If we weren't messing with buying a house, I'd be leaving here for Arizona like our neighbors did this morning. It's cloudy today and the temperature didn't get above 35 degrees. That means we've spent the whole day in the trailer with an antsy dog.
I had to fill the water tank, which involved standing outside in the cold for about half an hour. I took the dog out with me for awhile. After about 10 minutes she wanted back in the trailer. Of course after about an hour in the trailer she'd forgotten about the cold and was lobbying to go out again.
I had to add something. The realtor called about half an hour ago. The people selling the house we like the most have agreed to our offer. There's something about "they won't pay for any repairs" that is a little worrisome. We'll find out some more details tomorrow. At least for now it looks like we've bought ourselves a house.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Day 106
We finally got a chance to do something interesting. There was a model train show in San Antonio, so we attended it. The show was similar to the ones in Portland, but bigger. It was interesting because there was a a large selection of N scale trains. Usually HO is dominate.
There was one whole room dedicated to G scale trains. They need a lot of room. One of the people that was running it said that they set up semi-permanent setups in commercial sites. The last one they did remained there for 6 months.
The workmanship on the layouts was first class. Better than what I'm used to seeing in Portland. The size of the modular setups was bigger, too. There were some interesting details. There were things like fields of corn being harvested, cattle drives, marvelously detailed town scenes and even an amusement park with a working roller coaster.
Of course part of any train show is shopping. I saw several cars that I might have bought, except that they were too expensive. One vendor had two locomotives that I've always wanted. His prices were reasonable, but I just couldn't justify putting $150 - $350 into a couple of toy locomotives. Maybe once I have my layout up and running.
After the show we went over to look at the second choice house. I got a chance to go over the lot. It's one of the best we've ever seen. The house was unlocked (it shouldn't have been) so we also toured the house in detail. The place is a mess. We'll have to have it almost totally repainted. The doors looked like they've been primer-ed only. Whoever last painted it slopped paint all over. They patched the wall in one place and didn't even repaint the patch. Some of the trim in the closets isn't painted at all.
The workmanship on the kitchen counter is nothing short of crap. The best thing that can be done with the shed in back is to tear it down. When I went into the attic I found that a bathroom fan was vented into the attic rather than outside.
On the plus side it has a first class water treatment system. It doesn't seem to have Chinese sheet rock. I found an area that said "made in SA" and had a UL stamp. I may be able to park the trailer in an existing parking space rather than behind. In either case it won't be easy to get it in there.
On the way home we told the realtor to offer $300,000 on the first house, last offer. I don't think that they'll take it, but we have to try. We still have to decide if we'll ask more off for the second house since we now know we'll have to paint the whole thing.
The dog spent the whole day in the trailer - at least 7 or 8 hours. She was woofing with joy when we got home. However, it was sunny and cold (42 degrees) so we didn't take her anywhere.
There was one whole room dedicated to G scale trains. They need a lot of room. One of the people that was running it said that they set up semi-permanent setups in commercial sites. The last one they did remained there for 6 months.
The workmanship on the layouts was first class. Better than what I'm used to seeing in Portland. The size of the modular setups was bigger, too. There were some interesting details. There were things like fields of corn being harvested, cattle drives, marvelously detailed town scenes and even an amusement park with a working roller coaster.
Of course part of any train show is shopping. I saw several cars that I might have bought, except that they were too expensive. One vendor had two locomotives that I've always wanted. His prices were reasonable, but I just couldn't justify putting $150 - $350 into a couple of toy locomotives. Maybe once I have my layout up and running.
After the show we went over to look at the second choice house. I got a chance to go over the lot. It's one of the best we've ever seen. The house was unlocked (it shouldn't have been) so we also toured the house in detail. The place is a mess. We'll have to have it almost totally repainted. The doors looked like they've been primer-ed only. Whoever last painted it slopped paint all over. They patched the wall in one place and didn't even repaint the patch. Some of the trim in the closets isn't painted at all.
The workmanship on the kitchen counter is nothing short of crap. The best thing that can be done with the shed in back is to tear it down. When I went into the attic I found that a bathroom fan was vented into the attic rather than outside.
On the plus side it has a first class water treatment system. It doesn't seem to have Chinese sheet rock. I found an area that said "made in SA" and had a UL stamp. I may be able to park the trailer in an existing parking space rather than behind. In either case it won't be easy to get it in there.
On the way home we told the realtor to offer $300,000 on the first house, last offer. I don't think that they'll take it, but we have to try. We still have to decide if we'll ask more off for the second house since we now know we'll have to paint the whole thing.
The dog spent the whole day in the trailer - at least 7 or 8 hours. She was woofing with joy when we got home. However, it was sunny and cold (42 degrees) so we didn't take her anywhere.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Day 105
We got a response from our other offer. They countered with a price that we could live with. It's higher than we offered on the first house. I guess we'll make the first house the same offer (a counter-counter-offer). I don't think that they will accept. We found out that they took out a second mortgage on the place last September. They are probably mortgaged to the hilt.
The dog was driving us crazy again, so we took her to the back of the park to run her. After last night's heavy rain it was very muddy. When we got home it was some production to get the mud off of her paws. It was worth it though. She hasn't moved off the couch all evening.
Tomorrow we'll talk to the realtor again (sigh). On a brighter note there's a pancake breakfast tomorrow and we're going to go see a model train show. I'm ready to go out and do something other than look at houses or shop.
The dog was driving us crazy again, so we took her to the back of the park to run her. After last night's heavy rain it was very muddy. When we got home it was some production to get the mud off of her paws. It was worth it though. She hasn't moved off the couch all evening.
Tomorrow we'll talk to the realtor again (sigh). On a brighter note there's a pancake breakfast tomorrow and we're going to go see a model train show. I'm ready to go out and do something other than look at houses or shop.
Day 104
The rain started again today. It was relatively heavy at time, but I guess the worst of it is supposed to come in tonight. The TV reports of the weather around Kerrville show a pretty heavy storm coming our way.
We went over to the realtor and made offers on two houses. The amount of paperwork that we had to sign was amazing. At least 20 pages, with signatures or initials on each one. One of the offers is for much less than the sellers are asking (more on that later). We also stopped at the grocery store - ran out of milk.
The rain means that the dog is having a bad day. She's really disappointed when we take her out, let her do her business, and then head right back to the trailer. Even the ride to the realtor was a disappointment. She only got let out for a brief time when we left. We made it up to her a little bit by buying her a hamburger at Sonic. For $1, it's a cheap treat.
Late in the evening we got a response from the the sellers of the house that we made the low offer on. They countered by reducing the asking price $10,000 (that's still $55,000 over the appraised value). They included an inspection report that says the house needs a new roof and some work on the drainage in front. They would have to reduce the house at least $30K for me to consider it given that. I bet they end up selling it for about that in 6 months or so. Unfortunately we don't have that long to wait.
