...we'll probably be homeowners. Unless by posting this I've cursed things.. But I think that after the hoops we had to jump through today we've gotten all our stuff sorted out.
We both have the day off of work tomorrow so I'll probably bring the camera along and take some pics of the house without snow on the ground - and also do some documentation of what the house looks like before I get my paws on it.
In our walkthrough today, I realized just how much work I have cut out for me in the next couple weeks. Yikes!
We close at 9am tomorrow (9.5 short hours from now, actually) and I know that if I head to bed and am not completely exhausted, I won't be able to sleep, so I'm making myself stay up.
Exciting!!
Anyway, I'll do my best to update tomorrow.
Yay!
OK, I really need to figure out how to get this working on my desk. It would clear up huge headaches.
10-second description: a little (software) utility that lets you share one keyboard and one mouse across multiple machines (and their respective monitors).
Basically, my desk is set up 1-2-3. 1 is the monitor for my IBM laptop, which is VPN'd into the IBM network. 2 is my new sweetness, a 22" widescreen behemoth feeding video from and serving as an extention of number 3, my bank (the client I work for) laptop screen. Yes, I have three screens on my desk. One is for IBM, the other two for client work. Technically, I have four screens on my desk. But I'm only using three of them.
There are a couple problems I've been wrestling with, though: I don't have a docking station for the IBM laptop, which means that even though I'm not using the built-in screen, I need to have the laptop open (and taking up space on my desk). Not ideal, considering I could have it closed with the monitor it feeds sitting on top of it.
Problem number two is that this solution, no matter how elegant it is, just won't work for me - because both machines tunnel through different VPNs, there would be no way to link them up together (other than over the internet, which I'm sure wouldn't work - they would need to talk to each other both on the home network - so I can attach them to their respective VPNs - and then they would drop their connection to one another).
The only solution I can think of that MIGHT work would be to hide the IBM machine somewhere and VNC into it via a local machine. But that would mean another machine and another network connection on my desk (see why I'm putting so many network connections in the office now, Pablo?). :)
So basically, set up a dumb terminal on my desk that does nothing but relay the VNC output from the IBM laptop, and use that as the client - that way I don't have to worry about logging on to the VPN screwing me up.
Shoot - will I even be able to VNC into the IBM laptop anymore after I connect to the VPN? (I gave you the geek alert). Probably not. Which means this whole post is moot anyway, dammit. What a nuisance.Labels: geek alert, rant
It's been ELEVEN DAYS since my last post. I blame Dana for your lack of material to read. Maybe I'll even post TWICE today to make up for it... Maybe...
ANYHOO
Yesterday, D and I took a trip down to Vail for a Home Depot run (yes, it takes us an hour and a half to get to Home Depot). The plan was to acquire some needed tools for the home remodel and various other supples needed for the effort, but we came away with a bonus as well: a lawnmower! Yes, we're excited because we just bought a lawnmower (and I don't mind telling you we got a great deal on it). We're so domestic, it's sickening.
Anyway, among the other substantial (and planned) purchases were a reciprocating saw (aka Sawzall), a utility tub for the garage/workshop, and a fish tape (I will be running a lot of low-voltage wires for various projects). Overall, a very successful trip.
One other fun fact: we don't like Vail. It's weird, but I immediately felt like it was just too big. What has become of me? The weird thing is, people were still there skiing. On a mountain of slush and mud, I can't imagine that was much fun. They're probably just looking for bragging rights ("Open longer than any resort in Colorado!"), but it seems terribly lame to me.
In other news.... there is not much other news. We close in a week and two days (I never did get that countdown up) and I'm busy planning everything I'm going to do to the house.
Currently, that includes (but is not necessarily limited to):- Demolishing a wall, and replacing it with a half-height wall,
- Framing out and finishing an office for myself downstairs
- Installing wood floors throughout the first floor,
- Installing proper attic access (my first purchase, from Ace, was an attic ladder. It will also be one of the first projects I tackle),
- Wiring for whole-house audio (and installing speakers, controls, etc),
- Wiring ethernet connections (home networking),
- Centralizing the phone and cable/satellite drops in the same utility room as the home networking gear,
- Drywall, patching, paint and trim of all the same.
I also intend to hire an electrician to add some more lighting in my (new) office and relocate switches/add circuits as necessary.
Currently under review is expanding the master bedroom closet, which would otherwise be the smallest closet I've ever had in my entire life (not to mention had to share with someone else!).
All in all, not a small bit of work. But, we have two full months between closing day and the day we have to be out of here - so given that timeline, I'll know what kind of pace I need to maintain to get this stuff done. And I have an army of volunteers (ok, two) that are willing to help and are thankfully experienced.
