My Scale Model House

Since June of last year I've been working on a 1/12th scale model building. For some reason I've been stuck on building a bed and breakfast on my last two projects. The first one was actually built in a small tree stump that I had tossed in the back of the van one day while cleaning the brush from behind one of my wife's gardening customers.

The building it's self is almost 12 inches square and approximately a 14 inches tall with the roof on. I had walked around that stump with it's multiple sprouts sticking out all over for a couple months before I picked it up one day and started sawing the sprouts all off to the same height. First I'd mounted a platform to them and had started constructing the log home style building when my wife came out to the garage to see what I was doing.

She started laughing and asked what it was supposed to be, to which I started telling her a story about it. It was one of those "off the tip of your tongue" kind of stories which I'd never even given a thought to. But because she asked I started storytellin...LOL

It was Vern and Clara's Treehouse Inn... Vern and Clara owned and operated the Inn and had done so for the past 400+ years. Someday I will have to get into more detail about them and the Inn.. but tonight I think I'm going to leave it at that.

First Frost

In my mind winter begins with the first frost because it signifies the beginning of my body suffering more pain than it does in the warmth of summer. I do not look forward to this time of year as many people do. Winter sports are pretty much out of the question for me since the colder weather effects me so... So... it's time to get back to doing some of the things that I can do during this time of year... such as posting here and writing some of my stories.

Been a while

It has.... been a while since I last posted anything on here..... life isn't always what we would like for it to be... and doesn't always promote the best mindset to keep a blog going. Unless, of course, all you want to do is talk about the negative side of things.

Personally, I'd much rather talk about the enjoyable things I've done. I know, that isn't what the world wants to read... they either want to hear about all the bad things going on in your life... the conflict, and strife... things they associate themselves with... makes them feel more comfortable with their own lives I guess.

I've finally started a new project. Went to Home Depot and bought some bandsaw blades and a dremel bit... Right now my work table inside is set up to draft a set of house plans for another tree house. This one is going to be the proper scale to match the height of Benwar ... "approximately 6 inches tall" Based on my current height of 6'4".. that would scale down to 1 inch equals 1 foot. Easy enough for most of the measurements... but it will create a few problems for some areas. Nothing I can't fudge my way through on though.

Anyway.... here we go again... hope I can keep the garage opened up enough to keep this one going.... didn't happen at all last year.

Being more survey selective

I've decided that I'm not doing all those surveys that pay less than 20 bucks... Most of them disqualify me after I answer 30 or 40 questions anyway.

Online Surveys

I haven't posted anything on here for some time because I've been trying to make a little extra money doing online surveys. For over a month now I've been signing up for virtually every survey site I come across and have found most of them to be ... well.. I think someone should create a survey about survey sites.

There are so many sites out there that make promises and once you sign on to them all you get is a mailbox filled with emails offering 50 cents to 2 bucks for surveys that take up to 40 minutes to complete... and then just as you think your about done with it suddenly it jumps to a screen that informs you that you've been disqualified because they've already received all the responses that you've been giving. What's up with that? I think they got their survey performed for them for free is what I think. Rather than giving you credit for taking the survey they have a trigger in the system that automatically shuts you down so they get paid but don't have to pay you anything.

I have linked up with a few professional market research sites that sends you a direct link to do surveys. I've even received actual checks from these sites. I've still not been offered 50 bucks to take a survey from anyone... which is what most of them advertise on their sites.. "You will have the opportunity to take surveys that will pay anywhere from 2.00 up to 75.00." It wouldn't take many of those high dollar ones to make one think they could actually make some money at this.

The truth of the matter is... I've accumulated more money "on account" with the survey sites that simply ask you to read their emails. Of course most of them still link you to sites that have something to sell.. but at least they're not telling you that they'll pay you 11.00 bucks to sign up for a service for 9.95 a month fee. I don't believe I should have to pay anyone to take a survey.

If there is anyone out there reading any of my blogs I would appreciate some feedback on this one. If you beat this system and found a way past all the sites that simply pass you back and forth so they can get paid for all the links you click on I'd like to know that it's possible.

Age and Vulnerability

There was a time when, like most young and foolish, I never gave a second thought to my "end of days". And I'm sure it's a combination of age and a tattered aging body that now reminds me of my physical vulnerabilities. This ever increasing awareness has me thinking, at times, of what my life has been all about. Has it meant anything... who have I touched... what differences have I made... why am I still roaming this old ball of dirt after so many close calls with death... what was/is my purpose??

I suppose this should have been the opening topic when I first started this blog. It might have set the stage for some of the things I've already said on here. But never-the-less.... the stories I write here and on Benwar's Reality Check blog are more for my benefit than any one's.... they allow me to momentarily relive the most thought provoking moments of my life... perhaps even ensures that a part of me is left behind as a legacy of sorts.

Now that Christmas is over

Whew... Christmas is finally over and the backroom at my store should be getting back to normal very quickly now. Of course we'll be getting the new spring line-up in soon... but we should be able to get some frieght cleaned out before that happens. I hope!

I should be able to get back in the frame of mind to write again within the next few days, so if you have been waiting for something new it's about to happen.

Bob