Triumphant return

We're back! After a week or so of the site being down due to an explosion and fire at The Planet's datacenter, I can finally get back to business.

Ok, some details ... Kara and I are settling in to our new digs. It's been a rough ride so far. First, there was the fact that the movers dragged their feet while we paid them by the hour, so our budget for two and possibly three hours became a six-hour move. There went any money we had set aside to help pay for various and sundry necessities.

From there, we discovered that window-unit air conditioners are less than ideal in Houston heat. Go figure.

Oh, and my iPod was stolen by one of the movers. Can you friggin' believe that? It took a lot of phone calls and complaints to convince the guy that I wasn't lying, the iPod wasn't in some other box and that I wasn't trying to rip him off. He finally wrote us a check for the difference between what we still owed on the move and the cost to replace the iPod. We'll see if that cashes today.

We would have seen if it would cash on Saturday, except for the fact that as Kara pulled out of the driveway to go to the bank that last few drops of gas in her tank went to the great vapor cloud in the sky. Her car died, and the ensuing battle to get it running again was much more complex than I would have ever thought. It took dragging my brother up from Danbury and doing all kinds of mechanic-like things that I still don't fully understand.

Our house is great. It's going to take some work, but we'll get it in top shape soon. Some issues we're having to deal with include inadequate power (breakers trip often) and the stifling heat (window units combined with a lack of insulation and weather stripping on the doors). But we're trucking along.

Anyway, I'm just hoping I haven't lost what few readers I had with the long hiatus. Gimme some buzz!