This is the last day of 2014. I'm not sure why people celebrate the new year. Are they particularly happy that they are a year older? Oh well.
We got up and went to Cabela's. I had a $100 gift certificate from Melissa and a coupon that got me things at employee discount. We ended up buying $300 worth of stuff. Ellen got some archery stuff. I got some spare rubbers for the cart and Polaris, a magazine for the .17, and some self defense 9mm ammo. We each got new shoes. They're waterproof for the next time we have to shoot at Capitol while it's raining.
After lunch at Dan's we went to the pinball place. It's across I35 from Cabela's. It was OK. They had about 2 dozen machine, including 8 Ball Deluxe. They wanted $5500 for the game. Unfortunately many of the machines had very weak flippers. There were some that were nice, though. We spent about $15 and left.
After a stop at the post office we went home. We spent the afternoon and evening watching TV and surfing. I also did a little reading.
I guess we'll ring in the new year looking at computer screens. It's too cold to shoot off any fireworks.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Day 83
This was an almost total do nothing day. I didn't wake up until 10. Really. When I did get up I fed the cats and took out the garbage. That was about it for the day. Ellen did the laundry. Other than that we really just surfed and read today. I didn't get any warmer than 45 today, so going outside was right out.
I did read last Sunday's paper. For some reason they threw one on the side of the road outside our fence. So I bought it in and read it. It really didn't seem to be worth the money to me.
I also reviewed the report I got from Social Security. It was kind of neat seeing how much I earned back in the 70's. The numbers also confirmed that I really do want to start collecting ASAP.
Late in the afternoon I decided to start doing something on the railroad. I got out the wiring books and reviewed some stuff. Then I reviewed some of my planning notes. I actually don't remember some of the stuff I wrote. That makes deciphering it a little tricky.
I did decide that the next thing to do is lay out the control panel. I don't want to do any more wiring until it warms up.
That was it.
I did read last Sunday's paper. For some reason they threw one on the side of the road outside our fence. So I bought it in and read it. It really didn't seem to be worth the money to me.
I also reviewed the report I got from Social Security. It was kind of neat seeing how much I earned back in the 70's. The numbers also confirmed that I really do want to start collecting ASAP.
Late in the afternoon I decided to start doing something on the railroad. I got out the wiring books and reviewed some stuff. Then I reviewed some of my planning notes. I actually don't remember some of the stuff I wrote. That makes deciphering it a little tricky.
I did decide that the next thing to do is lay out the control panel. I don't want to do any more wiring until it warms up.
That was it.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Day 82
We woke up at 8:15 this morning because I forgot to turn off the alarm. We decided to stay in bed an surf. We asked the dog up. She was nice and soft and sweet smelling. She also loved laying between us since it was cold last night.
Later I got up, got dressed, and fed the animals. Ellen stayed in bed. When Lucy was finished eating she went back to bed. She was really disappointed when Ellen got up right away.
I went out and cleaned out the car. The shop vac did a good job on the mats and then I used we paper towel to clean the inside. It ended up cleaner than when we left yesterday.
I also added two pieces to the cart to fix the shifting box issue. I used two pieces that I'd made earler that turned out too short. They were perfect for this application. Unfortunately that was the only part of the job that went easily. Because it was assembled, putting the pieces in place wasn't easy.
After that we went to the post office and lunch. We went to Rudy's We wanted to sit outside since it was nice (68 degrees) and it's supposed to get nasty and cold for the rest of the week. Lucy was happy with her brisket tributes.
One the way back we stopped at Academy to get some archery stuff for Ellen. They had a large supply of stuff, but not what she wanted. We also stopped at a pet store so Lucy could get a treat for dinner. We stopped at a toy store so Ellen could get another Star Trek model for the one she wrecked. We stopped at the cookie store next door. The cookies are expensive, but really good. The last stop was Circle C, where Lucy did a whole lot of retrieves. She actually did two drink stops before she wanted to go.
When we got home I did some internet shopping. I got another battery and a battery charger for the tank. The charger that comes with it charges at 300ma and takes 4 hours to charge the battery. The new charger charges at 1 or 2 amps. That's much better. I couldn't resist. They had a 20% off sale, so I bought another flashlight. Oh well.
The evening was TV and surfing. There wasn't any football (sigh).
Later I got up, got dressed, and fed the animals. Ellen stayed in bed. When Lucy was finished eating she went back to bed. She was really disappointed when Ellen got up right away.
I went out and cleaned out the car. The shop vac did a good job on the mats and then I used we paper towel to clean the inside. It ended up cleaner than when we left yesterday.
I also added two pieces to the cart to fix the shifting box issue. I used two pieces that I'd made earler that turned out too short. They were perfect for this application. Unfortunately that was the only part of the job that went easily. Because it was assembled, putting the pieces in place wasn't easy.
After that we went to the post office and lunch. We went to Rudy's We wanted to sit outside since it was nice (68 degrees) and it's supposed to get nasty and cold for the rest of the week. Lucy was happy with her brisket tributes.
One the way back we stopped at Academy to get some archery stuff for Ellen. They had a large supply of stuff, but not what she wanted. We also stopped at a pet store so Lucy could get a treat for dinner. We stopped at a toy store so Ellen could get another Star Trek model for the one she wrecked. We stopped at the cookie store next door. The cookies are expensive, but really good. The last stop was Circle C, where Lucy did a whole lot of retrieves. She actually did two drink stops before she wanted to go.
When we got home I did some internet shopping. I got another battery and a battery charger for the tank. The charger that comes with it charges at 300ma and takes 4 hours to charge the battery. The new charger charges at 1 or 2 amps. That's much better. I couldn't resist. They had a 20% off sale, so I bought another flashlight. Oh well.
The evening was TV and surfing. There wasn't any football (sigh).
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Day 81
We got up at 8:15 to go to Capitol. That was a waste. It was 35 degrees and raining hard. There was no way I was going. The weather map showed that it was worse at Capitol. It also indicated that things might get better later. They did, so at 10 we left.
When we got there it was still raining very lightly. We got on a squad right away. I shot like crap. Ellen shot OK. The mud was incredible. It caked our shoes. There was a layer on the soles thicker than an inch. The wheels on the cart had a greater than inch thick layer on them, too. The guy we were shooting with had a real shooting cart. He had to take the front wheel off because the mud jammed it. All in all it was miserable, but the targets were good.
Lunch was too old salad and chicken noodle soup. It ranks as one of the worst gun club lunches I've ever had. After lunch Ellen used the Weatherby on the skeet field. It worked like a champ. After that we went straight home.
Cleanup was a problem. I had to spend quite a bit of time washing mud out of the car's wheel wells. There was mud on the side of the car that the hose wouldn't remove. I had to get a towel and use it to wipe down the sides. The front mats are bad, but I'll try to clean them tomorrow after they dry. I had scraped off a lot of the mud on the cart tires at the club. It stuck like cement, I almost had to chisel it off. When I got home I had to use a wire brush on the rest. The hose wouldn't touch it.
The new cart worked well, except that the middle boxes slide sideways. The don't fall out, but they slide. I can fix that easily and probably will tomorrow.
After that I was tired. So the rest of the afternoon and evening was surfing and football.
When we got there it was still raining very lightly. We got on a squad right away. I shot like crap. Ellen shot OK. The mud was incredible. It caked our shoes. There was a layer on the soles thicker than an inch. The wheels on the cart had a greater than inch thick layer on them, too. The guy we were shooting with had a real shooting cart. He had to take the front wheel off because the mud jammed it. All in all it was miserable, but the targets were good.
Lunch was too old salad and chicken noodle soup. It ranks as one of the worst gun club lunches I've ever had. After lunch Ellen used the Weatherby on the skeet field. It worked like a champ. After that we went straight home.
Cleanup was a problem. I had to spend quite a bit of time washing mud out of the car's wheel wells. There was mud on the side of the car that the hose wouldn't remove. I had to get a towel and use it to wipe down the sides. The front mats are bad, but I'll try to clean them tomorrow after they dry. I had scraped off a lot of the mud on the cart tires at the club. It stuck like cement, I almost had to chisel it off. When I got home I had to use a wire brush on the rest. The hose wouldn't touch it.
The new cart worked well, except that the middle boxes slide sideways. The don't fall out, but they slide. I can fix that easily and probably will tomorrow.
After that I was tired. So the rest of the afternoon and evening was surfing and football.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Day 80
I got up today and decided to go to Icehouse for breakfast. The sticking point was that I wanted to talke a load of stuff to Goodwill, too. That included the old light fixtures. So I went out to the garage and changed out two fixtures as quickly as I could. It took about half an hour. Then I loaded up 4 fixtures, and old homemade shop light that the previous owner had made, some clamps, and two fold up work tables in the truck.
We went to breakfast first. It was good, as expected. The pancakes are really good. Then we went to the post office and Goodwill. Goodwill said they didn't want the light fixtures, but would take them and scrap them. I guess I'll just have to throw the last two away.
We stopped at the grocery store and got something for dinner. Then we stopped at Circle C. It was 44 degrees, a light rain, and the wind was blowing. Lucy loved it. She did a whole lot of long retrieves, until I finally called it quits.
After we got home I went out to the garage to clean the new 20 ga and clean up the garage. I took hours, but I got a lot of things cleaned up and reorganized.
Tonight is just surfing and maybe football.
We went to breakfast first. It was good, as expected. The pancakes are really good. Then we went to the post office and Goodwill. Goodwill said they didn't want the light fixtures, but would take them and scrap them. I guess I'll just have to throw the last two away.
We stopped at the grocery store and got something for dinner. Then we stopped at Circle C. It was 44 degrees, a light rain, and the wind was blowing. Lucy loved it. She did a whole lot of long retrieves, until I finally called it quits.
After we got home I went out to the garage to clean the new 20 ga and clean up the garage. I took hours, but I got a lot of things cleaned up and reorganized.
Tonight is just surfing and maybe football.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Day 79
It's done. We spent a portion of the morning in bed surfing, but we got up relatively early. I went out to the garage. None of the old lights worked, so I put up the new one I bought the other day. It uses T12 bulbs. The first one uses T8 bulbs. So do the old lights. That solves a mystery. The prior owners left 8 T12 bulbs in the apartment attic. Apparently at one time the fixtures were different.
I took a look at the ballast in the new light. It's enough different that it isn't worthwhile to try to swap them into the old lights.
After that I finished the cart. I modified the latch so that it would close tighter. Then I attached the rack to the frame. It looks really good. For once nothing fought me. One mounting point fit exactly. The other was too short, but I had the perfect things to extend it in my hardware collection. The end result looks really nice and weighs significantly less. We'll try it out on Sunday.
After that it was off to the post office. Then it was a stop at Lowe's for a couple more light fixtures. The last stop was Circle C. Lucy didn't run yesterday, which was good as she was stiff. Today she did a credible job, but nothing spectacular.
When we got home I called the alert company about Mom's button. They refused to talk to me "because I wasn't authorized". They only want to talk to Mom. I have to talk to Dan about it.
I tried to get the tank to work. I thought the transmitter was broken, but it was just bad connections in the battery compartment. The tank wouldn't come alive, but that may have been because the battery was discharged. So I put it on the charger.
I went out to get the mail and met one of the neighbors. We talked for an hour until it got dark. Then Ellen came after me in the car. I hadn't taken my phone and she thought something might have happen. That was really nice.
When the tank battery was charged I fired it up. The dog really doesn't like it. She ran to the bedroom. When I drove it to the bedroom door she jumped up on the bed. I didn't take it further. The cats don't like it either. I got to chase them around a little before the holed up in the bathroom. I haven't used the cannon yet. The battery takes a long time to run down. That's nice. I may get a better charger for it.
The evening has been TV and surfing.
I took a look at the ballast in the new light. It's enough different that it isn't worthwhile to try to swap them into the old lights.
After that I finished the cart. I modified the latch so that it would close tighter. Then I attached the rack to the frame. It looks really good. For once nothing fought me. One mounting point fit exactly. The other was too short, but I had the perfect things to extend it in my hardware collection. The end result looks really nice and weighs significantly less. We'll try it out on Sunday.
After that it was off to the post office. Then it was a stop at Lowe's for a couple more light fixtures. The last stop was Circle C. Lucy didn't run yesterday, which was good as she was stiff. Today she did a credible job, but nothing spectacular.
When we got home I called the alert company about Mom's button. They refused to talk to me "because I wasn't authorized". They only want to talk to Mom. I have to talk to Dan about it.
I tried to get the tank to work. I thought the transmitter was broken, but it was just bad connections in the battery compartment. The tank wouldn't come alive, but that may have been because the battery was discharged. So I put it on the charger.
I went out to get the mail and met one of the neighbors. We talked for an hour until it got dark. Then Ellen came after me in the car. I hadn't taken my phone and she thought something might have happen. That was really nice.
When the tank battery was charged I fired it up. The dog really doesn't like it. She ran to the bedroom. When I drove it to the bedroom door she jumped up on the bed. I didn't take it further. The cats don't like it either. I got to chase them around a little before the holed up in the bathroom. I haven't used the cannon yet. The battery takes a long time to run down. That's nice. I may get a better charger for it.
The evening has been TV and surfing.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Day 78
So today is Christmas. It was a great Christmas day - sunny and 70 degrees.
We surfed for a little in the morning and then opened presents. We made out really well. Hooch gave me a cool RC controlled tank. It not only goes forwards and backwards, it turns, the turret turns, and the cannon shoots. It's very cool. I also got a red dot for an AR. Melissa gave us a box of barbeque stuff. The box is incredible - heavy wood.
Because it was sunny and warm I went out in the morning and painted the cart. I put it in the sun so that the sun and wind could dry it out. Later in the afternoon I went out and finished it. I put on the storage box sides. I also put another coat of paint on it when I was done. It's finished and ready for mounting. Unfortunately the latch is loose, so I'll probably work on that before I attach it.
We had a really nice Christmas dinner - ham and potatoes with ice cream.
There was no football today. That sucks. I've been watching historical shows.
We surfed for a little in the morning and then opened presents. We made out really well. Hooch gave me a cool RC controlled tank. It not only goes forwards and backwards, it turns, the turret turns, and the cannon shoots. It's very cool. I also got a red dot for an AR. Melissa gave us a box of barbeque stuff. The box is incredible - heavy wood.
Because it was sunny and warm I went out in the morning and painted the cart. I put it in the sun so that the sun and wind could dry it out. Later in the afternoon I went out and finished it. I put on the storage box sides. I also put another coat of paint on it when I was done. It's finished and ready for mounting. Unfortunately the latch is loose, so I'll probably work on that before I attach it.
We had a really nice Christmas dinner - ham and potatoes with ice cream.
There was no football today. That sucks. I've been watching historical shows.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Day 77
When we got up this morning we immediately left for Lowe's. I really wanted to get the paint so that I could finish the cart. I also got another light. I plan to swap its ballast into one of the existing lights. Because we hadn't had breakfast, we stopped at Jim's after the post office.
The next stop was Tomlinson's for cat food and a Christmas present for Lucy. She got a chew toy. While we were there Dan called. Tony was last heard walking 7 miles home from the freeway, where he ran out of gas. One of his buddies went looking for him at 3am, but Tony was too incoherent to tell him his location.
The last stop was Circle C. We walked to the upper creek crossing throwing retrieves all the way. There was enough water up there for Lucy to swim, so I threw a whole lot of water retrieves. I threw retrieves on the way back, and then more when we got back. The dog just didn't want to stop. She likes it when the temperature is in the 40's.
While we were at the park Dan called again. A social worker had called him. Apparently Tony had found a hospital to go to last night. They took a look at him, called Dan, and decided to commit him. I guess he'll spend Christmas in the looney bin. That's actually the best thing for him.
When we got back I went back out to the garage. I cut pieces for the base and top of the storage area. Then I put everything together and painted it. I've got one more coat to put on, attach the sides, and then it's ready to put on the frame. It looks pretty good.
The evening was watching TV and surfing. No football.
The next stop was Tomlinson's for cat food and a Christmas present for Lucy. She got a chew toy. While we were there Dan called. Tony was last heard walking 7 miles home from the freeway, where he ran out of gas. One of his buddies went looking for him at 3am, but Tony was too incoherent to tell him his location.
The last stop was Circle C. We walked to the upper creek crossing throwing retrieves all the way. There was enough water up there for Lucy to swim, so I threw a whole lot of water retrieves. I threw retrieves on the way back, and then more when we got back. The dog just didn't want to stop. She likes it when the temperature is in the 40's.