We went over to the realtor and made offers on two houses. The amount of paperwork that we had to sign was amazing. At least 20 pages, with signatures or initials on each one. One of the offers is for much less than the sellers are asking (more on that later). We also stopped at the grocery store - ran out of milk.
The rain means that the dog is having a bad day. She's really disappointed when we take her out, let her do her business, and then head right back to the trailer. Even the ride to the realtor was a disappointment. She only got let out for a brief time when we left. We made it up to her a little bit by buying her a hamburger at Sonic. For $1, it's a cheap treat.
Late in the evening we got a response from the the sellers of the house that we made the low offer on. They countered by reducing the asking price $10,000 (that's still $55,000 over the appraised value). They included an inspection report that says the house needs a new roof and some work on the drainage in front. They would have to reduce the house at least $30K for me to consider it given that. I bet they end up selling it for about that in 6 months or so. Unfortunately we don't have that long to wait.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day 103
Since we didn't get home until about 8:00 last night, today was virtual wash day.
We called the realtor, but she isn't available until tomorrow. We took the time to do some research to decide what prices to offer on a couple of houses. The one we like best is very overpriced. They are asking $50,000 (that's nearly 20%) over the appraised value. We feel that the appraised value is generous. The second house is priced near its appraised value. However the house is beat up and isn't really worth that much. We figure either house needs $8,000 to $10,000 of work to make it what we want.
Because we'll be making low offers, we're going to make both offers at the same time. If we can't make a deal on one of these houses, there are two others that we'll make offers on.
By the afternoon the dog was driving us nuts. She didn't get to run much yesterday, so she had two days of energy stored up. We took her to the back of the park where she did over 40 retrieves. She also had some face time with another dog. Unfortunately she snapped at the other dog, so we didn't let them get too close.
I won a shared pot at Bingo. I was very close on a couple of other games. On the rest I wasn't even in the ballpark. Ellen struck out.
We have an appointment to make the offers tomorrow morning. We were going to go shooting too, except that it's supposed to rain cats and dogs tomorrow.
We called the realtor, but she isn't available until tomorrow. We took the time to do some research to decide what prices to offer on a couple of houses. The one we like best is very overpriced. They are asking $50,000 (that's nearly 20%) over the appraised value. We feel that the appraised value is generous. The second house is priced near its appraised value. However the house is beat up and isn't really worth that much. We figure either house needs $8,000 to $10,000 of work to make it what we want.
Because we'll be making low offers, we're going to make both offers at the same time. If we can't make a deal on one of these houses, there are two others that we'll make offers on.
By the afternoon the dog was driving us nuts. She didn't get to run much yesterday, so she had two days of energy stored up. We took her to the back of the park where she did over 40 retrieves. She also had some face time with another dog. Unfortunately she snapped at the other dog, so we didn't let them get too close.
I won a shared pot at Bingo. I was very close on a couple of other games. On the rest I wasn't even in the ballpark. Ellen struck out.
We have an appointment to make the offers tomorrow morning. We were going to go shooting too, except that it's supposed to rain cats and dogs tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Day 102
We went back up towards Austin today to look at 5 houses. Three of the houses were non-starters. One was too small, too old, and had the master upstairs. The second was a nice enough house, it just didn't thrill us. It was also priced $90,000 more than its appraised value. The third we didn't go into. It was on a 10 acre lot, but for some reason they placed the house backing up to a relatively busy road. It sounded like you were living next to an arterial.
The first house that we saw was interesting. It was an old house that had been fully remodeled. They had done a good job. The house is on 5 acres that have been fenced and cross fenced. There is a somewhat beat up tack house and small greenhouse. It also has some interesting landscaping in the back yard including a small pond/stream feature that needs rebuilding. The downside is that the lot is flat and relatively treeless. There isn't any privacy.
The last house was interesting. It's small, but nicely laid out inside. It has a 30 x 40 out building that contains a garage/workshop and a 3 room apartment kind of thing. The apartment isn't finished particularly well and has no windows. There's also a couple of other storage shed type buildings and a place to park a trailer with water and power (no sewer). The whole place is fenced with an electric gate. The downside is that the kitchen has laminate and the master bath has a shower/tub combo. It's also a little overpriced.
We also went back to see the front runner from our last trip. It really isn't built well. Everywhere you look you can see cheap materials or shoddy workmanship. You can't beat the view from the deck though and it's really quiet.
We figure that either house would take about $8,000 to $10,000 of work to make it the house that we would want. Tomorrow is decision time. We will make an offer on one, and maybe both, houses.
The first house that we saw was interesting. It was an old house that had been fully remodeled. They had done a good job. The house is on 5 acres that have been fenced and cross fenced. There is a somewhat beat up tack house and small greenhouse. It also has some interesting landscaping in the back yard including a small pond/stream feature that needs rebuilding. The downside is that the lot is flat and relatively treeless. There isn't any privacy.
The last house was interesting. It's small, but nicely laid out inside. It has a 30 x 40 out building that contains a garage/workshop and a 3 room apartment kind of thing. The apartment isn't finished particularly well and has no windows. There's also a couple of other storage shed type buildings and a place to park a trailer with water and power (no sewer). The whole place is fenced with an electric gate. The downside is that the kitchen has laminate and the master bath has a shower/tub combo. It's also a little overpriced.
We also went back to see the front runner from our last trip. It really isn't built well. Everywhere you look you can see cheap materials or shoddy workmanship. You can't beat the view from the deck though and it's really quiet.
We figure that either house would take about $8,000 to $10,000 of work to make it the house that we would want. Tomorrow is decision time. We will make an offer on one, and maybe both, houses.
Day 101
We were supposed to go looking at houses today, but the realtor couldn't make it. For some reason I had a bad case of the "I don't want to do anythings". I mean I couldn't get motivated to do anything. The nice thing about being retired is when this happens, you can just do nothing. So I did.
The day was spent mainly surfing. Wife and I did do a little work trying to decide which of the houses we've seen so far and that we'll see tomorrow look like the best candidates. We also picked up the mail. The Amazon buy I did last week is working out fine. We got an iPod case and charger set today. That was good for a short bout of amusement.
We finally did do two useful things. We did some grocery shopping and took the dog to the back of the park to do some retrieves. It seemed like a good idea to exercise the dog since she'll be going on a long ride with us tomorrow.
The day was spent mainly surfing. Wife and I did do a little work trying to decide which of the houses we've seen so far and that we'll see tomorrow look like the best candidates. We also picked up the mail. The Amazon buy I did last week is working out fine. We got an iPod case and charger set today. That was good for a short bout of amusement.
We finally did do two useful things. We did some grocery shopping and took the dog to the back of the park to do some retrieves. It seemed like a good idea to exercise the dog since she'll be going on a long ride with us tomorrow.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Day 100
Another nice day, but kind of windy. The morning was spent the way Sunday mornings should be spent - reading the Sunday paper. That killed the entire morning.
