Heidi's Journal

09/03/2008 20:11 #45556

10 things i love about my apartment
Category: 10 things

1. Location: it's on allen street.
2. Location: it's two blocks from the metro.

(Even though the metro doesn't have a "stand to the right" convention, it does have public artwork which the DC Metro system definitely does not have.)

3. Location: There are real live lesbians nearby. I know this sounds very strange but for the past five years of my life, the nearest out lesbians lived at least 10 miles away.
4. Sunny south-facing windows.
5. Hardwood floors.
6. Cute mini clawfoot tub.
7. Full-size range. (e:tinypliny), i know you're afraid of that gaping maw in your kitchen... have you developed a liking for cookies? How about some spicy molasses cookies? (Ginger, cloves, cinnamon...)
8. One very large closet, plus a small one in the bedroom.
9. Dishwasher.
10. China Cat Sunflower lives with me.

Right now she's refusing to come out from under the bed to have her picture taken. She's hanging out with my puppy's turtle.

Just a month or so ago she was happy to be photographed with Nisha:

What I hate about my apartment:
1. The three-prong electrical outlets are ungrounded.
2. There are several two-prong outlets (obviously also ungrounded).*
3. The building doesn't recycle. (this might be a "yet"... but my very large closet is starting to bulge with recyclables. I'm a little obsessive about recycling.)

The only things of (dubious) value I own are computers and peripherals. In Tioga County, Pa., the electrical service is unreliable, has frequent large power surges, and suffers brownouts, so I have surge protectors on everything except lamps. Without grounded electrical, the very very important surge protectors are useless.

To remedy the electrical situation, I bought some of these adapter thingys:

But the surge protector still reads "ungrounded." (As does the electrical outlet grounding tester that I have. Yes, I'm that much of a geek.)

grump*

tinypliny - 09/04/08 20:02
I actually would love to learn how to bake cookies. :) I have just about overcome my morbid fear of the black hole after finding out that it's not very likely to explode (as my gas oven in Rochester might well have).

I worry about grounding all the time! I bought adaptors and a circuit-breaking protector-strip when I first moved here. I am not sure if they are up to the job in an emergency but at least they make me feel (even if falsely) a bit better about plugging my electronics into an ungrounded circuit. I think the only grounded circuits in my studio are the ones in the kitchen for the fridge. I expanded it to plug in the microwave, the rice cooker and the toaster. I don't run all of them at once so they won't short out.

09/03/2008 17:04 #45550

Register to vote!
Category: elections

Just a quick reminder, the deadline to register to vote for the general election on Nov. 4 is rapidly approaching. Here's the form to print, fill out and mail in:

As a recent transplant from Pennsylvania, I haven't figured out what's up with your primary season. Kavanaugh vs. Hoyt?? I definitely didn't get registered in time for the primary...

Randomly: (e:tinypliny)'s only been in buffalo a year and already is the 5th most prolific commenter?? wow!! that's dedication.

dcoffee - 09/03/08 20:52
Good call Heidi! Actually the deadline is my birthday, October 10.

Also if you want to vote in a primary election and you're not a new voter, you have to switch your party affiliation almost a year in advance. This sounds like a rule that entrenched incumbents came up with, but you have to wait through one election before your party changes. Last year was a local election so I registered Democrat before then so I could vote in the Dem primary.

tiburon1724 - 09/03/08 20:01
I'm registered in Erie County but your post made me look at my card, guess I have to re-register since my address changed, what a pain. If it weren't presidential election I wouldn't bother but I guess I'll have to remember to do it.

tinypliny - 09/03/08 18:30
Yeah, (e:strip) is like my real-time soap opera/reality-TV-Show addiction (especially since I don't have a TV). hehehe :)

09/02/2008 19:21 #45542

"Stand to the right!"
Category: metro

I'm liking the Metro a lot (big boo & hiss to the apartment rental guy who told me I'd take it once, think it too gross, and never take it again! (e:heidi,44769)) but what's up with the lack of a "stand to the right, walk to the left" convention on the escalators? In D.C., if folks were standing on the left side of the escalator, people would start bellowing "Stand to the right!"... well, it sounded like a bellow thanks to the neat acoustics of escalator tubes.

Maybe it's because it only applies to six people every 12 mintues? <grin> The metro-riding population is so small!

springfaerie - 09/03/08 11:03
You know, I totally get what you are saying. In NYC there is generally accepted rule about escalators and standing, except that I think that in NYC it was the other way round. I could be wrong. It has been 5 years since I lived there, anyway, it personally makes me crazy when people just ride the escalator. The only excuse to just stand there is a.) you have little kids and a stroller or b.) you have bags of groceries, heavy stuff, etc... How freaking lazy can you be?

tinypliny - 09/02/08 19:59
Escalator, not elevator. Some don't get elevator rules as well.. Hehehe.

tinypliny - 09/02/08 19:59
I KNOW!! These Buffalo people don't seem to get elevator rules! I always want to shout STAND TO THE RIGHT!! :)

jbeatty - 09/02/08 19:31
I don't mind the train, I just wish there was a student discount for a monthly pass. I've taken it a few times this week when I had an hour to wait for the UB orange line to take me back to Allen st. It does seem slightly slower than other cities trains unfortunately.

08/25/2008 12:52 #45450

Elmwood Arts Festival
Category: cultural events

I went to the Elmwood Arts Festival yesterday. I think I should have gone Saturday; the selection of goods at many artists' booths was slim. I had a good time, though. I rode the 20 bus up Elmwood and got dropped off at the lower end of the festival (no parking worries for me!) and walked up one side of the line of booths till I got to the Lafayette Ave. end where a performance stage was set up. The dance troupe on stage was very good! Sorry, I have no idea who they are...

My camera battery died near the end of their performance :-(
On my way back down Elmwood, I chatted briefly with (e:drew) and had some artichoke hearts and a "strawberry blonde" smoothie in the food area. Then it rained and I caught a bus home. The festival was really nice and I'll definitely want to go again next year.

fellyconnelly - 08/26/08 06:09
i missed those artichokes too...

metalpeter - 08/25/08 18:37
I have learned to (don't all ways remember this)to have a back up battery or set of batteries. But if your camera is the kind that has the Battery as part of the camera and the camera charges it then those batteries are tougher to get a back up of. Glad you had a good time.

paul - 08/25/08 12:56
those drenched artichoke hearts are like my favorite part of the summer. I can't believe I missed it ;(

08/22/2008 18:29 #45413

bump! Politix-free posts :-)

I've been working on that last post since 8/20 (e:heidi,45374) but estrip publishes by date of first save, not current/take-out-of-draft date so I'm bringing it to your attention. Bump!

School orientation went well yesterday. I'm very much an introvert and it's hard to do the networking and small talk that I know are important parts of the professional acculturation process - I'm drained from being around so many new people. I took the subway from Allen to UB South, then the Stampede shuttle. It was quick and easy. The metro is cute! It's so tiny... only two cars and not very many people.

Whaddya think of my mangaface? that was fun :-)

chaibiscoot - 08/26/08 13:00
Hey Heidi,

Just so you know, there is a free UB shuttle that runs from Allen to the south campus. Its a van and is called the Orange Line. It's every hour, past 20. Starts from 7.20, 8.20.. so on. What do you do at UB?
I am swati, btw and am in the PhD program in American Studies.

Good Luck and welcome,
s

tinypliny - 08/22/08 22:08
Yeah, I agree. I attended a class at the North Campus last year and it took me just 20 minutes to get there every week. I like the Metro. As I probably mentioned before, if you are a bit street-wise the metro is safe and efficient.