be at IOTW and I will probably write something (or copy this) over there as well--

This comes in response to a question in the comments by a man named John Hattaway (and, no Rebecca, this is not me playing at multiple personalities) who wanted to know what I meant (over at IOTW) when I used the word exposition in description of something Neil Gaiman wrote.

What is exposition?

Exposition is what is used, most frequently, when it comes to technical manuals or non-fiction. Essentially, it is the process of telling something rather than showing it to the audience. When you show something, there is a different feel to the way it is written and, ultimately, how it is to be received by the audience. For technical manuals and non-fiction, the reading audience expects to be given a lot of information and not have an exploration of material shared over the course of the work. As a result, the technical manual will tell you a lot of things. How to do this, why that works, and more.

However, when you move from non-fiction into fiction, one of the rules of writing is show don't tell. Tell is when an author drops out of a direct interaction with the POV character (often the protagonist) and just tells the audience what is happening or what took place. Because exposition (tell) is necessary for all stories and all forms of storytelling, the level of exposition in a book (story, television show, movie, and more) is weighed against the narration of the story - or how the story is being shared with the reader (or the share).

Essentially:

Cassandra stood at the edge of the Great Mississippi River and looked across it to the other side. She knew, without making any kind of a move toward the river, that she would never be able to cross over. Something in the back of her head told her, that she'd tried before, once or a thousand times didn't matter. No matter how much she wanted to cross the river she couldn't and in this incarnation she wasn't about the waste the effort.

What I did there was tell the audience a lot of information.

In Stardust there are points where Gaiman tells the audience that his protagonist and the star visited towns, had adventures, and ended up where they needed to be. At no point do you actually visit those towns, share in those adventures, and see actually how they got to be where they were meant to be.

So, consider:

"What are we waiting for?" Thomas asked.

Cassandra turned and looked at her familiar, her friend, and her horse. "We're not waiting. I am watching," Cassandra said. She brushed the two Navy Colt .45's on her waste.

"What are you watching?" Thomas asked. He bent his head to the ground and at some grass, sniffing at the ground and nickering at the same time.

"Nothing," she said, turning away from the river and approaching Thomas. She patted his flanks and grabbed at one of his hocks to check the hoof for rocks and to make sure the steel shoe was still in place. Thomas continued to eat.

"Why do we keep coming back here?"

"Because," Cassandra said, running her hand over Thomas's flank and grabbing another of his hocks.

The difference between the first and second blockquote element of the blog is essentially I am telling you information and I am allowing you to share in the relationship between Cassandra and Thomas. You are a part of the scene and, because I have chosen who the POV character is and who you, as the audience, have to trust as the narrator. However, as the writer, I also have to make sure you, as the audience, receive information that is necessary and pertinent to the flow of the story.

A professor of mine called the show aspect of story telling, "What does the little bird see?" What that means is that the POV character has to be able to see what you as the writer are sharing with the audience and as a result discover what is happening in the world around that character with him or her or it. This is a good rule of thumb for show.

However, when it comes to tell, or exposition, you are literally sharing something with the audience that the audience needs to know in order to be a part of the story. As a result, books (all story telling medium) has to balance the amount of show with tell and some books will go so far as to give percentages that should be followed. Author Robert Parker actually uses very little tell and a lot of show in his novels. Neil Gaiman uses a bit more tell in his stories as he moves the audience along with them to get them through time or to another point in the story. I noticed that Tim Pratt (writing as T.A. Pratt these days) uses a smaller percentage of tell than Gaiman does.

You can go through a lot of books and pretty accurately judge when an author drops out of show-mode and into tell-mode. When that happens the writing may remain engaging, but as an audience you feel yourself removed, a little, from the narration of the story and pulled along until the next section - one of the reasons why fiction is more show and less tell.

Hope that helps.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I updated IOTW with my review on Neil Gaiman's Stardust. You should go over and check it out.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I work on campus at BYU. Well, one of my jobs is on campus at BYU - I do the other one (and potential other ones) from various locations to include on campus and at home (basically wherever I can find a high-speed internet connection).

My job on campus is supposed to be a webdeveloper position. Essentially, I come to work and help in the creation and display of websites. I don't mind telling you all that I felt qualified to make changes (I still do), but I didn't feel a whole lot when it came to creating pages from scratch. I don't see myself as possessing the visually creative gene. Some people do and can create dynamically appealing websites; I, on the other hand, can create functional websites with (what I consider) very little visual appeal. S'why this site (and others) remain so... BLAH!!!!

I do like knowing something about CSS though.

I also like the fact that my boss will push different non-design related things my way - and he is patient in allowing me to do what I can (and am comfortable) do within the group. What I can do: create new pages from old templates and research issues and provide (possible) solutions (often implemented).

One problem that presented its ugly head (last month) was the main site being cracked. Yes, I am tempted to post the site I work for on here (and no it is not the main BYU website), but I won't. The crack on the site was pretty benign, though a lot disturbing, which inserted a lot (read thousands) of invisible links into the index.html page. What this does is create a positive improvement for the receiving site (Google, MSN,

Move forward in time. Yesterday, when one of the coworkers got into the office, the site was down. Specifically, it had gone down around 7:15 a.m. Mountain Time and had stayed down until 8:30 a.m. Mountain Time. At which point the coworker along with our webhost discovered that the Apache file had its permissions changed to block anyone from reading it. Permissions are shifted and our site is back up and alive.

