Tuesday as the Exede Satellite installer crawled out from under my house as he ran cable from the dish to the opposite corner of the house to my computer, he said "I have some bad news for you". I instantly thought about he would not be able to finish the installation and I would not be getting the service for some reason. I could only wish that is what he was about to tell me.
"You have black mold under your house on the wood and on the insulation"
What a punch in the gut that was. In the past, once a year, I would usually crawl under the house to inspect for anything like that or other issues. For 14 years I saw nothing that would lead to that or any other problems. Everything looked great under the house. It had been two summers ago since I had did that inspection. I remember that time frame because I built and painted a new wood door to get into the crawl space. For 35 years it was a framed glass window that was broken by one of the tv dish installers years ago.
For 14 years prior I saw nothing under the house that would lead to mold. I have always kept my vents in the foundation open TO PREVENT MOLD ... so how did this happen?
To interrupt the news here, I crawled under the house Wednesday morning to take a look. It's just a little mold, not black mold as the photos I have looked up on Google Images show. It should be an easy clean up but time consuming with it being something I can do.
He did say the problem is the insulation between floor beams are no longer allowed in today's house construction standards. My house was built 39 years ago by the local Amish. In between those floor beams is the pink fiberglass insulation wrapped in paper, the kind you would see inside of walls.
That will be a mess to tear out and push out through the only small crawl space, into the front yard, in hot muggy weather. It has to be done though. I'll need to buy a full body suit and a respirator instead just a facial mask, in case it is black mold.
After taking out all of the insulation, I will then spray bleach/water on all the wood to kill the mold. There is no wood rot and no termite infestation anywhere. I had one friend tell me he had the exact same problem on his older house a few years ago and was able to clean it up himself with a weed sprayer filled with bleach and a little water.
My question is why did it take 14-17 years to happen? Isn't leaving vent's open the right thing to do? I was told to leave the vents open year round by an engineer that did house inspections in his past work.
There seems to be a house issue to repair every year. There are times I wonder if it is worth staying here just because I have a low tax base and a house that is paid for. No matter what, I would have to get this mold issue fixed and any of the other minor repair issues fixed before it could be placed on the market for sale.
No plans to sell it, but with me you never know.
June 27, 2014
June 25, 2014
Change to Verizon and a New iPhone 5s
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| iPhone 5s |
I may regret not waiting until September 19, 2014 for the release of iPhone 6 but based on what I do with a phone and the size of the phones, I decided to make the jump now to Verizon and the iPhone 5S. Comparing the two, I wasn't sure I would like the larger size phone and I knew I would not like the price. I will still have many of the upgraded Apple features in the fall with my iMac and this phone.
I have a lot to learn about this new phone but the few new things I have figured out are really nice since moving from an iPhone 4. One of those is the fingerprint security and unlocking process plus voice texting and emailing. I soon found out I needed to check and make a few corrections before sending the voice email but overall it recognized what I was saying very well. I have read the more you talk the more it will have to build it's database, thus less errors earlier.
In the past I have thought of just going to a basic flip phone, pre-paid, to use just for emergencies. It would save some in monthly fees but with all of the features you get with a smart phone I think for me it's money well spent to stay with the smart phone. The few people that I know that have made that change either have gone back to a smart phone or plan to.
It was probably harder to cancel my AT&T service than it was to activate and set up my Verizon service along with the new phone. I find it strange that AT&T would let you sign up for auto pay and any new accounts using your debit or credit card online ... but "for security reasons" you had to call them to cancel. Of course that phone number to call to cancel my Landline and Internet service was linked on their web page for canceling service.
I knew the real reason for calling was they would up sell me with a lot of new offers to keep my account open. I practically had to beg them to close my account. Like I told the customer service rep over the weekend when I was checking out U-verse for phone and my internet, "I have an AT&T tower in plan view, two fields away and cannot get a strong signal standing inside my house, were my friend standing next to me with Verizon was getting 5 out of 5 bars on their phone." What's up with that?
Since I am not in the area to receive U-verse, I had no other plans I could use with AT&T. With the possibility of traveling out west or even moving out west, Verizon was highly recommended by those that travel full time or live in those western states.
I followed the process to erasing all personal data and all my files from my iPhone 4, closing the account. I had thought of selling it to Gazelle but after looking at their eBay store and seeing the prices they were selling the iPhone 4 for on eBay, I decided I would sell it myself on eBay and make an extra $100.
Instead of discussing all the features of the phone, I'll leave that to you to look up on Google.
I will say for those that ever thought about making the change from AT&T to Verizon, I can already tell the difference in their customer service on the phone. NO comparison between the two companies. Verizon has their act together when it comes to customer service over the phone. So far the cost of the new iPhone 5s is worth the money.
