Place: Quizno's
Lunch: Mesquite Chicken w/Bacon (no tomato), chili, Pepsi
Quizno's has posters up promoting their new "Italian Classics" line. This includes the new Spicy Sausage sandwich and a "new recipe" Italian Meatball. What's not on the poster? The Classic Italian, which was once Quizno's best seller (before the Mesquite Chicken came along). Seriously...why would you NOT put the Classic Italian on the Italian Classics poster? Give the REAL classic a little love, Quizno's.
It's a good chili day, even if it isn't nearly as cold as it has been earlier in the week when we were significantly below zero even before the wind chill. Still, it's been single digits and teens at best. Not a good time for the heat in my house to quit. But that's what happened Tuesday night.
I have a Nest thermostat. Have since they came out two years ago. I love the thing. It looks cool, it lights up to clearly show you the current temperature and settings when you walk by it, it does all sorts of tricks (especially with the A/C) that have clearly lowered my electric bill (I'm all electric, no gas), and it can be controlled and monitored on smart devices via an app. And Nest keeps it up to date with firmware updates that automatically download and apply. It's smart. But it was not so smart of Nest to dump a bad firmware update into the thing on one of the coldest nights of the year, effectively rendering it useless, and making it impossible for the furnace to kick on.
This didn't just happen to me. It happened to a lot of people. Social media confirms this, even if Nest is pretending like nothing's wrong, and their insane support volume is, in their words, due to new customers that got Nest products over the Christmas holiday.
Nest is in denial.
Anyway, unable to get my Nest troubleshooted and fixed, I picked up an old timey rotary dial Honeywell thermostat, spent fifteen minutes installing it, and had heat again. No big deal. But I really love the Nest and would like it working again.
Doesn't stop there.
My upstairs toilet needs a new flush valve. The tank is draining water into the bowl like it's constantly running. So I shut off the water to it to stop the running until I get around to the repair job, which involves removing the tank. Seems like a lot of effort, and my downstairs toilet works fine, so I'm really being lazy about it.
Doesn't stop there.
My work laptop hard drive blew up a couple of weeks ago. Managed to back up my files and nothing was lost, but the drive was damaged enough that IT couldn't do a full backup and restoral. The OS and programs had to be re-loaded. So I'm going through the phase of re-adding and re-configuring stuff I forgot about in the initial build. It's going okay, though. And the new drive is a solid state drive, so the machine works much faster than before and should be more reliable.
Doesn't stop there.
My home PC stopped going to sleep. Even if I put it to sleep manually, it wakes right back up like ten seconds later. It never did that before. So I put a login password on it and even disconnected it from the network for awhile to make sure nobody was hacking in. Didn't help. Even if I manually put it to sleep, which requires the login to fire it back up, it fires back up anyway. Skips the password. So I started shutting it down completely when I'm not using it. And maybe I forgot to shut it down yesterday, but I'm pretty sure I did, and it was ON AGAIN WHEN I GOT HOME.
So I made sure I shut it off this morning. If it's on again when I get home tonight, I'm calling the Ghost Hunters people.
I suspect the new 2014 antivirus software is causing this. That's the only change I've made to the machine in forever.
So please, stuff. Stop breaking.
Let my life be boring again.
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Old McDonald's
Place: McDonald's
Lunch: Big Mac, six piece Chicken McNuggets (w/sweet chili sauce), Hi-C Orange Lavaburst
Wichita Eagle business columnist Carrie Rengers had a quote from a retired judge who performed a wedding for a couple in the McDonald's they'd first met at. A McDonald's that had since closed.
Yep...they had their marriage in the kitchen of a long since boarded up McDonald's.
That must have been interesting.
I looked up the old building on Google Street View. It was your classic mansard design unless you looked above it from Satellite View and saw the sloped roof in the middle. Then you realized this was a heavily remodeled original McDonald's building with the big golden arches going through either side like handle bars. Red and white tile. Walk up only or maybe very limited seating in front of the counter. They just built a mansard around it, adding a dining area and drive-thru. Much like one of the McDonald's of my childhood.
This particular location was the second McDonald's in town. The first (in all of Kansas, actually) opened in 1960 and is still in business, but the building there is of the new nondescript variety. The mansard it was remodeled from may have been a ground-up rebuild. Not sure.
The mansard-style McBuildings are on the way out. And this got me thinking of them. So I decided to have lunch at the oldest one in town I know of, even though it's been completely bastardized over the years. The brick is painted white. The roof is painted red. And the dining room is one big expanse of brown, brown and orange-brown, with metal chairs that have brown wooden seats. But I can close my eyes and think back to the days when it might have had the 80's "Jungle Concept" interior. Green and cream and fake foliage everywhere.
