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When AUSA came around, I was planning to go to it for as many days as possible. But that wasn't possible, because while on my way home from work on Thursday, I got a phone call at 2:30AM because of a toxic gas alarm at work. So I turned around, went back in, resolved the issue, and went back home. I was ok with doing that mostly because I was still up and about, and by virtue of participating in this matter, I get 4 hours of overtime pay.
I get home, shut the car off, and I hear a fan running? Did I leave something on? No, it was Ai's condenser fan not shutting off. That girl is full of surprises. I decide it's better to pull the fuse to shut off the fan and work on this tomorrow. As I found out, the relay for the fan was originally mounted on a bracket, which had rusted through, causing the relay to flop around and be exposed to rain and other foul weather, and water had gotten inside the relay, causing it to simulate an energized condition. Fortunately, such relays can be found at most auto parts stores, and I was able to make a new bracket from a chunk of aluminum bar and drilling holes into it. But, it wiped out my Friday.
Saturday, I would not take defeat! I zoomed down the highway, eventually reaching the DC Beltway (I-495). I started passing a tow truck who was hauling another Integra, much like Ai. Traffic on 495 is nothing if not unpredictable, and we all slowed down and came to a stop. The tow truck is directly beside me. The driver rolls down his window and asks if I want to buy another Integra; the one he was hauling was for sale for $800. Had I gotten contact info before traffic started moving again, there's a very real chance that I would have a 3rd car by now.
Or not. As the tow truck pulled away while my lane remained still, I had to accept that maybe it was for the best, that maybe I shouldn't be buying cars right off a tow truck on the side of 495. I mean, there was that one time I bought a car at a yard sale, and ultimately that was a bit of a mess. Now there is something to be said about the resources I have now vs 20+ years ago, but one of the tricks to making adulthood more tolerable is to not make unnecessary headaches for oneself.
AUSA itself was "ok". It didn't seem to have the same vibe as before. That might be because I met only 3 people I knew. A lot of friends who would have gone were at Neko-con or AWA instead, on the same weekend. It's an omen when the dealers room has about 1/4 empty stalls, when it used to be packed. And of the dealers who were present, there were a lot of places just selling extra stuff they had lying around. This was also the first time I had seen a fudge vendor at an anime con. Don't get me wrong, I like fudge, and I liked how they were also selling chocolate-covered espresso beans, but it's a bit worrisome if that's what the con has to reach for to sell tables.
Sunday saw a bit more of AUSA. Then I took something of a detour, stopping at 2nd & Charles (found some rare out-of-print anime), then stopped at my mom's. My mom always likes it when I stop by, sharing stories and pictures and videos, and she also likes it when I get stuff out of the attic.
In this instance, a small railroad layout from when I was a child. On closer look, it's pretty beat up in its almost 40 years. It's a layout built on a thin plastic base, and was usually kept on the floor, or stored against a wall, and so on. Since I was much smaller, if I wanted to toggle the switch on the other side of the layout, I didn't have quite enough reach. I'd have to put a hand down in the middle for support, so a lot of the scenery bits ended up getting flattened. When I was older, I felt it was a good idea to mount the whole thing on a piece of plywood for better support, and replace the switches with remote-actuated ones.
Funny thing is, the whole layout was just small enough to fit in Ai's trunk and lay flat.
I get home, shut the car off, and I hear a fan running? Did I leave something on? No, it was Ai's condenser fan not shutting off. That girl is full of surprises. I decide it's better to pull the fuse to shut off the fan and work on this tomorrow. As I found out, the relay for the fan was originally mounted on a bracket, which had rusted through, causing the relay to flop around and be exposed to rain and other foul weather, and water had gotten inside the relay, causing it to simulate an energized condition. Fortunately, such relays can be found at most auto parts stores, and I was able to make a new bracket from a chunk of aluminum bar and drilling holes into it. But, it wiped out my Friday.
Saturday, I would not take defeat! I zoomed down the highway, eventually reaching the DC Beltway (I-495). I started passing a tow truck who was hauling another Integra, much like Ai. Traffic on 495 is nothing if not unpredictable, and we all slowed down and came to a stop. The tow truck is directly beside me. The driver rolls down his window and asks if I want to buy another Integra; the one he was hauling was for sale for $800. Had I gotten contact info before traffic started moving again, there's a very real chance that I would have a 3rd car by now.
Or not. As the tow truck pulled away while my lane remained still, I had to accept that maybe it was for the best, that maybe I shouldn't be buying cars right off a tow truck on the side of 495. I mean, there was that one time I bought a car at a yard sale, and ultimately that was a bit of a mess. Now there is something to be said about the resources I have now vs 20+ years ago, but one of the tricks to making adulthood more tolerable is to not make unnecessary headaches for oneself.
AUSA itself was "ok". It didn't seem to have the same vibe as before. That might be because I met only 3 people I knew. A lot of friends who would have gone were at Neko-con or AWA instead, on the same weekend. It's an omen when the dealers room has about 1/4 empty stalls, when it used to be packed. And of the dealers who were present, there were a lot of places just selling extra stuff they had lying around. This was also the first time I had seen a fudge vendor at an anime con. Don't get me wrong, I like fudge, and I liked how they were also selling chocolate-covered espresso beans, but it's a bit worrisome if that's what the con has to reach for to sell tables.
Sunday saw a bit more of AUSA. Then I took something of a detour, stopping at 2nd & Charles (found some rare out-of-print anime), then stopped at my mom's. My mom always likes it when I stop by, sharing stories and pictures and videos, and she also likes it when I get stuff out of the attic.
In this instance, a small railroad layout from when I was a child. On closer look, it's pretty beat up in its almost 40 years. It's a layout built on a thin plastic base, and was usually kept on the floor, or stored against a wall, and so on. Since I was much smaller, if I wanted to toggle the switch on the other side of the layout, I didn't have quite enough reach. I'd have to put a hand down in the middle for support, so a lot of the scenery bits ended up getting flattened. When I was older, I felt it was a good idea to mount the whole thing on a piece of plywood for better support, and replace the switches with remote-actuated ones.
Funny thing is, the whole layout was just small enough to fit in Ai's trunk and lay flat.
