I love my house. I really do. But I thoroughly despise one design issue - the master bedroom is directly above the garage. In many climates, that is not a problem, but in Arizona's awesome summers, this design faux-pas results in the master bedroom being the hottest room in the house. And that's a problem, for I prefer the temperature to hover as close to 72 degrees as possible at all times.
A few weeks ago, I decided to do something about it - I would air-condition my garage. No big deal, right? Just buy one of those window units, cut a hole in the wall, and fire it up, right?
If only it were that simple. Because my garage isn't well insulated, it is going to take an awfully powerful (17,500 BTU or so) air conditioner to properly and efficiently bring down the temperature. And of course, air conditioners that size require a dedicated electrical circuit, which of course I didn't have.
Well, I do now. Thanks to $225 and a hard day's work from my dad, my brother Ryan, and myself, I now have two new 20 amp circuits in my garage. We dug a 12-inch-deep, 80-foot-long trench from the electrical box to the garage (begrudgingly with shovels, due to the outrageous $250/day cost of a trencher), laid PVC electrical conduit in the trench, pulled six individual strands of 12-gauge wire through it, installed two breakers in the breaker box, drilled a big hole in the house to get the wire into the garage, then installed the electrical outlets in the garage.
It's no wonder I could hardly move Saturday night - that was a lot of work. And of course, I still need to get back out there to fill in the trench and lay the drip line for the backyard watering system. Which of course I need to do before we can pay someone (thank heaven) to do the landscaping in our backyard.
It's fun that our backyard finally shows signs of life, but frustrating to think that this is just the prep work. Good times!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
One of those quiz thingies
I am generally not a fan of the billion or so quizzes that circulate around the internet. But I liked this one, so here are my answers:
1. Three biggest fears?
Losing a family member, becoming complacent, and spraining my ankle for the eightieth time.
2. When was the last time you danced?
Yeah. Been a while. That's a good thing.
3. Do you creep on stranger's blogs?
Professionally, yes - there is a great deal of good technical information on strangers' blogs. Personally, no - I'd rather watch basketball.
4. If you could go back to be any age for a day, what age would you be and why?
I'd go back to 17/18, not make all those stupid mistakes, then come back to the present and hope my life was exactly the same as it is now. :)
5. Are you a good liar?
Yes.
6. Do you judge someone when you can tell they've had elective cosmetic surgery?
Yes. I understand why people do it, but I think most of it is ridiculous.
7. If you have children, what's one thing that you always told yourself you'd never do when you had kids?
Same as the wife - spend half our disposable income on Cars-related items.
8. What's something that totally grosses you out?
Stuff like this - gives me the heeby-jeebees (sp?).
9. Do you ever delete forwards without reading them?
The better question is ... do I ever read forwards before deleting them?
10. Do you ever lie to get out of obligations?
Yes, I do. Sometimes a brother just needs a break.
11. Consider your body weight and your yearly income at their present states. Would you rather be 200 pounds heavier and $200,000 richer or stay at your present states?
Considering how much better I feel having lost 20 pounds, I'll take my present state, thanks. I can't imagine weighing 400+ lbs, no matter the weight of my bank account.
12. When was the last time you bought a pair of shoes and what were they?
I have a problem - I'm a dude who likes his shoes. I probably have 20 pairs of shoes (almost all Eccos) that I actually wear. I recently bought a nice-yet-casual pair of Eccos at an outlet mall just North of Naples, FL.
13. The Olympics. Take them or leave them?
Leave them, save the basketball tournament and a few of the sprinting events.
14. What's your favorite accent?
Definitely German.
15. What's your favorite scent?
My nose is defective, so I'm not particularly attracted to specific scents. But if you hold a gun to my head, I'll go with beef in the smoker. :)
16. Chewing gun or mints?
Mints. Andes mints, the dessert mints at Abuelo's, those sour ones in the tins you get at Target... doesn't matter.
17. If you could look like any celebrity, who would it be?
Jennifer Connelly. She rocks.
