Dave's List

Note: This post has been expanded and welcomes your participation:
Columbus Contractors.org.


It's pretty bad when you have your electrician on speed dial.

Trish and I take good care of a home. We're also as frugal as our parents and happy to be so. So we shop, evaluate and shop again until we find the best (not always the cheapest). These are our best finds in the area. I received nothing from any of them to be on this list.

1. Good Plumber: Calhoun's, 614-444-1995

2. Bad Plumber: WaterWorks - one of two bad ones on the list. I think the guy picked my pockets while going to and from his van while taking MANY coffee breaks. I'm glad Suzi bit him on the ankles.

3. Roofing: One Red Slate (not just slate), 614-267-2366

4. Carpentry: Steve Poulin, 614-296-5250

5. Electrician: Joe Gioffre, 614-262-5003

6. Insulation: Edwards, Mooney & Moses, 614-351-6640

7. Realtor: Eve Holland, 614-825-8839

8. Appliance Repair: Economic Appliance Service, 614-279-2501

8a. Appliance Repair that will take 2-6 months and 4 visits: Sears, 1-800-STEAL-MY-CASH

9. Taxes: Victor Newman, 614-459-4754

10. Floor Finishing: Hardwood Elegance Flooring Co., 614-806-4685

11. Dog walkers: Toni Sits Pets, 614-262-8333

12. Arborist: Ahlum & Arbor Tree Preservation, 614-876-5622

13. Carpet cleaning: Master Clean, 614-847-1181

14. HVAC: Still pouring through contractors and hunting down geothermal options (Buckeye Geo in the lead).

15. Not a local, but a goodie. Ped Food Direct. Yes, I no longer go to PETCO to buy and lug home my thousand pounds of dog and cat food. I order them online, and they come to my front door in a several days. And, they're the same price as local even with the shipping. Yay interweb!

16. Suzi's Nail Trim: On Sunday morning, we go to the Olentangy Petco, 614-298-8014 to get Suze's nails trimmed and sometimes a bath (but she still stinks by the end of the day). Very convenient.

17. Furniture upholstering. Begley's, Info and an example of their work.

13 Cameras so far ...

13 Points of light and growing ..., originally uploaded by Seligman's Dog.

Today, a Dispatch article talked about these traffic lights reducing wrecks. I drive ok but I sometimes get the urge to accelerate through yellows and went looking for the locations of these buggers. They can be found here from the Columbus Police Department. I suspect their numbers will increase.

Stuart Smalley was a genius!

Holy shit. Stuart Smalley triggered a daily affirmation industry. Yes, you too can receive affirmations for only 99¢ each. Know what would make me happy? Send me 50¢, and I'll send you the same useless shit in a text message.

First one's free:
"I am a worthy human being"
... and, while you're at it, just tell your diabetes to go away (be positive) and watch how impressive the results are.

Send cash please.

Update (25-Feb-07)
Now, today's This I believe from Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips is a profoundly different message that we can all embrace with a little effort. Nothing magic, nothing stupid, just a pause and recognition of what's good in the world is worth trying. Thanks Wayne.

I guess that's what Flickrites are doing; savoring the moment.

Paradise

Paradise
Originally uploaded by _stv™.

not columbus, oh

Finally?

Everyone should visit the The Mayor's Action Center and submit a comment on the shit condition of every single side street in Columbus. Worthington is plowed to bare ground.

Dispatch Readers are furious.

I'm in the black for karma

I live on one of those streets that gets plowed by the sun. Since the sun isn't going to warm things greater than about 12 degrees for the next several days, we're screwed.

I submitted a 311 plea for plowing just for yuks anyway.

Tonight, while preparing a most excellent biafran stew, I observed two stuck cars outside my kitchen window. While the couscous was cooking, I grabbed my shovel and got them both out with about 15 minutes hard labor. I feel good about it. Sore, aching a bit, but good. Maybe they'll blog about me tonight.

We've made it to level 2 (and back to 1) ...

The Sheriff said so, (the most poorly designed webpage on earth).

Thanks for the tip my love.

My ultimate fear, driving in snow

From weather.com (43202, keep you posted throughout the day):

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY.

A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...BEFORE CHANGING TO SNOW. SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO ONE HALF INCH ARE EXPECTED. BEFORE WINDING DOWN LATE TONIGHT...SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES.

We even have our valentines prepared, this could be tragic.

Valentine's Day Massacre (to my wallet)

Frankie wanted to make her valentines this year. Something like a card and candy in little bags for the other Bunnies. I stop at Target this morning to avoid the stampede this weekend and got some simple blank cards with a little color and pattern on them, some stickers for decoration and some candies to toss in with the card. We'll probably use little baggies to enclose all this stuff. $26!!!! Ouch.

Critical News:
Wonkette mourns the loss. This is touching as well; she'll be missed.

Games for the kiddies:
Starfall.com
Mathbrain.com

Today's silly neurotic thing to worry about ...

What should "Frankie" prepare for simple Valentine's day treats for her class? Put in comments or to dave_scarpetti@yahoo.com. Thanks!

The cold snap

Sooz
Originally uploaded by Seligman's Dog.

The warmest winter on record just turned to shit. This is Suze peaking out from beneath a blanket. She's been buried in blankets since last Saturday when the cold snap hit. I think it's about 7 degrees outside today. This morning it was zero with a much colder wind chill.

I personally think we should all take sooz's approach and stay under covers until it's over.

It's all about the commercials

The Superbowl's coming. I guess that's some big football game. Kickoff's at 6:30, just when the nighttime bath, vid, books, bed routine is kicking in. Darn. The only thing I really enjoy about the Superbowl are the commercials and someday we'll even throw a party for one (when Frankie's a bit older). But for now, when she goes to bed (in her high, high loft bed) we'll be wathching them here just after the game.