i got a copy of the dsl installation disc tonight, ran it, but it didn't work. i think the software's the same, but the registration username and password are wrong because the disc is for bell atlantic dsl, which is now verizon. i have no choice but to wait for them to mail me a copy of the right software. the installation process wreaked havoc on all my internet settings though, completely trashing my internet explorer preference file and substituting it with bell atlantic's own set of crappy links. also for a few tense moments i thought the installer had deleted all my e-mail files when i opened up outlook express and saw that everything was gone. i had to do some sleuthing and dig up my old identity files which were hidden within the OE folder. that reminds me, i have to backup some files.

my hands are all cramped up from painting all day. i got as far as the four windows in the living room. the baseboards were the easiest to paint, i did the whole room in less than 30 minutes. each window on the other hand took at least 30 minutes to prime. i had to contort my body into all sorts of awkward positions while balancing on a ladder with one hand holding a cup of paint while the other hand clutching a brush, just to paint the windows. 4 down, 7 more to go, and to think is just the beginning, it's only the primer coat. if i can just at least get one of the rooms done, i can finally move in stuff for real! unfortunately, there's still a few stages of painting left in the living room, the room that i've been working on the past few days. one door frame is still unprimed, and i still have to do all the ceiling trims, which won't be so hard, i think that'll take about 30 minutes (i will however have to climb up and down the ladder every yard length of ceiling edge, it'll be quite a workout).

one of my neighbor's was having an open house today and i went to take a peek during a painting break. about 100 more square feet larger than my place, he was asking for half a million dollars minus $100k. i can't imagine what kind of rich people will end up living in that place. i hope with my unemployed beard that they will recognize me as not one of their own kind and not make any embarassing assumptions, like asking me where i'm summering next season, where i keep my yacht, or which mountaintop do i keep my winter ski retreat. while i was painting i watched from the living room windows the people (usually couples) visiting the condo for sale. so these are the kind of people who can afford a place like that? some i could tell might be serious buyers (the ones with their own real estate agent, the ones in the expensive shoes, the jewelry, that hoity-toity air that rich people exude), but i think for most of them it was out of their league. especially couples with kids. sure, you can buy the place, but your daughter's won't be able to go to college unless you second mortgage the house. real estate is just crazy expensive right now. sometimes i think how the heck did i ever end up with a house. up to that point i never bought anything so expensive that i had to finance it. now, with this unemployed beard that i keep on mentioning, i totally don't look the part of somebody who owns property. i keep on waiting for neighbors to come say hi and ask, "are you the painter guy? where's the owner?"

tonight, alias, followed by boomtown. sydney went through a couple of outfit changes, which is always the highpoint of any alias episode. next week looks very promising, will and vaughn meet face to face for the very first time, and jack and sydney's mother meet as well. it was my first time watching boomtown, i've read some good reviews about the show. it was very good, very sophisticated multi-threaded mixed timeline multiple point-of-view narration. i'm going to watch a few more episodes, build up my boomtown street cred, before i start asking if anyone's seen it yet, and then tell them not to see it in order to keep the show cool.

i'm off to work on a few hours of my freelance project. i totally don't want to, but i didn't have time during the day to do it. i still haven't been paid yet. that money (2/3 of it at least, after taxes) will help to pay for some of my mortgage. this coming week i got that other gig down in marion. i wish i can get the house done so i can devote all my time to working on freelance stuff. right now my schedule is i do renovation stuff during the day, and i do work stuff at night. in between in try to steal some sleep.

tomorrow, i'm off to the plastic surgeon, going under the knife. you remember my nevus, don't you?