happy new year i guess
wow...it's the new year....how exciting...
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December 31, 2004
happy new year i guess
Nothing to see here
Everything is fine here....never mind...move along :)
December 28, 2004
blue skies in my head
If you are reading this, follow my advice. Go get your coat, put it on, get in your car, and head to the nearest Lowe's.
All there christmas stuff is 75% freakin' percent off today! We bought like 7 boxes of lights and some spares for under $10!!! It's crazy, we're like all set for next year. My plan is to measure the lengths we need and the make custom strings of lights from all the ones we bought. Then I'll hook up an x10 appliance module out there and we'll be able to turn on all the lights with the push of a single button. Damn I'm cool...
Links:
- Man falls to death while geocaching. Because falling off a small cliff at the age of 64 wasn't just news enough, let's toss geocaching into the story.
- Clicking on those "opt out" entries in spam can results in something worse than just more spam. Some apparently can infect you with a trojan virus.
- Lego Vice City. Here's a cute little video we made while playing with the new christmas kitty toys. We call it Dizzy Kitty. (just click on the pic below)
And last but not least cute kitty pictures from the last week or so:
Yes...I am cute:
Oh man! This stuff is 100% pure uncut catnip......got any doritos?
I refuse to admit that I made a mistake, so I will lay here like I meant to do this.
- Man falls to death while geocaching. Because falling off a small cliff at the age of 64 wasn't just news enough, let's toss geocaching into the story.
- Clicking on those "opt out" entries in spam can results in something worse than just more spam. Some apparently can infect you with a trojan virus.
- Lego Vice City. Here's a cute little video we made while playing with the new christmas kitty toys. We call it Dizzy Kitty. (just click on the pic below)
And last but not least cute kitty pictures from the last week or so:Yes...I am cute:
Oh man! This stuff is 100% pure uncut catnip......got any doritos?
I refuse to admit that I made a mistake, so I will lay here like I meant to do this.
December 26, 2004
to much time on my hands
it's funny. for the past month or so we've been going basically full pedal to get everything done around the house in time for christmas. Painting, mantels, pilasters, pergo T molding, and trimwork.
Now that it's all over with, i don't know what to do with myself now that I have free time. I always feel like there's something I should be doing...
Signs you've gotten older at christmas:
1. When you get underwear for christmas and are happy about it.
2. If you don't get a sweater, your upset.
3. You spend the day doing cleaning, because YOU made a list of things to clean.
4. You worry about the Visa bill
5. your upset you don't have matching plates, or find presentation china.
6. nic naks
7. you send out christmas cards to everyone you know
8. you forget to sign some of the afore mentioned christmas cards
9. It's easier to assemble a drill press, than put together those darn GI Joe vehicles your friends got when you were a kid.
Signs you've gotten older at christmas:
1. When you get underwear for christmas and are happy about it.
2. If you don't get a sweater, your upset.
3. You spend the day doing cleaning, because YOU made a list of things to clean.
4. You worry about the Visa bill
5. your upset you don't have matching plates, or find presentation china.
6. nic naks
7. you send out christmas cards to everyone you know
8. you forget to sign some of the afore mentioned christmas cards
9. It's easier to assemble a drill press, than put together those darn GI Joe vehicles your friends got when you were a kid.
December 25, 2004
Merry Christmas
Let us all join together and give thanks for this wonderful holiday brought to us by hallmark the goodness of man. :)
merry christmas everyone.
December 24, 2004
Funny RedSox mastercard video
Our friend Tim sent us a copy of this funny video spoof on a Mastercard commercial and the RedSox.
Hope it was worth it Dennis :) check it out here
Hope it was worth it Dennis :) check it out here
swallow truth like honey
I tripped across a site today while reading a Fark article on some guy who's ebaying his kid's presents because they were being little assholes. The crazy thing isn't the story (it's probably bullshit), it's the sheer volume of posts on that site. It's crazy....I mean I'm happy if I just post at least every other day, perhaps I'm just sad.
So now, based on that, a more graphically rich dennisjudd.com:
- The mustard man has been found! (yes...I stole it from the afore mentioned site)
- homeless shelter evicts 21 year old pregnant woman with 3 kids. Now, before you make up your mind I just want to say one thing. You don't get 4 kids at 21 by keeping your legs closed, and when was the last time you went to a doctor named Xavier, Javonte, or T'Keel? Ok, maybe I can see Xavier....but man talk about stacking the deck against those kids. There's a ceratin point where you have to just stop feeling sorry for people and start wondering why they let themselves get in that position.
