What did you do today?

phishfood said:

That was the first Hobbit movie, action just for the sake of action, painful deviations from the book plot, etc.

I wasn't at all impressed.

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Honestly, my favorite part of that entire movie was when the dwarves were singing the Misty Mountains Cold song. I could listen to that over and over and over.

We still haven't heard back from the real estate agents. Apparently they are booked up until Sunday. Some of my sister's co-workers suggested the neighborhood we are looking at is one where someone could get shanked for being Caucasian. Although my siblings and I are part Native American (Lenape tribe) we look white.

But the place I'm looking at is somewhat remote with a lot of security fences and I will have guns and dogs. People around here are terrified of my rottweiler. The place already has several dog houses in the yard.

It has a septic tank and well water but we are accustomed to that already.

And IF the place can get DSL/cable, my brother and I can both get jobs from home so we wouldn't need to leave except to get groceries and such.

I got up early this morning and washed my sister's dishes, cleaned her counter, cleaned and refilled the cat's water bowl, and now I'm just lying around in my pjs waiting for her to wake up.

phishfood said:

That was the first Hobbit movie, action just for the sake of action, painful deviations from the book plot, etc.

I wasn't at all impressed.

Click to expand...

I liked it, but I was such a hater on the LOTR movies because they refused to include important plot elements.

Tom? The Gifts? Really you're going to leave that out?

I understand now why it was done, because they hate the nerds. These movies were meant to make money, not make fanboys happy, and for that reason I will enjoy them, but then complain about them online.

Nerds, all of you!

I was actually annoyed at how they had the elves all serious and such in the movies when the elves were very mirthful in the books.

Also, we stopped at Olive Garden today and were discussing the neighborhood the house was in (the one we were considering buying). My sister said it seemed ghetto and I said it seemed more rural than ghetto. She said the name of the neighborhood and emphasized that it seemed ghetto and rural. The waiter overhead and said it was the most ghetto place in the world and that the members of the cartels lived there and that it was really horrible. Apparently he used to be in law enforcement and they would go to pick up the cartel members in that area and would have to wear masks and remove anything that would give away their identities and take them straight to INS because they were so dangerous. He was now a waiter because he got tired of people threatening to kill him and his family.

My brother-in-law said that it was the one neighborhood that had standing orders from FedEx to NEVER go there after dark, even if it meant a package would be late and it would cost Fedex money. One of his friends got shot there.

So, it looks like that one is off the list. Bummer since my mom really liked the place. Too bad the neighborhood sucks.

Austin said:

I liked it, but I was such a hater on the LOTR movies because they refused to include important plot elements.

Tom? The Gifts? Really you're going to leave that out?

I understand now why it was done, because they hate the nerds. These movies were meant to make money, not make fanboys happy, and for that reason I will enjoy them, but then complain about them online.

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They left out Bombadil because he didn't really add a lot to the overall plot of either the book or the movie. I loved that section of the story, but take it out, and the story is still basically the same. Much as I hate it, that is the way it is.

I really think that Tolkein meant to make Bombadil into a much larger character, but if you read everything he wrote about Middle Earth, LOTR Book 1 is the only place that he gets serious mention.

Much more disturbing to me was how Gimli was put into a comedic role. Dwarves were not meant to be the laughing stock of anyone, if Gimli of the book were subjected to the mirth of the theater audience, his axe would have hewed human necks.


Ring Nerd Alert! Ring Nerd Alert!

I saw Lone Survivor today, and sorry to say I saw no gremlins, hobbits or Gimli's.

I put a leveling kit and 5th wheel hitch in my truck this weekend and only saw one goblin.

Now I am having a Bloody Mary. It's good.

I haven't left the couch today. I hate being so lazy but I'm going to blame it on football.

Slept in, went to look at a small job, cleaned out my truck, replaced the bulb in my tail light, and then did nothing productive.

I went to work, not happy about that.

Drove two hours away to pull a permit for a job to find out the city was closed due to the holiday. Thats what I get for not calling first. Came back and did a few bids and some billing. Time to go home now.

ugh, I hate when places are closed.

I made the drive from Albuquerque to home. Took almost 18 hours this time. They have improved the roads and my phone's gps really helped. It would have been shorter but I was the only one who drove so I needed some rest stops. I had to stretch my legs and rest my eyes a bit.

Got home and the house was a total mess-- worse than when we left AND my brother clogged up the plumbing.

Went to flush the toilet and it just filled up. I plunged it and the sink bubbled. He said that the toilet clogged after he took a shower. Stuff bubbled up into the tub as well and there is standing brown water in there.

I guess I'm going to have to either find a snake and try to snake the cleanout or call the plumber. I'm sort of leaning toward the latter bc I admit after that long trip I do not feel like snaking crap out.

Not fun, Zanne.

Thought I had an easy day, look at some additional drains and hosebibs that the GC wants installed, get with the senior project manager about that, clean up the rest of my leftover material. Turned into a 5 hour marathon of snaking, camera inspecting drain lines, and cutting open walls, on a project that I didn't have any part in building. Then check on a job, then spent 3 hours finishing up some work on a water main that I started last night.

I went to my old PD and saw some of my buddies at a promotional ceremony. Man, they all turned so old.

I called the plumber but next time I think I will just snake it out myself-- and maybe find a new plumber. He ripped me off.
$120 to spend less than 5 min snaking the cleanout.

His usual fee is around $60 or $65.

I think he charged me for two visits because he drove into my yard on Wednesday but I was at the store and not expecting him that day (because his wife said he would be by on Thursday) and my mother didn't get to the door in time. He apparently saw her at the door but kept driving away and didn't do any work. He had called ahead and nobody answered but he still came out.

Since he is the only plumber I know in the area I didn't want to piss him off and was too tired to argue. So now my mother is all angry at me for not demanding a lower amount.

Not sure what I should do about it, but I think I need to find someone different. His father never would have charged double like that.

On one hand, I know he took the time to come out and it used some gas (but not $60 worth of gas) and he didn't do any work the first time.. ugh....

Am I the only one that thinks that was unreasonable?

Zanne, if I was you, I'd talk to him and express your concerns. He might just be willing to refund some money. As I said....might.

havasu said:

Zanne, if I was you, I'd talk to him and express your concerns. He might just be willing to refund some money. As I said....might.

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I thought about it, but he sort of gave me attitude about coming out the first time and nobody immediately answering the door. But he did later let slip that he saw someone come to the door as he was leaving, but he chose to leave anyway. I explained that my mother has mobility problems and she got to the door as quickly as she could but he didn't come back.

If he were a good and decent businessman, he would have made sure we were home first and not just driven off like that and then charged double the next trip. Unfortunately he's not like his father. My concern is that if I piss him off he might refuse to come out when we really need the help and its hard to find anyone that will come out here.

The sad thing is, we usually tipped the guy $10 over his charging price for coming out quickly in the past. So he's just being a dick now.

If we had another plumber lined up that we knew would come out here, I would give this guy a piece of my mind and tell him to take a hike.

he's the only plumber for miles around and I don't know of any plumbers anywhere in this Parish. So he keeps pretty busy and he could easily go without my business and it wouldn't hurt his pocketbook at all.

Meanwhile it snowed last night and some of my animals saw snow for the first time. It confused them.
I have about 8 cats on my bed right now because they've decided that they don't like the snow but they do like warm blankets.

Today I put banks exhaust on my truck.

Today I got home before 8 PM, for the first time this week.