Gag

I've spent literally hours trying to figure out how to get this in-home network going. The only thing I can figure out is that there is some sort of code that needs to be updated or changed to a new code. Apparently it does it by itself - but I haven't got a friggin' clue HOW to do it. And - I gave up. Ken - my roommate - has a friend at work who is coming over here after work today to try to figure it out for him/me. I cannot get a "Wizard" to pop up to install the setup, I have tried to install it manually - nothing works. I even got lost in all of it and didn't have internet access on THIS computer for a short time.

Whatever. I just received notice in my mailbox that for 2010, my property assessed value is going to TRIPLE. Well - it hasn't really been updated since my house burned down and I put this house on here - which is worth far more than their assessed value, so I ain't gonna dispute it. It might to UP if I do that. They're saying the property is worth $98,000.00, Zillow has it at $160,000.00, a year ago it was appraised at $178,000.00. Property values have gone way done, so Zillow's estimate is probably close.

Walgreens has a coupon online that you print out and get ink cartridges for $5 - whether color or ink. Couldn't pass that up as yellow was gone and though I don't use it often, I still want the option available. That and cleaning house have been my big projects for the day. I realized I am almost out of paint - will have to buy another gallon of paint to do that room. I'm feeling TOTALLY unmotivated today. I think this work week sorta knocked me out coupled with a 2-day fast.

Anyway, the City of Phoenix is "banging on the door" for me to pay my water bill - I didn't realize I had let it go. They give you lots of time and notices to pay up before they come out and shut it off. It AIN'T gonna go that far. I was going to pay it online today, but I realized that the shutoff date is well into next month, and I get paid next week. Just wait until then. Sometimes I forget a bill and then I get a reminder. Almost everything else is current - excepting the mortgage of course. The car payment will be a week past due it's due date - no big deal there. Insurance paid up until next month, all credit card bills paid up and of course child support payment is ALWAYS paid up regardless. Sheriff Joe had a program on last week where they were luring deadbeat dads into a freebie of a makeover or whatever it was. A person puts this junk on the person's face and cucumbers over the eyes, the deputies move in and arrest him/her. Sheriff Joe was actually there for this one. He walks up to one particular guy and reads him the riot act. You have warrants, you haven't been paying your child support, a list of things.

I was thinking of chucking $50 per paycheck into my ING account and see if I can just find a way to live without it. My head says no, but - who knows. The money would go for the August slim and trim vacation. I'll have to really think that one out - I have things to get done around here that really need to be done. I definitely intend on getting that doggy door with this rent money from the 3rd tenant. I hope this person works out well enough to be around here a couple of months - but - you never know. Deal with it, as always. Security deposit up front - in fact, the check is a month's rent and the deposit. Good enough.

Oh, well, maybe Obama's newest deal to order companies to decrease the amount of taxes being withheld will pay for that? A "savings" of something like $60 per month, I think? He certainly is going to town in attempting to do something about the economy - I have to wonder, though, HOW all of this money is going to get paid back? Doesn't take much thinking.......

I'm gonna laze today - much as I hate to admit it, I'm not into doing projects and therefore, I'm simply not going to do them. Tomorrow, I'll have no choice but to go buy the paint and do that room. Oh well......
ben

Saturday

Success! Reformatted the harddrive, downloaded the drivers correctly - and I have sound again.
Of course, now I have to call Microsoft again and have them validate this edition of Microsoft Windows.
My roommate bought a new computer last night - I was trying to figure out how to set up the router so that it would work. I have no clue. I mean, I hooked it up the way it was set up before - but I cannot get a signal to start emitting for the other computer to pick up. This is out of my area of "expertise", as I have not set up the routers that were being used before. I'm fairly sure there must be a disc that comes with them - this one doesn't have one.

Going to the website of the manufacturer - I just gave up last night as I was tired and wanted to get to bed. I have spent no little amount of time this morning getting the computer set back up the way I want it. Surveillance software; Avast! spyware; installing IE7 with tabs - I love Internet Explorer with tabs!; and other software. I mean, I could hire myself out to going around and reformatting harddrives on Windows XP and reinstalling windows for people that haven't figured out how to do it for themselves at this point.

Trust me, it took me a LONG time to understand how to do all of this stuff. I'm simply not a computer genius and doubt I ever will be. I learn what I must learn in order to not have to call some computer geek out here at $75, $100 and more per hour to have them fix it. I think the HARDEST thing that I have had to figure out is how to get sound to work. I do not have the original discs that came with this computer - all of the drivers are on those discs which were stolen out of my former house.

Now what was it I was going to do today? Oh yes, painting and fencing. Stay tuned for that junk. Lol.

So, Fin and Bobby have planted this seed in my head to try and figure out a way to get to North Carolina in early August so I can join the festivities of a giant family reunion with people I haven't seen since I was a little kid. I suppose if I set my mind to it and accept that flying out there will be WELL out of my budget - considering I would most certainly want to take my son with me - and that even having to pitch a tent in a KOA campground or something instead of doing a hotel (I hope they at least have showers at those campgrounds!), eating sandwiches and cheap stuff the entire time - I might be able to do it. I'm NOT sure, however, if I will enjoy doing all of that and spending an entire vacation in such mode.

