Another Broken Bow Trip?

It had been 11 years since we had been to Broken Bow and this was our second trip of the year. But, for a few different reasons, the trip earlier this year was a partial-bust, so we decided to make an impromptu "make-up" family trip to Broken Bow / Hochatown. We relaxed in a great cabin, visited Broken Bow Lake and the park and ate a couple of good meals at the local steakhouse. The weather cooperated this time and turned out to be a pretty nice and relaxing weekend.

Photos over at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157622819603646/

You think you have computer problems?

I post this because, in retrospect, it is vaguely humorous to me. And, to show those of you who think you’re the only ones to ever have computer problems, that this is indeed not the case.

Sunday evening I began work on a video tribute to show at my great-uncles funeral the following day. As these videos usually are, it was rather a last-minute deal. And, in this particular case I had less time than usual because I had started assembling a storage shed kit manufactured by the makers of Hell over the weekend and couldn’t stop it half completed as it would most likely been destroyed by the wind and such.

I was already frustrated to the point that I had no patience left for anything else. I about tore my screen door off the hinges, for instance, as my house had shifted and it no longer worked the way I expect screen doors to work.

Luckily, I had most of the pictures already in digital form and had scanned in the rest. This is usually the most time consuming part. In a decision that would haunt me for the rest of the evening, I chose to use Windows Movie Maker (WMM) to create the video rather than my normal PowerPoint. I dropped the photos in, added captions to each and sat back and thought… wow, that was easy. Ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha. Ha. My nightmare begins.

Each picture was only showing for 5 seconds- not nearly long enough. No, problem, I though, I’ll just increase the time. Turns out, there is no such option. Seriously. I Googled it. This is, by far, the most ridiculous thing I had ever discovered missing from a program. I was expected to manually increase each slide by dragging a little bar over to 10 seconds. For 70 slides. I found a work around though. WMM has a feature where one can slow all the slides down ½ speed. Which makes each slide 10 seconds. Good. For now.

I then run through it to discover that the captions don’t stay with the photo, but on position in the timeline where I put them. So I had to manually move 70 captions under their respective photos. And also increase the time by dragging the stupid little bar.

Ready for music. WMM won’t accept iTunes music. Which was expected- same way with PowerPoint. So I use this little program to convert the iTunes file to WAV. However, it has decided it can’t find my audio input device, so that’s out. Rather than struggle to figure out that problem, I just whip out my notebook computer to do the conversion there. I don’t have the program, so I go to download it, only to discover my wireless network is down due to my router crapping out the day before. So, I manually connect my computer to my temporary replacement wired router but it will not connect to the Internet. Absolutely refuses. My mind boggles. So, finally I connect it to my neighbor’s wireless internet which drifts into my house occasionally (thanks, neighbor). I get the program downloaded and go back to my desktop to get the music. I burn it to a CD since I can’t access my network to get the files off iTunes. Back to the notebook—the music absolutely refuses to play. New idea… run an audio cord from the desktop to the notebook and record it that way. It records… absolute garbage. I don’t know why—copy protection probably. I finally got the music converted on the desktop by downloading a different program.

Now time to insert the music into the slide show. Works out fine except it’s three minutes longer than the photos. Usually, I would divide the music by the number of photos I have and change the duration of all slides accordingly. But, as I mentioned before, not possible in WMM. So, I had to manually adjust each photo an additional five seconds or so, until I got the length right. This, of course, threw off all the captions again. Got those fixed. Okay… finally done.

Time to burn to DVD. I have an external DVD burner and TV in my office I use. I play the video to the DVD burner and record it. Only, my TV has quit working. Dead as a doornail. So, I get a really long cable and run it to my bedroom TV. Which is on channel 60 for the satellite, but needs to be on channel 3. Which is not a saved channel. So I dig out the remote only to find the batteries dead. I change the batteries and find it still doesn’t work. Turns out the batteries had corroded and damaged the little bouncy spring thingies. So, I got a knife and scratched all that off and finally got it to channel 3.

Only it turns out after all that, WMM did one thing I liked… it lets me burn off a nifty DVD with menu right from my computer. I try to forget the last half-hour I spent connecting a TV.

It’s now 2:00 in the morning. The computer is doing something called encoding that is taking forever. I decide to call it a night with an Advil PM because I’m so wound up yet so tired. I did get it finished up the next morning with little time to spare.

So, if you somehow read this whole thing, think of this experience the next time you have a computer issue and maybe it won’t seem so bad. And, take my advice, if you’re using something that works, by all means, just stick with it. And stay away from WMM.