Overall I am very happy this morning with my change in cell phone service.
Change from DSL to Exede Satellite Internet Service
Based on my rural location I have just a couple of choices for internet service. For the past 8 years I've been using a local service provider that ran DSL over the AT&T phone lines. My other option was satellite internet. I saw and heard both good and bad from local friends, the local vet and online reviews. I felt comfortable enough to make the change to satellite, with a little apprehension. My DirecTv dish system has been fantastic so why not internet?
The installer arrived around noon with the weather radar showing storms either here or on the way. I thought I might have to cancel and re-schedule. It rarely rained while he was here as the storms moved over the top of us heading NE towards Indianapolis.
We looked at a few options for installing the dish. I had a couple of ideas in my head and one of those was not to install it on the roof. I don't like the looks of that (neighbor) and I didn't want to pay to have them come back in re-install if I were ever to put on a new roof.
Long story short it was installed where I wanted it without asking him. With it being the "era" of satellite dishes for tv and internet I guess they are now a normal part of the yard "decor" and I'll have to get use to it. It is higher than I thought it would be based on how low my DirecTV dish is but not that much higher. The DirectTV dish is just right of the green evergreen shown.
I had read that ViaStat had bought WildBlue and changed the name to Exede, upgraded their systems, equipment to where they have been rated #1 the past two years for delivering the internet speed they are advertising. Their system is also used in the government for field operations plus other areas. The packages were all priced about the same as DishNet and HughesNet. So based on their results for delivery internet speed as advertised which was 12Mbps for Downloads and 3Mbps for uploading.
After installing and setting up the modem and wireless router, speedtest.net showed the speed of 8.5Mbps with heavy cloud overcast. I was happy with that based on I have been living for years on internet speeds of 1.4Mbps tops and at times times .7Mbps. I checked it last night after midnight because anything I do is not added to my data count from Midnight -5am. Speeds last night at 1:38am were over 17Mbps!!!
There were no glitches setting up the modem and router.
As I write this on Wednesday morning, I am getting internet speeds over 13Mbps with sunny skies. It looks like it was a great decision to make the change in service.
The installer was under my house running coax cable from the dish to the opposite diagonal corner to my computer room. It's bigger than a crawl space and in some places you can almost stand up. After running the cable, he came out from underneath the house saying "I have some bad news for you".
It was house related nothing to do with the internet service.
I'll discuss that in a few days, maybe with some photos.
We looked at a few options for installing the dish. I had a couple of ideas in my head and one of those was not to install it on the roof. I don't like the looks of that (neighbor) and I didn't want to pay to have them come back in re-install if I were ever to put on a new roof.
Long story short it was installed where I wanted it without asking him. With it being the "era" of satellite dishes for tv and internet I guess they are now a normal part of the yard "decor" and I'll have to get use to it. It is higher than I thought it would be based on how low my DirecTV dish is but not that much higher. The DirectTV dish is just right of the green evergreen shown.
I had read that ViaStat had bought WildBlue and changed the name to Exede, upgraded their systems, equipment to where they have been rated #1 the past two years for delivering the internet speed they are advertising. Their system is also used in the government for field operations plus other areas. The packages were all priced about the same as DishNet and HughesNet. So based on their results for delivery internet speed as advertised which was 12Mbps for Downloads and 3Mbps for uploading.
After installing and setting up the modem and wireless router, speedtest.net showed the speed of 8.5Mbps with heavy cloud overcast. I was happy with that based on I have been living for years on internet speeds of 1.4Mbps tops and at times times .7Mbps. I checked it last night after midnight because anything I do is not added to my data count from Midnight -5am. Speeds last night at 1:38am were over 17Mbps!!!
There were no glitches setting up the modem and router.
As I write this on Wednesday morning, I am getting internet speeds over 13Mbps with sunny skies. It looks like it was a great decision to make the change in service.
The installer was under my house running coax cable from the dish to the opposite diagonal corner to my computer room. It's bigger than a crawl space and in some places you can almost stand up. After running the cable, he came out from underneath the house saying "I have some bad news for you".
It was house related nothing to do with the internet service.
I'll discuss that in a few days, maybe with some photos.
June 23, 2014
Air Quality - Good or Bad?
This is not the fist time it has happen and it also happens at times inside my house during the other seasons. I would have to ask after viewing the two photographs below, is the quality of my air inside my house a concern? Or is it just the heat?
I bought the pineapple and tomatoes on Friday night … by Sunday morning they were doing what you see pictured here. The house windows have been open most of the time, with gentle southern breezes.
I bought the pineapple and tomatoes on Friday night … by Sunday morning they were doing what you see pictured here. The house windows have been open most of the time, with gentle southern breezes.