Exact same sandwiches, different environment.
In other history news, it's time for the year in review!
Album of the Year - A number of my favorite artists released new material this year, but nothing really stood out as earth-shattering. I guess I'll give the edge to Gary Numan's "Splinter - Songs from a Shattered Mind". It was pretty great and gave Numan his best UK chart activity in years. Also, I got to meet him. He was surprisingly engaging. We had a fascinating conversation about a wolf. (NOT a joke.).
Movie of the Year - It was a great year for sequels, but like Album of the Year, I can't pin one down. "Fast & Furious 6", "Iron Man 3", and "Star Trek: Into Darkness" were really freaking great. New original material? Kind of short this year.
I Wish This Word Would Go Away of the Year - "Selfie". It just sounds gross. It drives me as nuts as the religious term "gird your loins". Keep your loins to yourself, pervert.
New Product of the Year - Those CREE LED bulbs Home Depot sells really are good 60-watt replacement bulbs.
Costly Maintenance Mistake of the Year - Mechanic: "You need to replace your (car) cabin filter every 20,000 miles. That's what fried your air blower." Me: "WHAT cabin filter?"
Poorly Executed Innovation of the Year - My favorite hotel in Vegas changed their room key cards from magnetic stripe to RF readers. But they won't read unless you take them out of your wallet, and even THEN it's kind of iffy. What's the point if you have to take them out of your freaking wallet?
Reason to be Worried on a Flight of the Year - Flight Attendant to Pilot: "Are you feeling a little droopy dog today? Don't worry, it's under 900 miles."
Dumpy Hotel of the Year - Guy two doors down from me complained to the front desk about ants. Desk clerk resolved the situation by handing him two cans of ant spray.
Restaurant Demise of the Year - The State of Kansas seized the assets of Taco Tico's corporate-owned restaurants and headquarters. There's just a few scattered franchise locations left, which thankfully includes my favorite one, presumably operating independently now.
Restaurant LTO of the Year - Gotta hand it to Arby's. That Smokehouse Brisket sandwich was a thing of beauty.
Bad Restaurant LTO of the Year - Subway brought back the Big Hot Pastrami, which I used to love...and it was AWFUL.
Bad Restaurant LTO Etiquiette of the Year - White Castle offered grilled chicken sliders. Not available at breakfast. Which makes perfect sense since literally everything else on the menu is.
Fast Food Discovery That Already Existed But I Just Discovered of the Year - Original Tommy's breakfast burrito. A pound or more of sausage, egg, hash brown, cheese, and chili. It's so BIG. And so HEAVY. But I CAN'T STOP EATING IT.
Fast Food Misheard of the Year 1 - Me: "Three naked tenders..." Popeyes Counter Girl: "Three-legged WHAT?"
Fast Food Misheard of the Year 2 - Hardee's Counter Girl 1: "I had to pay my rent, I had to pay my daughter's layaway..." Hardee's Counter Girl 2: "You put your DAUGHTER on LAYAWAY???"
Good Restaurant Move of the Year - Whataburger's Spicy Ketchup, previously an LTO, became a permanent thing this year.
Bad Restaurant Menu Move of the Year - The local smashburger stopped selling chili. And I stopped going there.
Dumb Restaurant Logo Move of the Year - Wendy's moved to an 80's lipstick font logo. Why?
Long Overdue Restaurant Move of the Year - You know that Taco Bell in an old Sambo's building I complained about for years and years and years? THEY DEMOLISHED IT this summer!
Bad LTO Grocery Food Item of the Year - Pringles Chili Con Queso. They were GROSS.
Fortune Cookie of the Year - "You are about to become $8.95 poorer. ($6.95 if you had the buffet)".
Fro-Yo Flavor of the Year - Buttered popcorn. Well played, Menchies.
That was Quick of the Year - The family who owned longtime and locally loved Scottsbluff, NE staple Taco Town relocated to Wichita and opened up shop there. Didn't get to try them...they lasted two months.
T-Shirt of the Year - "Yes I own a truck. No I won't help you move."
Bad Etiquette of the Year - Don't you hate it when somebody within earshot of your desk replies "LOL" to your e-mail when you know for a fact they DID NOT LOL?
Budget Cuts of the Year - After 18 years, I discontinued DirecTV in favor of going free OTA only. Six months later, I don't miss it. At all.
TV Commerical of the Year - The FedEx ad with the golf-loving death metal band. "As far as your fans know, you are only capable of HATE." "I don't hate golf." One of FedEx's best ever, and that's saying something.