18. If you had the chance of looking like said celebrity in exchange for your thumbs would you do it?
It would take a lot more than a couple thumbs for me to look like Jennfier Connelly, I'm sure. But in any case, nah, I dig my thumbs. My thumbs are neat.
19. Do you religiously wear sun screen?
No, but I should. Hair is natural sunscreen, and I am severely lacking.
20. Do you generally trust people/their motives or doubt people/their motives?
I generally do not trust people unless I know them well. I'm a cynic.
21. Would you describe yourself as a complicated person or is what you see what you get?
I think I'm relatively complicated, but so are most people.
22. Do you watch what you eat?
I mostly watch what I drink. I drink soda, I get fat. I drink water, I get skinny. Fairly simple. And I avoid tofu at all costs - that stuff is nasty.
23. Do you watch what other people eat?
My kids, mostly - don't want them ending up like me. I wish I had my wife's food sensibilities - never eats too much, but will eat pretty much anything.
24. Do you judge how other people raise their kids?
Yes, I do. I think are too many ways to get out of parenting, namely television, day care, nannies, etc. I wish people would put their kids before themselves.
25. Do you judge people who dress poorly?
I hereby invoke the protections of the fifth amendment, assuming we still have a Bill of Rights by the time I hit "publish post". Seriously though, not really. It's more "teasing" than "judging". :)
26. Do you judge people who are homely?
No - some people just aren't attractive.
27. Do you judge people who are overweight?
No - I am too acutely aware of their (our) plight. They/I are/am addicted to something has outward physical consequences. Why can't I be addicted to coffee or cigarettes or something that is socially acceptable?
28. Your interest in politics: High, Medium-High, Medium, Medium-Low, Low, Obsolete?
High.
29. Favorite song of all time?
"A Change of Seasons", Dream Theater. It's 23 minutes long, so it has a little bit of everything. Great tunes, great lyrics, great musicianship.
30. Acoustic or electric?
Guitar and bass? Electric - more sonic possibilities. Everything else (piano, drums, orchestral instruments)? Acoustic.
31. If you were a hermit, would you shave?
Yes. Hair is annoying.
32. If you could shave your head without your significant other throwing a complete hissy, would you?
About three times a week, yeah. And she didn't throw a hissy; she was glad I ditched the buzz.
33. What was your least favorite age?
7th/8th grade was pretty awful. I was a jerk.
34. How many times a day do you check your email?
Very funny. I wish I was away from my email long enough to have to check it. My phone is pushed email as it arrives, so I am never disconnected. A blessing and a curse, for sure.
35. Are you in a tiff with anyone right now?
No - life is too short.
1. Three biggest fears?
Losing a family member, becoming complacent, and spraining my ankle for the eightieth time.
2. When was the last time you danced?
Yeah. Been a while. That's a good thing.
3. Do you creep on stranger's blogs?
Professionally, yes - there is a great deal of good technical information on strangers' blogs. Personally, no - I'd rather watch basketball.
4. If you could go back to be any age for a day, what age would you be and why?
I'd go back to 17/18, not make all those stupid mistakes, then come back to the present and hope my life was exactly the same as it is now. :)
5. Are you a good liar?
Yes.
6. Do you judge someone when you can tell they've had elective cosmetic surgery?
Yes. I understand why people do it, but I think most of it is ridiculous.
7. If you have children, what's one thing that you always told yourself you'd never do when you had kids?
Same as the wife - spend half our disposable income on Cars-related items.
8. What's something that totally grosses you out?
Stuff like this - gives me the heeby-jeebees (sp?).
9. Do you ever delete forwards without reading them?
The better question is ... do I ever read forwards before deleting them?
10. Do you ever lie to get out of obligations?
Yes, I do. Sometimes a brother just needs a break.
11. Consider your body weight and your yearly income at their present states. Would you rather be 200 pounds heavier and $200,000 richer or stay at your present states?
Considering how much better I feel having lost 20 pounds, I'll take my present state, thanks. I can't imagine weighing 400+ lbs, no matter the weight of my bank account.