Let me know what you think by making a comment below or sending me an email.
I am sitting here on Monday afternoon after having a pretty good thunderstorm, where my internet connection is intermittent again and has been since early this morning before the storm arrived. It looks like it was a good move to have new internet service installed tomorrow between 11am – 2pm. It has become so bad lately that I am logging days on my calendar where I lose connection. It still seems weird because I have gone for years with great service. AT&T installed new main phone lines across the highway a few years ago. Even now when I do a speed test, it is faster than it’s ever been but much slower than what I will be receiving after tomorrow.
I’ve decided to get three free estimates for mowing my small yard. Have I turned lazy? No, but I am thinking about going on a vacation with the hounds for more than just a couple of weeks. So I’ll see what the estimates are. I can’t believe they would be much for a .3 of an acre and what takes me 45 minutes to mow with a power push mower. With the hills and trees it may not even be optimal for their riding mowers.
It should be interesting in what I find out. I’m really curious what kind of numbers they come up with.
Monday - Internet and Phone Deals
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| You Can Feel the Humidity |
I did get some yard work finished over the weekend and also talk to the farmer on Sunday as he raked the hay before baling it into the big rolls. My fears of damaging his equipment were not warranted. He was just going around the rope metal anchor he knew I had because he didn't wan to cut my rope, that I later cut by accident with my metal blade weed eater. I was able to cut all the hay that he didn't and he was able to pick it up and bale it. I also did a little trimming on my overgrown area where I would like to build a backyard campsite.
I have to admit, there is not a lot going on and I wonder if anyone that reads this blog and is retired ... do you ever get tired of just normal days of activity? Day after day after day? It all goes back to that question, am I in a rut and bored or this is just life and I am low keyed content?
I have accomplished things inside though. I have researched new phone and internet service. I am also in the process of uploading my photos to Google's Picasa as a backup. That is a long process.
With the hot temps outside and the hayfield that is now cut ... the hounds and I have completed two daily dog walks in two consecutive days. By the time we finish the 20 minute cruise through the field in the early evening, the hounds are more than ready to get back inside where it is so much cooler. I have also noticed they don't go to the door as much wanting outside with the higher temps now.
Maybe they are not bored but just smart and want to stay inside where it's much cooler.
First issue I needed to get fixed is my internet service. Due to my location I have had two choices. A local company that uses the AT&T phone lines for DSL or a new provider for Satellite Internet. I have been with the local internet company now for 8 years and have had no complaints, great speed for DSL, until recently. This past January my provider told me they were raising my monthly rate $10, which is their wireless rate without giving me wireless service. Long story short is, after recent discussions with them the real story comes out, wireless is what I pay for but is not offered in my location.
I am now one of their last customers with DSL service. They are no longer the direct company that corresponds with AT&T for connection repair. They now have to call in my request for repair and then that request is passed through TWO DIFFERENT middlemen. The strange thing is and I have told them in those words, that once they raised my rates to wireless service, my DLS has had problems keeping the connection along with a longer time to download webpages or photos. Coincidence? They would never answer that until this past week, when one of the technicians on the phone told me they no longer offer DLS service, they pass it off.
Ah ha ... now I finally got my answer.
Also, due to my location and the amount of trees between their wireless antennas, I cannot get their wireless service that I am paying for. ($39.99/mo). When I discussed their future plans at the luncheon on Friday, it sounds as if I am on my last small thin thread for internet service with them due to available services. There will not be any kind of wireless system installed that can give me a good signal through the trees. They tried a system designed for that with a 50 mile range and had problems due to the barometric pressure.
That leaves me with just one option. Satellite Internet. When I did a search on company names "reviews" ... those reviews vicious! It sounds like nothing works and all the satellite providers do is take your money. Why do I see so many satellite internet dishes around this area then if they are so bad? My neighbor tells me that he has had zero problems with Hughes Net connection and service.
So after some review between Exede and Hughes Net, I have decided to go with Exede (WildBlue) Internet Service. Much faster speed and comes out to the same price as what I am currently paying for an AT&T Land Line and my providers DSL service. They have been voted #1 two years in a row for delivering speeds they advertised. They also have their systems used by the military in field ops.
After 10+ years with AT&T cell phone service I am making the change to Verizon. When cell
phones first came out, in my location AT&T (Cingular) was all that was offered. Yet when I was stuck on I-25 just north of Truth or Consequences NM with a blown VW engine, I couldn't get a signal to call anyone. The only we got a hold of a towing company is that he saw us from the other side of the freeway as he was taking a car to TOC. He came back to get us. It was over 100 degrees that day.
