Quote of the Day
Well, quote of the day two weeks ago, to be exact. But relevant:
[I]f you are a McCain/Palin/Bush voter, you and I do not have a difference of opinion. We have a difference in brain power.
Word. (Source.)
Link’d: 09-22-08
A few links for your enjoyment:
Simon Heys’s Word Clock screen saver is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while.
The FM 100 Hue Test: Kinda hard to do in bright daylight; nevertheless, my well-calibrated iMac let me get a score of 8.
Just a Special Note to Drivers of SUVs
If you don’t drive an SUV, feel free to skip! And pardon the all caps…
Dear SUV Drivers,
YOUR GIGANTIC, UGLY MONSTROSITY DOESN’T EVEN REMOTELY QUALIFY AS A “COMPACT CAR,” SO STOP FREAKIN’ PARKING IN SPACES DESIGNATED AS COMPACT CARS ONLY AND CROWDING UP THOSE OF US WHO ACTUALLY DRIVE COMPACT CARS. CAPICHE?
Love, Emma
I Exist on a Higher Plane
For some reason, before moving to Colorado Springs, I assumed it wasn’t at that high of an elevation. After all, the city is in a valley of sorts, not in the mountains that overlook it. Also, Colo. Springs is in the southern part of Colorado, and on maps, the majority of the western mountains seem to be west and north of the city, and extend into the states around those north and west borders of Colorado. My fiancé commented several times on the drive about maybe needing to use high-altitude directions when baking with boxed mixes, but that was about it.
So we were pretty baffled for a few days when every time we climbed the three flights of stairs to our apartment—the same amount of stairs we’d been climbing in Indianapolis with minimal trouble—we found ourselves gasping for air, huffing and puffing as though we hadn’t been off of our couch in several months. Turns out that the approximately 6,000-foot elevation of Colorado Springs not only exceeds that of Denver, but is plenty high enough to give newcomers a bit of altitude sickness. For the first few days we were here, we were constantly exhausted, when our activities were just some apartment shopping and light cleaning while we waited for our stuff to arrive. I found myself going to bed nearly three hours earlier than normal, just completely wiped out. After the first two days, and after getting a decent amount of sleep each night despite the lousy hotel bed, we no longer could chalk it up to fatigue from driving two days. Sure enough, my fiancé’s coworkers told him that the extreme fatigue, headaches, thirst, and light-headedness were par for the course when moving to the Springs.
While we’ll adjust and get over these symptoms with a few weeks, one thing that won’t change is that we basically have to relearn how to cook. The rude awakening came with my morning cup of coffee. Made the same way here as in Indiana, I wound up with a cup of vile, bitter dreck. Turns out you need to use less coffee. Also, if you’re super-picky, you need to be aware that water boils at 198 degrees F instead of 212 degrees F. And if you’re not picky about the exact temperature of the water that cascades over your morning java, you still need to be aware of the boiling temperature difference. As I learned while making hard-boiled eggs, the water bubbles up really fast, but don’t be fooled: you actually need to cook food longer, since it is boiling at a lower temperature. Apparently, you may need to tweak all your recipes, since you’ll need to adjust liquid levels to accommodate the very dry air and the quicker evaporation of the liquids you use.
I suspect these cooking challenges will result in an increased number of orders placed to Pizza Hut by the dear fiancé…
“Oh, Yes, I’m Fine…Everything’s Just Wonderful…”
The movers came yesterday and brought all of our stuff in more-or-less working condition, and after several hours of unpacking, we can once again see patches of carpet through the box detritus. I got my desk set up in front of a bay window, and this morning I was able to get up, sit at my desk, and enjoy the beautiful sunshine, blue sky, and view of the mountains. What a lovely way to begin the workday!
…Until I knocked over a big glass of water all over my desk, my project, and the brand-new carpeting. 
Moving Recommendations
First, never use Mayflower movers. Twice I have used them, with years separating the instances, and twice they have been bitterly disappointing. This time around, on the day our things were to arrive here in Colorado Springs, our things were just being loaded onto a truck at the Mayflower warehouse, with the thousand-mile jaunt still to be made. Thanks, Mayflower! Oh, and, you suck!
Second, if you are self-employed, don’t overbook yourself so that every free minute that you are not packing, driving, running errands, and cleaning is spent working your ass off. It makes for a very tired and run-down freelancer.
So photos of the lovely Colorado Springs that I’d hoped to take and post are on hold due to a lack of Photoshop and my iMac (see the first paragraph) and due to a lack of time (see second paragraph).
I-70 Is a Long Road
For two godawful long days I traveled with my fiancé from Indianapolis to Colorado Springs. During this journey along I-70, I experienced the yin and yang of the heartland: Missouri and Kan*coughsuckscough*sas—oops, wait, I gave it away there, didn’t I?
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Sarah Palin: Hockey mom bringing down-home values to big, ugly Washington? Or just another lying politician?
Well, as Rudy says: “I learned as a trial lawyer a long time ago, if you don’t have the facts, you’ve got to change them.” Or, as we call it in the real world, lie.