A Mexican Video Short Makes You Think, THE STORY OF A SIGN

With a stroke of the pen, a stranger transforms the afternoon for another man in this emotionally stirring short film by Alonso Alvarez.

My XM Satellite Radio Experience

I fought the urge to go satellite for about 2 years, then caved.

My set-up is custom made for me, 99% of listening is done in my home, so that is where I made it just for me.

I have a Roady 2 (my 3rd, more about that later), and that is hooked up to Advent wireless headphones.

I listen mostly in the morning while working on my eBay orders for the day, start off with the news, and switch to the 60's on (channel) 6 with Phlash Phelps until noon. From noon till 3 eastern it's Ron and Fez, a talk show that I have listened to since the late 80's when they were on when I lived in the Tampa Bay area on 95 WYNF. They moved around a lot and am glad to be able to hear them again even though I am in NE Ohio, that is where the satellite comes in great.

Why pay for music when it is free on the radio? Several things, no commercials, and while driving on a trip the signal doesn't fade out so I can listen to my favorites without having to search every 2 hours and only hoping to fun something I like.

And now for the Roady 2 receiver problems, this is my 3rd unit, and it is shot too, I have the power plug precariously propped up so it works, just look at it wrong and it shuts off, good thing I have a remote control, so I can't use it in the car anymore, so I need to replace it.

They just aren't made to be plugged in and unplugged on a daily basis, from the house, to the car and back. There are 3 plugs, power, output to the radio, or amp, and the antenna plug.

My 1st unit bought the farm the 2nd day I had it, I dropped it and the power plug snapped off inside the unit, my fault.

I bought the next 2 units on eBay for like $5 each, the 2nd one broke after 3 months, the power connection again the problem, so I bought the 3rd that I have now, same problem, but I can still make it work.

I think the next one will be a unit that has a 'docking station' that will not have to be plugged in and unplugged on a daily basis, less likely for the plugs to break.

Also, they have some with an mp3 player, that would be good to record 'Coast to Coast', the program that I like that is on from 1 - 5 am eastern so it would record that while I sleep to listen later.

Overall, I like the sound and it has made things nicer for me, just the Roady 2 is not a good unit, they don't sell it anymore, eBay is a good place to get them cheap, but I will be on the lookout for a better unit. Will update later.

Goodbye to my 1978 Dodge Camper Van

After 14 years, and 300,000 miles (200,000 of it from me) I watched my buddy get towed away. It has been sitting to a year, and I had no plans on fixing it up, as it was beyond repair money wise, so when a man stopped and asked if he could buy it for parts, I said sure. Goodbye old friend.

Holden Arboritum

Took a little walk around and enjoyed nature on a Summer Day. And an excuse to take a drive in the vert.


Saw lots of birds and lots of nice fragrant flowers.

Put-in-Bay Saturday Ride

So my wife wakes me up at 9:30 Saturday morning and says 'lets go for a ride' 2 1/2 hours later we are on the Jet Express boat heading out to Put-in-Bay Ohio on South Bass Island. We were having a nice time yesterday so this was a continuation from last nights dinner and a movie, turning it into a great 2 day event. It looked like rain, and did rain on the way, but when we got there it was a perfect day. Riding around in the electric golf cart was very cool, will want to do this again, and makes me wish my car was electric too. Here is what this ride cost: 24.57 gas (actual 32.5 mpg w/ac on) 6.20 Breakfast at McDonalds 3.00 road tolls (both ways) 10.00 Parking at the ferry 55.20 ferry (Jet Express includes a 7.20 fuel surcharge) 20.79 golf cart rental 1.75 hr @ 11.00 hr 47.66 dinner Boardwalk Restaurant (2 lobster bisque in bread bowls + 1 lobster roll, drinks + tip) 4.25 drinks & snack on way home 171.67 total I think Sunday will be a rest day.

Seagull on Punderson Lake Ohio

While my wife and I were sitting on a bench on Punderson Lake Ohio, I put the camera down on the bench and let it run for 3 & a half minutes, just filming a seagull.

Changing a Faucet, how much?

The faucet in the bathroom was leaking, and was getting worse over time.

I went to H.D. (not Harley Davidson) and bought an identical faucet, for $30.

Well, I am at the point of my life where laying on a floor and trying to contort to reach things under sinks in not a plesent thought anymore. So after trying it (not very hard) I thought that since there were about 4 or 5 more tasks I could have done around the house, I would call a plumber.

I found a company that looked like (on the web) as a sort of franchised outfit, named after the man on the hunderd dollar bill.

They said (on the website) that they were no nonsense, and fairly priced, so I had them come out. They said it was $59 just to come out, and I guess that is fair as they need to cover expences.

So never mind all the other tasks I thought could be done, how much do you think they said it would cost to just install my $30 bathroom sink faucet?

$701.00

Maybe since I live in the 1960's I had thought it would have been around $100 or so, I mean the car mechanic gets $75 and hour and how long could it take a guy to install a faucet?

I was stunned. I was holding the estimate and was speechless. Was I that far out of the loop to not know that this was what they charged. I asked "is this right?" He said it is standard and competitive. I mentioned someting to the fact that this is Ohio, not New York City, and mumbled something else, that I can't recall about how the economy is bad and how can they do business like that, etc.

I said I just do not have that much money and said to just give me the $59 bill you get for just showing up, geeze, I will just contort, and do it myself, and if the people in Cuba can get 60 year old cars to run, I should be able to change my own faucet.