And on a last note, I found this while doing some shopping yesterday in the international fool section of the local grocery:
- The mustard man has been found! (yes...I stole it from the afore mentioned site)
- homeless shelter evicts 21 year old pregnant woman with 3 kids. Now, before you make up your mind I just want to say one thing. You don't get 4 kids at 21 by keeping your legs closed, and when was the last time you went to a doctor named Xavier, Javonte, or T'Keel? Ok, maybe I can see Xavier....but man talk about stacking the deck against those kids. There's a ceratin point where you have to just stop feeling sorry for people and start wondering why they let themselves get in that position.
And on a last note, I found this while doing some shopping yesterday in the international fool section of the local grocery:
December 22, 2004
Dining room setup
Got the dining room setup and all polished up. Also got the $1500 rug put down that just matches the wall soooo perfectly.
heartburn...wtf?
Been listening to the new Gwen Stefani CD and the new Vanessa Carlton a lot lately (like music on while working on the house), and I have to say Harmonium is a surprisingly deep CD. i'm really enjoying it a lot, which surprised me honestly. The gwen stefani CD on the other hand....man, i can feel the potential in there so much it's frustrating. There's basically 1 great song, 3 good ones, and th rest is just embarrasing. It's growing on me, but still there's so much raw talent, I just can't believe it was handled so badly by some of the producers. I mean there is bad stuff, and there's decent stuff but who the hell was smoking something that made them think "this shit is bananas" was a good lyric? It's a shame really...some good sudo 80's "missing person's" sounds in there.
Anyways, christmas time:
Still have a few things to wrap, but this is the gist of it. Funny...the tree looked fine in the old apartment, but here it just looks tiny :( On the bright side we have all our shopping finished so thank god for that.
Dennis's shopping tip of the day: Bed Bath and Beyond accepts expired coupons. Found that out a few weeks ago, pretty cool of them honestly.
Still have a few things to wrap, but this is the gist of it. Funny...the tree looked fine in the old apartment, but here it just looks tiny :( On the bright side we have all our shopping finished so thank god for that.
Dennis's shopping tip of the day: Bed Bath and Beyond accepts expired coupons. Found that out a few weeks ago, pretty cool of them honestly.
December 21, 2004
missle car
Jen forwarded this to me this morning:
Have you seen this guy going 100+ mph on Highway I-15 to Vegas with these balloons trailing about 50 yards behind him?
Step 1. Tie balloons to car.
Step 2. Drive like a bat out of hell....
Step 3. Watch people freak out !!!!
Also, I stumbled across this gingerbread computer:
Step 1. Tie balloons to car.
Step 2. Drive like a bat out of hell....
Step 3. Watch people freak out !!!!
Also, I stumbled across this gingerbread computer:December 19, 2004
who said sunday was a day of rest
In preperation of christmas coming we've made a lot of progress finishing up the trimwork in the foyer today. Believe it or not this took most of the day pretty much, and my back hurts :(
As a result I have nothing witty to say, execpt some slight comments on how this house was obviously built by drunk pirates whose concept of a straight corner was clearly different than mine. Oh, and the tile guy, he's an asshole who can't figure out that you just don't fill 3 inches with grout because your to lazy to get off your fat ass and cut another row. bastard...
Anyways, the new setup (minus the tools still on the fireplace)
Foyer trim work, mid progress
Here's the result of chipping away at 3 inches of grout for a while...(god i hate you tile man....i really hate you)
And the closet afterwards with 1x4 and base cap installed (not filled yet):
I am now going to get a beer. Which reminds me of a link Tim sent me. How to turn cheap vodka into expensive vodka using a brita water filter.
Foyer trim work, mid progress
Here's the result of chipping away at 3 inches of grout for a while...(god i hate you tile man....i really hate you)
And the closet afterwards with 1x4 and base cap installed (not filled yet):
I am now going to get a beer. Which reminds me of a link Tim sent me. How to turn cheap vodka into expensive vodka using a brita water filter.
December 18, 2004
moved back into family room
Jen and I had a very busy day today, we finished up the quarter round on the pantry and pilaster area and moved back into the family room.
this allowed us to bring my loveseat up from the basement, and wire up the 6.1 surround system through the inwall wiring we installed. the only time we stopped was when we ran to home depot, and the local kennel to pickup teddy (friends dog whose coming back into town later on).
btw, watched Dawn of the Dead last night (borrowed from afore mentioned friend) and man...what a freaky movie...couldn't stop thinking about it the whole night. No bad dreams...but still....freaky as shit.
btw, watched Dawn of the Dead last night (borrowed from afore mentioned friend) and man...what a freaky movie...couldn't stop thinking about it the whole night. No bad dreams...but still....freaky as shit.
December 17, 2004
fedex is evil and good
Is it considered ironic if you eat pizza rolls for lunch and then have pizza for dinner?