San Antonio

SanAntonio_27Sept2009_Alamo (13)
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

Thursday through Sunday found me in San Antonio for a little extended weekend getaway. It was rainy and cool on Thursday, but the weather was beautiful for the rest of the trip. Stops included the Alamo and Riverwalk (of course), the Spanish Missions, SeaWorld, and a few other things.

There are some photos on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157622476607040/

The 50 Things of Me.

The 50 Things of Me.

Here are the rules - post this list on your profile (in Notes) replacing my answers with yours.

Tag 25 people to do the same thing.

If I tagged YOU, it's because I want to know more about YOU!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My grandpa on my mom’s side (Bradley) and my dad’s middle name is Alan. Incidentally, my name was supposed to be Alan. There’s this thing that goes back 5 generations where the father gives the son his middle name. So, it has went… Jonathan Theodore, Theodore Ernest, Ernest Bruce, Bruce Alan… and I was supposed to be Alan something. But, my parents did it backward. I’ve thought about having it changed, but I don’t really like the name Alan as a first name.

2. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Oh, I don’t dislike it. It could be neater. It is neater if I slow down.

3. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
My grandma’s funeral in January. Kind of teared up the other evening during my fifth viewing of “Apollo 13,” but I wouldn’t consider it a full-blown cry.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Ham

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No kids. Might be an uncle soon though!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I think so. I’m pretty middle-of-the-road. I don’t think I, as another person, would be turned off to be my friend.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
More often than I probably should.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yup, still in there.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Maybe from the back of a pickup truck onto the ground below. Maybe.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I don’t eat much cereal, but when I do it’s Raisin Bran or Cheerio’s. I used to love Apple Jacks, but haven’t eaten them in a long while.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No, I’m more of a slip-on, slip-off kind of guy.

12. DO YOU STILL TALK TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART?
I didn’t really have one.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Vanilla, but only because I like to make Root Beer floats or malts out of it. If I was just going to eat ice cream by itself, probably Cookies n’ Crème.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Probably what they are wearing.

15. RED OR PINK
Definitely red; don’t care for the color pink.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I hate my hair! No, seriously. I am really bad about being around other people. Groups freak me out. I don’t know how to work them.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My dad.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Of course I do.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Khaki shorts and white and brown shoes.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
It’s pretty quiet right now.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Some shade of blue…

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
New car smell, BBQ, coffee… but probably not together.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
A customer at work, I’m sure.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
No one sent it to me; I just picked it up somewhere else.

26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH.
The only time I watch sports is during the Olympics. I like the diving and gymnastics.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Brown

28. EYE COLOR?
Blue.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
I used to wear contacts or glasses, but I had “the surgery” last year. About two more payments and I’ll have that baby paid off too.

30. FAVORITE FOODS.
Oh, I am so over food. Nothing excites me anymore.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings. I hate scary movies.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
“Apollo 13,” unless you count NBC’s made-for-TV movie “Storm,” which may been the worst movie ever but I kept watching it anyway.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Baby blue.

34. Summer or winter
Winter if it’s summer and summer if it’s winter.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
I don’t know

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
95% of the people. Maybe be shooting a little low at that.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I’m reading San Antonio travel guide, if that counts.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
A mouse.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
The conclusion of the two-part thrilling made-for-TV movie “Storm.” See question 32.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
Ice cracking when you pour water on it.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
I… don’t… really care.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Philadelphia, via the DC trip.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Some claim I can fix computers just by being near them?

46 WHERE WERE U BORN?
Shawnee, OK

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
I’ll take whoever and enjoy them.

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
Oh, yeah. Throw that in my face.

49. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
Blue.

50. LAST PLACE YOU DROVE?
Home.

Broken Bow Special

HoltBrad_HoltBruceA_BrokenBow_SEPT1983
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

I've added a special set over at Flickr where I'll be adding photos of our many, many Broken Bow / Beaver's Bend trips. When we were younger, it seemed like we went every year (sometimes twice). There's some on there from the early 80's now and I'll add others later on.

Check the set out over at Flickr-ville: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157621958292602/

Chiaobama. If you say so.

It's the Chiaobama, ladies and gentlemen. I joke you not. www.chiaobama.com. When I saw the commercial during SNL, I thought it was one of their fake commercials. I was laughing so hard. Who would buy this? Isn't it offensive? It's definitely stupid. Don't tell me it's not stupid.

