Byvshyj CCCP

[ Friday, January 14, 2005 ]

 
Yesterday I went with my father to the funeral of a grand-aunt. At 95 she was the last of her generation to go. Such dear, strong people have become rare in the world today.

The prior day I purchased the Pet Shop Boys DVD of all their videos and Shakira's greatest hits album in Spanish. It was a good music day.
S [9:32 AM]

[ Tuesday, January 11, 2005 ]

 
I had to change my tire again. Mom noticed it going flat yesterday. A screw was boldly sticking its head up from one of the treads. Are the roads really that full of debris or is something else afoot?

It snowed 2"-3" overnight. I waited for the temp to go up and melt what was in the street. At home I have the luxury of using a real jack instead of the mini that the manufacturer includes in the trunk. With the donut on I made what I hope to be my last tire-patching visit to Belle Tire.

I wait patiently for two hours, reading my biography of Howard Hughes. With an hour left until they close, I ask the clerk if my car will be seen today. "Oh. Is this your key?" he asks picking one up from the keyboard. "I forgot to put it in the line up. Sorry, man." Dolt.

S [7:49 PM]

[ Monday, January 10, 2005 ]

 
Finally! Dearborn Public Schools has their Adult Ed catalog available in PDF. It also displays using nifty Micromedia Flashpaper (which I haven't seen before).

S [9:40 AM]

[ Sunday, January 09, 2005 ]

 
Last night I went to my first DSO concert in three years. I had a main floor seat, a lot closer than in the balcony, though I like the view up there. I had to stop by work beforehand so I walked in just as they were tuning up. An usher said I'd have to stand in the back until intermission. I had no objections to that; it is rude to take one's seat after that point. Emmanuel Boisvert, first violin, featured in the Concerto in D minor for Violin & Orchestraby Sibelius. During intermission I was able to view the extension they've built. It's classy and more expansive space than what they had before. The second half was Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2. That's a good piece for modern audiences: it's never too slow and the volume fluctuates. It was funny to watch the older man in the next row cover his ears at the crescendos. I'm protective of my hearing but it wasn't uncomfortably loud.

Starting at three a.m. yesterday morning we began to get a gentle snow. It fell more heavily and we had 2" at work and 6" at home. It reduced the roadways by one lane: I-75 had two and surface streets had one. Roadcrews knew it was coming but the volume was greater than expected. Today it's warming up and the streets are no problem.

S [9:40 AM]

[ Tuesday, January 04, 2005 ]

 
Drove out to Claudia's (to her parent's, actually) where it was snowing. Spent the evening with her, first at an empty café, then a Thai place.

Coming back home I learn they weren't able to put the stent in Grandma; she has some internal bleeding that has to be addressed first. She actually fainted yesterday. :(

S [2:00 AM]

[ Sunday, January 02, 2005 ]

 
I found out today why my car has had a pull to the right: the front tire was leaking. I completed my shift and found it entirely deflated. I'm proud that I put on the donut all by myself. That's more down and dirty than I've ever been with a car. Completion was delayed when the jack fell as the tire was tugged off. I had to find a suitable spot to place it again.

Just made plans to see Claudia tomorrow. She flies back to France the following day.

S [11:28 AM]