6301

I probably could get that too (not sure, might have to do with protection of my personal information, not that Sweden usually cares), but I needed my physical records. To apply for a Canadian student visa, as it happens!

6302

I’m currently waiting on a FBI background check to get a resident/work visa for Iceland. If you’re getting a check for a job in the US they have a nice system where they scan your prints and transmit them to the FBI who sends back the record (or lack thereof) in a day or two. However, if you want a record for something silly like a foreign visa you have to send them a hard copy of your prints and they will get back to you sometime in the next 12 weeks or so.

6303

I got my mother to stop using Comic Sans in email, especially intra-office email at a law firm.

This may not be that interesting, but I’ve done the right thing.

6304

A small step for your mother, a great step for fine typography.

6305

I’ve been asked to document my memoirs and attend a dinner being held in my honour by the Disability Support Service in my University. Sort of. They’ve asked me to write up my story of how university life was, and how I got through it, with the difficulties I encountered and the support I received. And then there’s a dinner being held to celebrate 15 years of the service.

I’m delighted to do it for them. If it wasn’t for that department of the University, I doubt I’d have made it through to get my degree and I’ll continue to utilise them for my masters, even if it’s just calling in to say hello. The booklet I’ll be writing my thing up for is going to be sent out to loads of schools so kids who have had problems with anything might not be put off going into third level education.

Plus there’s free dinner. Which is a staple of University life.

6306

I rolled my ankle last night. No break, just a ton of swelling and pain. Yay.

My laptop hard drive also went from functioning great to having thousands of bad sectors, and my media center PC won’t boot due to jacked up system files.

I appear to have angered the gods or something.

6307

My grandmother died early Tuesday morning. It wasn’t a surprise and she was almost 90 and ready to go, plus she didn’t suffer, so it’s not like a huge deal. But she was important in my life as I only ever got to see 3 of my grandparents (one died before I was born) and she was one of the two that lived into my adulthood and that I really got to know as an adult.

What’s weirding me out is that she was my last living grandparent. Not having a grandparent I can call feels really strange to me. And it makes me feel old.

6308

Two planes, one quick bus transfer and a ferry ride later and I’ve made it back to Australia’s most northerly town - Thursday Island. There’s something surreal about having my laptop powered by the wind turbines sitting atop the hill getting the trade winds, or that slight sense of wonder at being in the middle of nowhere. At least, it feels like the middle of nowhere. And yet, I still have phone connection, water, power.

Anyway, a town like this makes me think back to the little, carefully sculptered towns I would build in Sim City 4.

6309

Awesome, can’t wait to get up there myself. Your story reminds me of my experience in the Grand Canyon, and my disbelief that you can buy a cold beer with a credit card at the bottom.

6310

I’m sorry for your loss. You’re fortunate, though, as all four of my grandparents passed away before I reached my teen years.

6311

I’m sorry to hear about your Grandmother, Sarkus. It’s been 4 years since I lost one of mine and it still saddens me every time I think about how she’s not around. Hopefully you’ve got lots of great memories that you’ll never lose.

6312

I’ve been amazingly lucky in that 3 of my grandparents are still alive (I’m 36). Unfortunately, my grandfather died a couple of years ago. We were very close (like a second father to me), so I know how much it hurts. As noted though, many people never know their grandparents, so think of the good times you were able to share.

6313

I bought a little 49cc scooter. Doesn’t require license plates or insurance in Missouri. What it does require is the ability to ride it, something I didn’t learn fast enough. Two days ago I drifted into the curb at 30mph and went flying. Amazingly, nothing broke on me or the bike. I was beat up pretty bad though. I got a cut over one eye, a hand badly scrapped and the wrist hurt too, and a knee that feels like it got kicked by a mule.

It was scary when it happened. The scooter is a lot of fun to ride – until you ride it into the curb. Then the fun ends.

6314

I just returned from over a month and nearly 4,000 miles of driving my wife and kids up and down the East Coast for vacation. It was insane, but insanely fun as well. :-)

For those having hard times (seems a number of you, too), I wish you the best.

6315

Scooters are like fat girls — they’re fun to ride until your friends see you.

6316

Every time I hear this line, I want to punch people in the face.

6317

Yeah, fat girls aren’t very fun to ride.

6318

Didn’t Jeff Green buy a Harley when he hit is mid-life crisis? Still, Tom will probably buy a wholesale plush cow lot when he hits his, so by comparison you really don’t seem all that silly.

Hopefully the person who delivered the line, and not a random person standing next to you! Unless you’re going for comedic effect.

6319

I’m having a low budget midlife crisis.

The thing is great on gas. I’ve put 80 miles on it and the needle has barely moved towards empty.

I don’t mind the look of scooters. I know they don’t look like motorcycles, but I don’t think they look bad. I enjoy not having to shift, also.

6320

2 wheels > 4 wheels any day!