Volkswagen: Now with More Fail!

I wandered about getting price quotes for installation of new headlights. This is for simple, bolt-on, plug-in light assemblies. Because VWs are built like Swiss watches, it's a two-hour job to swap and align a pair of lights. I'm not sure how long it'd take on your car. The prices are as follows:
German auto specialist up the street: $160. They have the advantage of being within walking distance of home.
Champion Volkswagen: $168.88. They have the advantage of probably including tax in their hourly labor costs.
Cost of headlights, including tax, shipping, and shipping insurance: $157.24
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Now playing on iTunes: The Mary Onettes - Lost
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Poll's Closed.

The winner: Chrome. I'll post before and after pictures here when I take them. The new lights should be in within the week. The old lights are, sadly, clearer when wet. You see them wet in the following images. The worst thing about my old lights: Pay close attention to the difference (or lack thereof) between the high and low beams. Also, the flash from my 5-year-old Sony CyberShot completely drowns them out.

Old lights:

Closeup:

Low Beam:


High Beam:


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Now playing on iTunes: Ben Folds - Cologne (Piano Orchestra Version)
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Your Opinion, Please

My headlights are unsafe. They're badly fogged and misaligned and ugly. That's all there is to it. While fine for city use, they aren't adequate for long highway drives, which I make frequently. I'm going to replace them as soon as I have the money. I'm gonna buy them as soon as I get your feedback.

I've always wanted projector headlamps and settled on a style similar to the lights on new BMWs - a projector low beam and foglamp, reflector high beam, and LED halo running lamps. The two headlights that follow are mechanically and functionally identical, with yellow projector lamps (not blue HID) and are roughly $150 for the set with shipping. The only difference is the color of the plastic surround, with one being black and the other silver. Warning: the idiot who posted the black lamps added a soundtrack. I'd appreciate your speedy response to the poll above and to your right. Thank you.

Chrome
Black

I intend to make the purchase tomorrow or later today, whenever I have enough votes to make a decision.
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Now playing on iTunes: Katy Perry - Waking Up In Vegas
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Fourteen Hundred

Sometime Saturday the Jetta started making a funny noise. I drove it for a few more days, hoping the noise would go away. A long-distance drive Monday fixed it temporarily, but it was back in force yesterday. When even a drive to Colerain didn't help, I took it to the shop to have it looked at.

What I learned is that the rack is worn out and needs to be replaced. For those of you unfamiliar with auto mechanics, the rack is a major component of my hydraulically-assisted steering system. Mine was evidently bleeding hydraulic fluid and has teeth worn down to nubs. Since I put so many miles on my car and drive it closer to its tolerances than most people, this was bound to happen eventually. The repair is a staggering $1400. I can afford it, but it'll be a few weeks before I'm willing to spend money on anything but food and fuel.

Update: They finished the car at 2:30. As of 2:55, I'm still waiting for the clerk to finish the paperwork and tell me what it all costs, but it needs a $70 alignment on top of the repair. I was gonna get that alignment in 4000 miles at the next tire rotation, but I guess now will do. I have to give the VW guys credit for being fast and efficient, but it'd be real nice if they just built reliable cars to begin with.

Final update: The repairs, including the necessary alignment, come to just under $1000. I will never buy another car without a warranty.
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Now playing on iTunes: Westbound Train - One Day
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Long Time Gone

With Sarah in town, I didn't spend much time online. I've been in front of the computer as much in nine days as I usually am in one. I haven't updated in a while, but I'm not alone. I've seen about five updates this week, almost all of which are Kaitlin. Seems it's been a boring week. I spent it relaxing. A boring Shindig last Saturday, two trips to Fairfield for the magic of Jungle Jim's, a night at the Blue Rock and a Rock Band party at James' where I destroyed my voice with Journey and my brain with hundred-proof rum. It was good times. We watched some movies. Knowing is decent, but the ending seems hackneyed. If you like stories ripped right out of the bible and updated to fit modern times, you'll like it. I didn't get a job, which is unfortunate, and it's a let-down knowing I'll be back at SKF tomorrow without even a single interview to show for my unpaid week off.