December 16, 2004
yesterdays post
go read it again, it counts for 2 at least so i'm not going to try and post again when i could be playing half life :)
December 15, 2004
Fireplace Mantel: Design and building
Very early on in our estimation of this house we both agreed that the original fireplace mantel shelf needed to be replaced. Every single house around here had the exact same mantle, just a large chunk of wood nailed to the wall with 4 nails. Nothing fancy, as you can see by this picture:
Originally we were going to pay somebody to either build one or purchase one. The biggest problem with the purchase route turned out to be the size of the mantel shelf, it had to be about 8' long, and didn't have end caps just a 45 degree angle. None of the local hardware stores carried any premade kits larger than 6'. We were able to find something online we liked at mantelsdirect.com (the concorde model), but I wanted to give the business to a local store. You know, support the community and crap like that. So we drove around and looked, the prices were pretty high generally, and the designs were nothing we liked. My personal favorite was when I walked into a local store, saw a picture of the concorde model we liked and asked if they could replicate that for less than we could order an 8' version online (roughly 320). I had to talk them down about the price, but that didn't bother me. What bothered me was the draft they submitted. It looked like a retarded 5 year old had drawn it... Despite my desire to not spend any time on this it became clear we where going to have to make our own to get what we wanted.
So after some drawing and figuring out what we wanted and a little chance taking we were finally able to find all the parts we needed locally and threw together a mockup:
This is their proposal:
This is our early sketches:
All the wood is poplar simply because it's the cheapest quality (knot free) you can get and since we're painting it there's no reason for oak/pine/etc. Jen and I both signed off on the design after seeing the mock-up in place on the mantel and we bought the wood necessary and extra router bit (didn't have a 1/4" beading bit). I already had some 2x4 and some quality 1x6 lying around so we bought:
1 1/4 beading bit $14.98
1 1x2 poplar trim $4.72
1 2x2 $1.88
1 1x8 poplar board $18.32
1 4 1/4" x 8' crown trim $14.00 So if you want to total things out, our mantel cost about $53....woulda been $40 if we hadn't had to buy a router bit. Kind of a far cry from the $320 the local place wanted for their crap (didn't even have crown molding in it).
So now that we have all the wood all we have to do is assemble it :)
Now that all the parts that could be preassembled and painted are done we move on the assembly (which is actually easy as hell).
We cust the ends of the 2x4 backer to 45 degrees (and the proper length of course) and put it into 4 wall studs using 20 penny nails (two each stud, top and bottom). Let's just say that it's not going anywhere anytime soon. Now that the primary backer is secured, we can bust out the nail gun and have some fun. I used 2" 16 gauge nails for everything but the crown molding (1 1/4 18 gauge) and plenty of liquid nails to make sure nothing will ever move.
After the 2x4 backer was on we attached the 1x6 we cut down to match the backer's height with the additional 1x2 on it (5"). Once that was on we placed the mantel top on to see how much we'd have to "float" the 2x2's to make the shelf top level. Then we started at one end and used nails and glue to make sure they weren't gonna move horiziontally, and then secured it vertically from the top down into the 2x2's.
Now that all the 2x2 backers are secured we were able to cut the crown molding, which turns out to be very simple because it uses the same angles on the compound miter as the base caps for the pilasters. Once it's cut we switch nailguns to a 1 1/4" 18 guage brad...add a little liquid nails, and go to town. Once that's complete we're done....painting and filling of the holes will come later.
New mantel for about $50 bucks....not to shabby. Of course special thanks again to our neighbor Tim for lending us his router this past month. One last final comparison:
Originally we were going to pay somebody to either build one or purchase one. The biggest problem with the purchase route turned out to be the size of the mantel shelf, it had to be about 8' long, and didn't have end caps just a 45 degree angle. None of the local hardware stores carried any premade kits larger than 6'. We were able to find something online we liked at mantelsdirect.com (the concorde model), but I wanted to give the business to a local store. You know, support the community and crap like that. So we drove around and looked, the prices were pretty high generally, and the designs were nothing we liked. My personal favorite was when I walked into a local store, saw a picture of the concorde model we liked and asked if they could replicate that for less than we could order an 8' version online (roughly 320). I had to talk them down about the price, but that didn't bother me. What bothered me was the draft they submitted. It looked like a retarded 5 year old had drawn it... Despite my desire to not spend any time on this it became clear we where going to have to make our own to get what we wanted. So after some drawing and figuring out what we wanted and a little chance taking we were finally able to find all the parts we needed locally and threw together a mockup:
This is their proposal:
This is our early sketches:
All the wood is poplar simply because it's the cheapest quality (knot free) you can get and since we're painting it there's no reason for oak/pine/etc. Jen and I both signed off on the design after seeing the mock-up in place on the mantel and we bought the wood necessary and extra router bit (didn't have a 1/4" beading bit). I already had some 2x4 and some quality 1x6 lying around so we bought:1 1/4 beading bit $14.98
1 1x2 poplar trim $4.72
1 2x2 $1.88
1 1x8 poplar board $18.32
1 4 1/4" x 8' crown trim $14.00 So if you want to total things out, our mantel cost about $53....woulda been $40 if we hadn't had to buy a router bit. Kind of a far cry from the $320 the local place wanted for their crap (didn't even have crown molding in it).
