Ich bin drin!

Endlich, endlich kam heute mittag der Mann von der Telekom, um die Funktionsfähigkeit der "letzten Meile" zu testen. Telefon und Fax gingen fix, aber die Installations-Routine von Alice ist eine Frechheit! Man wird gezwungen, ihr ziemlich unpraktisches Installations-Programm zu installieren (kann es sein, dass AOL Hansenet gekauft hat? Warum ist die Schrott-Architektur von AOL nun in der Alice-Software drin?), man kommt mit seinem Internet-Browser nicht online, so lange man kein Alice-Email-Postfach eröffnet hat...

Egal. Immerhin habe ich hier die Anleitung gefunden, wie man an der Alice-Software vorbei kommt - und konnte sie dann endlich deinstallieren.

IKEA sei dank!

Ein Besuch bei IKEA ist nicht nur ein Kurzurlaub in Schweden – und der kostet immer Geld, denn Leute wie ich können dort einfach nicht vorbei gehen, ohne wenigstens Kanel Bullar mitzunehmen.

Dass man bei IKEA durch Ideen und Erinnerung auch richtig Geld sparen kann, war mir nicht so klar. Erst einmal habe ich mir dir Ersatzteile für STOLMEN besorgt, die ich nicht mehr wiederfinden konnte - nämlich die kleinen Gummi-Scheiben auf und unter den Ständern. Eratzteile kosten normaler Weise 3 EUR - allerdings nicht an einem derart bevölkerten Samstag nachmittag, an dem der Verwaltungsvorgang mehr Aufwand macht, als den Kunden glücklich mit seinem Ersatzteil von dannen ziehen zu lassen.

Dann und zum zweiten hatte ich eine Dusch-Stange gesucht. Am besten eine Teleskop-Stange, die ich mit Kraft und Drehen, aber nicht durch Andübeln an der Wand fest mache. Gibt es nicht, aber was es gibt ist das gute DIGNITET-System - das vor allem schon zu Hause in meiner alten Werkzeugkiste noch aus der Koppel-Wohnung schlummert! Diese Erkenntnis kam wie ein erfrischender Klatsch! vor die Stirn. Sehr schön. Dazu noch ein SAXÅN Duschvorhang für unglaubliche 4 EUR - viel Geld gespart! Genauso wie die Idee für den Bad-Spiegel. Jetzt nur gucken, dass die Installation auch so gut klappt wie der Einkauf!

10.000 songs

As we speak... I'm listening to my 10.000 song which is scrobbled on Last.FM. Which has definitely changed the way I listen to music. Again.

BEFORE I had "Audioscrobbler" installed, I was listening to songs on my computer via WinAmp. Okay, a) it was impossible to install iTunes on my old Laptop, but b) I refused to install a programm which needs a bank account for full activation. But c) the last.fm community convinced me to the change, as it has so much more features (maybe except for the look - WinAmp definitely is better looking with a zillion customized skins) Times have changed fast, now I rather buy songs on iTunes than on cd - but the fact that I'm moving again is a topic of it's own.

I simpy like the way iTunes manages my music library. I love to mark my favourite songs with 5 stars - and I love to discover new artists this way - who thought Satyricon would ever make it to a top list of mine?! I would have never been able to tell you the difference between Vredesbyrd and Allehelgens Dod I Helveds Rike by Dimmu Borgir. Ok, question is who cares! But I totally love this way on which "Hits on Second Sight" get through the ear into the brain - and songs which annoy get out again! Given that: Yes, I'm listening on Shuffle/Party mode most of the time - skip away or delete what I'm not in the mood for and add as "play now on party list" what I'm keen on.

So, brave new world, eh?! Not really. There's one thing that really worsened: In times before Last.fm I would have burned all songs from harddisc to a cd and would have put it into the stereo. Now iTunes worses the quality of the songs by adjusting the volume. I just wonder what to. Ok, now I delete all songs in bad quality immediately, but te problem stays: iTunes minimizes every song by at least 10 dB. Does anyone know a remedy?