While we were at the park Dan called again. A social worker had called him. Apparently Tony had found a hospital to go to last night. They took a look at him, called Dan, and decided to commit him. I guess he'll spend Christmas in the looney bin. That's actually the best thing for him.
When we got back I went back out to the garage. I cut pieces for the base and top of the storage area. Then I put everything together and painted it. I've got one more coat to put on, attach the sides, and then it's ready to put on the frame. It looks pretty good.
The evening was watching TV and surfing. No football.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Day 76
We were just surfing and not doing much this morning when the insurance people called. I spent some time talking to her. It looks like she'll try nagging me to lose weight for awhile. That's OK, I need it.
While we were talking, Central Texas called. They left a message saying my order had come in. So we went to the post office and then over there. They told me that it had come in yesterday, but they hadn't checked it in until today. That's really cool. Order it Friday afternoon and it arrives Monday.
We noticed while we were out that everything is jammed. I think there's more people out today than there was on Black Friday.
We stopped at the grocery for a couple of things for Christmas dinner. Then we went to NXNW for lunch and an IPA. While we were there Hooch called. Apparently Tony is off his meds and acting strangely.
I called Tony when we got home. He seemed to be OK and promised to go get his meds. I called him later and he said that he'd gone to Costco, had trouble transferring the prescription, and then got what he needed at Target. He said he was headed towards Dan's. I called him an hour and a half later and he said he was "on Cornell headed that way". Unfortunately Dan texted about 4 hours later saying he was MIA. Apparently he showed up while Dan was gone. A neighbor called him "agitated". I'm concerned, but I don't know what I could do.
While that was going on I went and did a little more painting on the cart. I'm going to need some more paint and some more nuts and bolts. I realized that I'll have to put a metal bottom on it in order to stabilize it. That will involve more cutting, hole drilling, and countersinking. Oh well.
The evening was spent watching a movie and surfing.
While we were talking, Central Texas called. They left a message saying my order had come in. So we went to the post office and then over there. They told me that it had come in yesterday, but they hadn't checked it in until today. That's really cool. Order it Friday afternoon and it arrives Monday.
We noticed while we were out that everything is jammed. I think there's more people out today than there was on Black Friday.
We stopped at the grocery for a couple of things for Christmas dinner. Then we went to NXNW for lunch and an IPA. While we were there Hooch called. Apparently Tony is off his meds and acting strangely.
I called Tony when we got home. He seemed to be OK and promised to go get his meds. I called him later and he said that he'd gone to Costco, had trouble transferring the prescription, and then got what he needed at Target. He said he was headed towards Dan's. I called him an hour and a half later and he said he was "on Cornell headed that way". Unfortunately Dan texted about 4 hours later saying he was MIA. Apparently he showed up while Dan was gone. A neighbor called him "agitated". I'm concerned, but I don't know what I could do.
While that was going on I went and did a little more painting on the cart. I'm going to need some more paint and some more nuts and bolts. I realized that I'll have to put a metal bottom on it in order to stabilize it. That will involve more cutting, hole drilling, and countersinking. Oh well.
The evening was spent watching a movie and surfing.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Day 75
It's becoming a pattern. We wake up at a fairly normal time and then stay in bed surfing. I guess it's not that different from surfing at the table after breakfast.
After breakfast I went out to the garage to work on the cart. I started by doing the last painting on the plastic. I decided on the method for holding in the boxes and made it. That's when I noticed that the back frame was crooked. Also, the bottom brace looked crappy with all the unused holes. So I made up a new bottom brace and straightened out the frame. It was a little tricky drilling holes in the new brace that matched the holes in the tubing. I managed to do it pretty well.
After that I degreased the frame pieces and sanded all of the metal. Then I put the first coat of paint on one side of the frames.
The dog deserved a doggy day, so after the post office we went to Circle C. There were three packages at the post office. At Circle C we walked over to the creek. I threw retrieves for Lucy the whole way. When we got to the creek she started doing water retrieves. She did those until I decided she was really tired. Of course she wanted to do more. On the way back she did more retrieves.
We have a tired doggy tonight.
The evening was TV and football.
After breakfast I went out to the garage to work on the cart. I started by doing the last painting on the plastic. I decided on the method for holding in the boxes and made it. That's when I noticed that the back frame was crooked. Also, the bottom brace looked crappy with all the unused holes. So I made up a new bottom brace and straightened out the frame. It was a little tricky drilling holes in the new brace that matched the holes in the tubing. I managed to do it pretty well.
After that I degreased the frame pieces and sanded all of the metal. Then I put the first coat of paint on one side of the frames.
The dog deserved a doggy day, so after the post office we went to Circle C. There were three packages at the post office. At Circle C we walked over to the creek. I threw retrieves for Lucy the whole way. When we got to the creek she started doing water retrieves. She did those until I decided she was really tired. Of course she wanted to do more. On the way back she did more retrieves.
We have a tired doggy tonight.
The evening was TV and football.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Day 74
We spent a good portion of the morning surfing in bed again. After breakfast we went to Lowe's so that I could get some paint for the cart. I ended up buying some other things, too. I woke up last night realizing that I needed to build some additional parts, so I got an aluminum strip for that. I also got a light for the shop.
We stopped by the post office. One of the letters was a recall notice for the Oregon car. Another was a threatening letter from Marion county telling us to buy a dog license.
The final stop was Circle C, where Lucy did an incredible number of retrieves. She really likes 50 degree, cloudy, days.
At home I put up the new light. It works fine, which confirms that the ballasts of the other lights are all history. Because the new light doesn't have reflectors, it's not as good as the old ones. I'll probably try a ballast replacement next.
I put two coats of paint on one side of the plastic pieces. I also filled up all of the random holes in the cart metal with pop rivets. I'll have to put it together tomorrow to see how I'll do the additional parts. They need to hold the boxes in front and back.
The rest of the day was TV and surfing. The Cowboys won (bad) and so did the Seahawks (good).
We stopped by the post office. One of the letters was a recall notice for the Oregon car. Another was a threatening letter from Marion county telling us to buy a dog license.
The final stop was Circle C, where Lucy did an incredible number of retrieves. She really likes 50 degree, cloudy, days.
At home I put up the new light. It works fine, which confirms that the ballasts of the other lights are all history. Because the new light doesn't have reflectors, it's not as good as the old ones. I'll probably try a ballast replacement next.
I put two coats of paint on one side of the plastic pieces. I also filled up all of the random holes in the cart metal with pop rivets. I'll have to put it together tomorrow to see how I'll do the additional parts. They need to hold the boxes in front and back.
The rest of the day was TV and surfing. The Cowboys won (bad) and so did the Seahawks (good).
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Day 73
We spent part of the morning in bed surfing again. After breakfast I went out and worked on the cart. I got all of the pieces finished, and all of the holes drilled. I was all ready to paint when I discovered that I only had two colors - white and pink. So I had to quit. That was all right though, because it was aboiut time to go to the party.
The party was fun. A lot of Dola's friends were there and some of the neighbors. We stayed from 1:30 until 5:30. It was a good time, with good food. Both of use had fun talking with different people. Lola's boyfriend has purple hair. Oh well.
When we got home it was surfing, football, and TV for the rest of the night.
The party was fun. A lot of Dola's friends were there and some of the neighbors. We stayed from 1:30 until 5:30. It was a good time, with good food. Both of use had fun talking with different people. Lola's boyfriend has purple hair. Oh well.
When we got home it was surfing, football, and TV for the rest of the night.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Day 72
We got out of bed really late - about 11. We surfed for at least two hours before that.
I ate breakfast and then looked into ordering a youth shotgun. I ended up ordering it from Central Texas. I called Dave first to make sure he hadn't gotten one. I also told him to look at the Central Texas website.
After that I went out and worked on the cart. I was there until five. I didn't spend all of my time working on it. I tried to debug the lights, since they weren't working again today. I unplugged each individually, with no improvement. They just don't want to work when it's cold.
I managed to cut a couple of pieces of metal I needed and all fours of the container plastic pieces. It all worked out well, but took a lot of time. I had to redo the hinges - I put them on the wrong piece. I got the door connected to the hinges. I also got part of the latch done, but then I ran out of time.
While I was doing that, Ellen was working on the Salem website. Dave like the Central Texas thing so much that he wanted her to add it to there site.
When I went in at five Ellen announced that we had to go to Costco to by stuff for tomorrow's party. Great. I love driving around at 5 on a Friday. We got to Costco and bought a cake and a veggie plate. The Mopac was clogged up, so we went back on Escarpment. That was actually a good thing, because we got to see the lights.
We watched the Trail Blazers play the Spurs in the evening. The Trail Blazers played like crap and lost.
I ate breakfast and then looked into ordering a youth shotgun. I ended up ordering it from Central Texas. I called Dave first to make sure he hadn't gotten one. I also told him to look at the Central Texas website.
After that I went out and worked on the cart. I was there until five. I didn't spend all of my time working on it. I tried to debug the lights, since they weren't working again today. I unplugged each individually, with no improvement. They just don't want to work when it's cold.
I managed to cut a couple of pieces of metal I needed and all fours of the container plastic pieces. It all worked out well, but took a lot of time. I had to redo the hinges - I put them on the wrong piece. I got the door connected to the hinges. I also got part of the latch done, but then I ran out of time.
While I was doing that, Ellen was working on the Salem website. Dave like the Central Texas thing so much that he wanted her to add it to there site.
When I went in at five Ellen announced that we had to go to Costco to by stuff for tomorrow's party. Great. I love driving around at 5 on a Friday. We got to Costco and bought a cake and a veggie plate. The Mopac was clogged up, so we went back on Escarpment. That was actually a good thing, because we got to see the lights.
We watched the Trail Blazers play the Spurs in the evening. The Trail Blazers played like crap and lost.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Day 71
After waking up and doing some surfing - in bed and out, I went out to work on the cart. I had a couple of more holes to drill, and then it was time to do some assembly. I assembled it into two sections, because there were more holes to drill that weren't needed for the assembly. It all went together pretty well. It's not perfect, but it's a good job.
After a couple of hours of work Murphy struck. Even though I have a huge number of screws, bolts, nuts, and washers from estate sales I didn't have what I needed to attach the rack to the cart. So it was off to Lowe's, with stops at the post office and Circle C. The dog did a huge number of retrieves. It was perfect conditions for here. It was cloudy and about 50 degrees. She really wanted to go, too.
I also picked up some plastic to make up the sides of the box. I think it will work better than aluminum, and a whole lot cheaper. The parts I needed cost $15.
When I got back I went back to working on the cart. I managed to put attach the hinges and the mounting brackets. The next step will be to see if I can cut the plastic successfully. If I can, I'll paint it inside and out. I stopped at that point because it was time to get the mail.
I met Lee while I was getting the mail. He wants to go shooting with us. We'll probably do it in January. Dola came out and told us that someone in the neighborhood was robbed today. That sucks.
The evening was football and surfing.
After a couple of hours of work Murphy struck. Even though I have a huge number of screws, bolts, nuts, and washers from estate sales I didn't have what I needed to attach the rack to the cart. So it was off to Lowe's, with stops at the post office and Circle C. The dog did a huge number of retrieves. It was perfect conditions for here. It was cloudy and about 50 degrees. She really wanted to go, too.
I also picked up some plastic to make up the sides of the box. I think it will work better than aluminum, and a whole lot cheaper. The parts I needed cost $15.
When I got back I went back to working on the cart. I managed to put attach the hinges and the mounting brackets. The next step will be to see if I can cut the plastic successfully. If I can, I'll paint it inside and out. I stopped at that point because it was time to get the mail.
I met Lee while I was getting the mail. He wants to go shooting with us. We'll probably do it in January. Dola came out and told us that someone in the neighborhood was robbed today. That sucks.
The evening was football and surfing.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Day 70
We were up by 8, but stayed in bed surfing until about 9:30. It was raining lightly when we got up. I pretty much did that all day except for a period in the afternoon when we had a real thunderstorm. There was really loud thunder and really hard rain. Lucy was not happy. Neither were the cats.
The first order of business was to string the lights so I could get the Star Trek ornaments up. I've been neglecting it for days. It turned out not to be as bad as I expected. The result looks pretty good. Then I put all of the presents under the tree. They make an impressive pile.
After the tree I went out to work on the cart. Yesterday everything went smoothly. Today not so much. I misdrilled some holes. I also had some problems with drilling some holes where I couldn't use clamps. Finally, two of the large holes that were already in the material are right where I need smaller ones. And I don't have larger diameter screws. Damn.
A little after noon the alert company called. They don't have a web tracking function. So I spent a bunch of time looking for alternatives. I found one that looks pretty good and is a lot cheaper. So I cancelled the first company and ordered from the second. The online ordering process was screwed up, so after two tries I called them. I finally got it ordered.
I looked up the status of the stuff that Cabela's was sending. It arrived at the post office, so we drove there. They had a package Ellen was waiting for, too. I drove the truck and the roads were very slick. I spun the tires several times.
After we got home I didn't feel like going back out to the garage. So I surfed instead. After dinner it was TV and more surfing. The vet called. The dog's blood work looks normal - so no more pills.
The first order of business was to string the lights so I could get the Star Trek ornaments up. I've been neglecting it for days. It turned out not to be as bad as I expected. The result looks pretty good. Then I put all of the presents under the tree. They make an impressive pile.
After the tree I went out to work on the cart. Yesterday everything went smoothly. Today not so much. I misdrilled some holes. I also had some problems with drilling some holes where I couldn't use clamps. Finally, two of the large holes that were already in the material are right where I need smaller ones. And I don't have larger diameter screws. Damn.
A little after noon the alert company called. They don't have a web tracking function. So I spent a bunch of time looking for alternatives. I found one that looks pretty good and is a lot cheaper. So I cancelled the first company and ordered from the second. The online ordering process was screwed up, so after two tries I called them. I finally got it ordered.
I looked up the status of the stuff that Cabela's was sending. It arrived at the post office, so we drove there. They had a package Ellen was waiting for, too. I drove the truck and the roads were very slick. I spun the tires several times.
After we got home I didn't feel like going back out to the garage. So I surfed instead. After dinner it was TV and more surfing. The vet called. The dog's blood work looks normal - so no more pills.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Day 69
We got a fair amount accomplished today. I guess that's what can happen when you get up at 8.
We started by going to get the car's oil changed. While we were there Hooch called. We agreed on Mom's Christmas present.
Then we went to the grocery store. It was time to stock up on the usual, plus we got a ham for future consumption. After that it was a stop at Circle C so the dog could run. See didn't seem too excited when we drove up, but she sure did a lot of running.
When we got home I called up the monitoring company and set up an account for mother. It took awhile. If I'm lucky the stuff will be there by Christmas. They are sending it USPS.
After that I took the pruner out to the gate and started chopping away at the tree limbs overhanging the driveway. The result should keep it clear for the trailer for quite awhile. It did take the better part of an hour to do.
Finally I could work on the cart. I cut up the rest of the parts. Then I started drilling holes. Using the drill press and a corner clamp made it easy to make accurate holes. The downside is that it's slow. I have to drill a total of 24 holes to assemble the main parts. I managed to get 14 done before it was time for dinner.
I've been having Ellen fill Lucy's dog bowl while I take her to the mail. This has caused Lucy to really want to get back home. When I open the gate she runs really fast to get back to the house. It's funny.
The evening was surfing and reading. Ellen is watching a bunch of weird fantasy shows. They suck.
We started by going to get the car's oil changed. While we were there Hooch called. We agreed on Mom's Christmas present.
Then we went to the grocery store. It was time to stock up on the usual, plus we got a ham for future consumption. After that it was a stop at Circle C so the dog could run. See didn't seem too excited when we drove up, but she sure did a lot of running.
When we got home I called up the monitoring company and set up an account for mother. It took awhile. If I'm lucky the stuff will be there by Christmas. They are sending it USPS.
After that I took the pruner out to the gate and started chopping away at the tree limbs overhanging the driveway. The result should keep it clear for the trailer for quite awhile. It did take the better part of an hour to do.
Finally I could work on the cart. I cut up the rest of the parts. Then I started drilling holes. Using the drill press and a corner clamp made it easy to make accurate holes. The downside is that it's slow. I have to drill a total of 24 holes to assemble the main parts. I managed to get 14 done before it was time for dinner.
