Windows Live

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I’ve been posting to Windows live as of late, so that’s the reason there have not been any posting here.  I sent out invitations to join Window Live and set up your own accounts.  Then your able to use messenger service, mail account, photo albums and the like.  If you’d like to join the group on Windows Live send me an email and I’ll send or in some cases resend the invites to join the network.  Check it out and join up.  I will not be posting here on Blogger, at least for the time being. The Tarparosa web site shall remain here on Google as well as I will add photos to both sites.  I do like the fact that “Live” has a suite of off-line tools to work with.  You can download all the tools when you set up your account on “Live” this is all free from Windows Live.  As a matter of fact I’m writing this posting using Windows Live Writer which allows you to work off line and then post to your other accounts.  Hey don’t take my word for it…check out Live for yourself and as I stated earlier drop me an email and I send you an invite to join the network.  I’ve also set up a private by invite Group called the Tarparosa.  Check it out!

email me at daveg1961@gmail.com or daveg61@live.com

Cloudy Tuesday

Bit more fall like today, cooler, gray and where suppose to have t-storms and rain today...if so it will be the first rain in nearly a month. I won't complain, we surely can use some rain. Looks as though the rest of the week is pretty similar chance of storms/showers each day, by the end of the week the highs in the low or near 70 mark, lows closing in on the upper 30's. To be expected as we are just a bit more than a week away from the 1st of October. (T-8) to the "Fling".

The past weekend was pretty uneventful, did not do much this past weekend. The Packers lost to Bengals on Sunday...the way they played the loss was more than deserved!

Did some winterizing yesterday, put most things that will freeze in the basement for the winter, caulked up a few things, used some foam to fill a couple big gaps a raccoon could have crawled through around my garage door. Plastic on the basement windows, still have a couple other windows that I'm going to cover for this winter and see if it makes a difference. Still have to put stabilizer in gas powered equipment and change the oil on the snow blower, those thing can wait until next month...I hope at least! Got to spread things out a bit, so there is at least a little bit to do everyday in order to keep from going nuts!

Well that's about all that's going on in my fun filled life for this entry. I guess I'll check out the 'gloom and doom' from everywhere else (News) and go look for something to do for today. Well keep the sunny side up and the dirty side down...I'm out of here!

This, that and the other thing!

With hump-day past and moving towards the weekend now this week has gone by slow. Temps have modified somewhat now, in the 70's with a little wind making it very nice. Still now rain in the near future.

Spent yesterday working on the renters back deck. Screwing down loose boards on the deck and railings. One wouldn't think that this would be an issue, but somehow these boards, while being screwed in work themselves loose. Due to a moronic move by previous owners using a colored stain, rather than using a clear sealer and letting the wood age and darken naturally...which in my opinion is a much better look than any 'color' you can put on, especially for a treated deck. I went through about 10 sanding discs and 3 belts to remove the stain and get the boards back to their somewhat original appearance. Once the sanding was complete then using a spray on deck wash and power sprayer the surface is now ready for the water seal treatment that will come today. Then there is a 24 hour drying period before normal use can take place once again. I am extremely glad that is all that needs to be done, as I am most certainly feeling the effects of the kneeling, stooping, bending and what not associated with getting the 10x10 deck to this point. But at least it's now done and will not need to be sealed again for two years, at least then the prep work will not require the sanding.

The leaves are steadily falling from the trees, couple of my trees are nearly devoid of all foliage already, fall officially hits early next week, time to start moving freezable indoors, draining hoses and getting ready for the long winter boredom of starring out the window counting the days until spring arrives once again. Having four season is a good thing, but I would like it much better if the 'winter' season were considerably shorter than what it is. In this part of the country it can be at best 5 months long (November to March) but can start in late October and last through mid-April making winter nearly 7 months, which is far, far to long!

Well that's about it for this morning, time to start getting ready to finish up the deck and then put everything away for a long winters night!

Another day in Paradise

Yet another Sunny/warm/jobless Monday morning...ahhhh yessss! Just wanted to start off by thanking the moronic fathead damnrats in Madison. Gas $2.59/gallon, Cigarettes $65/carton, increased taxes, levees for the Schools, higher property taxes and lower property prices, increase in garbarge service and lets not worry about spending million on a train that few will use. What great ideas! No affordable health insurance insight, higher cost for Home owners and Car insurance (least not forget the increase in minimum insurance as well as being required to have car insurance that will start in 2010) voondebahr! Okay, I feel better now!