During all the evening I was wondering which song should will represent me as my 10.000's song. Or whether I should just wait and have a look which song is the one with the fabulous number. Again it struck me: "What if...", yeah, what if that song is a complete dork, not representative nor in any kind intended to have the chance to have a listen to? When I just had a ruff look into iTunes about 20 songs away from the mark I saw Goodbye my Lover. Well, that is not planned at all. I re-counted carefully (without deleting any song) and was really looking forward to have The War by Angels & Airwaves - as it could fairly good represent my last week. But I didn't have the patience, skipped Johnny Cash as I'm not in the mood today - and ta-dah, here I present my number 10.000:
Dark Tranquillity – Therein

Working on Stolmen

The next try to document some of the work I did in my new room. And, well - I have to try if my new webcam has more features than only one.

First: Careful studying

A look into the box world:

... and now, four hours later, the first two pillars are standing. I was soaked with sweat...

and enjoyed the view
.

But I didn't give up on Ikea Stolmen...

written & published later

Punk Rock

Today was a real "punk rock day" - me, my new flat mate and his friend were drilling holes in the wall - for the kitchen shelves, for example.

So it was spent with cooking, clearing, clearing and clearing...

And: Punk Rock. Because I was testing the impact of my music collection on the two boys, and it worked out fine ;-)

Played, in no particular order and among others:

• Green Day: American Idiot
• Foo Fighters: One By One
• New Order: Get Ready

Only the soundtrack to Kill Bill I they did not stand - I don't have a clue why...

(Written offline, published later)

Hansenet

Yes, I live in a new flat. Yes, my stereo and my television are put in. But I don't have a working conventional telephone network at the moment (yes, those old fashioned things with copper-cable in the wall) neither I have Internet access - thank you Hansenet. Well, basically this is a mix between bad luck and our fault, because the little notice we stuck at the door wasn't enough for the bad weather, and the rain did wash the piece of paper away. But it is typical that at this telephone company nobody knows what the other is doing. Nobody could answer me whether the installer of the telephone company was already at our house or not. My flat mate Stefan called up the company several times, and they told him there is nothing that has to be switched manually. Let's see...

Written offline - see date below, posted much later...)

First glimpse in my new home

The first glimpse in my new room - of course the stereo is the first thing standing. No telecommunication at the moment.

... and my office stuff is in the top box.

Seems like I'm cramming the stuff...

(Written and posted way later...)

Good bye St. Georg - hello St. Pauli

Now it's done - after nearly 5 years (only a few weeks are missing) I left St. Georg and have now a new flat on the other side of the lake Alster. Now I'm living in northern St. Pauli - at least I stayed true to the saint...

I'll tell you next time what the districts of Hamburg are about - call it barrios/quarters/neighbourhoods - it's different, and it matters. It matters for different reasons where you live. But back to the move, because it actually was one of the easier and better ones, thanks to Larry and Knut. Thank you Benni & Ole. And good to have the "Kleine Pause directly around the corner.

(written offline - see date below, posted later...

New flat - new beginning

Ein großer Strauß Blumen geht an dieser Stelle an Christian und Gregor - der große Schrank ist in die "neue" Wohnung geräumt, gleich sind die Klamotten auch drin. Ein großer Bauernschrank ist echt was feines - keine einzige Schraube zu lösen, nur ein paar Keile, und schon konnte man die handlichen Teile auch als schwaches Frauchen raustragen. Mit ebenso einfachen Handgriffen (- ok dank Gregor) ging er auch wieder zusammen. Genauso praktisch war das Autoleihen beim http://www.stattauto.de . Die Gewerbetreibenden vom Hochparterre waren auch nicht unfreundlich, und ihre Kunden sehen alle gleich aus Einer der lustigen Musikanten vom dritten Stock hat auch schon rein geguckt - es ist doch nett hier. Und jetzt gucke ich meiner ersten Nacht in der Rostocker Straße entgegen...