So now that we have all the wood all we have to do is assemble it :)
Now that all the parts that could be preassembled and painted are done we move on the assembly (which is actually easy as hell).
We cust the ends of the 2x4 backer to 45 degrees (and the proper length of course) and put it into 4 wall studs using 20 penny nails (two each stud, top and bottom). Let's just say that it's not going anywhere anytime soon. Now that the primary backer is secured, we can bust out the nail gun and have some fun. I used 2" 16 gauge nails for everything but the crown molding (1 1/4 18 gauge) and plenty of liquid nails to make sure nothing will ever move.
After the 2x4 backer was on we attached the 1x6 we cut down to match the backer's height with the additional 1x2 on it (5"). Once that was on we placed the mantel top on to see how much we'd have to "float" the 2x2's to make the shelf top level. Then we started at one end and used nails and glue to make sure they weren't gonna move horiziontally, and then secured it vertically from the top down into the 2x2's.
Now that all the 2x2 backers are secured we were able to cut the crown molding, which turns out to be very simple because it uses the same angles on the compound miter as the base caps for the pilasters. Once it's cut we switch nailguns to a 1 1/4" 18 guage brad...add a little liquid nails, and go to town. Once that's complete we're done....painting and filling of the holes will come later.
New mantel for about $50 bucks....not to shabby. Of course special thanks again to our neighbor Tim for lending us his router this past month. One last final comparison:
December 14, 2004
generally...I don't like people
It seems that somehow, everyday, somebody must remind me of why exactly I despise the human race so much.
Occasionally it's the way people drive, how they act in public places, perhaps even what they type on the internet. Today however, it's coughing without covering their mouth.
Because I have nothing higher to achieve in my life that to inhale the filthy diseased aerated mist from some slack jaw mouth breather that can't be bothered to cover their mouth when coughing.
Thank you kind sir, thank you so much for sharing with me your polluted, feculent essence you lazy sack of crap.
Moving on....I was going to post about the fireplace mantel Jen and I designed and built, but I think I'll do that tomorrow. Today we have a fine selection of links in a fine hollandaise sauce:
- A lovely song called "You ain't getting shit for christmas" from Donna.
- Half Life 2 cookies. Finally a use for those stupid, useless, worthless "collector tins" everybody pumps out. Seriously, why didn't I think of this...way to freakin' cool. Probably gonna get /.'d.
- 10yr old girl get's arrested for having scissors in backpack. Words escape me.
- Ha, silly pick of a StormTrooper getting arrested.
- Honey, can I have some money for the Beer truck? Really, there's a million dollar idea in there somewhere.
- Chicago homeless guy made home in bridge. Every kid's treehouse just got a little lamer....alas no pics, but sounds cooler than a cardboard box. I'd be seriously mad at the f**ker who ratted me out.
- Doesn't it seem like people forget how to drive in winter? Well here's video proof of that in TN. The best part is the public work guy who has the detour arrow blinking in the wrong direction. Watching this was hard for me...I hate that feeling after an accident in the pit of your stomache.
- Somebody need's to let the cat in.
- Half Life 2 cookies. Finally a use for those stupid, useless, worthless "collector tins" everybody pumps out. Seriously, why didn't I think of this...way to freakin' cool. Probably gonna get /.'d.
- 10yr old girl get's arrested for having scissors in backpack. Words escape me.
- Ha, silly pick of a StormTrooper getting arrested.
- Honey, can I have some money for the Beer truck? Really, there's a million dollar idea in there somewhere.
- Chicago homeless guy made home in bridge. Every kid's treehouse just got a little lamer....alas no pics, but sounds cooler than a cardboard box. I'd be seriously mad at the f**ker who ratted me out.
- Doesn't it seem like people forget how to drive in winter? Well here's video proof of that in TN. The best part is the public work guy who has the detour arrow blinking in the wrong direction. Watching this was hard for me...I hate that feeling after an accident in the pit of your stomache.
- Somebody need's to let the cat in.
December 12, 2004
Pilasters: Making and installing
This is gonna be a long one.