Bad Commercial of the Year - Dodge Charger: "We're willing to bet no kid ever grew up with a poster of a Passat on his wall." Yeah, well I'm willing to bet no kid will ever grow up with a poster of that sedan you currently call a "Charger" on his wall either.
Bad Commerical of the Year II - Am I the only person in the world who really wants to beat the crap out of the smug teacher in the Microsoft Surface commercial?
Bad Commercial Jingle of the Year - "Bigger Better Bob Brown...Bob Brown Auto" to a disco beat. SHUT UP! SHUT! UP!
Missed Commercial Opportunity of the Year - You know that Delta faucet commercial where a guy is using a variety of touch faucets as a drum kit? That would have been WAY more impressive if they got Neil Peart to do it.
Uncomfortable TV of the Year - It always gets awkward when Joe Buck flirts with Troy Aikman on camera.
Suggested New Olympic Sport of the Year - "Running Through Big Airports to Catch Absurdly Tight Connections".
Feel Better About Yourself of the Year - Ever find yourself feeling down about your place in life in comparison to everyone around you? Just go people-watching at Aldi.
Personalized License Plate of the Year - "W ENVY", on a green Camaro
Random Unsolicited Advice of the Year - "THERE AREN'T ANY FLYING MONKEYS!" Building maintenance guy at the office shouted at me from the roof
Office Courtesy of the Year - Girl holding door open for me: "Right this way, sir." To the guy behind me: "BUT NOT YOU."
Retweet of the Year - "So 18 million people watched that Sound of Music thing last night and everything I've done has been canceled." - @JewelStaite
Lunch: Big Mac, six piece Chicken McNuggets (w/sweet chili sauce), Hi-C Orange Lavaburst
Wichita Eagle business columnist Carrie Rengers had a quote from a retired judge who performed a wedding for a couple in the McDonald's they'd first met at. A McDonald's that had since closed.
Yep...they had their marriage in the kitchen of a long since boarded up McDonald's.
That must have been interesting.
I looked up the old building on Google Street View. It was your classic mansard design unless you looked above it from Satellite View and saw the sloped roof in the middle. Then you realized this was a heavily remodeled original McDonald's building with the big golden arches going through either side like handle bars. Red and white tile. Walk up only or maybe very limited seating in front of the counter. They just built a mansard around it, adding a dining area and drive-thru. Much like one of the McDonald's of my childhood.
This particular location was the second McDonald's in town. The first (in all of Kansas, actually) opened in 1960 and is still in business, but the building there is of the new nondescript variety. The mansard it was remodeled from may have been a ground-up rebuild. Not sure.
The mansard-style McBuildings are on the way out. And this got me thinking of them. So I decided to have lunch at the oldest one in town I know of, even though it's been completely bastardized over the years. The brick is painted white. The roof is painted red. And the dining room is one big expanse of brown, brown and orange-brown, with metal chairs that have brown wooden seats. But I can close my eyes and think back to the days when it might have had the 80's "Jungle Concept" interior. Green and cream and fake foliage everywhere.
Exact same sandwiches, different environment.
In other history news, it's time for the year in review!
Album of the Year - A number of my favorite artists released new material this year, but nothing really stood out as earth-shattering. I guess I'll give the edge to Gary Numan's "Splinter - Songs from a Shattered Mind". It was pretty great and gave Numan his best UK chart activity in years. Also, I got to meet him. He was surprisingly engaging. We had a fascinating conversation about a wolf. (NOT a joke.).
Movie of the Year - It was a great year for sequels, but like Album of the Year, I can't pin one down. "Fast & Furious 6", "Iron Man 3", and "Star Trek: Into Darkness" were really freaking great. New original material? Kind of short this year.
I Wish This Word Would Go Away of the Year - "Selfie". It just sounds gross. It drives me as nuts as the religious term "gird your loins". Keep your loins to yourself, pervert.
New Product of the Year - Those CREE LED bulbs Home Depot sells really are good 60-watt replacement bulbs.
Costly Maintenance Mistake of the Year - Mechanic: "You need to replace your (car) cabin filter every 20,000 miles. That's what fried your air blower." Me: "WHAT cabin filter?"
Poorly Executed Innovation of the Year - My favorite hotel in Vegas changed their room key cards from magnetic stripe to RF readers. But they won't read unless you take them out of your wallet, and even THEN it's kind of iffy. What's the point if you have to take them out of your freaking wallet?
Reason to be Worried on a Flight of the Year - Flight Attendant to Pilot: "Are you feeling a little droopy dog today? Don't worry, it's under 900 miles."