July 4th Cookout

July4Cookout_04JUL2009_ 014
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

A little delayed blogging here, but I was waiting to get some photos from my aunt as I didn't take many. On July 4th, we had a fairly large gathering at mom’s house to celebrate Independence Day. My aunt Linda was down from New Jersey with her family, so mom wanted to do something for them while they were here. Also in attendance was my uncle Darren and his wife, Abigail as well as grandma Mary. Steve and Sally brought along friends Lynlie and Adam and Sally’s parents, David and Brenda. There were also 6,000 kids there. Okay… let’s see… alright, maybe it was just six. I stress out around kids. Big time. So, it doesn’t really matter if it was six or 6,000. Well, it might a little.
It had already rained twice earlier in the day and it was starting to rain again as people arrived. I’m not complaining though. Never gripe about rain in July in Oklahoma. Never. Shortly after the feast which included hot dogs, hamburgers, polish sausage, pulled pork, and many sides and deserts, Steve decided it was time to go shoot guns. It’s just what he does at family gatherings. It’s still raining, so I decide not to go. But then fireworks scare one of the children and there’s crying, so I’m like… “hey, Steve, wait up!” We get to our destination (AKA Pond #3) and start unloading the “targets,” which include several plastic containers, a chair and a microwave. I got to chunk the microwave off the pond dam to the ground below. It was quite satisfying. During an amazing display of fire power, the rain intensified. After we were thoroughly soaked, we returned to change clothes. Steve had to clean all the guns because of the rain. And, I, my camera.
When we returned we found out the fireworks had been canceled due to the rain (both Asher and Ada had them the next week, though). So, we just ate some more and watched some pretty funny videos Linda’s kids had made on Jib-Jab.

There are photos and video, and they're over at Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157621430193613/

Ada Air Expo

AdaAirExpo_20June2009_US_045
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

Today, Steve, Sally, Mom and I went to the Ada Air Expo at the airport. There were so many people there; it was kind of unbelievable. We found shade under the wing of a small plane and enjoyed the show. I also browsed a small car show they had set-up. The Lima Lima flight formation team was by far the most interesting part but it was last and we were trying to leave and beat the rush. We probably should have stayed and watched all of it, but we did see the majority, I believe. It's probably not something I'll do again, but it was interesting to check out. Afterward, we went and ate at Applebee's and then I came home and crashed. It was pretty warm out there.

Photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157620022813616/

Is Pepsi okay?

This place doesn't serve Coke. Can you say irony?

Mini-Vacation to Broken Bow not according to plan...

BrokenBow_15May2009_ (5)
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

Just got back from a mini family vacation to Broken Bow. When we rolled into town we stopped at the grocery store to find out the car show at the park, the primary reason for our visit, had been canceled due to flooding. Dandy. Come to find out later, though, it had moved to the high school, rather than being cancelled. Not quite the same picturesque setting, but better than no car show at all. After the groceries, we stop at KFC where I'm almost certain we got some chicken that would give me food poisoning in the coming hours. I almost didn't get anything because they didn't have grilled chicken, and that would have been the smarter move. Our cabin was in Hochatown and, while very nice, not quite as secluded as we would have hoped. A few hours after the chicken, no one was feeling too well, but I got quite sick and stayed that way for the majority of the trip. Fun deal. The car show was fun, we got to see a lot of nice cars, although I think I liked the trucks better. Sunday was a beautiful day and I was feeling better, so we went as far as we could into the park, which was closed due to the high water. We went down a hiking trail to this stream with the clearest water I had ever seen. We shot some photos there and relaxed for a bit before heading back home. It was a nice way to end the trip, even if it didn't all go according to plan.

There are photos on Flickr if you want to take a look.

Things I learned from bowling...

So, we just finished up our 36 week bowling league. This was a first for me and I had bowled probably a total of 10 times prior to joining the league. We did okay, we got 3rd place overall and 2nd in the second half. I think there were 15 teams. Who knew I would learn so much...

1. I was good even when I wasn't. I did improve, but at the beginning I was pretty bad. However, through the magic of handicaps, I got 98 points just for showing up. I think maybe it was the highest there. It dropped to 76 by the end, but still pretty helpful.


2. They don't count handicaps in your personal score. Every time we finished, my teammates would be like... hey, you bowled a 100 tonight. And, I was like, no... I bowled a 198! And, they were like... no, you don't count the handicap in your score, just the teams total. And, I was like... why the heck not!? I would always beat everyone if they did. And, they were like... okay, point over.


3. The bowling alley bathrooms are nasty. Enough said.


4. The bowling alley machinery has issues. Just a few of the problems encountered... balls getting stuck. Missing pins (sometimes 1, sometimes 8). Pins just falling onto the lane as you're bowling (always good for a laugh). The machine wiping away all the pins after the first delivery and counting it a spare (you don't get to keep it, sadly). They players all have these hand signals for what's wrong. They yell up to the counter and do the hand signal for what's wrong. It's quite funny. Perhaps the funniest thing is when they have to manually set one pin. You just see this hand come down and place a pin on the lane. Cracks me up every time.