Jen and I both decided that pilasters were the perfect way to create a transition between the Family room and the kitchen. This would allow us to paint the rooms two different colors primarily, and secondly hopefully look real cool.
Here's a picture of the basic idea. There are typically two types of flat pilaster; neoclassical and victorian. The picture I linked to just now is neoclassical, while we decided to go with a victorian style.
So, the concept is simple. Take a board (of high quality..clear or special D grade), use a router to cut the flutes and your done. While the concept is simple, doing it is anything but. We decided on using a 3/4" corebox 1/4" shank bit for the flutes and used 1"x6" quality board. I don't remember the exact math, but every application is different. Basically you just want to make sure the flutes are spaced evenly.
So we lucky enough to be able to borrow a router and table from a local friend (thanks Tim). Leaving the only thing we had to invest in being the router bit (ie. the corebox...20 bucks at homedepot) and wood ($9.99 for an 8' section of quality board..not bad) plus like $7 for a 6' section (for the pony wall).
Basically, once we decided on the width of the corebox bit (3/4") everything else was just math...which I let Jen do :) below you can see the results from our attempts. Keep in mind we do the outside flutes first because all it requires is flipping the board for each side, and then we do the center one last because it requires moving the guide:
A couple of points to make:
- Practice on scrap first. Plunging the bit takes some practice especially when using a table.
- The outside flutes stop 3.5" from the line created on each end from the base cap and floor trim. The single inside flute stops 2.5".
- Always...ALWAYS make sure you go over every flute at least twice to get a nice even cut and removed any gouges or digs.....it's a nightmare to sand and latex paint will not float it out as much as you think. Plus sanding in a flute runs the risk of shaving the edge and rounding it over. So, now that the basic pilasters are done (leaving out the priming and 4 coats of paint) we move on to the crown molding caps. If you've never cut crown molding before you in for a surprise. It freaking sucks. No 45 degree angles here...we used 3 5/8" crown molding that had 52/38 degree angle. There would have been no way to do this practically without our compound miter saw. The real trick is the angles, you have to set the tilt left at 33.9 degrees and the miter angle (left or right) at 31.6 degrees. (thank god for the book Creative Homeowner: Trimwork...seriously..it's been so helpful). Once you have the angles figured out everything else is pretty much cake. The only real trick is to tack on a flat board on top so you can use that to simulate the ceiling and square up the crown molding when trying to measure and cut the return pieces (ends of the caps). Also, I found that using a simple staple gun to join the cap worked amazingly well. You just do the back side of the cap, use the flex of the staples to spread apart the joints (for putting wood glue in them) and then tack one staple in the front until dry. Remove and fill. Much easier than trying to use a piece of scrap and a nail gun, plus then you don't drive a nail into your thumb.
And I precut one small wrap around of colonial floor trim for the pony wall pilaster.
Which now we can see what a complete mock-up looks like:
Now that all the parts are cut it's all a matter of painting and installing. We primed and put about 3 coats of latex paint on every piece. Of course that was after we filled any hole, dents, etc with wood filler and sanded them. It's realy hard to not glob paint in the flutes, but a little 60 grit sandpaper helps fix any mistakes.
Once everything has dried and is ready it's time for installation. Really it can't be easier, you just put them in place, find were the studs are (if you have any around), put some liquid nails on the back and nail it to the wall. I recommend not nailing in the flutes if you can help it personally.
We'll be finishing off the floor trim that leads up the 8' pilaster soon, so that's why there's no bottom on it. Also we had to make some comprimises on the "straightness" of it against the pantry closet door since the drywall job done when the house was built is absolute crap and the wall is wonky as hell. But pretty much that's it. Now we don't have to paint the kitchen the same color as the Family room, and hopefully they add to the decor of the house (there is crown molding in other rooms, so it does blend a bit).
A couple of points to make:- Practice on scrap first. Plunging the bit takes some practice especially when using a table.
- The outside flutes stop 3.5" from the line created on each end from the base cap and floor trim. The single inside flute stops 2.5".
- Always...ALWAYS make sure you go over every flute at least twice to get a nice even cut and removed any gouges or digs.....it's a nightmare to sand and latex paint will not float it out as much as you think. Plus sanding in a flute runs the risk of shaving the edge and rounding it over. So, now that the basic pilasters are done (leaving out the priming and 4 coats of paint) we move on to the crown molding caps. If you've never cut crown molding before you in for a surprise. It freaking sucks. No 45 degree angles here...we used 3 5/8" crown molding that had 52/38 degree angle. There would have been no way to do this practically without our compound miter saw. The real trick is the angles, you have to set the tilt left at 33.9 degrees and the miter angle (left or right) at 31.6 degrees. (thank god for the book Creative Homeowner: Trimwork...seriously..it's been so helpful). Once you have the angles figured out everything else is pretty much cake. The only real trick is to tack on a flat board on top so you can use that to simulate the ceiling and square up the crown molding when trying to measure and cut the return pieces (ends of the caps). Also, I found that using a simple staple gun to join the cap worked amazingly well. You just do the back side of the cap, use the flex of the staples to spread apart the joints (for putting wood glue in them) and then tack one staple in the front until dry. Remove and fill. Much easier than trying to use a piece of scrap and a nail gun, plus then you don't drive a nail into your thumb.
