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So, here I am, blogging. It's been another couple months (and nobody reads this thing anyway, so I don't know why I even bother) and I've not updated. Things have been rather interesting recently. Perhaps the most shocking of happenings is that the tires and alloy rims were stolen from Alicia's 2008 Honda Fit right outside our apartment while we slept. This has me rather upset, because we moved into this complex thinking that it was a nice area. Since we've moved in, the following events have taken place:

• I called the police after witnessing a man punch his girlfriend in the face several times and push her down a hill.
• Alicia's tires and rims were stolen (this is going to end up costing us around $700).
• I was solicited this morning for money in our parking lot.
• I've been solicited at the door multiple times for various products or services. (Not to mention the ridiculous number of pamphlet solicitations I've received that do nothing but increase U.S. paper consumption numbers.)
  
• Our washing machine broke. We called once, it was ``fixed.'' It was still broken. We called again, and it was ``fixed.'' It was still broken. The third time we called, they replaced it.
• We've had a similar experience with our HVAC, which seems to be leaking freon or something because it craps out a day after they fix it, without fail.
• We're on the 3rd floor with a (usually) very clean apartment, and we still get ants.
  

Now, in Maryland, there's a law that you're to be able to have quiet enjoyment of your rented area. I don't know that we've had issues with any sort of general din, but I wouldn't say we have enjoyed it. This is frustrating, because it seems there's really no legal precedent for early termination of our lease (which expires in November) based on any of these issues. I'm guessing we'll end up waiting it out. We're looking at the possibility of moving to Baltimore soon, though I believe that both of us are looking forward towards getting back out to the west coast area. (I only hope that I'll be able to keep my job if that happens -- I love this place.)

My uncle has invited us on a trip to Austria with him in September. I'm looking forward to the possibility of that. I've considered visiting Holland, but I don't think that's happening anytime soon. The novelty of it has died at this point; it's impractical to go as often as I have wanted to go (and thus I've only been able to make it there once since I left), and my Dutch is so poor now that I doubt anybody would speak to me in Dutch anyway. I honestly spent about 30 minutes writing Margriet a rather short paragraph on the Loesje card I emailed for her birthday last month.

Anyway: Austria. I've been there before, but this was literally about 15 years ago (I can't believe how long ago things are getting...) and I remember very little other than it was in general a rather good time. It's a beautiful place, from what I recall, with some rather amazing history.

Work's going well. Not much new on that front.

Plan 9 Google Summer of Code is going well. I'm doing a lot more organizational / administrative work than I initially anticipated doing, but it's been vital.

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Not much new elsewhere. The music front has been relatively static. I'm listening to Marilyn Manson right now (old shit: Cake and Sodomy); next on the queue is Porcupine Tree, and then perhaps some Tool before I head home.

We have been working out quite a bit. I'm trying to lose the gut that I seem to have put on since I moved here (being able to afford a lot of delicious food isn't such a good thing for me, apparently... perhaps I should request a salary decrease? ;). In fact, I apparently weigh around 190 pounds right now, which is absolutely ridiculous. I remember being 160-ish and looking rather in-shape. (In fact, there's a picture on my Facebook page illustrating just that).

I've been doing mostly nautilus weights, doing a couple reps of 21s for my biceps, but not noticing much difference. Putting on the weight is a lot easier than getting it off, unfortunately.

Feeling somewhat uninspired at the moment, so I'll just end this posting before I end up rambling. I've got more work to do anyway.