The electrician is here today getting our hot tub wired. He's got to put in a 240V GFCI for the tub, run the wire to the tub and also run 110V lines to both the tub and the seating area. It's not all that tough, just a lot of work He's doing it today because he works in California during the week. He doesn't want to uproot his family, probably couldn't sell his house anyway, but this way he can provide for his family.. In the meantime my wife and daughter have been watching the 'red carpet' lead-in to the Oscars. OMG I'm dying!
Anyway, by day after tomorrow we should have a hot tub! We are going wild and crazy waiting. Proof once again that you can't expect instant gratification in this world. No photos today but I'm hoping for tomorrow.
Gotta go watch the Oscars. Have a good one.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Not so quiet times
Haven't blogged lately because we've been, well, for us, busy. My wife's brother and his wife visited the area and we enjoyed seeing them. Last Friday we went in to Las Vegas to spend a few hours with them and our daughter. They got to see her new home and we all went out for some dinner in an OFF STRIP restaurant. It's a nice place with a good view of the strip so it's kind of fun.
Then on Monday they came over the hump and landed here for a couple of days. We spent Monday night talking mostly catching up on all the stuff that goes on in life. Ate in; my wife kindly suggested I make my baked ziti so I did. Made her do the salad though which is certainly needed. (The ziti recipe is pretty big so we actually have another casserole of it ready for tonight. Recalculate the recipe? Too tough for me - or I'm too lazy - you guess!)
Tuesday we went to the China Date Ranch. It's this relic from the past almost. Back about 1900 a Chinese guy started a farm here. Something happened and he disappeared; even the story on the web site doesn't quite agree with the story at the farm! Bottom line is that others took over and did market gardening kind of stuff for a number of years. It had to be really tough! It's a long way to anywhere from there. But today they grow dates and sell them to visitors. They have a small shop that has the date products (a date shake anyone? very good BTW), and the usual trash and treasures of any second hand joint. They also have some cacti for sale but on this trip there wasn't a lot available. But, it is a fun place to visit and we enjoyed ourselves. They even have a few trails available if you want to get some exercise.
After all that we got some lunch then went to Pahrump's second winery. The Sanders Family Winery is down in the valley and not well known but it should be! The Sanders family started Nevada's first winery here in Pahrump a number of years ago. They sold it about ten years ago. Then decided that they still loved wine so started a new winery. Got to talk with Mr. Sanders and did a tasting of six or eight wines. We ended up buying a bottle of their Pinot Noir and a bottle of their sherry. I would have bought some of the port but I'm the only one who drinks port around here and just couldn't justify it. It was good though! We've had dinner at the other winery and drunk some of their wine with it and I think Sanders Family Winery product is better.
Now we are taking a couple days off to recover from our visitors. And to eat up some of the leftovers! What army did we think was invading? Have a good one!
Then on Monday they came over the hump and landed here for a couple of days. We spent Monday night talking mostly catching up on all the stuff that goes on in life. Ate in; my wife kindly suggested I make my baked ziti so I did. Made her do the salad though which is certainly needed. (The ziti recipe is pretty big so we actually have another casserole of it ready for tonight. Recalculate the recipe? Too tough for me - or I'm too lazy - you guess!)
Tuesday we went to the China Date Ranch. It's this relic from the past almost. Back about 1900 a Chinese guy started a farm here. Something happened and he disappeared; even the story on the web site doesn't quite agree with the story at the farm! Bottom line is that others took over and did market gardening kind of stuff for a number of years. It had to be really tough! It's a long way to anywhere from there. But today they grow dates and sell them to visitors. They have a small shop that has the date products (a date shake anyone? very good BTW), and the usual trash and treasures of any second hand joint. They also have some cacti for sale but on this trip there wasn't a lot available. But, it is a fun place to visit and we enjoyed ourselves. They even have a few trails available if you want to get some exercise.
