Sine Irish Pub & Restaurant

I went to Sine Irish Pub & Restaurant twice in December, once with a group from work and once with the wife. I had never been there before. Usually I avoid downtown restaurants due to parking issues and security concerns. However, I enjoyed Sine's so much I had to take the wife there! The food is excellent. The prices are reasonable and the portions are large. Their menu is available on the website --> http://www.sineirishpub.com/.

Amazon link

I don't have much to say. I will put in a shameless link to Amazon.com...if you even need anything from Amazon click the picture below. Thanks.

Pneumonia update

I still have it....my Dr. said it might take several weeks to clear out! I got more antibiotics this week and a puffer to help open up my lungs. It seems to be working, I am coughing up crud now.

My next vehicle....

Sometime next year I should be able to buy my next vehicle. I promised the wife I would not buy one this year (2008) and my job at Qimonda is somewhat uncertain right now so I am trying to save my cash.

I will be keeping my 1994 Jeep Wrangler so the other vehicle will be something low cost that I can use when I don't want to drive the Jeep (like a rainy summer day). I would also like to be able to flat tow the Wrangler with it, in case I want to go off-roading somewhere without driving the Wrangler all the way there and back.

I am deciding between 3 vehicles: 1992-1996 Ford Bronco, 1999-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ, 1997+ Jeep Cherokee. I think the WJ is the best choice: I really like Jeeps, the Bronco might be bigger than I want and the Cherokee might be too small. I wonder what the tow rating is on a Cherokee 4x4 with the 4.0L I-6 and an automatic? Looks like it might be 5000#. Maybe it is big enough?

I am trying not to look too much because it drives me nuts wanting to buy now :)

My 1994 Jeep Wrangler

I've been thinking a lot about my Jeep lately. It has been my daily driver since I sold my Accord in September 2008. Here is a summertime picture of me in the Jeep.

One issue I have had since I purchased the Jeep (April 2007) is with the transmission. It can be difficult to shift. It's not so bad that I am forced to do something about it, just annoying. I am not sure if it is a clutch hydraulic problem, a worn out clutch or just a transmission needing a rebuild. The transmission (Asin AX-5) is notoriously crappy.

While I am here I would like to note the transmission capacity since I recently changed the oil in it and it is fresh in my head. My owners manual says it takes Mopar grade SAE 75W-90 API-GL5 grade oil (most people recommend using Pennzoil synchromesh). It holds just under 4 quarts. The transfer case takes ATF, just over 1 quart.

I would love to swap in a better transmission, like the AX-15 that Jeep uses on the 6 cylinder models. I just don't have the money or time right now.

Pneumonia

I haven't been feeling well since this weekend. I went to the Dr today and found out that I have Pneumonia! Sucks to be me.....good news is I should feel better soon.

More website updates

Just a quick note that I have updated more of the webpages on my personal site. I updated the Toyota Truck and 4Runner page and the Computer links page.

No new cars in 2008

Late in 2007 I made a commitment to my wife - no new cars in 2008! This may seem like an easy promise to keep, but not for me. I am a chronic car buyer. Check out my record - Tom's Cars. Many recent years I have bought more than 2 cars. Well, so far for 2008 I am doing great! Haven't bought anything in over 1 year. This has been better for the budget in the Mister Family. We have more money to spend on other junk (and to save). Will I buy anything in 2009? Only time will tell, but I am very happy with my 1994 Jeep Wrangler at this time.

Hysteria by Def Leppard

Some music really stands the test of time. For me 1 such album is Hysteria by Def Leppard. When I was a teenager I listened to it on road trips - most memorable are ski trips to Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. I still listen to it frequently when I am driving - and also when doing yard work, computer stuff....it really is a great album. If you have never heard it you should check it out.

Vacation...Jeep

I am at home this week on vacation from work. I do need to get some Jeep parts from my dealer this week. I have been looking around online but have not found a website that has Jeep parts diagrams. Do you know of any? Let me know.

