magic.rox

Over the weekend my in-laws came up for a get together to celebrate my daughters’ upcoming 9th birthday.  They also had fun picking apples from our apple tree.

My mother-in-law took 2 five gallon buckets that were almost halfway full.  My niece Sabrina got a nice amount in a box.  After the festivities were over I wanted to go pick some, not for me but for my ROX family.

This is what I could reach.  It may not look like much, but believe me it’s a grab.  I do not fertilize or spray my tree, so these are completely natural treats the entire family can love.  There is still this many or more near the top of the tree, but they are not ready for harvest yet.  When they are I will be ready.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut about what I was going to do, so I posted about this earlier.  The only problem is that the apples weren’t ready yet.  They are now.

This is what you will be receiving in the mail (in 2-4 days).  A sheet with greetings and instructions on what we think would be a good use of the apples, a mason jar containing apple crisp mix, nutmeg and apples,  there is also extra apples in each box.

We divided the apples in the big box pictured above into 4 equal parts.

B:  If you want to find out what variety of apple these are, please do!  I’d like to know for myself.

I don’t feel it’s appropriate to let this great natural resource of mine go to waste.  You have all been like a family to me in one way or another.  This is just one of many ways for me to say thanks.

P.S. MF and Kelly:  You’ll be receiving another “surprise” gift once I get a shipment in the mail.

Today is my dad’s 57th birthday.  Happy birthday dad!

I’ve really lost count of my dad’s age since about 1999.  It just doesn’t really matter to me anymore.

While he won’t be receiving any gifts right now, he does have something coming.

Bill Cosby is performing at the IU Auditorium in September, the first thing I thought of was dad.  When I was a child he spoke constantly of listening to Bill Cosby albums when he was a teenager.

Dad’s health hasn’t been too good recently.  I hope he can feel like a kid again, if just for one night anyway.

The next project Rachel and I have is to actually finish a room in the house.  That room being my daughter Taylors’ room.

We are installing new baseboard trim, a new entry door and a new closet door.  Her room is going to be painted a light pink and the existing trim in her room will be painted a beautiful color named “whipped white.”

On deck after that is the remodeling of the downstairs.

I’ve restarted this adventure I started over 3 years ago, by working full force on season 1 of ROX again.  I was working on 2 seasons and I believe I got way over my head.  There were just too many problems to handle at once.

I started over the weekend by transferring what I only had on VHS onto my computer.  I then worked several hours on the first episode of season 1, Special Mish-Mosh Episode.

One of the reasons I had abruptly quit working on the series was the amount of heat damage (i believe) associated with many of the episodes.  I tried to correct this issue using Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Sony Vegas, but only came  up with juvenile results.  I started posting questions and viewing others’ questions on a forum that specializes in just these sorts of things, videohelp.com.  It has helped tremendously.

I have uploaded 1 minute segments of episode 8, so you can see the differences made.  This episode had a vast array of problems, from over saturation, to needing color correction in the worst of ways and needing some sharpening.  All of these fixes added together make for a “better end product” I believe.  I still have some work to do on the audio, as I want to normalize the volume and filter it to remove tape hiss, etc.

I’ll leave that up to you though, please let me know what you think.

Before:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lml_dvd/2755801226/in/photostream/

After:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lml_dvd/2754979589/in/photostream

If anyone has any recommendations, please make them in the comments section, as I would love to hear them!
 

Last week I sent an email to the entire ROX blogging crew, asking if they liked apples.

I was very surprised as to the response I got.

B is very curious about what my plans are, and even told me about a particular type of apple he enjoys.

MF told me that she isn’t particularly an apple person, but I have another idea which she might enjoy just as much.

J and Kelly both told me that they love apples and can’t wait to see what they shall receive.

I can’t hold this little secret any longer, so the cat is out of the bag folks’.