Enter me. I start to look into the crack. To do this I needed to come up with a hypothesis about what caused the downtime and permissions change. Since I have a little bit of experience with computers and the internet (I am amazing on paper) I knew that the Apache file was not something a regular joe could get at and manipulate; therefore, I postulated that someone or something internally had to have access to it and lock it up.

Before I could test that, though, I had to test under what conditions (and through what programs) the file would have its permissions set wrong. Once I established the permissions that I needed to replicate I proceeded to launch and run a variety of applications that had access top that particular file. Pretty much, you have to have account Root access to get to the file which means there are (about) five people who have access to it (right now). Well, six.

Anyway, as I stated I started with a hypothesis and proceeded to test against it. The problem I (almost immediately) came up with was that I couldn't replicate the problem. Nothing I did would cause the permissions to even hickup let alone change and, as a result, I decided to look into other aspects of the site.

One of the initial changes I made to the administration of the site (upon employment) was logging access by visitors. What this does is create insanely large access logs on the server in the terms of tens of thousands of lines that, when cracked, you have to go through. Knowing when the crack ended allowed me to do a couple of things: first, to look at various web analytics systems the school uses and pays for to see how website traffic was affected by this crack and when that affect took place; and second, moving backward through the log files from when I knew the crack ended (there are error codes that indicate whether a person was successful in connecting to the site or not). This allowed me to establish a) time the site went down (to the second); and b) time site came live. More, I could look at who had connected to the site (and how, from where, and with what) and see what they were doing just before (and trying to do after) the site went down.

Since I knew that the file had been altered at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, and I knew (from having done it) that the site was accessible until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, and the analytics software indicated a lower-than-normal visitor trending over the weekend (possibly due to Easter), but did have visitors with an average time-on-site of five minutes-ish, I could establish when the crack to place and how long it lasted.

At that point, I changed my hypothesis (since I could not change permissions without intentionally accessing the file) and decided that there was a security hole. Since I could see who accessed, where the access took place, and what was accessed I decided to try and search for the Apache file - a file that shouldn't EVER show up in the log files. I found the file. At that point I copied the string used to access the file into a browser, pre-pending the string with the appropriate domain URL, and brought up a screen (black background, lime green text) that allowed me to not only access but control any file on the server.

This is bad news.

At that point I took the first three octets and searched the logs for them, wanting to see from what IP's the user was trying to access the site. It ended up being four different IP addresses. I recorded the IP addresses and the proceeded to search the internet for information on the interface screen that was in front of me. In my head I wondered if the screen was a part of PHP that I'd never heard of (not out of line since I am not a PHP guru), but didn't know whether it was authorized PHP and a part of the PHP5 release we are using or something malicious.

What I came across, rather quickly, was that the script was malicious and often found within TXT files that are then accessed through an includes script within PHP. I then proceeded to search the TXT files on the server to see if anything jumped out at me as the culprit for the includes, and discovered that all TXT files were valid and legitimate files.

I then went to the .php page that the cracker accessed through to see if I could find an includes file and dropped down (intentionally) to line 183 to see what would've failed there once other aspects of the site had become unavailable (again, intentionally done since I'd broken an aspect of the site to discover that part of the scripting broke at line 183). At that point I noticed identical script to what I'd found when I was doing my searching for malicious intent. I immediately cut out the script and copied it into the database file used for tracking the crack.

At that point (about the end of my shift) I decided that the site was (more or less) secure and could go home; even though I'd broken a search function within the software that had been compromised. I knew that I needed to find out when the script had been inserted and I needed to check against earlier log files (February) for access logs; but had already changed the "edited on" date of the file.

The last thing I did was to make sure the users IP addresses were blocked from our server (with the intent of running a search against new log file with the first three octets over the coming days/weeks).

So, I left the files broken last night and didn't pursue more research until this morning.

This morning I established that the file had been cracked on November 29th in the afternoon and the malicious code (most likely) inserted at that time. My guess is that this was a part of the includes crack I'd stopped in February (which also, incidentally, stopped the insertion of invisible links) and after establishing a potential insertion date went through the February log files (oldest we have) to search for running of malicious script and known IP strings. Neither came up in February, which allows me to believe that the February crack attempts were definitely caused by running includes scripts in the address bar.

After I finished searching the logs, I proceeded to locate and verify the validity of all .php files that could've had the malicious code inserted. Once I established that all files were clear of the code, and then copied a clean version of the .php file (in question) into the cracked directory of the server, restoring search capabilities; I could then focus my attention on known vulnerabilities and upgrades to the software we are using.

With all of that accomplished and a new version of the software to install on all sites using it, as well as needing to go into all of the databases and assure that we have a universal administrative username and password for our team, I believe that this crack attempt has been (for the moment) thwarted. This does not mean that I believe our site is universally crack proof and need to verify the inclusion of .ini files and Apache mods into all of the (potentially) vulnerable folders, but for the moment I believe we have successfully removed this one threat from our pool of potential crackers.