After all that we got some lunch then went to Pahrump's second winery. The Sanders Family Winery is down in the valley and not well known but it should be! The Sanders family started Nevada's first winery here in Pahrump a number of years ago. They sold it about ten years ago. Then decided that they still loved wine so started a new winery. Got to talk with Mr. Sanders and did a tasting of six or eight wines. We ended up buying a bottle of their Pinot Noir and a bottle of their sherry. I would have bought some of the port but I'm the only one who drinks port around here and just couldn't justify it. It was good though! We've had dinner at the other winery and drunk some of their wine with it and I think Sanders Family Winery product is better.
Now we are taking a couple days off to recover from our visitors. And to eat up some of the leftovers! What army did we think was invading? Have a good one!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
OOPS
I went into town yesterday morning and saw something I've never seen before. This 18-wheeler had just rounded a corner (at one of our three stop lights) and his trailer came off! This is him trying to crank the support legs up enough to get it back on the truck. Can't imagine he was enjoying life about the time I took the photo but since we are at least 60 miles from the nearest place he could come from, I'm thinking he was pretty darn lucky that it happened when he was doing 10 or 15 mph rather than 70!
I'm always kind of fond of CRST trucks since my hometown is just down the road from Cedar Rapids (Iowa). This isn't the kind of advertising they want though I'm sure!
I went on to Las Vegas for a little shopping - especially booze, it just seems to evaporate in this desert climate. It's been cloudy all day here but in Vegas there were moments of some spitting rain. Coming up over the pass there were some really high winds and the rain got heavier then turned to snow. Brrr. It reminded me that it's winter. It made for tiring driving as well having to fight the wind all day but at least I wasn't towing the trailer. I saw more than a couple people with trailers and they were all going pretty slowly.
Have a good one!
I'm always kind of fond of CRST trucks since my hometown is just down the road from Cedar Rapids (Iowa). This isn't the kind of advertising they want though I'm sure!
I went on to Las Vegas for a little shopping - especially booze, it just seems to evaporate in this desert climate. It's been cloudy all day here but in Vegas there were moments of some spitting rain. Coming up over the pass there were some really high winds and the rain got heavier then turned to snow. Brrr. It reminded me that it's winter. It made for tiring driving as well having to fight the wind all day but at least I wasn't towing the trailer. I saw more than a couple people with trailers and they were all going pretty slowly.
Have a good one!
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Oh NO!!!
This isn't a day I'm going to remember with pride. Have you seen those cartoons about older people wandering around looking for their glasses while the glasses are on their head? Well, I just spent about 10 minutes wandering around the house looking on all the shelves, tables and such for my glasses. Then I put my hand in my pocket and found, yep, my glasses. Grrrr! I'm officially an old duffer!
Had a good day yesterday though. Went in to Vegas and visited the three hot tub dealers that we liked best. I'm hoping it wasn't just being tired but we bought a tub from the last one we visited. We got caught up in a traffic jam on the way and I was on the verge of saying 'why not just skip them' but I didn't say it and we ended up finding the most comfortable tub we'd seen. We had a hot tub attached to our pool when we lived in Orlando and we bought a portable hot tub when we lived in Seattle that we kept for over ten years so we have definite preferences. We want 'open seating' meaning that there isn't a lounge seat and the other seats are not too defined. We don't care about a music system or lights or anything else; we just want a big tub of warm water! Hell, even the jets are pretty optional. We finally found something like our ideal and didn't waste much time divesting ourselves of about $6K. Even at that we were doing well, some of the tubs we looked at were in the $10K neighborhood. For me as a buyer, six is a lot better than ten. So now we have to get it delivered, hooked up, warmed up and we'll be good to go. We are both really excited about the idea.
MAYBE there will be photos but I'm not sure. When we are alone the hot tub or pool has always been a clothing free zone so most of the photos I've got of our previous tubs aren't appropriate for this blog. I'm expecting the same of this one (optimistically) however our daughter has already claimed a seat in it so I guess we'll have to find those bathing suits after all. Darn it!
I'm planning on putting a bunch of our old slides through the new scanner today. Here's a blast from the past - Don circa 1982 on the beach at Daytona and loving life.