Made a few updates/changes to the GNOLODGE website this past weekend. Mainly removing pages and adding higher visibility links to the the Little Tarparosa website. The GNO site will no longer receive any updates from here on out, in 2010 the domain name will expire and will not be renewed. Thus all new material and updates will be done via the Little Tarparosa site.

Worked on back deck this past weekend, adding some support as well as shoring up the attachment to the house that was becoming a bit weak. Finished up the fencing project by putting some patio blocks in the "walk-thru" gate area. Bit of clean-up and organization on the garage. Getting to that time of the year where the freezables will need to be moved from the garage to the basement as well as begin the winterizing of gas and the like. I still need to sand and seal the rental side back deck before the weather prohibits. The renters are slowly cleaning up the plants, vegetables and the like so I can have a uncluttered surface to work with.

T-17 today until the Fall Fling up north, looking forward to that. Pretty much the last hurrah of the 2009 season, as Deer Hunting this year is still kind of up in the air at this point in time anyway...may just have to 'pass' on it for this year?

Well that's about it for this time...got a few little project that I need to get working on, so until the next posting. Have a good day today and a better day tomorrow!

Catch-up Time

Well it's been a while since I've posted anything new, Middle of May was the last update. There have been a number of changes that have occured since that time. I'll hit the hi-lights and continue on from there:

1. After 22 years I've joined the other 18 million unemployed americans.
2. No luck on the search for a new job thus far, of course currently not the easiest thing in the world as there's 500 people applying for every job...even the crappy ones!
3. Interviewed with the city for Bus Driver job, but got a thanks, but no thanks letter on Friday.
4. Completed the trim work on the new shitter up north
5. Redid the antenna up north
6. New steps going from the garage to the house
7. Re-organized shelving in the gargage to make the most possible use of available space
8. Sanded and sealed all the decks at home
9. Had a 5' chainlink fence installed off the back deck.
10. Shored up the back deck leveling it off and re-routing downspouts
11. Father-in-law now living at house

In a nutshell that brings things up to date since May of this year. Packer beat Da Bears 21-15 tonight so that was a good game. The sun has been shining and its been in the 80's for going on 3 weeks now...never thought I'd say it, but I'm ready for some rain and T-storms! As far as I'm concerned it could be about 10-12 degrees cooler would suit me just fine! That's about it so now were up-to-date. Suppose I could go into more details but hell what's past is past onto the future. Fall Fling is coming up quickly now--starts September 30th - October 4th.

I'm going to call it quits for this one...try to get back to a more regular posting once again from here on out...

Spring Vacation

As you can see from the photo, the build and move of the new outhouse was a success!  Took 4 days start to finish to complete and there are still a few odds and ends to finish up to say all is done!  Stain, a trim board here and there, some caulking, finish trimming around the window, putting up a shelf or two and then it'll all be done.  This one should be standing in 30 years, not sure I will last anything close to that long.  Well it looks nice anyway...insulated, has a window for light and ventilation, new ceiling fan & light combo as well as a solid door.  Now if we could just put up a 32'x32' cabin built this solid and a 32'x40' pole shed we'd be in the high cotton.  Weather was very spotty during the week a couple days of cool, damp weather and a couple days of 80 and sunny weather.  All in all a nice week of vacation, went to damn fast, but then they always seem to go that way.  It would be much better if you only had to work 4 weeks and have 48 off for the same money?

Rough getting back in the swing on Monday but now only 3 more days until the Memorial Day weekend, so a long weekend to look forward to anyway!  Mowed my dandelion field yesterday and trimmed up around everything, although a bit on the windy side it was sunny and warm.   Grass is growing like crazy now, with a couple of days of possible rain in the forecast it'll be ready for mowing by weeks end once again.

Reading through the news from the past week I see that our bald-headed fat fuck of worthless piece-o-shit governor has put his pudgy paw prints on a smoking ban for the state to go into effect July of 2010.  Add that to the rest of his fat bone head decisions, hopefully he gets the swine flu and shits and pukes himself strait to hell!  "Zeke Hiel"  Still waiting for my billion dollar stimulus check like the car companies and banks so I can then file bankruptcy?

Well that's about all for now, be sure to check out the Little Tarparosa or my Picasa Web Albums for pictures from the Spring Vacation...

