New(ish) Car

As of this morning, we are the proud owners of a healthy, happy 12-year-old Buick Riviera.

I'll get a longer post with some pictures up when the weather is a little better here. Lots of snow and overcast means flat light and bad pics.

ESM is very happy with the car, and I'm glad we were able to replace hers quickly.

Stay inside and stay warm this weekend!

-- Sundown, Out

Spring Must Be Close...

Seems like every spring, my father and I are affected by the same bug. We get a far-off twinkle in our eyes, our mouths get dry, and we must feel the newness of vehicles that are not ours yet. Yep, we both are victims of the "new car bug." I have found as I get older, I am better about resisting the vernal urge to go look at cars. Plus, the Interwebs have provided a much less costly alternative, in that I can browse thousands of cars online and never have to set foot on a car lot and be subject to all the other intoxicating stimuli. Must. Drive. Cars!

However, this year (and not by choice), is one of those rare exceptions. The time has come for us to replace ESM's aging Saturn. We actually leased the car new in 1999, and it served us well. When it came time to turn it back in, ESM's parents needed a reliable car so we purchased it out of the lease and sold it to them for the same price. Win-win...they got a good car for a decent price that they knew had decent care, and we didn't have to pay the lease over-mileage fee we were looking at.

They drove the car for several years, and had decent luck with it. Then my mother-in-law needed to go in for double knee-replacement surgery. The Saturn was a manual shift. No way that was going to work. So we traded them straight across for an automatic-equipped mid-nineties Ford Taurus with low miles and got the Saturn back.

With our lifestyle changes in the last few years, unfortunately the poor little Saturn hasn't gotten the care it should have at times, and is now in dire need of some repairs that are necessary for it to pass our state's air quality emissions test so it can be re-licensed. However, the cost of those repairs is way beyond what the book value of the car is at this point. That violates one of the prime car-ownership rules my father drilled into me as a young man. "When the repairs cost more than the car is worth, usually the wiser money goes into a new(er) car."

So, that means only one thing. Spring car shopping.

I began the search with simple criteria. Budget: $7,000. Mileage: Under 60,000 IAAP (If At All Possible). Front-wheel drive, for better snow performance. Then ESM added one more...automatic transmission. Good, we have our criteria.

As we began looking online, there were cars out there that met our criteria. Good, that's hurdle #2 over. However, as ESM began looking at what cars were coming back, she added another criteria. This one is proving to be a little more of a challenge. She did not want some boring, 4-door grocery-getter. DO NOT WANT! So now I needed to add words like "exciting" or "unique" to the list. That makes things a bit 'arder!

However, we did look at a car last night that may fit the bill. We are planning on looking some more today, but if nothing pans out, we're going back to look at this one again. It's a 1998 Supercharged Buick Riviera. A sleek two-door coupe, with all the options available in that year (sunroof, heated leather seats, auto climate control, [mouth getting dry]), plus less than 70,000 on the odo, and the price is WELL under our budget. Sounds like a recipe for a decent deal. We both drove it, and I must say... What. A. Car.

Whoa there fella! Can't go writing checks yet! Let's check the Interwebs and see what '98 Rivs are all about. It IS an American car, after all. Found no big quality or reliability issues...an oddity for GM. A few mechanical things are mentioned, but nothing that is terribly expensive. Mileage is not great, but not much worse than my Mazda 5. However, Premium fuel only...that one'll hurt.

We are headed back out today to one dealership we found that had at least four cars on the lot we want to see. Just want to make sure we aren't jumping on the first thing we find. But, if nothing there is interesting...headed back to give the Riv another look in the daylight. I'll keep you posted.

-- Sundown, Out

(Not so) Quick Update

Sorry for the delay...things have been a bit stormy around here lately. Between all the crises, I just haven't had time to sit down and write for a bit.

We took Leo and Rocky in for their follow-up FIV/FeLV tests (the shelter tested them not too long before we adopted them). Unfortunately, we got some not good news. Leo is FIV positive. Not what we wanted to hear, after all our troubles with Ziggy.

However, looking on the bright side, trying to find the silver lining and trying like mad to make lemonade...at least it was not FeLV too. That would have been much worse. FIV is certainly not a death sentence, and many cats live long, healthy lives with the disease. We just have to be more vigilant in watching him for any signs of getting sick, as he won't be able to fight off stuff as well as he should.

Rocky seems to be fine and in good shape (in fact, his shape is getting rounder by the day!!!). He tested negative for both, even though he and Leo play and wrestle together on a regular basis. We'll hope that stays that way!

We've been working extra hard trying to get Hubbard's insulin levels under control. They raised him from two units to three, but I think it will take four or five to really put it to bed, so to speak.