I'd never been to Florida, was in love with the idea of Daytona, in love with my 'girlfriend' and just happy to be alive. Still like Florida and Daytona, have been married to my 'girlfriend' for almost 30 years and am still pretty happy to be above ground. Sounds like 'happily ever after' to me; guess having trouble finding my glasses isn't so bad after all. Hope you are feeling as well.
Had a good day yesterday though. Went in to Vegas and visited the three hot tub dealers that we liked best. I'm hoping it wasn't just being tired but we bought a tub from the last one we visited. We got caught up in a traffic jam on the way and I was on the verge of saying 'why not just skip them' but I didn't say it and we ended up finding the most comfortable tub we'd seen. We had a hot tub attached to our pool when we lived in Orlando and we bought a portable hot tub when we lived in Seattle that we kept for over ten years so we have definite preferences. We want 'open seating' meaning that there isn't a lounge seat and the other seats are not too defined. We don't care about a music system or lights or anything else; we just want a big tub of warm water! Hell, even the jets are pretty optional. We finally found something like our ideal and didn't waste much time divesting ourselves of about $6K. Even at that we were doing well, some of the tubs we looked at were in the $10K neighborhood. For me as a buyer, six is a lot better than ten. So now we have to get it delivered, hooked up, warmed up and we'll be good to go. We are both really excited about the idea.
MAYBE there will be photos but I'm not sure. When we are alone the hot tub or pool has always been a clothing free zone so most of the photos I've got of our previous tubs aren't appropriate for this blog. I'm expecting the same of this one (optimistically) however our daughter has already claimed a seat in it so I guess we'll have to find those bathing suits after all. Darn it!
I'm planning on putting a bunch of our old slides through the new scanner today. Here's a blast from the past - Don circa 1982 on the beach at Daytona and loving life.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Working around the house
Lots of stuff going on but nothing exciting to anyone but us. We have been looking for a hot tub but first we needed a place to put it. For months we've talked about where it should go and finally got a place selected. We interviewed some contractors and selected one. This week we got the pad poured. While we were at it, we got an uncovered patio poured as well. I was getting up at 05:00 or so to be here when the guys started work. Boy, if that isn't fun! Yes, it's still dark but apparently it was ok with them. The equipment has lights for a reason I guess. Anyway, now we have our concrete work all completed. The electrician is coming on Sunday to install power. Sunday, you say? Yep, apparently there isn't enough work here to keep him employed so he is going to California to work all week then visits his family and does whatever work comes up here on the weekend. Well, at least he's keeping it together. So here's the pad - it is 12x12 ft (4m x 4m give or take).
The other thing we've been doing; doing personally this time, is replacing the toilets in our house with elongated bowl versions. We've been living with these small round things for too long. The new ones are more comfortable, quieter and use less water - 1.28 gal (4.8L) per flush. Not bad, we should have done it years ago. I'll save you the photographic evidence!
Here is one last photo. Don't know if you remember but we had to have the cat's fur cut off because he was just so tangled it was impossible to get the mats out. He's recovered. This is him sleeping on the couch in the den the other day. Just part of the 16 year old's everyday ritual.
I also got a new toy: a Epson V500 Photo scanner. I'm scanning a bunch of old slides. Maybe I'll find one or two to share later. Whatever, have a good day.
The other thing we've been doing; doing personally this time, is replacing the toilets in our house with elongated bowl versions. We've been living with these small round things for too long. The new ones are more comfortable, quieter and use less water - 1.28 gal (4.8L) per flush. Not bad, we should have done it years ago. I'll save you the photographic evidence!
Here is one last photo. Don't know if you remember but we had to have the cat's fur cut off because he was just so tangled it was impossible to get the mats out. He's recovered. This is him sleeping on the couch in the den the other day. Just part of the 16 year old's everyday ritual.
I also got a new toy: a Epson V500 Photo scanner. I'm scanning a bunch of old slides. Maybe I'll find one or two to share later. Whatever, have a good day.
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