12. When was the last time you bought a pair of shoes and what were they?
I have a problem - I'm a dude who likes his shoes. I probably have 20 pairs of shoes (almost all Eccos) that I actually wear. I recently bought a nice-yet-casual pair of Eccos at an outlet mall just North of Naples, FL.
13. The Olympics. Take them or leave them?
Leave them, save the basketball tournament and a few of the sprinting events.
14. What's your favorite accent?
Definitely German.
15. What's your favorite scent?
My nose is defective, so I'm not particularly attracted to specific scents. But if you hold a gun to my head, I'll go with beef in the smoker. :)
16. Chewing gun or mints?
Mints. Andes mints, the dessert mints at Abuelo's, those sour ones in the tins you get at Target... doesn't matter.
17. If you could look like any celebrity, who would it be?
Jennifer Connelly. She rocks.
18. If you had the chance of looking like said celebrity in exchange for your thumbs would you do it?
It would take a lot more than a couple thumbs for me to look like Jennfier Connelly, I'm sure. But in any case, nah, I dig my thumbs. My thumbs are neat.
19. Do you religiously wear sun screen?
No, but I should. Hair is natural sunscreen, and I am severely lacking.
20. Do you generally trust people/their motives or doubt people/their motives?
I generally do not trust people unless I know them well. I'm a cynic.
21. Would you describe yourself as a complicated person or is what you see what you get?
I think I'm relatively complicated, but so are most people.
22. Do you watch what you eat?
I mostly watch what I drink. I drink soda, I get fat. I drink water, I get skinny. Fairly simple. And I avoid tofu at all costs - that stuff is nasty.
23. Do you watch what other people eat?
My kids, mostly - don't want them ending up like me. I wish I had my wife's food sensibilities - never eats too much, but will eat pretty much anything.
24. Do you judge how other people raise their kids?
Yes, I do. I think are too many ways to get out of parenting, namely television, day care, nannies, etc. I wish people would put their kids before themselves.
25. Do you judge people who dress poorly?
I hereby invoke the protections of the fifth amendment, assuming we still have a Bill of Rights by the time I hit "publish post". Seriously though, not really. It's more "teasing" than "judging". :)
26. Do you judge people who are homely?
No - some people just aren't attractive.
27. Do you judge people who are overweight?
No - I am too acutely aware of their (our) plight. They/I are/am addicted to something has outward physical consequences. Why can't I be addicted to coffee or cigarettes or something that is socially acceptable?
28. Your interest in politics: High, Medium-High, Medium, Medium-Low, Low, Obsolete?
High.
29. Favorite song of all time?
"A Change of Seasons", Dream Theater. It's 23 minutes long, so it has a little bit of everything. Great tunes, great lyrics, great musicianship.
30. Acoustic or electric?
Guitar and bass? Electric - more sonic possibilities. Everything else (piano, drums, orchestral instruments)? Acoustic.
31. If you were a hermit, would you shave?
Yes. Hair is annoying.
32. If you could shave your head without your significant other throwing a complete hissy, would you?
About three times a week, yeah. And she didn't throw a hissy; she was glad I ditched the buzz.
33. What was your least favorite age?
7th/8th grade was pretty awful. I was a jerk.
34. How many times a day do you check your email?
Very funny. I wish I was away from my email long enough to have to check it. My phone is pushed email as it arrives, so I am never disconnected. A blessing and a curse, for sure.
35. Are you in a tiff with anyone right now?
No - life is too short.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Déjà vu all over again
Most who know me well, and many who don't, are aware of my obvious love for the game of basketball. I love playing basketball, watching basketball (especially live), talking about basketball, and probably even talking about people watching other people playing basketball. It's easily my favorite sport, and has long been a significant part of my life in one way or another.
About seven years ago, I was playing a pickup game in a Scottsdale park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in December. I had the ball, was driving to the basket from the left elbow, made a slick left-to-right crossover move, and made my way to the hoop. I juked my defender nearly out of his shorts, but the trouble is, I also juked three of my right ankle ligaments out of their structural integrity. I heard my ankle pop (as did a few other people), I collapsed in pain, my ankle blew up to the size of one of my grandmother's famed cantaloupes, and I was done for the day.
