Topless Car Wash

Do you want to see a Sexy Topless CarWash? Play the video!

Friday Night Status

Tonight at 5;30 pm the DSL turned on! I have made Deb's computer the hub so I can get everything from the TiVo to the Vonage to the Xbox 360 to the PSP and every wirelessly connected laptop in the house, to work again! Ahhh, it appears that the internet runs everything anymore. It will be awhile before I get the bugs out of the system but you are free to give the old (360) 944-blah, blah, blah, blah number a try.

Off to get an Iced Mocha, enjoying day NINE of 100 degrees or more here!

Progress

The shop is now sided and waiting for the roof to be put on.

It even comes with windows.

There should be enough room for the toys.

The hot tub is now safe to enter!

We now have gutters.

Move Killed My Computer

I set up the computers yesterday after spending many hours prepping the nerdery. Debs computer went up first, no problems, system booted up the first time. About 2 hours later I was ready to fire mine up... That did not, and still has not happened. Some how the main c: drive (250 gigs worth) died during the packing, transport, or unloading phase of this move. I have tried all of my tricks, done all of my dances, and hugged my 100 gigs worth of backup DVD's that include all of my photos, made not 2 weeks ago just before the packing started. I will recover, but not until DSL comes online this Thursday. Without several files available online, my fresh install won't partition my drive to be any larger than 137 gigs! So, I will just have to rotate my chair ever so slightly and quietly... USE A GIRL'S COMPUTER!

Shop Update

Roof trusses arrive!

The big pour! It took 6 of these trucks to do the whole shop floor and driveway.

Smoothing it out. This whole thing was cured in just hours with the heat we are having. The guys raced to get the texturing and accents in before it was too late.

Walls start to go up!

Ahhh, that looks scary to me!

Now that's starting to look like a shop!

From start to finish on the wood portion of the shop took just two days! Next comes siding and roofing.

The Final Paint Scheme

Well here is the final look of the house. It does have a slight pink tint to the lightest colors but once the green of the landscaping is wrapped around the house the pink will be gone.

Downtown Portland Gets Free Wi-Fi

Hot This Weekend!

103 Degrees?

Watched A Movie Last Night

I asked Deb what is the higher priority: clearing a spot in the garage for her Jeep, or hooking up the TV? The TV won! Of course just hooking up the tube would have been easy, but you need the couches, the rugs, the end tables, the speakers, a sub woofer, wires, lots of wires, some more speakers, "Where's the remote?" As soon as I had the first lines hooked up and any sort of picture, we popped in a DVD, you know, for testing! I managed to connect a few more wires before we both ended up on the couch in a room FULL of packing boxes. There was crap everywhere, it just flat looked like a bomb went off, but we had a movie and a place to sit, so it was OK! What was the movie you ask? Madagascar. When the movie was over, we tripped over the mess and went to bed.

We're Getting There...

The Sitting Room is just missing some knick knacks on the shelf and then we'll call it done.

Guest Bed Room is open for business!

Hot tub has been installed but needs to be drained and moved right under the windows to meet code. It seems the electricians are worried that one of you visitors in a drunken moment will reach up while standing in the tub and grab a hold of an outside light fixture, there by sending all occupants of said Jacuzzi... On to the afterlife.

Note: stairs to back door, one big hunk of concrete I tell ya!

The Idaho Difference - Part One

Moving Our Stuff...

Welcome to the joys of moving! Didn't we just do this a year ago?

Those boxes contain the computers and about 10 hours of hook up once we get to Kuna.

Hello there my name is Dennis! My job is to make your move go just as smooth as possible. I however will not do any of that, but instead almost kill you with my stupidity and ignorance!

"We gotta pack it tight or it will move around and make the truck unstable." Famous Dennis quote, heard often... Way too often.

This might take some time to sort out!

All the room that's left in a three car garage after the unloading of the truck!

It's A Dry Heat!

Little by little the house is coming together. There is almost enough room in the garage now for us to park Deb's Jeep. "Why, with all you both have to do right now is parking in the garage so important?". Let me explain. It's gets hot here in Idaho! You get in a rig that has been sitting in full sun on a 98 degree day and try to get it cooled down! A/C cranked on high but the black leather seat is cooking you like a summer sausage patty! I will never complain about being cold again! It does seem to cool down in the early morning so you can at least open some windows and cool down the house, but other than those few hours: hot, hot, HOT!

As we have been unpacking there has been one consistent theme: melted candles. Oh sure they still smell nice and you could some how light them, if only you could just pry the damn things off of what ever they have melted themselves around!

We both are drinking gallons of water, not for enjoyment or to wash down a meal... But to ensure we don't dry up and blow away!

I think between the time change, the altitude change (we are around 2600 feet) and the change in temperature I deserve another week of "vacation?"

We Are Alive!

It has not been easy, but we slept in our own bed last night. It was wonderful! Between the drive to Idaho (over 8 hours through heat and lighting storms both of us hauling trailers), the unload (98 degrees, un-skilled movers, and a wood floor you could not walk on), Murphy's law (cut gas line, no hot water, and a ton of 'little' things), we made it!

I relax now on a couch looking out a bay window watching the sun rise while air conditioned cold rains down on me. This is good because yesterday the temperature was 102 degrees! The A/C has run non-stop to keep the house at 70 degrees day and night. I don't think it got below 75 over night, but today has started with some cloud cover, so I am hoping for a cooler day.

The master bedroom has been our unpacking focus so far, as having it completed brought a certain feeling of calm to our lives. The guest room, sitting room, laundry room are also pretty much done.

Mishra the cat has not missed a beat! She is doing well and if you need to find her just head to the nearest A/C vent or under a ceiling fan. For her the day consists of sleeping, the night learning the new house and trying to wake Deb and I up.

