House Project - Before Pictures

Before pictures of the new house, for interested parties.

Entryway. Odd wooden divider to be removed. Desk and trash to be removed at bulk pick up time.

Odd "barn wall" to be removed. Area to far right, with bead board, to be my reading nook, eventually. Used to be their dining area.

Living room with large windows. All windows to be modernized with impact-resistant (hurricane windows) in the next year. Hardwood floors throughout.

Front door, from reading nook. Wall near door is painted with an interesting yellow wall treatment. Previous owner was a painter by trade, so he did that. It looks nice, but won't match the new paint, so it's going.

Kitchen from reading nook. Original 1971 cabinets, tiny galley kitchen.Horrible green tile, everything you can see to be removed/replaced. 

Another view of kitchen. Door at left goes to 1-car garage.

Another view of kitchen.

Enclosed patio/Florida room to be our dining room. Wall at right where picture is, is actually a window from previous exterior wall. Window to be walled in for smooth wall, as appropriate for interior of house. All windows to be hurricane proof impact-glass in a year. Cabinets shown at lower right to be demolished and replaced with wardrobes serving as pantry and small-appliance storage (crockpot and such).

  Future reading nook, directly across from kitchen.

More views of future dining room, current Florida room / enclosed patio. We're going to have to replace all the blinds.

Another view of that window and lower cabinets.

From living room, hallway. Bathroom straight ahead at open door.

 At hallway, right. Closet for AC. Future office / front bedroom.

From hallway, office. Dave wants to extend the window lower so it can be viewed while seated at the desk.

 

Office closet.

Office

Hallway from office side. Master bedroom /back bedroom ahead, living room left, bathroom right.

Bathroom. Everything you see will be gone. Bathtub to be removed and changed to shower. Toilet to be replaced with dual-flush efficient model. Sink and vanity to be replaced. Tile to be replaced. Floor to be removed (wood) and tile put down instead.

Master bedroom / back bedroom. There is a hole in the ceiling from water damage from the flat roof. Roof to be replaced and flat roof will no longer be flat. Also, ceiling to be repaired, of course.

Master bedroom, comes with those cool organizers. Hole in ceiling from water damage to be repaired.

Master bedroom wall is painted wallpaper. Yep, really. This was an exterior wall, which is now the other side of the future pantry, so there is a window along this wall that is wallpapered over. Issue to be corrected and wall to be finished, smoothed, painted.

Master bedroom.

Hall closet, next to bathroom. Door currently has a hole cut in with a sign reading "Cat Toilet" which will be replaced with a solid door.

Front door. Mailbox to be replaced. Isn't it strange? Bushes to be removed. We're talking about lining the box planter that runs the length of the front of the house and putting a few fish and lighted fountains in, making it ultra-modern. All horrible 1970s awnings to be removed everywhere around the house. 

Front step needs tile replaced with something that is both sturdy and not slippery. Am looking for a custom welcome mat that says "Hello, Sweetie."

  This is the long planter. Wouldn't 2 fountains in there and a bunch of fish be awesome?

Back patio. Futon as well as their table and chairs and grill need to go out at bulk pick up time. Patio is made of pavers, but it wasn't installed appropriately so the edges slope. This project will likely get done in a year or more. This is the dining room / Florida room behind it. There is a door to the right that was not properly installed. A column is going to be added so the impact windows can be properly installed later, and the door may have to be smaller than standard size. As it is, it is not secure and could be simply kicked in. The house is vacant, of course, while work happens, but that's scary.

There's much to do. Much much much, but we got a great deal and we knew most of it going in. The sticker shock is still something I'm dealing with, but I have faith that it'll be awesome and personalized once we're done, though it may be a work in progress for the first 1-2 years.

If you'd like to see my project board, it has paint swatches, fixtures and appliances, some things for my wishlist, and you can get an idea of how my modern contemporary taste will transform this plain ranch style house into something farther from ordinary. Now for that magic genie to pay for it all...

12/21 Party

Dave's actual birthday was 12/21, and the supposed end of the Mayan calendar. The party was about 4 months in the planning and totally worth it.

