Afternoon random
Mar. 27th, 2008 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urbpanA few minutes ago, just as I turned the corner onto my block I saw a wild turkey standing on a neighbor's stoop! I didn't crash the car, nor could I park it legally, so I completed the circuit of the block, parked in my spot, and ran to where I saw the turkey. It wasn't there, so I quickly scanned the area: the street (full of afternoon rush hour traffic), the roof (a four story apartment building; not likely, but possible), and all around. There, across the street, on the part of the Riverway we call the "hot springs" because of a probably illegal sewerage outflow we discovered, were two turkeys. They were casually strolling on the paved walkway. I had to wait until a break in traffic to cross the street, and once I got there they had descended the hill toward the river. I took a couple pictures, which I'll post a little later.
I've now been sick officially a full week. I feel like I haven't been sick this long since childhood. Who else has the time to be sick this long, other than children? I'm pretty sure I've got bronchitis, and that I'm not going to get better without antibiotics. I'm stubborn, though, so we'll see how long it takes me to go to the doctor.
Today is the anniversary of my check engine light troubles! That's right, one year ago today my check engine light came on, instilling dread and worry and starting a journey of auto repair that shows no sign of ending. I've had all my oxygen sensors replaced, replaced the engine pipe twice, and some other stuff's been done to it too. On my way back from a roller derby game, in a white-out snowstorm, the check engine light started blinking. I was in heavy traffic on a major road (93S) so pulling over was out of the question. Fortunately, it stopped blinking, and just stayed on steady. When I brought it in, the guy told me (in difficult English) that sometimes the sensor gets wet and the light goes on, but there's nothing wrong with the engine. Okay, sure, I can live with that. So now, for the past month the light goes on when it rains, then after a couple dry days it goes out. Just so long as it's dry the next time I have to bring it in for inspection.
Last year around this time, I asked you guys to recommend some new music for me. Several of you recommended Pandora.com, a site where you enter a song or songs or an artist or artists and it generates a radio station that plays music based on that. 11 months later I've tried it, and it's interesting. It notices things about my music that I didn't notice, creating playlists based only on how the music sounds. It has a hard time recognizing context and irony. It has forced me to accept that I listen to music for reasons other than the way it sounds, at least on paper. Music is too wrapped up in memory and time and culture to be described only by key, tempo, and instrumentation.
I've now been sick officially a full week. I feel like I haven't been sick this long since childhood. Who else has the time to be sick this long, other than children? I'm pretty sure I've got bronchitis, and that I'm not going to get better without antibiotics. I'm stubborn, though, so we'll see how long it takes me to go to the doctor.
Today is the anniversary of my check engine light troubles! That's right, one year ago today my check engine light came on, instilling dread and worry and starting a journey of auto repair that shows no sign of ending. I've had all my oxygen sensors replaced, replaced the engine pipe twice, and some other stuff's been done to it too. On my way back from a roller derby game, in a white-out snowstorm, the check engine light started blinking. I was in heavy traffic on a major road (93S) so pulling over was out of the question. Fortunately, it stopped blinking, and just stayed on steady. When I brought it in, the guy told me (in difficult English) that sometimes the sensor gets wet and the light goes on, but there's nothing wrong with the engine. Okay, sure, I can live with that. So now, for the past month the light goes on when it rains, then after a couple dry days it goes out. Just so long as it's dry the next time I have to bring it in for inspection.
Last year around this time, I asked you guys to recommend some new music for me. Several of you recommended Pandora.com, a site where you enter a song or songs or an artist or artists and it generates a radio station that plays music based on that. 11 months later I've tried it, and it's interesting. It notices things about my music that I didn't notice, creating playlists based only on how the music sounds. It has a hard time recognizing context and irony. It has forced me to accept that I listen to music for reasons other than the way it sounds, at least on paper. Music is too wrapped up in memory and time and culture to be described only by key, tempo, and instrumentation.
