What we did this weekend

WE HAVE TRIM!!!!

We put trim up around the front door, the door to the garage and a couple walls. Really makes the house look less modern and more classic with the trim up. Also adds some color to the plain walls (which were painted that color on purpose - sells better if its neutral). We need to get more trim for around the back door and decide what to do about the rest of the bedroom doors in the house (change completely or re-finish) before we put any more trim down (since you need to put the door trim in first before the base boards).

Cats on Treadmills

How could I not share this....

Have time on your hands? Check these out..

Airline Spoons of the World - is it bad that we have a bunch of the Northwest and ATA ones in a drawer? http://www.flickr.com/photos/airlinespoons/

A Kitten playing with remote control mouse - definitely the awww moment of your day. http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=33917

How well do you perceive colors? Arrange the lines in order by color and see where you rate. I got a 7 our of 100 - I think thats good but I'm not sure. http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77

I have a really addictive game but I need to find the link - will update this later with that one so keep coming back.

The Kool Aide Escapade

So tell me, if a fire truck was driving slowly down your street wouldn't you get up to see what was going on being curious neighbors and all?

Well I went to get up to see what was going on - but I forgot about the glass of Strawberry Kool Aide I had sitting on the floor in front of the couch (the coffee table is just too far away to work as a good beverage holder). So what did I do?

Knocked over a full glass of Strawberry Kool Aide all over the floor!!

So I spent the next hour on my hands and knees getting it out of the carpet. Used a whole bunch of dish towel before Chris got me some of the garage towels to sop up what I could. Then according to a couple web sites you take really cold water and re-wet the area and then sop that up with towels as well.

You can't tell today that I spilled on the carpet except the carpet is a bit stiffer than normal but I think that will come out as we walk on it and vacuum a couple times.

Venom Testing Information

Here are copies of the pamphlets I got from the Allergy Doctor about the Venom Allergy testing. They are really small print and didn't copy great but you can read them. Start with Pamphlet pg 1 all the way on the Right edge (which I numbered 1) and start with that column. Then go to pg 2 and read the whole thing then going back to pg 1 - its a double sided pamphlet that when folded the first part ends up on the back, I numbered the columns so hopefully you can figure out what goes where. If you go to print it you will need an 11X17 piece of paper to read it so I suggest you just try to read it online. If you really want a copy let me know and I'll make one at work and mail it to you.

The other document is a page copied out of the docotors book - it has some different information in it.

Allergy Testing

Chris and I got went and got venom tested yesterday.

Let me tell you - not a fun experience. I don't know how people go thru this and get 100 different things tested on them. I almost passed out after the first 5 "pricks". They were actually more like shots since they did them with needles.

So they start on the arms with the controls. A Histamine, a control, and then we were tested for Honey Bees, Yellow Jackets, Wasps, White Faced Hornets and Yellow Hornets. The controls were done using a plastic sticks and all the other were done using needles. I decided I didn't like the needles and proceeded to go white and then ended up laying down to keep from passing out.

Once I got over that we continued the testing this time on the arms, 5 more pricks at an increased concentration level with a 15 minute wait between groups of pricks. In total we got stuck better than 25 times over about 4 hours.

Chris - no reaction, not allergic. Get stung, drink another beer and continue on.

Me - did great until the final and highest concentration. And then I reacted - not bad but definitely considered allergic. So I'm allergic to Yellow Jackets, Wasps and White Faced Hornets. I have had a past reaction when I got stung in College (and we think it was a wasp) when my hand swelled up.

Because my reaction to the test was not severe and I've not had what is considered a severe reaction in the past, I'm not a candidate for allergy shots. I did get prescribed an epi pen and have a plan of what to do if I do get stung - 50mg of Benadryl, epi pen and to the hospital for observation.

And that is what I wanted. To know if either of us were allergic, how bad and what the plan of action needs to be if we got stung.

I did get a great pamphlet from the doctor about venom allergy shots and what the clinical studies are showing. I'll scan it and send it out if anyone wants to read it.

Visa Commercial

Kick ass stereo system in a Monte Carlo with sub woofer that takes up the whole trunk - $1000

Cool paint job on a Monte Carlo that makes it shimmer - $800

Security system on a Monte Carlo - $200

Not being able to get it started - Priceless

My poor car part 3

This last weekend the check engine light came on and stayed on. And then on Sunday it really didn't want to get above 40 mph (which made Peg miss her flight but that is another story) and really has a bad misfire. So we start a major tune up.

Start with plugs and wires (about $100) - which takes 2 days to do as one of the plugs was cracked.

Took it out for a test drive - still driving like crap - won't go above 40.

Head back to the auto parts store and pick up an ignition coil / module (another $100).

Drives much better - can get it above 40 but now misfires when you add the airconditioner to the mix.

Bucky and Chris fight to get the fuel filter off for about 4 hours (last time it was changed was like 2004) and it drives even better but its just not right.

Take it to the local shop to have them run the codes and figure out what is wrong.

The #1 fuel injector has gone bad and there is a gasket leak. Okay - that we were not going to even try to do ourselves. So that set me back about $500 to have them do it (took about 5 hours).

Today it drives almost like new. There is still a slight hesitation and at stops it sputters like it wants to stall but there is no misfire. I'll drive it more this week and see if the problem goes away. If not back to the shop it goes for more money.

Oh and I need to replace the exhaust - got a really good no exhaust rumble - sounds cool. But that can wait awhile.

I've spent probably close to a grand on the car this year alone but this was going to be the year of the big tune up anyway so I had saved for it. Now I"m going to have to drive the car a couple more years to re-coop my money. Right now putting a grand into it every couple years along with regular oil changes is still cheaper than buying a new car - let me get the other one paid off first please before I even think about getting a new car.

My poor car part 2

I knew this was going to be a money year on the car (what do you expect when its 9 years old) but this is getting ridiculous.

One of the tires randomly goes flat. Fill it up, it lasts about 2 weeks just sitting in the driveway. Move it around and its flat the next day (really slow leak).

So Chris pulled it off tonight to find the leak and potentially take it in to be fixed. Turns out its not the tire but the rim has rusted out on the inside. And the spare does not look much better. We ended up putting the spare one since we sort of need to use it this weekend and I didn't want to be the only house in the neighborhood with a car up on blocks.

So now we are off next week to find all new rims for the car. And we still haven't done the major tune up it needs (plugs and wires) nor put on the new exhaust (its really loud right now).

Boy do i have a ghetto car going. Just need to add a primered door or hood and it will fit right in.

I have Air!!!

We got a new furnace and air conditioning unit about 2 weeks ago now and finally for the first time turned it on. I really don't know how I've lived with out for so long. If you didn't know the story the A-coil in the old furnace was installed wrong and was not draining right. Thus when we started the work on the house the furnace was on the verge of falling thru to the crawl space because the condensation had rotten out the floor. Well the A-coil got damaged upon removal and with as old as the furnace was we couldn't find a replacement so we have been with out air for awhile now.

We were going to replace the whole thing eventually but with gas prices going up now was as good a time as any - its alot smaller and more efficient so I should have a lower gas bill - and I have air now.

Its in the 80's today with really high humidity - its supposed to storm and it would really cool things off if it did but so far not a drop of water has fallen from the sky. So the air is on. I keep it set around 77 when at home and 80 when not and use the ceiling fans to make it feel cooler than that. And that is only when its going to be really humid outside. Which is why this is the first time we have had it on - its been too cool.

Normally I have a cat that is listless and lying on the floor all hot and complaining but today with the air on she has parked her butt on my lap top computer - while the lid was open - thus creating all sort of havoc that I had to shut it down. Stupid Cat.