Truth told, even though the process was very much me and a computer screen, and felt a lot like a 90's movie where a cracker is actively being thwarted by a geek at a 24-hour manned terminal (knowing that most internet security is NOT manned actively), the outcome and process was boring to watch and probably equally boring to read about - even if I do feel rather proud of the discovery and how the crack was able to be stopped, thwarted, and the cracker blocked.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I move cars on the mornings that Erin leaves earlier than me. This is a result of my car having been killed by a driver who was, "Cited for several things," while driving down the road and killing my car and taking out the neighbors mailbox - all at the same time. Moving cars is interesting since we have a long driveway and I have to park one on the street since the kids upstairs both have cars that are parked in the driveway too. Today I was able to pull back into one of their spots (the wife already left) and then move Erin's car straight back and my car into her position (except more forward) before parking her car behind mine (ours).

In case you haven't heard, I am really liking the new car. Sure, one of the detractors is the automatic transmission, but I can manipulate the transmission (its designed this way) to slow me down when I am coming on traffic or approaching a light or... you know... a lot of things. On top of it, the car handles curves very well and accelerates up hills like a champ. I know, we drove up the canyon to Heber (one of my more favorite places to drive to) where we stopped at the Dairy Keene, got some food, and then drove back down the canyon home.

Erin was fine until I didn't stop quickly enough (for her) coming at a stop light at the mouth of the canyon. She was rightfully scared and annoyed at my tactics at that point (I was trying to make it through a light).

One of the things I did this morning was to check freelance email, responded to one, forwarded a couple on so I could (at least) get paid for the work done; and then tried to call another client who was (eventually) emailed because I can't seem to get a hold of her.

Then I chatted (email and not messenger) with Erin a bit about the house, open windows, and other things before making the bed, consuming my breakfast, and then heading out the door in search of my dirty little pleasure which is neither dirty nor little... I like Sobe Beverage's drink Courage and every vendor of Sobe in the Utah Valley area (and beyond it would seem) is currently out of Sobe. This happened last summer, I assumed that the bottling company (most likely Coke or Pepsi since they bottle most soft drinks) had run out and not prepared enough more for distribution - which was, in part, confirmed by a Maverick employee that insisted on trying to help me Friday night as Erin was taking her final for her current dreaded science class; as such making it very difficult to find something I really enjoy.

With all that, I just cut to the chase and went to Macy's, a local on the cheap grocery retailer and bought a couple of bottles since they seem to have had plenty every time I've gone in. I thought, momentarily, about buying them out and then thought better of it (they had a grand total of 3 bottles) since people will start getting this flavor back onto shelves in the hear future anyway.

I did come to a conclusion about how to handle the whole Spanish class cultural assignment that I have. I was going to review to the class Maria Full of Grace which is a Spanish language film about a girl who is paid to be a drug mule from Columbia to New York City; except it required me finding a Columbian to interview about aspects of the story and I am lazy. What occurred to me, in part because of a classmates comment (to me) was that I could do a Queso cheese sauce and interview a neighbor (two houses down) from Mexico about foods from Mexico which makes the assignment a bit easier. Not easy, mind, just easier.

There is a cost associated with doing that :: did it for a folklore class with a food assignment attached to it and got an "A" on the assignment :: but the assignment is definitely worth it (for me).

Back to the car (briefly): we did sign the final paperwork on the loan and had to ask for the payment dates to be adjusted to an earlier date. It was interesting to watch the financing specialist redo some of the numbers. I think he mostly deals with people who want it pushed as far out as possible.

This really goes along the lines of the Honda dealers telling us, "You don't have to worry about money." The problem both Erin and I have (especially as this is a new venture for the both of us) is that telling us not to worry about money is not really going to help. We are both going to fret over this and having to pay rent and a car payment at the same time each month didn't make sense to either of us. Especially when insurance is due at the same time.

I need to call and officially add the car to the insurance policy. Don't know what the change (per month and overall) is going to be, but am curious to see what it will result in and how our having two cars (cheaper) and two cars fully covered (more expensive) will do to our rates. Me being older, Erin being a chick, and our being married (I may see if there is a break for a kid or expecting one), makes the changes in insurance very interesting.

While doing what I do every day (surfing news websites) I came across a little-ditty about normal everyday joes who write for websites that are ad driven. This proved to be interesting (for me) because as you become more popular and write more, the content you are writing can earn you some money. Granted, it's based off of click through advertisements, but the earning potential (though, honestly, nothing to break the bank) is pretty good. I signed up for a couple sites - at least one of which allows reprinted author-owned material - and may see what the dogs of writing brings in over a period of time... thinking of how to work that into my daily writing schedule.

I think that will do it for now.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 8:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Erin got into the Legacy the other day and almost immediately said, "You are NOT that guy!"

I said, "What guy?"

She said, "The kind of guy that listens to NPR."

I said, "Yes I am."

She said, "I've never heard you listen to NPR before."

I said, "That's because I haven't with you in the car."

