Musings

You had to guess that the iPhone capability I’d latch onto with the most fervor would be the camera.

Conclusion: I’ve got to de-zoom my viewpoint.

Final assessment: this “photographer” needs more practice.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on iPhone photography

We’ve hit a wall—or maybe our number can only be transferred during normal weekday business hours. Here we sit with a wonderful iPhone, but only outgoing capabilities. Or maybe that’s actually a good thing!

And what’s with charging us a penny (still, charging us!) for the fancy one-on-one tutoring we got with the phone?

Still, we forge ahead on getting the piles of mail off the dining room table—the obviously important stuff is being processed, and the obviously junque is en route to the garbage, but what’s left is the ambiguous material. Which is not insignificant. Actually, most of it’s junque, too, but you can’t tell until you go to the trouble of opening and reading it.

Sigh.

Posted at 5:00 PM | 1 Comment »

This morning, before the sun really started heating up this city, we made our usual trek to Piedmont Park, where we found the natatorium all closed up—a real marker of the transition out of summer.

iPhone update: The Guru was up until almost 3 am getting AT&T and the powers that be to do his bidding and get the iPhone initialized (plus load all our data, etc.). Apparently it will receive calls—the last step in getting it working—by late this aft.

Whooohoo!

PS I understand that we’re still last-century in that we don’t EACH have our own cell….

PPS For Enquiring Minds, no, this photo was taken with the “new camera” not the iPhone….

Posted at 11:14 AM | Comments Off on Natatorium

Okay. So Steve Jobs announced a drop in iPhone prices, so, no surprise, we finally got sucked in.

Initial report, as we attempted to initialize, was 5-7 days to get our “other” landline switched.

I expect The Guru will find a way to shortcut that!

Posted at 10:22 PM | 5 Comments »

The Handiman (aka Handy-man aka Guru aka Genius) has finished staining! Hurrah!

He has now turned his hand to rodent frustration. He’s got some of that expanding foam, and is squirting all possible means of ingress, which means he’s been using a mirror to look up between the sheathing and the foundation, as well as crawling beneath the house (in the duh crawl space) using a light to inspect hither an yon. Kudos to the Handiman!

As to the trim, the frame has its primer and two coats. The screens have primer and one coat (mostly). The windows that open, well, they lag. Several have primer, the rest not even that.

I may just have to let them overwinter without knowing what brown can do for them.

Posted at 5:05 PM | Comments Off on Progress!

I felt that I rounded the bend today on this painting project, finishing the primer on the window framing and getting the first of two coats of the brown on, too. JCB’s nearly finished with the staining, and contemplating other projects. I still have to do the screens (yawn), and the exterior of the doors (not much to cover, but all slow, mostly around glass, stead hand, and all that).

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Productive labors

While we’re extremely happy we’re getting moist weather—although real rain would be highly appreciated instead of this foggy-dewy stuff—it puts a damper (haha) on painting operations. In addition, I discovered that the wood filler I used just rolls right off when you try to sand it and it’s damp. Not good.

So, the Handiman decided to do some other chores, and cleaned pine needles off the roof and inspected the chimney (using the long lens of the camera, without climbing the really steep part of the roof). He reports one dead bat clinging up there somewhere. I worry about the decomposing bricks.

Maybe next year. Our card’s full for this year.

Posted at 10:49 AM | Comments Off on High points

The plumber finally got to us, and zip-zip, the new water heater is online!

It’s effectively a mini normal electric water heater, with a 3.85 gal tank. He installed it so we can completely remove it, dump it, and store it where it won’t freeze. Yippee!

Now, we have to get the electrician over to install its own leetle plug, but for now, we’re using an extension cord and walking with our feet held high.

I won’t get my first hot shower, however, until after I get more painting, etc finished this afternoon. Ah, well!

Posted at 1:35 PM | 5 Comments »

staining in progress

Yesterday, the Handiman (a temporary handle) picked up the 5-gallon bucket of stain we had the hardware store order for us, and today he began the staining operation.

I’ve done only a modest amount of housepainting, but never staining. The stuff is thinner than paint, and goes on differently. It’s difficult to manage due to its runniness.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Staining underway

Yesterday we saw both the water-carrying choppers reported as being used for the Sleeper Lake(s) fire, apparently headed for refueling at the Newberry airport. Winds today are gusty and seem to be shifting directions. It must be hell on the fireline.

Posted at 3:05 PM | 1 Comment »