Today we are going to lay low and not do too much, as a break is well deserved and much needed. Breakfast is on my mind right now. We found a small cafe in Kuna where we both had a huge breakfast with coffee, the bill was only $11.43! Gas here is currently $2.81. Trash service is $32 dollars a quarter, no limit on how many cans! I guess with as hot as it gets here no one has the heart to charge you.

I plan on heading to an internet coffee house today and uploading some photos, so get ready.

Saturday Night, The Last Night

There is nothing left! The truck is full, the house has been cleaned and we are set to head over tomorrow. Of course it will be hotter than hell the whole way over so I can really work up a good sweat in the Wrangler! Deb will stop from time to time and let me "visit" the air conditioned luxury that is her Jeep, so I'll survive.

The house will not be ready until Monday morning, so when we arrive we will move into the builders motor home for the night. The hardwood floors are getting their final layer of sealant and it will need Sunday night to cure. Even then, we will have to lay moving blankets all over the floors on Monday and allow only rubber inflated wheels on the movers dollies. This last little but of stress only makes us laugh! "Is that all you got left?"

It is supposed to only take one day to unload the contents of the moving truck into the new house. I feel the sweetest day of my life so far just might be Tuesday morning when I wake up and control my own destiny again! We will see. Each day brings us closer to the end of this adventure and then, the beginning of yet another.

Packing fun?

The first day of packing has now come to a close. Deb and I are camping in our own bedroom right now, sleeping bags and everything! The goal today was to get everything packed into boxes. That almost got done. What has been packed is stacked up in every corner of the house.

Tomorrow brings the packers back and begins the shuttle truck run to haul everything to the mother ship down the hill. This large truck is parked in the field at the first corner of the gravel road coming up to the house.

We are ready to be done, but still have a ways to go. Home phone is now disconnected so please use my cell number to contact us as Deb's new number is in the 208 area code. Also, the MSN email is no more, so use my work address or my Gmail account to contact us. Until we are back in internet action I'll be using the blackberry to post to the Blog. So no photos for awhile.

The Fort Vancouver Show!

Just in case you missed it.

Gay Referee?

I'll let you decide.

Have A...

Happy Fourth Of July!

We Found Some Water

This is a 30 minute drive from the house.

This is a small segment of "Lucky Peak Reservoir."

We and the Waverunner rejoice at this close and very nice place to play in the water!


Reservoir above and swimming with a sand beach below.

Closed On The New House...

Deb and I spent our Monday in Boise signing for the new house. We are happy to announce that all went well and we are indeed the new owners. We proceeded the signing with a walk through of the house and description of the progress. Everything is still going strong at the site with many workers doing their thing even as we surveyed the changes. We would walk through a room, come back ten minutes later and carpet had been installed. The builder should get an occupancy permit on Friday and we are slated to show up late Saturday or Sunday. As each one of these mile stones are met we are feeling better and better. Moving, I tell you, is just not for the faint of heart!

Getting Closer!

Speakers have been installed around the house.

We are at the stage where you could take a shower if you wanted. I would not advise it however as the water lines are filled with bleach right now to clean them out.

Judging by the size of this air conditioning unit we should be able to stay cool during the summer.

The shop finally has a foundation! Walls are supposed to go up soon.

Gratuitous photo of myself. The foreground does show the carpet color however.

The laundry room gets a sink, and counter tops.

Close up of the kitchen sink and counter top.

Rock design above the stove is waiting for grout and vent hood to be put in.

Even though it is 88 degrees in the house, Deb is excited at the prospect of having heated bathroom floors! The thermostat in her hand controls the time on, time off and temperature.

The kitchen is starting to shape up.

Slate is complete and sealed (giving it the shine) on the deck, just waiting for railings.

Rock accents are up all over the house! I really like the look of this. Note: The gables of the roof (currently painted white and in the upper left of the photo) are soon to be painted 'Moroccan Brown" and the wood accents at the very top will be stained the same color as the front door (see photo below.)

Close up of the rock pattern.

Deb works on her tan.

Stair railing is in and stained. Front door has received a coat of stain and hardware.

The sitting room is really coming together. The top of the fireplace is waiting for a big wood mantle, and the black rectangular hole below it, a fire.

These photos were shot Monday July 3rd.

Are We There Yet?

We are now in the home stretch of the move to Idaho! We used this weekend to prep the Battle Ground house for the coming invasion of movers, because once they get here it all goes.

Today, July 3rd Deb and I fly to Boise for a walk through of the new house and the signing of the house papers. We actually don't close until Friday July 7th, but since we need to be back in Washington with the movers, this is the only day we could pull it off. Don't think that this means the house will be done today! The builders will be working up until the very last minute. The carpet does not go in until Wednesday and they will still be doing final touches on Friday.

Tuesday, July 4th we will make a trip to the dump with any junk we don't need and then I start disassembling the racking in the garage. The movers will transport the racking with out complaints, but they won't un-screw it from the walls, same goes for the cabinets. Also, all things like mowers, edgers, roto-tillers, any thing with fuel have to be drained of gas for the movers to take them.

Wednesday, July 5th the fun really begins! The movers show up... And the first thing they will want is the refrigerator, washer and dryer. So, we have to put all of the perishables into a large cooler filled with dry ice for the next 6 days, and then we can reload it once we get to Boise.

Thursday & Friday, July 6th & 7th packing and more packing by the moving company.

Saturday, July 8th we do a final clean up of the house, hand over the keys, and hit the road. Deb will haul the ATV's with her Jeep and I will haul the Waverunner with the Wrangler. We will drive the rest of the day to arrive at the new house that night.

Sunday, July 9th we plan on hanging out in the new house and thinking about where the furniture will go once it arrives on Monday.

Well, that is it for now, we'll keep you posted.