We took pity on the dog since she had such a unexciting day yesterday. We took her to the park. She looked so happy prancing around when we let her out of the truck. We did the regular tour around the park and through the woods. She scared up a bunch of tweety birds that acted a lot like quail. They flew off and landed in a draw that bisects the park. We left them alone and went on to the woods. After we got out of the woods I had Lucy "hunt" the draw. She found the birds and ran right through them. I think that's because they didn't smell like game birds.
After the park tour I had her do retrieves. The wind was blowing hard so I was able to throw the bumper at least 60 yds. She did over 25 of these long retrieves before we called it quits. She was willing to do more, but she didn't object too much when we stopped. Tonight she is a really tired doggy.
Dinner was, what else, leftover lasagna and pie from the potluck.
We took pity on the dog since she had such a unexciting day yesterday. We took her to the park. She looked so happy prancing around when we let her out of the truck. We did the regular tour around the park and through the woods. She scared up a bunch of tweety birds that acted a lot like quail. They flew off and landed in a draw that bisects the park. We left them alone and went on to the woods. After we got out of the woods I had Lucy "hunt" the draw. She found the birds and ran right through them. I think that's because they didn't smell like game birds.
After the park tour I had her do retrieves. The wind was blowing hard so I was able to throw the bumper at least 60 yds. She did over 25 of these long retrieves before we called it quits. She was willing to do more, but she didn't object too much when we stopped. Tonight she is a really tired doggy.
Dinner was, what else, leftover lasagna and pie from the potluck.
Day 99
The realtor called and said she didn't want to go out again until Monday. That gave us a day without a firm agenda. Then I noticed in the paper that there was a gun show. Suddenly there was something to do.
The show was held at a Shriners temple. The place was huge. They filled up a main room and several smaller (but not small) rooms. There were plenty of other rooms that didn't need to be used. I did see a real bargain on a grade 6 Browning. Neither of us need a grade 6 Browning. We stopped by a booth set up by ClearWire (apparently they call themselves "Clear" now). They have an interesting combo 4G/WiMax interface that we might decide to change to from the Verizon MiFi. It's $10 more a month, but it works in 3G mode on anyone's network.
We also stopped by a booth selling dog and cat food that is made in Texas. The analysis and ingredients look good, so we picked up some samples.
There was a potluck tonight, so we stopped by Costco to get some lasagna. It turned out to be pretty good. The package contained two 3 pound containers. The people at the potluck cleaned out one and ate about 2/3 of the other. There were about 35 people at the potluck and there was more than enough good food as usual.
The day was too warm to take the dog with us, so she was feeling bad when we got back from Costco. In the afternoon we took her to the back of the park to do some retrieves. I just let her do as many as she wanted. She ran herself ragged. At the end she'd do 3 or 4 retrieves, stop by the water bowl and pretend to drink, and then come back for more when she got her wind back. I finally made her quit. By the time we got back from dinner she was recharged.
The show was held at a Shriners temple. The place was huge. They filled up a main room and several smaller (but not small) rooms. There were plenty of other rooms that didn't need to be used. I did see a real bargain on a grade 6 Browning. Neither of us need a grade 6 Browning. We stopped by a booth set up by ClearWire (apparently they call themselves "Clear" now). They have an interesting combo 4G/WiMax interface that we might decide to change to from the Verizon MiFi. It's $10 more a month, but it works in 3G mode on anyone's network.
We also stopped by a booth selling dog and cat food that is made in Texas. The analysis and ingredients look good, so we picked up some samples.
There was a potluck tonight, so we stopped by Costco to get some lasagna. It turned out to be pretty good. The package contained two 3 pound containers. The people at the potluck cleaned out one and ate about 2/3 of the other. There were about 35 people at the potluck and there was more than enough good food as usual.
The day was too warm to take the dog with us, so she was feeling bad when we got back from Costco. In the afternoon we took her to the back of the park to do some retrieves. I just let her do as many as she wanted. She ran herself ragged. At the end she'd do 3 or 4 retrieves, stop by the water bowl and pretend to drink, and then come back for more when she got her wind back. I finally made her quit. By the time we got back from dinner she was recharged.
Day 98
Not much going on today. It was nice to take a day off from the house search. I haven't mentioned it, but the weather has gotten much better. It's in the high sixties, low seventies. I took the opportunity to do something that we did a lot last year. We went to the state park and took the dog for a swim. It was her first swim in months and she loved it.
She wouldn't even take a rest. Do the retrieve and then jump around demanding that I throw it again. She did it many times until the park rangers came by and made us stop. She was "off leash" and they didn't like that. We went farther down the river and did some more. The current down there is much swifter, so I didn't let her do a lot.
After that swimming we went back to the picnic area and did some reading. Reading in a park in the warm weather is something we did a lot last year. This year the weather's been too bad to do that often.
She wouldn't even take a rest. Do the retrieve and then jump around demanding that I throw it again. She did it many times until the park rangers came by and made us stop. She was "off leash" and they didn't like that. We went farther down the river and did some more. The current down there is much swifter, so I didn't let her do a lot.
After that swimming we went back to the picnic area and did some reading. Reading in a park in the warm weather is something we did a lot last year. This year the weather's been too bad to do that often.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Day 97
We went out with the realtor today. We saw 4 houses in the New Braunfels area. We were going to see five, but one canceled.
The first house was two years old, on a nice lot, and relatively close to services. The problem was that the house had been trashed. Not so much by hard living as by what seemed to be poor finish work. We're still keeping it on the list, but we'd offer much less than they are asking.
The second house was very nice. It was also too much house. Too many square feet, too high property taxes, and too much money. The people living there had a really nice black cat.
The third house was interesting. It was old, but had been updated. It had a nice fenced area for the dog, with kennel. It also had a three car garage and a separate workshop. It did need some maintenance work and seemed a little overpriced. We're probably going to pass on it.
The fourth house was another one we'll keep on the list. It's lot is a little small, but there's plenty of room for the trailer. It's rooms are a little dark, but it has two very nice porches. The upstairs is roughed in finished. That's 1400 square feet that we wouldn't need. Unfortunately I think the sellers are pricing it as if that space was worth something.
The dog got to run for a short while at the first and last houses. She scared up a nice 4 point buck at the first house. She never noticed it. At the second house she flushed a covey of quail. Texas quail stay in the trees, not the ground. She isn't used to that so she just ran by under the tree. It really confused her when they started flying and she didn't know from where.
We gave the realtor the list of houses that we'd like to see that are further north. We'll be going to see them soon.
The first house was two years old, on a nice lot, and relatively close to services. The problem was that the house had been trashed. Not so much by hard living as by what seemed to be poor finish work. We're still keeping it on the list, but we'd offer much less than they are asking.
