Personal Stress Relief from Economic, Environmental Issues » A Day In My Life

Our Yamaha Badger

Diane — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:01:23 +0000

We had been wanting to purchase an ATV for some time now, but with finances the way they are, it seemed like it was gong to have to wait quite a long time. In having a conversation with a work associate, Mike found out that this man was looking to get rid of a 1996 Yamaha Badger, that was not running, for a mere $100. My husband, always up for a challenge decided to buy it.

Initially, on trying to start it, it would not start as he was told. Now the task of disassembling the whole quad to get the root of the problem. Mike’s thought was that it was a compression problem and by the end of day two was starting to think that the previous owners diagnosis of an electrical problem was the answer. It turns out the researching on YouTube.com turned out to be a big help. Determined to take a better look at the carburetor Mike finally found the issue on the third day. A small screw had broken off and was holding the flap open in the intake valve. The smile on his face as he said “look at what I found!!!” was from ear to ear. He spent a couple more hours cleaning things up and then reassembled the quad. We held our breath, he hit the starter button…..it started and off he went for his first ride on our new quad.
A few cosmetic things still needed to be fixed, he needed to improvise to replace a few parts that would have otherwise cost us over $120. It’s a good thing he had the tools needed to do the job, although he could have used a tubing bender. I have since, painted our Badger camouflage color and we’re looking forward to the complete reassembly.
It turns out the best part of actually getting a quad was the fact that we did it cheaply and that with patience, ingenuity and a little bit of luck we were able to fix it up and now have it to enjoy. The satisfaction in doing something yourself is wonderful.

Amazing Data Recovery!

Diane — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:08:08 +0000

A little over a year ago, I purchased a Western Digital 1 TB External Hard Drive. In the past year I had safely, or so I thought, saved backup from both my laptop and desktop and all of my financial backups and important files.
Most critical to me saved on the 1TB or “my little black box,” were the photos and videos that I had saved. Crazy as it might seem, I had close to 20,000 pictures. Yes, you read that right! In other words, my camera has become an extension of me that I don’t do without. And, the fact is that despite my children’s pleas to stop taking pictures, they are the first to want to look at them.
In addition to my obsession, I have also been scanning photos from all my photo albums and all the loose pictures that my parents have given me dating back years and years.
Thus, almost 20,000 pictures!
As if the task of scanning pics isn’t enough, I have also been converting all of the VHS tapes to MP3’s with the converter my son surprised me with for my birthday. These videos include all videos of my two sons since birth and every special event since then. 27 years worth! On top of that, I’ve converted all of our favorite movies that I had previously taped on VHS.
Most recently, I had spent two weeks compiling photos and editing videos of my dear grandmother. I created a slide-show in memory of Grandma Wanda to be played at a picnic in the cemetery during a family gathering for her 104th birthday.
All this saved to the 1TB. ALL this…..was suddenly inaccessible.
Now, I am pretty well versed in the quirks of a computer. I have had a fair share of viruses and odd happenings that would make you swear that they have a mind of their own. I have created websites and blogs from scratch and ran into more problems than I can remember. I have resolved every issue through trial and error, research and tears….until now!
For almost a week, I tried every possible solution to retrieving the information off my TB. I must have read every issue on the Western Digital drives, read numerous forums and requested assistance. I was getting desperate because I needed grandma’s slide-show done within 10 days. And then…..I found Steve.
Through my searching an ad popped up and totally desperate, at this point I clicked on it.
The ad took me to Free Data Recovery site. Steve, who has over 20 years of computer industry experience performing both Microsoft Windows and Linux systems administration, was offering a unique service. What he does is to remotely recover data on your damaged hard drive by connecting to your computer using the Internet. Since it is a remote service, he can attempt recovery on any computer no matter where it may be located in the world. And…….it’s a free service. Steve does however accept donations!
Was I skeptical, yes! Yet, I was more desperate than skeptical!
I contacted Steve and his response was immediate and he initiated the process of remotely recovering my data. Of course, my family and friends cautioned me and questioned me as to whether Steve and his system could be trusted. However, something about his communication and speaking to him on the phone was reassuring to me.
We proceeded.
Steve patiently walked me through the set up and although I was having difficulty at my end which was solely my fault, we continued. Once the process was set up it was just a matter of waiting. Day and night my computer was running, hooked up to the 1TB and Steve would constantly give me updates of the progress. I have to say, the feeling of knowing that all of my personal data was being extracted was very unsettling and I had a tough time relaxing. It took a full week to recover my data and all along Steve gave me constant updates and information about the files recovered, the data loss and the progress he was making.
According to Steve, the combination of numerous bad sectors, a large 1TB drive, and operating at USB speeds slowed the recovery process quite a bit. After a week of holding my breath, I was amazed and thrilled at the results. Steve had actually recovered ALL of my data.
It is incredible to me that Steve ingeniously can perform these remote data recovery operations and I don’t think I could ever amply express my gratitude. My donation unfortunately could never be enough.
I urge everyone, who has an issue recovering data to go to Free Data Recovery, contact Steve and sit back and relax. You’ll be so glad you did!