Anyway Verizon is the plan, 4G service in my area and a lot more coverage out west for when I travel. My contract was up with AT&T months ago and I've been going month to month with them with a phone upgrade also due. I was going to wait for the iPhone 6 to come out but after further research the iPhone 5S is all I will need right now. So I decided to change my service now instead of waiting until the fall.
I updated my costs to my financial spreadsheets to see how these two changes would affect my monthly net income before I called to make the changes. Very minimal change for the monthly fee. It's almost a 1 for 1 swap dollar wise and I'll have better service. The only additional fees are for the new phone, new wireless router and activation fees that are paid now.
In closing I will say the past couple of weeks I have felt I need to get more things accomplished each day instead of sitting around reading, internet surfing and napping. It no longer feels like I'm on vacation, like it did the first couple of months I was retired. I keep wondering if this is the life I will have day after day? Sure, it's better than the alternative and much better than having a job you don't like. I just feel at times I need to be doing more.
Can anyone retired that is reading this chime in with some comments? Thanks
Also a bit of financial news here at home ... my monthly costs for groceries have increased a lot since I have added more fruits and veggies in exchange of not buying junk food .... go figure.
Life is good.
June 22, 2014
Thoughts on a Saturday
Some of you may have witnessed my blog was changing its template and format about every 15 minutes Friday night. I went to bed with the template I thought I liked but changed it the first thing Saturday morning. It now looks just like that RV and Hounds blog that I stopped writing on. I am still undecided about the two column format on this blog but I believe this template will stay around. I like the colors and the feel it has while I'm reading it. Feel free to send any suggestions.
I went to bed last night with major plans this morning. So far at 10:38am local time I have not started anything except the usual. That usual is two cups of Starbuck's coffee as I read online, maybe do a blog post and read what little email I get. I am not really happy with that start because it is becoming more and more routine. Like a daily routine. No worries, my plan of weed eating the rest of the hay around my rope anchor will get done but it will cost me because the temperature will be much higher when I am doing it ... unless I push it to Sunday morning.
One of the things I notice in retirement, I usually don't know what day of the week it is and if I do, it's very rare. It's only an observation, doesn't really matter but a change when you have lived a pretty structured life for 40+ years. At times I wonder if I am bored or am I just content with my life? After all, I have never lived anywhere as long as I have in this house. That seems very strange because I use to like to move and in the past that use to be costly not only in starting over but the funds used to get there. So for me being here in this house since 1997 is hard to believe at times.
Still, I find there is plenty to do around here but it only happens when I get out of this desk chair and get outside or down the highway. I see myself falling into a rut that I don't want to happen and at times find I don't have the motivation to make the change. That concerns me a little. It's something that I thought might happen during those days off in a 3-day weekend when I had a job.
Like last night I completely forgot it was Friday. I woke up dreaming, trying to figure out why I was at work and why I needed to work 14 hours to get caught up. I was thrilled to open my eyes and see Sadie standing next to the bed giving me a look "I need to go outside". It was nice to know I was no longer working a job.
I'm usually a late starter anyway. I am much more of a night person than a morning person but the hounds have their routine and that has not changed since I retired. They still get up around 6:30 for their first of many trips (depending on weather) outside. This morning I could not believe it was June after seeing this horizon. I had to take a photo of it.
Then after waking up to a very confusing dream and glad it was only a dream, the hounds go back outside for a 2nd time. I wonder if they do this because the want to go outside or that they know once they come back inside they get their "milk bone", that I buy at Costco where they are hand packed into a 15# box. I am beginning to think they like that 2nd bone of the day.
Speaking of Costco, I usually make the 90 mile trek to the north side of Indianapolis for dog food, milk bones, some groceries and that also puts me in the vicinity of Trader Joe's. I use to buy Costco's brand of Nature Domain dog food. It is made by Diamond Foods. They also manufacture Taste of the Wild along with their dog food under the Diamond Name. The Nature Domain food at Costco has the same ingredients as the much more expensive and smaller bag Taste of the Wild. Here is my typical trip to Costco.
That's a lot of miles to drive just for that but it's nice to wander around Costco at times as long as I keep the billfold closed. After one of my infamous spreadsheet analysis on dog food costs, including gas to travel, I decided it was best to buy at my local Bloomfield Feed Store. I buy the Diamond Natural for Large Breeds. Dog Food Review ranks that food as a 4-Star and it's $33 for a 40# bag ... Your credit or debit card is not good there, it's either cash or check.
Another thing I like to do in Indianapolis is not going to the Indy500 race but I like going to Indy500 practice. No traffic problems, usually plenty of sun, good food and a lot of loud laps. No, I am a fan of the other races at Indy, just the Indy500.
During practice you can get a little closer to the cars. I like seeing the designs that will change from year to year. A drastic change was made from standard body design for many years to this design in 2013.