I've been having Ellen fill Lucy's dog bowl while I take her to the mail. This has caused Lucy to really want to get back home. When I open the gate she runs really fast to get back to the house. It's funny.
The evening was surfing and reading. Ellen is watching a bunch of weird fantasy shows. They suck.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Day 68
We woke up at a decent time today, but stayed in bed surfing until about 10. I needed to mail the Cabela's stuff today, but after breakfast and surfing it was noon before we got to the post office. That made me one of those people I hate - retired but going to the bank/post office at noon. The line reached almost to the door. It took half an hour to get served, but that wasn't really that bad. It cost $21 to mail the package.
After the post office i made a stop at home depot to get the rest of the stuff I needed for the cart rebuild. Then we went to the Italian place for lunch. The last stop was Circle C. The day was great. Not a cloud in the sky, sunny and warm. Lucy did a lot of retrieves even though it was sunny. She was a happy dog.
When we got home I went to the garage to work on the cart. I put the drill press together. I used it to drill a couple of holes, with a corner vice to hold the parts. It worked well. That's when I realized that I'd cut 5 parts wrong. So I spent the rest of the time recutting them. I still have some hacksaw work to do on all 5. After that I'll finally be able to get back to drilling holes.
I emailed Cabela's a copy of the post office receipt so that I could get reimbursed. The lady I sent it to replied in a few minutes. It was 6:15, so she was working late.
After dinner it was football and surfing. The Bears suck.
After the post office i made a stop at home depot to get the rest of the stuff I needed for the cart rebuild. Then we went to the Italian place for lunch. The last stop was Circle C. The day was great. Not a cloud in the sky, sunny and warm. Lucy did a lot of retrieves even though it was sunny. She was a happy dog.
When we got home I went to the garage to work on the cart. I put the drill press together. I used it to drill a couple of holes, with a corner vice to hold the parts. It worked well. That's when I realized that I'd cut 5 parts wrong. So I spent the rest of the time recutting them. I still have some hacksaw work to do on all 5. After that I'll finally be able to get back to drilling holes.
I emailed Cabela's a copy of the post office receipt so that I could get reimbursed. The lady I sent it to replied in a few minutes. It was 6:15, so she was working late.
After dinner it was football and surfing. The Bears suck.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Day 67
Yesterday at the gun show I saw a mini drill press. It looked like just the thing to use for the cart rebuild. The guy wanted $99 for it and I decided not to get it. That night I was glad I did. Harbor Freight had an online coupon for their mini drill press for $50. So I printed it out.
After breakfast we went over to Harbor Freight to get the drill press. It was a much nicer tool than the one at the gun show. After that we just went back home.
I packed up the stuff for Cabela's and then went out to the garage to work on the cart rebuild. The new metal cutting disk worked great. The only bad thing is that the stuff from the estate sale had holes drilled all over it. That's going to make things look a little funny. I managed to get all of the pieces I need cut out. Tomorrow I can break out the drill press.
I worked until dinner time. It was a little early because Ellen was going to archery. I watched a Netflix movie and football while she was gone. Unfortunately the Cowboys won.
After breakfast we went over to Harbor Freight to get the drill press. It was a much nicer tool than the one at the gun show. After that we just went back home.
I packed up the stuff for Cabela's and then went out to the garage to work on the cart rebuild. The new metal cutting disk worked great. The only bad thing is that the stuff from the estate sale had holes drilled all over it. That's going to make things look a little funny. I managed to get all of the pieces I need cut out. Tomorrow I can break out the drill press.
I worked until dinner time. It was a little early because Ellen was going to archery. I watched a Netflix movie and football while she was gone. Unfortunately the Cowboys won.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Day 66
We went to gun shows today - one in Dripping Springs and another in New Braunfels.
The one in Dripping Springs wasn't very big. The only think of note was that prices are coming down. Some of the dealers recognize that and some don't.
After that we stopped at Home Depot and I picked up the stuff I need to build the new cart rack.
Then we drove to New Braunfels. On the way we saw an estate sale sign, so we stopped. It wasn't very interesting.
The New Braunfels show was a lot bigger and had some interesting guns. It also had a mix of dealers that had gotten the message and those who hadn't. I saw one dealer who was asking $125 more for a Shield than another dealer two aisles over.
The drive home was a nightmare. We got up to about 2.5 miles south of Slaughter on I35 and traffic was stopped. We got off, but the frontage road was a parking lot, too. After about half an hour we were able to take a side road to get to William Cannon. To add insult to injury by that time the freeway had cleared up.
We finally made it to the post office. The only good thing was that with the intersection at William Cannon closed, driving back on 290 was really fast.
We didn't get home until 5. I was wiped out and spent the evening watching TV and surfing. Maybe I'll work on the cart rack tomorrow.
The one in Dripping Springs wasn't very big. The only think of note was that prices are coming down. Some of the dealers recognize that and some don't.
After that we stopped at Home Depot and I picked up the stuff I need to build the new cart rack.
Then we drove to New Braunfels. On the way we saw an estate sale sign, so we stopped. It wasn't very interesting.
The New Braunfels show was a lot bigger and had some interesting guns. It also had a mix of dealers that had gotten the message and those who hadn't. I saw one dealer who was asking $125 more for a Shield than another dealer two aisles over.
The drive home was a nightmare. We got up to about 2.5 miles south of Slaughter on I35 and traffic was stopped. We got off, but the frontage road was a parking lot, too. After about half an hour we were able to take a side road to get to William Cannon. To add insult to injury by that time the freeway had cleared up.
We finally made it to the post office. The only good thing was that with the intersection at William Cannon closed, driving back on 290 was really fast.
We didn't get home until 5. I was wiped out and spent the evening watching TV and surfing. Maybe I'll work on the cart rack tomorrow.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Day 65
We actually got up at a fairly decent hour today, about 8. After breakfast I did some surfing and Ellen did some Christmas cards. Then we went out to do some estate saleing.
We only went to one place. I scored some stuff though. I got a whole bunch of square aluminum tubing and some aluminum angle iron. At Home Depot or Lowe's it would have cost at least $50. I got it for $7. I also got a bunch of wire staples for a quarter.
We had to drive back on I35 because there was an accident on the Mopac. Luckily I heard about it on the radio at the sale. I35 wasn't too bad except for one slow down about the university. We stopped at Wally World so I could get my pills. We also stopped at Home Depot and Lowe's to get light bulbs. They are getting hard to find, so I bought 4.
When we got home Ellen dropped one of the light bulb packages on the floor. Scratch two light bulbs. I used one of the others to fix the light. Then I took the Star Trek ornaments to the garage and shaved the bases down so they would fit in the light string. They work fine there. I also planned out how to use the aluminum I bought to make a new holder for the cart. Unfortunately I have nothing to cut the material. I discovered on the net that I can buy a 10" abrasive blade for the miter saw. It makes it a big Dremel tool. I'll buy one of those.
While I was doing that Ellen made bacon wrapped shrimp for dinner. They were really, really, good.
I spent the evening surfing and watching Gold Rush.
We only went to one place. I scored some stuff though. I got a whole bunch of square aluminum tubing and some aluminum angle iron. At Home Depot or Lowe's it would have cost at least $50. I got it for $7. I also got a bunch of wire staples for a quarter.
We had to drive back on I35 because there was an accident on the Mopac. Luckily I heard about it on the radio at the sale. I35 wasn't too bad except for one slow down about the university. We stopped at Wally World so I could get my pills. We also stopped at Home Depot and Lowe's to get light bulbs. They are getting hard to find, so I bought 4.
When we got home Ellen dropped one of the light bulb packages on the floor. Scratch two light bulbs. I used one of the others to fix the light. Then I took the Star Trek ornaments to the garage and shaved the bases down so they would fit in the light string. They work fine there. I also planned out how to use the aluminum I bought to make a new holder for the cart. Unfortunately I have nothing to cut the material. I discovered on the net that I can buy a 10" abrasive blade for the miter saw. It makes it a big Dremel tool. I'll buy one of those.
While I was doing that Ellen made bacon wrapped shrimp for dinner. They were really, really, good.
I spent the evening surfing and watching Gold Rush.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Day 64
We didn't get up until 11 today. I'm not sure why we stayed in bed so late, we just did.
By the time we got finished with breakfast and a little morning surfing it was after noon. We went to the post office and then went looking for a picture frame. We found one at Michaels. Then we went to Home Depot and Lowe's looking for a bird feeder to replace the one the squirrel killed. Ellen found a solar powered one she liked.
When we got back I tried to put up the Star Trek ornaments. Unfortunately they don't fit the current light strings. I'm going to try to modify one tomorrow.
I got out the ladder and tried to replace the light bulb that blew out in the living room. Unfortunately we don't have the right one. I'll have to try to find one tomorrow.
The evening was surfing and football.
By the time we got finished with breakfast and a little morning surfing it was after noon. We went to the post office and then went looking for a picture frame. We found one at Michaels. Then we went to Home Depot and Lowe's looking for a bird feeder to replace the one the squirrel killed. Ellen found a solar powered one she liked.
When we got back I tried to put up the Star Trek ornaments. Unfortunately they don't fit the current light strings. I'm going to try to modify one tomorrow.
I got out the ladder and tried to replace the light bulb that blew out in the living room. Unfortunately we don't have the right one. I'll have to try to find one tomorrow.
The evening was surfing and football.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Day 63
We went to Capital today. If we're going to the state championship, we need to get some practice in. We shot both courses, and it was fun. I didn't shoot particularly well, but I shot better than the last time we went.
On the way over we stopped at the vet so that Lucy could have a blood test. They weighed her and she's now back to 58 - fighting trim.
The day was a little cool and cloudy. That suited Lucy just fine and she was having fun doing retrieves. At least she did until she came back after on with blood coming out of her mouth. We're not sure what happened, but we think she bit her tongue. That was the end of the retrieves.
After Capitol we drove a little farther north to Anderson and 183. That's where the archery store Ellen wanted to go to was. Unfortunately it didn't have the kind of stuff that she wanted.
On the way back we stopped at the post office. There were two packages waiting.
When we got home I opened the package from Cabelas. It was supposed to be some stuff I order on cyber Monday. Instead it was stuff I didn't recognize. At first we thought it was a Christmas present. Then I checked the tracking number. It matched the one Cabela's had sent me. So I emailed them to find out what to do.
It started raining lightly about 4 and has been raining all evening. I finished up the station model and then watched TV. The accountant called and we talked about Social Security. I will be applying. I also called mother. She seems to be doing OK, but her memory is completely gone.
On the way over we stopped at the vet so that Lucy could have a blood test. They weighed her and she's now back to 58 - fighting trim.
The day was a little cool and cloudy. That suited Lucy just fine and she was having fun doing retrieves. At least she did until she came back after on with blood coming out of her mouth. We're not sure what happened, but we think she bit her tongue. That was the end of the retrieves.
After Capitol we drove a little farther north to Anderson and 183. That's where the archery store Ellen wanted to go to was. Unfortunately it didn't have the kind of stuff that she wanted.
On the way back we stopped at the post office. There were two packages waiting.
When we got home I opened the package from Cabelas. It was supposed to be some stuff I order on cyber Monday. Instead it was stuff I didn't recognize. At first we thought it was a Christmas present. Then I checked the tracking number. It matched the one Cabela's had sent me. So I emailed them to find out what to do.
It started raining lightly about 4 and has been raining all evening. I finished up the station model and then watched TV. The accountant called and we talked about Social Security. I will be applying. I also called mother. She seems to be doing OK, but her memory is completely gone.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Day 62
I woke up at 6 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. So I surfed instead.
We got up at 8. Ellen started the wash and I took out the recycling and opened the gate. She surfed and I worked on the station model until the window guy showed up. It cost $155 to fix the window. That's probably more than the whole window cost when it was new. When it was time to pay him I gave him a $20 tip. I just felt like it and it seemed to make him happy.
After the window was done we went back to the river to the mini golf course. It was really great, with entertaining holes and some really neat sculptures. There were two courses. We played one. Ellen said she was too tired to play the other.
We went across the street to the dog store. It had a lot of neat dog paraphernalia, but nothing that Lucy needed. We did buy her some treats. They were really high class, but very expensive.
After that we had to go to Zilker. Lucy was really anxious to go, since we had driven by it on the way over. She did a whole lot of retrieves. She doesn't run like she did when she was younger, but she still has a lot of stamina. She just has to take some little breaks every so often.
After the park we went to the trailer park roach coaches for lunch. The tacos there are really good. After that we went to Costco for water. We also stopped at the toy store there that had a Lego I wanted. It's an alligator riding a mechanical alligator. When we got it home I put it together.
The evening was watching zombie movies. Ellen went to archery.
We got up at 8. Ellen started the wash and I took out the recycling and opened the gate. She surfed and I worked on the station model until the window guy showed up. It cost $155 to fix the window. That's probably more than the whole window cost when it was new. When it was time to pay him I gave him a $20 tip. I just felt like it and it seemed to make him happy.
After the window was done we went back to the river to the mini golf course. It was really great, with entertaining holes and some really neat sculptures. There were two courses. We played one. Ellen said she was too tired to play the other.
We went across the street to the dog store. It had a lot of neat dog paraphernalia, but nothing that Lucy needed. We did buy her some treats. They were really high class, but very expensive.
After that we had to go to Zilker. Lucy was really anxious to go, since we had driven by it on the way over. She did a whole lot of retrieves. She doesn't run like she did when she was younger, but she still has a lot of stamina. She just has to take some little breaks every so often.
After the park we went to the trailer park roach coaches for lunch. The tacos there are really good. After that we went to Costco for water. We also stopped at the toy store there that had a Lego I wanted. It's an alligator riding a mechanical alligator. When we got it home I put it together.
The evening was watching zombie movies. Ellen went to archery.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Day 61
I made a concerted effort to get up earlier today. We made it by 9:30.
After breakfast I decided to actually start to put the signal tower that's been on the kitchen table together. It went together better than I thought. I did about half of it and then needed to stop to let it dry. So I decided to go to Sears to get a replacement socket wrench for the one I bought last Friday. The process was simple. They had a group of used replacement ones and they just gave me one.
After that we went to Zilker. The dog did a whole lot of retrieves and then we walked across the street to look at the Ferris wheel that the had set up. The sign said it cost $6 to ride. No way. Then we walked over to Barton Springs. The snack bar and train were open. So we ate lunch there. It was expensive, but that is to be expected.
We drove home down 1st St just to look at it. It seems to me that there are more roach coaches there than last year.
When we got home I decided to try to find a place to replace the garage window. It was a pain. All of the glass places are in north Austin. I finally found a place that said they'd come out tomorrow. I didn't ask how much it would cost.
The rest of the day was mainly surfing and football. I did try to remove the lights from the string we bought. The package said you could, don't believe it. Maybe we'll try to string things tomorrow.
After breakfast I decided to actually start to put the signal tower that's been on the kitchen table together. It went together better than I thought. I did about half of it and then needed to stop to let it dry. So I decided to go to Sears to get a replacement socket wrench for the one I bought last Friday. The process was simple. They had a group of used replacement ones and they just gave me one.
After that we went to Zilker. The dog did a whole lot of retrieves and then we walked across the street to look at the Ferris wheel that the had set up. The sign said it cost $6 to ride. No way. Then we walked over to Barton Springs. The snack bar and train were open. So we ate lunch there. It was expensive, but that is to be expected.
We drove home down 1st St just to look at it. It seems to me that there are more roach coaches there than last year.
When we got home I decided to try to find a place to replace the garage window. It was a pain. All of the glass places are in north Austin. I finally found a place that said they'd come out tomorrow. I didn't ask how much it would cost.
The rest of the day was mainly surfing and football. I did try to remove the lights from the string we bought. The package said you could, don't believe it. Maybe we'll try to string things tomorrow.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Day 60
Two months since leaving and this is the laziest day we've spent.
We didn't get out of bed until noon. Really.
I decided to do something, so I hung up the rest of the Christmas lights and the palm tree lights that we bought yesterday.
Ellen says that her sister wants a Christmas list. I could barely make up one for Hooch, I don't know what to do for her. I decided to ignore the problem for the day.
The rest of the day was spent watching football.
Tonight the Time Warner internet took a dump. Ellen is at archery, so I'm using Verizon.
We didn't get out of bed until noon. Really.
I decided to do something, so I hung up the rest of the Christmas lights and the palm tree lights that we bought yesterday.
Ellen says that her sister wants a Christmas list. I could barely make up one for Hooch, I don't know what to do for her. I decided to ignore the problem for the day.
