House of Spa

Time: 10:41am USA / 2:41am AUST

well, another busy weekend … i went to a few furniture shops, looking for ideas on how to furnish my new place, or at least get some very basic items to assist with essential living. i firstly went to the ‘premiere’ furniture shop in Pittsburgh, known as Perlora. the furniture in this shop is very very nice, with equally impressive price tags - so for the moment is was strictly viewing only … i then took a drive out towards the airport, to a large shopping complex in Robinson Township, which is south-east (?) of the city about 20 mins from where i live. this is where i visited good old IKEA for some more sensibly priced items … and i ended up leaving with a few corner lamps for the bedroom and living room to improve the lighting (there are no lights in the bedroom, at all!) … and a crappy TV stand to replace the cardboard boxes i was using previously, which weren’t very stable! you can see the new gear in the pic below (click for bigger image) …

… the BigOne LoveSac is also taking shape nicely, as you can see!

other than that, i took a trip to WALMART for a screwdriver set, a tape measure, and a crappy vacuum cleaner, as with all my moving, unpacking, and such, there was already starting to be quite alot of debris build-up on the floor - not that i have much to vacuum, but i have to clean somehow!

that pretty much sums up my weekend, apart from my haircut which you already know about! i might get some pics up of the new-do soon, then again, maybe not! it’s good to have shorter hair again, sooooooo much less of a hassle, and i save on product as shorter hair doesn’t require as much goop!

oh, and i snapped a nice sunset pic as i walked out of one of the shops last night … thought i’d share it with everyone …

that’s all for now …!

your ads here (468x60) - after 1st post.

Time: 3:17pm USA / 7:17am AUST

thats right people … finally, after 14 weeks, 2 days, and approximately 1 hour, i have had my haircut! i went to a salon just down the road from where i live now, known as MCN Salon. i was very impressed with the cut, so the next time any of you happen to be in Pittsburgh, i thoroughly recommend you visit MCN for a haircut!

Time: 7:20pm USA / 11:20am AUST

thanksgiving is over! well, it was over yesterday but i haven’t really had a chance to update before now! i ate a huge serving of roasted turkey breast and potato’s, gravy, beans, etc and no more than an hour after consuming the meal, i was passed out on the floor asleep - most likely due to the higher-than-average concentrations of tryptophane. in the morning, i did manage to watch a bit of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, where you see all the huge floats being drawn through the streets of New York. Pity is was raining …

today (friday) is actually a public holiday as well, known as Black Friday, is the start of the christmas shopping season where all the major shops have their early morning sales, with masses of people lining up to get the best deal. it would be much likened to the post-christmas sales in Australia. even though it was a public holiday, i came into work for the most part of the day today, as i wasn’t keen on wandering around the shops, and have alot of work to get through, so was an ideal day without distractions! on that note, i’m heading off, am starving and am looking forward to enjoying my high-definition cable TV

Time: 7:28pm USA / 11:28am AUST

just put together some video of the shooting range … for those interested in seeing how the .44 Magnum goes!

oh, and the results …

 

the small holes are a .22, the mid-sized holes are from a 9mm, and the BIG holes are from the .44 Magnum!

 

Time: 5:45pm USA / 9:45am AUST

snapped this panoramic shot with my phone just now, thought i’d share it with everyone …

 

 

(click on pic for the larger version)

Time: 5:04pm USA / 9:04am AUST

left work early today, as the office was almost entirely deserted for thanksgiving, as many people have to travel some distance to their family for thanksgiving dinner tomorrow … i’m going around to a co-workers place for thanksgiving tomorrow, so that should be interesting! other than that, friday is a holiday as well for most people, so a 4 day long weekend it is! i haven’t really got much planned so far, still getting settled in, etc

i bought an ice-scraper yesterday … as my windscreen has started to ice up overnight as the undercover car-park is not yet completed here. an absolutely essential item to have with you in the car at all times, without one you are going to have a very hard time removing ice from your window!

i will have some brief video of the shooting range ventures from yesterday up later on, when i get some time to put the video together … so stay tuned!

Time: 12:42am USA / 4:42pm AUST 

just a quick one … i ended up going with one of the guys from work to a state run rifle/shooting range which is just near work, to witness first hand the american gun culture. you dont need a license to buy a gun, you dont need a license to fire a gun, you dont need a license to go to a shooting range and shoot targets, but you do need a license to hunt animals … we walked up and onto the gallery area on the range from where you aim and shoot at the targets, after signing my name in at the entrance (very informal). we then proceeded to load the gun(s) and shoot at targets placed at close range (~7m) … my god … the .44 Magnum is one overpowered colossal piece of artillery! totally unnecessary, but thoroughly enjoyable!! i have some videos of the cannon in action i’ll post up tomorrow … 

in other news, thanksgiving is approaching (thursday) … so i am looking forward to being stuffed full of turkey and probably crashing out for an afternoon siesta. friday is the big start to the christmas shopping season, so ’tis best to avoid the shopping centres on friday! i do, however, plan to take a look around IKEA and other furniture places over the weekend to get an idea of what i want for my new apartment, as it’s pretty bare!