5. If it's 1-2, it's going to be a long night. The notorious lanes 1 and 2 are the worst in the bowling alley. When we were unfortunate enough to get those, we just figure it's going to take at least an extra 30 minutes. We also figure on Ray getting mad and a) throwing his shoe, ball bag, etc b) kicking the ball return or c) running up and down across the rest of the lanes yelling because everyone else has gone home anyway.


6. Brook! AKA Brooklyn, it is usually yelled by the other players whenever the ball goes to the left of the head pin rather than the right. I was totally lost the first time it happened.


7. Allen Cheerleader: When there is three pins left, in a roll, with spaces in between (like missing teeth). I don't condone it, I'm jut reporting it.


8. Fact'd. When you bowl a good ball, but the pins just don't go down. Such as: dude, you just got fact'd. And sometimes that cleverly disguised PG version isn't used at all.


9. To the Wall! Nothing but strikes from here out. I don't really know why it means that.


10. Not all strikes are equal. If you bowl a strike, but on a horrible ball, at least one member of the opposing team will bend over and pretend to throw up, as what they witnessed just made them that sick.


11. The lanes can be dry or wet but are rarely perfect. I still don't know exactly what that means either, but I should learn because it seems to be a very good thing to blame bad bowling on.


12. Beer Frame. Whenever everyone bowls a strike except for one person, that person has to by everyone else a beer. It doesn't always happen, but someone always notices.


13. Sandbagger! Means a person who bowls bad on purpose to keep a low handicap, but is usually yelled in humor at someone who has bowled an otherwise perfect game and then does not strike. Then, everyone yells sandbagger! at him like he did it on purpose.


14. Cherry picker! Usually yelled at a bowler when there are two pins left side by side and he only gets one of them. I don't know why.


15. You have to do the hand slap or the fist bust ever time. Every time you bowl, you have to slap hands with your teammates if you got a mark (strike or spare) or bust fits if you didn't. This usually applies to the other team too, in the interest of showmanship. But some teams have different rules. Like hand slaps with both hands. Or only fist busts. Or, no fist busts. And, sometimes the spectators get into it to. There's an awfully lot of hand slaps and high fives going on, let me tell you. And don't leave anyone hanging, for goodness sakes. They'll either chase after you screaming slaphands! slaphands! or look all puppy dog sad.

Oh, yes. Bowling. How could I not do it again next year? Actually, I think it will be pretty easy.

Kitchen / Dining "Central Perk" Renovation, Day... who knows? Who cares?

KitchenDiningReno_26Apr2009_ 004
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

Ahh, the day I have been waiting for. The day I can claim "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!" Well, it's probably a little too early for that but, hey, if it's good enough for the President, it's good enough for me. But other that one stubborn, wacked-out angled wall of crown molding that caused me to cuss more in an hour than I had in my whole life, it really is done. I still have a few little accents to put up as I find them. Things didn't turn out quite as "Central Perk-ish" I had first imagined, but I'm happy with the result. I got less inclined to make things "eclectic" as I went along. So, the brick wall went out as did the green trim. The menu chalk board got down sized and removed as a focus piece. I'm still going to make my red SERVICE arrow though and hang it above the cabinets. And, I'm going to get a coffee maker. Because I think I would be too embarrassed to admit to someone that I couldn't serve them a cup of coffee in a coffee house themed kitchen. Heck, I might even try a cup myself. You never know about me. I'm a loose cannon.

Yes, there are photos. They can be found here.

Kitchen / Dining "Central Perk" Renovation, Days 15-21

KitchenDiningReno_16Apr2009_ 001
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

I've had a "week and counting" sickness which has decidedly slowed progress, but I'm happy to announce the tile is now finished! I love the backsplash. I think it really added a lot and made the kitchen look a lot more expensive, even though the tumbled stone is really quite affordable. I sprayed a few pieces with nickel metallic paint (the same paint I used to transform my bronze cabinet pulls), so I think that helps pull it together with the knobs and faucet. I saved myself some money too since those the metallic decos are $5 each (our cost) to buy them ready-made. I hope to get a new stove someday, one that won't cover up the backsplash (plus it's a horrible stove anyway). I still have mixed feelings about the floor (which is not fun feelings to have). I wish I had went a little lighter. The brown color is coming off a little orange-y with the dark cabinets and brown walls. I'm coming around to it, though. I think when I get the while trim up it will help break it up a little. All-in-all, I think it's coming along very nicely. Maybe I'll get finished up this weekend, if I can just get well.

Follow the progress over at Flickr.