"Exactly," she said, "you're not that guy."

I said, "I am. The other car didn't have an antenna. This one does. I am and have been that guy."

--

Also, IOTW was updated this morning.

NOTE: These are pre-scheduled updates.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

One of the things I really enjoy are old pulp stories. The pulps, for those that don't know, were old books and magazines that were printed on really cheap paper and then sold at a very low cost. The low overhead and use of (not necessarily) unpopular authors led to a confluence of many different books and magazines and writers that were allowed to grow within their fields. Some of the authors I've enjoyed over the years, most notably Robert Heinlein, started out writing pulps.

Heck, the pulps also allowed various American impressionist artists to get their start painting and drawing. One of my favorite artists, Scott (name may be wrong, will update later) - who eventually painted the mural in the Washington D.C. LDS temple, started out working in pulps as did many other artists. Much of the inspiration for comic books, movie posters, and illustrations in magazines comes from the years of producing fast work on short deadlines.

This, by the by, is how you become an efficient worker. Someone who goes to school with nor more intent than to write or paint and then graduates and finds the ability to actually make some kind of a living writing and painting never learns the efficiency of work. In many cases these same individuals also worry and scour over every single word and syllable like there is a single correct way of writing or saying something.

What makes the pulps truly a wonderful thing is that the authors rarely worried about what was real or what was possible and focused more on what made the story, regardless of how far fetched, move forward. In some instances, this turns sour and you leave the old stories feeling... gross. In other cases, it works extremely well and you leave the stories feeling like possibility has been reached - somehow.

Star Trek and Star Wars are both children, or grandchildren, of the pulps. In movie parlance this is called Serials. The serial was a movie that would show a new episode every week. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and other movies are inspired by the serials of yesteryear. I was thinking, earlier, that westerns, with cookie cutter sets, must've been very cheap to film since there was little in the way of special effects. Even Woody in Toy Story and Toy Story 2 and Buzz Lightyear are both products inspired from pulps and serials.

The outcome, and one of the avenues of writing I think we miss now, is that authors back when were able to burrow through the early stages of writing simply by producing stories that were not at a quality publishing houses expect today, and could get published. In some cases, some of these authors were rather proliferate, publishing frequently and under many different names, and could make a living. Today, writing requires corporate sponsorship (e.g. a job) or a very real effort at finding write-for-hire positions with the hope that people will pay you for what you want to write... eventually.

When I surf through the blogosphere, specifically to various authors sites, I find it interesting that many of the people I enjoy reading make their primary income working as writers - often - but writing content or technical material; they get paid to blog or do other things, often leaving them with less time to write than might be expected.

I remember reading Robert Jordan's comments when he decided to delve into full-time writing. The impetus was after a surgery while he was healing. The outcome was that he made nothing the first year, something like 20,000$ the second year, and doubled it every year thereafter (until the time I read it, at least... I don't know what his income was like before he died).

As I follow different people in their writing careers it is interesting to me to watch as they start to make more and more money writing fiction and then talk about the frustration of deciding whether to take a fiction writing assignment (pays less) or a non-fiction writing assignment (pays more) as their finances are at a point where writing fiction (novels) does not pay all of the bills. You can see these people dealing with the frustration and in many cases, because of various internal quirks, deciding that they will merely hold off on the whole fiction-only decision because, right now, they can't trust that they will make it.

I am not in this category.

Yes, I am taking some freelance jobs. My intent (along with Teach for America) is to build some reputation as a freelance writer. My intent, along with freelancing, is to continue my education and get a Master's and then a PhD. My intent is to teach college (eventually) probably in writing.

There is something that I keep thinking about. That is that people don't improve at things they don't practice. To become better at writing, regardless of ability, one has to write every day of one's life. The outcome is that if you write every day, regardless of the other two criteria, you will become better at writing. That is a positive thing.

As I consider the future and the fact that as an English major I will probably be teaching English, the outcome is that I want to see that theory come to pass. I want to see whole groups of kids (and lots of other people, honestly) improve at something that I enjoy doing. Sure, there is stress in the notion that maybe I am not that good a write; but with that stress is the reminder that many people have commented on my ability to write and I am employed, in many instances, to write professionally. I can't be that bad.

Sure, my attempts at fiction (that have gone to publishers) have failed... somewhat. But one of my dreams is to be published (fiction) and though that dream is (sometimes) tempered by the reality of wife and (impending) child, I still get to try and follow that dream.

Once upon a time there were the pulps. And with the pulps a person like me could've created an alter ego and written crap and had it published. Today the markets (last search on writersmarket.com) in the fields I want to write in are about 7 to 10 with the majority of those not really in business anymore or very highly selective.

Yes, I need to take a leap into the deep end and see if I can swim; and no, I don't know what the outcomes are going to be. But I sure love the pulps, the ideas of worlds that don't need a million answers for every little detail, and the ability to create effective aspects of those worlds.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, let's cut to the chase and announce what needs to be announced....

We found (and subsequently purchased) our new car. The car is a 2006 Subaru Legacy. We are very pleased with this mechanical addition to our family.

How did we decide on a Subaru Legacy? you ask.