This is a 2002 Model
This is a 2012 model which was the most drastic change in decades, with the body wrapped around the rear wheel. Just for towing purposes, the nose is not attached on the car below.
Besides racing and basketball, Indianapolis has a professional baseball team, currently the AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A new stadium was built in the past 14 years by the same company that designed Coors Field in Denver. This stadium is easy to get in and out of located a few blocks north of I-70. Tickets are much much cheaper than the MLB prices and you can get better seats. It's a nice way to spend a night watching baseball, if you are a baseball fan.
One of my favorite towns of all time is Bloomington Indiana. It was one of the reasons I moved back to Indiana in 1994, besides the employment reasons. I attended college here in 1970, just after all the anti-war protests in the 60's. During my time on campus they had great concerts by big time 60's bands, have a highly ranked School of Music, Business School and of course all IU sports are in the BigTen Conference. I've attended IU Football and IU Basketball games since I was I a kid growing up. I was born my dad's senior year on campus and spent my first year of life on campus, maybe that is why I "bleed", IU.
Even thought I am a graduate of Indiana University, I attended many games in Seattle watching the University of Washington Huskies while living on Whidbey Island. I still think the most beautiful surrounding area to watch a college football game has to be the UW stadium on Lake Washington.
In a rare IU appearance in Seattle, I was able to fly out in 2003 and watch the Huskies pound the Hoosiers in football. It was nice to see that the surrounding Husky fans understood and told us Indiana was a "basketball school" and not known for football, they understood who their opponent was that day. They were more interested in beating Oregon that fall, as many of the cheers during the IU - Washington game were about beating the Ducks of Oregon.
I've talked about my change in diet since I retired in April 2014 and most of my meals look like this with no limit in amounts of veggies or fruits. This is a typical lunch or dinner.
Yet in Bloomington is one the 'all-time' favorite places for IU fans and alumni that has been located here since the 1940's. They keep expanding the building by adding floors. On the wall going to the 3rd floor are autographs of the 1984 Olympic Basketball team, who trained in Bloomington that summer since Bob Knight was the Olympic Coach for that year. Just a few of the names are Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. No doubt a few drunk patrons have tried to get that piece of wall out of there and into their collection.
Just called Nick's and people from IU know nationwide what you are talking about.
That is not what Nick's English Hut is noted for, the autographed wall. What they are noted for nationwide by any IU alumnus is what I eat about every 3-4 months just to keep my cholesterol up. lol It is their world famous strom. I've been told by the bartenders I am one of the few that orders the 12" strom and finishes the 12" strom. I usually make it home 25 miles away just in time for an afternoon siesta after eating one of these. It is full of provolone cheese, Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and pizza sauce. It has been slightly changed by new ownership in the amount of ingredients they fill the Italian bread with, just like most restaurants in today's economy.
It doesn't matter where I am in Bloomington nor what I'm doing, if it isn't the strom I buy ... I will drive out of the way to the SE corner of Bloomington to 5Guys to have one of these. The last time I visited, I decided to change up on the order and buy my normal cheese burger (standard is double) and a "Jr's Cheeseburger" which turned out to be a single cheeseburger. No fear, I ate them both and never felt full. They tasted great!!
I realize for the purist in good diets NEITHER of those are good for me ... but I like the word I see most people say ... MODERATION! I guess I'll keep eating them with possibly a longer period of time between meals.
So as you see, I don't do a lot around here but there is enough to do once I make an effort to get in the car. I think that since I have all kinds of time on my hands now, I don't feel as rushed doing different things because I am not trying to fit everything into a weekend between the work weeks. I like doing all of these things during the work day now ... less crowds, less traffic.
The thing is, these are all fun things to do, but I've been doing them for a very very long time. At times it feels like it's time to move on to other NEW things, NEW places. I want to see the stars at night where is absolutely no traffic sounds, unlike here. I want to wake up in places that have no one around for miles. I want to sit out in the early morning heating water up for a cup of coffee or tea.
So we will see what happens.
Still, as my other blog Hounds and RV's shows a 2+ year history, I have had a very strong urge to travel these past couple of years. I can't decide how to go or where to go, but the options have always changed. The hounds have played a role in those decisions or lack thereof. I believe they deserve to be considered when I am thinking of traveling and/or making major decisions.
That's about all I have for today. One good thing about retirement, if you don't get your next item on your 'to do' list finished as planned, there is always tomorrow.