Kitchen / Dining "Central Perk" Renovation, Day 14

KitchenDiningReno_09Apr2009_ 001
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

'Twas the night before the flooring and all through the house... Brad was driving himself crazy trying to get ready and acting like a louse. I was so not in the mood to work this evening, but flooring is coming tomorrow so I had to get ready. That included painting. With a brand new roller that broke--no exaggeration--within two rollings. Something came loose inside and it just swiveled every which way. So, that made things even more unpleasant. Here's just one example of some fun I had. I knocked over a full glass of water onto my cabinets which I had just finished putting a coat of stain on. That ticked me off, so I threw the cup and what water was left on it splashed onto the wall I had just painted. That really ticked me off, so I threw down the roller, which knocked over a can of polyurethane off a table and 90% of it spilled on the floor (that was fun to clean up, plus I needed the polyurethane). So, I decided it was time for a break. Anyway, I eventually got everything done, cleaned up and moved the oven and fridge out by myself, which was quite a challenge in itself. Tomorrow is flooring and backsplash (at least it BETTER BE) and, hopefully, this weekend I will get the crown and base molding up. Then I will be done!

Follow the progress over at Flickr.

Kitchen / Dining "Central Perk" Renovation, Days 6-13

KitchenDiningReno_08Apr2009_ 001
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

The cabinets are mostly done! The cabinets are mostly done! With exception of a few problem spots I have to address and all that crap on the counter, I think they look pretty awesome! Tomorrow is painting day (I've settled on Latte with white trim, after turning my back on the "June Day" yellow with stained trim). Hopefully, Friday is flooring day, but I've already been bumped once. Can you believe that? Me. Bumped on flooring. I. Have. Never. In. My. Life... oh, okay. Whatever. After the flooring I can start moving stuff back in. And dust my house! Those things should start to get back to normal next week. A little sooner than I had anticipated, so that's good.

Kitchen / Dining "Central Perk" Renovation, Day 4 & 5

KitchenDiningReno_02Apr2009_ 005
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

I really thought I could contain the dust. How naive of me. I tried really hard. I did. I completely sealed off the kitchen with plastic. I taped up the vents. I opened up all the windows. I was proud of myself. But, it's kind of like Jurassic Park when they say that "life will find a way"... except it's the dust that found a way. It didn't help that anytime the front door opened it changed the air pressure and breached my plastic barrier. Oh, well. Things needed a good dusting anyway.

The neighbors will all be glad to know that demo is complete! It's probably a good time too. I think they were about to plan a revolt. I dusted everything off today, so I'm ready to stain the cabinets and paint. Hopefully, I'll have some major progress to show off next week.

For now, I will go take a shower and wash out the several pounds of dust in my hair. Today, I got to see what I will look like when I'm old and gray. Ehh, it wasn't all the bad.

If you like, follow the progress over at Flickr.

They're redoing Crazy Corner! They're redoing Crazy Corner!

So, I read in the AEN today that they're finally redoing Crazy Corner! I'm sure my little rant had... absolutely nothing to do with it. But, no matter, they're redoing Crazy Corner! Now, I heard that they were doing this back in 2007, along with adding a much needed turn lane on Arlington. The work was supposed to start in January... of 2008. Yeah, that never happened. But, there's actual plans drawn out so this is a good sign. Of course, since Arlington is also a state highway, the state has to approve them, which can take up to a year according to the paper. So, who knows when it will actually happen, but it's a move in the right direction.

Kitchen / Dining "Central Perk" Renovation, Day 2 & 3

KitchenDiningReno_28Mar2009_ 010
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

Before I started the long process of chiseling up lots of ceramic tile, I participated in a stress-reducing exercise you should all try. First, I wrote on the tiles the many things that annoy me. Then, I destroyed said tiles with an air-chisel. Revelation (after it took me about 30 minutes to remove one tile): Maybe my tile wasn't as ugly as I thought. But, things did get better and went a little faster, although something is wrong with the tool I'm using.

Day three I decided to move to cabinets and try to figure out what was wrong with the tool on Monday. Mom came up to help (thank goodness) and we got everything sanded. Revelation (after removing 19 cabinet doors): Maybe my cabinets weren't as ugly as I thought.

Photos over at Flickr if you want to take a look... http://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157616000984204/

Kitchen / Dining "Central Perk" Renovation

FriendsCentralPerk
Originally uploaded by brad_holt

I'm about to start my next house renovation project, and it's going to be the grand daddy of my renovations thus far: the kitchen and dining room. I kind of wanted a theme, but I wasn't sure what it would be. Then I decided to spin off my living room--which is kind of a "New York" theme and do a coffee house. And what better coffee house to do than... Central Perk! And, so, my obsession has begun. I have been searching eBay for cool Friends and coffee house item and recruited my grandma for look for things at garage sales. If anyone has any creative ideas, I'd love to hear them. I'll post my progress over at Flickr, starting with today-- which was just gathering ideas. This weekend I am going to start demo. The ugly white tile is going away and going to be replaced by a very nice "Brown Pearl" in a 20" format. It's going to be such a mess.

