Blinded by Lowes...

If you have followed this BLOG for any length of time, you probably are aware of the continuing problem we have had of trying to get cellular shades installed in our house. We have had two aborted attempts in the past that left us weary and confused.

Then, last week, the new Lowe's Superstore opened up in Twin Falls and we liked their 'house brand' cordless cellular shades and their prices. They told us that they would have an installer come out and measure, then return to the store and size the shades and return and install them all in one day for free. Then, they wanted $30 for the measurement and installation, then when the installer finally did come out here, days later, he said that it there would also be an installation fee for each shade and it would take a couple of weeks to get it done. And, finally, that we would have to install some type of wood piece to our windows for them to mount the shades to...

At that point, I had had enough, and wrote a letter documenting all this crap and went down and talked to the store manager. He talked to the installer and the end result was that he and I both thought the installer was too weird. After I looked at the installation instructions, I decided that if they would size the shades and guarantee they were right, I would install them myself. That worked for them, and they gave us back our $30 fee and an additional 10% off all the shades.

So, I packed them all up and installed them in about 2 hours and they are great. Finally, we have some privacy and don't feel like being in a fish bowl. The end result is that it all worked out well again here in DaHo...

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This is a test picture using the new Blogger picture feature. This is only a test...

Dell Diva Stikes Again!

Lookie what happen to me today!

Site-wide email:

Congratulations to Pam Keithley on Team Hawkins on a perfect CE call! Because of her, Citizens First Savings Bank in Michigan will no longer have a system with a fan that sounds "like a jet taking off". Way to go Pam!

Sean P. Murphy
Area Manager
Americas Client Services - Gold Technical Support
Dell Inc.

Background info: Twin Falls has been piloting a Customer Experience Improvement campaign. Everyone is being randomly audited and scored for thier knowledge, ability to resolve the problem, taking complete ownership of the customer's call and ensuring the customer was completely satisfied with the level of support they received.

Having Sean Murphy give you a 100% is a huge deal! I got lot's of congrats from people today. I feel like such a Dell Diva!

Deep End of the Pool...

Last night was the weekly 8-ball tournament at The Pocket. I didn't do that well. It's hard to spot good players and not have problems. But, that was the bad news.

The great news is that I am now part of a 9-ball league team. They are 3 player teams. I am playing with the best player in the area, Steve, and the guy that runs the local pool players website, Storm. Both are very well known in the area. I am very excited about playing in the league and playing with both of these guys. Steve is one of the best amateur players I have ever seen and I always learn when we play. He also runs the Wednesday night 8-ball tournament. We have a lot of common stuff, since I ran the tournaments in Moss Beach for years and years. Storm works at Dell with Pam.

You only get better by playing against players that better than you are. This 9-ball league is the vehicle that will give me all the exposure I have been working towards. Now, its up to me to make it good exposure...

Life is good in the deep end of the pool here in DaHo...

Oh Deer!

So, like I'm leaving to go to work this morning and there at the end of our driveway stood a deer, a doe, an adult female deer. Now I know what varmit has been eating my African daisy plant. I called to Lanny to come see. Within seconds, the lil African Daisy eating varmit was leaping graciousfully out of shotgun range. Now, I'm really not the hunter type -- but, eat my daisies and whoa baby you'd better be wearing bullet proof attire.

This evening -- I'm out in the garage with the garage door open -- transplanting seedlings when lo and behold -- along comes the lil African Daisy eating varmit back from whence it went this morning. It prances by like it hasn't a care in the world. My neighbors across the street and I were speechless (I've yet to say boo to them). But, that's another story involving dogs -- lots of dogs -- lil yapping bitches.

Ok, that's all for now -- later.

Computer's Post...

Yesterday, I was sitting at home waiting for various people to show to do their thing. And, none of them showed up... So, I decided to dive into the final computer upgrade. This was the office computer that has had problems posting. I am converting it into the main server with lots of disk space for all the data and a really good UPS power system to protect it all from DaHo power problems.

Anyway, the only problem with this plan has been that the computer is having a hard time posting - the initial PC startup process for you non-computer types. So, I flashed the computer's BIOS with the latest version available for this motherboard and it still wouldn't post with the 1GB of DDR memory - this MoBo will take either PC133 or DDR memory. It would post with the PC133 memory, but you have to go through this little power switch dance, its not as fast, and I only have 512MB of it. I did all the standard troubleshooting and couldn't find the problem. So, I decided to install the new 160GB disk and go with the PC133 memory. After I put in the disk, it posted right away without the usual power switch game that is usually needed. So, I swapped to the DDR memory and it posted right up again. I have no idea why changing the slave hard disk would make it post, but it did and it is up and well, with serious UPS backup battery support, so it is officially upgraded.

As usual, lots to think about, but all ends up going well here in DaHo...

Pam's Post

For those of you wondering whether I'm still capable of posting to our blog -- wonder no more. It's me Pam!, Mom!, Grandma!, etc.... I have been so absorbed in the new job with Dell, I've let my real life laspe a little. So, here I am....ask me questions, or whatever is what... Lanny does such a good job with describing the ongoings--It just doesn't seem that I can add much. Anyway -- here I am. The Job at Dell is Good. They would like me to advance myself -- but I like it where I am, and I think it's good for both Dell and their customers. I have a few added responsibilities with getting team members to address their short falls, etc.. so that keeps me busy quite a bit.

My Sancutary is home. I come home to a wonderful man -- excited to see me and share in our day. This is the relationship I have always dreamed of.

Ho'ppenings...

Lots of stuff happening here in DaHo. Nothing really important, just stuff...

Fathers Day was great. I got some really cool stuff and Pam cooked a great dinner. I got this garage 'stool' that is chrome with a Harley type seat. Its hydraulic, so it goes up and down as needed, and has 6 rolling casters to move around on. I also got some ratchet combination wrenches - great stuff all. The dinner was rack of lamb, marinated in the new Chaka sauce that we had shipped in from the internet, from a link provided by Tara and Aaron. Thanks for the link! Its been a while since we had the great Chaka sauce. Pam also prepared a bunch of great rice and an award winning salad. It won the Lanny's Father Day Greatest Ever Salad Award! Except for the fiasco called the US Formula 1 Race on TV, it was a great Fathers Day here in DaHo.

Pam got a Dell support call from one of Mike Keithley's IT guys from CAA (Creative Artists Agency) in Hollyweird. He was quite impressed that she had the same last name as his boss, Mike. Some people are easy to impress...

I had a dentist appointment today, but it was called off due to the dentist being ill, which I took as a sign to go fishing again. I ended up keeping one really nice 3+lb trout which was big fun to catch. In the Snake River, where I have been fishing, you also catch Pike Minnows. I have no idea why they are called that since they are usually 2-4lbs and don't look anything like Pike. They are a 'trash fish' but fun to catch on the ultra-light gear. I caught three of them and a couple smaller trout today. I got this new, and expensive, line last week and every time I get a nice fish, it binds up all the line on the spool and I have to let all the line out and respool it to get it working again. I went back down to Sportsman's Warehouse, where I got it, and 'discussed' the problem with them. Their solution was for me to get some new line that hopefully won't have the same problem. I have never seen that happen before in all my years of fishing, unless the line was really wound too loose on the spool - which this wasn't.

We got this new Panasonic 3 phone 5.8gh phone set last week from Costco. Then, Pam's mom gave us this $30 off coupon for it effective today. For some reason, Costco doesn't send us any coupons, even though we are one of their long term premier members. So, now we have two sets of phones, but will be returning the more expensive one - and keeping the set with the coupon sale price... They really work well. The old one needed replacing because you couldn't hear the messages - a real problem for a message machine.

An installer from Lowe's is suppose to be coming out the measure and install new cellar blinds in the house. They are suppose to do it all in one day. We shall see how well that all works...

I ordered a new shaft for my pool cue. It has ten separate parts to it - like pizza slices and is suppose to have much better 'action' than any regular one piece shaft. We shall see how it works as well. They are starting a new 9-ball league up so that should be big fun.

And, finally, they are starting up the Summer Wednesday night free concerts again in the old downtown Twin Falls. We went to them weekly last year and had big fun. About as much fun has you can have for free here in DaHo...

Lowe Down on Snakes...

Wednesday, the Twin Falls Lowes superstore opened. Boy, what a big place. They have all sorts of really cool stuff. And, as soon as all their new employees have a clue as to what they are doing, it will be a great addition to the area.

We are having them come out next week to measure and install cellular shades in the living and pool rooms so we can have some privacy. This will be the third time we have been around this block, with problems each time in the past. Hopefully, the third time is the charm as it was with the stove vent hood...

Then, the other day, I was out in the new driveway, measuring for some new edging on one side of the driveway. I noticed this very large bull snake cruising up the driveway. I guess it liked the warmth of the driveway or something. I went in and got the camera and took some pictures of it. I was taking a video, kneeling about 5 feet away from it, and it just kept coming towards me. I was surprised that it wasn't trying to get away. Anyway, it was probably 6' to 7' long, by far the biggest one I have seen here. A couple of days before, I was out doing the yard and had the garage doors open. I noticed a little snake coming into the garage and caught it and put it out in the flower bed.

And, speaking of the Snake, River that is, I took my new ultra-light fishing tackle out to the river again. I also bought another new ultra-light spinning outfit, since I still have 'concerns' about the spin cast rod that broke. I ended up catching a 4lb and two 2 1/2lb trout. Big fun again. I had been 'talking' to a younger local fisherman down there and ended up giving him the fish so I didn't have to clean them and try to find a home for them. The ultra-light tackle is the way to go - thanks to Erik for that suggestion. It really makes it more fun and challenging with these large fish around here. But, I will just scream if I get into a really large one and loose it because of the light tackle...

All the grass seed I have been putting down for weeks is coming up and looking good. Also, the gardner has finished doing all the weeding and has finished Pam's rock garden. I tapped into the sprinkler system and expanded it to water all the plants that Pam has been planting. Its looking good. All of the seedlings in Pam's clear plastic 'Green' house are doing great. Now, we have to figure out what to do with them all.

The weather has been warming up and its suppose to get hotter here in DaHo.

Ultra-TOO-Light Fishing...

So, I went down to the same place to try out the ultra-light tackle again. And, again, I hooked up a large trout. I had it pretty close and got a good look at it. It was probably larger than the last one I caught on the ultra-light gear. Anyway, I was working it in and it took off on a big run. The ultra-light rod snapped like a twig... The rod action is very light and it bends a lot more than the larger rods. After the rod broke, the fish was way too big to bring in without the rod action on the light 4lb test line and it was gone like a wad of $100s in Vegas.

I packed up and went straight back to Walmart, where I bought the rod last Friday. They were nice enough to give me another one without the receipt, but weren't even hearing anything about reimbursement for the fish I lost.

So, now I am left to wonder if this new rod will snap like the first one and just how big was that trout. The ones that get away are always the biggest (since you don't have any evidence to worry about). I always have stuff to think about here in DaHo...

Ultra-Light Fishing...

So, my old friend, Erik, said that I should be using ultra-light fishing stuff with 2lb test line and be into "the fishing not the killing"... I wrote back and said that with the size of fish we have here in DaHo, using 2lb test line would be "feeding not fishing"...

That got me to thinking, and I went down and got an ultra-light outfit. I got the lightest line they have here in DaHo - it was 4lb test. I went down to my favorite fishing spot and tried it out.

I caught one nice trout, about 2 1/2lbs or so, and it was good fun. You really have to watch how you do stuff with that light line and equipment. You have to keep them away from weeds and the such, and really use the rod to control them. I was helping this other fisherman there that didn't know how to use his rod to bring in fish and helped him land a couple with my net.

The lake I was fishing in is fed by streams coming out of the canyon wall. The water then drains very fast into the Snake River, under this little bridge. It was getting about time to come home, so I went to the Snake River side of the bridge and let my line out to get it all straightened out again in the reel. I was reeling it back in again, when I thought I got snagged on something. It ended up being the largest trout I have caught here. It was 22in long and about 5lbs. It was quite hard to bring it in with that little ultra-light outfit in that fast water. Luckily, the other fisherman that I had been helping saw me working the fish. He came over with my net and, with his help, I was finally able to bring it in. It was big fun.

So, Erik, I guess you were right. You can use that ultra-light tackle here in DaHo.

Dentists and Macros...

I went to a dentist here in DaHo. He is pretty young and generally a sharp and nice guy. He is the local specialist on irradiated cancer patients and knows what to do and not do to/for us. Anyway, I went in and had a complete start-up evaluation. I needed to have a deep root cleaning done as its been about a year since my last one. He happened to have some extra time right then, so we went for it.

Normally, at least in California, such services are done by assistants and only 1/4 of your mouth is done at a time to minimize trauma to all concerned. Well, here in DaHo they do it differently. The dentist did it and he did the whole thing in one sitting. I had 8 syringes full of Novicane and was in the chair for about 2 hours. I have never been that numb - a good thing... After I got home, I had to take a pill and was using a glass with a straw to drink from. I took the pill and liquid and thought that it all went down well. Then, a little while later, I went to into the bathroom and happened to notice in the mirror that the pill was still exposed in my numb lips... Big dental fun...

I got this new macro software module for my X-10 home automation system. It will allow me to use if-then-else type logic to write 'programs' to turn on/off or dim/brighten electrical devices and lights in the house. Then, using motion sensors to detect movement or timers, you can do all sorts of cool stuff. You can create 'scenes' which allow you to setup an entire environment for something like watching a movie - turning on/off a bunch of different lights and setting the brightness to the right levels. Or, going to bed, turn off all the household lights and appliances and turning on the hall and bedroom lights. The locals have never not been impressed by the automatic guest bathroom light. That's the way we do it here in DaHo...

Green Houses and Hot Tubs...

First, sorry for not keeping up to date with you all. We have been very busy doing lots of regular stuff and doing well.

I am still working on the computer upgrade which now involves three computers and various locations. I am still working on resolving why the office computer won't post part of the time and am now at the BIOS flashing and cursing level - a typical computer upgrade...

I played pool in the tournament on Wednesday and lost. I only really hate being beat by one person - me...

We got this little 2'X 3' by 5' high clear plastic covered, metal framed 'green house' at the recent cheap stuff truckload sale for $ 14.50. I have since spent about three days and probably $30 in parts now in getting it 'installed' and weather-proofed in the new 'garden' around back of the house. It is now fully sprinkler'ed at all 4 shelf levels and has complete drainage and is full of Pam planted seedlings. This was completed on Saturday morning just before we left for a party at Pam's sister's house way up north in the mountains - about 130 miles from here.

We brought Pam's mother along for the big event. Pam's sister lives on a ranch and has to snowmobile into it, from the main road about 3 miles away, many months of the year. It is sitting on a natural hot springs and they have a pump that pumps 108 degree water into a very large (probably 25' round by 4' deep) hot 'tub' all the time. They have this pole attached to the hot tub deck. It has a rope attached to the top of it and the other end hooked to a belt like thing. You put on the belt and then swim in the hot tub with the pole providing the resistance to keep you in the tub. I had never seen anything like it before, but I'll bet a fisherman came up with the idea... All the buildings are all very upscale log cabins and sheepherder wagons. While there, we saw cranes, elk, antelope, wood chucks, and the list goes on. Its really a beautiful place from any angle. Lots of snow still on the mountains all around and awesome rivers, streams and lakes at every turn.

Then, this morning we were out working in the yard and noticed that all the seedlings in the new 'green house' are not going too well. I think the plastic covering might be steaming all the plants instead of keeping them cozy and safe...

I keep adding more seed to the yard, filling in all the little imperfections. The seed I have been putting in for weeks is coming up now and starting to look good. Its just a matter of time until the yard and all the 'estate grounds' are looking good here in DaHo...