I wanted to write a post on some of my favorite things / events / experiences in 2008. But then I couldn’t really think of any. And they say 2009 will be worse.

I’m doubting this blawg.

When I started job hunting after graduation, Craigslist seemed like a decent place to check. It was slow, not much came up, but there were opportunities you didn’t see on other sites. Recently however it seems like everything on the site is garbage.

I check both the Albany and Vermont (Burlington) sites, and all of the postings in the writing / editing section now fall into two categories:

• pyramid blogging schemes, where your “pay” is a “portion” of “ad revenue” (HA!),
• fake listings that (should you inquire) send an automated e-mail telling you to register on some front website which, as far as I can tell, is just there to collect your personal information to sell later.

Meanwhile, the nightly news had a story about federal jobs with the Obama administration, where the ratio of applicants to jobs is 1,000:1, and my response was, “Hum, might want to check into that.”

sigh.

EDIT:

Change.gov took my name, e-mail address, phone number and previous employer. Afterwards:

“Thank you for your interest in joining the Obama-Biden Administration. Within a few days, you will receive an email with a link to the more complete on-line application. Please be patient, as we are trying to respond promptly to the large number of people who are interested in working in the Administration.”

Well, that was the quickest I was ever blown off for a job.

Awww, WordPress. I upgraded to version 2.7 tonight, courtesy of some help from Bakshi (check his dead blog here). Most of the changes are in the admin back-end, so sorry if you’re not seeing anything different. This side is greatly improved from my cursory examination though.

Yeah, I’m really just using this space to finally get my Nov. 5th post off the front page. That was eons ago! I’m already getting mail regarding Obama’s re-election bid in ‘12. *cough*

So it’s December 11th and I wish we were two or three months earlier in the year. I’ve been busy with some home improvement projects. Ordered some closed cell DIY polyurethane spray-in foam insulation. With an r-value of 7/inch, airtight and impermeable to water and moisture, and no off-gassing or VOCs, it’s just about the best insulation in my mind. We’re moving the pellet stove to the first floor, from the basement. More on that in a later post.

Also received two pallets of pellets from PelletSales.com. They came on a flatbed with a 3-wheel forklift hanging off the back. The guy got the forklift stuck in the ditch and we had to pull him out. It’s been rainy the past few days, but it’ll turn to snow / ice later tonight into Friday.

And you know what seems like a really distant memory? That election. It’s been interesting watch Obama make cabinet appointments based on merit, as opposed to Bush who stuffed regulatory agencies like the EPA with people from the private sector hellbent on dismantling said agencies. I read an article awhile ago that claimed Republicans were horrible policy makers because of their assumption that government is the problem. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when they’re in power.

And what’s with the Illinois governor? What a moron!

Lately I’ve been kept busy with our latest purchase: a new wood pellet stove. Previously we heated with wood. Which, sure, is quaint and all. But wood has serious drawbacks, while pellets have numerous advantages as a highly efficient biofuel. (I tried to Google for a quick and easy primer but couldn’t find anything too great, so I foresee a future post topic!)

We bought the England’s Stove Works 1,500 sq ft / 42,000 BTU model. ESW is one of the most widely available brands of pellet stoves, available at Lowes’, Home Depot, ACE, etc. We should have it up and running tomorrow.

Pellets are hard to come by this time of the year as supply and distribution is still catching up to demand. Most hardware or feed stores in the northeast carry pellets these days, but they typically only get a few pallets in at a time, which are then quickly snapped up. It’s smart to buy over the summer as prices are lower and you’re ensured a supply before it ever gets cold. But I placed an order on PelletSales.com a few days ago and will be calling tomorrow to get an estimated time of arrival. They deliver to your door and prices are competitive with the chain stores.

Until they deliver, however, we’re stuck scrounging for any 40 pound bags we come across. (Pellets typically come in 40lb bags, with 50 bags to a pallet. We’ve yet to experiment, but expect to burn somewhere in the range of one bag a day.) Regardless, I’m excited and will probably post more about it as we log time with this new “heat source of the future.” (har har har)