Photos over at Flickr... http://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157616000984204/

My Newest Favorite Thing

So, every once in a while I discover something new and it becomes my newest favorite thing. A couple of weeks ago, it was Internet on TV. Which, yes, has been around a while, but since I have a computer connected to my Plasma TV in the living room it opens up all new possibilities. And the quality has improved so much lately, it's kind of crazy. I missed an episode of Fringe due to bad weather knocking out the satellite signal, so I just pulled it up on Hulu and watched it in near HD-quality. Very cool.

Anyway, on to my newest favorite thing. I was using Google Maps today at work as I do often to map out customers addresses. I noticed, for the first time, "Street View" showing up on the results. And, I thought, no way has that made it to Ada. In case you're not familiar, Street View is something Google is working on where you can see images of houses, etc. just like your driving down the street. Not aerial imagery, actually the front of houses, businesses, etc. I had played with this a little a while back, but it was only available like in New York, etc. I figured it would be years and years before they got the smaller towns like Ada. But, sure enough, all of Ada is on there (that's a screenshot of my house above from the application). And Asher, mind you. It really will be a handy thing when you're trying to find a place you've never been before. Not only will you see the map, but you will actually be able to see the buildings in the area so you'll be a little familiar with the area when you actually go. And, imagine shopping for houses from another state. You can check out the whole neighborhood from your computer! And, as an added cool-factor, it all works from my iPhone too.

Checking into it further, there are a few people raising a fuss over privacy issues (houses, kids, etc. being online for all to see). It doesn't bother me any-- it was all taken from public streets--but what's your take on the issue?

50 States plus DC. How many have you been to? 20

50 States plus DC. How many have you been to? 20

Instructions:

The average is 8; how do you match up?

Put an X by the states you have been to. Since just putting a X is boring, also add something you remember about that state. Why did you go? If there's a state you want to go to, put an O and say why! When you're done, count up your X's, and post it after the subject. If you're on Facebook, tag any friends you'd like to take the survey!

* Alabama X Went there for this first time in July 08. My grandpa has a condo there on the beach. It was nice!
* Alaska
* Arizona O Would love to see the Grand Canyon.
* Arkansas X Went there several years ago to watch my cousin play ball in Fayetville (?)
* California
* Colorado X Went to Denver in HS to show my sheep in a National show. Went tubing.
* Connecticut
* Delaware X Drove through it from DC to PA.
* Florida X Went to Orlando in HS to Walt Disney World, Universal/MGM, and a few other things. Best ride: Twilight of Terror!
* Georgia X Been to Atlanta airport a few times. May go watch the Braves some day.
* Hawaii O Sure, why not. Ooooh, I could see where they shoot Lost!
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas X Just drove through on the way to CO.
* Kentucky X Just drove through on the way to NC.
* Louisiana X Went to Shreveport once.
* Maine
* Maryland X On the DC trip our resort was in Maryland.
* Massachusetts O I'd like to see Boston someday.
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi X Went to Biloxi once. Did not like it. We did see some interesting Civil War stuff though.
* Missouri X Been to Branson twice and St. Louis once, but just the airport.
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North CarolinaX Went to watch my cousin play ball.
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma X Lived here for oh, 28 years.
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania X Went to Philadelphia. Modern city: Yuck x2. Old town: Very interesting and enjoyable.
* Rhode Island
* South CarolinaX Went to Myrtle Beach on the NC trip. Very pretty beach.
* South Dakota O Would like to see Mount Rushmore, but probably wouldn't make that trip.
* Tennessee X Stopped at Graceland on the way to NC.
* Texas X Been there several times for different reasons. San Antonio was very cool. Seems like a busy state.
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia X Went to Arlington National Cem and Mt. Vernon (Washington's estate). Nice trip.
* Washington O Would like to see Seatle, just so I could say I have.
* Washington DC X Finally got to go after wanting to forever! Very cool, but will wear you out!
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

The Letter Game

Okay, here's a fun game you should play...
If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know, and I'll assign you a letter. You post ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on. My friend Felicia assigned me the letter C, so here I go.

1. Computers! Yes, sometimes they can be absolute evil and the most frustrating part of the day, but think of life without them. No Flickr! No Wikipedia! No Solitaire sans actual cards!
2. Carrots! I so love them, however you wish to fix them for me.
   
3. Cell phone! I wouldn't have included this on my list before the iPhone, but now I couldn't live without it (figuratively speaking).
4. Christmas! Although not a good time last year, Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.
5. Conspiracy theories! They're just fun.
6. Consistency! How I love things being consistent.
7. Courtesy! We should all be nice to each other.
8. Credit cards! Such an easy way to pay for things, and I get cash back!
9. Creativity! It makes all things more interesting.
10. Cars! Because you can only walk so far.