Technological Challenges

Diane — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:37:37 +0000

My husband, Mike who once totally rejected technology is slowing giving in against his determination to remain technologically challenged. He had sworn off computers for life yet, has now become adept at using one. He still currently shows no interest in email, perhaps because it takes him so long to type. If fact, he was pleasantly pleased when I told him there was a name for what he does; “hunt and peck.” None-the-less, he has learned to research through search engines, which generally entails typing in just a few words and then he proceeds to click on link after link.
His biggest kick, however, is going to Nascar.com and watching ALL the videos. Since, we’ve relocated; we have basically rebelled against giving in to the addiction of television. We don’t have one! Mike does, however miss the races. I have, on occasion found a race through live streaming, but since one of them infected my computer, I refuse to do that anymore and he will have to rely on videos to appease his fascination with Nascar.
The other thing that Mike had always refused was GPS, insisting that he likes to use map books. Personally, I think it was part of his rebellion against technology. Something, he hadn’t considered, up until now was that maps are sometimes outdated.
As an AC and appliance technician who goes to multiple residences a day, it had become somewhat difficult for him to locate many of the job addresses. In fact, there were times that he would call me to Mapquest the location for him. Finally, it was time to do something drastic. I surprised him with a GPS Nuvi. I have to tell you the look of relief on his face was priceless. So, now he has gotten totally dependant on his GPS.
His biggest challenge to date remains to be how to use his cell phone. He does know how to make calls, by going through his contact list, but still hasn’t grasped the concept of texting or utilizing any other functions. Given time he’ll learn it all. In the meantime, I’m amused every time he masters a new technological endeavor that most of us now take for granted..

Redneck Country

Diane — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:43:24 +0000

Moving up to northern Florida has been a wonderful thing. I do know that some of our family thinks we’re a bit “off the wall,” but in a sense, we wanted to be somewhat “off the grid.” We’re in an area that is pretty secluded, very quiet and peaceful.
The people here are different from the people in South Florida. We’re in “redneck country” and we stick out like a “sore thumb” especially when we speak. On Mike’s job, they call him the “Yankee,” which as of yet we can’t really figure out if they mean it in a derogatory way or not. We think they do. I guess it’ll take some time to fit in. Maybe we just need to go out and buy hats and Cowboy boots, slow down our pace and speak with a drawl. Whatever, the case my be, we this is home!

Our Game Room

Diane — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:17:34 +0000

When we moved up to Hastings from a 4 bedroom house one of the dilemmas that we faced was that we had too much “stuff.” A lot of it we were willing to part with, but the game room including a pool table, pinball machine, and bar we were not willing to give up. A wonderful source of entertainment for us was this room. The challenge was where to put these things in our new home.
Our solution, after much research, was to buy a portable classroom that we could convert to a game room. I actually found one on the west coast of Florida for a mere $2,000. Of course, after shipping and permitting the total cost was closer to $5,000. The building itself is a doublewide, 24’ x 36’, includes a bathroom and was well worth the price.
Now the fun part…..
We wanted the building to serve as a storage area, guest room and game room. After some planning, I began construction. The first thing I tackled was ripping up the carpet that someone had cleverly attached to the floor with adhesive. This turned out to be a miserable, time consuming, back breaking job because not only did the carpet have to be lifted, but the floors had to be sanded to get the adhesive off.

