harmonda

Ditto here. Everyone raves about that game. I don't get it. After a while all I wanted to do was kill that little robot... "unh unh unh...check me out!" BOOM!

Whatever you do, don't get disenchanted with stocks and become one of these precious metal buying idiots. Talk about buying high - selling low. If I see one more scam gold commercial I'm going to go nuts.

+1 lots of cars in that price range.

Are you Chase guys? I see a few goats parked together on the last deck every once in a while. ...Miss my goat. I should have kept it. I always have trade-in remorse really bad.

I'm going to guess you won't find a decent lender who will do a refi where you take equity out of your home right now given that values are still unstable. Also...an equity line won't have the prime rate. It will have a premium...that's how they make real money. I don't mean to be a dark cloud but we aren't out of the woods yet.

yep...things that start driving up the price are a higher pitch roof, shingles instead of metal, wood siding instead of metal, multiple doors/windows, loft and stairs...etc. Our issue was that we were trying to make it fit with our historic home. Same pitch roof, period correct siding, etc. Of course after we built it...my brother-in-law who is an architect pointed out that if it was truely old it would have had a metal roof. But this matches the house.

If the tree is down I do it myself. If it isn't on the ground and is near anything of value....like the house ....I get a tree service. I use Adam's tree care. But that's up here in the country. DITTO on how much it sucks to grind it yourself. Be sure any quote includes all clean-up.

They sub'd it out to these guys. I didn't catch their names....I know...that was my first mistake. They showed-up around 3pm and asked me if I knew where to rent a skimmer and buy concrete nearby. I know I know....this is a comedy of errors. But at that point I wasn't thinking how easy it is to get the job wrong and how hard it is to fix once it is messed up. So...they dissapear and return about dusk with a rented skimmer and said a truck was on the way. They asked if I could park my cars pointed at the garage with their headlights on so they could see. (this may be too painful to continue). Anyway...suffice it to say...I have cracks, rough patches, FOOTPRINTS, low spots, etc, etc. They didn't cut relief channels. They never came back. Durabilt refunded me the cost of the floor (and a little extra if I remember right) and said they were never using that sub again. I always expected to expoxy the floor so I didn't really, really get unhappy until I started researching lifts and discovered that I had to go with a 4 post because there isn't a single spot without cracks big enough for a two-post's footprint. I got a couple quotes to cut out and repour a portion of the floor for the lift but they were crazy high and not worth it. A good rolling jack for my 4-post was cheaper so I can still do wheel, axle, brake work easily. Plus it is really nice for storage.

Original building...land prep, frame, siding, roofing, windows, doors, electricity, light fixtures, concrete, paint....but before I finished the loft, etc....was under $30k. I figure I have something just north of $40k all in. But I installed the HVAC, lift, finished the loft, plumbed the compressor, extended the network/security system, installed the iDrives, etc. myself. I had the driveway and walkway done on the cheap by a friend. I still need to insulate the cathedral side and below the loft and sheath the interior walls. Then I want to epoxy the floor. Never an end to projects around here.

current pic... http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/5528761331_1a232134e7.jpg P3150061 by harmonda, on Flickr

here is what we built....no pics yet of the lift installed, new driveway, patio, brick walk to side door...etc, etc. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5252/5528682349_6820f4dfee.jpg DCP01563 by harmonda, on Flickr http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5056/5528682729_a8e33f451d.jpg DCP01553 by harmonda, on Flickr http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5180/5528648697_d4bd9253bd.jpg 20090427_3 by harmonda, on Flickr http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/5529270516_4d6ec890da.jpg DCP01555 by harmonda, on Flickr http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5528679355_ce885f7802.jpg 20090427_13 by harmonda, on Flickr http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5529270206_774980c6a4.jpg 20090427_17 by harmonda, on Flickr http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5253/5528650775_febb1556bf.jpg 20090427_10 by harmonda, on Flickr I put in Wayne-Dalton iDrives so there wouldn't be any openers overhead, plumbed the compressor outlets, 240 outlets for welder, lift, compressor, etc. and extended the network, security system from from the house.