This is my apple tree.  When we first moved into our home, it looked like an overgrown bush.  With much trimming, I’ve turned it into a “happy tree” as I like to call it.  We’ve only had one harvest due to an ice storm last February.  My mother-in-law came and took all of those apples, which I didn’t mind.

We’ve been checking the apples every week to see if they are ripe.  They aren’t yet, but once they are your packages will be in the mail.

This year is a different story, as I want my ROX family to enjoy the fruits of my trees’ labor as well.  All of you have been like a family to me, in one way or another.  This is the least I can do to thank yall.

I don’t know the type of apple that grows from this particular apple tree.  They are green, medium to small sized, and quite tart.  They are best used for baking purposes.  My thought, send everyone a “apple crisp in a box kit!”

I also plan on sending Kelly and MF ROX Season Zero sets as well.

It bothers me that my search for help with this heat damage problem has led me nowhere.  Sometimes you have to find your own solution to problems, which is what I’m working on.  With the help of Photoshop for Video, I have learned a few things.  I hope to soon have the skills to correct this damage, and continue on my way of saving this beloved show for generations to come.

This show enlightened me in those key teen years.  It wasn’t about the drinkx, or the drugz, it was about keeping your mind open to new and unusual things.  Something that is still lacking in society today.  If I hadn’t stumbled upon J&B on the ROX playing on BCAT oh so many years ago, I very well could be in prison or dead by now.  Many who know me well, know that my life has been nothing but a story of hardship and overcoming seemingly impossible hurdles.  It will all be in my book.

I know I’m repeating myself, but this is the least I can do to thank everyone who participated in the show, whether as an active participant, or as a passive person who was just there when the camera was rolling.

I came into this as merely a fan, but I’m treated as if I’m a family member.  Words cannot describe how amazing that feels.

Today I finally fixed a problem I’ve had for almost 2 years!

I use flickr for uploading of many of the pictures I take for online storage.  It keeps ‘em safe.  Logging into my account has been nothing but confusing though.

When I set up my flickr account we used AT&T for our DSL, and therefore my email address was with them.  After “the move” I changed email addresses to a yahoo.com domain name as we weren’t in AT&T’s service area anymore.

For some reason, I could not change this information with flickr, which is owned by yahoo.

They eventually let me change my contact email to my yahoo.com address, but not my login information.

Today I successfully changed the login information.

One less username and password I have to remember.  Thank god!

Rachel and I were very productive this weekend.  We painted our foyer, I changed the oil in my  truck, trimmed some tree limbs with the help of my neighbor, and I mowed the front yard.

This week I plan on peeking  under the carpet on our stairs to see exactly what is under there.  If it’s hardwood, I think we might actually finish the foyer area.  It will only require some paint, stain, and some stair rail parts.

I love the look of stained treads with white painted risers.  I want our stairs to look similar to this picture.  I would also like a runner, but that is an issue of contention in the household.

The past few months have been especially hard on my poor old truck.

It hasn’t been doing it’s usual job, which is to sit right there.  It’s been worked and worked and over worked.

I normally only have to change my oil about twice a year.  The last time I changed it was in early April and I’m less than 50 miles away from that crucial engine maintenance again.

Wednesday while I was on my way home, one of my transmission cooling lines broke - for the 2nd time!  The first time was when I had my paper route, and I was right in the middle of it.  I had it towed to a reputable place in town and they supposedly fixed it.  I never checked their work until now.  Instead of replacing the line, they just put a sleeve over the break.

I took it to the nearest place, so I would do as little damage to my $3000 transmission.  They said they would give me an estimate, which I didn’t think would run more than about $200.  Was I wrong.

They gave me an estimate of almost $500!  I was shocked, my immediate response was to just take it back home and do it myself.  When I found out that other shops concurred with that estimate and the reason why, I decided to let them do the work.

The front trans-axle actually has to be dropped to slide these lines in.  Without getting overly complicated, this is a job I do not have the equipment or tools to do.  Plus working with the front torsion bar suspension is one part of my truck that scares me to death.

