Had a two hour meeting with the General Contractor around noon today to talk about "details." We went over the plans with a fine tooth comb. Not really, but we did go over the plans pretty good. I just know that when they left they shook their heads and muttered about another "owner wanting to be as involved as possible!"

Not much else going on. Except my computer went tits-up while we were having the meeting. The power supply quit working. Completely. So I took it out and went to Motherboard, Etc in Gorst and had them test it. Yep, dead. So I bought a new one ($50), drove on back home and put it in. Everything started up but (and this is a Big But) Nothing came up on screen. No POST or anything. No Beeps. No Nuttin. Guess when the power supply went out it took the cpu with it. (SWMBO calls it a murder/suicide.)

Damn! So, I had an older computer sitting in the back room but didn’t have a memory module that would fit. So I took it to Motherboard, Etc and we put in a memory module, started it up and it worked fine. Bought 2- 512mb modules ($90), drove on home and have spent the last 4 hours getting everything to work. This computer is only a 1.8 ghz system (slower than my last computer), but, it works. But y’all know XP; de-installing and installing motherboard drivers, sound drivers, lan drivers, video drivers, etc is a pain! And I had an ’extra’ 250 gig drive just laying around not doing anything (sort of like a teenager) so I thought I’d replace my 200 gig Data drive with it. That’s turned into a hassle. Slow! But it is getting done… I did get smart and put the new power supply in though…

Hey, we finally had a lot of rain around here since about 2100 last night. Not much wind here in Olalla but the news has been talking about some minor wind damage and some flooding in the Seattle area. Cascade Mountains were supposed to get a lot also so I guess I ought to go out to the property tomorrow and check out my drainage.

Except I’m supposed to do my annual supply of chili tomorrow. Hmmm. Will have to work that out.

About a year ago I dug a trench from the future dome site down the hill through the woods to put in power, water, tv & phone cables. About 600 feet with 200 to go to finish. Didn’t dig across or down my ’driveway’ cause I still needed to get up and down the road. Ran short of water line (which was good at the time) but still had 400 feet of tv & phone cables so I just left the rolls in the trench.

What’s the point? Some Asshole Bastard thief took what was left of the rolls of tv & phone cables. Aaargh! I wish I had caught them stealing it. Aaargh! Bastards! I’m getting to the point that I just hate people. You can be damned sure that when we start to build I’ll be sleeping out there guarding all the ’stuff’ the construction crew leaves behind every day. And I’m going to have a shotgun by then…

OTT, not much going on. I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that the weather persons have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. We’re supposed to be in the middle of another bout of heavy rain (with wind this time) but out at the property it was barely a misty rain. Cold though. Drainage is doing fine. Oops, weather person is saying the storm will start tonight. Guess I ought to make sure the generator runs…

Had my first music lesson with Phillip yesterday and did learn some things I didn’t know. Which is why I’m taking music lessons in the first place. Been ’playing’ with the Fruity Loops program (like I said before). Frustrating. I get an idea for some music while trying to learn the program but can’t get very far on it cause I’m still learning the program. Yes, I want to know it but I want to know it now!

Veteran’s Day today. Whoopie. To me it just means that Netflix will be delayed. I’ve been ’retired’ from the Navy since May 1991 and being a Veteran hasn’t done anything FOR me. Sometimes I still wonder why the hell I gave 20 years for all the crap I’m putting up with now. Not counting the Asshole Thieves. America hasn’t gotten any better in the past 17 years or so…

Which brings to mind all the life-extending technologies/treatments that Scientists are working on. I’m all for extending my life; I wouldn’t mind living another 500+ years. But what kind of life would it be? I keep seeing a "Soylent Green" type of future coming about. Not that we’d wind up eating dead folks; but the crowding and poverty. As much as I’d like to see the "Star Trek" type of future come about I just can’t see it happening. Mostly because of the Assholes out there. We need Mean Aliens to discover Earth. But I doubt even that would bring us all together working towards a common goal; survival.

One good thing about my memory being so crappy nowadays: All the books I’ve had for 30-40 years are like reading new books. My Sci-Fi collection of hardbacks, which I have had some of for almost 40 years, are almost forgotten now. Used to be I knew if I read a book and generally what it was about. Now I look at my collection and know that I’ve read every one of them but cannot remember what most of them are about. My real favorites (The Stand, Swan Song, Stranger in a Strange Land and a bunch of others) I remember probably because I’ve re-read them many times. But those that I read only once or twice are coming up blank. Bummer!

Already! Not even Thanksgiving and they’re already showing damned Christmas Commercials. Not only that, but the first one I saw (several days ago) was by those Male Enhancement people. Damn! What happened to definite Holiday times? I hate Christmas commercials anyway; but to get them well before Thanksgiving. Pricks!

There’s just not much going on lately. Got out to the property the other day to make sure my drainage is doing okay this year and my roads not washing away. It is and it’s not. Great! We did get a LOT of rain this past week with more on the way. Good. I hope we get most of the wet weather over and done with early this year. I don’t mind the cold as much as the wet-cold. Brrr. And we need more clear nights so I can use my new Telescope more often.

Been trying to learn that Fruity Loops program. I like it! Course, I know next to nothing about ’making music’ and notes and stuff. But I know what sounds good to me. It’s kind of fun just messing around with making different sounds and learning what the program will do. Does a lot more than that Magix Music Maker (which I still like) but you have to (should) know more about music.

Will probably be making my years supply of chili this Thursday. SWMBO kinda sorta entered me in the church’s chili contest this coming Friday so I might as well do the years worth. Ought to be fun!

Anywho, that’s it from OlallaLand.

We spent most of the day paying attention to the elections. Barack Obama will be the first Black President of the United States. Wow! I really never thought that would happen during my lifetime (nor a woman President) and I’m glad for him. I hope things work out well for him and US! But I’m kind of scared also. I just know there’s a Redneck with a rifle out there that is already making plans; and wether he (the Redneck) succeeds or not the aftermath will tear this country apart. So we’re loading up our 72 hour kits and have plans to retreat to our property for the duration of the riots that will invariably happen. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t wish harm to Obama (or anyone else). I sincerely hope he has a great Presidency (even if I don’t believe in Campaign Promises: Too much like New Year’s Resolutions for me). Just, be careful, Man.

CNN (well, ALL the news programs) really bugged me though. The polls on the West Coast were still hours from closing when they said Obama won. If I were standing in line to vote (somewhere on the West Coast) and I heard that I’d be sorely tempted to say "Fuck It!" and go home. If I Were In Charge I wouldn’t allow the News Programs to do what they did until all the polls were closed. So it’s probably a good thing I’m not in charge!

I’m so glad it’s all over though. Like with Christmas commercials I was pretty tired of all the hype (and attacks) of the political process. The Washington Governors race is still up in the air. So close that I’m thinking another recount will be called for. Probably by our present Govenor. Again.

Weatherman is predicting we’ll get 3-9 inches of rain over the next couple of days. We’re battening down the hatches even though I always take what the weather person says with a grain of salt. Most times they come out with stuff like this it doesn’t happen. At least not around here. You’d think that, weather wise, Seattle and Olalla would be almost n the same part of the world what with being only 20 miles apart and all.

Went to the property yesterday but forgot my camera at home. Bummer. There were some great clouds I’d have like to have gotten pictures of and the Olympics had a pretty good dusting of snow that would have been great to video. Ah well.

Wish I had some ’extra’ money. Circuit City is having their liquidation sale…

Really looking forward to the new Star Trek movie! Saw a teaser of the new ’old’ Enterprise and it was killer!