And I precut one small wrap around of colonial floor trim for the pony wall pilaster.
Which now we can see what a complete mock-up looks like:
Now that all the parts are cut it's all a matter of painting and installing. We primed and put about 3 coats of latex paint on every piece. Of course that was after we filled any hole, dents, etc with wood filler and sanded them. It's realy hard to not glob paint in the flutes, but a little 60 grit sandpaper helps fix any mistakes.
Once everything has dried and is ready it's time for installation. Really it can't be easier, you just put them in place, find were the studs are (if you have any around), put some liquid nails on the back and nail it to the wall. I recommend not nailing in the flutes if you can help it personally.
We'll be finishing off the floor trim that leads up the 8' pilaster soon, so that's why there's no bottom on it. Also we had to make some comprimises on the "straightness" of it against the pantry closet door since the drywall job done when the house was built is absolute crap and the wall is wonky as hell. But pretty much that's it. Now we don't have to paint the kitchen the same color as the Family room, and hopefully they add to the decor of the house (there is crown molding in other rooms, so it does blend a bit).
December 11, 2004
Fleet gift cards are ripoff's
Gift cards are the favorite way currently to get something for somebody you don't know that well. Some see them as an excuse not to shop, while other's think they are an idea that is ahead of it's time. Eitherway you look at it, commercials for gift card visa's are all over the TV and are a great gift when you don't know what else to get.
Now that I've stated how wonderful I think they are, lets get to the real point. How dirty no good thieving credit card companies conspire and plot to suck every penny they can out of you.
I got a $50 dollar visa last year (www.fleetgiftcards.com) and only used about $37 of it. It has been sitting in my wallet since then because I haven't used it. I kept it kinda like the emergency dollar I keep in my glove compartment...just in case.
So I figured I better use it up, so I log onto the website, and guess what..
THERE WAS A $2.50 MONTHLY MAINTENANCE FEE!!!
That means those bastards slowly sucked the life out of that card over the past 11 months like an old toothless vampire. They can kiss my rosey red white ass if they think next time I get one of those I'm not gonna run right out and spend it all. Sneaky thieving sons of b****'s.
IF YOU GET A GIFT VISA CARD...USE IT ALL IMMEDIATLY!!!!!
In other news, busy day. We got the pilasters installed and started on the Fireplace Mantel Shelf...pictures and details to follow tomorrow when I have more time on the pilasters...I have to finish cutting the crown molding for the mantle shelf before that's ready to post about..... Oh, and Donna....I spent that 50 on beer today :) :) :) Thank you so much! I bought some really good stuff.
In other news, busy day. We got the pilasters installed and started on the Fireplace Mantel Shelf...pictures and details to follow tomorrow when I have more time on the pilasters...I have to finish cutting the crown molding for the mantle shelf before that's ready to post about..... Oh, and Donna....I spent that 50 on beer today :) :) :) Thank you so much! I bought some really good stuff.
December 10, 2004
that's a good apple
Ever notice how sometimes you wake up ready to get so much done, and then the day just flys by and your sitting there with your thumb up your ass wondering what happened?
yeah, i hate that too.
- Customers suck! Some really funny stuff here from the other side of the story.
- Lego Grandfather Clock...simply amazing. Here's a google cache of the site since it got /.'d.
- From Nick, a better NES PC. Next generation power in first generation style. I would have kept the red power light though....
- Cool little christmas tree made of ethernet wire and led's.
- The ecolab guy was right, Ralphie is a deer mouse. Well off to paint, we're building a mantel shelf for the fireplace and are still painting all the parts before we assemble. I really look forward to posting about it.
- Lego Grandfather Clock...simply amazing. Here's a google cache of the site since it got /.'d.
- From Nick, a better NES PC. Next generation power in first generation style. I would have kept the red power light though....
- Cool little christmas tree made of ethernet wire and led's.
- The ecolab guy was right, Ralphie is a deer mouse. Well off to paint, we're building a mantel shelf for the fireplace and are still painting all the parts before we assemble. I really look forward to posting about it.
December 09, 2004
Guess who's a year older?
Happy B-day Jen!