Luckily, since I am back at IU for the time being my truck can do it’s main job now.  Be used as a secondary means of transportation, and to haul things too large for our subcompact Kia Rio.

My last three days with Morgenstern Home Services was just like my first three days.  Disappointment.

The first day was cancelled before it began.

The second day I was called to go to a job to do these tasks: replace a piece of siding, replace a roof vent cap, replace a window and a sliding glass door.

The third day the rest of the job was cancelled by the homeowner.  I received a call just as I arrived, the homeowner also then told me that she didn’t like his demeanor or professionalism, so she had decided to cancel the rest.  The only thing remaining - the sliding glass door.

The homeowner then went on to ask if I had a business card so she could contact me should she want to hire me.  I drove home and printed out some new business cards, and went back.  I didn’t push my business offerings, I just made sure she had my contact information.

I was surprised to receive an email that night thanking me for the work I had done on her house, and asking what kind of fees would be associated with transferring some negatives.

I quoted her my price, and she sounds interested.

It may be a dead end, but she said she would reorganize her collections and get back with me.

I guess my customer service skills aren’t that bad after all.

Several months ago, Rachel and I had our yearly appointments with an ophthalmologist.  She has horrible vision, and mine isn’t bad but is slowly getting worse.

We went to her doctor this time, as they offer discounts for IU employees.  One thing I found very interesting is a service they offer, Eye Scanning.  Instead of dilating your eyes, they have a machine that sounds like a turbine jet engine that takes a picture of them.  It’s called Optomap.  Supposedly with this method, they can see more of the backside of your eyes than with dilation.

When my appointment was over, I asked them if they would send me the pictures.  I finally got them today.

There is a famous saying that states “The eyes are the windows to the soul,” what does my “soul” say to you?

Here is my left eye:

Here is my right eye:

I think they are very facinating pictures to a mysterious world we don’t often see.

My days with Morgenstern Home Services are numbered.  Today, expecting some sort of work to do, I was given the run-around.  I was told that the boss would get back with me, and he never called.  This can’t and won’t last much longer, in these trying times my pocketbook can’t take it.

I e-mailed the CSR and asked if I could come in tomorrow and Wednesday to work.  They said it would be okay.  I will also be working full-time at Technology Services for the month of August.

If I could only get a “permanent” solution.  I’ve been trying since September of 2006 with no real luck.  My wife thinks it would be a good idea for me to be in the university environment, so I have been trying hard to achieve a position at IU.  Here are some numbers to give you an idea of the sheer number of jobs I’ve applied to at IU.

# of jobs applied to:  61
# of interviews:  2

Most of these positions are “starter” office positions, which need little or no specialized skills mind you.  There have been a couple which tickle my fancy as they have been video related.

Those numbers don’t take into account the endless number of positions outside of IU that I have applied to as well.

In other IU news, I have finally received a university identification card.  I doubt it will help, but perhaps it might show some sign of permanence?

Today I have begun working at the Kelley School of Business in the Technology Services department again.  Right now I am only working on Thursday’s and Friday’s.

Hopefully this will give my ankle enough of a break to actually heal.  I hope so, as the pain is constant and uncomfortable.

I’m unsure how long I will stay with Morgenstern Home Services, as the hours have became not steady.  The price of gas is also really cutting into things, as I’ve had to fill up my tank typically twice a week.

I have sent an email to the CSR, and am awaiting a response as to when they would like me back.

The one thing that bothers me about leaving Morgenstern is the flexibility and the pay, as it is much more than I have made in a long time.  But the savings in fuel would more than make up for that difference in pay.

It’s one of those tough decisions that everyone has to make sometime in their lives.

While in Oklahoma visiting my aunts, I went to look at an old radio that was my grandfather’s.  My aunt Laura has it in a storage trailer of hers, and said that I could have it.  While we did not have space for it to bring it back with us, I will make a trip to pick it up soon.

