My parents requested that I take pictures of my fully furnished apartment a few months ago. I delayed because, well, the apartment still isn't fully furnished. Additionally, the apartment is usually a complete mess. Since I had today off, Russell was gone, all of my friends are out of town and Kat was busy until dinner time, I decided to clean the place from top to bottom. Here are those long-awaited pictures.

You never know how hard it is to find an available dumpster until you need one. I just spent 20 minutes driving around a dark and rainy Bellevue looking for such a creature. I needed to dispose of a few plastic containers that I used to move in and our apartment complex only offers a chute for trash bags. These plastic totes barely fit into my hatchback, so they sure as heck were not going to fit down that chute.

Thankfully, there is a large string of medical centers about a block from here because of the hospital being so close. Friday night at 5 PM, the day after a holiday, few people are going to be in the office. I found a dumpster and it found my totes.

Here is the cake: pic1 and pic2.

Thanksgiving with Kat's family was quite enjoyable. From talking with her mom to playing with the cats to playing board games with everyone, a good time was had by all. Note to self: the combination of turkey, rich chocolate cake and port means you will fall asleep very soon after the meal.

Pitchfork: Top 100 Albums of the 1990s Redux: So many good albums, so many albums I still need to hear. No time for full analysis.

Slashdot: "You spend the first two years teaching a kid how to talk and walk, then you spend the next sixteen years telling them to shut up and sit down. Seems so pointless, doesn't it?"

I get to make my chocolate raspberry torte for Thanksgiving at Kat's parents this year! Every time I've made it, it's been a hit. I have an idea to improve it dramatically this year. I will make it the day before Thanksgiving and if it fails, I will make the original recipe.

Ford to drop SVT Focus, put entire SVT lineup on hiatus: No more SVT Focus! That is a shame because just about every review I've read of the car said it was outstanding. I really shouldn't think about the SVT too much because I want to kick myself for getting the ZX3 instead. The retail price on my ZX3 was MORE than a well-equipped SVT and the SVT is a better vehicle in almost all regards (other than noise and softness of ride). 170 HP, almost as fast as a 911 Carrera in the slalom, okay gotta stop thinking about it. If only I was more comfortable with a manual, I would have bought it back in July...

Anyway, back to the article. The ST model that is mentioned is probably similar to the UK-spec ST170: basically the same engine as the SVT (170 HP) but without the rest of the upgrades (suspension, tires, brakes, interior, transmission, etc).

Weekend update:

On Sunday, I finally made it to a donation center. When I first moved out to Washington, I brought all of my college apartment furniture, electronics and applicances. I figured that I would have enough startup costs with moving into a new apartment and buying a car that I could use my old college crap for awhile to get me by. I dropped quite a bit on the down payment for the car and had to buy a few essentials for the apartment (sofa, bed, desk, dresser, bookshelves, everything for the bathroom, etc) so I was glad I brought everything else. I've slowly replaced a few items and instead of getting rid of them immediately, I just tossed them into the corner of the room! Basically, we had an extra TV, VCR and TV stand in our living room for the past three months. Kat showed me the local Goodwill donation center Sunday morning so I packed up the ol' Focus hatchback and finally made a donation.

I got rid of said TV, VCR and TV stand along with two huge garbage bags of clothes (cleaned and folded, thank you), microwave, toaster, coffee pot and some other assorted items. They didn't take the TV, so I just tossed it into the garbage/recycle room in my complex. If it's still there after trash day, I will probably take it to a real recycle center since Jeff informed me that the tube contains toxic materials.

After getting rid of so much stuff, I decided I need to fill those now-empty spaces with new stuff. I picked up a duvet cover and blanket (both in dark blue) and then Jeff and I went out shopping. On the way to Ikea, we decided to check out Fry's. It can only be described as a combination of the best parts of Best Buy and Radio Shack in a Wal-Mart sized setting. Automatic geekgasm. At Ikea, I picked up a frame for my Hokusai Katsushika print. It's not terribly Japanese, I know, but I simply like it for aesthetic reasons. Jeff had to continually remind me that I am heterosexual so that I wouldn't buy certain prints. But come on, with a blue and white theme in my bedroom, this would complement it well!

On Saturday, Jeff, Russ, his two visitors, Rebecca and Rob, and I went to Rocksport in West Seattle to see Michigan defeat Ohio State. I was about to say "upset Ohio State", but we all knew who was going to win! Rocksport was an interesting place to see the game. All but a handful of people were there specifically to cheer on the Wovlerines as the Seattle alumni association goes there for every game. They served (a fairly crappy) breakfast, but service was surprisingly good for a bar at 9 AM. After the game, Jeff and I hit Kenneth Cole (shoes in brown/tan, shirt, shirt in black). After a quick lunch, we hit the gym. That night, Kat and I went to Cutters for dinner (not terribly impressed) and then had a quiet night at home.