Saturday, September 25, 2010

Evil Broken Printer of Doom

I am really growing to dislike my printer.

Evil Broken Printer of DOOM

It is a Kodak 5250, and we bought it because it was supposed to save money on ink. The ink IS cheap, I'll give them that. It doesn't really help though, if the printer doesn't run. Our first printer worked for a couple weeks then said that it was out of ink. This made sense, because we had been printing a ton of recipes to put in a binder. We replaced the black and the color cartridges.

The printer still said it was out of black ink.

We shrugged, and wrote it off to a defective cartridge and got another black ink cartridge.

The printer still said it was out of black ink. Then it changed its mind and said it was out of color ink. Remember, this is with two brand new cartridges installed, and after we had already replaced the brand new black cartridge, just in case.

I spoke with "Winner" (no joke), the tech support guy who had me run through a whole series of troubleshooting tests. I honestly don't think updating the firmware is going to help the printer with what seems to be a hardware issue, but okay. Winner sent us a replacement printer, "refurbished" of course, which arrived today.

I admit it, I was totally excited. No more running to the store to print stuff from the computers! We followed the instructions to the letter, moving the ink cartridges and printhead from the old printer to the "new" one.

Guess what?

I'm getting the same error as before. The internet tells me that the problem is probably the printhead, but the tech support I spoke with this time told me it wasn't. He says the problem is a defective ink cartridge. So they are sending me a new color cartridge.

Most likely scenario: The new color ink cartridge does not solve the problem, and tech support sends me a new printhead which may or may not solve the problem. From my research, if it is the printhead, it is an issue that will recur again and again. I suppose buying a new printer would be the best idea, but I really hate buying a new one when I have one... even if it doesn't work. =P

Why didn't I just look this up before buying it? Sites like this are not uncommon:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cameras/kodak.html

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Simba

My family is made up of dog people. I can't remember a time when we haven't had one or more pet dogs around the house. A 'few' years back my little sister and I started hounding (hehe) my parents for a cat. They eventually gave in, and adopted a 6 month old kitten from the shelter for us.

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Simba was not at all we expected. He literally would not let anyone touch him for several months after we adopted him. Eventually he warmed up to my dad and I, but was still terrified of everyone else. Including my poor sister who the cat had been adopted mostly for.

2010-09-21-10-42-18-535

He was, and is, a total grouch fairly often. Even now he doesn't tolerate being touched when he doesn't want it. He doesn't like to be picked up, or be around guests.

However, Simba has blossomed in the last few years. He loves Kevin (not a surprise, Kevin is a total cat person). He hangs out in the living room like a social cat, sometimes even when company is over. He even adores Schafer and Rumor (our two younger cats). When Kevin and I first got married, he was absolutely enraged at the thought of sharing a space with another cat. Now if he is separated from them for any significant length of time he gets upset and searches the house for them.

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Awwww.

We took Simba to the vet the other day. He is 12 or 14 years old or so. He has always been the healthiest of our cats, despite being a senior. The vet pointed out that his eyes are starting to get cloudy. I've also noticed that he is moving just a little slower, a little creakier than he used to.

I can't believe it. When did my Simba get old?

Simba Chilling on the Goban

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Study Day

Oh boy, I get to study today. How exciting.

Both my Victimology and my Drugs class have their first exams tomorrow. Victimology I'm pretty caught up in, but the textbook for Drugs is mind-numbingly boring.

So I'm procrastinating by cleaning the house. I suppose if I must procrastinate, cleaning is a pretty good side effect, right?

Yeah. I will just keep telling myself that.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Remembrance

Nine years ago today I was a freshman in high school. I had a math test in first period. When the bell was a minute or two off, the test was finished and my teacher started to walk over to my desk. She did not look happy, and was probably going to fuss at me for not turning in my homework. I remember being relieved when another teacher ran into the classroom and started talking quickly and quietly with my teacher. I slipped out without a tongue lashing.

Next up was science, maybe marine biology, I remember the teacher much better than the class. He was Mr. Warren, a tall, soft-spoken black man that worked part-time at a local diner that my friends and I (and everyone else in town!) absolutely loved. He was, and probably still is, a fantastic teacher.

He was sitting at the front of the classroom, in a chair he had pulled up in front of the tiny TV that we sometimes watched documentaries for class on. I stopped just inside the door and looked up at the TV, because it was unusual for it for be on. I remember being confused at the recordings of the burning buildings. I've been to New York, but it was after 9/11, and I honestly didn't recognize the buildings on sight.

When the bell rang, Mr. Warren got up and told us what had happened (though many students apparently got the news in first period). He let classwork go that day, and most of us just watched the news feed. All the teachers let classwork go that day, except my band director. He felt that we needed to be distracted by work, and he was probably right.

Think about where you were when you found out that terrorists had flown into the Twin Towers. Think about how you felt. Now hold that in your mind, and think about it on the anniversary of 9/11. None of us will forget but sometimes we don't really remember.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Puppy Love

Guess who spent the night last night?

Annie

What a smile.

A week ago she was very close to being euth'd at a high-kill shelter. Today she is well on her way to her new home.

We had the privilege of picking her up in Georgia yesterday, keeping her overnight, and transporting her to the next leg of her journey today. It is such an honor when we can be involved in Border Collie rescue.

Annie2

Although I should note that the boys are completely relieved she wasn't a permanent house-guest. Diocese was nice enough to her, but he very obviously did not want any of "his" attention to go to her. Endymion is just a snarkface. ;)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Rawr Goes The Tortoise

We added some new seed to the tortoise house outside. It was growing beautifully earlier this summer, then we ended up staying with my parents for a month so all the lovely seedlings died. Awww.

Tortoise house, you say? What on Earth is that?

Koopa's "House"

That is our tortoise enclosure, or as we call it around here, Koopa's House. Koopa is our young Hermann's Tortoise.

Turtle on the Roof 2

He was a teeny tiny baby when we got him, and is about the size of my palm now. Hermann's aren't one of those tortoises that get really big and eat you out of house and home, no worries. He'll max out at a little less than a foot long.

In fact, he is probably the lowest maintenance of any of our animals. He just needs water and chopped up dandelion greens to be happy. Oh, and the sun. Which is why he stays outside unless the weather is incredibly, horribly bad, or we go on a trip. Then he gets to hang out in the far less glamorous fish tank with an overhead lamp. He hates that.

I love turtles. They remind me of dinosaurs. I always wanted a pet dinosaur. Rawr, Koopa, rawr!

Turtle on the Roof

Monday, September 6, 2010

Out of town

We visited my parents over the weekend. Originally we planned to go to Dragon*Con like the gigantic nerds we are, but decided to attend my mom's birthday instead. Usually when we are in PC we stay at my parents' house, in my old room. Sometimes I forget how gorgeous the view from my room is.

Sunset with Tobacco Filter 2

The dogs had a blast of course.

You Coming?

My horse fever is attacking with a vengeance. Yeah, I know you horsepeople know what I'm talking about. Thankfully, this semester is settling down so I can get out and track down a barn to start up lessons again.

Time to get the Taco Soup in the crock pot. We've made it several times before and can't get enough of it.