Time: 2:38pm USA / 6:38am AUST

helllllooooOOOOoooo there everybody! my god, what a busy few days i have had! i’ve moved into my new place, taken delivery of my new bed, got a new tv and dvd player, hooked up cable TV and internet (which isn’t active yet!), had the electricity connected, gone to a gun show, played some dirty-harry-wanna-be, learnt some home protection tactics, and ate one huge-ass pizza - that i’m still eating! i’ve posted up some pics of my new apartment and very minimal furnishings, and some pics of a .44 Magnum revolver that a co-worker of mine purchased over the counter at the gun show for a measely $370 US.

anyway, prior to the gun show i moved in to my new apartment. i’m only the 7th tenant into the building, which has approximately 300 apartments, so everything is still very very new and some things aren’t working yet as construction is ongoing! but, i’ve got my bed and a few basics and have been getting settled in, cleaning, and working out how i will place furniture (read: one hugeeee lovesac weighing in at over 55kgs). the apartment is quite spacious with 14′ ceilings, original exposed brick-work and steel beams, giving a very industrial look to it, which is reflective of the architecture and design that Pittsburgh would be known for, being an old-school “steel city”. the views are pretty nice towards downtown Pittsburgh, as you can see out the windows from my apartment (see pics)

that’s all for now. will try to get updates happenning a little more frequently once things settle down again!

Time: 12:14am USA / 4:14pm AUST

thought i’d write a quick update on the goings-on of late. i’m finallllllyyyyyy moving into my new place on the weekend … can’t wait! finally a place to call my own … with my new bed due to arrive on saturday, and my tv and dvd player ready to roll, plus my big BIG lovesac that has been in storage for some 2 months now, i should have most of my furnishings taken care of by the end of the weekend! plusssss the added benefit of having full digital cable TV, instead of the ‘basic’ cable i have been enduring since I arrived here … wooohooo to 100+ channels of garbage!!

in other news, the car seems to be going well. can’t pick any faults with it and it’s a big relief to have my own car, which is both comfortable, economical, and has a respectable power output (160hp ~ 120kw).

work continues to be very very busy for me, and is getting even worse since the resignation yesterday of one of my colleagues, with whom i work most closely with. they are opting not to replace him, in the short term at least, to see how things go with just me handling everything … which will be both a challenge and a learning experience … i do enjoy being “thrown in the deep end” per say.

and briefly, Thanksgiving is just around the corner … and it really is a big BIG deal over here … almost as big, if not bigger, than Christmas! i’m not sure what my exact plans are to spend Thanksgiving with, as it’s a family affair, of which i have no family here really to celebrate with! maybe i’ll just crash some other family’s Thanksgiving dinner!

Time: 5:45pm USA / 9:45am AUST

after what seems like an eternity of looking for cars, going to dealerships, talking the talk with the salesmen, and so on and so forth i finally settled for what is by far the most placid car i’ve ever owned … a 2005 Mazda3 s. i presume the s implies it is sporty, although it isn’t the SP23 version that we get back in Australia. not my typical kind of car, but it was the right price, at the right time, and was a sensible purchase with good resale … so here it is:
 

  

… and NO JOKES about it being WHITE, or that fact that it’s an AUTO, or the fact that it’s a HATCHBACK!

 

Time: 3:21pm USA / 7:21am AUST

last night i really started to hot up the search for a car of my own … and it seems nearly impossible to find something i want. i find it hard to believe, but there is so much CRAP out there that you waste most of your time sifting through all the cars you don’t want to find the ones that you do, and by the time that happens the car is SOLD already! ARGH!!

this weekend i have to really find a viable mode of transport (car) cause next weekend i’m out on my own, in Casa de Spaski! so i need to find a car, and i need to find it ASAP. in doing so, i’ve driven all manner of cars, but for the first time yesterday i drove my first ’stick’ (manual). god, what a weird sensation, using my right hand to change gears is a very very weird feeling! however, it doesn’t take long to get used to it, but thats after i’ve driven on the wrong side of the road for almost 3 months now. i couldn’t imagine trying to co-ordinate it all at once! so, as a tip to any international drivers out there, if you’re going to drive a car in another country which happens to drive on the other side of the road to what you are used to, drive an auto! once you’ve got accustomed to that, try the ’stick’ … but definately, definately, don’t try both at once

 

blah blah blah sitting in a meeting room thought i’d share my drink with everyone! have had to resort to Dr Pepper as i am all out of V!

yes people, that’s right … in the mail i have received my $200 (US) credit limit MASTERCARD. HAHAHA … and it already has $150 of fee’s and charges on it! talk about a scam … although, for those that can’t get any credit due to a lack of credit history, i guess this is my first step into actually building a credit rating! i’ve already bought some HAIR GEL with the card, just to get the credit history started! stupid american credit system! ARGH!!

in other news, the search for a car continues, i’ve had to broaden my search parameters as i just can’t find exactly what i want in the time i have until i really will need a car. so, expect a car purchase in the coming 2 weeks … stay tuned

hey all, i’m just testing a post from my mobile phone directly to my blog site to see if this actually posts correctly! i took the pic below out one of the windows at work … it’s getting coooold here!

 

Time: 4:17pm USA / 8:17am AUST

wow … 3 updates in as many days! amaaazzzzingggggg!! anyway, this is just a quickie, i forgot to mention that i went to lunch on Friday and had some original home made Pierogi … which are, for all intensive purposes, an oversized ravioli with mashed potato filling. i’m still pretty crook, but am better today than yesterday - i might even try to get back to the gym today, see how i feel in an hour or so …

 

 

oh, and i slept very soundly on my new bed sheets and doona last night