Locksmith

I was supposed to be meeting friends for dinner on Wednesday night. I hadn't been in the garage or driven the truck for a day or so. I couldn't get my key in the outside garage door. I thought it was probably ice and shoved and pushed the key. Then realized it was the wrong key.

I got the correct key and tried again. Couldn't get the key in the lock. Sprayed WD40 in the lock. Was able to get the key in but it wouldn't turn. Heated up my 3M heat gel pad in the microwave. But heated it too much and it burst. I still put it on the door knob to try to thaw it out. Still not able to turn.

As last resort I boiled water and poured that on the door knob. I knew that was going to be a mistake if it didnt' work. It was still below zero and was going to be for another day or two. Still couldn't turn the key. Ended up calling friend to pick me up.

Next day, Thursday, got out the heat gun. Ran two extension cords from the house. Heated up the door knob. Still nothing. I couldn't break the door in because I had reinforced it a few years ago when I realized how easy it was to break in. And I don't have a spare garage door opener for the big door.

So, ended up calling a locksmith. I lucked out that the closest company had someone available within the hour. The guy shows up with tool box in hand. Big, tall guy. He asks for the key. Puts the key in the lock. Taps the key three times with the back of his screw driver. And voila, the key turns and the door is unlocked! Took about 30 seconds!

He only charged me $68.00 for the service call.

Gotta get a spare garage door opener, eh?!

Coldest week of the year

The week of my birthday is proving to be the coldest week again. Not above zero yesterday. Not above zero today. Not above zero tomorrow.

We've gotten some snow. It is very light and fluffy and sparkles like diamonds.

A week to work from home

Working from home this week. It is supposed to get super cold which is actually expected. The week of my birthday is statistically the coldest of the year.

Buick Lucerne

Isn't Lucerne a brand of milk?

I thought...Buick...old man car. And it kind of is. This vehicle is big inside and rides rather big-boat-like.

I never got the seat in a comfortable to drive position. It had all kinds of electric and manual adjustments but the gas pedal was just too far away. I'm a kind of tall person but I had the worse time trying to reach the gas pedal. And once I got close enough to the pedal, the steering wheel was too close.

Speaking of the gas pedal...it is very very stiff. Had to really push to get the pedal to move so take offs were kind of bullet. The car does cruise along once you get going and is super super quiet. The Texas Department of Transportation lay-the-road-surface-on-the-ground-without-grading in combination with the super quiet ride enhanced the big boat feel.

The Buick Lucerne also suffers from two of my other pet peeves: 1) no indoor trunk release. you have to use the key fob; and 2) the side mirrors are a tad small and the driver mirror doesn't adjust out to the insurance standard.

I'd have to say that I don't recommend this one. It's too bad cause there is lots of power and it doesn't look bad.

Best story

This was on the CBS News last Friday and repeated on CBS Sunday Morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jGGhpo78BE

You have to watch the whole thing. It is amazing.

blogging

I haven't done much blogging lately.

This blog was set up initially for me to let friends and family know I was doing in London while living there on an IBM project. And more importantly, for me to connected to my friends and family when I was so far away and alone.

Now I've been trying to keep the blog going with what I think are the interesting things I occasionally do. My travels for work over the past few months have been far from interesting hence the lack of blogging entries.

I don't discuss work because it is mostly boring and tedious. And I don't want potentially compromise something. Makes it sound like I do important, clandestine work...which I don't.

So I'm wondering if I should keep the blog going? If so, should I enter just stream of conscientiousness stuff?

After a day of working on the computer, it is sometimes hard to turn the thing back on again and type up anything. I open to suggestions.

Dallas again...no one should be surprised

Monday through Thursday again this week. It should be warmer than home at least.

We've had a cold winter so far. And I know most of you think it is always cold here but the last few winters have not been super cold or snowy. At least we've had snow this winter, too. That kind of makes the cold worth it. Also, it warms up to snow.

Warm being in the 20's instead of in the teens or below.