Trina's page of Blogginess

Here's a screen shot I've been waiting to see for a long time now...

NOTE: The status changed today to "At your MINI Dealer" and the estimated delivery date changed from today to yesterday (when it was actually delivered)

I called my MINI dealership this morning - my car arrived at the dealership LAST NIGHT! It's here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D!

Not sure when I can pick it up yet - they asked me which dealer-programmed options I wanted (ie: follow-me-home lights, auto locks, etc,) She wasn't sure how long it would take - it depends on how busy their service center is today, and they are closed on Sundays (bummer).

She'll be calling me back later today to schedule a pick-up time/date!!!

It's amazing - it's in Pleasanton now! So quick! (from getting off the boat that is. I was expecting another week or two)

more news to follow!

Crap - I think my monitor just blew a fuse or something...

First of all, it's 5:00 am on a Saturday morning. Why am I awake? I wasn't able to sleep well at all last night. Fell asleep around 12:30, but woke back up at 4:00. :(

Anyhow, here I was, doing my computer thing, when *blip* - we have a little power surge/failure. The lights went off just for one second, then everything popped back on. Everything seemed to reset itself just fine, except....

My 17" monitor (which I have attached to my 15" laptop) didn't turn back on, and was making little clicking noises. Eventually, the green light came back on (as opposed to the orange light that was on, like when the computer is in sleep mode) but... no picture. Just black. Nadda.

My laptop was still reading the external monitor, and I think the monitor thought it was up and running. What is it? Is that like a blown picture tube? Hmmmm.

So, now what? Wait and see? See how it feels in the morning?

I don't exactly feel like buying a new monitor now - too many things going on. However, (she said, perhaps jumping the gun) I'll need one. It makes doing my work so much easier and more efficient.

Grrrrrrrr. :(

And, yes. I did have everything plugged into a power surge protector.
Geez. Good thing my laptop has a battery backup.

Perhaps it wouldn't had blown if I wasn't awake, and my computer/monitor was asleep during the power blip :(

Is there someone out there I can blame?

UPDATE:
1:54pm

Unfortunately, it looks like I have a dead monitor :(
Now I'm researching 15" and 17" flat screen LCD monitors on amazon.com. (love free shipping/no tax)
The 17" seems to average about $100 more than the 15". Dick has pretty much convinced me to spend the extra dough for the extra screen size.

Gads, like I need to spend the extra $$ that I wasn't planning on. Oh well, what can you do? I'm really missing having an extra monitor right now (and it's only been a few hours - pathetic, really), and I'm sure that as soon as I start working on my next project, I'll be really missing it.

Silver Lining: get a pretty, lightweight flat monitor. More desk space. Tax right-off.

Looking at a Sony, NEC and a ViewSonic.
any opinions out there?

I just heard from one of my "forum buddies" on mini2.com that his dealership called, and he's picking up his MINI tomorrow! that's great news because he and I had the exact same production date (December 18th) and were on the same boat. The boat docks in Oxnard, which is in Southern California, and his dealership is in Universal City (Los Angeles). Obviously, mine has a little further to go (but not much!) so I'm hoping to get a call from my dealership SOON!

I know you were wondering.....

Yes, my car did make it on board the Elektra in Southampton on Monday December 29, 2003. After 22 days at sea (and through the Panama Canal) it arrived at Port Hueneme, CA on Tuesday, January 20th!

I just found out that it has made it to the BMW Vehicle Distribution Center in Oxnard, CA. (that's in Southern CA) It'll go through the final rounds of inspection and quality control, then eventually be loaded on a carrier and brought to my dealership!

I'm hoping to pick it up within the next couple of weeks! :)

Happy Chinese New Year!

This is the year of the Monkey

have you seen these yet?
aren't they cute?
I bought 2 packets today, so I can use them throughout the year.

I've always liked the stamps in the "LOVE" series, but I think I'm partial to this year's rendition because I LOVE the candy hearts!

candy hearts = Raggedy Ann
get it?

Plus, I made the navigation icons in my Raggedy Ann site with Candy Hearts!

It's even better than you thought.

Did you know it doubles as a calculator?
try this in your Google toolbar, or at google.com:
567*456
(cool, isn't it?)

now try this:
68 gallons in cups
(even cooler!)

Did anyone else know this?
(Dick just told me this - he just found out today)

One more:
1 c in mph

I love the web. :)

I know I already showed this picture, but click here for the new commercial. It's exactly the same as the one from 1984, except she's wearing an iPod.

Clever.