Later,

No Trees, No TV

T-4 until Spring Clean-up vacation...wha-hoo! It's a cloudy 6:00am on Tuesday morning, suppose to rain on and off well for the next 7 days according according to the weather AH's, which is pretty much there way of saying who the hell knows? Could use a little rain to lower the fire danger once again...maybe if the damn wind didn't blow 50mph all the fricken time shit wouldn't dry out so damn fast. Got the lawn mowed at home yesterday, as it was a nice warm and sunny afternoon. That's done for a week, well it will be closer to two with vacation next week and all.

This past weekend up north was decent, sunny, moderately warm although a bit on the windy side both days. Saturday from the NW and Sunday for the SE. The FD was moderate on Friday and got the bulk of the trash burned as well as the had the first campfire of the season. By Saturday afternoon with the wind the FD was back up to high. We got the 3 birch trees in the middle of the yard cut down and stacked. Was going to attempt to cut down the leaning Oak tree by the deck but just didn't want to chance it and hit the cabin, as it is a big enough Oak to do some real damage! Have to see about getting a professional in to at least drop the tree and then we can finish up. The other task this weekend was replacing all of the cable and splitters from the antenna down to all of the TVs in the shack. That task was completed as well all the old cable removed, new cable run, splitters replaced and even new short jumpers to all of the TVs were redone. However it had no effect on the new digital signal. Nothing from the Twin Cities, just to far away for the signal to reach. I understand 60 miles is about the MAX! Well it's about 90 as the crow flies. 60 miles to Duluth so we are on the outside edge there as well. Got 1 channel out of Duluth...Ch. 10 and then 3 PBS channels out of Menominee, WI. Those 4 channels are spotty at best. So it would appear if we want TV a dish will be needed to do so.

I've been redoing the plans for the new Shitter scaling down from 6'x6' to a 4'x5' to save some on costs. Current one is 4'x4' so this will be slightly bigger, insulated with a much sturdier floor. Not like we're going to be hanging out in there for extended periods of time anyway! Got some running to do yet this week in preparation for the coming week.

I talked to Big Al this morning, just a few minutes ago...he can't wait until next week now himself. He was pretty certain that he and Larry would be up on Wednesday for sure. Actually hoping now got get out of town around 9am rather then noon?

Well that's about it for this round...won't be any more postings until after the 17th of May before any new posts to either here or the Little Tarparosa, which hopefully then will have some new photo's and comments to add as well!

If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!

Later

April Comes to a close

Well at last it is raining...much needed to lower the fire danger all over the state. I was at the cabin this weekend the fire danger was HIGH on Friday with even the county land closed to use do to fire danger. Saturday up north was not a bad day, no rain even some sun shine by the end of the day with the temp topping out at about 62. Sunday it rained, hard at times and pretty much the entire day long. Heading home on Sunday afternoon the fire danger in both Webster and Spooner were at LOW! With some more rain in the forecast for Wednesday & Thursday hopefully the danger will remain LOW, allowing a campfire and the ability to burn some garbage...which is much needed given the fact that there are nearly two full cans of garbage to burn. It rained the entire trip home on Sunday, as a matter of fact it poured from Rice Lake to Chetek hard enough to make visibility on the road poor to say the least!

The new digital upgrade as the call it has become a large pain in the ass! We used to get all of the channels out of both the twin cities and Duluth now we get nothing!!! Talking to some people I guess the first step is to get new RG-6 cable and re-run all the cables from the Antenna to all of the TVs, the old amplifier "must" go as it only goes to 450MHz which may be blocking the new digital signals the run at a much higher frequency. Also changing out any old splitters with new ones that again pass a higher frequency. If that does not work then a new amplifier with a higher frequency level is pretty much the last thing to attempt if still nothing...get Satellite TV!

I mail ordered a couple of new tools this last week, 1- Dualsaw, looks pretty cool cuts anything from wood to metal, rough cut to finish cut without having to change blades. Also ordered the laser guide for the saw. 2- was Jac Pac, portable CO2 tank to use with air tools like nailers and staplers it will drive about 500 brad nails or staples on a single tank of CO2 that then can be refilled anywhere that the refill tanks for say paintball guns. This will make doing small jobs much easier, not having to drag out a compressor and a bunch of air hose to drive a few nails. Hopefully I should receive both of these orders by the end of this week?

