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Moving (In More Ways Than One) February 20, 2007

Posted by Patrick in : House , 3 comments

This past Saturday marked the move (finally) of myself and my earthly possessions to the new place in East Liberty. The move was helped by some good friends and my Dad. As far as moving weather goes, it definitely could have been worse. It also could have been better. On both the loading and unloading sides, there was a good bit of ice and snow that made things a little tricky. Anyway, I’m finally living there.

And to give you an update, I’m refinishing my pine floors. Thanks for all the input! You won me over. Since we’re in the middle of the process, everything’s kind of a mess, so I don’t think I’ll have anyone over for at least a few weeks.

The other move that’s happening is my move of hosting companies. It should happen in the next few days. That means that this blog may be shut down temporarily. Don’t worry. It’ll be back with more force than your internet connection can handle! Plus, with Wordpress’ ability to import/export blog data, I should be able to set this blog up at my new home at 1and1.com fairly easy (Actually, I already tested it at prognosisnegative.com). It works!

More Craigslist Stuff February 15, 2007

Posted by Patrick in : Random , 2 comments

Here’s more stuff that I’m selling/giving away because of my upcoming move.

Like A Giddy Schoolboy February 14, 2007

Posted by Patrick in : Random , 2 comments

The boss emailed and said that we can work from home today because of today’s weather. Sweet!

The L Word February 13, 2007

Posted by Patrick in : House , add a comment

While Cupid mills around Pittsburgh tomorrow piercing couples young and old, I will sit in class, pierced by the laundry list of landlord legalities. As other men will surprise their loved ones with boxes of chocolate and flowers, I will surprise myself with the nuances of Form 1040 Schedule E and its tax rules. While others will sign up their future lives with each other, I’ll learn how to sign up future tenants.

Tomorrow marks the first night of landlord class. My coworker (who just bought a duplex) and I start Property Management and Landlording tomorrow at CCAC. Unfortunately, love will probably be the furthest thing from people’s minds. It’s a three hour class every Wednesday night for eight weeks.

The class description sounds like it will be helpful and informative. It’s fairly cheap too. The class is $119 for 24 hours of class time, which breaks down to just under $5 an hour. It’s at CCAC main, so it’s walkable for the first week. After I move, I hope to carpool with my coworker.

Hope everyone has a good Valentine’s.

Over the Hills to Work We Go February 9, 2007

Posted by Patrick in : Cycling , 3 comments

One of the many things that I’m looking forward to when moving into my new place is the opportunity to bike to work. Right now, I live an easy twenty miles away from work. Moving to East Liberty will cut that distance by five miles, making it doable in my mind. The distance is still a little daunting. Though, I know others have longer routes than mine.

route.jpg

Some fellers on Bike Pittsburgh helped me solidify the route. It’s a little round-about, but the East Hills can have some (ahem) hills. The route tries to maximize flatness and minimize traffic when possible.

The first six miles are fairly flat. Then, it’s a four hundred foot climb over Mt. Verona (my term). The next three miles have nice rolling hills. The rider is then greeted with the trickiest part - the turnpike overpass. The road gets fairly narrow and steep here. After that, I should be home free. I’ll let you know what happens, come this spring.

Say Yes to Ys! February 5, 2007

Posted by Patrick in : Music , 1 comment so far

If someone would have told me that Joanna Newsom’s newest album Ys would be my favorite of 2006, I would think that they were crazy. Before Ys, my only experience with her was a track on her debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender. And I really didn’t care for it. Like Dylan, I had similar misgivings about her voice. The cat in the blender didn’t come to mind. It was more like a squeaky preschooler.

But tastes change, and so do arrangers, producers and mixers. And it was this orchestration and production, mixed with Newsom’s innocent voice and lyrical prowess that make Ys my favorite of 2006. It’s a steal on eMusic (the album’s only five tracks!)

Maybe angels really do play harps.