Facebook

Well, I am slow to the game but I am finally on Facebook. My name is "Thomas H Mister Jr"...look me up!

SyncBackSE

A while back I mentioned that I was trying a program called SyncBackSE to do my backups. I have been very happy with it so I bought it. It does exactly what I want - no complaints or improvement suggestions. This program is used to backup my working files (documents, pictures, code, favorites, music, etc.), not to perform a full backup my laptop. The title of this post is a link to the SyncBackSE website.

Now I am looking for a free or low cost (~$30) Ghost type program. I have tried Macrium Reflect but in their free trial version I cannot make a boot disk that works with my Compaq laptop. I contacted their support and they suggested that a boot disk made from the pay version would work - however, I would rather try before I buy. Any suggestions out there? I need something to use as a disaster recovery - my Compaq doesn't have recovery disks.

Laptop Memory part 2

As I mentioned last week, I recently purchased a memory upgrade for my laptop from Crucial Technology. The performance of the Windows Vista Home Premium system was much improved going from 1 Gb to 2 GB. However, there was a compatibility issue and the laptop would crash if it went to sleep. As promised, Crucial sent new RAM from a different supplier. It works fine. I highly recommend them. Excellent customer service and great prices. The title to this post is a link to their website, or just go to www.crucial.com

PayPal finale Part 2

As I said before, PayPal sucks....today has been interesting. After the payment was reversed I filed a non-paying bidder claim with eBay to try and get my fees back. The buyer responded that he had already paid and thought I was trying to get paid twice - he seemed to have no idea that PayPal had reversed the transaction. Once he figured this out he immediately paid me again. So it seems that PayPal reversed the transaction all on their own, with no feedback from the buyer. Has anyone ever heard of this before? I have emailed PayPal to try and get more information. The good news is I have the money again.

PayPal finale

Well, PayPal has taken my money again :(
Basically, the item I sold on eBay was received and the buyer left me positive feedback. Then, 5 days later they complained to PayPal that they never got the item. Almost 2 weeks later PayPal resolved the dispute on the side of the buyer (of course). So now I have no merchandise and no money. PayPal sucks.

PayPal update....no update

Still no word from PayPal on my transaction that they are investigating (from late October). I figured it would be done by now. They must have a large backlog of transactions to review. I wish it were over with so I could stop wondering what they will do.

Laptop Memory

Last week I bought some new memory for my Vista Home Premium based Compaq laptop from Crucial Technology. The upgrade from 1GB to 2 GB was great! Unfortunately, there was some sort of compatibility issue when the laptop goes to sleep, causing a reboot every time. I called Crucial tech support and they were very helpful. They are sending some replacement memory from a different supplier. Wish me luck! I will post an update later indicating if the new memory works. The title of this post is a link to Crucial's website.

PayPal

Well, once again an item I sold on eBay is having trouble in PayPal....this time they are holding the funds because it might be a fraudulent transaction. The thing is, the buyer bought a Honda Odyssey part from me and they have bought other Honda Odyssey parts recently. They also left me positive feedback after the sale. I hope it wasn't fraud, but I imagine at this point I have a 50-50 change of getting the money from PayPal. Wish me luck! Here is a link to the auction --> eBay Item

Ninja250 Links Updated

Not much to say today.....just wanted to mention that I updated my page of Kawasaki Ninja 250 links.....click the title of this post to see them or click this link:
http://www.tommister.com/ninja250.html

SyncBack

I recently started using a program called SyncBackSE to backup my family's important files - pictures, MP3 music, documents. Previously I was using batch files with XCOPY and a VB.NET program I had written myself.

I really like the interface and speed that SyncBackSE offers. I am currently in a 30 day trial, and so far I plan to purchase the full version (only $30). As I play with it some more I will let you know if I run across any problems. The title for this post is a link to the website for the software.