The second house was very nice. It was also too much house. Too many square feet, too high property taxes, and too much money. The people living there had a really nice black cat.
The third house was interesting. It was old, but had been updated. It had a nice fenced area for the dog, with kennel. It also had a three car garage and a separate workshop. It did need some maintenance work and seemed a little overpriced. We're probably going to pass on it.
The fourth house was another one we'll keep on the list. It's lot is a little small, but there's plenty of room for the trailer. It's rooms are a little dark, but it has two very nice porches. The upstairs is roughed in finished. That's 1400 square feet that we wouldn't need. Unfortunately I think the sellers are pricing it as if that space was worth something.
The dog got to run for a short while at the first and last houses. She scared up a nice 4 point buck at the first house. She never noticed it. At the second house she flushed a covey of quail. Texas quail stay in the trees, not the ground. She isn't used to that so she just ran by under the tree. It really confused her when they started flying and she didn't know from where.
We gave the realtor the list of houses that we'd like to see that are further north. We'll be going to see them soon.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Day 96
We spent the whole day house hunting. Drove 175 miles and looked at 9 houses. A few of them are worth touring. One house has a great location - 6 miles from Cabelas. We made up a list of houses to tour and we're going out with the realtor tomorrow.
The day was capped off with a trip to Cabelas. I picked up a couple of dog items and a range finder. I've been wanting to get one for when I set targets for some time. When I went to look at them they had two models in the price range that I was interested in. One was a Nikon and the other had Cabelas' name on it. The Cabelas one was OEMed from Bushnell. I asked the guy behind the counter which one he would choose and he said Nikon without hesitation. It's funny that he dissed the company model.
The dog had a bad day. She spent it all in the back of the truck. To make it up to her I gave her a treat when we left Cabelas. She also got some steak leavings in the evening, so the day shouldn't have been a total loss from her point of view.
We both won bingo games tonight. Both times we had to share the pot with another player. I also won this neat bingo card holder.
The day was capped off with a trip to Cabelas. I picked up a couple of dog items and a range finder. I've been wanting to get one for when I set targets for some time. When I went to look at them they had two models in the price range that I was interested in. One was a Nikon and the other had Cabelas' name on it. The Cabelas one was OEMed from Bushnell. I asked the guy behind the counter which one he would choose and he said Nikon without hesitation. It's funny that he dissed the company model.
The dog had a bad day. She spent it all in the back of the truck. To make it up to her I gave her a treat when we left Cabelas. She also got some steak leavings in the evening, so the day shouldn't have been a total loss from her point of view.
We both won bingo games tonight. Both times we had to share the pot with another player. I also won this neat bingo card holder.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Day 95
Bad news. They've taken the house we wanted to buy off the market. Now we really are back to square one. I'd be pissed if I wasn't so disappointed. As I'm writing this Ellen is looking for places we can go see tomorrow.
After spending the morning on the laundry, we did get the documentation to the loan people. We'll probably end up with a loan and nothing to buy.
While we were doing the loan thing we also got a cable for the blu-ray player. I just didn't have the energy to screw with setting it up today. That's probably at least an hour of fitting things into place and connecting cables. We did score a $5 blu-ray disc at a pawn shop. It's a chick flick that wife will have to watch sometime when I've got something better to do.
The dog got to go to the park. She took the grand tour including an extended romp through the woods. The raccoon that I saw a couple of days ago was in the same bush, dead. I do think that it was poisoned. The dog is now very tired and sacked out on the couch.
After spending the morning on the laundry, we did get the documentation to the loan people. We'll probably end up with a loan and nothing to buy.
While we were doing the loan thing we also got a cable for the blu-ray player. I just didn't have the energy to screw with setting it up today. That's probably at least an hour of fitting things into place and connecting cables. We did score a $5 blu-ray disc at a pawn shop. It's a chick flick that wife will have to watch sometime when I've got something better to do.
The dog got to go to the park. She took the grand tour including an extended romp through the woods. The raccoon that I saw a couple of days ago was in the same bush, dead. I do think that it was poisoned. The dog is now very tired and sacked out on the couch.
Day 94
We were going to deal w/the loan people today except that it was a holiday. That left us pretty much unenthused about doing anything (I know it's not a word). Instead we kind of sat around all morning and did nothing. It's a little about avoiding looking at houses again. We thought we were finished with that, and now it seems that we're back at square one.
I did get to feeling a little guilty about doing nothing so I decided to do a few chores that had been hanging around for a long time. I filled up the truck tires with air. That involves getting out the compressor, stringing cord, and doing it. I finished putting the strut on the second compartment door. I also built up another sewer hose rack. Tese activities took a couple of hours.
I thought I'd finally run out of things to do when I noticed that the trim around the entrance door and the compartment doors is coming off. I'll have to buy some adhesive and fix them. They were just glued on to begin with. I guess that I can expect a lot of things to start needing that as the adhesives this thing was put together with start to dry out.
I did take the dog out to run in the back of the RV park. She had a good time, but it was still muddy. When I got home we had to do some serious removing of the mud between her toes.
I did get to feeling a little guilty about doing nothing so I decided to do a few chores that had been hanging around for a long time. I filled up the truck tires with air. That involves getting out the compressor, stringing cord, and doing it. I finished putting the strut on the second compartment door. I also built up another sewer hose rack. Tese activities took a couple of hours.
I thought I'd finally run out of things to do when I noticed that the trim around the entrance door and the compartment doors is coming off. I'll have to buy some adhesive and fix them. They were just glued on to begin with. I guess that I can expect a lot of things to start needing that as the adhesives this thing was put together with start to dry out.
I did take the dog out to run in the back of the RV park. She had a good time, but it was still muddy. When I got home we had to do some serious removing of the mud between her toes.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Day 93
For some reason we were bit by the shopping bug today. I think it really was get-out-of-the- trailer syndrome. Anyway we started out by going to Costco, ostensibly to get a couple of small items. While we were there we saw a display of blu-ray players. They were $110. I'd been telling myself that I'd buy one when they got to be a $100. $110 seemed to be close enough so we got one. Of course that meant we needed to by some discs also, so we bought a couple.
We the went over to Best Buy to look for a presentation mouse for the new laptop. They didn't have any. Neither did the Staples store next door. More on that later.
By the it was lunch time so we stopped by an upscale pizza parlor/bar combination. It was sort of a sports bar place with wide screen TV's everywhere. We chose it because there was a nice outdoor dining area (with two TV's and surround sound). The Dallas/Minnesota game was on and the place was packed. It's good that it was nice enough weather to sit outside. The noise inside the restaurant was unbearable. The food was good and they had Guinness on tap. I call the a good place to eat. We were there for the end of the game and it was amazing how quickly the place cleared out after Dallas lost.
The dog was really disappointed. Even though the weather was good we didn't want to run her because everything is still muddy. She got a bath yesterday and we didn't want to give her another today.