I try my best to spend locally but I couldn't find an individual or company capable of returning calls, showing up to review the site or following through in any way. So, I ended up going with Durabilt out of Canton, Oh. Which, happened to be a couple miles from where I grew up. They use amish crews to do the work and they are freakishly accurate, timely and trustworthy to deal with. My only complaint is they sub'd out the concrete work to a local who completely fucked the job up. They refunded me 100% of the floor cost. Here is Durabuilt's web site...give them a ring... http://www.durabiltpolebuildings.com/

Oh, and I've been tempted to put a stock system in and cutouts for the side pipes...weight might be a problem tho. Have you considered that option?

I picked one up at a swap meet for $75. Check ebay. It is a whole section that gets replaced not just the little semi-circles. Also, if your chrome rings are original you may even be able to recoup that money. I haven't installed mine yet so I'm not sure about the process yet.

In that price range I'd head out into the country. Check out Johnstown, Sunbury, Ashley, Marengo, etc. unless commute is a concern. Your money will go a lot farther and you can avoid crime, congestion, etc. Lots of other communities close but still country around Columbus...I'm just not familiar with much except north and northeast of town.

Absolutely call the branch or PM me and I'll reach out to the ATM folks directly. Banks frequently use 3rd parties to service ATMs so it was likely legit. However, I'm sure they'd like to know how it appears to the public. Every one I've ever seen was in uniform and driving an official vehicle.

That's fair. I guess it is all about expectations. I'd probably be bitching if they went crazy technical too and we didn't get any spark time.

I'm a slow shopper. I haven't gotten to the "deals" part of the process yet. If anyone else has ... chime in.

My brother-in-law is an architect/engineer and he has done windmill, solar, battery, generator, and reverse-meter designs. He is hard to stop talking once he starts but he is very knowledgeable if you want to pick his brain and have a few hours to kill. PM me if you want to connect with him.

I've learned you always want to consult with someone who makes a living welding to determine if a specific task is DIY-able. Also...all due respect...skip the career center classes if you want to learn to weld. It's not even good entertainment. The 'teachers' they get have a lot of experience but little actual knowledge. For example...they can tell you what filler wire to use for a specific task but not WHY beyond..."it's what works" or "it's what I've used". I took a class up in Delaware and it was a waste of time. The worst part is that I was only taking it because I want to explore becoming a blacksmith and everyone told me to take a welding class to learn the basic metallurgy. There was no way any metallurgy was learned in my class. 2 lame.

I haven't shot one. Just reading up. Every review has been positive except for one I read that dragged out some negative history Ruger has with black guns and the DOD. I guess they blew a big contract making ARs for uncle Sam a long time ago and have avoided them for a while. I like the Rugers I've owned and shot and it seems like the 556 is well thought-out and high quality. It'd be great to shoot one. The TTR looks impressive too but I have no experience with Para. Seems like people question their quality a lot. The Stag is cheaper than the others but I haven't seen any detailed reviews yet. There are other competitors out there of course but everything else I've seen is a lot more money....like the SIG.

I've been looking at that M&P and a couple other piston guns...Para TTR or Ruger's 556 or Stag's M8. In trying to educate myself on ARs I am finding I want pricier and pricier guns.

Bentley's are pure class. Somehow they are high-performing and luxurious while being tastefully understated when compared to their competition. I think they get it just right. They make all other super-lux cars seem so 'Jersey Shore'.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the best PS3-only game I've played....maybe the best overall game EVER imho. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is fantastic fun. A must-play. Tons of action and surprises. A lot of people like GT5 but I'm finding the reward/upgrade system to be tedious and I'm losing interest. Sux cuz I need something cool to use my cockpit and wheel with. Assasin's Creed...all editions rock...but when I play too much I find myself wanting to climb up on the roof and run around.

I just got a .38+p LCR. It has a long but very well engineered trigger pull. Seems much lighter than it is. It builds very gradually. The ergonomics are just right for me and it feels very light and natural to aim. I'm digging it. I'll report if anything negative emerges as I gain experience with it.