In an update to my Crazy Corner post, I used my cell phone while going through the intersection the other day! I was like... oh my gosh, I can't do this! I couldn't get in a word in edgewise though to ask them to hold on a minute. Such a hypocrite!

I can't afford not to buy a new keyboard

I have this wireless keyboard I've had for years that I have a love/hate relationship with. It has some special buttons for the photo program I use and they don't make it any more, so I have refused, up to now, to buy a new one. The problem is that the CTRL key wore out long ago. This is problematic because I use the CTRL key a lot when I organize my photos. I will get like 20 selected and when I go to select the next one I will lose all my selections because the CTRL key will stop working. It's so frustrating, but I keep trying over and over. If I hold it down hard enough it will usually work. But about a month ago I got especially mad and threw the keyboard in the general direction of my office door. Unfortunately, it hit the door not once, but twice putting two keyboard-sized holes in it and then flew into the hall where it put a small dent in my wood. But, I picked up the pieces and a little tape and super glue later, I was back to work. Fast forward to tonight. I had been working on a website for several hours and was tired and hungry. The CTRL key had been giving me fits all night and there was this commercial for Carter County Dodge that kept coming on the radio and inching me ever so close to insanity. The CTRL key failed for about the tenth consecutive time so I took the keyboard firmly in both hands and drilled it ever so destructively into the floor. Oh, you should have seen it. Keys went everywhere. After a break and realizing that I had to get the site done and didn't have a backup keyboard, I starting reassembling. It was like a puzzle, really. I have yet to find the right SHIFT and the F10 button, but ehh... those aren't that important anyway. My trusty keyboard and I will power through... at least until I can get to Staples tomorrow to replace it. I really don't think I can afford not to. And, now you know my dark side... astonishing little patience with computer peripherals.

Rules for Crazy Corner

Since I have to go through Arlington & Mississippi (AKA Crazy Corner) at least twice a day, I have created a list of rules that, if followed, would make the journey a little less frustrating. I have had my fair-share of near misses there, and one that was not so much a near-miss.

1. PAY ATTENTION! Go when it's your turn.
2. If you miss your turn, YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK. Do not just try to go the next available time. It screws everything up. Wait until it's your turn again.
3. Cell phones are not allowed at Crazy Corner. I will come out of my truck and remove it from your hand. Harshly.
   
4. If the person next to you goes, you might as well too.
5. If you're turning right from Mississippi to Arlington, you don't have to yield. Stopping will get you hit. Exception: If a semi is turning into the adjacent lane, maybe you stop a little because they will run your butt over.
   
6. If you're in the right lane of Arlington going east, you have to turn right. Do not attempt to go straight. You will get ran over multiple times, most likely by those following rule 5.
   
7. Don't stop on the tracks. You will get ran over by a TRAIN!
8. If you're on Arlington going west and want to turn right onto Mississippi, use the off-ramp. Don't go up to the intersection and turn right. It confuses people and it's a weird turn anyway.
9. Watch for the one-way signs. I've seen a few people turn down the wrong way and that just isn't a good thing.
10. If you are wanting to collect money, hand out literature or dress up as the Statue of Liberty and/or Uncle Sam for advertising purposes, STAY AWAY FROM CRAZY CORNER. The absolute last thing that intersection needs are more distractions.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Back to the District of Columbia Part V

Okay, this is the last post in this series, mainly because I don't really know my roman numerals past this point. Sunday was our last day and we were determined to fit two more things in before we left: the National Archives and the National Portrait Gallery. But we had to go to Union Station first to store our luggage and ended up only having time for the National Archives. We didn't go here on the first trip (another intended to). We went through a few exhibits and got to see original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Very cool. The Declaration was very faded, but still in decent condition considering its age. The Constitution was in much better condition. After lunch at Union Station, we hoped on the Metro for the airport. After a little layover in Chicago (first time I'd been there) we were finally back to good 'ole Oklahoma. It's good to be home.

Photos now on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157613546211559/

Back to the District of Columbia Part IV

Today we left the convention around noon and headed for our US Capital tour. We intended to do this on the October trip but didn't get around to it. At the bus stop we met a couple from Ohio that was also at the convention. They hadn't been to DC in a while, so we told them some of some of the sights and showed them how to use the Metro rail. I'm somewhat of an expert on that thing after two trips. We went through the new visitor's center, which opened up just a few months ago. We got to go into the Senate Chamber and see them in action which, while a pretty boring issue, was interesting at the same time. We got to see the compass in the floor of the capital, which is the "center" of Washington DC and the four quarters originate from as well as a few other interesting things. Saturday night we ate steak at a hotel restaurant and watched the water, light and music show to end the night.