The rest of the day was spent watching football.
Tonight the Time Warner internet took a dump. Ellen is at archery, so I'm using Verizon.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Day 59
We didn't get up very early this morning - it's becoming a pattern.
When we did we ate breakfast and loaded up the car with all the stuff for Goodwill (Christmas tree, vacuum cleaner, other misc). Ellen had to call into the Salem annual meeting, so we drove to Goodwill where the cell signal is better.
She sat in the car listening to the meeting while I shopped at Goodwill and Tuesday Morning. I bought some books on CD.
After that we went to the post office, At Home, and Target. We were looking for some lights, a bird feeder, and a picture frame. We found the lights. We need the bird feeder because a squirrel knocked down and killed the old one.
We ate lunch at P. Terry's and then took the dog to Circle C. I didn't think she'd do much, but she really ran a lot. We didn't get home until 5.
The evening was total TV watching - a show about gem prospectors.
When we did we ate breakfast and loaded up the car with all the stuff for Goodwill (Christmas tree, vacuum cleaner, other misc). Ellen had to call into the Salem annual meeting, so we drove to Goodwill where the cell signal is better.
She sat in the car listening to the meeting while I shopped at Goodwill and Tuesday Morning. I bought some books on CD.
After that we went to the post office, At Home, and Target. We were looking for some lights, a bird feeder, and a picture frame. We found the lights. We need the bird feeder because a squirrel knocked down and killed the old one.
We ate lunch at P. Terry's and then took the dog to Circle C. I didn't think she'd do much, but she really ran a lot. We didn't get home until 5.
The evening was total TV watching - a show about gem prospectors.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Day 58
We went estate saleing today. The first stop was a place in Dripping Springs that was basically a pole building full of tools. I bought a few Craftsman hand tools.
The next two stops we houses. We didn't buy anything at one, and a rabbit for Patty at another.
After that we went to Tomlinson's for dog food and the Italian place for lunch. The dog got a munchy while we at lunch. Hooch called. He wanted to know what we wanted for Christmas and I talked to him about Mom's present. He wanted more info.
After that we went to the park. We started by throwing bumpers for Lucy. Then we walked over to the creek. It was clear and full. Lucy was wading in it before we got there. I hadn't brought the bumper, so I found a bumper sized stick and threw it. She did retrieves until we were tired. She was still running around when we walked back.
When we got home I spent a lot of time getting info on Mom's present (a mobile panic button). There are lots of options. I sent him the results.
Lucy didn't really want to go to the mailbox with me. I had to keep talking to her to get her to follow me. She didn't even run back to the house when I let her back in. Now she's permanently attached to the bed.
I'm trying to find some present choices for me. Over the last couple of weeks I've basically bought everything I want.
The next two stops we houses. We didn't buy anything at one, and a rabbit for Patty at another.
After that we went to Tomlinson's for dog food and the Italian place for lunch. The dog got a munchy while we at lunch. Hooch called. He wanted to know what we wanted for Christmas and I talked to him about Mom's present. He wanted more info.
After that we went to the park. We started by throwing bumpers for Lucy. Then we walked over to the creek. It was clear and full. Lucy was wading in it before we got there. I hadn't brought the bumper, so I found a bumper sized stick and threw it. She did retrieves until we were tired. She was still running around when we walked back.
When we got home I spent a lot of time getting info on Mom's present (a mobile panic button). There are lots of options. I sent him the results.
Lucy didn't really want to go to the mailbox with me. I had to keep talking to her to get her to follow me. She didn't even run back to the house when I let her back in. Now she's permanently attached to the bed.
I'm trying to find some present choices for me. Over the last couple of weeks I've basically bought everything I want.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Day 57
We got up at 8 today, but didn't feel like doing anything because it was raining. So we surfed instead.
Eventually I started to feel guilty, so I went out to the garage to finish up with the tool chest. I lined the rest of the drawers and moved all of the tools from the old box to the new. I also lined the drawers in the work bench and moved the cleaning stuff into it. When I was finished I had several duplicate tools. They will go to Goodwill.
After that effort I went in for a late lunch. Ellen wanted to go to the grocery store, but I didn't feel like it. So she went alone and I stayed at home and surfed.
When she got back we decorated the tree. I'll put up the outside lights when it quits raining.
I discovered something really disappointing today. Google deletes blog posts older than 4 years. That means I've lost all of the entries covering the beginning of retirement up to the December following out moving into the house. I'm really going to miss the description of our full timing, the house search, and the move into the house. Crap. I did save everything off to the computer today so I won't lose anything else.
Tonight is watching football. There's a lot of estate sales tomorrow.
Eventually I started to feel guilty, so I went out to the garage to finish up with the tool chest. I lined the rest of the drawers and moved all of the tools from the old box to the new. I also lined the drawers in the work bench and moved the cleaning stuff into it. When I was finished I had several duplicate tools. They will go to Goodwill.
After that effort I went in for a late lunch. Ellen wanted to go to the grocery store, but I didn't feel like it. So she went alone and I stayed at home and surfed.
When she got back we decorated the tree. I'll put up the outside lights when it quits raining.
I discovered something really disappointing today. Google deletes blog posts older than 4 years. That means I've lost all of the entries covering the beginning of retirement up to the December following out moving into the house. I'm really going to miss the description of our full timing, the house search, and the move into the house. Crap. I did save everything off to the computer today so I won't lose anything else.
Tonight is watching football. There's a lot of estate sales tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Day 56
It was foggy and misting when we got up. That left Capital out. I broke a cat bowl, so we were going to need to replace it today. So we went to Barton Creek Mall. I wanted to get some shelf lining for the new tool chest.
When we got to Sears, they had a lot of things on sale. The lining was on sale, which was good because I needed two rolls. I also got some metric wrenches and some wrench holders, also on sale. Ellen saw a Christmas tree she liked. It was on sale so we bought it, too. We're doing our share to increase Christmas season sales.
After Sears we walked all through the mall. The only thing we ended up buying was a vegetable slicer that Ellen wanted.
After the mall we ate lunch at the Thai place near Kohl's. It was good and inexpensive. Then we went to PetSmart and got new cat bowls. They look pretty neat.
After that I was tired, so we went home. I spent some time cutting shelf liners. I got 5 done, but I have three left to do. It was time to get the mail, so I quit and took the dog to get it. On the way back I noticed that UPS had left a package at Beaver's. So I took it into their porch.
When I got back inside I put up the new tree. It was kind of a pain in the ass, but it will be easier next time now that I know how it goes together.
The evening was surfing and TV.
When we got to Sears, they had a lot of things on sale. The lining was on sale, which was good because I needed two rolls. I also got some metric wrenches and some wrench holders, also on sale. Ellen saw a Christmas tree she liked. It was on sale so we bought it, too. We're doing our share to increase Christmas season sales.
After Sears we walked all through the mall. The only thing we ended up buying was a vegetable slicer that Ellen wanted.
After the mall we ate lunch at the Thai place near Kohl's. It was good and inexpensive. Then we went to PetSmart and got new cat bowls. They look pretty neat.
After that I was tired, so we went home. I spent some time cutting shelf liners. I got 5 done, but I have three left to do. It was time to get the mail, so I quit and took the dog to get it. On the way back I noticed that UPS had left a package at Beaver's. So I took it into their porch.
When I got back inside I put up the new tree. It was kind of a pain in the ass, but it will be easier next time now that I know how it goes together.
The evening was surfing and TV.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Day 55
We got up at 9:30. That's beginning to be early for us.
After breakfast and some surfing we went to the post office and Home Depot. The one on Slaughter had a lot of those tool chests. It weighs 170 pounds, so I'm glad there were some people there to load it onto the truck for us.
When we got home I backed into the garage and we unloaded the chest. It wasn't actually too bad. We slid it off the back and onto the step stool. It did end up falling a few inches to the floor, but that was all right. After that we went inside for some lunch and surfing. Cabela's had some cyber Monday items I liked with free shipping. So I made an order.
Then it was time to put the chest together. The packaging was amazing. They used cardboard, styrofoam, and these really stiff cardboard like braces to build a really sturdy package. There was no way that the small drop we had when unloading would hurt it. Even though it was sturdy, it was easy to take apart.
Putting the chest together was fairly easy, but time consuming. The handle and wheels were attached with bolts that bolted into the chest. Unfortunately paint had clogged up the threads in some of the bolt holes. That made it hard to get the bolts in. The other issue was the need to put the chest on it's back, and then put it upright again. That took some effort.
I had some drawer liner left over from an earlier chest. It was enough to do one of the drawers. So I cut it up and moved the wrenches into it. It looks really good. I have another 8 drawers to go. I'm not sure what I'll do with the old chest.
Ellen went to archery in the evening. I watched a couple of movies on Netflix.
After breakfast and some surfing we went to the post office and Home Depot. The one on Slaughter had a lot of those tool chests. It weighs 170 pounds, so I'm glad there were some people there to load it onto the truck for us.
When we got home I backed into the garage and we unloaded the chest. It wasn't actually too bad. We slid it off the back and onto the step stool. It did end up falling a few inches to the floor, but that was all right. After that we went inside for some lunch and surfing. Cabela's had some cyber Monday items I liked with free shipping. So I made an order.
Then it was time to put the chest together. The packaging was amazing. They used cardboard, styrofoam, and these really stiff cardboard like braces to build a really sturdy package. There was no way that the small drop we had when unloading would hurt it. Even though it was sturdy, it was easy to take apart.
Putting the chest together was fairly easy, but time consuming. The handle and wheels were attached with bolts that bolted into the chest. Unfortunately paint had clogged up the threads in some of the bolt holes. That made it hard to get the bolts in. The other issue was the need to put the chest on it's back, and then put it upright again. That took some effort.
I had some drawer liner left over from an earlier chest. It was enough to do one of the drawers. So I cut it up and moved the wrenches into it. It looks really good. I have another 8 drawers to go. I'm not sure what I'll do with the old chest.
Ellen went to archery in the evening. I watched a couple of movies on Netflix.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Day 54
Another late morning following a late night. I had an additional excuse - I didn't sleep very well last night. Getting old sucks.
We spent all of the rest of the morning surfing. The only thing I accomplished is taking a load of garbage out to the cans. Ellen did get a couple of Christmas presents boxed up and ready to mail. So we went to the post office.
After the post office we manufactured things to do. We went to Target to look at Christmas trees (no luck). Then we went to Home Depot to look at Christmas trees and tools on sale. No trees, but I did find a tool chest I like a lot. Unfortunately they didn't have any in stock. I have to drive to the Slaughter store to get one. That will wait until tomorrow.
We stopped at the bank and I opened a new account for the Social Security money. It was way too cold (45) and windy for the dog to go to Circle C. Instead we had an early dinner (we skipped lunch) at Cheddars.
Then it was home to watch TV, surf, and football.
We spent all of the rest of the morning surfing. The only thing I accomplished is taking a load of garbage out to the cans. Ellen did get a couple of Christmas presents boxed up and ready to mail. So we went to the post office.
After the post office we manufactured things to do. We went to Target to look at Christmas trees (no luck). Then we went to Home Depot to look at Christmas trees and tools on sale. No trees, but I did find a tool chest I like a lot. Unfortunately they didn't have any in stock. I have to drive to the Slaughter store to get one. That will wait until tomorrow.
We stopped at the bank and I opened a new account for the Social Security money. It was way too cold (45) and windy for the dog to go to Circle C. Instead we had an early dinner (we skipped lunch) at Cheddars.
Then it was home to watch TV, surf, and football.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Day 53
This was another not very exciting day. We spent most of the morning surfing. Then cabin fever set in. So we drove to Circle C and ran the dog. She did a lot of long retrieves. Then we went to the grocery store for a couple of items. Then it was back home.
The dog got some extra excitement when we walked out to the mailbox. The Amazon package was there. Apparently the Best Buy package hasn't shipped yet.
I did a little Cyber Monday shopping, but I didn't see anything interesting. I watched football for most of the rest of the day.
The dog got some extra excitement when we walked out to the mailbox. The Amazon package was there. Apparently the Best Buy package hasn't shipped yet.
I did a little Cyber Monday shopping, but I didn't see anything interesting. I watched football for most of the rest of the day.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Day 52
We went over to Sam's club today. They were letting anyone in this weekend. The place is essentially a Costco, but they emphasize food more. It was OK. We bought a couple of things, but it didn't seem worth $45 to join.
After that we went to Best Buy just to look around. It wasn't all that interesting. On the way home we stopped at the post office and then the Ice House for lunch. They were still serving breakfast, so we had that instead. It was really good. The last stop was Circle C. Lucy did a whole lot of very long retrieves.
When we got home I we both watched TV. Ellen said I napped. I disagree.
In the evening we watched Oregon win. WSU is playing UW right now. They're getting killed, mainly do to their own mistakes.
After that we went to Best Buy just to look around. It wasn't all that interesting. On the way home we stopped at the post office and then the Ice House for lunch. They were still serving breakfast, so we had that instead. It was really good. The last stop was Circle C. Lucy did a whole lot of very long retrieves.
When we got home I we both watched TV. Ellen said I napped. I disagree.
In the evening we watched Oregon win. WSU is playing UW right now. They're getting killed, mainly do to their own mistakes.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Day 51
We didn't wake up until 10. I don't me get up, I mean wake up.
After breakfast I packed up the truck and we went to Capital to shoot sporting. It's been a month or so since we shot. I was very rusty. I'm not used to Texas targets, or Texas wind, either. They rearranged the courses and we ended up starting on the pro course. That didn't help much. The best i can say is that i was starting to look better by the time we were done.
There were too many people to let Lucy off lead. She did get to do retrieves afterwards.
After that we went to the barbeque place for lunch. It was really good, but a little more expensive than I remember. Lucy got a little brisket tribute.
Then we just drove home. Neither of us wanted anything to do with Black Friday. I must say that some of the parking lots we saw weren't as full as we expected them to be.
We didn't get home until about 4. We just watched TV and surfed for the rest of the day. I didn't find any bargains online that I thought I had to have.
After breakfast I packed up the truck and we went to Capital to shoot sporting. It's been a month or so since we shot. I was very rusty. I'm not used to Texas targets, or Texas wind, either. They rearranged the courses and we ended up starting on the pro course. That didn't help much. The best i can say is that i was starting to look better by the time we were done.
There were too many people to let Lucy off lead. She did get to do retrieves afterwards.
After that we went to the barbeque place for lunch. It was really good, but a little more expensive than I remember. Lucy got a little brisket tribute.
Then we just drove home. Neither of us wanted anything to do with Black Friday. I must say that some of the parking lots we saw weren't as full as we expected them to be.
We didn't get home until about 4. We just watched TV and surfed for the rest of the day. I didn't find any bargains online that I thought I had to have.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Day 50
Its Thanksgiving. We had a good day. I got up at 7 and went to the gas station to buy a paper. There were a lot of people there doing the same thing. When I got home I went back to bed and surfed.
When we did get up it was surfing and football. Ellen worked really hard cooking dinner. She fixed a full dinner - turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, beans, and cherry pie. It was all really good. Soaking the turkey in bourbon worked really well.
The football was OK. The bears sucked, but Dallas lost the second game. The Seahawks are still playing.
I did do a little shopping. I bought one thing at Amazon and another at Best Buy (I just didn't want to go there tomorrow). I used the ads in the newspaper to see if there were other things that I might want to order. There weren't.
I also did a little reading on the Social Security website. I think I can start sucking the government tit next year. I still need to confirm that with Bob. All in all we have a lot to be thankful about this year.
Today was a fine day.
When we did get up it was surfing and football. Ellen worked really hard cooking dinner. She fixed a full dinner - turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, beans, and cherry pie. It was all really good. Soaking the turkey in bourbon worked really well.
The football was OK. The bears sucked, but Dallas lost the second game. The Seahawks are still playing.
I did do a little shopping. I bought one thing at Amazon and another at Best Buy (I just didn't want to go there tomorrow). I used the ads in the newspaper to see if there were other things that I might want to order. There weren't.
I also did a little reading on the Social Security website. I think I can start sucking the government tit next year. I still need to confirm that with Bob. All in all we have a lot to be thankful about this year.
Today was a fine day.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Day 49
We stayed in bed surfing until after 10. The pets were not amused at the late breakfast.
After we did get up I decided to finish building the n scale station I started a couple of weeks ago. I found out quickly that I needed to do a little more painting on the walls. So I painted them, but there wasn't anything else I could do until the paint drives.