The trailer was very high off the ground, about 6 feet to be exact.  They had a pallet sitting on it’s side to climb up into it, and at the time I didn’t feel sure about climbing down it, so I jumped.  BIG MISTAKE!  I just found out today that I “might” have broken my right tibia.  The x-ray was inconclusive to a doctor and the x-ray tech.  They sent it off to a radiologist so I should find out tomorrow.

But I got these beautiful, incredible pictures of an item that is worth it’s weight in gold to me.

Many people may see those pictures and just see an old radio, I see something much different.

My grandfather was a radio & TV repairman for most of his professional career.  He was the ONLY one in Adair county, Oklahoma.  While in the navy during WWII, he installed radar systems on the pacific fleet.  This radio represents what my grandpa was, and what he loved.  He was always into “new technology” just as I am.  I think I get most of my curiosity about this from him.

He was the only grandfather I really knew, and I still miss him to this day.  I was given his truck when I was 19, due to my epilepsy and age it was wrecked.  I spent every dime I had to try to fix it, but could not.  This item will not be treated with the same reckless abandon.

Wednesday, all of us (Me, Rachel, Taylor and Dad) are embarking on a journey I have made many times in my life.  We are going to a little bump in the road where my 3 aunts and 2 cousins live in Oklahoma.  The trip is somewhat less exciting as it used to be, as there is no Speed Trap in Watts anymore.  I might get my aunt Beth to talk on camera about how that Speed Trap became history, as she was involved in it.

The total trip is roughly 700 miles, and can be done in as little as 8 hours.

All of us have never made this trip together, so it’s going to be very, very interesting.

It used to be all about how fast I could make it there, but as I’ve aged, I’ve wanted to see things along the way.

This time we are going to stop at the George Washington Carver National Monument.  He’s the guy who invented countless uses for peanuts.  It’s on our way, and I’ve never stopped before.

The reason for this trip?  My aunt Beth is having a “family reunion” of sorts for the 4th of July.  We are going to stay at her house, which could double as a B&B.

I also have a delivery to make, as my aunt Laura sent me 13 8-tracks and 2 cassette tapes that she wanted transferred to CD.  The 8-tracks were a disaster, but I hope she still loves me.

I hope that someday, they can make the trip here.  It would be great to show them around for a change.  I’m hoping that perhaps next summer one of my cousins can come out for a week or two.  I would love it.

It’s been 2 years since we’ve made the trek, and I must say I’ve missed my aunts.  Their southern hospitality is something that is not found ’round these parts.

This year marks the centennial birthday for Monroe County’s beautiful courthouse.  It is the third one the county has had in it’s history.

Click here to see an interesting and informative slide-show with commentary, published by the Herald-Times.

Even though it isn’t used as a “courthouse” anymore, many important offices are housed there and important county meetings still take place there.

I awoke this morning to read some really sad news.  One of my most favorite comedians, George Carlin  had died.

Warning:  This video is full of racy language and body movements.

At the age when most kids are really getting into music, I was listening to comedy.  With Carlin being my favorite.

He did a show at the IU Auditorium a few years ago, and I wanted to go.  At the time I couldn’t afford the $50 a seat price.

I hope he’s killin’ wherever atheists go.

He will be missed everywhere.

I started bright and early on installation of our new solar attic fan.  I wanted to get it done before the heat of the day set in.

The first thing I had to do was remove the cover of the old fan.  While I do not have any pictures of it, it entailed removing some shingles and prying it off the roof.

I then had to replace those shingles I had to remove to prepare the hole for the fan.

As you can see, the top half of the hole has been removed completely of shingles and roofing felt.  I then used my reciprocating saw and pry bar to loosen and remove any nails in the vicinity of where the flashing of the unit goes (underneath the shingles).

Now it was time for some test fitting.

As you can see, the bottom half of the flashing is above the singles.  This is how the instructions said to install.  It took a few times, but we finally got it.  The major pain was the fact that the fan is so close to the peak of the roof.

