DOPEJAM.COM: Tariq Ahmed, moving to Tracy California

Move To Tracy
August 26th, 2000

Friday:
Was up till 3am finishing packing.

Saturday:
Rented a truck, got it to the apartment by 11am. I loaded up almost all the boxes by myself, and was still good on energy. I thought Derek was gonna show, and that Arif would be there, so man power wise I thought it'd be more then adequate. Arif came at 1pm or something and we loaded the large and awkward items, and there was just enough space. Good thing that I on Thursday I rented the pick up truck and moved some things before hand. Drove out to Tracy, parked the truck and began unloading. That's when the energy drain started to hit, and I wish there were a few more guys for manpower, but was too late to call for backup. I was good on energy, but my knees and back were killing me. My knees are totally screwed up, I think from a deadly football game back in the days where I hyper extended both of them and they haven't been the same since. So at that point, the goal changed to just getting everything out of the truck and into the garage. That day wiped me out completely. There's one thing I learned in all of this, get someone else to move your stuff, cuz it's totally not worth it!

Sunday:
Returned the truck. Arif picked me up, and we went to my apartment so I could just do a quick vacuum and windex job and Juliana was gonna meet us out there (she hung around in Tracy waiting for the washer/dryer delivery guys). But ever since the audio install the car has been having a difficult time starting, and Sunday the battery was near death. So Arif had to drive me back to Tracy, boosted the CL.. seemed to hold it's charge for awhile. Went to Linen and Things, bought some stuff... came back, ate out (as we don't have a fridge for two weeks, pretty much surviving on fast food or canned food).. Miraculously we moved the dresser upstairs, and the TV inside. We hit the walmart, and I bought a battery charger and left it on trickle charge overnight.
Monday:
The car didn't start. Put the charger in rapid boost mode, started it and drove to work, and went strsaight to a gas station there and got a replacement battery. Alternator is charging properly. Oh damn... I got himt o check if there was a drain from the amps.. but I just realized I unplugged the amps earlier cuz I suspected something. I'll go back at lunch.

Anyways.. the drive wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm normally in at 10:15am... and today I got in at 10:15am, left 30mins earlier then I normally did in Fremont... but drove a hell of a lot more faster. North bay traffic moves a lot faster then south bay. There's a ton of combinations I'll be trying. The slow down was Livermore, adn the exit to the San Mateo Bridge (2 lanes merge into 1).
Here's route #1: 580W, 238->880S, 92W, 280S
08:45am: Start. Burned rubber, 90mph to Livermore
09:00am: Livermore. Traffic fluctuating from 0 to 60mph.
09:15am: Pass the 680 Interchange. 80mph
09:24am: 238 Exit. Slows down to 20mph merging.
09:30am: Onto the 880. Moving fast, 80mph.
09:45am: At the San Mateo Bridge Toll Booth.
09:55am: 280 South. Everyone moving at 80mph min. I was doing 90mph.
10:15am: Made it to TIBCO.

Total Time: 1.5hrs. Total Distance: 80miles / 128km. :)

	Friday: Was up till 3am finishing packing.
	Saturday: Rented a truck, got it to the apartment by 11am. I loaded up almost all the boxes by myself, and was still good on energy. I thought Derek was gonna show, and that Arif would be there, so man power wise I thought it'd be more then adequate. Arif came at 1pm or something and we loaded the large and awkward items, and there was just enough space. Good thing that I on Thursday I rented the pick up truck and moved some things before hand. Drove out to Tracy, parked the truck and began unloading. That's when the energy drain started to hit, and I wish there were a few more guys for manpower, but was too late to call for backup. I was good on energy, but my knees and back were killing me. My knees are totally screwed up, I think from a deadly football game back in the days where I hyper extended both of them and they haven't been the same since. So at that point, the goal changed to just getting everything out of the truck and into the garage. That day wiped me out completely. There's one thing I learned in all of this, get someone else to move your stuff, cuz it's totally not worth it!

	Sunday: Returned the truck. Arif picked me up, and we went to my apartment so I could just do a quick vacuum and windex job and Juliana was gonna meet us out there (she hung around in Tracy waiting for the washer/dryer delivery guys). But ever since the audio install the car has been having a difficult time starting, and Sunday the battery was near death. So Arif had to drive me back to Tracy, boosted the CL.. seemed to hold it's charge for awhile. Went to Linen and Things, bought some stuff... came back, ate out (as we don't have a fridge for two weeks, pretty much surviving on fast food or canned food).. Miraculously we moved the dresser upstairs, and the TV inside. We hit the walmart, and I bought a battery charger and left it on trickle charge overnight. Monday: The car didn't start. Put the charger in rapid boost mode, started it and drove to work, and went strsaight to a gas station there and got a replacement battery. Alternator is charging properly. Oh damn... I got himt o check if there was a drain from the amps.. but I just realized I unplugged the amps earlier cuz I suspected something. I'll go back at lunch.

Anyways.. the drive wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm normally in at 10:15am... and today I got in at 10:15am, left 30mins earlier then I normally did in Fremont... but drove a hell of a lot more faster. North bay traffic moves a lot faster then south bay. There's a ton of combinations I'll be trying. The slow down was Livermore, adn the exit to the San Mateo Bridge (2 lanes merge into 1). Here's route #1: 580W, 238->880S, 92W, 280S 08:45am: Start. Burned rubber, 90mph to Livermore 09:00am: Livermore. Traffic fluctuating from 0 to 60mph. 09:15am: Pass the 680 Interchange. 80mph 09:24am: 238 Exit. Slows down to 20mph merging. 09:30am: Onto the 880. Moving fast, 80mph. 09:45am: At the San Mateo Bridge Toll Booth. 09:55am: 280 South. Everyone moving at 80mph min. I was doing 90mph. 10:15am: Made it to TIBCO. Total Time: 1.5hrs. Total Distance: 80miles / 128km. :)