Even with the semi-nice day on Saturday did not really get anything done, well did put up the new US flag! Hopefully this coming weekend will be okay weather wise so we can cut down 3 birch trees and get rid of the leaning oak tree by the cabin. Getting this done prior to getting and putting up a canopy for this years outings. Also need to change the oil on both lawn tractors and on my quad for the year. The list of things to do keeps getting longer and the list of things done shorter?

Got a few things to get done this week prior to heading north on Friday...one of which may very well be mowing the lawn at home this week? Will try to get the cables made for the Antenna to TV connections and get a couple new splitters to install as well. Need to get down the two rolls of fencing from the top of the garage and put with the door and lumber taken down last week to go in the trailer for up north. Oh well having projects to do makes the week go by faster!

Friday is the 1st of May...two weeks to go until the spring 'working' vacation this year. We've decided to skip the spring fling this year and get some much needed work done instead. Thus allowing for a relaxing Fall fling this October.

Well that's all for now folks...

April Showers

Well it has been some time since my last entry...I could say that I've been way to damn busy, but that would be pure BS! I've not been any more or less busy then usual. Just got a touch of the springtime sick of the whole PC internet, making photos, doing web sites doldurm. In any event I was sipping a cup of coffee and going through some photos I'd taken a month ago up north at the cabin. Had to throw in this one of Einstein...no he's not sleeping sitting up, but just don't like the camera flash in his eyes!

Spring has arrived at last, long last and not a moment to frigging soon I might add! So I pulled the 9mm from my mouth and cleaned off the spittle and set to doing springtime activities...Last weekend went to the cabin and open her up for the 2009 season. Everything wintered fairly well no busted pipes and the water hot and cold is once again flowing. Pretty much just as it was left some hundred years ago or at least since last November!

Got a new vehicle traded in the 2000 Jimmy on a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer. I like it got just a little more elbow room than the Jimmy so don't have that Sardine feeling quite as bad. It's got the On-star thing which I don't have. I did get a 3 month 'free' trail to the XM raido however. I hate to admit it but I am liking that, there's a ton of music, talk, comedy what the hell ever your in the mood for at the time to listen to it's out there and commercial free. After the free trial it runs about $13/month. of course your best deal is buying 3 years and then it works out to 9 months free.

Will just have to wait and see when the time comes. If I spent more time in the car driving back and forth to work I'd do it in a heart beat. But I have the tedious minute-and-half drive to work each day?? So the only "real" use would be driving back-n-forth up to the cabin.

Let's see what else is new...I'm not, not smoking any more! Well I'm not smoking like I was but a few cigs here and there and I'm a "cabin smoker" smoked a couple of packs over the weekend up north last weekend. Had to go back to the doc yesterday for an infection and got some 'cillin' ace bandages for the swelling in my legs, a couple of blood tests, chest x-ray, next week is a sonagram thing on my heart, and go to the sleep clinic. Well Zippity-fucking-do-dah! Ain't life just grand, just shove a hose up my ass and I'll be ready to party! I guess as long as I've got the insurance might as well get everything checked out. I have been walking every night after supper Kathy and I have been taking Einstien and Boomer with for a walk each night, paying a little closer attention to eating and what not. Blood Sugar levels are much better and more under control for the past few weeks in any case, and I'm not smoking 3 packs a cigs a day so it's all got to be good!

Well that's about the just of it since I last jotted down a note here a few weeks ago, today is suppose to be fairly nice again, chance of rain tomorrow and Monday but we are in great need of some rain. According to the weather we're 2.5 under normal and things are very dry right now. Burning bans for most counties until we get some rain and things start 'greening' up a bit. In any case I've got to get started on my list of Saturday spring projects to accomplish and they won't get done sitting here...

Here's the new chevy...

Opening Soon

Well here we are March is nearly 1/2 over and it's just gotten above 40.  Bend over I've got some global warming for ya!  Well here the snow is almost gone...again?  I'm sure up north there is still quite a bit left to melt.  Maybe take a run up there in the next week or two and check things out from the long winters nap.

Wednesday was fun, doc appt and all, slipped on the ice and popped my left knee, I've been hobbling around the past few days babying it with a brace and alternating heat/ice.  The swelling is gone and I can walk on it, so that must be a good sign.  Always something?