They also made us continue to give him the steroid for the pancreatitus. I know he is feeling some better, given how hard he fights both of us to NOT TAKE THAT DARN PILL!!! We have finally found a delivery method that works. ESM has been crushing the pill and mixing it in with some chicken broth. She then draws that concoction into one of the liquid syringes we got for giving him liquid medicine, and squirts it down his gullet! He still fights a bit, but not nearly as hard as when we were trying to use the pill gun with him. Thank goodness!

Hubbard has also taken to wetting down the carpet in front of our master bedroom door lately as well. I know it is because his insulin is still not right, and he is still drinking quite a lot. He is rapidly ruining the carpet there (not that the carpet was in great shape to begin with!). So, between ESM and I, plus my mom, we came up with a workaround for now. We put down a length of that thick plastic carpet protector and old towels that ESM washes very regularly. At least now when he does it, we can clean it up easily. I just hope we can get his insulin dialed in quickly, so he doesn't have to go so much! Poor guy!

The basement has mostly sat for a bit, other than my ESM's little "stress release" the other day. She had been having a particularly bad day with lots of annoyances, however falling down the stairs in our house was really the last straw. She went down in the basement, picked up one of the small sledge hammers we have, and wailed the living bejeezus out of one of the walls. Looks a bit like swiss cheese now. Luckily, we are planning to demo ALL the walls...so no real harm done. She seems to be recovering from her fall, and I am very pleased for that.

ESM did go down today and take down some more studs as well. She likes tearing things apart, pushing trees over, etc. sometimes. I can't really blame her. It does relieve stress, but apparently not like putting large holes in walls does. *grin*

--Sundown, Out

And So, It Begins...

Well, I've been thinking about it for years, been planning for months, and now progress has begun on my most ambitious project to date. The building of my home theater!

During our recent house-purchasing adventure, one of the criteria in selecting a suitable domicile was that it have room somewhere that could be converted to a theater. This house had ample room in the basement, and it wasn't being utilized very well as it was. So ESM and I decided that was an opportunity to remodel the whole basement space into something that worked better overall.

I have been in the planning stages since we moved in, and have done several plans, some of which I have shared here. We have more-or-less decided on a design, after a dozen or so iterations. Follow the link to my Picasa album I have dedicated to the basement remodel, including my theater. I have a copy of the current plan there.

Yesterday, we began demolition of the old basement space in preparation for the remodel. We demoed about a third of the basement walls in about six hours. Not too bad for just the two of us. The furring walls are still up, but they are coming down next. I am planning to build/rebuild furring walls all the way around the outside of the basement and insulate them. Right now only part of the walls are built, the rest of the basement is the bare concrete foundation walls.

When I am all done, the plan is for a 13.5' by 10.5' theater room with a 95" by 40" Cinemascope-aspect (2.35/1), acoustically transparent screen with the front speakers in a small space behind it. I have the projector picked out, unless something better comes along between now and when I buy it! *grin* I will be using a Panasonic PT-AE4000U 1080p LCD projector. It has all the features I want, including an innovative lens zoom memory function which allows the unit to detect Cinemascope aspect media and zoom out to fill the full screen. Very cool device.

I will keep up with my progress here, and I will also be starting a post on avsforum.com to keep up as well.

EDIT: I somehow forgot the best story from the demo! I think I was distracted by helping ESM with Mr. Hubbard and his various maladies.

Before continuing, and given the current nanny-state country we seem to live in, I feel I must warn you. This story is not suitable for younger viewers, those with heart conditions, weak stomachs, or anyone who is easily upset by general weirdness. May also be NSFW. YMMV. Burma Shave.

Still here? Read on!

Part of the demo included taking down a thirty-someodd-year-old fiberboard tile ceiling. You know, like the ones in everyone's grandma's basement. Of course, when those were put up, they interlocked together and were then stapled up to supports on the joists. Makes them a pretty sturdy ceiling.

So here I am, up on the step-ladder pulling down these tiles. As I took down two in one corner, I noticed something laying up in the ceiling. When I reached in and pulled it out, I found I had discovered someone's "special" hiding place. It was a hardcore porn mag with a copyright date of 1978. Now, this was NOT Playboy, or Penthouse, or even Hustler. This was one of those you had to send away for from the back of certain magazines and came mailed in a plain brown envelope. The price on the cover read $7.50, which would be about $25 today!

ESM and I had quite a good laugh about our "find," briefly discussed various habits of teenage boys, both then and now, then started back to work. As I pulled down on the next set of ceiling tiles, something large and rather heavy fell out, hit me on the head and tumbled to the floor! I uttered several loud obscenities as I caught myself so I didn't fall off the step-ladder. When I looked down, it was a brown paper bag which had ripped partially open on landing on the concrete.

Y'all can see where this is going, can't ya...