After reinjuring the darn thing about a dozen times over the next couple years, I went in for ligament repair surgery. After a few months of physical therapy, I finally felt confident enough to start playing basketball again. After a few more months of playing with a brace, I even felt good enough to play without it, and I was back in business.
So that brings us up to date, as of last Tuesday. That night I went to the church for our usual Tuesday night Elder's Quorum pickup game. The game went well, and I was happy to be in good enough shape (for the first time in a while) to sprint up and down the court the whole time without getting winded. Basketball is really the only exercise I thoroughly enjoy - the rest of it is just work for me. Anyway, with a few minutes left in the game, I came down on someone else's foot and sprained that bad ankle again. It wasn't too bad, and I was able to continue playing after a few minutes. I vowed to put the brace back on for all future hardcourt adventures.
So last night, I dutifully marched back to the church, right ankle firmly laced up in the brace, and started up another pickup game. Everything was as usual - I was driving to the left every time, I couldn't make a jumper to save my life, and my forays to the hoop were eerily reminiscent of a fullback bowling defenders over on the way to a touchdown. But then, on my descent from pulling down an offensive rebound, my left ankle landed on someone's foot.
Pop! Not a pleasant sound, nor feeling. I actually felt three distinct pops as I fell to the ground once more, instantly knowing what happened. I'm reasonably certain this is the exact same injury I suffered seven years ago. That sucks and all, but it's more frustrating than anything. I'm just trying to exercise, for crying out loud. Can't I just play a stupid basketball game without being maimed?
So I guess it's back to watching and talking, rather than playing the game I love. At least that's what I should do. I'm sure I'll talk myself back onto the court at some point, but I'll be sure to wear two ankle braces next time. And maybe a suit of armor.
About seven years ago, I was playing a pickup game in a Scottsdale park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in December. I had the ball, was driving to the basket from the left elbow, made a slick left-to-right crossover move, and made my way to the hoop. I juked my defender nearly out of his shorts, but the trouble is, I also juked three of my right ankle ligaments out of their structural integrity. I heard my ankle pop (as did a few other people), I collapsed in pain, my ankle blew up to the size of one of my grandmother's famed cantaloupes, and I was done for the day.
After reinjuring the darn thing about a dozen times over the next couple years, I went in for ligament repair surgery. After a few months of physical therapy, I finally felt confident enough to start playing basketball again. After a few more months of playing with a brace, I even felt good enough to play without it, and I was back in business.
So that brings us up to date, as of last Tuesday. That night I went to the church for our usual Tuesday night Elder's Quorum pickup game. The game went well, and I was happy to be in good enough shape (for the first time in a while) to sprint up and down the court the whole time without getting winded. Basketball is really the only exercise I thoroughly enjoy - the rest of it is just work for me. Anyway, with a few minutes left in the game, I came down on someone else's foot and sprained that bad ankle again. It wasn't too bad, and I was able to continue playing after a few minutes. I vowed to put the brace back on for all future hardcourt adventures.
So last night, I dutifully marched back to the church, right ankle firmly laced up in the brace, and started up another pickup game. Everything was as usual - I was driving to the left every time, I couldn't make a jumper to save my life, and my forays to the hoop were eerily reminiscent of a fullback bowling defenders over on the way to a touchdown. But then, on my descent from pulling down an offensive rebound, my left ankle landed on someone's foot.
Pop! Not a pleasant sound, nor feeling. I actually felt three distinct pops as I fell to the ground once more, instantly knowing what happened. I'm reasonably certain this is the exact same injury I suffered seven years ago. That sucks and all, but it's more frustrating than anything. I'm just trying to exercise, for crying out loud. Can't I just play a stupid basketball game without being maimed?
So I guess it's back to watching and talking, rather than playing the game I love. At least that's what I should do. I'm sure I'll talk myself back onto the court at some point, but I'll be sure to wear two ankle braces next time. And maybe a suit of armor.
Monday, October 29, 2007
I did mention this would be periodic, right?