The next thing I did was to construct the walls where the storage area and guest room were to be. I had never built a wall before, but I researched on the internet and took it from there. I’m a firm believer that if you want to do something you can and that, for the most part, if you are unable it’s because you didn’t give yourself the confidence that you could. So, I build my walls. I then built shelves in the storage area, painted and finished the guestroom; including laying the floor and that section was done.

Finally, I started the game room which was what I was most excited about. I had so many ideas that I couldn’t wait to make materialize. I wanted a wall of bottle caps, painted light fixtures, stained floors, half paneled walls, mirrors across the top edge of the room and so much more. Of course, all of this might seem like it would cost a pretty penny, but I do all the work myself and anything I do is as cost efficient as possible.
At this point, most of what I had envisioned has materialized and I am pleased with the results. The room is still a work in progress with areas that still need finishing. The room however is functional. I still need to build a bar and add accessories. Things I’m considering are popcorn machines, a Ms. Pacman machine and I would love a juke box. All in due time!
And, since I like to be busy, when the game room is done, I’ll have to find another project to do!

Tiling Projects

Diane — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:07:35 +0000

Being someone who likes to create something different rather than just to redecorate, I’ve found that one of my newest favorite things is glass tiles. These one inch square tiles leave open all kinds of possibilities.

In redecorating, or should I say, gutting and redoing one of the bathrooms in our new home, I used these tiles to create, what I think, is a unique look. Each section of the bathroom is a different color tile and the floor itself ties all the colors in.

I created the floor by separating the one inch tiles from the sheet and by laying them out in a haphazard fashion. I re-glued the backing on the tiles and laid them on the floor. If that weren’t tedious enough, I also spelled out mine and my husband’s names with different color tiles. Of course, it’s a challenge for anyone to find our names, which is half the fun for me.

My next major project for which I’ll need tile is the bar I’m going to build. Using glass tiles opens up a world of possibilities. These tiles come in such vibrant colors and the finish on them compares to nothing I’ve seen. Now, all I have to do is start thinking patterns and colors; a very exciting project for me!

Thoughts for the Holiday

Diane — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:57:46 +0000

Each year for the holiday season, I include in holiday cards, a collage of pictures from the year. The pictures are those I’ve taken which include all the special people we spent time with and all the incredible moments we shared. It is a wonderful reminder of each year and I frame them to look back on the memories of the past. It’s gotten to the point that now these collages are expected by my family and friends who take joy also in reminiscing.
Recently, I came across some unique family tree picture frames which got me thinking. I have always had a special interest in genealogy. In fact, when I had some free time, I had begun to research my father’s side of the family. I was able to find the documents from his immigration to the United States through Ellis Island as well as the ship he traveled on. I began to research his family in Sicily and Naples, but found less and less time to spend investigating. I would love to again, get involved in genealogy when I can find the time.
Never-the-less, I’m thinking that next year, I just might send a family tree to my loved ones. Something different……something unique…….something heartfelt.
I like it!

Life on Hold

Diane — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:44:42 +0000

We like to have fun. We believe in living our lives. Over the years, we’ve bought our Harley, a Ninja and two dirt bikes. Each has its own advantage; each gives us a different kind of enjoyment. Where we live now, we have 20,000 acres in which we can ride the dirt bikes and everyone that comes to visit loves to ride. Unfortunately, only two people can ride at a time. Before the economy took a dive, our intentions were to buy an ATV. Our thinking was that with an ATV in which two people could ride, at least four of us could ride together. We also thought we could purchase ATV Accessories for use around our property. I had searched on the internet and found scam after scam and made the ultimate decision to purchase through a dealer. We were waiting to get settled, for our bills to stabilize, for our previous home to sell. As it turns out, we’re settled, but due to Mike’s recent unemployment our bills are mounting. The ATV will have to wait. Our life is on hold……but we’re still smiling because we have each other.

