Honcock Rocks

Since I saw Hancock yesterday, I thought I'd give it a little review. As if the title doesn't say it all, here's my review: Go see this movie! There. Now you know.

But seriously, Hancock was a very enjoyable flick. Smith does a great job playing the alcoholic superhero and the movie provides a few good laughs and some decent special effects.

As I predicted after seeing the previews, this movie will probably not be remembered by many in a decade, but it made for great viewing nonetheless. If I had to rate it, I'd give it three out of five stars.

Digging Blows

You know, I'd almost forgotten just how much it sucks to dig. My septic tank nightmare took care of that!

Truth be told, I was thinking of getting some exercise anyway... just not like this! I never thought about it, but a shovel can be considered a piece of exercise equipment ! It was quite a workout, digging that three foot deep hole in the ground.

The first day left me completely exhausted. Of course, I was working in the sun. I'm sure the heat had something to do with it. After that day, I started digging at night (in the early morning). The overnight low has been around 88 degrees, which is just cool enough to be comfortable.

Almost Done Digging

I fixed the broken sewage pipe in my back yard. I even buried it halfway. My hand is sore and I've developed blisters. That mostly why I stopped. I'm taking a few days off from this digging because of my hand. That, and it's 112 degrees outside. Like my mom said, it can wait until winter at this point. not that I intend to wait that long. I'm sure that in a few days, I'll put on one of my old company logo shirts and get back to filling in the holes in my backyard. This homeowner stuff is a lot of work.

Oh yeah, and my homemade ladder broke the other day! Fortunately, I was pretty close to the ground when it decided to call it quits. Just another thing I have to fix.

Bills!

I owe my wife.. big time! Not only did she pay for my car insurance and registration, but she paid to have the septic system pumped as well. That's nearly a thousand dollars in bills. In the meantime, I'm trying to find a job or some other source of income, because I fully intend to pay her back and then some. She's pretty much been keeping me from starving while I can barely pay my share of the monthly bills. I'm sure you can understand just how thankful I am for her help.

It is really fortunate that I've always tried to live below my means, from keeping my monthly bills low to finding the best buy on things that I purchase. If I was living a lavish lifestyle, I'd probably be homeless right now.

Somehow I managed to get myself a pretty nice car, but with it comes expensive registration and insurance. I had to change insurance carriers to keep my rates the same as they were with my last car. Registration is still expensive, though.

Anyway, the plan is for me to get some education and a real job, then we move because my house sucks!

Thinking About Graphic Design

I've been taking a computer programming class- I learned to program in Basic as a youngster, and I've been trying to get back into it ever since.

Back in 1997, I started coding again. I wrote a computerized version of an ancient game called Mancala, with a computer opponent and three game variations.

Then in 2000, I took a class in Visual Basic. I aced the class, but I didn't own a computer that was capable of running the Visual Basic Software. I also didn't own the software, which is very expensive- about four hundred dollars if memory serves me correctly.

In 2004, I was able to get a free copy of Visual Basic.net. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten a lot about programming Visual Basic, and they added the .net framework.

So I now own a the software and computer that can run it. I'm taking a class in this language. Unfortunately, programming has become a lot more complicated than it was when I was 12, and I won't be able to just jump in to a career in computer programming- most employers want someone who knows several languages and has three to five years experience programming.

So, now I'm thinking of taking my career path in the graphic arts direction. I'm not bad with photoshop, and there are lots of freelance opportunities available, some of which look like stuff I can do already, such as designing graphics for promotional pens . I believe I can get in to this field by taking just a few classes to start.

I suppose I should start looking for some online photoshop classes, though I've also learned that it is easier to learn in a classroom. My mom is taking these kinds of classes, but they are expensive! She's paying three hundred dollars for one class alone. I guess this is where government funding comes into play, as I'm flat broke.

The Pit

My hands are blistering and my back is aching as I tilt the shovel against the pipe and hear it crack. "Crap, I'm going to have to dig deeper." As if I needed more work to do.

Yesterday, my septic system decided to rebel. It had taken enough of my crap, and it wasn't going to tolerate any more.

When I called the septic pumping company, they asked if I had located the cleanout cover. I told them I would try to find it. No such luck, but what I did uncover was a broken pipe leading to the septic tank. I found it because there was a small patch of grass growing in that spot. It had been that way for some time. I never thought much of it up to this point.

After the septic pumping guy did his thing, I asked him to look at the pipe. He gave me some advice, and it seems like an easy fix- as long as you don't mind digging.

I can't use my own bathroom. Not until I get this fixed.

Considering the fact that this pipe has probably been leaking for a long time, I'm literally digging up fecal matter. My cats probably think I'm making the biggest litterbox they've ever seen.

In a way, they're right.

I could really use a shower- in fact, I was about to take one when I discovered my little problem. The toilet was bubbling as I was waiting for the shower water to heat up. I thought it would be a good idea to flush the toilet. I thought wrong. Fortunately, I didn't make a huge mess in the bathroom.

Luckily I spent a few years working with irrigation, and I'm familiar with repairing pipes like this. The only problem is digging out enough dirt so that I can get under it.