BTW ... I finished what I had planned this morning. No photos but I did cut all the hay the farmer chose to leave around Sadie's rope anchor. Of course for the 3rd year in a row, I got so close with my metal blade on the weed eater that I caught her rope. It's been shortened enough from my previous two mistakes that I cannot tie it back together and have it long enough to reach the house. The length was based on two things, short enough to keep her out of the trees and long enough that it would reach the house so I can hook the rope to her collar without me going out into the yard in bad weather. :)
I went to bed last night with major plans this morning. So far at 10:38am local time I have not started anything except the usual. That usual is two cups of Starbuck's coffee as I read online, maybe do a blog post and read what little email I get. I am not really happy with that start because it is becoming more and more routine. Like a daily routine. No worries, my plan of weed eating the rest of the hay around my rope anchor will get done but it will cost me because the temperature will be much higher when I am doing it ... unless I push it to Sunday morning.
One of the things I notice in retirement, I usually don't know what day of the week it is and if I do, it's very rare. It's only an observation, doesn't really matter but a change when you have lived a pretty structured life for 40+ years. At times I wonder if I am bored or am I just content with my life? After all, I have never lived anywhere as long as I have in this house. That seems very strange because I use to like to move and in the past that use to be costly not only in starting over but the funds used to get there. So for me being here in this house since 1997 is hard to believe at times.
Still, I find there is plenty to do around here but it only happens when I get out of this desk chair and get outside or down the highway. I see myself falling into a rut that I don't want to happen and at times find I don't have the motivation to make the change. That concerns me a little. It's something that I thought might happen during those days off in a 3-day weekend when I had a job.
Like last night I completely forgot it was Friday. I woke up dreaming, trying to figure out why I was at work and why I needed to work 14 hours to get caught up. I was thrilled to open my eyes and see Sadie standing next to the bed giving me a look "I need to go outside". It was nice to know I was no longer working a job.
I'm usually a late starter anyway. I am much more of a night person than a morning person but the hounds have their routine and that has not changed since I retired. They still get up around 6:30 for their first of many trips (depending on weather) outside. This morning I could not believe it was June after seeing this horizon. I had to take a photo of it.
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| 2014 June 21 |
Speaking of Costco, I usually make the 90 mile trek to the north side of Indianapolis for dog food, milk bones, some groceries and that also puts me in the vicinity of Trader Joe's. I use to buy Costco's brand of Nature Domain dog food. It is made by Diamond Foods. They also manufacture Taste of the Wild along with their dog food under the Diamond Name. The Nature Domain food at Costco has the same ingredients as the much more expensive and smaller bag Taste of the Wild. Here is my typical trip to Costco.
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| Dog Food & Dog Bones |
Another thing I like to do in Indianapolis is not going to the Indy500 race but I like going to Indy500 practice. No traffic problems, usually plenty of sun, good food and a lot of loud laps. No, I am a fan of the other races at Indy, just the Indy500.
During practice you can get a little closer to the cars. I like seeing the designs that will change from year to year. A drastic change was made from standard body design for many years to this design in 2013.
This is a 2002 Model
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| 2002 Red Bull Team - Tomas Scheckner |
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| Body Behind Rear Wheels |
Besides racing and basketball, Indianapolis has a professional baseball team, currently the AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A new stadium was built in the past 14 years by the same company that designed Coors Field in Denver. This stadium is easy to get in and out of located a few blocks north of I-70. Tickets are much much cheaper than the MLB prices and you can get better seats. It's a nice way to spend a night watching baseball, if you are a baseball fan.
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| Indianapolis Indians |
One of my favorite towns of all time is Bloomington Indiana. It was one of the reasons I moved back to Indiana in 1994, besides the employment reasons. I attended college here in 1970, just after all the anti-war protests in the 60's. During my time on campus they had great concerts by big time 60's bands, have a highly ranked School of Music, Business School and of course all IU sports are in the BigTen Conference. I've attended IU Football and IU Basketball games since I was I a kid growing up. I was born my dad's senior year on campus and spent my first year of life on campus, maybe that is why I "bleed", IU.
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| Assembly Hall |
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| Memorial Stadium |
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| University of Washington Stadium |
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| IU vs UDub 2003 |
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| Daily Salad |
Just called Nick's and people from IU know nationwide what you are talking about.
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| Nick's English Pub |
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| "The" Strom |
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| 5Guys |
I realize for the purist in good diets NEITHER of those are good for me ... but I like the word I see most people say ... MODERATION! I guess I'll keep eating them with possibly a longer period of time between meals.
So as you see, I don't do a lot around here but there is enough to do once I make an effort to get in the car. I think that since I have all kinds of time on my hands now, I don't feel as rushed doing different things because I am not trying to fit everything into a weekend between the work weeks. I like doing all of these things during the work day now ... less crowds, less traffic.
The thing is, these are all fun things to do, but I've been doing them for a very very long time. At times it feels like it's time to move on to other NEW things, NEW places. I want to see the stars at night where is absolutely no traffic sounds, unlike here. I want to wake up in places that have no one around for miles. I want to sit out in the early morning heating water up for a cup of coffee or tea.
