Saturday 02/12/2022
First thing to do today was to get the Prius smogged. The DMV says I must take it to a STAR-qualified smogger. So I get out google maps and search. There’s a convenient one on El Camino, and their website says “Open 8-5 but call us first”. I call at 8:10 and they don’t answer. And there’s no answering machine either.
OK, back to maps. There’s a STAR smogger on Middlefield in Redwood City. I call; they are open. I head for the garage and on the way get a call-back from the guy at the first outfit, saying he is “returning a missed call?” I just say thanks, no worries, and carry on. I might have said, dude, invest in an answering machine but didn’t.
I drive into Redwood City. Middlefield in this part is kind of slummy, it’s a little bit of Mexico with bodegas and such and sketchy-looking people on the sidewalks. I locate the supposed smog place but it is just a little alley between a car wash and something else, no parking, small sign, nobody around. I park down the block and get out the phone.
Aha, there is another smogger not far away just off the 101 freeway. I use the iPhone for driving directions and you know? I like its directions better than the GPS built into the car. But I probably will stick with the one in the car because I don’t want to get a phone holder.
Anyway down by the Marsh Road interchange, the smog guy is just coming to work. He opens his door and goes to work. A smog check these days appears to consist of nothing more than sticking a computer into the OBD jack under the dash. He’s done in 10 minutes; by the time I’ve gone into the adjacent gas station and bought a bottle of gatorade, he’s writing up the bill. Prius rates PASS in all categories.
Crafts
Back home by 10:30, I spend the rest of the morning alternating between printing another pretty photo to put on my picture rail, and gluing bits onto the VW model. It’s coming along pretty well. In the afternoon I go for a moderate walk, and that’s the day.
Schedules
Well, except for an email conversation with SWBB fans which causes me to look into the scheduling for the rest of the season. Next week, they go to the Oregon schools. The following week they are home for two games and that’s the regular season. I figure to attend those, 2/24 and 2/26.
The following week, 3/2 – 3/6, is the PAC-12 tournament in Las Vegas. I will not go there because I dislike everything about Vegas. I went to the tournament in 2019 (my account starts on day 0.096) and I do not care to repeat it.
However, 3/16 through 3/20, Stanford will be hosting a sub-regional. Following that, the NCAAs move to regionals, and surely Stanford will be assigned to the West regional which is in Spokane, 3/25-27. I like Spokane and I might make that my first travel in 2+ years. Should I book that travel now?
Next after that, 4/1-3, is the Final Four which is in Minneapolis. I am tempted to go to that as well. But should I book it? It is highly likely, but NOT certain, that Stanford will make it through the Regional games and be in the Final IV. If I commit to air fare and a hotel now — well, I can watch other good teams…
Codgerville 