So I'm not the world's most prolific blogger. Sue me. Actually, don't - I can't afford the attorney fees. And I probably couldn't get the judge to throw the case out, if crap like this can find its way to trial. This is where the "periodic" part of the blog title saves my bacon, because hey, quarterly is periodic, right?
It's an exciting time to be alive in Dixon-land. My beloved Phoenix Suns are about to kick off their 4th Annual Heartbreak Tour, starring Steve Nash's back, Amare Stoudemire's knees, and Grant Hill's right ankle. My daughter Eve is on the verge of talking to me. My dad is kicking my (shrinking) backside in a de facto weight-loss contest. I just got the new Radiohead album ... you know, for free. My long-defunct band is back together and on the prowl for a singer, which could be my wife. I just bought a political t-shirt (and another). I sang as a hired gun with an Episcopalian choir at a ceremony in which they installed a new rector of the St. Mark's parish in Mesa - my first official paying gig as a musician. And I just helped my parents install a large hexagonal paver platform for their gazebo, which for some reason makes me want to get on my hands and knees for several dozen consecutive weekends to finally landscape my backyard after five years of home ownership.
How's that for an update? Maybe "periodic" should equal "quarterly" after all....
It's an exciting time to be alive in Dixon-land. My beloved Phoenix Suns are about to kick off their 4th Annual Heartbreak Tour, starring Steve Nash's back, Amare Stoudemire's knees, and Grant Hill's right ankle. My daughter Eve is on the verge of talking to me. My dad is kicking my (shrinking) backside in a de facto weight-loss contest. I just got the new Radiohead album ... you know, for free. My long-defunct band is back together and on the prowl for a singer, which could be my wife. I just bought a political t-shirt (and another). I sang as a hired gun with an Episcopalian choir at a ceremony in which they installed a new rector of the St. Mark's parish in Mesa - my first official paying gig as a musician. And I just helped my parents install a large hexagonal paver platform for their gazebo, which for some reason makes me want to get on my hands and knees for several dozen consecutive weekends to finally landscape my backyard after five years of home ownership.
How's that for an update? Maybe "periodic" should equal "quarterly" after all....
Friday, August 17, 2007
An ode to Willis Haviland Carrier
For those of you who don't live in the lovely Phoenix, Arizona metro area, let me assure you that it's really quite miserable this time of year. I believe we're in the midst of a 29-day run of consecutive 110+ degree days. That's just disgusting.
It's times like these I thank my lucky stars for one Willis Haviland Carrier. You see, Mr. Carrier invented modern air conditioning, and he also founded the eponymous company that is still a $5 billion/year player in the global air conditioning market.
Air conditioning may be the single greatest convenience invention of all time, at least for those of us dumb enough to live in places like Phoenix. Trouble is, I'm so used to being comfortable inside all the time, when I go somewhere like New York, Seattle, or Portland in the summer, I'm just as miserable there because it's 80 degrees and humid indoors.
Air conditioning has turned me into a weenie, but at this point I'd rather be a cool, comfortable weenie than a hot, miserable anything else.
It's times like these I thank my lucky stars for one Willis Haviland Carrier. You see, Mr. Carrier invented modern air conditioning, and he also founded the eponymous company that is still a $5 billion/year player in the global air conditioning market.
Air conditioning may be the single greatest convenience invention of all time, at least for those of us dumb enough to live in places like Phoenix. Trouble is, I'm so used to being comfortable inside all the time, when I go somewhere like New York, Seattle, or Portland in the summer, I'm just as miserable there because it's 80 degrees and humid indoors.
Air conditioning has turned me into a weenie, but at this point I'd rather be a cool, comfortable weenie than a hot, miserable anything else.
I'm getting too old for this
It had been a while since I pulled a 20-hour work day. And I was sort of ... fine with that. Since I am a Manager of Geeks instead of a Geek (and have been for a couple years now), I am usually able to con one of my wonderful employees into working all hours of the night to give our website a new feature or perform unfortunately necessary maintenance.