So we will see what happens.
Still, as my other blog Hounds and RV's shows a 2+ year history, I have had a very strong urge to travel these past couple of years. I can't decide how to go or where to go, but the options have always changed. The hounds have played a role in those decisions or lack thereof. I believe they deserve to be considered when I am thinking of traveling and/or making major decisions.
That's about all I have for today. One good thing about retirement, if you don't get your next item on your 'to do' list finished as planned, there is always tomorrow.
BTW ... I finished what I had planned this morning. No photos but I did cut all the hay the farmer chose to leave around Sadie's rope anchor. Of course for the 3rd year in a row, I got so close with my metal blade on the weed eater that I caught her rope. It's been shortened enough from my previous two mistakes that I cannot tie it back together and have it long enough to reach the house. The length was based on two things, short enough to keep her out of the trees and long enough that it would reach the house so I can hook the rope to her collar without me going out into the yard in bad weather. :)
June 21, 2014
Travel Thoughts Will Never Go Away
The thoughts of traveling the majority of the year did not go away when I tried pushing the ideas away between March 2013 - June 2013. I shut my blog off, moved all the bookmarks out of site and tried not to think about traveling in any form.
Those ideas never went away. I really doubt they ever go away.
As some of this blog's recent readers have seen, I stated a few days ago I was done, finished writing on this blog. I decided to do that because I wasn't traveling, I had stopped thinking of buying an RV of any kind and I didn't think it was fair to my followers to write about something they had come to expect from me .... traveling and traveling with the hounds. That was not only the title of this blog but one of the reasons I started this blog.
Instead I started a 2nd blog to cover living with the hounds, maybe touching on some retirement information or thoughts but there will be no travel stories and no RV stories. It fulfills my urge to write and 'over there' I seem to be writing daily, as in the tone of a personal journal. It will be easier to find information and photos years from now just by searching the blog, instead of searching the hard drive though a million different files. I like that blog and will keep blogging there.
Ok ... so why I am posting here on this blog, when I said this blog was finished? For various reasons I guess. Those reasons ranging from online friends, blog followers, new people sending emails of suggestions ... photos of what rigs to buy ... photos of where I could be ... and some hoping that I will stick around here and blog on occasion when I have something to say about traveling and/or RVs. Other's telling me by email they are willing to wait for my decision to read about my future travel adventures with the hounds, even if there is a chance that may not happen. While others suggest the best thing to do is stand pat and enjoy where I am.
I really do appreciate all the suggestions, photos and the different ideas.
I can also add myself to that list of reasons. I still have thoughts of both of those topics, RVs and Traveling. So at least today I am writing a new post. I can't promise where or when the next one will be but based on my past frequency, it will not be long.
I use to bet on horse racing out in Del Mar Calif, Santa Anita and Hollywood Park on a daily basis as they moved from track to track for different seasons. So I tend to bet on past frequencies. If I were betting on my blog, I would bet that I don't stop this one nor will the idea of traveling in some sort of RV stop. It's easy to see reading back through the history of posts here.
In March 2013 I shut everything down and pushed away the thoughts of traveling with my hounds. Two months later at the end of May 2013 I was back reactivating everything and the search continued for the last year of working a job ... because? ... The plans, the urge to travel all over the Western states would not go away. Like now. Some will say today that I haven't given it enough time to go away, but I tried that for two solid months in 2013.
When I picture living where I do and no traveling or RVing is involved, I think of one word ... BOREDOM! In the past couple of months of my freedom, I will be driving down the road locally thinking "I need to get out of here" ... only to get home and soon after think "there is no reason to leave here". That's insane!!!
Thinking that way may prove that I actually need professional counseling or heavy medication.
I've sat here for another week not doing one thing out of the norm and I know that isn't what I am suppose to be doing with my new found freedom of retirement. It's doesn't feel right. I'm not a couch potato, nor a tv watcher but I am most likely a computer junkie. I always have known in the back of my mind, if I were to retire here I'd have to do some traveling of some kind, go cabin fever insane, or move.
What about the hounds? They don't care about the hot muggy weather or how deep the snow is, they do ONE THING during their daytime hours, 12 months a year. Here is their favorite positions. I don't believe they are wondering about traveling in these shots.
The hounds are a factor though and maybe more than I want to admit when I have tried to decide about whether to travel or not. I read recently that animals adapt better to change then people. In that case, they will not care if I trade their 7 acre field for traveling to different locations with different smells in the Western states. Or will it make a difference to them if their environment changed every few weeks?
I just know today is one of those days I feel like I am going ding bat crazy when I think of staying here, doing the same things I do for enjoyment over and over and over. That gets to be dull dull dull.