Adjustments Worth Making

Diane — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 17:27:38 +0000

With our recent relocation, I’ve had to make some major adjustments. Living, “off the beaten path” is quite a difference than living within walking distance from every known convenience. Our home is located in Flagler Estates. There are three ways to get to this area and each one is no less than ten miles from any major road. Even when you reach a major road it is still anywhere from five to fifteen miles to any place that would be considered commercial such as gas stations, shopping and restaurants.
Back in the day it wouldn’t have been too bad to fill up my tank for $5 and be on my way. It’s not the distance that’s the problem because the view is beautiful. It’s the cost of leaving our home. The major adjustment I’ve made is that instead of running out almost every day to pick up items that we’ve run out of or require, I now venture out only once, maybe twice a week. Shopping for food and doing required errands now takes about 4 hours and puts approximately 40 miles on our truck.
On one particular trip, I also had an added adventure; one that I could have done without. To reach the area where I do most of my shopping I have to go over a half mile bridge. It is over the St. John’s River and the views are spectacular. This day, however, I didn’t see much of the view on the way back. Just as I approached the half way mark I heard an odd sound and then almost instantly my driver’s side front tire went flat. I could tell I was riding on the rim, but on the bridge I had no where to pull over so continued to the other side of the bridge doing my best holding tightly to the steering wheel as the truck attempted to pull to one side.
On the other side of the bridge it was another quarter of a mile before there was a place to pull over. This was one time that I was extremely thankful that I have a roadside assistance plan. As I waited for 45 minutes, low on gas, with frozen groceries in the back I learned an important lesson. From that point on I would bring a cooler with ice when I go grocery shopping. Another adjustment that I’ve made since living in the “boonies.”
The auto service company finally came, changed my tire and we both commented on the size of the hole that something made through the tire. It was about an inch round and would wind up costing us over $300 in replacement of that tire. Spare tire on, I was on my way.

Upon arriving home, I gave some thought to that day’s events. I looked around at our home and the woods.I listened to the serenity and felt the heat of the sun on my cheeks and came to the realization that any adjustment is well worth it. This is our incredible home.

The Plan

Diane — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:16:06 +0000

Recently, our original plan came up in conversation. Amongst friends we were explaining “the plan” Mike and I had made for the future. Both of us had grown tired of the day to day routines in life. More than that we grew very tired of the congestion, the traffic and yes the people that had been inundating South Florida. We both felt we needed a major change.
Understanding the craziness of the real estate market three or four years ago, in eighteen years our home had gone from $175,000 to a whopping $500,000, which is still inconceivable. None-the-less, if that was what we could sell it for, we had a plan.
The plan was to buy an RV and travel the United States, from coast to coast and of course, go to as many Nascar races as we could tolerate.
In conjunction with the RV we intended to buy something small and secluded. We thought it would be best to have some sort of home base. Somewhere we could settle for a bit and work when we ran out of money.
Well, as they say, “the best laid plans…..” When the real estate market started to give out we thought it might be best to buy a property using our home for equity. We took out a credit line and bought our home in Hastings, FL. As it turns out, it was probably the best thing we ever did.
Like so many people, we had been trying to sell our house as a short-sale for months. Finally, we are in contract. Now what does that mean?! It means that it could take a month to over a year for the 1st mortgage company, Wachovia and Bank of America, who holds the credit line, to either accept or decline the offer. In case you’re wondering, the once, not so long ago, $500,000 house is now in contract for $215,000. It’s amazing that we got this much. Our first offers were for $140,000 and $120,000, so in retrospect it’s a good thing we held out.
In the meantime, “our plan” is on the back burner until we either hit the lottery or find a hidden treasure. Of course, we could look into RV loans, but looking is all we’ll be able to do. Struggling to pay bills seems to become a part of every day life for people. Worrying about what tomorrow will bring lays heavy in the minds of those we speak to.
We are lucky that we have kept our “heads above water,” treading as we approach each new venture. Hoping for the best and believing, like most, that “something’s gotta give.”