>>>News Flash>>> Wisconsin's Governor is an Idiot democrat...getting dumber by the minute!  The more I read about what this goofball does, the more I want to move!  Actually the more I read the less I want to, the whole world has gone frigging nutz, I swear a lot of this craziness is driven by the media or made up by it who knows anymore...

Hell I'm damn sick of it all...sick of winter, politics, banks, morons, retards, fuch nutz's....just need to get the hell out of the house!  I know that I'm not alone either...I'm thinking there is going to be a big rise in the...clock tower sniper career?

I will leave you tonight with the immortal words of Red Green; "If the women don't find you handsome the should at least find you handy"

February comes to a end

Here we are on the last day of February...(-9) temp with 8" of fairly new snow on the ground, the roadways are sheets of packed snow mixed with sand.  The next 7 day forecast is not overly promising either.  Where is spring this has been the longest winter I can remember in years, or at least it sure as hell feels that way.

So are we going to have the place where Obama took a crap in a museum?  They put the barber chair where he got his haircut for 17 years.  Cmon' WTF?  With the economy collapsing around us the Damocrats are worried about putting back the AR BAN oh yeah that's what we should be worried about...well maybe "they" should.  Of course our own Governor Fathead wants to spend 250k on saving a dying injun language.  (I'm not a retard...just slow!) Greed and Stupidity must walk hand in hand, as of late there seems to be plenty of both to go around!

Next weekend is the start of 'daylights saving' yet another waste, so it will stay light until 7 pm next weekend but will be dark in the mornings until almost 8 am.  Being a morning person and that I go to work at 5am and am in bed by 9 at night, well I don't really give a crap if it's light until 10 pm in the summer or not.

Three weeks and counting

As of tomorrow it will be 3 weeks without a smoke...whew!  The 'Chatix' has done wonders for me, does not work for everyone but it has worked for me.  Tomorrow is the last pills on the 4 week starter pack.  Going to give a go with out taking any on Friday and see how it feels.  Sure is nice to not be spending $15 - 20 every other day on cigs, no burn holes, no, where did I leave my lighter or smokes at...so there are a lot of pluses.  Of course it is still there in the back of my mind, probably always will be to one extent or another.

Well that brings me to another point, just heard this morning on the news that 'they' have started with phase 2 already.  Alcohol, now a study done by a bunch of yahoo's from some yadda, yadda university has now deemed there is no safe amount of alcohol that can be drank with out increasing the risk for cancer. Ya, ya, ya!!!  Milk is good, Milk is bad, Sugar is good, Sugar is bad!  Well you know if you are breathing there is a chance you will get cancer...so to ensure that no one gets cancer it has been deemed by Professor Humpnutz at Watzamata U that everyone should immediately cease breathing!  Well here's a good old fashion one finger wave for you!

3 days until March...while yet another Winter storm bears down on Wisconsin to be followed by below zero lows at night, 95 in Texas and 6-8" of snow and sub zero temps.  Will spring every get here ?  I am really sick of this winter crap!

It's 9:00pm and time for me to go to bed...so I shall leave you with this, and nothing more!

"Good-night America, where ever you are"

Proud to be White

The following was sent to me, but I must say that I agree 100%.  This whole "politically correctness" makes me sick, stick a fork in it and bury it deep in the primordial forest!  In any case please read on...

"WHITE " Pride"

 

This is great.  I have been wondering about why Whites are racists, and no other race is...... Proud to be White Michael Richards makes his point.............. Michael Richards better known as Kramer from TVs Seinfeld does make a good point. This was his defense speech in court after making racial comments in his comedy act.  He makes some very interesting points... Someone finally said it.  How many are actually paying attention to this?  There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc. And then there are just Americans.  You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction.  You call me 'White boy,' 'Cracker,' 'Honkey,' 'Whitey,' 'Caveman'... and that's OK. But when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink .. You call me a racist. You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you.... so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live? You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day. You have Black History Month.  You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom Hashoah.  You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi. You have the NAACP.  You have BET... If we had WET (White Entertainment Television), we'd be racists.  If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists. If we had White History Month, we'd be racists. If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' OUR lives, we'd be racists. We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce.  Wonder who pays for that?? A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant. If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships... You know we'd be racists. There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US .  Yet if there were 'White colleges', that would be a racist college. In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.  If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists. You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're not afraid to announce it.  But when we announce our white pride, you call us racists. You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist. I am proud... But you call me a racist. Why is it that only whites can be racists?? There is nothing improper about this e-mail.  Let's see which there is nothing improper about this e-mail.  Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on.  I sadly don't think many will.  That's why we have LOST most of OUR RIGHTS in this country.  We won't stand up for ourselves! BE PROUD TO BE WHITE! It's not a crime YET... but getting very close!  Well this pretty much says it all, and is nothing by the truth...if you don't believe that then you have much more serious problems.