My son, however, would probably love it, because I would most certainly want him to drive some of the way at least. Having to cover that many miles in a short period of time basically means driving all day and night. He could drive day, I'd take the night. Night driving - I believe - is really very dangerous. I don't like it - at all - especially driving trucks at night. But - Interstate driving - although it has it's perils - not near as dangerous as driving through cities. My son doesn't have his learner's permit yet - I am waiting for him to turn 16, which is in May. If he wants to drive, he is going to have to pay for his own insurance, as I cannot afford it and wouldn't pay for it if I could. I didn't get a free ride when I was growing up, I don't believe he should get the idea that everything is handed to him on a silver platter.

One of his friends that comes over now and then is working 4 nights a week - at the age of 14. He's taking in some money, considering his age, too. About $300 per week. That's pretty good for a 14 year old. He isn't supposed to be working that job at all - he's too young legally - but apparently he knows the guy that works there that knows the owner - you know, it's always about who you know. I figure that a good model for my son to look at. This kid is really helping out his parents, one of which apparently lost their job and they are tanking, fast. The kid buys his own clothes, buys food, pays for his cellphone - taking care of himself mostly.

Onto other things. The idea has been getting thrown around about combining one of the plumbing branches with ours. Our company's plumbing division is being hit even harder than the waterworks division. They have shut down stores all over the place. There is a plumbing store a mile away from our store - the idea is to have both stores running out of one complex. It would save them a chunk of change in the rental of that facility they have now - which MUST be costing them no small amount of money. That store had a forklift, a company truck and other things "necessary" for the operation of a store - at this point? They have none of that stuff, just trying to float and keep the few employees that are working there in a job.

For me? I don't care what has to happen to keep my job. If plumbing has to open up shop along side us - so beit. There's room. It would be a little crowded with all of their product and ours in the same building and yard, but - we could make it work. Or, they could find a larger facility and still be saving a lot of money. I doubt they would do that, probably tell us to make it work, whatever it takes.

The Cavco man is here - this will be his last visit. I have just about everything fixed that I was looking to get fixed. After today, no more visits. Anything further needing to be done to this place will have to occur by my own hand or a paid contractor.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out this wireless network - totally clueless. But trying : )
Happy Saturday!
ben

Friday

Okay, okay, I give, I totally give!!!!
I made it almost 48 hours without eating.
A good start.
I'll be trying again soon - go at least 72 hours.
And again, and again, until I get used to this fasting business again and
then go on the 10 cleansing deal.

Right now? I stopped at a Mexican grocery store and bought up some carne asada chicken. It's a marinade they make and it's absolutely delicious. I'm going to - try to eat slowly but I'm famished and am ready to eat just about ANYTHING. I was thinking about grilling it - but I decided to pan-fry it instead. I don't want to lose any of the marinade and it's really made for pan-frying, anyway, cause it has veggies added into it. It should be delicious. Of course, after you have been fasting, just about ANYTHING is delicious. Spam? Tastes like steak. Lol.

So, I got an email from my dad today. They had this reunion all planned for Sierra Vista, next month.
Nixxxxxxx that one.
Now, they want to do it in North Carolina where my Aunt Gini lives - I forget which town - Hendersonville? I was looking forward to meeting my uncle Bob again - but I guess that isn't going to happen, because I can pretty much foresee the future right now: There's now WAY I'm going to be able to swing enough money for airfare, hotels, eating and whatever else they have planned. It just isn't even on the table right now, much less in the cards. I have things I need to get done around my house that take priority as well. I'm afraid that their lives are going to pass, and all I'll have of them are childhood memories.

Them being my aunts and uncles. They are mostly in their 80's now - they are still in decent health, amazingly, but - no-one lives forever. My cousins will be there as well. I hate missing it, cause I won't get to be with relatives I haven't seen - well most of them since I was less than 10 years old. My uncle Bob I saw when I was 16. I also absolutely LOVE North Carolina. I haven't been there in ages - memory a little sketchy - but I remember liking the place. Well, who knows, maybe some financial miracle will occur between now and then, for now, I'm not confirming anything or even replying to the email, no point in it.

I have an agenda for this weekend: Not too terribly much, actually. Oh, yes I do now that I remember. I have to paint that bedroom. But it's just plain white and I figure to knock that out in, what, a couple of hours? Whatever, it doesn't need a thick coating, just enough to cover up some wall scrapes and things. I also have to finish that chain link fence I started and haven't finished yet. THAT will be a chore, undoubtedly.

In fact, now that I think about it, the weekend is filled up. I don't WANT too many honey-do's without the honey, I really don't like filling up entire weekends with stuff to do without giving some time to rest, kick back, relax. Okay, I do like to keep moving - but it's okay to sit down an relax here and there.

Shrinking stomach effect: I just ate a very small amount of chicken and I'm stuffed. A nice side effect. You don't eat? Your stomach shrinks, you feel and get full quickly. I'll get my energy back by tomorrow and plan on hitting the weights in full force.

Anyway, I'm just out of it. The food converting to energy should take care of that soon enough, however, for right now, I'll be seein' ya'll later!
ben