I really felt the need to do something, so I took the containers we bought yesterday and installed them in the trailer. They work really, really, well. It both looks and acts like a grate improvement. I also took the $1 spray paint can we got at Lowe's and sprayed the broken trees. There's a lot of paint in that can. It easily covered both trees.
After that it was time for a late lunch. Also we needed more ice for the turkey.. We took the dog over to Circle C first. Then we went to the brewery by Alamo. We ate outside with the dog. They had a really good IPA.
The last stop was the grocery store so that we could get the ice.
When we got home I decided to do some looking at Netflix. I spent quite a bit of time looking at things tyo watch. I made up a list for later. Then I watched a couple of them. By then it was 9 and I was tired of Netflix. So it llsurfing for the rest of the evening.
After we did get up I decided to finish building the n scale station I started a couple of weeks ago. I found out quickly that I needed to do a little more painting on the walls. So I painted them, but there wasn't anything else I could do until the paint drives.
I really felt the need to do something, so I took the containers we bought yesterday and installed them in the trailer. They work really, really, well. It both looks and acts like a grate improvement. I also took the $1 spray paint can we got at Lowe's and sprayed the broken trees. There's a lot of paint in that can. It easily covered both trees.
After that it was time for a late lunch. Also we needed more ice for the turkey.. We took the dog over to Circle C first. Then we went to the brewery by Alamo. We ate outside with the dog. They had a really good IPA.
The last stop was the grocery store so that we could get the ice.
When we got home I decided to do some looking at Netflix. I spent quite a bit of time looking at things tyo watch. I made up a list for later. Then I watched a couple of them. By then it was 9 and I was tired of Netflix. So it llsurfing for the rest of the evening.
Day 48
This was a sort of dog day.
We've been going to bed late, after midnight. That means that we don't get up until around 9. That's how it was today.
After breakfast we went over towards Best Buy and I got a haircut. The lady cut it a little shorter than I would have liked, but it will grow out.
Since we were halfway there, we took the dog to Zilker. She was very happy. Most of the park is blocked off for the Christmas lights thing, but there was still plenty of room. Lucy had a good time doing retrieves and also did some socializing. The weather was sunny and warm, so we walked around some. That gave Lucy time to recharge, so she did a fair number of retrieves.
After the park we decided to have Chinese food, so we went to the place across from Harbor Freight. It was very good. We stopped at the Tuesday Morning next door. We picked up some nice bins for the trailer cabinet. I'll install them tomorrow. After that it was the post office, a quick trip to the grocery, and home.
The rest of the day was surfing and TV. Ellen went to archery. I turned on Netflix and it had a movie it wanted me to watch. It was an Arnie movie I'd never heard of. It was pretty good. We also watched a comedy special from the guy who gets thrown out of Chinese restaurants.
We've been going to bed late, after midnight. That means that we don't get up until around 9. That's how it was today.
After breakfast we went over towards Best Buy and I got a haircut. The lady cut it a little shorter than I would have liked, but it will grow out.
Since we were halfway there, we took the dog to Zilker. She was very happy. Most of the park is blocked off for the Christmas lights thing, but there was still plenty of room. Lucy had a good time doing retrieves and also did some socializing. The weather was sunny and warm, so we walked around some. That gave Lucy time to recharge, so she did a fair number of retrieves.
After the park we decided to have Chinese food, so we went to the place across from Harbor Freight. It was very good. We stopped at the Tuesday Morning next door. We picked up some nice bins for the trailer cabinet. I'll install them tomorrow. After that it was the post office, a quick trip to the grocery, and home.
The rest of the day was surfing and TV. Ellen went to archery. I turned on Netflix and it had a movie it wanted me to watch. It was an Arnie movie I'd never heard of. It was pretty good. We also watched a comedy special from the guy who gets thrown out of Chinese restaurants.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Day 47
We stayed in bed surfing for quite awhile. When we did get up, Ellen started working on the sewing that was left to do. I took some stuff out to the garage. After I put it away I decided to make up a new drill kit for the trailer. I took stuff from three kits to make up one that had a good selection of bits and took up the least space.
After that I went out to the trailer to measure the medicine cabinet and the space under the sink. The good news is there's lots of space in the cabinet. The bad news is that there's no way to fit a slider under the sink. I did notice that hanging the container we have there now on the side would make things a lot more convenient, so I did that.
I was suffering from cabin fever, so off we went. We stopped at the liquor store and got some bourbon for soaking the turkey. Then we went to the post office and Best Buy. I really wanted to get a Tab S with phone capability. They didn't have one, so we went to Verizon. They only had white ones.
By then it was 3 and we hadn't eaten lunch. So we stopped at BJ's. Bad idea. The hamburger was OK, but the fries were greasy. I ordered potato skins as an appetizer. They were the worst I've ever had. They weren't skins, just hollowed out potato pieces. In addition they were really greasy. Finally there was little toppings on them. We won't be going back to BJ's ever.
We decided to stop at Costco on the way home. They didn't sell the Verizon tablets. They did have a sale on the non-phone versions, complete with a cover. So we bought one. We haven't really used it yet, but the cover is disappointing. It only covers the front, not the back.
The evening was football.
After that I went out to the trailer to measure the medicine cabinet and the space under the sink. The good news is there's lots of space in the cabinet. The bad news is that there's no way to fit a slider under the sink. I did notice that hanging the container we have there now on the side would make things a lot more convenient, so I did that.
I was suffering from cabin fever, so off we went. We stopped at the liquor store and got some bourbon for soaking the turkey. Then we went to the post office and Best Buy. I really wanted to get a Tab S with phone capability. They didn't have one, so we went to Verizon. They only had white ones.
By then it was 3 and we hadn't eaten lunch. So we stopped at BJ's. Bad idea. The hamburger was OK, but the fries were greasy. I ordered potato skins as an appetizer. They were the worst I've ever had. They weren't skins, just hollowed out potato pieces. In addition they were really greasy. Finally there was little toppings on them. We won't be going back to BJ's ever.
We decided to stop at Costco on the way home. They didn't sell the Verizon tablets. They did have a sale on the non-phone versions, complete with a cover. So we bought one. We haven't really used it yet, but the cover is disappointing. It only covers the front, not the back.
The evening was football.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Day 46
Today was sort of a doggy day. I wanted to go see the creeks after the rain. Bear Creek had quite a bit of water in it. The debris marks showed that the water had been 3 feet or so over the road at one time.
Then we went to Circle C. We walked the dog around the path to the creek. She did retrieves for about half the way. When we got to the creek it was 6 or 8 inches over the path. The water was also pretty dirty. Lucy wanted to swim, but no way. She did do a little wading.
We walked back through the golf course. The water was really flowing in the places where you could see the creek. The water was three feet deep where the course crosses it.
After that we went to Tomlinson's for some cat food. Then we went to a restaurant across the parking lot. It's only open on the weekend. It's a really nice place with a knockout decor and good food. Too bad it's not open for lunch.
The day was wonderful - bright, sunny, and mid-70's. So we decided to do some shopping/errands. We got the mail, stopped for some license plate frames, stopped at Staples to pick up a couple of sale items, and HEB for some Thanksgiving food.
When we got home I put the frames on the car and Ellen started shortening pants for me. She got two pairs of sweats done before going to archery. She still has a pair of sweats and two pairs of jeans to go. I'm watching football.
Then we went to Circle C. We walked the dog around the path to the creek. She did retrieves for about half the way. When we got to the creek it was 6 or 8 inches over the path. The water was also pretty dirty. Lucy wanted to swim, but no way. She did do a little wading.
We walked back through the golf course. The water was really flowing in the places where you could see the creek. The water was three feet deep where the course crosses it.
After that we went to Tomlinson's for some cat food. Then we went to a restaurant across the parking lot. It's only open on the weekend. It's a really nice place with a knockout decor and good food. Too bad it's not open for lunch.
The day was wonderful - bright, sunny, and mid-70's. So we decided to do some shopping/errands. We got the mail, stopped for some license plate frames, stopped at Staples to pick up a couple of sale items, and HEB for some Thanksgiving food.
When we got home I put the frames on the car and Ellen started shortening pants for me. She got two pairs of sweats done before going to archery. She still has a pair of sweats and two pairs of jeans to go. I'm watching football.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Day 45
I rained hard in the morning. Lots of thunder and lightning. We went off to get the license plates for the car. When we got the registration we saw that they registered the car in Travis county. This pissed us off since we had specifically told him to make sure that it was registered in Hays county. They going to call us on Monday about it.
After that we went over to Harbor Freight (Ellen went to the fabric store). I really just went to get a free flashlight. With the coupon and sale discounts I bought $30 (list) of stuff for less than $10 including tax. We then went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought some steak knives that they had on sale. The 20% off coupon made them a really good deal. We also got a bath mat and a bar-b-que pan using a $5 off coupon. I like saving money.
We ate at a restaurant across the street. It was raining so hard that you could only just barely see through the windshield. I had a raincoat on, but it didn't have a hood. We both got soaked walking the 60 feet from the car to the front door.
The last stop was Lowe's for some black spray paint for the trees I cut. They had their Christmas sales going and I ended up buying a couple of tools for really good prices.
The rest of the afternoon was TV and surfing. The evening was pretty wild. The hard rain turned into a thunderstorm. There was almost continuous lightning and a lot of thunder. Neither Lucy or the cats were very amused. It rained all night, sometimes really hard. The neighbors said we got 5 inches of rain. It rained so hard that the satellite TV quit working. The internet response went to shit, too. We couldn't tell if that was because of the storm or just the load on the line. I had to use the Verizon connection to surf.
To top it all off there was enough rain to set of the sewer alarm. To make it worse the reset button didn't work. I finally got the reset button to work, but the alarm kept oscillating on and off. Luckily the rain let up just before we went to bed and the alarm stopped. We didn't take showers though.
After that we went over to Harbor Freight (Ellen went to the fabric store). I really just went to get a free flashlight. With the coupon and sale discounts I bought $30 (list) of stuff for less than $10 including tax. We then went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought some steak knives that they had on sale. The 20% off coupon made them a really good deal. We also got a bath mat and a bar-b-que pan using a $5 off coupon. I like saving money.
We ate at a restaurant across the street. It was raining so hard that you could only just barely see through the windshield. I had a raincoat on, but it didn't have a hood. We both got soaked walking the 60 feet from the car to the front door.
The last stop was Lowe's for some black spray paint for the trees I cut. They had their Christmas sales going and I ended up buying a couple of tools for really good prices.
The rest of the afternoon was TV and surfing. The evening was pretty wild. The hard rain turned into a thunderstorm. There was almost continuous lightning and a lot of thunder. Neither Lucy or the cats were very amused. It rained all night, sometimes really hard. The neighbors said we got 5 inches of rain. It rained so hard that the satellite TV quit working. The internet response went to shit, too. We couldn't tell if that was because of the storm or just the load on the line. I had to use the Verizon connection to surf.
To top it all off there was enough rain to set of the sewer alarm. To make it worse the reset button didn't work. I finally got the reset button to work, but the alarm kept oscillating on and off. Luckily the rain let up just before we went to bed and the alarm stopped. We didn't take showers though.
Day 44
Today was a rest day. We just hung around the house for most of the day. I did some reading and surfing. I also painted the parts for a signal tower that I bought at the train show. I got a good deal. It was $6. On Ebay it was $10 plus shipping.
We did go out for the mail and the grocery store. It rained a little on and off all day, so Lucy didn't get to stop at the park - too much mud. She's stinky though, it's time for a bath.
We spent the rest of the day waiting to go to Cabela's. It was raining pretty hard when we drove over there, but no problems except for one Texas driver who couldn't drive the speed limit. We followed a Papa John's delivery car for miles. They must have a really big delivery area.
Cabela's was cool. The discounts were 5 - 20%. They had live music and were serving a dinner - ham or beef. We at even though we'd eaten about an hour before. It was good. We bought a few things - an electric knife sharpener, a long sleeve shirt, and 4 cases of B&P. The price was only $5 more than the Fiocchi price. We also got 2 bags of Zukes at a really good price because they were on sale.
There were a fair number of people there. At 8 when they opened it was hard to get around the aisles. We left around 10:30. By that time the store crowd had thinned out, but the lines at the checkout were really long. Apparently their computer system couldn't handle the load.
When we got home we didn't feel like going to sleep, so we watched a zombie show until after midnight.
We did go out for the mail and the grocery store. It rained a little on and off all day, so Lucy didn't get to stop at the park - too much mud. She's stinky though, it's time for a bath.
We spent the rest of the day waiting to go to Cabela's. It was raining pretty hard when we drove over there, but no problems except for one Texas driver who couldn't drive the speed limit. We followed a Papa John's delivery car for miles. They must have a really big delivery area.
Cabela's was cool. The discounts were 5 - 20%. They had live music and were serving a dinner - ham or beef. We at even though we'd eaten about an hour before. It was good. We bought a few things - an electric knife sharpener, a long sleeve shirt, and 4 cases of B&P. The price was only $5 more than the Fiocchi price. We also got 2 bags of Zukes at a really good price because they were on sale.
There were a fair number of people there. At 8 when they opened it was hard to get around the aisles. We left around 10:30. By that time the store crowd had thinned out, but the lines at the checkout were really long. Apparently their computer system couldn't handle the load.
When we got home we didn't feel like going to sleep, so we watched a zombie show until after midnight.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Day 43
I did it. I had a goal of getting all of the nuisance jobs around the place done by Thanksgiving. I actually managed to do it one week early.
Today I finished cutting apart the big tree branch that fell in the basketball court. Better still, Ellen managed to get all of the trash, front tree, basketball tree, and the other stuff that had been stacked up, burned. That cedar stuff burns even when it's green. She would just put it in the barrel, the green leaves would dry out, and then the whole thing would start to burn like it was soaked in gasoline. Those tree are scary, and we have a lot of them.
Branch demolition and trash burning took about 3.5 hours. Afterwards we both took showers. Then it was off for a late lunch. 2 om is one of the few times that Chuy's isn't packed. So we went there. The food was pretty good. I can't say the same about the mojito that I ordered. I think the bar tender forgot to add any rum. Also, the glass was filled to the brim with ice. Apparently Chuy's is one of those places that specialize in selling weak drinks to people who don't care.
We stopped at Costco for some water. They have a 75" TV on sale at a really good price. I just don't know if I want to go through the hassle of changing out TVs. I sure don't feel like doing it right now.
The evening is going to be surfing and football. At least for awhile. The teams playing may make it a real crappy game.
Today I finished cutting apart the big tree branch that fell in the basketball court. Better still, Ellen managed to get all of the trash, front tree, basketball tree, and the other stuff that had been stacked up, burned. That cedar stuff burns even when it's green. She would just put it in the barrel, the green leaves would dry out, and then the whole thing would start to burn like it was soaked in gasoline. Those tree are scary, and we have a lot of them.
Branch demolition and trash burning took about 3.5 hours. Afterwards we both took showers. Then it was off for a late lunch. 2 om is one of the few times that Chuy's isn't packed. So we went there. The food was pretty good. I can't say the same about the mojito that I ordered. I think the bar tender forgot to add any rum. Also, the glass was filled to the brim with ice. Apparently Chuy's is one of those places that specialize in selling weak drinks to people who don't care.
We stopped at Costco for some water. They have a 75" TV on sale at a really good price. I just don't know if I want to go through the hassle of changing out TVs. I sure don't feel like doing it right now.
The evening is going to be surfing and football. At least for awhile. The teams playing may make it a real crappy game.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Day 42
The weather was good today. I started out by cleaning the guns that I shot yesterday. I took my time, because I just didn't feel like working real hard.
After that I went into the house for lunch and some surfing. About 2 I decided I really ought to do something. So I got out the chainsaw and went to work on the downed branches. I took down the branch by the gate and used the lawnmower to drag it over to the burn barrel. Then I used the chainsaw to cut it up. I stacked the remains up to be burned.
Then I took the chainsaw down to the basketball court and got to work. I just kept working at it. I separated the branches I cut into green ones and dead ones. I'll put the dead ones by the burn barrel.. The green ones will remain on the court.
By 5 o'clock I was tired. I got a lot done, but there's a lot left to do. Just before I finished I noticed that there was a smaller branch (4 inches) that was split. So I cut it down. Suddenly I had a lot more to do. So I quit for today. Ay least I made a real dent in what needs to be done.