The new USSR

Here we are,  past the half-way point in February gas has worked it's way back above $2.00/gallon.  The Wisconsin minimum mark-up law on gas was deemed unconstitutional by the courts.  Hmmm big friggin surprise there.  With everything else that is happening with the economy, job losses and what else the Nazi's in the government both federal & state have teamed up with the multi-billion health care rip-offs to raise both the federal & state tax on cigarettes.  Congratulations to the regime or should I say rather, Zeke heil!  Let's get everyone to stop smoking, drinking, eating fast food so there will be more money for the Mayo clinics of the world to suck up every last penny you have, sell your home and car so they can hook you to a machines that mimics life to their standards.  Oh yes they are now the Gods, it shall be an asshole in a white coat that makes the decision on when you live or die.  Out of money...time to die!  N.H. is now attempting to put a law in place the tell you how much alcohol can be served to people in bars and restaurants, they want to only allow 1 drink per hour.  Ah yes welcome to the new USSR...were you will be free to be everything you can be for the government and the health care industry other then that it will be deemed illegal by the goose stepping fat little bald headed pricks...like the governor of this state!  Boyle on Wisconsin's ass!

Memory Sticks

Maybe you know maybe you don't, just in case it's the latter here is a little tip I just found out about using Memory sticks.  This is any type USB, SD what ever...

I bought one of the digital photo frames and purchased a 2GB SD Memory, I started copying photos from my PC to the SD chip and after a few folders and error message that could not copy files with some big long number as a reason behind this pop up error.  When I checked the properties I found only 87MB of 2 gig was in use, but no matter what I did it would not copy over any further photos.

After some research I found that you will fill up the root of a memory stick very fast and then your done!  You "MUST" create at least 1 folder on the device and then you can fill it full (well nearly full).  Has to do that memory is formatted in FAT32 which falls back to the old HD formatting methodology.

So if your having problems and getting errors when trying to use your memory sticks give that a try...

January Ends

Here we are, the final day of January 2009...to sum up this month in 2 simple words, "It Sucked!" This has been one of the longest, coldest and expensive January's that I can remember in a long time.  The temperatures have been below zero for the most part of the month and if they were above zero, it wasn't by much!  Around here all we've gotten is what I call 'nuisance' snow, that is 1-2" at a time, not enough to shovel but now it's all built up to driving on a snow pack.  To top it all off it has been damp and dreary for the most part as well with the wind blowing, making it feel even colder...as if being near or below zero isn't cold enough already!  I just got the 'Xcel' bill for January, had to sit down, have a couple of drinks and look at it 3 times...and I still can't believe it!  Add to that, I've had to replace 2 garage door springs and an opener due to the cold weather.  January is property tax month, starting from scratch on medical insurance deductibles and prescription deductibles...WOW!  Where do I sign up for the "bail-out"???  A couple million would do me just fine!

We now have a new President...(TBD)?  The economy is in the shitter and it's getting 'fuller' by the day.  I can hardly stand to read or turn on the news as it just gets more and more depressing every day.  The month of January finds 275,000 people in just the US without jobs and the number keeps growing every day.  Prices sure as hell are not coming down any, every state, city, township is "cutting back" in a budget deficit, "tighten your belts" "hold on to your hats"...you might want to re-think relocating those squirrels from your yard...they make a mighty tasty stew!  Once again, Thank You to the financial institutions and corporate America for the "next" 'Great Depression'!  I'm not sure whether to be depressed or pissed off?

Topping things off...I'm going to give quitting smoking another try!  I started on the "Chantix" yesterday, today is day 2 of 30 well I should not say that as for the first week you can still smoke and then you quit completely on day 7.  I've got to say even though I'm still smoking, I have cut down and don't feel the anxiety that I have in the past so this may just work this time.  The cost of cigs has just gone nuts and the no smoking bans and from what I can see it is only going to get more and more expensive with more restrictions coming all the time.  If they want everyone to quit so badly why don't they just make cigarettes illegal then?  Alcohol, fast food are next!  Have a Joy, Joy Day!