Dumpy Hotel of the Year - Guy two doors down from me complained to the front desk about ants. Desk clerk resolved the situation by handing him two cans of ant spray.
Restaurant Demise of the Year - The State of Kansas seized the assets of Taco Tico's corporate-owned restaurants and headquarters. There's just a few scattered franchise locations left, which thankfully includes my favorite one, presumably operating independently now.
Restaurant LTO of the Year - Gotta hand it to Arby's. That Smokehouse Brisket sandwich was a thing of beauty.
Bad Restaurant LTO of the Year - Subway brought back the Big Hot Pastrami, which I used to love...and it was AWFUL.
Bad Restaurant LTO Etiquiette of the Year - White Castle offered grilled chicken sliders. Not available at breakfast. Which makes perfect sense since literally everything else on the menu is.
Fast Food Discovery That Already Existed But I Just Discovered of the Year - Original Tommy's breakfast burrito. A pound or more of sausage, egg, hash brown, cheese, and chili. It's so BIG. And so HEAVY. But I CAN'T STOP EATING IT.
Fast Food Misheard of the Year 1 - Me: "Three naked tenders..." Popeyes Counter Girl: "Three-legged WHAT?"
Fast Food Misheard of the Year 2 - Hardee's Counter Girl 1: "I had to pay my rent, I had to pay my daughter's layaway..." Hardee's Counter Girl 2: "You put your DAUGHTER on LAYAWAY???"
Good Restaurant Move of the Year - Whataburger's Spicy Ketchup, previously an LTO, became a permanent thing this year.
Bad Restaurant Menu Move of the Year - The local smashburger stopped selling chili. And I stopped going there.
Dumb Restaurant Logo Move of the Year - Wendy's moved to an 80's lipstick font logo. Why?
Long Overdue Restaurant Move of the Year - You know that Taco Bell in an old Sambo's building I complained about for years and years and years? THEY DEMOLISHED IT this summer!
Bad LTO Grocery Food Item of the Year - Pringles Chili Con Queso. They were GROSS.
Fortune Cookie of the Year - "You are about to become $8.95 poorer. ($6.95 if you had the buffet)".
Fro-Yo Flavor of the Year - Buttered popcorn. Well played, Menchies.
That was Quick of the Year - The family who owned longtime and locally loved Scottsbluff, NE staple Taco Town relocated to Wichita and opened up shop there. Didn't get to try them...they lasted two months.
T-Shirt of the Year - "Yes I own a truck. No I won't help you move."
Bad Etiquette of the Year - Don't you hate it when somebody within earshot of your desk replies "LOL" to your e-mail when you know for a fact they DID NOT LOL?
Budget Cuts of the Year - After 18 years, I discontinued DirecTV in favor of going free OTA only. Six months later, I don't miss it. At all.
TV Commerical of the Year - The FedEx ad with the golf-loving death metal band. "As far as your fans know, you are only capable of HATE." "I don't hate golf." One of FedEx's best ever, and that's saying something.
Bad Commercial of the Year - Dodge Charger: "We're willing to bet no kid ever grew up with a poster of a Passat on his wall." Yeah, well I'm willing to bet no kid will ever grow up with a poster of that sedan you currently call a "Charger" on his wall either.
Bad Commerical of the Year II - Am I the only person in the world who really wants to beat the crap out of the smug teacher in the Microsoft Surface commercial?
Bad Commercial Jingle of the Year - "Bigger Better Bob Brown...Bob Brown Auto" to a disco beat. SHUT UP! SHUT! UP!
Missed Commercial Opportunity of the Year - You know that Delta faucet commercial where a guy is using a variety of touch faucets as a drum kit? That would have been WAY more impressive if they got Neil Peart to do it.
Uncomfortable TV of the Year - It always gets awkward when Joe Buck flirts with Troy Aikman on camera.
Suggested New Olympic Sport of the Year - "Running Through Big Airports to Catch Absurdly Tight Connections".
Feel Better About Yourself of the Year - Ever find yourself feeling down about your place in life in comparison to everyone around you? Just go people-watching at Aldi.
Personalized License Plate of the Year - "W ENVY", on a green Camaro
Random Unsolicited Advice of the Year - "THERE AREN'T ANY FLYING MONKEYS!" Building maintenance guy at the office shouted at me from the roof
Office Courtesy of the Year - Girl holding door open for me: "Right this way, sir." To the guy behind me: "BUT NOT YOU."
Retweet of the Year - "So 18 million people watched that Sound of Music thing last night and everything I've done has been canceled." - @JewelStaite
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