Photos now on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157613546211559/

Back to the District of Columbia Part III

This morning I had to get up at 6:30 (yuck) for breakfast and the opening ceremony. I had a few classes then lunch. The food's quite good here, and paid for, so that's a plus especially in expensive DC. We happen to sit down with a couple from Lawton, so that was coincidental. After lunch we went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History on the Mall. It was closed when we were here in October, but it had re-opened. It was a fun place, we spent a lot of time there and took a lot of pictures (I'll post those to Flickr later). They had an exhibit on Route 66, and a lot of it had to do with Oklahoma, so that was really interesting. They had a portion of the highway from OK laid down, the OK Route 66 signs, two trucks with Oklahoma licence plates and one of them-- get this-- had an advertisement for a company in Shawnee. When the museum closed we had a couple of hours to kill before our "off-site" event at the Air & Space Museum, so we went up to the Washington Monument. We only got to see if from afar last trip. It's amazing how tall that thing is. Like, really, really tall. As we made our way back down to the mall toward the A&S, we still had a little white to kill and it was really cold, so we ducked into an art museum, which happened to be open even though the museums usually close at 5:30. Turns out they were showing a film that was open to the public. What film you ask? It was a Persian film with subtitles about two men trying to get two cows across the country and the tribulations they encountered. We decided to hang out by the restrooms for a while, but eventually browsed the rest of the museum. We saw some pretty interesting things. They had hieroglyphics and cave carvings from centuries ago. I thought only in DC can you duck in to kill time and see something from 2000 BC. Walking down the Mall in the same area we had just a few months back, I thought for just a second that we were still on that first trip. But I was pretty tired. Finally, it was time to go to dinner at the A&S Museum. They opened up the museum just for us, which may sound good, but I think there was just as many of us Mohawk people as there would normally be in regular visitors for this time of the year. I got to take a picture with Tommy Mohawk, which is our mascot, in case you didn't know. We ate, several times actually, as we had already been through this museum fairly extensively in October. After the event, a tour bus took us on a tour of the city and we got back around 11. So, too tired to post photos tonight, but maybe tomorrow. Until then...

Back to the District of Columbia Part II

Back tracking a little, before arriving at the OKC Airport. We stayed the night at an OKC hotel last night because our flight left so early. We stayed at one of those inexpensive joints on Meridian that has a shuttle to the airport. Here's how checking in worked, and I'll try to be as accurate as possible here:

I walk in to the front desk and hear something like "can I help you" from a back room.
I say "hello?"
"Yeah, what can I do for you"
"I have a reservation."
"Wit who?"
"Uhh, you."
"No, I mean what's the name?"
(And, remember up to this point I am still having this conversation with the other person not in the room. Finally they come up.)
"What's the name?"
I say "Holt" and hand her my confirmation sheet.
"And, uhh, what kind of room is it?"
"A two-bedroom suite."
"How many?"
"Two"
"And, uhh, what did you pay for it?"
"About $65."
"$65 exactly?"
"No, I think it was $65.33."
"And when you checking out?"
"Tomorrow."
"How much you say you pay for it again?"
"$65.33."
(Up to this point, she has never looked at the computer or wrote anything down. Finally she goes to the computer. I was kind of expecting her to ask what room number I was staying in next.)
Okay, yeah, uhh huh here it is.
"You need a receipt?"
"Yes, please." (Business expense here!)
She hands me a receipt saying I paid $0.00 for the room. I didn't even try to get that corrected.

One of the things we went over once I got to the convention was making the most of the face-time one has with his customers. This was a good example of the complete opposite of that.

This place in DC (actually we're in Maryland) is one nice hotel, and it is huge! It's built on the Potomac River (photo above). Everything is brand new, there's a shopping and dining center next door, but most of it's still being worked on. The resort it right on the river and it's very beautiful.

Back to the District of Columbia

In a last minute decision (as in Monday) I decided to go to the Mohawk ColorCenter convention in Washington DC, in a series of post I shall call... Back to the District of Columbia! That's a little throw-back to Back to the Future in case you missed it. Now, I know what you're thinking, what's a Mohawk ColorCenter Convention? Well, it's a flooring convention. Now, I know what you're thinking, flooring stores have conventions? Yeah, if your an all-special Mohawk ColorCenter store! It's pretty big too. We get to see and purchase the new products and displays for 2009 and there are seminars and such. There's a couple of events too, like one night we're going to eat dinner at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and we get the place all to ourselves for three hours. Plus, I'm sure to sneak away and see some of the stuff missed on the October trip. In Oklahoma City now about to board, so until the next post...