I guess I've said my piece on the subject of 'January 2009' tomorrow comes the first of February, hopefully Spring is coming just around the corner and early would be real nice!

Sci-Fi Tips

Tip #60

If you open a door to another dimension...

...Make sure you know how to close it!

Tip #61

If it only feeds every 23 years...

...Make sure your not around when it wakes up!

Tip #62 

If you hear it growling a mile away...

...don't wait around to see what it is!

Tip #63

In the event of a nuclear winter...

...don't eat the snow!

Global Warming?

Yeah right...another weekend of well below zero temps and wind chills.  Much more inclined to believe the 100 year weather pattern than global warming crap!  

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post, one thing or another going on.  Even now that the days are 'slowly' getting longer, with the cold and work just don't have the energy come the end of the day.  Today has been a busy day working on the "Little Tarparosa" web site edited a couple of pages content and added a couple of more new pages to the site.  Along with that also made some updates to the GNO web site adding links to the "LT".  Even though the weather outside sucked, I was able to get a few things done inside today.

Had to replace the spring and gargage door opener on the rental side of my duplex that was all in all a two day job after work.  Replacing the spring went off with out much problem, some what easier as I had just replaced the same spring on my own garage door a couple of months ago.  The Garage door opener was a whole different animal...Yes replace would be the correct addage to use, however it is more like installing a new one, as none of the old brackets could be used everything had to be changed and redone to install the new opener.  Including buttons, sensors, motor bracket and the like.  And of course these things all have to fail in the dead of winter, can't happen in the spring or fall under comfortable temps and conditions.  Noooo, has to be -20 or 110 in the shade when stuff breaks down.  Well in any case the job is completed.

One of these weekends before the snow melts I have a couple of large brush piles that are in need of burning.  More so to get them out of the way to make room for all of the branches that have fallen off the trees during the winter thus far.  If I don't get the other two burned there will be 3 large piles of brush to burn come spring and the snow all melts away.

Work, well what can one say about work.  Given the present economy...everyone says just be glad you have a job.  Yes, that's about all one can say about the shit hole.  The worst part is the incompetent, worthless biotch that I must put up with on a day to day basis.  The job I like, however working for a clueless psycho makes for a loooong day and a long week!

This pretty much brings me up to speed from the past couple of weeks.  Winters are cold and slow.  I'm hoping for an early spring!  But now that I've said that I'm sure it will last until Memorial Day now...

TGIF

Friday at last...the week went fast, still glad however that it's Friday.  Nice to have a couple of days off now.  By the looks of things going to be cold.  But hey, good as any for relaxing and watching the playoffs and just doing what ever.

Done some work on the "Little Tarparosa" web site, no rush a little here and a little there.  As it will be always in one form or another, work in progress.  Last night added a 'comments' page that can be used for anything.  Making announcements, comments, web site blog of sorts, questions and answers.  Pretty much what ever the reader want to make it to be for them at the time.  Most likely will do a bit of work tonight, not sure just what at this point.  But there will be something new added.

The network change over at work went good this week.  Everything is up and running on the new system, which is a very good thing.   New test starting on Monday so there was some prep for that, but should be all set for 5:00am Monday morning.

That's about all for now..."Keep your stick on the ice"

Over half-way

Here it is Wednesday night, the week is now over half-way done (work week that is) all in all not such a bad week.  Replacing the current 'Split T1" line with a modem/VPN and wireless capabilities.  With that and the every day processes still happening it's been and interesting and fast paced week thus far, with only 2 days left.

Creating a new web site on "Google sites" that is in some ways a mirror site of the GNO in other ways not.  The new site that is in the construction phase at this point is called the "Little Tarparosa"  Why that, you ask?  Well then you will need to visit the new site to get all the details.  Should be interesting, the GNO site only allows a total of 20MB of space compared to 100mb of space on "Google sites" so that gives me a lot more room to play and be creative.  Combine that with the use of "Picasa Web Albums" and "Roxio Photoshow" gives me a lot of room for creativity on the Little Tarparosa.   All I can say at this point is 'Stay tuned'...