When we got home we got on the internet to find a presentation mouse. Amazon had a list of 50 different ones. We ordered one and an external DVD writer. We also ordered about half a dozen small items like blu-ray discs, CD's and an iPod case. I think that the main motivation was to have some packages to look forward to.
We the went over to Best Buy to look for a presentation mouse for the new laptop. They didn't have any. Neither did the Staples store next door. More on that later.
By the it was lunch time so we stopped by an upscale pizza parlor/bar combination. It was sort of a sports bar place with wide screen TV's everywhere. We chose it because there was a nice outdoor dining area (with two TV's and surround sound). The Dallas/Minnesota game was on and the place was packed. It's good that it was nice enough weather to sit outside. The noise inside the restaurant was unbearable. The food was good and they had Guinness on tap. I call the a good place to eat. We were there for the end of the game and it was amazing how quickly the place cleared out after Dallas lost.
The dog was really disappointed. Even though the weather was good we didn't want to run her because everything is still muddy. She got a bath yesterday and we didn't want to give her another today.
When we got home we got on the internet to find a presentation mouse. Amazon had a list of 50 different ones. We ordered one and an external DVD writer. We also ordered about half a dozen small items like blu-ray discs, CD's and an iPod case. I think that the main motivation was to have some packages to look forward to.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Day 92
The sunshine is back. At least for half the day. The park had a pancake breakfast this morning. It was well attended with everyone glad to get out of their trailers after two days of rain.
We got a box of mail today. That's good for a couple of hours of bill paying, letter reading, and shredding of unwanted credit card offers. The box also contained the iPod that we ordered for Christmas. It's got 16 GB. That's more than enough to hold the 9 GB iTunes library of favorite songs that I've built up by ripping the CD's that I bought over the years.
I also did a little bit of work outside. I finished up a long standing project to put a hydraulic opener on one of the compartment doors. I started the work on another to do the the same thing. I also rewired the bedroom TV so that it could accept signals from the satellite box. For some reason the only signals that it can accept are from the antenna. I'll have to figure out what's wrong. It's almost like the RF switch that I bought doesn't work.
We had pity on the dog and took her to the park. As soon as we started walking she took off at lightspeed to range out in front of us. Last time we were at the park I noticed a dead raccoon in the woods. It looked like it had been poisoned. Today Lucy did a beautiful point on a bush in and area we always let her "hunt". When I got there I found another raccoon in the middle of the bush. It wasn't dead yet, but it was very lethargic. It would barely move when I hit it with a small rock. I think that it has been poisoned also. Someone must not like raccoons tearing up their garbage and killing birds.
We got a box of mail today. That's good for a couple of hours of bill paying, letter reading, and shredding of unwanted credit card offers. The box also contained the iPod that we ordered for Christmas. It's got 16 GB. That's more than enough to hold the 9 GB iTunes library of favorite songs that I've built up by ripping the CD's that I bought over the years.
I also did a little bit of work outside. I finished up a long standing project to put a hydraulic opener on one of the compartment doors. I started the work on another to do the the same thing. I also rewired the bedroom TV so that it could accept signals from the satellite box. For some reason the only signals that it can accept are from the antenna. I'll have to figure out what's wrong. It's almost like the RF switch that I bought doesn't work.
We had pity on the dog and took her to the park. As soon as we started walking she took off at lightspeed to range out in front of us. Last time we were at the park I noticed a dead raccoon in the woods. It looked like it had been poisoned. Today Lucy did a beautiful point on a bush in and area we always let her "hunt". When I got there I found another raccoon in the middle of the bush. It wasn't dead yet, but it was very lethargic. It would barely move when I hit it with a small rock. I think that it has been poisoned also. Someone must not like raccoons tearing up their garbage and killing birds.
Day 91
It rained hard all day. I mean really hard. The park is full of large puddles that are 6 to 8 inches deep. Some of the puddles are 20 feet long. There's one space where the water has covered almost the whole pad. We've got a small one (8 feet across) on the side of our trailer.
The weather thing is so depressing that I couldn't even get up enough energy to look online for more houses. We need to keep at it though, time is running out.
Nobody is doing anything today. I mean they aren't even driving anywhere. The dog just can't understand why we don't want to go outside and get soaked. After all, she's been cooped up in the trailer for two days.
Tonight was fun though. A bluegrass group, the Tennessee Valley Authority, gave a concert at the clubhouse. They were four people, mandolin, banjo, bass, and guitar. They were quite entertaining. The leader had a Garrison Keilor sort of patter that he kept up between songs. At intermission there were lemon bars and some really good punch.
The weather thing is so depressing that I couldn't even get up enough energy to look online for more houses. We need to keep at it though, time is running out.
Nobody is doing anything today. I mean they aren't even driving anywhere. The dog just can't understand why we don't want to go outside and get soaked. After all, she's been cooped up in the trailer for two days.
Tonight was fun though. A bluegrass group, the Tennessee Valley Authority, gave a concert at the clubhouse. They were four people, mandolin, banjo, bass, and guitar. They were quite entertaining. The leader had a Garrison Keilor sort of patter that he kept up between songs. At intermission there were lemon bars and some really good punch.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Day 90
The light rain that began the day turned into a heavy rain by the afternoon. The heavy rain was still going strong when we went to bed. We're getting cabin fever. Going to the grocery store to pick up some things that we had run out of seemed like an adventure.
I started to modify the TV wiring so that we could listed to the satellite TV in the bedroom. Unfortunately I'm lacking a cable. I'll get one next time I'm out.
The data from the accountant didn't arrive. Hopefully it will get here tomorrow.
I developed a splitting headache that lasted for most of the day. I decided to go to bed early and sleep it off.
I started to modify the TV wiring so that we could listed to the satellite TV in the bedroom. Unfortunately I'm lacking a cable. I'll get one next time I'm out.
The data from the accountant didn't arrive. Hopefully it will get here tomorrow.
I developed a splitting headache that lasted for most of the day. I decided to go to bed early and sleep it off.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Day 89
It's back to Oregon like weather, only a little warmer. The dog is very depressed. The only time she got outside was to go to the can. We couldn't even look for houses because the real estate site was down. We did contact the accountant about getting some paperwork that we need for the loan application. We'll probably end up with a loan, but nothing to spend it on.
Absolutely nothing happened today. The biggest excitement was bingo. I won one game. I guess the only other thing of note was anticipating tomorrow's 1 - 3 inches of rain. That's a lot of rain. Some areas around here will get flooded.
Absolutely nothing happened today. The biggest excitement was bingo. I won one game. I guess the only other thing of note was anticipating tomorrow's 1 - 3 inches of rain. That's a lot of rain. Some areas around here will get flooded.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Day 88
After doing the wash we drove up to New Braunfels and Wimberley to look at some more houses today. We looked at about ten, but none seemed really special to us. There were a couple that we couldn't see from the road that might be nice. At least their locations were pretty acceptable. The trip took all of the day and 140 miles.
