Winter is just around the corner! With that being said, I’d like to blog a project that Wendy and I have been working on.

One of our most treasured household possessions is our Woodstock Soapstone Stove. This wonderful work of craftsmanship keeps our entire house toasty warm during the bitterest of temperatures. We do of course have electric heat in our house but there is never a need to use it. It’s quite humorous to look at our electric bill in graph form for the year, the winter months show nominal usage but the summer peaks due to the air-conditioner.

After deciding to put in a chimney & get a wood-burning stove, I must give Wendy the credit for choosing a Woodstock Soapstone, and what a wise decision it turned out to be. She thoroughly researched the subject on the internet pouring through tons of consumer reviews before presenting me with the options. She found that the Soapstone retained and radiated heat better than any material out there. She also found that the Woodstock Company equipped their stoves with a converter mechanism that could be engaged at a particular temperature. This feature recycles smoke and gases that would otherwise escape up the chimney back into the stove providing much longer burn times from a load of wood. Burn times up to 12 hours in fact.

After requesting a catalog from them, we decided on the “Fire-view” model. We liked the look of this particular stove as well as the fact that it had a window on the front enabling us to enjoy the ambience of having a fire. The stove was so heavy we had to make special arrangements with a local business which had a loading dock for delivery. Getting it into our house required the assistance of our Neighbor’s tractor.

Last year was the first test of our new Soapstone Stove and boy did it pass with flying colors. We just about had a fire going for five months straight with a couple of exceptions to give the thing a good cleaning. We would burn it all day long, load it up before we went to bed at night and turn down the air intake so it would “simmer”. In the morning, all I had to do was flip the lever to give it oxygen and within a minute, I’d have a roaring fire again. About this time, the boys would all wake up and sprawl out on the floor beside the stove and begin their day of home-school.

We did have one serious concern regarding the stove. The wall behind it where the stovepipe passed through seemed a bit too warm for our liking. This concern prevented us from feeling “Totally” comfortable with the unit. So before the season is upon us again, we decided to address this issue and the aesthetic appearance as well. Which brings us to our project…

Pix - 1 - - > This was our stove setup last year.

Pix - 2 — > Cut the wall out… the terracotta pipe is the culprit for radiating heat passing to the chimney(See all the flamable material around it?). This in our minds, was a possible fire-hazard. The fireplace company we contracted to do the work agreed.

Pix - 3 — > Cut the wall out completely, applied some mortar to create a flat surface to install the Insul-Flu.

Pix - 4 — > Insul-Flu installed around terracotta pipe. No heat shall threaten the wood around it now.

Pix - 5 — > Fire-proof Cement board replaces pre-existing dry-wall.

Pix - 6 — > Wire mesh is nailed to cement board - a “scratch coat” of cement is applied.

Pix - 7 — > Mason is applying stone to the board.

Pix - 8 — > Stonework is completed.

Pix - 9 — > Mortar is applied between the stones.

Pix - 10 – > Mantle installed.

Pix - 11 – > Stove re-installed…Finished Project

Have you ever heard of the term “Shaming”? Apparently, there are entire Internet sites dedicated to this art. This practice is especially popular in our nations colleges. The idea is that at a party, if someone drinks too much and passes out… Shame on them! Everyone grabs a sharpie and starts doodling on the persons face, arms, chest, you name it. Imagination is the only limiting factor as to what embarrassment this poor soul will have to endure when they come to. I’ve seen photos of people Duct-Taped to the wall, pyramids of empty beer cans built on top of them, Saran-Wrapped to a chair… you name it.

My sister got me once at her house. It was a nice relaxing Saturday and we were enjoying some good conversation and a few mixed drinks. Eventually, she got sidetracked with a phone call or something and I found my way to her comfy cozy couch. When I woke up, it must have been an hour or two later and by that time, some of her friends had showed up as well. We are all out on her deck, the BBQ is full of food, Football is on the television, life is good… and it was about this time I looked down and noticed that my Toe-Nails had been painted “Hot-Pink”. They all had a good time while I was “Out” on the couch… even my children were involved!