I went in and took a shower. I put on nice comfortable sweats when I got out. Just the thing for an evening of TV and surfing.
After that I went into the house for lunch and some surfing. About 2 I decided I really ought to do something. So I got out the chainsaw and went to work on the downed branches. I took down the branch by the gate and used the lawnmower to drag it over to the burn barrel. Then I used the chainsaw to cut it up. I stacked the remains up to be burned.
Then I took the chainsaw down to the basketball court and got to work. I just kept working at it. I separated the branches I cut into green ones and dead ones. I'll put the dead ones by the burn barrel.. The green ones will remain on the court.
By 5 o'clock I was tired. I got a lot done, but there's a lot left to do. Just before I finished I noticed that there was a smaller branch (4 inches) that was split. So I cut it down. Suddenly I had a lot more to do. So I quit for today. Ay least I made a real dent in what needs to be done.
I went in and took a shower. I put on nice comfortable sweats when I got out. Just the thing for an evening of TV and surfing.
Day 41
We got up late again, mainly from going to bed late.
The first order of business was Red's. I got the Savage sighted in. The Kimber was a disappointment. It didn't jam as much, but it still wasn't reliable. After that it was the post office and Wally World so I could get another power strip. We also stopped at Kohl's so I could get some jeans. All of my current ones have holes in them. Lunch was at Fireman's The last stop was Circle C. Lucy was very happy and did a normal number of retrieves. I would have gone for a walk, but I wanted to get home and work.
When we got home I went out to the trailer to install the panel meter. It took some time to measure out everything so that it would be a neat install. The only glitch was the weird power outlet that I connected to. It had push on connectors instead of screws. The connector just didn't want to work with the lamp cord I was wiring with. After some effort I did get it to work. The meter does look nice.
After that I decided to bask in the feeling of accomplishment. I went inside and read, surfed, and watched TV for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
The first order of business was Red's. I got the Savage sighted in. The Kimber was a disappointment. It didn't jam as much, but it still wasn't reliable. After that it was the post office and Wally World so I could get another power strip. We also stopped at Kohl's so I could get some jeans. All of my current ones have holes in them. Lunch was at Fireman's The last stop was Circle C. Lucy was very happy and did a normal number of retrieves. I would have gone for a walk, but I wanted to get home and work.
When we got home I went out to the trailer to install the panel meter. It took some time to measure out everything so that it would be a neat install. The only glitch was the weird power outlet that I connected to. It had push on connectors instead of screws. The connector just didn't want to work with the lamp cord I was wiring with. After some effort I did get it to work. The meter does look nice.
After that I decided to bask in the feeling of accomplishment. I went inside and read, surfed, and watched TV for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Day 40
So I made up some for the last few days of staying in the house because of the cold.
It was only up to 50 today, but it was sunny and fairly comfortable outside. We stayed in bed until about 10 anyway.
I started by cleaning the Savage and then mounting the BSA. It looks like a fine piece of work. I also bore sighted it.
Then I put the mud flaps on the car. The back ones were a pain, but I expected that. For some reason both vehicles were covered with white spots. At first I thought it was bird shit. It wasn't. Luckily it wiped off easily, so I wiped down the car.
Then I got out the ladder and put sealant around the edges of the shingle that was blown up in the storm. That might be overkill, but it makes me feel better.
Finally I took down the old motion light and put up a new one. It will be a couple of days before I know if it works.
The evening was football.
It was only up to 50 today, but it was sunny and fairly comfortable outside. We stayed in bed until about 10 anyway.
I started by cleaning the Savage and then mounting the BSA. It looks like a fine piece of work. I also bore sighted it.
Then I put the mud flaps on the car. The back ones were a pain, but I expected that. For some reason both vehicles were covered with white spots. At first I thought it was bird shit. It wasn't. Luckily it wiped off easily, so I wiped down the car.
Then I got out the ladder and put sealant around the edges of the shingle that was blown up in the storm. That might be overkill, but it makes me feel better.
Finally I took down the old motion light and put up a new one. It will be a couple of days before I know if it works.
The evening was football.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Day 39
It was a little warmer today, 50, but it still rained all day.
I decided to get out the Lego airplane that we bought in Oregon. It has 600 pieces. I spent some time organizing the pieces, and then Ellen wanted to go to HEB. So we did. On the way back we stopped at Tomlinson's. We kind of needed cat litter, but the real reason was to entertain the dog. Another cold snap is coming, so it may be awhile before she get to run.
When we got home I spent several hours building the airplane. It was kind of fun. The design is really clever, with retracting landing gear, moving flaps, and engine compartment, opening canopies, and a lever at the back that you move back and forth to turn the propeller.
After that it was time for football.
I decided to get out the Lego airplane that we bought in Oregon. It has 600 pieces. I spent some time organizing the pieces, and then Ellen wanted to go to HEB. So we did. On the way back we stopped at Tomlinson's. We kind of needed cat litter, but the real reason was to entertain the dog. Another cold snap is coming, so it may be awhile before she get to run.
When we got home I spent several hours building the airplane. It was kind of fun. The design is really clever, with retracting landing gear, moving flaps, and engine compartment, opening canopies, and a lever at the back that you move back and forth to turn the propeller.
After that it was time for football.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Day 38
We went down to New Braunfels today for the train show. I picked up several neat things at the show, some cars, a locomotive, and a couple of buildings. I almost bought another couple of cars, but you have to draw a limit somewhere.
After that we ate lunch at IHOP and headed north. We stopped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and bought a vacuum cleaner for 20% off. I took a side trip to Cabelas to get a case. Then I went up 1626. That was a mistake. I was stuck behind some slow guy with no opportunity to pass until we got to Slaughter.
We went by the post office and picked up the packages there. Lucy really wanted to do something, but it rained all day and the temperature never got above 50. So she was disappointed.
When we got home I opened up everything we bought and put it away. The new vacuum cleaner works really well. Ellen just had to try it out.
I showed restraint and only watched on Netflix movie tonight. I let Ellen watch her shows. That thing is really addictive.
After that we ate lunch at IHOP and headed north. We stopped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and bought a vacuum cleaner for 20% off. I took a side trip to Cabelas to get a case. Then I went up 1626. That was a mistake. I was stuck behind some slow guy with no opportunity to pass until we got to Slaughter.
We went by the post office and picked up the packages there. Lucy really wanted to do something, but it rained all day and the temperature never got above 50. So she was disappointed.
When we got home I opened up everything we bought and put it away. The new vacuum cleaner works really well. Ellen just had to try it out.
I showed restraint and only watched on Netflix movie tonight. I let Ellen watch her shows. That thing is really addictive.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Day 37
Today we went estate saleing in the morning. There was a sale in Wimberley that had a work bench that I really wanted. Unfortunately it was sold by the time we got there. On the way back we stopped at the place that we thought was closed last week. It turned out that it wasn't, it's just that they had the gate closed. The guy there remembered us and was puzzled why we didn't come in. Most of the stuff there was junk, but I picked up some yard art.
We went up to Dripping Springs. The dog got to run at the park. She did an incredible number of retrieves. The 40 degree weather may have been part of it. On the way back we stopped for fuel for the truck. We paid $3.29. That's the cheapest we've paid since 2011. We also stopped at Trudy's to eat lunch. They are open all day on Friday. They kind of ripped me off. They charged me $3.50 for a lemonade, and then another $3.50 for a refill.
We stopped for the mail. Some of the packages were in, but since it was only 1:00 of course they hadn't been put out yet. I couldn't wait, because I had to get to Wally World before 1:30 to get my drugs. I just made it.
After that we went home. I spent some time updating the list of Blu-rays that I have on my phone. That was the only useful thing I did all day. I spent the whole evening watching a couple of movies on Netflix. That thing is addictive.
We went up to Dripping Springs. The dog got to run at the park. She did an incredible number of retrieves. The 40 degree weather may have been part of it. On the way back we stopped for fuel for the truck. We paid $3.29. That's the cheapest we've paid since 2011. We also stopped at Trudy's to eat lunch. They are open all day on Friday. They kind of ripped me off. They charged me $3.50 for a lemonade, and then another $3.50 for a refill.
We stopped for the mail. Some of the packages were in, but since it was only 1:00 of course they hadn't been put out yet. I couldn't wait, because I had to get to Wally World before 1:30 to get my drugs. I just made it.
After that we went home. I spent some time updating the list of Blu-rays that I have on my phone. That was the only useful thing I did all day. I spent the whole evening watching a couple of movies on Netflix. That thing is addictive.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Day 36
I needed to get some more drugs today. So we went to Walmart. We also stopped at Costco for water and toothbrushes. Costco had a latest technology Blu-ray on sale, so we bought it. For some reason the TV won't connect to the internet. The last stop was Circle-C to run the dog. She had fun because it was only 40 degrees and windy. We didn't.
When we got home I switched out the Blu-ray's. The new one works great. We'll use it for all of the interet viewing.
In the evening I watched a zombie movie and a GI Joe movie on Netflix. Everything worked perfectly.
When we got home I switched out the Blu-ray's. The new one works great. We'll use it for all of the interet viewing.
In the evening I watched a zombie movie and a GI Joe movie on Netflix. Everything worked perfectly.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Day 35
Today was another it's cold, don't do anything day. I was going to go out and buy a couple of small items. Then I realized that I could order them from Amazon w/free shipping. They'd be here in a couple of days and i would save on gas. Either way I was going to pay sales tax. So I spent a large part of the morning shopping.
We spent the afternoon mainly surfing. We did go out to get the mail, take some stuff to Goodwill and get a late lunch. We went to this new microbrew/restaurant next to the drafthouse. It was pretty good. Then it was home to surf some more and wait to go to the movie.
The movie was great. I have always liked it. It was nice to see it on the big screen. There's always detail lost even on a 60" HDTV.
That's all. Tomorrow may be more interesting. Apparently there may be some estate sales to go to.
We spent the afternoon mainly surfing. We did go out to get the mail, take some stuff to Goodwill and get a late lunch. We went to this new microbrew/restaurant next to the drafthouse. It was pretty good. Then it was home to surf some more and wait to go to the movie.
The movie was great. I have always liked it. It was nice to see it on the big screen. There's always detail lost even on a 60" HDTV.
That's all. Tomorrow may be more interesting. Apparently there may be some estate sales to go to.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Day 34
Today was a "do nothing" day. A cold front is coming in. It was in the low 50's today and is supposed to get colder for the next few days.
We stayed in bed surfing until almost 10. The dog got up on the bed and played with us.
When we got up, we just surfed until 12:30. Then we went to Alamo Drafthouse to watch Interstellar and eat lunch. It was an OK movie, but 3 hours long. They are showing 5th Element tomorrow evening. I've never seen it in a theater, so we bought tickets.
After the show we did some grocery shopping and went home. When we got home we did the only useful thing today. We sorted all the mail that has been collecting and sitting around since we got here. Ellen filed a bunch of stuff and now the kitchen table is almost cleared off.
Ellen went to archery class this evening. I surfed and watched TV.
We stayed in bed surfing until almost 10. The dog got up on the bed and played with us.
When we got up, we just surfed until 12:30. Then we went to Alamo Drafthouse to watch Interstellar and eat lunch. It was an OK movie, but 3 hours long. They are showing 5th Element tomorrow evening. I've never seen it in a theater, so we bought tickets.
After the show we did some grocery shopping and went home. When we got home we did the only useful thing today. We sorted all the mail that has been collecting and sitting around since we got here. Ellen filed a bunch of stuff and now the kitchen table is almost cleared off.
Ellen went to archery class this evening. I surfed and watched TV.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Day 33
We started out the day by going to Red's. I wanted to try out the Solo one more time before sending it in. Fortunately I discovered that the problem wasn't the Solo, it was the stuff I was feeding it. A trip to Academy allowed me to acquire some stuff that would work. I'm a happy camper.
I went over to the car dealership to get the trunk pad and the mud flaps for the car. Apparently the service guy they introduced us to is useless.
We stopped at Office Depot for printer ink. We also picked up something called a Roku to allow us to watch Amazon Prime on the TV. Of course that will add another cable to fish in the wall for the TV. We took Lucy to Circle C on the way home. She had a good time doing retrieves. I had a strong following wind, so they were long retrieves.
When we got home we ate lunch. Then it was time to attack the TV. The package we got Saturday contained the new cable (the second book for John came today).
The TV fought us all of the way. We had to prop it next to the wall because the power cord doesn't detach. That made accessing the wall the string cable difficult. It was really hard to get the new cables (optical, HDMI, and LAN) through the bottom cable wall plate. I had to cut one of the inductors off the HDMI cable in order to do it. Twice I had to fish the string through the wall.
Finally, after three hours or more of struggle, it was done. As we were testing everything out, we fouind out that one of the HDMI cables was labelled wrong. Fuck. That meant taking the TV off the wall to change them. After that everything works as expected.
When we were finished Ellen fixed me a couple of Mojitos. They were really good even though she spilled half of one and I had to clean it up.
All in all I'm really tired, but pretty happy about how everything worked out.
I went over to the car dealership to get the trunk pad and the mud flaps for the car. Apparently the service guy they introduced us to is useless.
We stopped at Office Depot for printer ink. We also picked up something called a Roku to allow us to watch Amazon Prime on the TV. Of course that will add another cable to fish in the wall for the TV. We took Lucy to Circle C on the way home. She had a good time doing retrieves. I had a strong following wind, so they were long retrieves.
When we got home we ate lunch. Then it was time to attack the TV. The package we got Saturday contained the new cable (the second book for John came today).
The TV fought us all of the way. We had to prop it next to the wall because the power cord doesn't detach. That made accessing the wall the string cable difficult. It was really hard to get the new cables (optical, HDMI, and LAN) through the bottom cable wall plate. I had to cut one of the inductors off the HDMI cable in order to do it. Twice I had to fish the string through the wall.
Finally, after three hours or more of struggle, it was done. As we were testing everything out, we fouind out that one of the HDMI cables was labelled wrong. Fuck. That meant taking the TV off the wall to change them. After that everything works as expected.
When we were finished Ellen fixed me a couple of Mojitos. They were really good even though she spilled half of one and I had to clean it up.
All in all I'm really tired, but pretty happy about how everything worked out.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Day 32
I got up this morning and didn't want to do yard work. So I went out to the garage and unpacked the stuff from Oregon. It all fit in the new cabinet - barely. I also glued the horn back on the cow scull. We'll have to see if it works. Even though it was morning the mosquitoes were eating me alive again. That and surfing took the morning.
I went over to Bee Cave to get a .17 HMR cleaning kit. They had one, for $20. That's highway robbery. I'll order one online. We walked through the galleria and ate at a new restaurant. It was good, but expensive. It was fun looking at the new dog cam. We got home about 4.
On the way home I decided I really wanted the edging off my chest. So I did it. It took about an hour, and I'm sure happy to have that over with. The only yard thing left to do is remove the downed tree branches.
The evening was spent surfing and watching football.
I went over to Bee Cave to get a .17 HMR cleaning kit. They had one, for $20. That's highway robbery. I'll order one online. We walked through the galleria and ate at a new restaurant. It was good, but expensive. It was fun looking at the new dog cam. We got home about 4.
On the way home I decided I really wanted the edging off my chest. So I did it. It took about an hour, and I'm sure happy to have that over with. The only yard thing left to do is remove the downed tree branches.
The evening was spent surfing and watching football.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Day 31
The day didn't start off well. I went back to the estate sale, but someone had already bought the ship model. Oh well.
We stopped by the archery place on 290. Ellen wasn't impressed. It's attached to a pawn shop. Their prices on used tools were higher than you could buy new ones at Lowes.
After the post office we went over to Circle C for the dog. The place was packed. There were cars parked all over where I usually throw her retrieves. We walked over to the creek. It was dry. Lucy got plenty of retrieves in while we walked. The cars were because every soccer field was being used. There was literally no place to park in the park.
After watching for awhile we went to the Italian place for lunch and the ice cream place for dessert. Then it was home.
Ellen was still sick from the wasp bite she got yesterday. So she drove to an urgent care place. I decided to work. I used one of the 2x4's I bought yesterday to prop up the last leaning fence post in the back yard. Then I finished mowing the lawn (YEAH). I replaced the rocks along the edge of the yard. The only thing I have left to do with the lawn is edge around the doll house, the pump house, and the yard light areas. Maybe tomorrow. One weird thing. A frog, about 4 inches long, jumped out of the lawn while I was mowing by the doll house.