At one house the owner was out in the yard. We stopped and asked her if we could tour the house. She said yes, so we did. The lot looked OK, but the house was too old. The master bath had a tub/shower combination. That's something we aren't sure we want to deal with as we get older. Also the owner's son is a smoker. The house reeked. I'm not sure what it would take to remove the stink.
We got a call from the realtor. As I suspected the divorce is messing things up. Apparently it didn't become final because the wife wants more money. Of course the house as a large asset is part of the discussion. I wonder if she understands that the only people benefiting from the delay are the lawyers.
The day wasn't a total loss. We stopped at Rudy's on the way home and I picked up some brisket for dinner. I'm eating it as I type this.
At one house the owner was out in the yard. We stopped and asked her if we could tour the house. She said yes, so we did. The lot looked OK, but the house was too old. The master bath had a tub/shower combination. That's something we aren't sure we want to deal with as we get older. Also the owner's son is a smoker. The house reeked. I'm not sure what it would take to remove the stink.
We got a call from the realtor. As I suspected the divorce is messing things up. Apparently it didn't become final because the wife wants more money. Of course the house as a large asset is part of the discussion. I wonder if she understands that the only people benefiting from the delay are the lawyers.
The day wasn't a total loss. We stopped at Rudy's on the way home and I picked up some brisket for dinner. I'm eating it as I type this.
Day 87
It's Monday, so it's time to go grocery shopping. What a thrill. One of the propane tanks went empty also.
Getting the propane was interesting. In Texas a special license (from the Railroad Agency) is required to sell propane. That means there aren't many places that do. We had to drive 10 miles to get to a place that did. Also many people in the hill country heat with propane. It's cheaper than electricity and there are no natural gas lines in the developments. Since everyone already has propane tanks, there is little incentive for the gas company to extend the lines. Not many people would hook up. The person at the propane store said that over the last week during the cold weather they had used 4 truckloads of propane. The trucks were 18 wheelers. That's an awful lot of propane.
We spent the rest of the day looking online for houses. We haven't heard back from the sellers concerning the offer we made. I suspect that the divorce is screwing something up.
Getting the propane was interesting. In Texas a special license (from the Railroad Agency) is required to sell propane. That means there aren't many places that do. We had to drive 10 miles to get to a place that did. Also many people in the hill country heat with propane. It's cheaper than electricity and there are no natural gas lines in the developments. Since everyone already has propane tanks, there is little incentive for the gas company to extend the lines. Not many people would hook up. The person at the propane store said that over the last week during the cold weather they had used 4 truckloads of propane. The trucks were 18 wheelers. That's an awful lot of propane.
We spent the rest of the day looking online for houses. We haven't heard back from the sellers concerning the offer we made. I suspect that the divorce is screwing something up.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Day 86
We decided that it was warm enough to go up to Kerrville to shoot their tournament today. It was a balmy 50 degrees. We both shot OK considering that we haven't pulled a trigger in 10 weeks. There weren't a lot of people, about 35. Normally it would have been 50 to 60, but by Texas standards today was frigid. Ellen won her class and Ladies. I took AA second and Vet. At least I didn't get a punch.
We had a good time. In general the course was pretty easy. There were probably 3 or 4 stations that I would call Texas targets. They have really nice terrain for a sporting course. Lots of trees and a ravine that they can throw targets into or put traps in. While we were eating lunch we talked to the manager (I didn't get his name). They have three bunker trap fields. For the state tournament this year they are going to set a five stand on one. The shooters will stand on top of the bunker and the targets will come out from below them - at 64 mph. I'd really like to shoot that, but we'll be in Oregon.
The realtor copied us on an email the she sent to the seller's agent. Basically it said "give us an answer or we'll go looking for another house".
We had a good time. In general the course was pretty easy. There were probably 3 or 4 stations that I would call Texas targets. They have really nice terrain for a sporting course. Lots of trees and a ravine that they can throw targets into or put traps in. While we were eating lunch we talked to the manager (I didn't get his name). They have three bunker trap fields. For the state tournament this year they are going to set a five stand on one. The shooters will stand on top of the bunker and the targets will come out from below them - at 64 mph. I'd really like to shoot that, but we'll be in Oregon.
The realtor copied us on an email the she sent to the seller's agent. Basically it said "give us an answer or we'll go looking for another house".
Day 85
Another cold day that had us hiding out in the trailer. We spent the entire morning and the first part of the afternoon reading and surfing. The dog spent that time frantically trying to get use to do SOMETHING. She gets up on the couch behind the kitchen chair I sit in and puts her legs on my shoulder. Then she puts her head against mine and tries to convince me that there are more interesting things to do than sit in front of a computer.
We finally had mercy on her and took her to the back of the park. She did 60 retrieves. That's about 2 miles of running. That quieted her down enough that we could spend the rest of the day in peace.
The DirectTV receiver decided that it didn't want to play recordings anymore. I was going to call their customer service and talk to Gupta. I wasn't expecting much help from him even if I managed to understand his version of English. Then it occurred to me to try the reset button (which is all Gupta would have suggested anyway). It worked and we watched a movie that I had recorded the other day.
We finally had mercy on her and took her to the back of the park. She did 60 retrieves. That's about 2 miles of running. That quieted her down enough that we could spend the rest of the day in peace.
The DirectTV receiver decided that it didn't want to play recordings anymore. I was going to call their customer service and talk to Gupta. I wasn't expecting much help from him even if I managed to understand his version of English. Then it occurred to me to try the reset button (which is all Gupta would have suggested anyway). It worked and we watched a movie that I had recorded the other day.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Day 84
It was cold today. The high temp for the day was 31. Wife needed to go out to get a haircut and dye job. After that we did something stupid. We gave into the dog and took her to the park. It was 29 degrees and there was a light wind. Even the light wind made it feel significantly colder. I stood with my back to the wind and threw 60 retrieves. With the wind assisted throws, that equates to about 2 miles of running for the dog. She was still willing to do more, but she didn't object too much when we quit. The whole exercise took a very cold 25 minutes.
Wife called the local dog breeder and confirmed that we will probably have to go to northern OK to get the dog bred. I hope that global warming takes over by then and melts the snow before we have to go.
No word on the house offer yet. I'll give them until Monday and then I think we better start looking for alternatives.
Wife called the local dog breeder and confirmed that we will probably have to go to northern OK to get the dog bred. I hope that global warming takes over by then and melts the snow before we have to go.
No word on the house offer yet. I'll give them until Monday and then I think we better start looking for alternatives.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Day 83
Stayed in the trailer all day escaping the cold. I'm not sure that it got much above 40 all day. The wind was blowing and it felt COLD. We got quite a few phone calls today. People at the club, the realtor, the loan people, even the dog trainer. We even got a package containing our mail.