Well, as previously stated, we'd test driven a Honda Accord. Since I'd owned and drove a '91 Honda Accord for more than four years with minimal mechanical problems and the only reason we had to find something new was because the '91 Honda Accord was now a totaled wreck (you should've seen it, anyone in my car would've, probably, been dead at the end of the accident), we had to find something new. Hence, when we started test-driving (and consequently looking for) new cars, I started with Honda and the Accord.

However, sadly, our experience at the Honda dealership and the information we were given (proven false) was rather negative and as a result we decided to look at other vehicles. Fortunately, at that same time the other drivers insurance company settled on my car for a nice hefty sum-o-money and we were able to afford a down payment on something else.

So, the other night (Tuesday, for those keeping track) we finally dragged ourselves out of the house and drove to American Fork to look at Subaru's. Since we like to discuss our plans of action, Erin had nixed the idea of looking at Toyota's (she doesn't know exactly why she doesn't like them) and looking online the VW and AUDI were not, dollar for dollar, or part for part, better than anything we wanted or were already looking at.

Keep in mind our requirements included:

• baby friendly
• four door
• safe
• and... within a certain price range

There was some wiggle room, while both Erin and I had some additional, personal, requirements for the car.

As a result of some online research into cars, power to RPM and speed ratios, customer satisfaction surveys, values, and etc., as well as spending some time on a variety of manufacturer and vehicle specific forums, we were pretty confident in wanting to go and test drive a few Subaru's. On our drive from our house to the dealer we decided:

We will not buy anything tonight. We are just there to look and get an idea of what we want.

Yeah. Uhm. We ended up buying.

We got to the dealership and started looking at Subaru's. This, in case you don't have the experience to know it, is a signal for a dealer to come out and hold your hand while you are looking at cars. The dealers job: a) answer any questions you have about the vehicle(s); and b) try to get you to agree to buy a car.

With that in mind we followed him to a row of pre-owned Subaru's having given the dealer what we were looking for. (note: I found it very interesting that, by default, Subaru makes all of their cars in a manual transmission, but for several hundred miles around the state of Utah (e.g. Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado) the majority of Subaru's for sell are automatic transmissions.) That dealership did not have any pre-owned Subaru's with a manual transmission, and since we were test-driving, we agreed to drive a Legacy and a Forrester to get an idea of how those cars drove (sans-manual transmission).

We drove the Legacy first. I drove it out of the dealership and along the Interstate. Erin drove it from where I got off the Interstate back to the dealership. The entire time was more of a conversation about our lives, the dealers life, and the car than it was pressure to purchase this particular car. However, at the same time, we both loved the car and how it handled.

Then we drove the Forrester. What can I say about this car? Well, the first thing I noted was a significant difference in how the transmission handled compared to how the Legacy ran. The second thing I noticed was that it made an odd metal shaking sound on the undercarriage. We drove it, Erin took her turn, then the dealer pulled both cars nose to nose and we started to go through the various features of each car and the differences.

The thing to note about the Legacy is that you can fit (at least) four bodies in the trunk. That is very important.

The Forrester, on the other hand, drove like an SUV, felt like an SUV, and had the sounds (mostly body) of an SUV. The seats laid down flat and, truth told, we could've slept in the back of the thing; but at the same time the features, feel, and driving experience of a Forrester was not that great. We didn't like it (collectively).

We did like (nay, we loved) the Legacy.

And then another dealer, showing another family, Subaru's wanted to test-drive the Legacy. Our dealer turned and asked what we thought and we got honest, fast. Our thoughts:

Ain't no one but us driving our Legacy.

At that point Erin and I got into the back seat. I got into the backseat to see what it felt like (comfortable, for anyone who is interesting-slash-wants to know) and the dealer drove us over to the office so we could talk numbers and see about financing.

What we thought was going to last, maybe, an hour or so ended up going til just after 9 p.m. Erin drove the car home. I drove Erin's car home.

Now, you may be thinking, "That was two nights ago," and, "Why didn't he update sooner?" And those would be two valid questions. Well, I started writing an update yesterday and never got around to finishing it. Moreover, I've now (officially) started the freelance writing gig which gives me less time to play at other things - though, admittedly, I was a bit out of it last night and multiple runs to the store and my being all around (and overall) tired didn't bode well for... well... who knows. Finally, Erin wanted time to tell her mother... I don't know why.

Anyway, Erin has already named the car, I put a BYU "Y" lot parking sticker in the windshield yesterday morning (another distraction from updating the website), and drove it quite a bit yesterday. One of the "cool" features of the car is a display that you can rotate through: outside temperature, miles since last fill-up, average MPG, current (real time) average miles per gallon, and others.

We still need to head back to the dealership to hand them a check, that will take place on Saturday; but at the same time we are very happy with the new car. It's nice.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last Saturday Erin and went to Salt Lake to pick up some clothes and then Erin graciously agreed to suffer with me as we stopped at a Honda dealership to look at cars. She agreed to one dealership - almost as much so we could start getting an idea of what we want - which is why we stopped at the Honda place.

