Hey folks, we met with the inspector yesterday and was able to take some more pictures.
Enjoy!
Dream House on flickr.com
Views of Boise
This post is for all my fellow Boiseans.
Many of you may not be aware, but we have some very cool new online tools that provide us some interesting views of our beloved city.
Used to be, the best you could do was a grainy, top-down satellite view. Kinda cool, but the resolution is bad. Isn’t all that useful or interesting. Fortunately, we’ve got options now!
I’m sure you are all aware of Google Maps at this point. Who hasn’t gone there when looking for directions somewhere. But what you might not know about is a feature called Street View. Basically, Google takes cars and drives around a city to photograph all of the streets. It is actually much cooler than it sounds. For example, see the map below. That is obviously downtown Boise, corner of Capital and Main Street. Click and drag on that pic below… play with it a bit.
They started with major cities like San Fransisco and Chicago. But, they have been regularly adding cities and Boise just recently came online. With pretty solid coverage too. All of the blue lined streets are available to view. More than likely, if you live in Ada county you can probably view your house.
But thats not all!
Not to be outdone, Microsoft’s Live Maps site has their own twist on this. They call it Bird’s Eye View. This gives you literally a bird’s eye view of a particular region. And since I’m writing about it, you can guess that Boise is now included. (Click the image to go)
Instead of driving around on all the streets like Google, they chose to rent a small plane and film from about 1500 feet. Still very cool. By the way, Boise in the summertime is a beautiful place.
So, now you know. Go out and try to find your house, you know you want to.
Man, I love the internet.
Armageddon?
Is Armageddon upon us? You be the judge.
In Boise in the past 3 days we have experienced the following…
Tuesday was a gigantic meteor flashing through the morning sky. Big enough to cause 30+ people to call the authorities to report it.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/300626.html
Wednesday night was a full lunar eclipse.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/571/story/299901.html
Now, this very morning, we were rocked by a 6.3 earthquake
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/301854.html
Now, I know all of these things aren’t localized to Boise. Lots of areas in the Pacific Northwest saw the meteor. The whole world saw the lunar eclipse. Event the earthquake was centered on Wells Nevada. But you gotta admit, it’s curious.
I’m not saying I have it on good authority or anything, but when the plague of locusts arrives tomorrow, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Actors Studio 10 Questions
This past weekend, we watched a little Inside the Actor’s Studio since there is no longer any football on TV. I always kinda enjoy the show. If you are unfamiliar with the show, it is basically an interview show featuring those in the movie biz. Lots of actors and directors. They pull big time guests too. Granted, it usually a big love-fest, not exactly hard ball questions or anything, but the long format lets the subjects to be a little more real. If you would like to watch some clips, go here.
Anyway, every show they ask 10 questions of the guest. Every time I see it, I get thinking about my answers to the questions and figured, that would make a great blog post. One caveat, I will undoubtedly go longer on each answer than they do on the show. I got unlimited space here, and some of the questions will have multiple answers.
Also, I would like to invite all of you out there to answer the same questions. You can either do it here in the comments section, or if you have your own blog, answer them there, then link to your answers in my comments section. Could be interesting.
Without further ado…
Our Paperboy Sucks
I think we have the worst paperboy on the planet. Ok, that might be a tad strong. I’m sure there are worse ones. But ours still makes me crazy.
The positives. We almost always actually get our paper. That’s it.
The problem arises upon said deliveries. See, the guy can’t seem to get the paper more than 10 feet away from the street. We have a 15 foot strip of gravel (owned by the city) before our driveway actually starts. The days that the paper actually makes it ON to the driveway are rare and amazing. I know that this is a full grown adult, no some 13 year old trying to make a buck. For some reason, in my head I see this guy trying to throw the paper with little tiny Tyrannosaurus Rex arms and that simply is as far as he can heave it.
Of course, that is not the case. More likely he is just a lazy SOB.
This winter has been exceptionally bad with all the snow. When you have to get fully dressed, including your shoes, in order to go out and get the paper, that is just wrong. Even better, when there is 3 inches of snow on top of the paper so you gotta find it first then dig for it. At least he can put the damn things in bags, but still. I mean, we have a covered porch, a perfect landing spot for a paper to wait diligently for us to pick up. I would love to just lean our the door and scoop the paper. But obviously this is much to much to ask for.
So, all of you who could pick up your paper in the nude if you so choose, I envy you (I just don’t want to see it).
Snow Casualty
We had our first snow casualty this past weekend.
The 3 year old canopy that is on our back patio. The snow had built up and built up over the past few weeks. All you locals know how much it has been snowing. Well, the design of the canopy was that it was a 4 cornered structure with a canvas top. But, with a lot of snow, the canvas has sagged. There are eyelets to let the water out, but unfortunately, they’ve been frozen over for months. So, even when the sun did periodically poke out, it would melt the top of the snow/ice caught in the canvas, but it wouldn’t ever go anywhere since the holes were frozen over. Thus, it just refroze and built up more.
Boise Snow
I know I haven’t written for awhile… it’s been a little nuts around here. Work has been super crazy and I’m still recovering from the holidays. I haven’t felt much like writing. But, since I needed to at least acknowledge the new year, here goes.
Happy new year everyone!
Ok, with that out of the way here is this.
Perhaps you remember this picture I posted last fall …
Well, we had a pretty good snow storm blow through here last night…
I think my plan is to do one for each season, then, get them matted and framed as a single set. Kinda cool, no?
Remember that crazy amount of work I have? Well, I had better get back to it. Even though it’s Sunday. *sigh* Tight deadlines wait for no man.
It’s Alive!
Quick news flash… In a near miracle, the beloved family Xbox 360 has returned from the morgue as happy and as spry as it’s ever been. You may remember that he was given his last rites and left for dead. Well, now it’s “Reunited… and it feels so gooooood.”
I couldn’t be happier. Just in time for the hours of vegging excellence I will have over my holiday break, too. I’m off work starting tomorrow, and don’t return until the 2nd of January. So, yes… this holiday season, all is right with the world.
Oh yeah, I think I’m engaged or something too…
By the way… Snowball fight!
Stroganoff Dip Recipe
Due to popular demand, I’m forced to share my stroganoff dip recipe. As much as I would like to keep it a personal secret, that would just not be the Christian thing to do this holiday season. Candace and Aunt Idette I’m looking your way…
As an aside, apparently I finished second in the recent Crock Off in my office with this dish. I lost to a “hot buttered rum”, which I think is weak since the rum had a better location and also had alcohol involved. I think there should have been separate categories for food and drink, but I guess I’m not the one to make such decisions. Oh well…
Without further ado…
Not So Great Christmas Music
Last year, I took the time to write about my favorite Christmas songs and why I liked them. Please go back and enjoy that one again…
This year, since I can’t come up with any more songs that I would want to add to that list (except maybe Everyone’s Waiting For the Man With The Bag by Kay Starr) I thought I would list out the songs that either make me crazy, or I just plain don’t like. I might have a bit harder of time explaining just why I dislike these songs, so just go with me on these.
Besides, everyone except the most ardent Christmas freak knows that there are Christmas songs out there that annoy the hell out of them. I bet some of you have a hard time even narrowing down the list. Mine are as follows: