Gone Fishing...

Sorry for not having any posts for a week now. Our grandson, Oliver, came to visit last Saturday and will be here until next Tuesday. He loves fishing and we are learning how to fly fish together. We go fishing every day early in the morning and are usually too tired to do much in the evenings. But, we will tell you all about it in a few days...

The weather has been really hot, but the fishing not, so far here in DaHo... The guys at Sportsman's Warehouse say its the hot weather and the full moon. It sounds like BS to me, but I cannot come up with a better one...

Shady Deal...

Well, after many days of thought and work on the master bedroom arch window shade, I finally got it built and installed. Hooray!!

In the early mornings, the sun ended up shining through the arch window directly on the head of the bed and into our eyes... This usually happens in the 7-8am timeframe and is really bright and hot. Big fun.

So, I have been trying to find a solution to that problem - that would block out the light and still look good. While searching for all the other window shades, we found the solution to this problem - and it was only $20. So, we got one and I had to customize it to fit the bedroom arch. Each window arch is pretty unique and the shades are designed to fit into a 1/2 circle arch area. Our bedroom arch is not close to a 1/2 circle. So, after much research, I finally figured out how to make a template of our arch out of cardboard. Then I put it up to check it out and found out that one side or the arch is about 1 inch out of line with the rest of the arch. So, I had to keep playing with the template until I finally had a match for our arch. Then, the fun began...

I had to setup the arch shade in the garage and put it up to the template. I then had to mark the shade and cut the fan folds of the shade to match the arch. I had to fabricate a base for it to sit on and installed it. After some playing around, I finally got it to fit and look great. So, with the original cost of $20 for the shade, all the parts required to install it, and my labor at minimum wage, the shade probably only cost us about $300 - A real deal here in DaHo...

Da Dell Diva

I have to give you a little background, so you'll have an idea what I'm talking about.

Corporate customers pay top dollar for the best computer support Dell offers: Gold Technical Support. At the Twin Falls site, there are approxiatmately 6 teams of 25+ Microsoft Certified Technicians taking calls from Dell corporate customers, and that's what I do. Each team has two GTSAs(Gold Technical Support Analysts). GTSAs are the source for technical, process and policy answers -- in other words; they are true "Lords of Technical Support". Today, Management announced 10 individuals selected to be trained for backup GTSA's, and ..... the Dell Diva delivers. My training begins on July 25th. Pretty exciting stuff.

In addition, a project I've been doing as CLS Champion for my team is going site-wide. I'll tell you about that some other blog.

Hi Ho, Low Ho

This has been a week of Highs Ho's and Low Ho's.

I've been having some medical issues with my shoulders and left arm due to over-use, and/or damage to tendions and nerves from all the gardening lately. After suffering with continous pain, my primary physician referred me to an Orthopedic Specialist. So, last Thursday I saw the specialist. After a physical examinstion and X-Rays he diagnoised me with Tendonitus (duh). So, I got a couple injections of Cortizone and a RX for Lodine (anti-inflamitory). The Dr. at first was going to prescribe the drug Celebrex, but after all the Media hoopla about the danger of heart-attacks and stroke -- I said 'I don't think so'. So, I opted for the next best drug; Lodine. Although it is much more irritating on the stomach, I was more willing to take that chance. As far as my stomach was concerned -- BIG MISTAKE! I ended up with a bad case of Gastritus (ouch). It is everything the name suggests.

Anyway, a day of PTO (Paid Time Off) was waisted going back to our P.P. (Primary Physician). She advised me to stop taking the Lodine and prescribe Prevacid to heal my stomach. On top of that, she say's that if she'd known the specialist was going to say it was Tendonitus, she could have shot me up herself. PHUCK, so now I am taking Previcid to heal me from the guy she sent me to. Oh the benefits of health care in Da Ho.

We seriously have to seek a better primary physician! In my humble opinion.

Life Goes On...

After having a great time with our old friends from California, we are winding down and getting back into the routine in DaHo. The really good news is that with all the 'getting ready for guests' we did, most of our outstanding projects have been completed and looking great.

While they were here, our house air conditioning froze up and stopped working - on the hottest day yet here. It was reported that it got up to 112 degrees. It was HOT - way too HOT! Luckily, our HVAC guys were in the area and stopped by and fixed it.

Our guests took us out to dinner at a new restaurant I heard about - Rock Creek. We now have a new favorite restaurant... The salad bar is not as good as Jaker's, but the food and selection and environment is the best around. Its amazing how many really bad restaurants there are around here. We have been to many one time and swore never to return - something that hasn't happened much before.

Yesterday, I mowed the lawn and, now that I have the garage all done - Yea!!, I got the BMW motorcycle out and all setup and running. It has been leaking brake fluid from the front disks for months, but seems to be all better now. I have to find a mechanic around here that can spell BMW and get them to check it out and do a general checkup on it after its year long rest. I did ride it to Jerome and got gas. It seems to run great and is looking good.

All is returning back to normal here in DaHo...

Good News - Bad News - Good News...

I have been working all week on the garage. It is finally almost done. There are still a couple of areas that need resolution, but they are simple and small. It looks awesome and I am happy with it. There is plenty of free room to do projects in and all the tools are in their places. I have also done a lot more work on the X-10 automation. We now have automatic Pantry, Pam's closet and stairway lighting. The new all-powerful X-10 antenna for wireless signals works great and far and has resolved many programatical issues. Also, all the upstairs shades are installed and the house is totally cleaned and ready. Pam has been doing all sorts of very cool design details all around the house. Add those to all the new drapes/shade, the garage, the upstairs changes,and lots of other stuff, and DaHoHouse has never looked better.

We even did some great enhancements to the master bathroom. We had some new outlets installed down on the side of the cabinet end and now have a holder for electrical things (hair dryers, shavers, curling irons, etc.) so they are off the counters and plugged in all the time for immediate access. You don't have to get 'it' out, use 'it' and put 'it' away anymore... Good stuff.

Then, the bad news... Pam was going to town yesterday and got rear-ended in the Jeep. It's pretty beat up in one rear quarter but it will all get fixed in time. It, and Pam, seem to be functioning well, just a little ruffled around the edges.

Our good friends from Moss Beach, Pam and Lyle, are coming here to stay a few days on Monday. They were in a poker tournament in Jackpot NV today. So, we went down there to see them and play casino games. It was not going well, but the other Pam, who won $1k last night on slots, showed me some stuff and I ended up walking away with $499 from a slot session. So, all in all, we ended up having a great afternoon's fun and broke even. I have always viewed gambling as a cost center rather than a profit center, and a break even is a win for us... We played craps and blackjack and lots of slots for hours for 'free', which is really good news and big fun here in DaHo...

Ho Haps and Real Fireworks...

We spent most of the long holiday weekend doing house stuff. I completed the custom valance curtain rods and we got them hung. I also had to move one of the wall mounted Bose speakers leaving large holes in the wall and having to make new ones to fish the speaker wire to the new speaker location. Pam had to modify the valances and custom fit them to the new rods and today, I am finishing up with the hole filling, painting and associated cleanup. The great news is that they look awesome. As soon as the bay window rods get here from internet land, we will have the final window coverings in place - finally. We have been working on getting this done for months and months and it just hasn't worked. We had one place, end up refunding our money after they totally screwed things up.

So, the other day, I was in my jammies, reading the paper on the couch and felt something weird on my ankle. I looked down and there was a Giant Black Furry Spider bailing down a web off of my ankle.... It was about 4 inches, well at least 1 inch, around and really scary looking. Luckily, it was not on me at the time. Well, lucky for me anyway. It wasn't too lucky for it... After I analyzed the situation, I concluded that it must have been in my pajama pants I keep hung up in the bathroom with our robes and other lounging clothes... Ever since then, I beat all clothes I get from there and thoroughly check them out for spiders...

Then, we had a great BBQ dinner outside and later on watched the Twin Fall Fireworks show from the deck. It was suppose to start at 10pm. So, we were out there all ready for it about 9:45. There were a bunch of fireworks going off everywhere, but nothing very impressive. And, the ones from the location where the 'official' show was were no more thrilling than all the rest. So, about 10:20, or so, I was ready to hang it up. But, about then, the real ones started and were great. Pam made some great popcorn and we watched it all from right here. We couldn't hear them since they were about 4 miles away, but the locals produced plenty of noise to satisfy us. Our ears were still recovering from the weekend super modified car races anyway. There is always something exciting here in DaHo...

Geezer Pool and Premature Fireworks...

Yesterday afternoon The Pocket had a Geezer Pool tournament for the over 50 crowd. They used the old 8 ball rules from long ago and played each match to a race to four (the winner has to win four games). The entry fee was only $3 so you got to play a lot of pool for your money.

Most of these guys have played pool for decades and are quite good. Many are use to playing snooker on 10' and 12' tables and can make almost any long shots. It was good fun. I ended up coming in 3rd and got my $3 entry fee back as my prize. I ended up giving my opponent 3 of the 4 games by scratching on the 8-ball in some fashion - a very unfortunate series of events as Lemony Snickets would say... Anyway, I was tired by then - having played 3 hours straight.

I am in the middle of putting up ornamental curtain valance rods in the living room and family/pool room. I had to custom build both sets of rods to fit the environment. Both are two windows wide with the family/pool room set being a corner. And, in the process, am having to move the wall mounted Bose speakers and pool cue rack...

Then, last night, I was hearing what sounded like light taps on the windows. We had the shades down, and it sounded really weird. So, I went out to look and there was lots of large scale fireworks going off from all around the neighborhood. So, we got our beverages and pulled up a couple of chairs and watched for a while. I'm not sure why this was all happening on July 3rd, but I guess its how they do it here in DaHo...

Happy Birthday to the Dell Diva...

Today is Pam's birthday. Happy Birthday Pam! She will be 39 again this year...

She got a nice leather coat for her birthday. In addition, she should be expecting a nice gift to be delivered to Dell today, and, we are going out to celebrate at the best restaurant in town, Jaker's, later on tonight.

She was going to take today off, but decided to save the hours for our upcoming trip to Maui in September. She does get Monday off for July 4th - one of Dell's 4 paid holidays a year here in DaHo...

Now from the Dell Diva's perspective...
Eventhough I worked on my Birthday in lue of the upcoming Maui vacation that I must take (yeah, right) -- life is hard!) -- My day was pretty wonderful. I received the most beautiful bouquet of roses from Lanny. Next -- a really sweet bouquet of flowers was delivered shortly after I got home from all my children (really whelmed me). Finally -- a very nice dinner at Jaker's. What a wonderful day.

Drowning in the Pool...

My pool game is going downhill the past couple of weeks. I have started a 'back to basics' routine to figure out what is going on and get it back together. I just don't feel condifent and sure of my skills. That ends up screwing up key shots and causing losses. I guess the bottom line is that I am trying too hard and, well, I think the term is choking...

We started the new 9-ball team league last night. Our best player, Steve, is really amazing. He got two nine ball on the breaks - automatic win of the game, and out of his other 4 games, ran three of them and two shot the last one. It couldn't have been better in the pros.

Storm also got two 9-ball breaks and won five of his six games. I won three of my six games, but it was really ugly. I was embarrassed, but that gives me something to work on here in DaHo...