car clear bra FAIL

So, this weekend I attempted to put on a protective clear bra on my front bumper/hood. The instructions made it look super simple. The web site selling it of course said that it is easy for anybody to install... yeah. Well I cleaned my car super well just like they said I should. I didn't see a speck of dust. I turned on ALL the lights in the garage and even brought out an extra light. I start installing the thing and it immediately becomes apparent that my garage really isn't dust free as this sticky plastic was apparently the air's equivalent of a Swiffer Sweeper because once I installed it, I noticed a ton of dust and small particles under the plastic. I told myself it would be ok and pushed on to the actual bumper, I had just finished the hood. Well the bumper is where the real nightmare began. As you all know bumpers aren't flat, they're curved and have lines and ridges to make them look better. These aspects of the bumper made it virtually impossible for me to get the plastic to fit properly, and each re-application I made, more dust would be trapped. I eventually gave up and ripped it off and put it back on it's original packaging.

K ends up coming home and I am beating myself up because I just wasted $300. I ask her to help me make one last attempt, and she accepts. She's so nice. Anyway, we try to apply the thing in one piece for about 30 mins and we about give up when K has the bright idea to cut it into pieces where it doesn't seem to fit properly. At this point, I figure anything is better than just wasting $300. So I agree and we get it installed. Yay! So I take the car out in full sunlight and find out that not only is there dust under the plastic there are lots of water-filled bubbles that we didn't see to remove in the low light in the garage. So I can honestly say even with a few paint chips, my car would look better than it currently does now! I can fix the bubbles with a needle, but the dust and lint is stuck! I'll probably end up removing it all after the winter and I'll re-acess whether or not I should have it professionally installed. I can get the same thing installed professionally for an extra $150 or I can do just the bumper w/o the hood and mirrors for the same price. All I really care about is the bumper anyway because it already has a couple small rock chips. So hopefully I'll be able to convince K to let me pay somebody to install it in the spring ;) Either that or I'll just start saving up for a bumper repainting :)

Life's boring

That's why I haven't posted anything lately. Well that reason and I've been busy doing work in the evening. I swear, I'm never going to get this house built. Banks are ridiculous! What else? My motorcycle is dead. The brake caliper started seizing and I didn't notice, so the rotor is scratched. So I have to replace the caliper, rotor, and brake pad. That's a pretty penny. I shou'dve bought a newer bike.

It was warm outside this weekend. So that made it enjoyable. I am buying a new bicycle. I found a pretty good deal on a bike at Dick's. It has 21 speeds, front shocks and a shock on the seat so it should be a pretty comfortable ride. They call it a comfort bike, but it's built like a mountain bike except the tires have a less aggressive tread. It's $160. That's a little pricey, but seeing as I bought a bike at Target for that much on Saturday that I found out was way too small for me after riding it. I decided to get a bike from a real sporting goods store where they had bike frame sizes for people over 6'. I wish i hadn't left my dad's old bike outside so much in college. If I had brought it out of the rain and snow and all that junk, it'd still be ridable today. My mom's bike still looks new. It's been garaged since 1990 :)

More reasons I am glad I switched

...teams.

My old manager is taking everything back including accessories that I'd need to perform my job! So I have to order all new things. Here's the kicker. They're charging the same dept for the new parts I just ordered. there's some real un-telligence going on here....

Me [12:01 PM]:
Hi, do you know who I'd contact to get new phone chargers and cables? My old team wants all of this back so I'll need to get new ones
New Team Admin [12:03 PM]:
They can be ordered off of Tigers, or maybe someone from our Validation team has extras.
Me [12:05 PM]:
well since I'm still listed under the old Manager, the bill would go to him at the moment, and thats why he wants me to give my accessories back. So would you be able to order them from Tigers so that I have them when I start? Or will I have to wait until I start to begin getting these items?
New Team Admin [12:06 PM]:
Do you have the part numbers, or the name of the exact items you want (part number would be preferrable, it's easier to find in Tigers)?
Me [12:08 PM]:
for charger #1 FMP5202A
Me [12:08 PM]:
charger #2 PSM5202A
New Team Admin [12:08 PM]:
anything else?
New Team Admin [12:08 PM]:
do you only need 1 of each?
Me [12:09 PM]:
well I only need one, but I'd like to have 2 of charger #1 so I can charge the micro USB phones from home
Me [12:10 PM]:
I already have a mini USB charger at home that I purchased myself
Me [12:10 PM]:
and I would need a micro USB cable to connect to the PC... only one... SKN6238A
New Team Admin [12:11 PM]:
Ok. When I order it, it will have to be approved by Dawn who is traveling to Turin today. Hopefully she will approve it this week. Either way it won't be here when you come in tomorrow.
New Team Admin [12:12 PM]:
Does the old Manager realize that the same dept will be charged? It would be easier if he could approve it.
Me [12:12 PM]:
I'm sure he realizes this, but I don't think I have the power to assert this point
Me [12:12 PM]:
same deal with the SIM card issue
New Team Admin [12:12 PM]:
ok
New Team Admin [12:12 PM]:
Got it.
New Team Admin [12:12 PM]:
alright, I'll order it.
New Team Admin [12:13 PM]:
You'll be without one when you come here tomorrow.
New Team Admin [12:13 PM]:
Let me talk to our validation managers and see if they have any extra, until your order comes in.
Me [12:13 PM]:
I hope they'll at least let me keep the items until my official start date for your team on oct 1
New Team Admin [12:13 PM]:
Let me see if the validation team has any to hold you over.
Me [12:14 PM]:
ok thanks a lot!