The bottom line is everything is going well at the club. The sellers still haven't answered on our offer. The loan people want more paperwork (surprise). The place near here doesn't have a stud dog available, we may have to go to Oklahoma. There wasn't much in our mail except some bills and some financial statements.
The only useful thing I did today was call an agent about getting home insurance down here. It doesn't seem like it's going to be a problem.
You can find a lot of interesting things on the internet. I think it has as much potential as a time waster as it does as an information resource.
The bottom line is everything is going well at the club. The sellers still haven't answered on our offer. The loan people want more paperwork (surprise). The place near here doesn't have a stud dog available, we may have to go to Oklahoma. There wasn't much in our mail except some bills and some financial statements.
The only useful thing I did today was call an agent about getting home insurance down here. It doesn't seem like it's going to be a problem.
You can find a lot of interesting things on the internet. I think it has as much potential as a time waster as it does as an information resource.
Day 82
I did a little research concerning "concrete staining". It's a floor treatment that they use a lot in Texas. The house that we want to buy has concrete floors. The treatment that they put on it looks like paint and it's really worn in many areas of every room. We'll need to have all of the floors redone. They can do a lot of remarkable things. They can even make it look like a wood floor. Here's an example of what they can do http://www.bvacidstaining.com/staining/3.html. The cost is significant though. It can be more than putting a tile floor over the concrete. We stopped by a place to look at their showroom, but they weren't open.
The day was cold again. In the 40's and raining lightly. It's supposed to be cold (20's) and windy for the next three days. We decided to take the dog to the park because she's likely to be cooped up for the next three days. She did over 100 retrieves. 50 of them were long, wind aided, throws. We even took her on a short walk through the park. When we got back we did her nails and gave her a bath. Now we'll be able to live with her in a small trailer for three days.
The last two bingo sessions have been good to us. Last week Ellen won a game and I won the big pot. We made more than our money back. This week Ellen won 2 games and I won 2 games. Each of us won a game outright and split on the second game. Again we came out ahead. Tonight's game had the biggest turnout of the time that we've been here.
Ellen found out that there's a tournament in Kerrville on Saturday. We might go if it isn't too cold. It's funny. If we were still in Oregon, we'd consider the temperature to be a little cold but not a showstopper. Down here, we're debating on whether to go.
The day was cold again. In the 40's and raining lightly. It's supposed to be cold (20's) and windy for the next three days. We decided to take the dog to the park because she's likely to be cooped up for the next three days. She did over 100 retrieves. 50 of them were long, wind aided, throws. We even took her on a short walk through the park. When we got back we did her nails and gave her a bath. Now we'll be able to live with her in a small trailer for three days.
The last two bingo sessions have been good to us. Last week Ellen won a game and I won the big pot. We made more than our money back. This week Ellen won 2 games and I won 2 games. Each of us won a game outright and split on the second game. Again we came out ahead. Tonight's game had the biggest turnout of the time that we've been here.
Ellen found out that there's a tournament in Kerrville on Saturday. We might go if it isn't too cold. It's funny. If we were still in Oregon, we'd consider the temperature to be a little cold but not a showstopper. Down here, we're debating on whether to go.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Day 81
We started the day by doing the wash. Tuesday is wash day because everyone else seems to want to do it on Monday. After that we went looking for media to use to make a restore set. I'm not sure why it is necessary to have so many media types. It makes acquiring the media a bit confusing. It was also a pain because we had to drive 25 miles to get it. That was the closest store. We really are kind of out in the sticks.
Constructing the restore set took four DVD's and well over an hour. I had read up on the web concerning how to do the upgrade. It's good that I did. Toshiba has built an upgrade app that preps the target machine, downloads a whole lot of new Windows 7 compatible apps and drivers, controls the Microsoft upgrade process, and then installs new software after the Microsoft part is done. I would have been screwed if I just loaded the DVD and ran the install from it.
The Toshiba prework took over an hour. It finally started the Microsoft DVD. The Microsoft software warned that the update could take hours. It did. At least three. I was worried at one point when the Microsoft software generated a buffer overflow and a reboot. Fortunately the install continued after the reboot. When Microsoft finished and Toshiba took over again there was another 30-45 minutes of installs and reboots.
I must say that I am impressed. All of the apps that I had installed while running Vista still seem to work. The only exception was the firewall. It wasn't Windows 7 compatible. Wife downloaded a new one. She also changed the anti-virus. I thought the old one was fine, but whatever. I did have to reload the driver for the wireless mouse. It worked without the driver, but I need the driver to reprogram some of the extra buttons.
The last step is to run through Windows update. I understand that there are rumblings that Win 7 SP 1 is on the horizon.
Constructing the restore set took four DVD's and well over an hour. I had read up on the web concerning how to do the upgrade. It's good that I did. Toshiba has built an upgrade app that preps the target machine, downloads a whole lot of new Windows 7 compatible apps and drivers, controls the Microsoft upgrade process, and then installs new software after the Microsoft part is done. I would have been screwed if I just loaded the DVD and ran the install from it.
The Toshiba prework took over an hour. It finally started the Microsoft DVD. The Microsoft software warned that the update could take hours. It did. At least three. I was worried at one point when the Microsoft software generated a buffer overflow and a reboot. Fortunately the install continued after the reboot. When Microsoft finished and Toshiba took over again there was another 30-45 minutes of installs and reboots.
I must say that I am impressed. All of the apps that I had installed while running Vista still seem to work. The only exception was the firewall. It wasn't Windows 7 compatible. Wife downloaded a new one. She also changed the anti-virus. I thought the old one was fine, but whatever. I did have to reload the driver for the wireless mouse. It worked without the driver, but I need the driver to reprogram some of the extra buttons.
The last step is to run through Windows update. I understand that there are rumblings that Win 7 SP 1 is on the horizon.
Day 80
It was cold this morning. Just about freezing. We got up "early" so that we could help take down the Christmas decorations at the park. There was quite a lot to do - three clubhouses and the outdoor decorations. There was even an outdoor nativity scene. The work went relatively easily because there were a lot of people helping. We were done before noon.
After that it was time to go to the grocery store. We hadn't been there in a while and the cupboards were getting pretty bare. Apparently this was a common problem. We met several people from the park at the store when we were there.
When we got home we decided that we had done enough useful things for the day. Time to surf and read. By late in the afternoon the dog was going crazy. We took her to the back of the park and threw the bumper for her.
I decided it was finally time to update the laptop to Windows 7. Ordinarily I'd resist doing something like this. However, Vista truly sucks. The update DVD came in the mail weeks ago. I'm finally willing to try it because we're not looking online for a house right now and I've got a backup (the new netbook). I didn't get far. The first step recommended by Toshiba is to construct a set of restore disks. I don't have media, so I'll have to go out and get some tomorrow.