I then applied some roofing sealant, some call it tar to the underside of the flashing from the 9 o’clock to the 3 o’clock positions.  I ran 2 beads of it for an extra layer of protection.  I then slid it right back to the same spot.

I then nailed the unit in place as the installation instructions recommended.  Then I applied roofing sealant to the areas where I nailed the fan into place.

That’s it!  It was running before I even had it fully installed.

I was very surprised that it only took me about 2 and a half hours to fully install this fan.  I dread any work on a roof, but this went as smooth as can be.

Many thanks goes to my dad for helping me with this one.  It’s much easier to pass things from ground level to a roof with another person.

Now hopefully our attic will stay cooler, our energy bills will be lower, and we will have no leaks.

The next solar project we are discussing is water heating.  It’s hard to decide on what type of system to decide on.

We are currently working on having our first garage sale ever!

It will be this Saturday, June 21st from 8:30 am til 4 pm.  I don’t totally feel comfortable putting my address down, so if you’re interested leave a comment and I’ll give you my address.

Nothing is junk, everything is stuff we just no longer use.  As you can see it has taken up a lot of space in our basement.  My sister-in-law has donated some stuff as well.

What we don’t sell will probably be freecycled or given to goodwill or the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.

As you may or may not know, I am a handyman for a small company called Morgenstern Home Services.  While most of the time I am fixing some problem at somebody’s house, on occasion I am working on the only “company” vehicle.

It’s a 2001 Ford E150 that gets the job done.  The only job it doesn’t get done is getting what you need easily.  That is about to change.

A few weeks ago, the front brakes went out of it and needed replaced.  This van is used almost daily and it being out of commission for even a few hours puts a big hurt on this small company.  I took the initiative and told the boss that I’m an expert on brakes, and I would be happy to do it for him.  I saved him a ton of time, and I’m sure a few bucks.  He thanked me by paying me 4 hours of extra pay, which I greatly appreciated.

As you can see from the picture, the van is merely a cargo van, nothing special.  The one hindrance is that it’s highly disorganized.  My boss, Rick thinks highly of me and wants me to come up with a storage system for it.

My first thought was to find one online and just install it.  I then understood why he wants me to build one, storage systems for these vans run in the thousands.

They didn’t have any work for me to do today, so I’m working on this project, which he told me he would pay me for researching and designing.  I’m writing this blog to document that, in case any questions arise.

So taking some design queues from other storage systems, I have designed one for our van.  I have plans drawn out, and a materials list.

Hopefully he will like it, and want me to go forward with it.  I’m planning on handing it in to him tomorrow.

It all started with this picture…

 
Bomb Wal-Mart
Originally uploaded by Editor B.

Editor B shooting footage of people at a peace rally, I believe, with a piece of paper attached to his camera with the question, “Bomb Wal-Mart?”

Today somebody took that thought provoking question one step further and called in a bomb threat to the local Wal-Mart.  The first thing that came to my mind was the picture above.

The matter was taken very seriously, and the place was evacuated.  The employees were sent to the Murphy USA gas station nearby (good place to go when there is a possible bomb).  The store has now been closed for almost 6 hours, with word that it will re-open “within the hour.”

“Lunch Hour Shopper” left a comment on the Herald-Times website that I found quite interesting.  It states that, “I was there when it happened. They came over the intercom and said “attention all associates and customers, we have a code blue. thank you” and that was it! Like we all know what a code blue is.  Doesn’t that mean a sale at KMart! Some employees just left their cash registers with customers standing there. Then some other associates started telling people to leave.”

So I take it that it’s Wal-Mart’s policy to not give a damn about their customers during a emergency situation.

As a Wal-Mart shopper (I’m not a fan, just doing what I gotta do.) it seems like a good thing to do with the weak US economy today.  Wal-Mart is now nothing more than the quickest way to get to China or in some cases Vietnam.

No I don’t think it’s B’s fault, but that question brings up very serious philosophical questions.  Especially in financially trying times like these.

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