Things that went great:

• Party started at 8pm and people were mostly arrived by 9pm
• Tarot reader was fantastic, so said everyone who had a turn (I never had the time) with her dragon deck.
• Food was excellent. Everything was themed in the Mayan flavors from shredded beef arepas to chicken fajitas to scallop ceviche. 
• Signature drinks: Flaming Prophecy (flaming mai tai) and Virgin Sacrifice (blood orange margarita). 
• Dave's haul was $175 in cash and gift cards.
• There was plenty to do and there was never a "boring part," or not that I noticed.
• The fire dancing was amazing, especially the flaming sword!
• Greg called me "drunky" when I told him not to drive my car like a grandma. I was unable to drive, but you don't do 38 in a 45 in a Civic, c'mon.
• Service was great by the catering staff.
• The cake was delicious (vanilla with strawberries and chocolate with vanilla) and a conversation piece. It ran with raspberry "blood" as we sang Happy Birthday, and Dave rolled one of the fondant heads down the temple. 
• Paul yelled at everyone to "shut the fuck up while I take this picture," because he's going to be a children's portrait photographer, obviously.
• Everything happened more or less on time and went smoothly.
• Most everyone invited was able to attend and it was a good crowd who mixed well together. 
• I was $120 under budget.

Things that didn't go perfectly:

• The original caterer I had lined up died suddenly and unexpectedly in October.
• The playlist would not play in order and was random.
• The outdoor tables wanted to blow over, which we fixed with rocks.
• The bartender didn't know how to flame a drink, but learned.
• Ran low on liquor and had to make a quick run.
• It was cold and windy. That threw off the fire eaters and made everyone huddle inside. It also kind of killed the lantern effect in the pool as they were all blown to one section. 
• Fireworks were supposed to last a lot longer, but got set off all at once.

Our time capsule included:

• Team Snooki sticker
• Box printed with angles of a girl that is an art gallery invitation inside
• Nivea lip balm
• Crumpled dollar bill
• Neuticles ad - fake testicles for animals
• Knock-off iPod Shuffle with ear buds
• Bottle of cinnamon whiskey
• Humping robot from Robot Chicken
• Katsuma McDonalds toy
• Justin Bieber CD - Felipe had to go to 3 stores to find it - that's dedication!

Thanks to everyone who came. It was a killer rock star party!

Video Playlist includes the fire dancers/eaters and fireworks.

Photos from set up to party's end. They're displaying in reverse order for some reason. Start at the end. They are unedited. I think you can right-click and take a copy from here. If you want any, just ask. If you want any of you taken down, just ask.

If you loved my services and would like to utilize them:
Cakes by Emily: 305-926-9038
Performers: DangerFun
Caterer: Chef Chris Bulgarin
Fireworks: Neptune

Look Younger

I get told all the time that I look 10 or more years younger than I am. I find it annoying, especially professionally as I don't think people take a younger therapist as seriously, but also know that it's not something I should complain about.

Recently, I was reading Natural Health magazine and the entire issue was devoted to things you can do to look younger. I was reading it just because I had it, not for the tips. The tips, it turns out, are things I already did, that seem common sense to me. I suppose not all common sense is so common, so here, without any advertisements, any product placements, or recommendations (unlike the magazine, which has to fund itself) is the list of things that you can do to look younger. This information is unisex.

For your face:

• Sleep - Get enough sleep every single night. Now you won't have bags or dark circles. 
• Wash - Wash your face with a gentle foaming wash 1-2 times daily. Use your hands and warm water.
• Toner - Once daily, after washing, use a toner that does not sting all over your face/neck. Use a cotton ball.
• Serum - In the morning, after your face wash/tone, use eye serum under and around your eyes. Serum is lighter than moisturizer and your eye skin is thinner, so it'll soak in better/faster and not cause drooping or extra weight. You can put this all over your face, if you want, but serums are usually more expensive than moisturizers, so save money by using 2 products. Use your ring finger as it has the least pressure of any finger - true.
• Moisturize AM - Then, put moisturizer lightly all over your face and neck. Use your fingers.
• Base - If you wear makeup, use a base before you put it on. This protects your pores from getting makeup gunk in them. I'm not going to give you any tips on makeup as I feel that personal style varies widely.
• Wash Off Makeup - When you get home from where ever you were that you wanted makeup on, wash it off when you get home or at least before bedtime. Never sleep in your makeup. The less you wear it, the less scrubbing your skin takes. You can use your foaming wash for this and your hands, but if you use "waterproof" makeup, you'll need remover (or baby oil) and a cotton ball.
• Moisturize PM - Before bed, put moisturizer all over your face, it should not be thick and sticky, just moist. Use your fingers.
• Exfoliate - Once a week, use an exfoliating scrub with a soft washcloth and cool water. 