Received my entire order from TigerDirect that I'd placed on Sunday night, which came as quite the surprise, seeing as there was 2 items that at the time I ordered were out of stock.  However when the order arrived today it was complete.  Keyboard, trackball, memory stick and SD chip and the real cool thing was photo frames from Hanspree 7" frame but was only $40 and then the 2 GB chip for $8, I'm impressed very easy to set up and use currently setting on my desk running a slide show of about 400 photos that using about 10% of the chip with photos in JPEG format resized to 800x600 for display I can put about 1200 more photos in rotation.  For the price, not bad at all!

What can I say about the weather, it's January in Wisconsin...pretty much covers it.  That about covers all the excitement over the past few days.  Time now to do a little more work on the Little Tarparosa and then it's bed time...4:00am comes quick.

January in Wisconsin

The first Sunday morning in January 09...once again mother nature has raised her ugly head.  Saturday afternoon/night not much snow, however we were blessed with freezing rain & snow mixed together into an icy mess!  Clear as a bell today, cold and windy...typical weather for January in the upper mid-west.  No matter how you slice it...it sucks!

Did some running about yesterday, groceries, Wal-mart before the roads and such started to get crappy.  Watched the wild card playoff games and made a big kettle of beef soup. Not much different for today....lay around and watching playoffs and eating soup.  That will be pretty much the whole of my first Sunday in January 2009.

Customer Service what a joke

New years eve day, I get home from work around 2:00pm to find there is no cable, the TV, Internet nothing working...it was working when I left.  Kat was on the phone with 'customer service' which seems should be "Customer no-service" Oh we'll reset the box and it should be back on in an hour or so...yeah well that would be fine if it were the box, but all 4 boxes, analog channels with no box...snow, no Internet connection...resetting the box wasn't going to do dick.  There were tracks from the road to the main box in the corner of the back yard.  So most apparently someone from Charter had already been out doing something earlier in the morning (to find out later it was an audit) as they call it.  Well we went to the store came back and still nothing, called the morons at CS back and again explained the entire situation....problem is you don't speak with someone local, talk to some one in Idaho the first time then Massachusetts the next time.  By the time we called back it was...Oh Sorry everyone has gone home for the Holiday and we won't be able to get some one out until Friday!!!  Well I was to say the least "fit to be tied" the rest of NYE, and NYD no cable or Internet.

This morning at 10:30 a Tech from Charter comes to the house, explain the situation he walks out to the box in the yard 90 seconds later everything is back working again!!!  As it came to be the "Audit" on Wednesday morning the cable was disconnected because the cable had been miss-labeled by Charter in the first place 1351 vs. 1353, 1351 does not have service but we do, the person doing the audit disconnected the cable.  THE PROBLEM IS SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE CAME OUT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND RECTIFIED THE SITUATION!  Oh and how wonderful...they are going to credit $10.43 to our next bill...well big f*@# whoop-de-doo!

With Charter on the verge of bankruptcy filing as they moved ahead to fast and that there was just a post in the newspaper that survey had been done over the past few months Charter ranked last in Customer Service...Wonder why????  This has not been the first negative experience for me.  We had Charter Phone for over a year, one day there's a message that a mistake had been made and we can no longer have Charter Phone and have 14 days to find another Phone company????  Oh yes, and the phone number we'd had for 13 years can't be ported back with us!  Then charges for services we did not have showed up on the bill...well that took 3 months to clear up.  Enough is enough!  I've had it with their crap!

Something else to do next week...make some calls to Dish network, Direct TV and check on prices and services available in our area!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year...well 2008 is behind and 2009 just starting.  This is going to be a tough year for everyone.  The economy sucks right now and it's going to get worse before it gets better.  Good news is this is yet another 4 day weekend.  Going to be tough next week going back to a full 5 day work week again and back to going in at 5:00am.  The last two weeks have been nice going in at 10:00am or so and then only being 3 day weeks with no 'LF'.  Still have a piss poor attitude with the news of no raises/401k match.  Monday will indeed be a a 'very long day'.

New Years Day was also Einsteins 1st birthday.  He had quite the fist birthday for a dog, frosty paws, sandwiches, dog biscuits...Hey what a day if your a dog.  So he's now 1 year old, about 100lbs and still a goofy golden retriever.

Other than that not much else happened on New Years Day, just sat around watched some movies eat some munchies and played my PS2 James Bond game.  Went out and had BK for New Years dinner and went to bed.