For a couple of years now I've been saying I want an updated version of the car I've been driving. Essentially, I wanted a 2003 Honda Accord EX, standard transmission, and (if possible) six cylinder.

As we pulled into the dealership and parked the car, one of the dealers came over and started talking to us about what we were looking for. He (almost immediately) told me that in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 Honda did not make a Sedan (4 door) with a standard transmission. However, he was more than happy to walk us around the lot, answer questions about cars, let us crawl into the cars (sit down), and finally drive a 2008 Honda Civic 4 door with a standard transmission. Erin didn't like the feel of the car, I liked how it drove; but neither of us were too hip on paying in excess of 20,000$ for a car that was smaller than what I like to drive.

The Honda Accord is a midsize car and, granted, my now dead mid-size is about the same size as a modern compact; I still prefer to drive and buy midsize cars.

A few weeks ago, before the whole: We have to buy a car fiasco came to be, we started talking about the kinds of cars I like. I like Honda, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Jeep (in case anyone was keeping record). I've enjoyed the Porsches, BMW's, and Mercedes I've driven, but come one here, we have to be realistic.

Since Erin doesn't like the boxy nature of the Jeep (I prefer a Jeep Cherokee which means we go back 10 years to find what I want) she asked what alternatives to the Jeep I liked. I pulled up (since I am pretty tied to my computer) the Honda CR-V and showed it to her. Really, a vehicle that is closer to the Honda Odyssey than to an SUV.

We also discussed the Subaru and I looked at compact and mid-size cars. The Subaru mid-size is the Legacy. Interestingly, the kids that live upstairs each have (relatively) new Subaru's. One drives the Impreza WRX, the other drives the Legacy.

What I was not hip on was a station wagon. I can agree with an SUV, but station wagons are so last decade (and, incidentally, last millennium). So, looking at most of the Subaru's on the road, a five-door vehicle (fifth door is the hatchback - Erin drives a three door vehicle) was not really an option. I pretty much said, "No," to any vehicle that even sort of resembled a station wagon. Too bad we can't get a Vista Cruiser.

Anyway, Erin asked me to look (again) at the Forester. She did not want to consider the Outback, which, honestly, is a pretty good looking (even if it is an S.W.) car. So, I looked into the Forrester.

Here's what I found. The Forester is an altered Impreza body with a taller roof and more of an SUV mentality without the lift and size of (overall) the SUV. It is rated among the SUV's in the world; but is now being touted as a CUV (compact utility vehicle). When I noted not only the styling of an SUV, but also that the car comes, standard, with a manual transmission (something Honda could not guarantee in a four-door), my interest was peaked.

Now, my interest was actually very peaked the other week when we started the process of looking (not sure if this is pre- or post- death to car) and discovered that power to RPM ratings and other factors actually lean toward the Subaru across the board over almost every other car maker out there. Granted, with the rising fuel costs, buying a car that gets something like 70 mpg would be better than something that gets sub-30 mpg, but Subaru like Honda and Toyota actually rotates (highway) above the 30 mpg mark. A Honda or Toyota would be better, but at the same time (for the name) you will spend a great deal more.

On top of some of my requirements (and why we are buying something newer) is that we want something baby friendly; something that Erin can drive (though she does need to be more comfortable in a stick); and something that is better on ice/snow than the car I was driving or the car Erin drives.

One of the draws (for me) of the Subaru (brand) is what Subaru calls the Boxer engine. This is an engine that is horizontally opposed. No V's, no I's, either four or six cylinders that are perpendicular opposed to each other. The mechanic geek in me would love to have one of these engines to take apart and see (rather intimately) how it works. I understand the principle, though it is in the grease and oil that understanding comes.

Anyway, Erin and I will probably test drive some. The sad thing (for me) is that I can see that Subaru by default, produces manual transmissions and in Utah it looks nearly impossible to find a pre-owned manual transmission. Though, given the desires we have (and Erin's wickedly good fortune) when we finally decide what to do and what to buy the car (year, model, make, and other aspects) will show up and we will buy it.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think I find it interesting when women (who are pregnant or have been pregnant) get together and start talking about the experiences of pregnancy. This is not a place for me to tread. Not even lightly. We don't understand. We can't understand. Nothing we do will make us any closer to being empathetic to what is going on inside of the mom-to-be. Sure, I've heard that passing a stone is about like what giving birth feels like; but there is so much more to the birthing process that... well... we don't get it.

Women want to talk about their experiences and they want a sympathetic audience that will understand what they are going through. Essentially, as a man or even a woman who has never experienced pregnancy, you cannot be a part of those conversations because you've not been there.

One aspect of these conversations (I've never been asked to leave when they go on; though I am also not required to listen or pay attention either) is that people start making suggestions about who should do the birthing. Specifically, it seems that there is a trend, in this country, toward a midwife to deliver the child. A midwife is someone who is licensed and trained to assist in the delivery of a child and who can perform certain emergency medical procedures. Although having someone (another woman) present who understands the process and has some training (and experience) that would assist Erin in the delivery of our little salamander, we discussed and decided against using a midwife.

Our main reason is the lack of an M.D.