Oh, and some other details: there is "popcorn ceiling" throughout the first floor now, and before knocking that down wholesale, I have to take down a sample and send it off to a lab to test for asbestos. Additionally, there is a horrible texture on the master bedroom ceiling that also has to go. We're hoping to remove a window in the new den downstairs and add a door, but we're waiting to see if the budget allows (we found some great doors at HD yesterday, so we might be back on for that little detail), and I'm seriously considering putting hardwood upstairs as well because if we don't do it now, I don't think it will ever get done.
Unfortunately, the plans have taken on a life of their own and I am therefore forced to cut out my piece de resistance, the two-way fireplace that would have lived between my office and the den (and would have looked flipping sweet) - we just won't have the cash for it, and it would be the easiest thing to add in later (as opposed to the whole-house audio - something else we don't at all need, but would be much more difficult to add at a later time). So, the fireplace is out for now.
I'm updating my sketchup with the new plans (it will pain me to remove the flipping sweet fireplace), but I'll get some picures/files up soon for your review.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Wow.
I just spoke to 5 different utility companies in a total of 30 minutes. At lunch time. If that's not incentive enough to move to Colorado, how about this: they were all real people, and they understood me (well, that second point will be more clear on May 1st).
The phone company (Qwest)
I write their company name and link to the URL because, holy crap, they were so freaking easy to deal with. Long gone are the hours of waiting on hold with Comcast to set up an appointment you know they won't keep. I told the PERSON I got on the phone that we're moving, but want to have service (at the same number) at both locations at once, overlapping for a couple months (so when you call our home phone number, it will ring at both houses). Problem? Hell no.
Can I save money by switching from my third-party DSL ISP to the Qwest ISP? You bet. Done. Can I still get 5Mbps service? No problem. How do I notify them that I want to switch the DSL service from one location to the other? Unplug it and bring it to the new house.
This conversation was over in 6 minutes. Un-freaking-believable. Eat your heart out Chicago (and Houston, for that matter).
Water/Sewer:
Again, no problem. The seller had just talked with the city water lady so she already had all the info handy. Done.
Gas:
Again again, no problem. We'll have service at both locations, just call to cancel when we want to shut it off to our current location.
Garbage/recycling:
Ditto above.
The only real hassle is printing out a connect/disconnect form for the (local, co-op) power company. No real surprise there.
In addition to this, we have our flood insurance in place now as well, and because the seller is a stickler for paperwork (he actually lobbied FEMA to get the home reclassified outside a flood zone, no joy), they gave us the FEMA Elevation Certificate which knocked off almost 90% of our flood insurance premium every year. In five years, we'll save almost $10,000 because of that. Holy awesome.
Anyway, we're ramped up (and amped up - that original flood quote meant no fireplace for me downstairs, which is now back on the drawing board), and ready to go. We're set for closing (show up and sign) and it would be tough to be more psyched right about now.
The only hitch: Remember when we first moved to Steamboat and we had that weird mailing address issue? No local mail-delivery (only delivery to a cluster box)? Well, since we're moving to the old part of town (aptly referred to as "Old Town"), we don't even have a cluster box. Which means, we need a PO box. I stopped by the PO the other day to see what it takes to get a box, and unfortunately they are OUT. That's right, the post office is OUT of PO Boxes. I'm going to drop off an application anyway so we can be next on the list (and I was told they expect cancellations soon), but if we don't get one it means we have to get a PO Box at the post office on the other side of town. Yuck.
That's it for now! Since things are beginning to really ramp up, I'll start to post my plan for the downstairs soon.
Later!
This is what pops up when you search for "ninja monkey" on Google Images. Awesome.
This post has nothing to do with Ninja Monkeys, but I thought perhaps the inclusion of one would prevent people (who do no blogging themselves, I might add) from bitching about the recent lack of posts.
Last week was heck on earth at work. Lots and lots of deadlines, lots and lots of documentation to complete (before 4/1), and only three and a half days in which to get it done. I had half of Thursday and all of Friday (and this Monday) off for the purpose of entertaining Dave and Keri [blog link redacted]. We had a good time and drank too much.
Congrats to TK as well! Next time do it in Steamboat, I'm sure the snow was better here! ;)
Anyway, we had a great time with our last ski-season visitors for this year. Our next scheduled visitor is likely to be Pablo sometime in June.
We're planning to head to Chicago for a long Memorial Day weekend (D has a conference there), so we'll be staying downtown for much of that weekend and probably with my parents for the remainder of our time there. We're already planning to see a Fire game, and trying desperately to get tickets to see the Cubs on Memorial Day as well.
I just got distracted by work stuff and so have to go. I'll TRY REALLY HARD to post again this week. Lots going on! We close in 27 days! Maybe it's time for another countdown.
PS: I ordered some toys from eBay last week to help the blogging efforts when it comes time to work on the new house - a cheapo tripod and AC adapter for the trusty old Canon - so I can make time-laps videos of the demolition and construction for your enjoyment.
You're welcome.
Yeah, I know I promised a post. Well, not promise so much as just say I would post. So here's a post. More tomorrow.
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