After that it was time to go to the grocery store. We hadn't been there in a while and the cupboards were getting pretty bare. Apparently this was a common problem. We met several people from the park at the store when we were there.
When we got home we decided that we had done enough useful things for the day. Time to surf and read. By late in the afternoon the dog was going crazy. We took her to the back of the park and threw the bumper for her.
I decided it was finally time to update the laptop to Windows 7. Ordinarily I'd resist doing something like this. However, Vista truly sucks. The update DVD came in the mail weeks ago. I'm finally willing to try it because we're not looking online for a house right now and I've got a backup (the new netbook). I didn't get far. The first step recommended by Toshiba is to construct a set of restore disks. I don't have media, so I'll have to go out and get some tomorrow.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Day 79
Not much to write about today. The day was gray and fairly cold. We set in the trailer for most of the day reading the Sunday paper and surfing. I finished a book that I started the other day. Nothing special. Former Green Beret and friends take on a drug dealer and annihilate him. It would make a Bruce Willis movie.
The dog got an outing at the back of the park. She did 50 retrieves, which was sufficient to tire her out.
We've noticed that the park has quite a few empty spaces. I guess people have gotten tired of the cold and moved on to Arizona. If it wasn't for the house purchase, we'd be doing the same.
The dog got an outing at the back of the park. She did 50 retrieves, which was sufficient to tire her out.
We've noticed that the park has quite a few empty spaces. I guess people have gotten tired of the cold and moved on to Arizona. If it wasn't for the house purchase, we'd be doing the same.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Day 78
We went to a gun show this morning. It was the biggest one we've been to in Texas. We went a little later, about noon. The place was still packed. We almost couldn't find a parking space in the convention center sized parking lot. We even had a brief wait in line to get in the door.
Prices were about what I've learned to expect. I was surprised by the high cost of magazines and Model 42's. Ammo is available again, but it still costs an arm and a leg. I saw a couple of people that won the "you're dreaming" award. One wanted $1,600 for a run of the mill Model 42. Another wanted $540 for a used .357 SP101. New ones were available at several tables for list price ($440).
I saw a beautiful Beretta hammered double in 16 gauge for $1,500. It had full engraving. If it had been in 20 or 12 I would probably own it right now. We both liked some custom engraved Colt 1911's from one vendor. It's too much of a hassle to purchase a pistol out of state. However, if we end up getting the house, we'll probably buy one.
The dog got her daily outing at the park. She found a dead raccoon in the woods. We'll have to make sure she doesn't roll in it some other time.
I bought a new wireless mouse at Best Buy to replace my old one. It died sometime ago. We looked at a Bluetooth dongle for the netbook. They wanted $44 for one. That's stupid. You can buy them on Amazon for 87 cents. There are many for under $3. Installing the new mouse was great. Just plug in the dongle and turn on the mouse. Everything worked. I'm not used to that.
Prices were about what I've learned to expect. I was surprised by the high cost of magazines and Model 42's. Ammo is available again, but it still costs an arm and a leg. I saw a couple of people that won the "you're dreaming" award. One wanted $1,600 for a run of the mill Model 42. Another wanted $540 for a used .357 SP101. New ones were available at several tables for list price ($440).
I saw a beautiful Beretta hammered double in 16 gauge for $1,500. It had full engraving. If it had been in 20 or 12 I would probably own it right now. We both liked some custom engraved Colt 1911's from one vendor. It's too much of a hassle to purchase a pistol out of state. However, if we end up getting the house, we'll probably buy one.
The dog got her daily outing at the park. She found a dead raccoon in the woods. We'll have to make sure she doesn't roll in it some other time.
I bought a new wireless mouse at Best Buy to replace my old one. It died sometime ago. We looked at a Bluetooth dongle for the netbook. They wanted $44 for one. That's stupid. You can buy them on Amazon for 87 cents. There are many for under $3. Installing the new mouse was great. Just plug in the dongle and turn on the mouse. Everything worked. I'm not used to that.
Day 77
We didn't go out on New Year's day. We figured it was a good time to let all of the people who work for a living get their errands done. Instead we just hung around the trailer and surfed the web. It was a short morning anyway since we slept in. This staying up until after 1 AM isn't like it used to be. The new computer is slick. Of course it has a small display and keyboard, but it's compact, light, and quite powerful. Battery life seems to be about what was advertised - 6 hours.
In the afternoon both the dog and us were getting a little stir crazy. The weather was OK (60 degrees), so we went over to the park. The dog got her run through the woods followed by a set of retrieves. A couple of little boys came over to watch her retrieve (Mommy followed). I let them through the bumper for Lucy. They were thrilled. We struck up a conversation with Mommy. She was decompressing from having 13 relatives staying at her house over Christmas. Better her than us.
In the afternoon both the dog and us were getting a little stir crazy. The weather was OK (60 degrees), so we went over to the park. The dog got her run through the woods followed by a set of retrieves. A couple of little boys came over to watch her retrieve (Mommy followed). I let them through the bumper for Lucy. They were thrilled. We struck up a conversation with Mommy. She was decompressing from having 13 relatives staying at her house over Christmas. Better her than us.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Day 76
It was a good new year's eve. We got a new computer (actually a netbook). It's an Acer 1410. It's got a Core Solo processor in it instead of an Atom processor. With an 11" screen, it's a little bigger than most netbooks, but it's still small enough to be very portable. The processor has much more power than an Atom. We played a HD movie on it with no problems. It's my first experience with Windows 7. The changes in the UI are a pain in the ass. Everything is still there, but it's hard to find. It's kind of like car companies changing car styling. No functional changes. Just form changes to justify someone's existence.
The temp today was in the 70's. We went to Best Buy to get a memory card for the new camera. Then we took the dog to the park and tried the camera out on her. It worked pretty good. The only drawback is that you can't change the zoom while shooting a movie. The dog had a great time. We ran her through a wooded area that we hadn't gone before. She tired herself out running through the trees while we just walked on the path.
There was a New Year's Eve party at the park. There were about a dozen of us playing games and shooting pool waiting for midnight. There were lots of good snacks also. We watched the New York countdown and celebrated then because we didn't think anyone would make it to midnight. A few people dropped out after that, but the rest of us made it all the way to midnight. Everyone cleaned the place up and left pretty soon after that though.
The temp today was in the 70's. We went to Best Buy to get a memory card for the new camera. Then we took the dog to the park and tried the camera out on her. It worked pretty good. The only drawback is that you can't change the zoom while shooting a movie. The dog had a great time. We ran her through a wooded area that we hadn't gone before. She tired herself out running through the trees while we just walked on the path.
There was a New Year's Eve party at the park. There were about a dozen of us playing games and shooting pool waiting for midnight. There were lots of good snacks also. We watched the New York countdown and celebrated then because we didn't think anyone would make it to midnight. A few people dropped out after that, but the rest of us made it all the way to midnight. Everyone cleaned the place up and left pretty soon after that though.
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