As exciting as...

A quick shot from before the snow came...the grass that was planted in the "new yard" section (post to follow...) has actually started to poke through! I am sure I'll be doing more of this come spring time, but at least some of it got started off well...

Anger mis-management

I had a little Office Space moment with the old HP 2230. It has served me well for nearly five years now, although I never got the software to work with my mac, so it was only three for four on the advertised fax/copier/scanner-not so much/printer capabilities. In the end, though, it was a problem with the printing, taking 45 minutes to print something 20 pages long, with paper jams, and one of its favorite tricks-just feeding paper through wiht out printing anything on it. It liked to do that six or seven times for each thing being asked to print. Also, it wouldn't print .pdf's.

I will admit that I was surprised that hitting the cover broke the glass; It was just unfortunate that there was no commensurate satisfying crash to be heard.

I'll admit, when this happened I already had another printer/everything waiting in the wings here in the Dome. But don't worry, all is not lost--the printer-Johnny Infuriating-is still turning out some great printed photographs, and you better believe I will get the last drop of ink out of the stupid HP cartridges...

Oh, and...

Yes...it's built, and I will beat you (even if I have to use the short stick to do so...)

What have you been up to lately?

I think in this case, the photo pretty much covers it. Scary thought is that this collection is just from this month...I don't think I am quite a part-owner of the 48 car yet, but I am sure in a few more visits...

Finally...

Can you see what doesn't exactly fit here? Well, we aren't that concerned about that right now as much as we are about how we don't have to wash the dishes by hand. I know, really classes up the joint doesn't it? The thing rolls right out and hooks up to the sink and does it's thing. I bought it from someone who used to live in Broad Ripple and worked as a musician but had to move to Carmel once the kids started showing up. His selling me the dishwasher signified the end of his dream of setting up a bar downstairs, which I noticed was littered with toys, instead. Thanks, responsible suburban sell-out and thank you craigslist!

Harvest Market

Fall means that the Farmers Market is back in session. Actually, it might be all summer for all I know...it's more just that the fall means I am actually in town to make it there...

Rusty joins the team!

Clearydome Management is pleased to announce the creation of the Clearydome Support Fleet. The 'newest' member of the fleet is Rusty, a Toyota pick up truck with only 125,000 miles. Each time he gets a tank full of gas triples the value of the truck. Hopefully he can hang around and help out around here before rusting into nothingness... Rusty will be tasked with the Lowes trips, allowing yours truly to park as close to the door as possible, something not responsibly possible with the Red Swede, not to mention that despite the Red Race Car's remarkable capacity for stuff, sometimes it didn't seem right to load it up that way (hay for the backyard project comes to mind...) So welcome to the Clearydome, Rusty. Just don't go thinking theres a place in the garage for you...

Squirrels in my pumpkin

Literally. Just like the famous Vegetarian Meat song...

MeTube

Big changes...

Thanks to that aforementioned MD-loot, theres a new game in town...it was a lot of work to even get it here...and then it needed to be put back together...

Tag scandal

For long time visitors, they might be surprised to see that this tag has actually been taken off the couch...after nearly four years, I felt safe enough to risk it...

Main 'atrium'...pre pool...

Quick shot of what once was the empty room. I used to be able to skate around in circles in this room. It wasn't as good exercise as you might have imagined, though...

Now we are talking...

Here is the "after" on this one.

Bright lights, big city.

Well, neither are actually true. But we did get some new lighting going on. Can you spot the difference?? This is all thanks to the Maryland-loot we scored, to be covered more extensively later...

Look at those beads!!

Well, back in town, with a to-do list thats been developed all summer.

As it happens, the first one to get checked off was the deck. Powerwashed, then Olympic deck-washed with a spray and then hosed it down. Let it sit and dry for two days before then adding the Krauss-nominated Olympic sealant by hand with a mega thick brush. I didn't think it'd worked out all that well until I noticed that it was indeed doing as advertised...

I also realized the bench on the deck could be moved, so I shifted things around and left the BBQ under an eve to keep it a little protected from the rain.

Flower power

Hydro

Big project

Here is, in part, the problem:



Well, I didn't quite know how much work it was going to be, but decided to do something about the front of the house, between the sidewalk and the street.









So the idea was to try to keep the puddles from appearing, and get something to actually grow there.



It was a lot of work

Some side work

What was originally considered a lost cause, at least for the time being, got some attention recently with the visit of the tiller...

The side of the house, which was a mess, is now at least a mess thats been tilled...(all the plants were pulled out, the ground tilled, and then the plants moved back into more sensible, and less hap-hazard, locations...)

Al Gore Mowed My Lawn!

Well, not really. But if he were to, I'd suspect he would do so with something similar to this. A neighbor lent me thiers to try out, and I liked using it, so i got one that was wider and had it's own bagger, with the idea of becoming fastidious about my lawn. If that were to happen...at least I'd be prepared with my bagger. At the very least, I can mow at midnight, and not bother anyone...

Thats cool!

The running list of things to add to the "New" list...new air conditioner...

now THATS a fire...

Remember that pine tree that I cut down? Well, in making space for the extended lawn project-to be covered later-some of the wood, which was amazingly dry having been dead for so long, was burned out to make room...

Not healthy, but...

More grilling to be had of late...the whole daylight savings change here in Indiana plays pretty well at the Dome in the summer...

Splitters

The current thinking is that splitters are the secret to an effective watering system and complex of hoses.

Mini-shower project

Was looking to add some storage to the shower, since the thing i had holding stuff before was a little on the infuriating side...got lucky at Lowes and talked into a five-dollar purchase of this shelving (which was backed up by twice that in silicone caulk and new caulk gun to apply it...). But it seems to be sticking there...so far...

Free wheels

Usually when you get something for free, there tends to be somethng amiss...but not looking a gift horse, etc...did a little re-furb to get this puppy up and running....

Neighbor relations

New addition to the 'dome...you can't see the super-muting towels used to keep the phone from ringing or the cops from showing up...

First snow!!

Well, it came earlier than it did last year, and I was even here for it this time around. Naturally, everyone freaked out about it and there were a lot of problems in the morning commute, etc. (http://www2.indystar.com/articles/8/253672-9618-127.html). Took Rusty out later in the day to keep the Red Race Car out of the salt, since he's pretty much done in that category.

OCD much?

Not really a clean freak or anything...but the multiple color-coded stacks of tee-shirts and the parcing out of the cut down tree into different sizes might speak to something about trying to organize things a bit...

How cold/hot?

Thanks to Sean for this indoor/outdoor thermometer...it has some magical remote control for the outside temp...

Timber!!

The dead tree in the backyard was finally felled. I was glad that the thing came down where it was supposed to, what with all the wires in the back yard...

Now just add mulch...

For the final touch, some landcaping covering and some mulch to top it off...

More garden work...