I will grant that an midwife has to go through some training from apprenticeship to university level courses; the midwife is qualified only to assist the mother in delivering a child and offering suggestions to the mom-to-be about what might or might not be appropriate. They are not doctors, surgeons, or medical professionals - though they do hold a place within the medical profession. The midwife is closer, in relationship, to a nurses assistant than to a doctor or surgeon.

Regardless of experience or ability, we considered the implications of what it meant to give birth. There are a myriad of possibilities that exist out there from trouble trying to conceive all they way through amniocentesis as well as a whole host of potential (and potentially life threatening) diseases that the decision to go to someone who has an M.D. negated the desire or drive we had/have for a more homeo-centric approach to child birth. I think Erin said it best when she said, "I want the drugs," when it came time for her pelvis to split and baby birthing time.

One of the many factors that stopped us from even (seriously) considering a midwife is that I spent some time (at birth) in the ICU as did Erin's brother. This is not something that is genetic, but already knowing that the possibility exists (if nowhere else than in our brains) having a doctor who knows and has a good working relationship with a) the hospital Erin is delivering in; and b) the surgeons and doctors in the ICU at that hospital - as well as a helipad at the hospital and relationships with Primary Children's Hospital make the decision to go the doctor route far more important to us than choosing a midwife.

In truth, though we appreciate the decision many women have of using midwives, we have chosen to go the direction of western medicine and to allow our questions, concerns, and the future health of our child to lie in the hands of someone who has gone through medical school, racked up a significant debt, gone through residency and then spent time specializing over someone who (may or may not) took some courses, certified and is there only to help women give birth.

With all that said, we also understand that many midwives have the knowledge and humility to send a pregnant woman with (potential) problems to a real doctor; however, even in this instance the feeling of having a doctor we can just call and who (among her three other cohorts) will be present at the birth is a security blanket Erin and I want and (in many cases) need.

Finally, I don't trust midwives. This does not mean I don't trust people who have used them; nor does it mean I don't trust the experience of those people, merely that I want and need someone who has not only spent a significant amount of time learning about human anatomy, biology, and process and can (in controlled ways) replicate those process, knows what generally goes wrong and the reasons behind it, and can confidently and competently operate on wife and child means I am far more comfortable and confident about an Obstetrics M.D. doing the delivery than I ever would be of a midwife.

Ultimately, we all must do what makes each of us comfortable in our roles. If money and experience dictate a midwife, I say go for it. At the same time, I don't want nor want to trust, a midwife. That is our choice.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As has been posted, my car was smashed two weeks (and a day) ago. We weren't sure whether or not the car that hit mine was insured, though the man driving the car insisted that if insurance (for whatever reason) didn't come through, we would be taken care of. I didn't really believe him, but that doesn't mean a whole lot - when you've been burned a few times it is easier (for me at least) to expect very little rather than to believe that nothing will come of the collision.

A week passes. I call the police officer because, after speaking with the records office at the Provo Police Station, the driver had not provided the insurance information. The officer told me he would call the driver and about 30 minutes later showed up at the house with the insurance information.

Truth told, I think Erin would've let me actually sue the guy if insurance information had not shown up... though, I am at odds (with myself) about whether or not I would've pursued it. I was (and still am - to an extent) concerned whether or not the guy was hurt, though I also met his wife and she says he is doing well - AND he was driving a 2004 Subaru Forester that had airbags and did walk away from the accident.

Anyway, the insurance company (the owner of the car and not the driver) opened a claim, took responsibility for the accident - especially since neither Erin nor I were in the car at the time, and told me (about five or six days ago) that they had to get an adjuster out to look at the car. Over the past week I considered going and retrieving some things; but didn't for an odd assortment reasons.

What I did not expect was to hear back from the other insurance company. Sure, when I heard what insurance company the other driver had, I thought, "I am glad. We will get the best settlement out of this company than any other."

This morning they called me. Granted, I was in class and didn't get the call until I got out of class. When I saw there was a voicemail on my phone, I thought it was Erin or my mother calling to leave a message. I was surprised (and had to stop what I was doing) when I heard it was the insurance company calling to tell me that yes the car was a total loss and that they would settle with me. She gave me a bunch of information and asked me to call back.

Because I knew I needed to sit down in front of my computer I decided to skip class (I wouldn't have gotten anything out of class as a result of having this linger over me) and go to my office to make the call, pull up the document I was storing the information in, and make the return call.

I called and they started sharing numbers with me.

Keep in mind, I drove a '91 Honda Accord EX. It had power everything and a lot of additional features. I didn't really think about most of that since the car was a bit older than I wanted to be driving and since Erin and I were considering selling it in the near future, I had thought about what I would ask for the car, but never really thought about what the car was worth.

Several years ago, when the Jeep I drove was rear-ended and totaled, when I worked with that insurance company, the outcome was that the insurance company insisted on an adjusted value of the car between what Kelly Blue Book, NADA, and local listings valued the car at. Sure, I wanted more money and no I didn't get what I wanted. What I was told, at the time, was that I needed to research the value of the car and argue that value to the insurance adjuster.

Anyway, two things happened after the accident. First, I looked at KBB and looked for the value of the car. Second, I thought about what I would sell the car for.