I told myself in the past year, that if I was going to retire and just stay home and keep the lifestyle I had with a job ... then I might as well not retire, live the same lifestyle and make a lot more money working a job I no longer cared for. Makes sense doesn't it?
The more I think about it the more I feel my reluctance in traveling with 3 hounds is the main reason I am landlocked here in the 'tropics' of southern Indiana. I hate to think they are one of my reasons for not traveling. Yet, when I think of my past many years ago prior to hound ownership, I was on the move all the time. I think I can travel with the hounds that I have.
The mental roller coaster is back online and is slowly chugging up that first long steep hill ......
Those ideas never went away. I really doubt they ever go away.
As some of this blog's recent readers have seen, I stated a few days ago I was done, finished writing on this blog. I decided to do that because I wasn't traveling, I had stopped thinking of buying an RV of any kind and I didn't think it was fair to my followers to write about something they had come to expect from me .... traveling and traveling with the hounds. That was not only the title of this blog but one of the reasons I started this blog.
Instead I started a 2nd blog to cover living with the hounds, maybe touching on some retirement information or thoughts but there will be no travel stories and no RV stories. It fulfills my urge to write and 'over there' I seem to be writing daily, as in the tone of a personal journal. It will be easier to find information and photos years from now just by searching the blog, instead of searching the hard drive though a million different files. I like that blog and will keep blogging there.
Ok ... so why I am posting here on this blog, when I said this blog was finished? For various reasons I guess. Those reasons ranging from online friends, blog followers, new people sending emails of suggestions ... photos of what rigs to buy ... photos of where I could be ... and some hoping that I will stick around here and blog on occasion when I have something to say about traveling and/or RVs. Other's telling me by email they are willing to wait for my decision to read about my future travel adventures with the hounds, even if there is a chance that may not happen. While others suggest the best thing to do is stand pat and enjoy where I am.
I really do appreciate all the suggestions, photos and the different ideas.
I can also add myself to that list of reasons. I still have thoughts of both of those topics, RVs and Traveling. So at least today I am writing a new post. I can't promise where or when the next one will be but based on my past frequency, it will not be long.
I use to bet on horse racing out in Del Mar Calif, Santa Anita and Hollywood Park on a daily basis as they moved from track to track for different seasons. So I tend to bet on past frequencies. If I were betting on my blog, I would bet that I don't stop this one nor will the idea of traveling in some sort of RV stop. It's easy to see reading back through the history of posts here.
In March 2013 I shut everything down and pushed away the thoughts of traveling with my hounds. Two months later at the end of May 2013 I was back reactivating everything and the search continued for the last year of working a job ... because? ... The plans, the urge to travel all over the Western states would not go away. Like now. Some will say today that I haven't given it enough time to go away, but I tried that for two solid months in 2013.
When I picture living where I do and no traveling or RVing is involved, I think of one word ... BOREDOM! In the past couple of months of my freedom, I will be driving down the road locally thinking "I need to get out of here" ... only to get home and soon after think "there is no reason to leave here". That's insane!!!
Thinking that way may prove that I actually need professional counseling or heavy medication.
I've sat here for another week not doing one thing out of the norm and I know that isn't what I am suppose to be doing with my new found freedom of retirement. It's doesn't feel right. I'm not a couch potato, nor a tv watcher but I am most likely a computer junkie. I always have known in the back of my mind, if I were to retire here I'd have to do some traveling of some kind, go cabin fever insane, or move.
What about the hounds? They don't care about the hot muggy weather or how deep the snow is, they do ONE THING during their daytime hours, 12 months a year. Here is their favorite positions. I don't believe they are wondering about traveling in these shots.
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| A lot of snow outside - Winter 2014 |
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| May 2014 - All Winston needs is sun |
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| All Winston needs is a soft leather couch |
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| Heidi sleeps 23 hours per day in various spots in the house. |
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| Sadie continues to think just like her owner while she sleeps - notice the frown |
I just know today is one of those days I feel like I am going ding bat crazy when I think of staying here, doing the same things I do for enjoyment over and over and over. That gets to be dull dull dull.
I told myself in the past year, that if I was going to retire and just stay home and keep the lifestyle I had with a job ... then I might as well not retire, live the same lifestyle and make a lot more money working a job I no longer cared for. Makes sense doesn't it?
The more I think about it the more I feel my reluctance in traveling with 3 hounds is the main reason I am landlocked here in the 'tropics' of southern Indiana. I hate to think they are one of my reasons for not traveling. Yet, when I think of my past many years ago prior to hound ownership, I was on the move all the time. I think I can travel with the hounds that I have.
The mental roller coaster is back online and is slowly chugging up that first long steep hill ......
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