On the bright side, Alicia will be back in a week or so and I'm out of the house at the end of May. If anyone knows of bars that need tending, let me know. I'll keep hunting until I have another job, but Craigslist only provides so many openings.
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Now playing on iTunes: Gomez - Moon And Sun
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Spring Break?

Took off work next week both because I hate that goddamn shit hole and because Sarah's in town for spring break. My goals: Get new job, plan events, have fun.

That is all. Please place event ideas in the box labeled "Responses."
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Now playing on iTunes: Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
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I Watch the Watchmen!

This weekend has so far been eventful. Last night, I got off work and went to a party hosted by Sheri', where I mixed girly drinks. They were delicious. It was the first time I'd experience the practical results of bar school. Sex on the beach, tequila sunrise, margarita, and madras were the drinks of the night.

Today I got Ethan behind the wheel for the first time in the lot of the abandoned Erlanger Showcase Cinema. Kaitlin came along and we ended up exploring a derelict concrete plant. Kaitlin will have pictures on Facebook eventually. After that, we returned to my house and I grilled burgers and fish. We caught the 9:10 showing of Watchmen with Sean Bailey and his friends, and Kaitlin was driven out by the graphic violence. I thought it was good and though the ending diverged from the text, the meaning was preserved and the changes were relatively minor.

In other news, Sarah's spring break is a week from now. She'll be up here that week, and I'm taking the week off work both because I need to really focus on the job search and because I don't want work to interfere with a whole week that I can spend with her. Expect public appearances.

For those of you who don't know, I'm moving out in June. I'll be living with James and Alicia in James' current apartment on Dana Ave. in Cincinnati, across from XU. This means that any future parties there will have a professional bartender on staff.
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Now playing on iTunes: The Robocop Kraus - Standing In The Punchline
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Discoveries, Disappointments, and the Job Hunt

I spent today running errands and looking for stuff. I went to Party Source and the Dollar Tree looking for highball and rocks glasses. Neither had what I was after, but Dollar Tree has Gibraltar-pattern Collins glasses. Much to my surprise, Party Source had none of the glassware I need. While at Party Source, I looked for Strongbow Cider, Paulaner's Salvator doppelbock and Emily's brewery of choice, Sixpoint Craft Ales. I found none of them, but I did discover the Boston Beer Company's new "big beer" line, the Samuel Adams Imperial beers. I picked up a four of Imperial Double Bock. They also have an Imperial Whitbier and an Imperial Stout. All of them run about 10% abv, which is double the strength of a normal beer.

Now I begin the job hunt. I'll take any bartending job I can get for the time being. It's much easier to find a better job if you're already making drinks somewhere. If all else fails, a neighbor runs a bar and I'd be willing to work for tips until I could get a job elsewhere, just to have that experience. I'm keeping an eye on Craigslist and the bartending school's website, and the paper always has jobs. If you know of a place that needs a new barman, let me know. My current goal: Starting tomorrow, fill out an application every day until I get a job.

In other news, I picked up an album today: An End Has A Start by Editors. I've been listening to their debut album a lot in the last two weeks and realized I didn't own this one. Here's the video for the title track.
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Now playing on iTunes: Editors - An End Has A Start
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This Bud's for you!

Got a 99% on the written final and a 12 on the speed test, so I'm now a certified bartender. I go in for job placement tomorrow from 2-4 and then can peruse their openings online. I should have a job offer in the next week or two and a spot behind a bar by the end of March.

In other news, I'm thinking of hosting a small St. Patrick's Day party. I'll have Guinness, Harp, and Strongbow on hand for black & tans and snakebites, and a bottle of Jameson and maybe Bailey's for carbombs.
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Now playing on iTunes: mDave Matthews Band - Satellite
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