December 06, 2004
devils with pretty halo's
Yesterday and today were busy days around the house. It took me most of they day yesterday to tune-up Jen's car.
Doing the oil change wasn't as hard as my car, but honestly I just can't imagine what the hell the designers were thinking...the oil drain plug is right next to a wheel strut. There's no way to even get a standard 15mm socket on it. Thankfully I was able to run to the local tool store (aka Tim's garage) and borrow an open end wrench.
After that it was pretty simple, considering Fords don't use crush washers like Honda's....torque wasn't an issue thankfully because the torque wrench wouldn't of fit anyways. The only really snaq was one of the spark plug wires ripped out of its boot so I had to replace them all. Not really a big deal, just a quick run to Auto Zone, explain you don't speak spanish, tell them to go find the part you need...not the 5 dollar more part they were able to find quickly, phonetically spell out your name, and then get complety ignored by the cashier as she talks about her daughter dating a hispanic guy. See how easy that was? Snapped a cute pic of Moxie and Nibbler playing...or more correctly described...nibbler laying there doing nothing and moxie freaking out.
Now, if you'll excuse me Jen is at work, and I have a weeks worth of Anime to catch up on. Also the genius that is The Venture Brothers is in there.
Doing the oil change wasn't as hard as my car, but honestly I just can't imagine what the hell the designers were thinking...the oil drain plug is right next to a wheel strut. There's no way to even get a standard 15mm socket on it. Thankfully I was able to run to the local tool store (aka Tim's garage) and borrow an open end wrench.
After that it was pretty simple, considering Fords don't use crush washers like Honda's....torque wasn't an issue thankfully because the torque wrench wouldn't of fit anyways. The only really snaq was one of the spark plug wires ripped out of its boot so I had to replace them all. Not really a big deal, just a quick run to Auto Zone, explain you don't speak spanish, tell them to go find the part you need...not the 5 dollar more part they were able to find quickly, phonetically spell out your name, and then get complety ignored by the cashier as she talks about her daughter dating a hispanic guy. See how easy that was? Snapped a cute pic of Moxie and Nibbler playing...or more correctly described...nibbler laying there doing nothing and moxie freaking out.
Now, if you'll excuse me Jen is at work, and I have a weeks worth of Anime to catch up on. Also the genius that is The Venture Brothers is in there.
December 05, 2004
lot to do today
Even though I'm on vacation this week, I have a lot to get done today. So here are a plethera of links I've had queue'd up for you:
- Popeye meet's Anime. Weird things happen, but pretty funny.
- USB christmas decorations. Pretty cool actually.
- Scariest thing yet. The 1971 Sears catalog.
- EA memo leaked about promises to change overtime policy. If you acutally believe this isn't leaked PR bullshit then you are a moron. They're just stalling and bluffing until this blows over or they recycled their entire staff with new hires fresh out of graduate school.
- Sony demo disk "accidentaly" erases your memory card. Oops...sorry about that.
- Target faces backlash for not allowing Salvation bell rings at their stores. Screw that...it's all a scam I say, go Target!
- Ninja air duster from thinkgeek. Still looking forward to my Samuri file organizer.
- Cardboard house of the future. Which is funny, because it's on slashdot.org today, but it's been sitting on my desktop for like 3 days....
- 11 people arrested, after tickets has wrong courtroom on them. In other news judges are arrogant pricks who don't think they have to listen to anyone but themselves. Seriously, how fucking stupid do you have to be to put 11 people in jail for 8 hours when their tickets had the wrong courtroom written on them.
- Hilarious! Ugly Christmas lights.....good stuff.
- USB christmas decorations. Pretty cool actually.
- Scariest thing yet. The 1971 Sears catalog.
- EA memo leaked about promises to change overtime policy. If you acutally believe this isn't leaked PR bullshit then you are a moron. They're just stalling and bluffing until this blows over or they recycled their entire staff with new hires fresh out of graduate school.
- Sony demo disk "accidentaly" erases your memory card. Oops...sorry about that.
- Target faces backlash for not allowing Salvation bell rings at their stores. Screw that...it's all a scam I say, go Target!
- Ninja air duster from thinkgeek. Still looking forward to my Samuri file organizer.
- Cardboard house of the future. Which is funny, because it's on slashdot.org today, but it's been sitting on my desktop for like 3 days....
- 11 people arrested, after tickets has wrong courtroom on them. In other news judges are arrogant pricks who don't think they have to listen to anyone but themselves. Seriously, how fucking stupid do you have to be to put 11 people in jail for 8 hours when their tickets had the wrong courtroom written on them.
- Hilarious! Ugly Christmas lights.....good stuff.