But I'm shy a Geek at the moment, and therefore had to answer the call yesterday. I arrived at the office around 7:30a, and left at about 3:00a the next morning. The commute home was pleasant and free of the usual gridlock, and PartsAmerica.com now has a lovely new keyword search engine, but my personal engine is idling a bit rough this "morning" (it's noon, but I just rolled out of bed a couple hours ago).
My conclusion? I'm getting old. I used to be able to do this all the time, with very little consequence. And I'm going gray, too - that's fun. Of course, I have known that was on its way since I was a wee lad with a rather grizzly (the adjective, not the bear) thirty-something father. A few years back, I naturally launched a preemptive strike against such follicular maladies and shaved the nog. But when I have to pull an all-nighter, it's usually because I've been working like a dog for a few days. And of course, the hair (including the hoary bunch) gets to sun itself for a few days while I eschew the razor to catch a few more Zs.
So I looked in the mirror this morning, on a meager few hours of sleep, and looked and felt a bit older than I probably ever have.
We're all 18 at heart, of course, but my heart is becoming a terrible liar.
But I'm shy a Geek at the moment, and therefore had to answer the call yesterday. I arrived at the office around 7:30a, and left at about 3:00a the next morning. The commute home was pleasant and free of the usual gridlock, and PartsAmerica.com now has a lovely new keyword search engine, but my personal engine is idling a bit rough this "morning" (it's noon, but I just rolled out of bed a couple hours ago).
My conclusion? I'm getting old. I used to be able to do this all the time, with very little consequence. And I'm going gray, too - that's fun. Of course, I have known that was on its way since I was a wee lad with a rather grizzly (the adjective, not the bear) thirty-something father. A few years back, I naturally launched a preemptive strike against such follicular maladies and shaved the nog. But when I have to pull an all-nighter, it's usually because I've been working like a dog for a few days. And of course, the hair (including the hoary bunch) gets to sun itself for a few days while I eschew the razor to catch a few more Zs.
So I looked in the mirror this morning, on a meager few hours of sleep, and looked and felt a bit older than I probably ever have.
We're all 18 at heart, of course, but my heart is becoming a terrible liar.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Think Geek (the website, not me, silly)
Allow me to share with y'all one of my very exspecial favorite-est websites, ThinkGeek. It's a fabulous place, with merchandise and humor for geeks of all kinds. Science geeks, programmer geeks, hacker geeks, sysadmin geeks, gaming geeks, math geeks... all welcome.
Some of my favorite goodies available for purchase:
Some of my favorite goodies available for purchase:
- The Solution
- Resistance is Futile (this one's for you, Dad)
- Version 2.0
- The Power Tie (quite literally)
- Metal Desk Catapult (the ultimate in cubicle warfare)
- The Ex (for those of you who dislike your no-longer-significant other)
- Bluetooth Handset (notice it's not a Bluetooth Headset)
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Why I love do-it-yourself home improvement projects, and why I should almost always hire a professional instead
I like ripping things apart and putting them back together. As I'm sure my dad could tell you, as a kid I would delight in tearing into a spent piece of electronic gadgetry in a vain attempt to decipher its innards. I built computers in my early teens (not that hard, really - a very overrated skill), and starting building software professionally a few years later. I am a big fan of buying $200 guitars, gutting them clean and installing $500 worth of electronics, leaving only the original wood of the body and neck. I can't leave my cars alone, either - my beloved '97 BMW M3 has been tinkered with in too many ways, particularly the stereo and suspension.
But a house is just ever-so-much more permanent and expensive than all of those things. And consequently, big home improvement projects are more intimidating. But for reasons I can't explain, I hate paying people to do something I can theoretically do myself. Sure, it might take me 3 weeks instead of the 3 hours in which a licensed, bonded, and insured contractor could accomplish the task. But what's the fun in that?
Are my time, higher blood pressure, and reduced lumbar vertebrae life expectancy worth it? I mean, after all, I have an extra lumbar vertebra, along with a solid 20% of the likely-ignorant population. Perhaps that common sense gene (you know, the one that sits on the other leg of that second X chromosome we dudes don't possess) would come in handy next time, right before I dive wallboard-saw-first into my hallway computer niche.
