The latest fiasco taking up my time

It seems my life is full of trying to figure something out.  Usually this involves some electronic device or other problem that comes up concerning the internet connection or problem with the TV.  I’m always the one elected to solve all these issues in my house.  When it comes to other things, supposedly I don’t know what I’m talking about.  Maybe I get roped into these things because I’m patient and usually will devote quite a bit of time to fixing the issue, whatever it is, even when I don’t know anything about how to go about it myself. 

 This is the range extender

 

This latest problem was another internet issue.  We needed to get a stronger signal downstairs for the computers because the modem and router are upstairs.  When I saw a wifi range extender device I thought that was just the solution to all the problems…WRONG…After four hours over the weekend to try and set this device up, I can honestly say what a mistake that was to even think this could work.  Nothing is ever that easy, is it?

Once I reached my point of exasperation, I tried to call the technician at the manufacturer to give me some pointers and maybe do some troubleshooting from his end.  It’s true I’m quite stubborn, but I did try to call way before this and got no one to talk to, so it was back to the drawing board from my end.

After another hour on the phone, unplugging this and that and changing all kinds of cords and computer settings around, the tech seems to think my router is too old to “talk” to the new device.  While this may be true, it’s still served me quite a few years and still works, but the signal downstairs isn’t as strong as it could be.

Right now my brain is fried and I need to chill out and get away from electronic devices a while.

 A gloomy rainy day

 

Meanwhile, we have rain in the desert today and it’s cold with a high in the mid forties.  There’s a chance of snow mixed with rain tonight and tomorrow.  It’s hard to believe it was in the seventies on Friday and I was wearing a tank top and sandals.

This is Koki's favorite place in my office - the modem

This is Raven under a throw on the couch

Tootie on the couch

The cats are snuggled in where they can find warmth.  Maybe eventually I’ll get back to my book after I get the taxes done, another one of my “jobs.”

Living in a whirlwind

I say that because it seems like I’m too busy to do anything.  I’m surprised I’ve managed to get some writing and reading done.

My computer issues are solved, I think.  My laptop crashed causing me to call a tech who wiped everything out.  There for a while he thought my hard drive and motherboard were both bad, in which case the computer would be toast and I just as well throw it into the trash, he said.  Thankfully, he was able to restore it to new condition and reload Windows 7.  Then of course I had to reload all my other programs.  And copy all my saved files back to the laptop.

I can’t stress enough to everyone how important it is to back up everything that’s worth keeping and do it daily.  I would have been sick had I lost all the files to my books and WIP’s, not to mention all my pics.

 Great room (family room) finished except carpet.  It's in now but the house is locked and I can't get in to take a pic.  The carpet is too industrial looking for my taste.  It's a very low pile and cream color.

This is a built-in Murphy bed in the office.

This is the kitchen - no appliances in yet.

Master bath double sinks

Looking down hall from great room - office to right - second bedroom also to right past office - courtyard to left and casita at end facing street

Ceiling fans throughout the house

Entry light

These are outside lights to go by the garage doors

They are still working on the house two lots down and I don’t know when they’ll finish that job.  Right now, there’s all kinds of debris in the pool floating in the ground water.  I think they are using it as a trashcan while they work on the patio area.  The patio still needs concrete, but they have poured the driveway.  To me this makes no sense at all because it makes it harder for a big cement truck to get in to pour the patio in the backyard.  It’s too heavy to drive on the new cement driveway.  But a lot of the things they do in this state don’t make any sense.

Here is the pool being used as a trash pit.

The marathon is on here and then the senior games start.  This is a yearly event that brings a lot of people to town.  They come from all over the States and Canada and even overseas.  They ran the marathon today and the games start on Monday.

Of course this is really a good opportunity to sell the house to someone tired of shoveling snow.  I now have to involve myself in setting up a website for the house, so I’ve been doing that along with the usual things that go on around here.  I don’t know why my husband thinks I’m so good at these things.  He knows I’m not a quitter and I have patience and will keep at it until the job is done.  I guess that’s why I get elected.

A real nice guy came in to say at my neighbor Sherry’s house.  He was coming from Idaho for the marathon.  I got a brief break from cat and garden duty while he was here.  He left this afternoon.  He did well in the race and finished in second place for his age division.  I can’t fathom running 26.2 miles ever.

The lizard is back in the fireplace

Another shot of the lizard

Raven trying to figure out how to get in there and get him

Now Koki's at it

The lizard is back living in the fireplace again.  Koki and Raven go crazy watching it, but Tootie could care less.  They’ll sit there for hours like staring into a large TV with a great movie playing.  I’m glad they’re getting along better, not great yet, but better.

 Raven - I hate to see him growing up

Raven is really growing and won’t be a kitten much longer.  In less than a month he’ll be a year old already.  Where did that time go?  He’s so shiny, sleek and black.  He’s also a very good boy and minds well and still purrs all the time.  I’ll have to take him for another play date across the street soon.  He loves that – going somewhere.

The desert is all abloom with a carpet of bright yellow flowers from all the rain we’ve had.  They are so beautiful and a stunning display in contrast to the old black lava flows jutting from the earth all around here.  I still have to take pics of those before they disappear.  October is a wonderful month here when you can open the windows everyday and enjoy the sunshine and mild temps.  I know winter will be here all too soon, so that spoils it a little bit.