It was a bag full of, shall we say, "used marital aids"...both male and female versions, along with other bits of pleasure paraphernalia. We were both glad we were wearing gloves, masks and safety glasses at that point!

Well, I guess we now know what THAT room was for! We did take a couple of digital pics, to document the moment for posterity. There was also some discussion of putting them back in the ceiling when we finished the space, as a sort of time-capsule for the next generation. However, the thought of storing such items, especially in a used state, for any length of time made us both oogy-feeling. So, we ultimately decided to get rid of them and press on.

It was lucky I was not seriously hurt, as I'm not sure how exactly I would have worded the "Cause of Injury" part of the accident claim form for insurance. "Hit in the head by falling dildos," just doesn't seem like something they would pay out for.

-- Sundown, Out

Wishing Everyone a Safe and Warm Holiday!

The tree is decorated, the presents are wrapped, the food is laid in, and the family is on their way. It is Christmas Eve for certain!

Everyone is doing ok, and we'll be enjoying the company of family through the holiday as I hope all of you can do as well.

Our Christmas Eve tradition is to enjoy a "cheese and crackers" dinner, however it is more than just cheese and crackers. We always have sliced sausages, smoked kippers, wonderful fruit and many other finger-foods. It is much easier (to fix and clean up from) than trying to fix a full meal, and gives us time to sit around the tree and reminisce about Christmases gone by.

I will wish you all a very happy holiday, and a safe, prosperous and peaceful new year! Merry Christmas!

A Family Photo
(A first, all the kittehs in one photo!)

If It Isn't One Thing...

Got Treelo to the vet this morning...by myself. ESM apparently caught a bit of a bug and spent half the night last night "driving the porcelain bus," if you catch my drift. Not fun at all. She was in no shape/mood this morning to do anything, let alone take a trip to the vet. So, I got elected.

Unfortunately, I did something to my left foot on Thursday night and have been hobbling around ever since. So, here I am, gimpy, trying to haul the carrier to and from the car and the vet. Must have been a sight, for sure! Luckily, it is my left foot, and my car is an automatic, so I could at least drive. Otherwise, no vet visit...which I'm sure would have made Treelo happy! *grin*

Anyway, after her examination, the vet says it's probably Treelo's asthma acting up along with an allergy of some kind, made worse by the dry air. So, they gave me a prescription for an antihistamine with a bronchial dilator. Hopefully that will help her with her cough. She had two bouts with it today after we got back. Poor thing!

We're still running one humidifier...the other one apparently bit it. It leaked all over the carpet, and ESM had to dry up a pretty big puddle. I am planning on taking the broken one in the shower tomorrow and filling it up to see where the leak is. Maybe I can fix it.

I also need to check my furnace filter. I put a good allergen filter in about a week ago, and I've been meaning to go pull it and see how it's doing. Treelo and I have both been suffering, so my guess is we're both allergic to the same things. Like father, like daughter, eh?

BTW, Hubbard is doing well with his medication and insulin. No more accidental needle pokes into humans to report, so we must be getting better! *grin* His appetite is beginning to return, which is good news as well.

Hopefully, no one ELSE will get sick before Christmas! *knock wood*

--Sundown, Out

Pretty, Pretty Princess

When the cat has more prescriptions than I do...

Well, we had our vet visit for Hubbard today. He now officially takes more drugs than I do.

ESM and I got our training on how to give him his insulin shots, which went very well. We're both pretty confident we can take care of that without any problems. So, we now have a vial of insulin in the fridge, and a needle dispenser/disposal unit on top of the fridge.

We gave Hubbard his first shot tonight and he seems to be tolerating it ok. ESM was a little nervous at first, but she did just fine. We also started him on the steroid for the pancreatitis. We'll see how he does with that as well. The vet tells us it will increase his appetite, so we're going to feed him well for the next 30 days and see if we can put some of the two pounds he lost back on his bones!

Treelo is still having some trouble, but she has NEVER liked taking pills and trying to give her the Benadryl has been no exception. So, the vet suggested today that we start her on Lysine. Since we had a bottle of the powdered Lysine from when we were giving it to Hubbard, we put some in a little dish of tuna for her. We gave Hubbard some tuna as well before we gave him his insulin...and of course the rest of the Horde wanted some too! *grin* I can see our food bill being a bit crazy for a while!

We're basically prepared for the holiday. Almost all the shopping is done (most of it online) and the house is as decorated as it is going to get this year. For some reason we've been a little busy with other things. *grin* We have family coming for Christmas Eve and staying over for Christmas with us. That will be nice to have them here. And I'm looking forward to a few days off from work before my final big push on the one project I need to have done at the end of the year.

I'll post again after Treelo's vet visit on Saturday and give y'all an update on general kitteh health. Give all your loved ones a hug from us!

--Sundown, Out

Our Precious Boy, Hubbard