Let's see - I obviously need to run some electrical, some RG6, some Cat5e. Clearly a wireless network isn't going to cut it, and I can't use an extension cord to reach around the corner. Of course not; that would be silly.
So over the last few weeks, I've been installing a few extra electrical outlets, a wired Gigabit network, some cable TV outlets, and some wall cabinets. I've cut some 30 square holes in the wall, lost every last bit of my right index fingertip's skin to a pair of 12" needle nose pliers, shocked myself to Tennessee a couple times (may have been Kentucky - wasn't paying much attention at the time), partially succeeded in drilling a hole in my other index finger, and had two wall cabinets rip themselves and their drywall anchors right out of the wall. Naturally, both finger bloodying episodes and the cabinet tumbling incidents came to pass literally within 5 minutes of being done with the respective projects.
So maybe next time I'll call a pro to spare myself the trouble. But then again, I always forget my home improvement history, and am therefore doomed to repeat it, as the fella says. I'm convinced that the same cells that control my brain's DIY memory are responsible for healing my ailing DIY body parts, and they eventually forget all when the bruises, scrapes, abrasions, and subluxations subside.
Oh well, I better stop typing - I need to go start replacing doorknobs.
But a house is just ever-so-much more permanent and expensive than all of those things. And consequently, big home improvement projects are more intimidating. But for reasons I can't explain, I hate paying people to do something I can theoretically do myself. Sure, it might take me 3 weeks instead of the 3 hours in which a licensed, bonded, and insured contractor could accomplish the task. But what's the fun in that?
Are my time, higher blood pressure, and reduced lumbar vertebrae life expectancy worth it? I mean, after all, I have an extra lumbar vertebra, along with a solid 20% of the likely-ignorant population. Perhaps that common sense gene (you know, the one that sits on the other leg of that second X chromosome we dudes don't possess) would come in handy next time, right before I dive wallboard-saw-first into my hallway computer niche.
Let's see - I obviously need to run some electrical, some RG6, some Cat5e. Clearly a wireless network isn't going to cut it, and I can't use an extension cord to reach around the corner. Of course not; that would be silly.
So over the last few weeks, I've been installing a few extra electrical outlets, a wired Gigabit network, some cable TV outlets, and some wall cabinets. I've cut some 30 square holes in the wall, lost every last bit of my right index fingertip's skin to a pair of 12" needle nose pliers, shocked myself to Tennessee a couple times (may have been Kentucky - wasn't paying much attention at the time), partially succeeded in drilling a hole in my other index finger, and had two wall cabinets rip themselves and their drywall anchors right out of the wall. Naturally, both finger bloodying episodes and the cabinet tumbling incidents came to pass literally within 5 minutes of being done with the respective projects.
So maybe next time I'll call a pro to spare myself the trouble. But then again, I always forget my home improvement history, and am therefore doomed to repeat it, as the fella says. I'm convinced that the same cells that control my brain's DIY memory are responsible for healing my ailing DIY body parts, and they eventually forget all when the bruises, scrapes, abrasions, and subluxations subside.
Oh well, I better stop typing - I need to go start replacing doorknobs.
I have a blog?
Why, hello there. I'm Dave, and I will be your pontificator this evening - can I start you off with a lame intro? This is my first foray into the blogosphere, which is quite pathetic given my penchant for all things geeky and/or (usually and) technology-oriented.
I have long resisted such a depredation on the self-publishing clique, as I was quite confident I wouldn't have a thing to say that anyone would read. Of course, that's probably still the case, but having rather enjoyed perusing the bliggity-blogs of my family members and friends, I suppose it's my turn to spew forth a few thoughts locked away in the ol' nog.
Stay tuned - perhaps I'll conjure up something slightly more coherent shortly.
I have long resisted such a depredation on the self-publishing clique, as I was quite confident I wouldn't have a thing to say that anyone would read. Of course, that's probably still the case, but having rather enjoyed perusing the bliggity-blogs of my family members and friends, I suppose it's my turn to spew forth a few thoughts locked away in the ol' nog.
Stay tuned - perhaps I'll conjure up something slightly more coherent shortly.
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