Then I went to the garage and finished hanging and assembling the new cabinet. It actually went easier than I expected. The only major problem was being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I was too tired to fill it up when I was finished.
After a shower I just sat. I'm really tired and my legs are really sore. One interesting thing. it took about a week for the hot water to quit stinking.
We stopped by the archery place on 290. Ellen wasn't impressed. It's attached to a pawn shop. Their prices on used tools were higher than you could buy new ones at Lowes.
After the post office we went over to Circle C for the dog. The place was packed. There were cars parked all over where I usually throw her retrieves. We walked over to the creek. It was dry. Lucy got plenty of retrieves in while we walked. The cars were because every soccer field was being used. There was literally no place to park in the park.
After watching for awhile we went to the Italian place for lunch and the ice cream place for dessert. Then it was home.
Ellen was still sick from the wasp bite she got yesterday. So she drove to an urgent care place. I decided to work. I used one of the 2x4's I bought yesterday to prop up the last leaning fence post in the back yard. Then I finished mowing the lawn (YEAH). I replaced the rocks along the edge of the yard. The only thing I have left to do with the lawn is edge around the doll house, the pump house, and the yard light areas. Maybe tomorrow. One weird thing. A frog, about 4 inches long, jumped out of the lawn while I was mowing by the doll house.
Then I went to the garage and finished hanging and assembling the new cabinet. It actually went easier than I expected. The only major problem was being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I was too tired to fill it up when I was finished.
After a shower I just sat. I'm really tired and my legs are really sore. One interesting thing. it took about a week for the hot water to quit stinking.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Day 30
So we've been gone a month.
DirectTV called this morning and said they wouldn't be here until the afternoon. So we went to an estate sale in Dripping Springs. It had a lot of neat stuff, but we only bought a nice comfy desk chair for Ellen. We went to a second one that was supposed to be open at 8. It was 9:30 and they were closed. There was a guy inside the gate, but he ignored us. So we said screw it and left.
We went back to Dripping Springs. We got gas and groceries at HEB. HEB had quite a bit of stuff on sale. We bought several good dinners worth of stuff.
Then it was time to go home. I switched to the truck and went back to pick up the chair. Then I went to the post office and to Lowe's for another garage cabinet. I found out later that my package was at the post office, but they didn't put the notice in our box until about half an hour after I got there at 1:30. Assholes.
While I was out Ellen called to say that she'd destroyed the TV optical cable that I tried to fix yesterday. I wish she hadn't fucked with it. Now we have to order another cable and a converter. When it gets here we'll have to unconnect the TV, fish the new cable, and reconnect everything. I told Ellen I didn't want to hear a peep of bitching when we do it.
When I got back I went to work on the cabinet. It took awhile to figure out how to mount it under the shelf. Finally I decided to cut the support of one bracket. I also put up two boards to mount it to. That way it won't start to fall off like the other one did. I couldn't finish because I didn't have bolts to mount it.
The new cable box doesn't have an optical out. I didn't have one, so no TV sound.
After dinner we went to get a cable. Amazingly Radio Shit had one. We also went to Lowe's to get some bolts and spare 2x4's. We also stopped for some ice cream. When we got home I hooked up the new cable. Now we have TV sound.
DirectTV called this morning and said they wouldn't be here until the afternoon. So we went to an estate sale in Dripping Springs. It had a lot of neat stuff, but we only bought a nice comfy desk chair for Ellen. We went to a second one that was supposed to be open at 8. It was 9:30 and they were closed. There was a guy inside the gate, but he ignored us. So we said screw it and left.
We went back to Dripping Springs. We got gas and groceries at HEB. HEB had quite a bit of stuff on sale. We bought several good dinners worth of stuff.
Then it was time to go home. I switched to the truck and went back to pick up the chair. Then I went to the post office and to Lowe's for another garage cabinet. I found out later that my package was at the post office, but they didn't put the notice in our box until about half an hour after I got there at 1:30. Assholes.
While I was out Ellen called to say that she'd destroyed the TV optical cable that I tried to fix yesterday. I wish she hadn't fucked with it. Now we have to order another cable and a converter. When it gets here we'll have to unconnect the TV, fish the new cable, and reconnect everything. I told Ellen I didn't want to hear a peep of bitching when we do it.
When I got back I went to work on the cabinet. It took awhile to figure out how to mount it under the shelf. Finally I decided to cut the support of one bracket. I also put up two boards to mount it to. That way it won't start to fall off like the other one did. I couldn't finish because I didn't have bolts to mount it.
The new cable box doesn't have an optical out. I didn't have one, so no TV sound.
After dinner we went to get a cable. Amazingly Radio Shit had one. We also went to Lowe's to get some bolts and spare 2x4's. We also stopped for some ice cream. When we got home I hooked up the new cable. Now we have TV sound.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Day 29
We stayed home all day waiting for people to work on the house. The internet guy showed up a little after 10. It took him a couple of hours to do the install. Apparently the people who used to own the house had two lines installed. One was a "commercial line", whatever that means. It was installed in the apartment.
It was way too wet to work on the lawn, so while he was doing the install I went out to the garage to unpack some of the stuff we brought. I put away some of the stuff. The rest will have to wait until I put up another cabinet to put it in.
When I went back inside the install was finished. That's when the crap started. We had to take the TV off the wall to connect up a LAN cable. That was a pain. Then I couldn't get the audio to work. After a lot of time spent trying to figure out what was wrong, I found that the digital cable from the TV wasn't connected. The reason it wasn't was that it was broken off. Crap.
The cable was plugged into a converter. I glued part of the connector back together. Unfortunately I can't get the rest out of the converter. That means that I'll have to glue the connector to the converter. That will work as long as the converter doesn't fail. Replacing the cable is something I don't think I could do withough help. Ellen really can't lift the TV any more.
The ADT guy finally showed up late in the afternoon. He worked for almost 3 hours connecting up all of the new hardware. The new camera is really cool when you look at it on the phone.
We aren't looking at streaming video yet because I have to wait until tomorrow for the glue to dry.
Tomorrow is the DirectTV guy. They didn't give me a time when he will show up.
It was way too wet to work on the lawn, so while he was doing the install I went out to the garage to unpack some of the stuff we brought. I put away some of the stuff. The rest will have to wait until I put up another cabinet to put it in.
When I went back inside the install was finished. That's when the crap started. We had to take the TV off the wall to connect up a LAN cable. That was a pain. Then I couldn't get the audio to work. After a lot of time spent trying to figure out what was wrong, I found that the digital cable from the TV wasn't connected. The reason it wasn't was that it was broken off. Crap.
The cable was plugged into a converter. I glued part of the connector back together. Unfortunately I can't get the rest out of the converter. That means that I'll have to glue the connector to the converter. That will work as long as the converter doesn't fail. Replacing the cable is something I don't think I could do withough help. Ellen really can't lift the TV any more.
The ADT guy finally showed up late in the afternoon. He worked for almost 3 hours connecting up all of the new hardware. The new camera is really cool when you look at it on the phone.
We aren't looking at streaming video yet because I have to wait until tomorrow for the glue to dry.
Tomorrow is the DirectTV guy. They didn't give me a time when he will show up.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Day 28
It rained hard all night and and all of today. Ellen waited around for the washer guys while I picked up the mail and went to Centex. While I was out I stopped by Home Depot. They are selling the next model up from our washer for $120 less than what we paid for ours. Shit.
On the way home I called home using the car. It was really good sound quality. She says she is doing OK. She does sound like she's got it a little bit better together.
When I got back we wrapped up all of the Christmas presents. It was about all that we could do with it raining so hard. I called ADT about upgrading the alarm. They are going to do it tomorrow. We'll get internet monitoring and it will cost us $1 less a month. Go figure.
The rest of the day was surfing and watching TV. At least watching the channels that weren't fuzzed out because of the rain.
On the way home I called home using the car. It was really good sound quality. She says she is doing OK. She does sound like she's got it a little bit better together.
When I got back we wrapped up all of the Christmas presents. It was about all that we could do with it raining so hard. I called ADT about upgrading the alarm. They are going to do it tomorrow. We'll get internet monitoring and it will cost us $1 less a month. Go figure.
The rest of the day was surfing and watching TV. At least watching the channels that weren't fuzzed out because of the rain.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Day 27
It rained last night, so not yard work today. It was supposed to rain today all day, so we left after breakfast. It was wash day, so we went to a laundromat (thanks Samsung). We got a late start, so it was noon before the wash was done. It was expensive, too.
We ate at Cici's, a pizza place that we had been to before. It wasn't as good as the last time we were there. We probably won't go back.
In the interest of putting miles on the car we went to Cabela's. We got an arrow target for Ellen and a couple of Christmas presents for Martha. My original intention was to get a cleaning kit, but I forgot to. Oh well.
When we got home Beaver was standing in the cul-de-sac. So we had a nice talk with him. They will be spending every weekend for the rest of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas at the deer lease. They bought a lot in Kerrville for their new house, but they won't start building until this one sells.
When we got home I unloaded the basement of the trailer. It's amazing how much stuff I had in there. It wasn't a pleasant job. The temperature was 80, and the humidity was above 90%. It did feel good to get one more thing off the "after arrival" list. Of course I still have to put everything away.
The evening was surfing and Tv.
We ate at Cici's, a pizza place that we had been to before. It wasn't as good as the last time we were there. We probably won't go back.
In the interest of putting miles on the car we went to Cabela's. We got an arrow target for Ellen and a couple of Christmas presents for Martha. My original intention was to get a cleaning kit, but I forgot to. Oh well.
When we got home Beaver was standing in the cul-de-sac. So we had a nice talk with him. They will be spending every weekend for the rest of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas at the deer lease. They bought a lot in Kerrville for their new house, but they won't start building until this one sells.
When we got home I unloaded the basement of the trailer. It's amazing how much stuff I had in there. It wasn't a pleasant job. The temperature was 80, and the humidity was above 90%. It did feel good to get one more thing off the "after arrival" list. Of course I still have to put everything away.
The evening was surfing and Tv.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Day 26
I got up and started work about 9. Because I mowed yesterday I decided to edge today. I edged and trimmed everything that I'd mowed yesterday. I also used the trimmer to cut all of the grass where the swimming pool used to be. I had to replace the trimmer string, but I expected to do that at some point. The replacement went smoothly.
I also edged the area between the front yard and the basketball court. It hadn't been mowed yet. One of the trees there had a lot of dead branches hanging down to the ground. So I took the time to cut them off and haul them away. It makes the area look a lot better.
When I was trimming around the sewer controls I found a broken off mower blade. I thought it came off the mower. So I got out the mower ramps and put them up on the railroad ties by the garage. That allowed me to see under the mower when I drove the mower on them. Luckily the mower blades were OK. That leaves me with the mystery of where the broken blade came from. I found it in a place that I've walked many times. I think I would have noticed it.
By that time it was after 11 and I was really tired, dirty, and a little sweaty. Since I had the mower out I decided to mow the area that I'd edged. With that complete I have now finished with the lawn all the way around the house and up the driveway on the left. I still have to do the area by the doll house, the trailer, and the back 40. I also have to trim the right side of the driveway by the yard light.
Of course after that I still have to remove the broken tree. It's a big one, so that will be a non-trivial job.
After lunch we went out. We stopped by the vet and gave them all of the Valley Fever drugs that we bought for Lucy but didn't use. Then we put in an order at Centex. Finally we stopped at Best Buy to look at washers. Ellen saw one she liked, so we bought it. It will be delivered on Wednesday. Too bad for Lowe's.
In the evening I went to the neighborhood association meeting. The people that bitch about shooting weren't there. There were two new owners. They seemed like nice people. They said they moved to Bear Creek to escape Nazi neighborhood associations.
I learned a couple of interesting things. Bubba's has been sold, but no one knows what will replace it. A strip mall is supposed to go in across the street. They are going to build a HEB where the Nutty Brown Cafe is (crap). They are going to build a Target on 290 by Belterra. Pretty soon you won't be able to drive on 290 at all.
I also edged the area between the front yard and the basketball court. It hadn't been mowed yet. One of the trees there had a lot of dead branches hanging down to the ground. So I took the time to cut them off and haul them away. It makes the area look a lot better.
When I was trimming around the sewer controls I found a broken off mower blade. I thought it came off the mower. So I got out the mower ramps and put them up on the railroad ties by the garage. That allowed me to see under the mower when I drove the mower on them. Luckily the mower blades were OK. That leaves me with the mystery of where the broken blade came from. I found it in a place that I've walked many times. I think I would have noticed it.
By that time it was after 11 and I was really tired, dirty, and a little sweaty. Since I had the mower out I decided to mow the area that I'd edged. With that complete I have now finished with the lawn all the way around the house and up the driveway on the left. I still have to do the area by the doll house, the trailer, and the back 40. I also have to trim the right side of the driveway by the yard light.
Of course after that I still have to remove the broken tree. It's a big one, so that will be a non-trivial job.
After lunch we went out. We stopped by the vet and gave them all of the Valley Fever drugs that we bought for Lucy but didn't use. Then we put in an order at Centex. Finally we stopped at Best Buy to look at washers. Ellen saw one she liked, so we bought it. It will be delivered on Wednesday. Too bad for Lowe's.
In the evening I went to the neighborhood association meeting. The people that bitch about shooting weren't there. There were two new owners. They seemed like nice people. They said they moved to Bear Creek to escape Nazi neighborhood associations.
I learned a couple of interesting things. Bubba's has been sold, but no one knows what will replace it. A strip mall is supposed to go in across the street. They are going to build a HEB where the Nutty Brown Cafe is (crap). They are going to build a Target on 290 by Belterra. Pretty soon you won't be able to drive on 290 at all.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Day 25
I got up at 9 today, but because today is the switch to Daylight losing time it was really 8. It was a work day. I started out by mowing the front yard and the back yard. Then I fixed the fence.
First I tied a rope to the middle fence post and pulled it upright with the mower. Then I reattached the top wire and fixed the support wire. I got some scrap 2x4s and put braces on two of the fence posts. I would have done all three, but I didn't have enough wood. Finally I tightened up the support wire. When I untied the middle fence post nothing moved. The fence is almost vertical now. It looks OK.
While I was fixing the fence I noticed that a fairly large tree, about 10 inches, had been uprooted by the storm. It was just by the antenna. That means that the tornado missed the house by less than 50 feet. We sure lucked out. On the down side I noticed today that one of the garage windows is cracked.
It was about 11 when I finished the fence. So I got back on the mower. I mowed the rest of the side yard, the area around the basketball court, and the sides of the driveway. I even did a little by the well house. Then I ran out of gas.
It was about 1 when I finished. I was covered with dirt, so I went in and took a shower. Then we went to lunch at the Italian place with the dog. We also stopped at the post office, Tomlinson's, and HEB. I got a flu shot at HEB.
On the way back we got gas. The pump rejected my card. Apparently Ellen lost hers yesterday and the bank cancelled it. Crap.
When we got home I filled up the mower, but the battery ran down before it got enough gas to start. So I pushed it from the side yard to the garage and plugged in the battery charger.
I did a little surfing and then it was time to go to the neighborhood potluck. There weren't a lot of people there, but it was fun. We ate a little and visited for a couple of hours.
The rest of the evening was TV and surfing.
First I tied a rope to the middle fence post and pulled it upright with the mower. Then I reattached the top wire and fixed the support wire. I got some scrap 2x4s and put braces on two of the fence posts. I would have done all three, but I didn't have enough wood. Finally I tightened up the support wire. When I untied the middle fence post nothing moved. The fence is almost vertical now. It looks OK.
While I was fixing the fence I noticed that a fairly large tree, about 10 inches, had been uprooted by the storm. It was just by the antenna. That means that the tornado missed the house by less than 50 feet. We sure lucked out. On the down side I noticed today that one of the garage windows is cracked.
It was about 11 when I finished the fence. So I got back on the mower. I mowed the rest of the side yard, the area around the basketball court, and the sides of the driveway. I even did a little by the well house. Then I ran out of gas.
It was about 1 when I finished. I was covered with dirt, so I went in and took a shower. Then we went to lunch at the Italian place with the dog. We also stopped at the post office, Tomlinson's, and HEB. I got a flu shot at HEB.
On the way back we got gas. The pump rejected my card. Apparently Ellen lost hers yesterday and the bank cancelled it. Crap.
When we got home I filled up the mower, but the battery ran down before it got enough gas to start. So I pushed it from the side yard to the garage and plugged in the battery charger.
