Next, I called the dude who had been recommended regarding internet, and got stuff set up there. The appointment is on Thursday morning; I'll have to get back from the farmers' market in time to make that.
Then I compiled a shopping list and went out. I'd been planning to go to Fry's Electronics, IKEA, and Target. I wound up only going to Fry's, but that twice over. I got a cablemodem/wireless router combination (Linksys) and some batteries and a laptop cooling pad. They did not have office chairs at that location (western themed), but re-directed me to Sunnyvale (Golden Age of Electronics/waveform themed), which did, the very model I'd been so happy with before. They were selling the floor model of a bread machine, but it was as-is and missing the paddle, so I gave that a pass. :(
It's very interesting to navigate a Fry's Electronics with a very large chair box in your cart. Things got more interesting when I got the chair mat in there. I may have to write something like that someday for the disaster potential. I accepted the nice young man's offer of help getting it in my car, and brought Vash around. Two strapping young men (ok, so they looked a little wimpier than I actually am, although my endurance sucks) helped out, and we played Car Tetris. The chair box wound up in the back seat, blocking the rearview mirror. The chair mat wound up rolled up and stuffed on top of the chair box. I wound up sporting a pair of nicely matched scratches from the spikes on the chair mat. I'll probably contract some more getting it out.
I called
norabombay on my way home in the middle of the traffic jam, and we had a good old gossip. This was interrupted by me driving into the garage (tons of concrete), and then by me sitting too far back on my couch (I live in a wireless hellhole), and then by my phone just plumb losing signal in the middle of the living room. There was also some nice young man knocking on my door and starting what sounded like a magazine sales pitch. I closed the door on him, despite his assurances that he was not violent and would not hurt me; Nora objected that he was exactly the sort of person who would need to hear the Epic Essay on Why You Shouldn't Date Batman (or Bruce Wayne) [essay may or may not be forthcoming]. Wound up in the lounge after a while. There were problems with getting the door open; my nice neighbor Jeff and I both had problems with our electronic keys vs. the door; so had the lady who opened it for us. Dawn called just as I was getting settled in with my laptop. We had a nice chat. I had a bit of a chat with Jeff, who is not much of a computer person.
I may wind up in the lounge even after I get my home internet working, because it's nice and lively, and I like places that are happening where I don't really have to interact.
