Don't let me near your hardware, apparently I am cursed!  So far, the PS2
won't read any more discs, the engine on the log splitter is now locked up,
and today the hard drive on my work PC died.  Eep!

So Friday night, I had the place to myself and wanted to fire up the PS2. 
Well, I was already having problems with the system not reading discs on the
first dozen attempts, but after an hour and several different discs, the old
PS2 just won't read them any more.  *sigh*  Looks like I am going have to
shell out 150 bucks soon.  Then on Sat., I went home (with the PS2, I needed
something constructive to do).  It was a beautiful day, sunny with a breeze
and temps around freezing.  After a couple hours, Dad even popped out to help,
and 20 min. later the engine slowed down and then stopped.  We checked the oil
and found the motor had sucked it all out.  Yup, it was locked up solid as I
couldn't pull the rip cord any more.  So we hauled it over to a friend's shop
to get a new engine.  The engine was 20 years old, so we weren't too surprised
to have it finally give out.  Fortunately, a replacement motor won't be overly
expensive (approx. 125 bucks).  Oh yeah, forgot to mention that Sat. afternoon
I tried to start the pulling tractor and found the battery was dead.  I
noticed that one of the nieces or nephews must have been playing with the
radio and had left it on to drain the battery.  A few hours later with the
battery charger and I have enough cranking amps to get the engine to start.

So Sunday the snow and ice came to visit NE Iowa.  With Ma and Pa both having
to work (Ma to the Lutheran Home and Dad to the local auction house), I left
early enough to catch a couple hours on the treadmill.  I managed to get 5
miles in at my normal walking pace.  Afterwards, I went back home and
shovelled out the driveway.  It was a very wet and heavy snow.  Fortunately
there wasn't more than an inch in most places as my lower back was complaining
by the time I was done.  The rest of the afternoon I watched several hours of
Toonami and Adult Swim stuff I had tivo'ed from the Cartoon Network and movie
"Brothers Grimm".  The movie was alright with all of the little nods to the
various fairy tales, but it didn't suck me in.  During all of that I managed
to sneak a couple loads of laundry in. 

Then comes today, and my work PC had been popping up an odd error.  Well, it
finally decided to lock up to a blue screen of death.  IT came and replaced
the hard drive.  Fortunately most of my local data was saved, but now I have
to re-install all of my applications.  ugh.  Right now I'm having problems
re-installing Visual Studio 6.  On the upside, my coworker Forrest and I
managed to resolve an issue a customer was having.  Hooray for progress! 
Maybe this week will turn out better.

Found out from my Dad this weekend that my sister is now looking at a sports
car. *sigh*  Appears, she is getting worse rather than better with her
separation.  I'm worried she is going to get herself into some sort of trouble
(pregnancy, drugs, STD, accident, abused, etc.) with her ways.  I know it is
eating up my parents, but what do you do with a 31 year old woman who doesn't
want to live like a grown-up any longer?

How odd, just now one of the gals that I've mentioned several times before
decided to pop over to chat at my desk.  Appears the less effort I put into
being  in her company, the more she puts into it.  How odd.  Even more
interesting, the 2nd one hasn't put any effort.  So why is it whenever I would
go out with those 2 and another guy, the one that chats with me always hangs
out with the other guy and the 2nd gal chats with me.  I don't understand how
this woman thinks.  

On the funny side, after church my parents and I hit a local restaurant for
supper (we go on Sat. evening mass).  My Mom points out that two girls were
trying to catch my eye after communion and she asked  if I had noticed.  Of
course, if you know me, I didn't.  How is it that I'm so blind?  I told her to
point it out to me next time so I can pick up on this better.  Shesh, I'm just
clueless it would appear.

Ah well, time to roll out to the gym.  Tonight's blog brought to you by "Under
My Thumb" Rolling Stones.