I did a little surfing and then it was time to go to the neighborhood potluck. There weren't a lot of people there, but it was fun. We ate a little and visited for a couple of hours.
The rest of the evening was TV and surfing.
Day 24
Today was a dog day.
The weather was nice, sunny and cooler. I felt guilty about not doing anything, so before we left I put away the stuff from under the bed in the trailer. I also picked up all of the stuff from the recycle bin. I put the water soaked paper in the garbage. It was really heavy. Then I hauled both cans out to the gate.
After that we went to Zilker. Lucy was ecstatic. We were there for quite a while. Lucy would do a bunch of retrieves and then rest and socialize a little. Then it was time for more retrieves. It was cool enough that she didn't get over heated.
After that we went estate sailing. I knew it was Saturday, so we wouldn't get any good stuff. The real point was to put miles on the car. The car works great. It's quieter than the oregon car and seems to have a little more power.
The three places we went were up north near Fry's. Of course they were al picked over by Saturday afternoon. So we went to Fry's afterwards. We didn't buy anything.
Ellen had a archery class at 5:30. So we had to hurry home. We made record time. I exceeded the speed limit for most of the way and we made both lights on the Mopac green. She had plenty of time to get to her class.
While she was a class I watched a couple of movies on the DVR. I think we'll lose everything we've recorded when the electronics are updated next week.
The weather was nice, sunny and cooler. I felt guilty about not doing anything, so before we left I put away the stuff from under the bed in the trailer. I also picked up all of the stuff from the recycle bin. I put the water soaked paper in the garbage. It was really heavy. Then I hauled both cans out to the gate.
After that we went to Zilker. Lucy was ecstatic. We were there for quite a while. Lucy would do a bunch of retrieves and then rest and socialize a little. Then it was time for more retrieves. It was cool enough that she didn't get over heated.
After that we went estate sailing. I knew it was Saturday, so we wouldn't get any good stuff. The real point was to put miles on the car. The car works great. It's quieter than the oregon car and seems to have a little more power.
The three places we went were up north near Fry's. Of course they were al picked over by Saturday afternoon. So we went to Fry's afterwards. We didn't buy anything.
Ellen had a archery class at 5:30. So we had to hurry home. We made record time. I exceeded the speed limit for most of the way and we made both lights on the Mopac green. She had plenty of time to get to her class.
While she was a class I watched a couple of movies on the DVR. I think we'll lose everything we've recorded when the electronics are updated next week.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Day 23
We got up this morning and finished determining how much we wanted to spend for the car. Ellen also found out how much we owed. I wrote up a little sheet to take with us. Then we took all of our stuff out of the car. By the time we got that done it was time to go to the dealership. We got there at 10:15.
They had a salesman assigned to help us. He sat us down and we filled out the first of a lot of paperwork. The car wasn't prepped, but we took a drive in it anyway. It was just like the one we already have except no rear sensors.
We went back in and did a little more paperwork. Then we waited quite awhile while they appraised the car. Finally the sales manager came back. He offered us $500 more for the car than we calculated. Sounded good to me, so we bought it. Then we waited some more time for the finance guy. Our time with him was spent refusing useless add ons and signing a huge number of papers.
When that was done, the car still wasn't ready. So we hung around some more. Finally we got to leave. The new car seems quieter than the Oregon one. It's probably the tires.
It was after 1 and we were hungry. So we went to Steakburger on the way to the insurance office. After lunch we got the insurance set up and went home. It was 3 and I really didn't feel like doing anything, so I didn't.
About 6 it had cooled down, so I went and got the mail with Lucy. She was so happy to walk a little. When I got back I felt guilty, so I unloaded the truck. I had quite a bit of weight in it.
We had Traegerized pizza for dinner. Now I'm watching a zombie marathon.
They had a salesman assigned to help us. He sat us down and we filled out the first of a lot of paperwork. The car wasn't prepped, but we took a drive in it anyway. It was just like the one we already have except no rear sensors.
We went back in and did a little more paperwork. Then we waited quite awhile while they appraised the car. Finally the sales manager came back. He offered us $500 more for the car than we calculated. Sounded good to me, so we bought it. Then we waited some more time for the finance guy. Our time with him was spent refusing useless add ons and signing a huge number of papers.
When that was done, the car still wasn't ready. So we hung around some more. Finally we got to leave. The new car seems quieter than the Oregon one. It's probably the tires.
It was after 1 and we were hungry. So we went to Steakburger on the way to the insurance office. After lunch we got the insurance set up and went home. It was 3 and I really didn't feel like doing anything, so I didn't.
About 6 it had cooled down, so I went and got the mail with Lucy. She was so happy to walk a little. When I got back I felt guilty, so I unloaded the truck. I had quite a bit of weight in it.
We had Traegerized pizza for dinner. Now I'm watching a zombie marathon.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Day 22
I got up at 7:45 this morning. For some reason I woke up and felt like getting up.
I spoke too soon about there being nothing wrong w/the house. When we woke up the washer was making a buzzing noise. Ellen tried to start a load, but it threw an error code. She found someone who could come in the afternoon.
After breakfast I put the charger back on the car battery. Then I moved all of the stuff from under the bed out of the trailer. I went up into the attic while it was still cool and located what I think is the data input cable (it's marked "HSD"). I'm not for sure because everything is covered with insulation. I cut it, put in a new connector, and fished it down to a new rf connector plate in the wall. I picked the area with the space behind the wall, so it wasn't too difficult.
After that while Ellen cleaned the trailer I got started on the yard work. I edged around the trailer, the parking area, and along the sidewalk. I also replaced some of the boundary rocks and cleaned up all of the leaves in the entry way. By then it was 12:30 and time for lunch.
We went to the Post Office and then to Fireman's. We had to order take out so that we could get back for the washer repairman. When we got back I decided to take the afternoon off and read.
The washer repairman came. After working for about an hour he said he couldn't fix the washer without order very expensive parts that he wasn't sure would fix it. At least he didn't charge us anything. While he was doing that Ellen was looking for cars. Lola came over with our mail and we gave her a $20 tip to go with what we paid her before. She spent quite a while petting Lucy. Lucy was in heaven.
Ellen found out on the web that the most likely cause of the washer failure was the leak it had earlier. The water corrodes the control board. It's new washer time. I'm not happy.
While Ellen worked on cars I went out to the back yard to pick up yard art. While I was there I noticed that several small trees that had been killed in the drought were snapped off at ground level. Also the fence was falling down because the cable holding it up had broken (more former owner bullshit). So I threw the trees and some other dead branches over the fence (so much for resting).
When I got back inside Ellen had a quote for the car. The price isn't bad, but with $1250 in additional incentives it's great. The downside is we have almost no equity in the Hyundai. I called them up and made an appointment to see them tomorrow. The incentives expire tomorrow.
To cap off the evening we went to Lowe's to buy a new washer. Unfortunately it will be two weeks before they have one in stock. Oh well.
I spoke too soon about there being nothing wrong w/the house. When we woke up the washer was making a buzzing noise. Ellen tried to start a load, but it threw an error code. She found someone who could come in the afternoon.
After breakfast I put the charger back on the car battery. Then I moved all of the stuff from under the bed out of the trailer. I went up into the attic while it was still cool and located what I think is the data input cable (it's marked "HSD"). I'm not for sure because everything is covered with insulation. I cut it, put in a new connector, and fished it down to a new rf connector plate in the wall. I picked the area with the space behind the wall, so it wasn't too difficult.
After that while Ellen cleaned the trailer I got started on the yard work. I edged around the trailer, the parking area, and along the sidewalk. I also replaced some of the boundary rocks and cleaned up all of the leaves in the entry way. By then it was 12:30 and time for lunch.
We went to the Post Office and then to Fireman's. We had to order take out so that we could get back for the washer repairman. When we got back I decided to take the afternoon off and read.
The washer repairman came. After working for about an hour he said he couldn't fix the washer without order very expensive parts that he wasn't sure would fix it. At least he didn't charge us anything. While he was doing that Ellen was looking for cars. Lola came over with our mail and we gave her a $20 tip to go with what we paid her before. She spent quite a while petting Lucy. Lucy was in heaven.
Ellen found out on the web that the most likely cause of the washer failure was the leak it had earlier. The water corrodes the control board. It's new washer time. I'm not happy.
While Ellen worked on cars I went out to the back yard to pick up yard art. While I was there I noticed that several small trees that had been killed in the drought were snapped off at ground level. Also the fence was falling down because the cable holding it up had broken (more former owner bullshit). So I threw the trees and some other dead branches over the fence (so much for resting).
When I got back inside Ellen had a quote for the car. The price isn't bad, but with $1250 in additional incentives it's great. The downside is we have almost no equity in the Hyundai. I called them up and made an appointment to see them tomorrow. The incentives expire tomorrow.
To cap off the evening we went to Lowe's to buy a new washer. Unfortunately it will be two weeks before they have one in stock. Oh well.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Day 21
It was an interesting day. We got to the trailer inspection place a little before 8. They took us as soon as they were open. The "inspection" consisted of looking at our trailer. We were out in 10 minutes.
I decided to get the tags on the way home. We stopped at Dripping Springs. They said the tags were already issued. We had to pay $7 for duplicates. This was confusing. We took the opportunity to vote while we were there.
When we got home the place was as overgrown as a expected, maybe more. I was disappointed at the amount of weeds in the driveway and parking areas. The broken tree branch is impressive. It's probably 10 inches in diameter. It took an hour (I'm not kidding) to get the trailer parked. Then we spent the next hour and a half unloading the inside of the trailer. We still have under the bed and the basement to do.
At that point I didn't want to do any more, especially since I hadn't eaten yet today. So we went to the Post Office and Cheddars. The lunch was great and it gave us a chance to look at some of the mail. The tag mystery was solved. Ellen had already paid for the renewal and had forgotten about it. So we already had a tag. Next time she needs to pay for it sooner. I'm not sure why we even needed a safety tag.
On the way back we stopped at Best Buy to get a cable modem. It was $130, but that's better than paying $11/mo in rent. I'm probably going to have to do some wire fishing to wire it in. The old cables are now being used for DirectTV.
At least the house didn't give much trouble. The pump works, as does all the electronics. The only problems were a burnt out light bulb and the chain falling off the toilet lever. The dumbshit that owned this place struck again. The bar on the handle had broken. Instead of buying a new one, he hot glued the chain to the bar. Idiot.
We spent the rest of the afternoon watching some TV and putting stuff away. We've still got stuff to put away and a lot of mail to go through. All in all it was a pretty good first day.
I decided to get the tags on the way home. We stopped at Dripping Springs. They said the tags were already issued. We had to pay $7 for duplicates. This was confusing. We took the opportunity to vote while we were there.
When we got home the place was as overgrown as a expected, maybe more. I was disappointed at the amount of weeds in the driveway and parking areas. The broken tree branch is impressive. It's probably 10 inches in diameter. It took an hour (I'm not kidding) to get the trailer parked. Then we spent the next hour and a half unloading the inside of the trailer. We still have under the bed and the basement to do.
At that point I didn't want to do any more, especially since I hadn't eaten yet today. So we went to the Post Office and Cheddars. The lunch was great and it gave us a chance to look at some of the mail. The tag mystery was solved. Ellen had already paid for the renewal and had forgotten about it. So we already had a tag. Next time she needs to pay for it sooner. I'm not sure why we even needed a safety tag.
On the way back we stopped at Best Buy to get a cable modem. It was $130, but that's better than paying $11/mo in rent. I'm probably going to have to do some wire fishing to wire it in. The old cables are now being used for DirectTV.
At least the house didn't give much trouble. The pump works, as does all the electronics. The only problems were a burnt out light bulb and the chain falling off the toilet lever. The dumbshit that owned this place struck again. The bar on the handle had broken. Instead of buying a new one, he hot glued the chain to the bar. Idiot.
We spent the rest of the afternoon watching some TV and putting stuff away. We've still got stuff to put away and a lot of mail to go through. All in all it was a pretty good first day.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Day 20
Today was a day of rest - sort of.
While Ellen did the wash, I finished cutting off the towel rack and attaching it to the cabinet door. Then I decided to attach the clock that keeps falling down. It wasn't working, so I replaced the battery. It started up, but stopped after a couple of minutes. The mechanism case was clear and I could see a black thread that was gumming up the gears. So I carefully pried apart the case and removed the thread. Unfortunately a couple of the gears were captured by features in the case top. It was difficult to get them lined up, but I finally managed to do it. The clock has been working correctly for the whole day.
After the wash was done we went to town. We walked all over it. We spent a few hundred dollars buying Christmas presents and stuff for ourselves. We also ate lunch. On the way back we fueled up the truck.
When we got home I took the dog to the field across the street. That didn't go well. After one retrieve her feet were filled with goatheads. I removed them and we went home. To make it up to here I got out one of the folding chairs, got a Mike's, and surfed outside with the dog. I think I must have been getting bitten by something because my arms and legs are really itchy.
Ellen set us up for high speed internet. I've gotten one text and 6 emails about it in the last few hours.
We ate dinner (hotdogs) in the trailer. Tomorrow I want to be at the inspection place at 8 when they open.
While Ellen did the wash, I finished cutting off the towel rack and attaching it to the cabinet door. Then I decided to attach the clock that keeps falling down. It wasn't working, so I replaced the battery. It started up, but stopped after a couple of minutes. The mechanism case was clear and I could see a black thread that was gumming up the gears. So I carefully pried apart the case and removed the thread. Unfortunately a couple of the gears were captured by features in the case top. It was difficult to get them lined up, but I finally managed to do it. The clock has been working correctly for the whole day.
After the wash was done we went to town. We walked all over it. We spent a few hundred dollars buying Christmas presents and stuff for ourselves. We also ate lunch. On the way back we fueled up the truck.
When we got home I took the dog to the field across the street. That didn't go well. After one retrieve her feet were filled with goatheads. I removed them and we went home. To make it up to here I got out one of the folding chairs, got a Mike's, and surfed outside with the dog. I think I must have been getting bitten by something because my arms and legs are really itchy.
Ellen set us up for high speed internet. I've gotten one text and 6 emails about it in the last few hours.
We ate dinner (hotdogs) in the trailer. Tomorrow I want to be at the inspection place at 8 when they open.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Day 19
Another travel day. We got up at 7. It was dark, but it was light by the time we left at 8. It was about 380 miles and we did it in 6.5 hours. We could have done it faster, but we had to make two fuel stops instead of one. That was because the places we could stop at weren't spaced the way we needed them to be. Other than that it was an uneventful trip. We did have a good time listening to the audio book we have, the Lamb by Christopher Moore.
We got to Fredericksburg about 2:30. After setting up we went to HEB. It was really nice to shop at a nice grocery store with Texas prices. After that we stopped at a place to see if we can get a safety sticker for our trailer. They said yes. I plan on stopping there on Wednesday morning when we leave.
We had some time when we got back, so I decided to closely examine the damage Ellen did to the kitchen cabinet. She bent a hinge, bent the door handle bolts, bent the door handle, and cracked the door. The door won't shut securely anymore. So I removed the door and bent the hinge back into shape. The door handle bolts were too bent to unscrew, so I used the Dremel to cut them.
Then we went to the hardware store for parts. I got new door handle screws, tubing to make hinge pins for the table hinges, and screws to mount the towel rack to the cabinet door. When I got back I fixed the door and replaced the hinge pins. I started to cut the towel rack, but the Dremel ran out of battery. I'll have to fix that tomorrow.
The evening was Monday night football.
We got to Fredericksburg about 2:30. After setting up we went to HEB. It was really nice to shop at a nice grocery store with Texas prices. After that we stopped at a place to see if we can get a safety sticker for our trailer. They said yes. I plan on stopping there on Wednesday morning when we leave.
We had some time when we got back, so I decided to closely examine the damage Ellen did to the kitchen cabinet. She bent a hinge, bent the door handle bolts, bent the door handle, and cracked the door. The door won't shut securely anymore. So I removed the door and bent the hinge back into shape. The door handle bolts were too bent to unscrew, so I used the Dremel to cut them.
Then we went to the hardware store for parts. I got new door handle screws, tubing to make hinge pins for the table hinges, and screws to mount the towel rack to the cabinet door. When I got back I fixed the door and replaced the hinge pins. I started to cut the towel rack, but the Dremel ran out of battery. I'll have to fix that tomorrow.
The evening was Monday night football.
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