Here’s an old one I’ve kept in storage for the past 10 years. You probably have seen this at one time or another during your internet travels, but just in case, I’ll give it a go. It’s an illusion of sorts and not everyone I’ve shown it to is able to see it. This is what you need to do…

1.) Click the link - - a graphic will open up in a new window.
2.) Stare at the row of dots in the middle of the picture for a minute or so.
3.) Gotta focus in on just them dots… try not to blink.
4.) Close your eyes, tilt your head back, all is dark.
5.) Keep your eyes closed, after a couple of seconds you should see a fuzzy white circle appear.
6.) Just focus in on that circle… and tell me if you see anything?

Give it a try - - - JEDI MIND TRICK

Everyone has experienced horrible movies, right? I suppose it varies by personal taste, but now and then you see a real “clunker”. I remember someone at work had told me that Moulin Rouge was their favorite & I had heard on the radio that it was up for Academy Awards and such. At a family gathering, I was sent to rent a video and I foolishly chose that one thinking we were in for a real treat. Twenty minutes into the flick, everyone was like… “What kind of nonsense is this?”

Today, we watched Alexander. I was quite excited to see this as he is one of my favorite characters in history. Some of my fondest quotes derive from his exploits. Sayings like… “When Alexander looked out and surveyed the breadth of his domain, he wept, for he had no more worlds to conquer.”

As I read the list of cast members on the DVD case, I saw names like Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer, Angelina Jolie and I’m thinking I’m about to watch an epic production! Boy was I disappointed.

This movie definitely had a homosexual agenda. It was simply “pretty boys” wearing eyeliner running around hugging, kissing on the lips, and exchanging meaningful looks. The whole premise of it was very stupid to me. I can only liken it to a director doing a remake of First Blood & putting Rambo in a dress! I mean seriously, who the heck cast this movie? What were they smoking?

Alexander, the greatest warrior the world has ever known… looked like a Fruity California Surfer Dude and his best friend looked more female than male. In between the gory battles complete with dismemberment, decapitation, impaling, stabbing, hacking & slashing… Alexander and his “best friend” look soulfully into one another’s eyes and profess their undying commitment toward each other. Either that, or Alexander is too busy watching a male concubine dance sexily for him. I’m kidding you not… I almost blew chunks!

My Mom & Dad have been scheming this for quite some time now. Papa just retired and apparently they wish to follow in the footsteps of many of their predecessors and travel the country in a Winnebago. We all went over to their place today to be given the “Grand Tour”.

The “Camper” has evolved quite nicely over the years. This isn’t “Roughing It” for sure!! This thing Sleeps six… it has a full kitchen including microwave, bathroom, shower, dual televisions, dining table, couch, awning, air conditioner, generator & satellite. The funny thing is that this one isn’t even the “deluxe” model. Those are almost twice this one’s size.

From what I understand, this is somewhat of a test run for my parents. They are not quite sure that the “vagabond life” will agree with them, hence they are trying this middle of the line one out for a while. If the life is agreeable, I think they will sell their house & trade this one up for the deluxe.

I’m happy for them. A lot of old folks retire and simply sit at home growing mold while they wait to die. If they can travel the country and enjoy their twilight years, I say… “You go Mom & Dad!!”

I had a blast today! Phyllis came back to Frederick for a visit. After giving her a tour of our new house, I quickly convinced her to take a ride with me on the A.T.V. I have to give her credit, she was willing to give it a try & we tore up the side of the mountain. The weather was absolutely perfect and I think she took to it like a fish to water because as soon as we gathered some speed, the wind blowing our hair, I could hear her loudly exclaim several times… “This is Great!” Here are a couple of pix for ya!

Pix 1
Pix 2

After our ride, we all went out to dinner in Fairfield, PA. & enjoyed good conversation and way too much food. During our talk, it came out that Phyllis really misses living here and is considering moving back! We shall keep our fingers crossed.

I feel the need to make a confession. Previously, I’ve posted about how much I despise the act of stealing. Lately I’ve been doing some soul-searching regarding a habit Wendy and I have developed. I’ll let ya’ll be the judge, tell me if you think this dishonest.

The story regards hot sauce. Not just any old picante’ though, we are talking about the little packets you get when you order Taco Bell. You see, Wendy and I have developed quite the liking for these things. However bizarre this might sound, indulge me for a moment more.

