Saturday, August 15, 2015
Breakfast at home: one sausage link, one slice of toast with butter, one hash brown, 7 ounces of carrot juice, fresh blackberries. Troubleshot and resolved broken internet. First Sonic a support engineer helped me confirm that I could connect directly to our DSL modem by configuring my iMac with the static IP address I had been assigned. Second I worked with a T-Mobile support engineer to manually reset the router using the indented reset button then manually reconfigured its settings. I confirmed that Patrick's computer was also fixed, then I made backups and screenshots of the configuration and stored them in SpiderOak. Wrote and submitted the following two reviews for purchases from momastore.org: "Excellent value for great design: I bought my Birds in Harmony mobile in April 2015 and installed it in my office among university professional communicators and administrators, and I have received nothing but compliments on its beauty. I like this mobile particularly for its elegant shapes and the way it delicately balances hues and sizes throughout the piece. I even like it more than most works of Alexander Calder, the originator of the mobile. Contrary to some earlier reviews, I did not find it difficult to assemble, the mobile has never tangled, and the hook mount was sufficiently sticky. The only problems I encountered were small and easily resolved. Once shortly after installation the top-most bird fell out of its wire holder overnight; I replaced it, and it has not fallen, even four months later. One beak was discovered slightly bent. I can't recall if I had received it this way or if I had accidentally bent it during assembly, but to me it was such a small problem. I bent it back into position and now find it hard to identify the same bent beak since there are so many birds in motion. It's not clear from the description, but the mobile includes transparent thread and a discreet hook with self-stick mount and arrives with several groups of birds and wires preassembled. You do not have to assemble every bird and wire yourself; you just have to connect the groups correctly. Tip: As mentioned by others, it helps during assembly to refer to a photo or diagram of the completed mobile, carefully observing the colors and shapes of the birds and wires to help you understand what fits where. It takes some time and perhaps some trial and error. The mobile requires a certain amount of dexterity and care to assemble. For example, someone with arthritis in the hands might use help from others. The mobile is indeed made of cardstock and wire, but neither material seemed cheap to me. Indeed, I suspect that it's impossible to find a mobile as large and beautiful as this for less money." and "Itch-free, great design with an annoying tag: I purchased the Ennis House Textile Block Scarf in charcoal in April 2015 to replace a medium gray cotton scarf that had no pattern and no texture aside from the flat fabric. The blocks in this scarf provide visual and tactile interest rooted in Frank Lloyd Wright's history and great design. The acrylic is soft and does not feel cheap. I haven't worn it every day, but after four months and a few washings the construction is still excellent; no fraying or loose threads, and the dimensions are 9 by 62 inches - about 3% longer than stated in the description. I particularly like that it is machine-washable and that it doesn't contain wool, which causes my skin to itch. The only thing I didn't like was the tag sewn to the scarf. This tag was a scratchy contrast to the soft scarf. Sometimes the tag brushed against my hand, face, or neck, causing me to feel annoyed. Sometimes after throwing on the scarf the tag landed in the visual center of my outfit, which I felt somewhat ruined how I presented myself. I eventually removed the tag with some difficulty with a seam ripper. Then, because I accidentally clipped more threads than I should have, I spent even more time patching the area with black thread and a needle. In my opinion, the design of this scarf could be improved by omitting the sewn tag. After resolving the tag problem, I do enjoy the scarf more. It keeps me warm, presents me stylishly, and is occasionally a topic of interesting discussion." Lunch: leftover curry. Nap. Rode Lyft Line to Whole Foods SoMa. I wanted Della Fattoria bread, but they didn't have it, so I bought Acme instead. Potluck dinner at Richard's with Mike, Sean, Cricket, Phil, Drew, Romy, Quyen, Dave, Kevin, Jerry, Wayne, Tim. Rode Lyft home.