I bought the car for $1250.00. I don't mind sharing that. I figured, if we were offered $1500 I would be better off than I am. I was willing to accept (with arguments) $1000. I thought, if they were being generous, the insurance company would settle for $2000. In fact, as I looked at the various cars we are considering, and at one point the money we could put down (best case scenario) on a car, I used $2000. That was me dreaming.

Back to the phone call... I called and the girl on the other end started relaying numbers at me. I listened (she started with a base number of $3000.00 given the features on the car and the model and package) and then she started to adjust it backward given the amount of rust and other things with the car. Then she started adding things back into the price. I listened, responded when it was appropriate, and then talked (briefly) about the other driver, before she gave me the final amount.

I won't share the final amount. I will tell you that it was very generous. Apparently, I owned a car that was actually worth quite a lot. The insurance company based the base amount off of NADA and then adjusted according to the condition of the car. As a result, and in part because I thought it was far too good to be true, I skipped out of work (too) and drove the title up to the office in Salt Lake.

After I drove up there and picked up the check, I headed back to Provo and to the yard where my car was being stored. I needed the parking decal out of the window and wanted my CD's and some things I remembered were in the backseat after the car was towed away. Fortunately, I was able to get all of that out of the car. Now the insurance company owns my totaled Accord.

On the way home, I also received a call from the Honda dealer we went to see on Saturday (just because I needed to start looking for a car) to have him tell me the dealership had the year of car, the model of car, the number of doors on car, and the transmission of car I said I wanted. Saturday he and several other dealers all told me that Honda simply did not make a car in the combination I was asking for with a standard transmission only to have him call today and say a) he was wrong; and b) he'd never heard of the combination in a car before.

So, the outcome is we have settled on my car. We have a big fat check sitting next to me (right now). And we can start (semi-comfortably) looking for a baby appropriate car with a standard transmission, four doors, and other things. Now we just have to decide on the kind of car (I talked to Jared about his feelings about his car and the brand as well as the other cars he has owned-slash-driven) we want to buy and find one at the price we want to pay.

Very exciting.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've updated IOTW with an entry titled Practice of Writing. Enjoy.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've updated IOTW with a book review on Kim Harrison's book The Outlaw Demon Wails. Go and check it out.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Congress (House and Senate) approved a tax increase today. You can read about that here. I believe that this is the right direction for this country at this time. We cannot live under a growing national debt/burden that GW and the Republican led Congresses put us through. Sure, I don't like to pay taxes, but the truth of the matter is that the bills will come due and we, as a nation, will have to pay it. Better to help the dollar now, at the expense of some tax money, than to continue to live under the misaprehension that we can lower taxes and pay for a way and not have to worry about the consequences.

John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West

Real Heroes Fly

Posted by smokingpen at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I applied for a freelance writer position the other day and was offered the spot. I start (on my own time) on Monday and get to purchase a USB enabled headset so I can call clients and speak to them through a VOIP system the company I will be working for offers. My work will take place between home and school and, given what they are paying me to do and should bring in (on the low side) $70.00 a project. That is an estimate... I am hoping for more work than enough to equal $70.00.

In part, the decision to go in this direction was driven by my (sometimes overriding) drive and desire to get paid to write. In part, the decision is generated out of my desire to head in the direction of more freelance work - even though I know, in advance, that this will mean changes in the way we (Erin and I) do our taxes. In part, it is an opportunity to make more money so we can pay bills and have some extra cash sitting around between paychecks. And in part, this is a result of my car being totaled by a complete stranger while it was parked innocently on the street waiting until I got in it next (most likely the next morning) and drove it to school or wherever - we can use the extra scratch to pay for the car and the money insurance is going to cost us, and etc.

Expecting a kid, child, baby also helps me look at different ways I can try and make money to pay for necessary things. Necessary things:

• diapers
• crib
• bottles
• car seat(s)
• stroller(s)
• clothing
• diaper bag(s)
• formula
• bassinet
• shotgun
• ...and more

Truth told, there are a lot of things we need to buy, prepare to buy, transport, and whatever. Sounds like Erin is getting a girlie diaper bag as a gift, but as I will have baby-duty quite a bit of the time (go figure, my child) we've talked about something slightly more masculine than feminine.

On top of that, there are different kinds of strollers out there for different purposes. As I was reading a book Rebecca sent us (something about killer deals on baby things) I noted that there are running strollers and hiking strollers and regular walking strollers (the kind you'd take to the mall or a store) and convertible strollers.

More, diapers come in a variety of sizes from P to N to 1 all the way up as a child grows out of infant to toddler stages. These are mostly denoted by weight of child, but consider that gender of child becomes important (probably more to the parents than said child since child is unaware of a lot of things) which means you look for gender specific diapers and clothing.

As an expectant father I find myself in the (not enviable) situation of changing the way in which I look at what I buy and what I drive; which means a functioning four door, midsize car isn't good enough (since my spending cap is either a) what I have to spend, or b) $2000.00) and that I need something safe, reliable, and comfortable which also significantly raises the price of the vehicles we are looking for.

With that, you can also begin to s