New Windows

With great expectations a local small contractor installed our new Pella windows in the living and master bedrooms.  The were almost finished today and they will be back tomorrow to finish the other area.  We were very pleased until I felt the air coming through the windows at the hinge area of the casement window.  The wind was hardly even blowing – what happens in a 25kt SW wind?  The contractor is bringing out the Pella Window Rep next Friday around noon.

2.5 Hr Drive & Cacuses

I left work just before 1700 hrs. Price of gasoline was $3.19 and I had over half a tank.  Charlotte is usually cheaper but tonight it was $3.23 so I just drove on to Indiana where the price was $3.11 in the city and $3.18 near home.  I’ll wait for the weekend and the outlet mall price of $2.99 I saw near the toll road.

We are supposed to have much higher temperatures tomorrow.  The contractor is supposed to put in the new Pella windows tomorrow and I hope it is warmer with all the heat just going out the window. Opps, now they are forcasting highs in the 20’s out of the SW so out the window goes the heat.

The Iowa Cacus is sort of interesting but I sure hate the talking heads and even more the polls.  I hate those predictions.  It makes you think that you should not even vote or attend the events let alone watch it on TV.  The had Edwards and Huckelbee coming out on top.

Short Work Week

With Monday and Tuesday off it makes for a short work week.  It has become impossible to write this blog from the hotel as I cannot get a reliable connection.  Sometimes with  a little luck I can get email if they are short but most of the time no way.

Last night my old tape player finally gave up the ghost and started chewing up tapes – expensive store bought tapes.  I straightened them out and wound past the newly made bad spots and it chewed it up again and again.  Three times is enough so off to Meijers I go to buy a portable CD player – the cheapest they had was $19.99 so I bought it.  I saw a less expensive unit in Indiana but I did not run all over town at 2000 hrs (before dinner) looking for the cheapest price.

So anyway I do the CD that I had just ripped the night before using Windows Media Player.  I burned it at the highest sample rate and it sounded great.  I was somewhat surprised.  I think the rate was 192Kbps.  the ear buds from the tape player sounded good so I will continue with them.  I don’t like the foam feeling against my ears.  I think I will leave the foam headset at work for the webinars. 

I ate at the old standby Brauns and had the Sizzler  which was so so (well done on the thin end and medium well on the thick end).  Back at the hotel I just decided to read a bit and lights out just before 2200 hrs.

New Years Eve & Day

We went up to Angola last night for a New Years Eve prayer at 1130PM and spent the New Years first moments singing and praising.  It was snowing beautifully off the Mound lights.  There were several churches involved so we did not know a lot of the people.

Over night we received about 6″ of snow and we cleaned this off the drive just after breakfast and then again in the afternoon as the wind drifted snow across the drive.  We ate expecting a total of about 12″ over the two days and then a very cold snap of single digits.  The snow was hanging beautifully on the trees all day and this is a very rare event. 

I went  over to Lee’s this afternoon to apply some brass reinforcement plates to prevent the boat hatch doors from breaking if the are swinging or someone leans on them.  I did one last summer as it broke when I fell against it in heavy seas.  And so goes my last day of vacation.