At our household, we make burritos several times per week. The kids just love them. A typical trip to the grocery store will always net several cans of refried beans, packages of tortillas & pounds of cheese. While the kids prefer them plain, Wendy and I must have our Taco Sauce. I thought our problem was solved when I purchased a jar of Taco Bell sauce, but it’s just not the same. Nothing can seem to replace them tasty little packets.

So here is what we do. On occasion, we will go to Taco Bell and place an order to carry out. Once our bags of food are given to us… we’ll make a trip to the condiment bar & grab extra handfuls of these packets. At home, we store them in a kitchen drawer for future use.

So… tell me what you think? Does that qualify as dishonest?

Stephanie sent me this neat little miracle of math. I actually scooped up the calculator and was quite impressed with the outcome. I wonder who sits around and dreams these things up?

1. Grab a calculator. (you won’t be able to do this one in your head)
2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number(NOT the area code)
3. Multiply by 80
4. Add 1
5. Multiply by 250
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number
7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
8. Subtract 250
9. Divide number by 2

Do you recognize the answer?

I just got an email informing me that the warranty on my computer is about to expire. This got me to thinking that indeed my Alienware is almost 1 year old. Wow, where does the time go? As I get older, it seems like time flies by faster and faster!

A little background on Alienware Computers for the technically impaired… They are custom built, high-performance gaming machines. You can however, use them for all of your computer needs. The difference between them and the standard cookie-cutter computer such as Dell or Gateway is that Alienware only deals in the high-end components. We’re talking about the latest and greatest of all computer hardware. The best video cards, hard-drives, RAM-SIMMS, motherboards, monitors, sound cards, speakers… you name it.

Once you configure a system to your liking, they custom build it, and professionally wire & tuck away all the cabling inside the case. It’s really a breathtaking experience for a computer nerd such as myself to open the chassis and look inside! I generally get goose-bumps and go all “loopy”.

After your system is built, they then install the Operating System of your choosing. Just the O.S, none of all this proprietary crap you get from everyone else that slows the computer to a crawl. After that, all the service packs, updates, and the latest drivers for the hardware are installed, and all settings are tweaked for optimal speed and efficiency using benchmarking tests. The result is a blazing fast, crisp & clean with no caffeine machine that simply takes your breath away!

In the year that I’ve owned my Alienware, I’ve never had a problem. I’ve put it through all the paces, every graphic intensive, memory-eating game I can think of. I’ve multi-tasked with a dozen demanding programs resident on the taskbar, I’ve streamed gigabytes worth of videos & digipix. Sometimes, I think the computer is laughing at me as if to say… “Is that all you’ve got?” Even Wendy is impressed with her Alienware, which is saying something. This is the first computer she’s ever owned that can keep up with her. To fully appreciate that statement, one would have to observe Wendy at work on the computer. It’s like watching a robot cranked up to overdrive. Windows are flying around faster than bullets in Iraq!

I suppose there are only two negatives I can point out in reference to my Alienware purchase. The first being that they are quite pricey, I suppose that is to be expected though from what I’ve described above. The second being that their order process pissed me off. They had advertised on their website that systems only took a week from order to delivery and mine took like six weeks. It’s all good though because I complained loudly on a site I knew they monitored… ResellerRatings.com and they quickly satiated me with Gift Certificates and a plethora of coffee mugs, mouse pads, & computer novelties.

So after a year, I suppose it’s safe to say that I’m a happy camper as far as my Alienware is concerned. Plus… the glowing eyes of the alien head on the front of the computer are kewl too!

Working with the public as I do, I’ve developed several pet peeves. One of them is that I just hate to have my “Personal Space” invaded. Can anyone out there relate to this? While conversing with an individual, there is an invisible line of proximity that should not be crossed. I cannot even begin to define this boundary, but when it’s breached, I definitely know it. I really don’t want to smell what someone had for lunch if ya catch my drift?

Little old men are the most common offenders, and when this happens, I usually will take a step backwards. If that’s not a hint and 1/2 then I don’t know what is, but more often than not that old geezer will get right back in my face again. Where the heck do people get this horrible habit from?