Either my MacBook Pro with sketchy RAM (which only reboots about once every two weeks now) or the 10.4.7 update screwed me over. During the update it rebooted and hosed the OS. There’s all sorts of whacky unresolved dependancies causing the MBP to not boot. It even reverts to text mode at startup to cry for help. I figured out I can boot into “Safe Boot” mode and have a minimally working desktop, but not enough to save me. I tried re-applying the 10.4.7 update with little success so far. Starting Software Updater dies with Java symbol errors. Interestingly I can run Safari so I downloaded the 10.4.7 package (only en0 work as wireless is disabled since no kernel extensions are loaded). The package silently exists when I try to install it. Looks like I’m going to have to blow away the OS and start over. I hear the OS X installer has a “Archive and Reinstall” which will basically reinstall /System and other stuff, while preserving /Users/. I’ll have to do a backup before I fiddle with this. This will be the fifth time I’ve done a stunt like this and have gotten exceedingly efficient at it.
In other news, I now own a welding helmet, jigsaw, 4″ angle grinder and ten pounds of e-6013 and e-7018 welding electrodes. The punchline to this is that in order to use the grinder outside, I’m going to have to run a 100′ extension cable from my apartment, or hookup a hugeass 1000-1500 watt inverter and drain a marine battery.
At this rate I could really use a house with a garage or some tin work shack on an acre of land.
A friend from work offered to let me use his welder this weekend, so I can build my hitch-mounted vise. Tomorrow I’m picking up 2″ square tubing and a vise from Harbor Freight. I need to go by an Army surplus store to find me some work clothes. Old Army BDUs have made nice welding clothes; I don’t really care if I set them on fire, they’re comfortable, lots of pockets, slip over whatever I’m wearing at the time, and cheap. Plus I can see if there’s anything else that’d be useful in the desert. I’d really like to have a shemagh.
I did manage to finally get my ticket to Seattle. It was furiously aggrivating to do. I first looked at prices Sunday night on Travelocity. Monday afternoon I looked again, prices had actually dropped and there were more flights available, including a good price through Alaskan Airlines. I tried buying, then all I kept getting was “this price is no longer available”. I went over to Orbitz, same thing. I tried directly on alaskaair.com. That time I got as far as putting in my credit card information before getting denied. I gave up and called Alaska Air and booked it that way. I give e-commerce a failing grade in this case.
Anyways, I’m leaving for Seattle on Tuesday and returning early Sunday morning. Plenty of time to hang out with Alex & Victoria!