December 04, 2004
Ralpie Update
So this is a ralphie update. Everything seems to be doing well, little bastard is pampered like a king:
We also added some tubes, another little house and a new wheel. One of those super fancy ones that have "amazing patented ball bearing technology":
It's not to bad...doesn't squeak like the other cheapy one does...but the plastic rattles so the damn cats still sit outside the door like beggars trying to get in all night. A little tape fixed that though. Oh, and I never knew Juliet would appreciate Half Life 2 so much:
Anyways...off to the food bank...
We also added some tubes, another little house and a new wheel. One of those super fancy ones that have "amazing patented ball bearing technology":It's not to bad...doesn't squeak like the other cheapy one does...but the plastic rattles so the damn cats still sit outside the door like beggars trying to get in all night. A little tape fixed that though. Oh, and I never knew Juliet would appreciate Half Life 2 so much:
Anyways...off to the food bank...
December 03, 2004
$300
So something cool happened today, me and Jen had a free lunch at a new Italian Restaurant named Biaggi's. Turns out they're opening a new store nearby and were inviting a few people in for free lunches in order to train their wait staff. That was really nice of them I think...funny thing is, most people we talked to didn't even consider the thought of tipping.
I mean, I know it's a free meal, but even more reason to tip. The waitress still only makes scale, and your basically getting a full meal for like 6 bucks. That's a steal.
Well regardless, yesterday after we got back from Cheeseburger in Paradise we played a little Viewtiful Joe, but before we left we managed to bet the single player campaign on Halo.
However, don't feel sad for me, because it all works out great. See my sister bought me Half Life 2 for my B-day. And not just any old copy, but the collector's edition with the DVD, Half Life 1 source, and a t-shirt. Does that freakin' rule or what? Also I got The Far Side collection from Jen (which seriously weights like 30 lbs), and last but not least a butt load of Guinness and Samuel Adam's from my nephew Tom (who has good taste in beer).
Also, my beer/hostage exhange program with the guy who runs ratebeer.com paid off as 34 lbs of Texas local brew arrived via UPS. Kinda like beer penpals, it's a good way to get beers we otherwise couldn't. It all started when we exchanged links for our beer site with his.
Also, my beer/hostage exhange program with the guy who runs ratebeer.com paid off as 34 lbs of Texas local brew arrived via UPS. Kinda like beer penpals, it's a good way to get beers we otherwise couldn't. It all started when we exchanged links for our beer site with his.
December 02, 2004
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
From Chloe, Nibbler, Gizmo, Juliet & Moxie!
Happy B-dayI Love You,
Jen (and now we are the same age for 7 days)!
Getting older...
- Ever wonder why your DVR is suddenly cutting off parts of your shows? Sneaky bastards at the TV companies....knew this was coming eventually now that they've made TIVO their bitch.
- See if you can catch the subtle Office Space reference in this picture.
- Young people don't think about the ramifications of tattoo's. Seriously....no shit...show me a CEO with a lip piercing, or a full sleeve. I'm all for expression, but just try to think how cool your tattoo's gonna look in 50 years when your crapping your pants waiting to die in a nursing home and some poor schmuck has to wipe your ass and see's this.
- They have just released the art work of christopher reeves for public review. This one came from Jen...so it's not my fault.
- See if you can catch the subtle Office Space reference in this picture.
- Young people don't think about the ramifications of tattoo's. Seriously....no shit...show me a CEO with a lip piercing, or a full sleeve. I'm all for expression, but just try to think how cool your tattoo's gonna look in 50 years when your crapping your pants waiting to die in a nursing home and some poor schmuck has to wipe your ass and see's this.
- They have just released the art work of christopher reeves for public review. This one came from Jen...so it's not my fault.
December 01, 2004
what ever happened to erin evermore?
- The Zoom Quilt. Trippy.
- MC Hawking: A brief history of rhyme the greatest hits.
- Where did all the money go? Freemason's loose yet more money. This is just another example of why I don't give money to charity.
- Young man accidently kills person who raped his mother. Get's sent to jail. Says he has no regrets and would do it again. Personally, I think he deserves a medal.
- Blade: Trinity is coming out soon. Totally psyched about this...but my mind blew when I realized one of the bad ass co-star vampire killers is the same guy from Van Wilder. WTF?!?! I still have faith it'll be cool.
- MC Hawking: A brief history of rhyme the greatest hits.
- Where did all the money go? Freemason's loose yet more money. This is just another example of why I don't give money to charity.
- Young man accidently kills person who raped his mother. Get's sent to jail. Says he has no regrets and would do it again. Personally, I think he deserves a medal.
- Blade: Trinity is coming out soon. Totally psyched about this...but my mind blew when I realized one of the bad ass co-star vampire killers is the same guy from Van Wilder. WTF?!?! I still have faith it'll be cool.