As I was saying in the brief daily blog, today I spent most of the day searching the internet for jobs, tires, insurance rates, computers, and mostly stayed on track. I made changes to my current insurance to lower the premium by increasing the deductible to $1000, cancelling the emergency road service that is priced right, but doesn't deliver emergency road service when it's actually needed, and a couple of other changes. I pay $100 less a year now and it's still highway robbery, but that's 'Murica, ain't it? Capitalism at it's finest. I also got several quotes lower than my current rate from other companies and even for a quote from Geico for $100 lower than my current rate. I will think about moving to another company once I have a job and talk to Geico before moving I move to see if all the years I've been with them (a couple of decades without a claim, actually) matters.
I found the tires I want to buy, sort of. If I splurge, I'll get Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ that I found on TireRack for $142 a piece ($20 a tire to install puts it at about $340-$350 for two tires out the door). The other tires in the running are two Pirellis (P Zero plus or Cinturato P7 Plus), two Continentals (Pure Contact or True Contact), a Kuhmo (Ecsta PA31), and a General (Altimax). It will depend on the prices and availability and my splurge-factor. The two two are the safest tires, the others are safe and can provide better gas mileage. The decision is primarily which way I want to go, the safest tire (rated Excellent in safety, but very good in gas mileage and just good or less in mileage) or the best gas mileage tire among the almost safest tires (rated excellent in gas mileage but very good in safety and at least good in mileage). Most tires are rated good or less in either category. The absolute best handling tires last about half the mileage and are rated poor in gas mileage because they are softer to grip the road better but that also means they wear out much faster (like 30,000 miles or less). All of the tires on my list are at least 50,000 mile tires with good or better ride quality, very good or better handling (safety), and good or better gas mileage. Tomorrow, I shall shop the area stores.
I also learned about the latest available computers and found I can get 12GB Ram with a seventh generation i7 processor and a TB hard drive for under $700 and for a little more I can get a dedicated graphics card in a laptop weight under 5 pounds. Trading CPU down to sixth gen and adjusting some of the other components can improve some and still easily keep a laptop under $1000. heck, I can get the Surface pro 4 under $800 if I want to fo ultra portable. I am still considering a Mac, but the cost faster still puts the PCs ahead as they are so much faster and more powerful for so much less money. I saw some laptops way better than this one I use for under $500. So shop, shop, shop and as soon as I secure a new job, I shall get a new laptop.
I also applied for a few more jobs through the state job website. That's bring me so I already forgot the details, but hope springs eternal and all that jazz.
I yes, had a bit of fun cuz the internet is such a fun (and distracting) place to do anything these days (I keep my eyes open for internet jobs, especially work-from-home jobs, but most of those are scams... I think to get decent pay in a real job from home it starts with a real job with a good company that trusts you to work at home... still, I keep looking for anything and work-from-home is a category I include in my searching).
After that I played softball and hung out at the fields for a few hours getting fresh air watching other teams play. I would have too easily had been talked into going out to the sports bars to see some football and eat, so i am glad it was Monday and nobody wanted to go out anywhere. The temperature dropped into the 60s and being wet (sweaty) and hungry and sitting still I was definitely feeling the brisk chill and it felt great, but I was happy to warm up too. Yes, I know, I remember living up north and felt the 60s was warm weather. I was still in a wet short sleeved jersey, damp shorts, no socks, and slides, after all.
Heading home, to watch some internet TV... and fell asleep. The laptop did it's usual crash and it is now repeatable as it will have a blue screen within 8 minutes of no keyboard or mouse activity. The blue screens range from Critical Error to memory error to Kernel error to Page Fault error, but mostly Critical or memory when left to idle for more than five minutes. There must be something in the settings I can do to prevent that, but I'll wait until I have income again and buy a new laptop before tinkering or bringing it in anywhere. I will likely run diagnostics and attempt a fix after I get a new laptop.
That is the day that was with all it's wonderful details. Not much dirt or drama today, apologies if that disappoints, but hey, whatdya think this is, a political blog? You know where to find reality tv, just turn on the news. I hope your day was as much fun as mine. More, even. :)
Feel free to let me know :)
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