For your body/skin:

• Exercise - Exercise a few times a week - sweating is good for removing the junk in your pores and keeps your skin elastic.
• Shower - Shower after your exercise to get the dirt and sweat off your pores and out of your hair. Plus, you want to smell good. 
• Hydrate - Drink lots of water every day. Skin sags with dehydration and it helps you coloration not be sickly. 
• Eat Right - Eat good foods, of course. Garbage in, garbage out. Limit your caffeine, your sugar, your alcohol and drugs, and anything you know really isn't good for you. 
• Sunblock - Whenever you're going to be in the sun, even for 10 minutes, even in the shade, wear sunblock. If you wear makeup, wear one with sunscreen in it. Same with lotion. SPF 45 is sufficient for anyone.
• Lotion - If you have cleavage, rub some lotion/moisturizer on there every day or so to reduce wrinkles. Similarly, if you have any rough/dry patches of skin, lotion those, too. Remember that hands and feet age fast, so remember to lotion those and wear UV gloves if you get gel manicures or you'll look like Angelina Jolie with her skeleton hands!

For your hair:

• Wash - Wash your hair every couple of days. Generally, washing daily strips the natural moisture out and makes it unnecessarily dry and fly-away. For most people, 2-3 times a week is sufficient. If you sweat more, wash more, but it's really lifestyle based. A shampoo should be clear, not opaque. Wash the roots, not the ends, and let the shampoo simply fall down your back washing the middle and ends. Do not make a pile of hair on top of your head as that overworks and breaks the strands. Massage the scalp with shampoo and rinse off, easy. If you have dandruff, use a dandruff shampoo then a moisturizing shampoo.
• Gentle - Go easy on the treatments. Anything you do ruins your hair, so don't do much to it. Learn to be happy with your natural color and texture and work with it. If you can't do that yet, then learn to go as easy as possible. Do these things as infrequently as possible as they all make it damaged in the long run: blow-drying, curling, flat ironing, crimping, teasing, dyeing, perming, highlighting, frosting, you get it, right? Natural is healthier. And the less products you put in it, the better also.
• Condition - Don't buy conditioner; it weighs hair down and creates its own set of problems. Use a leave-in conditioner after you've towel-dried your hair. Look for any product with argan oil as it's good for keeping ends from splitting. Apply gently. If you have long hair, use a wide-toothed comb to get the product all the way through.

Shopping list:

1. foaming wash for face (and can be for body)
2. toner (non-stinging)
3. cotton balls (for the toner and removing makeup from eyes if necessary)
4. exfoliating scrub
5. soft washcloth
6. moisturizer (lightweight)
7. eye serum
8. sunscreen (SPF45)
9. lotion
10. clear shampoo
11. leave-in conditioner w/argan oil

Again, I'm not affiliated with any products or companies related to beauty, so I don't care what you use. I like Clinique because their products seem gentle on my skin and they don't animal test or use animal byproducts. But that's my preference. You can get stuff from the grocery store wherever you live that meets the minimum standards I set forth here and can spend a minimum amount on them. If you like your products scented or with glitter or whatever it is you like, go for it. The magazine had all sorts of suggestions, but there's no need to spend a bundle on basic tasks of living.

Blanket and Brick

List as many uses as you can think of for each of these items: a blanket, a brick. You can take about 5-10 minutes if you like, but you'll probably tap yourself out in the first few minutes anyhow. You may not ask anyone else for input on this.

That's the whole thing. I'll tell you what it means afterward.

I'd love to see your answers posted in my comment section. Please do not read on if you'd like to play, but come back after you've posted. I'll leave you some blank space to play along.























So what was that? The short answer is: this is a form of IQ testing.

This article

http://thisbrazenteacher.blogspot.com/2008/12/testing-intelligence.html

explains it very well and from whence it came (the book Outliers which I'm currently listening to on audio book). What the article leaves out, is that there is a problem with college acceptance (as noted in the book), where colleges do not merely make a pile of "possible to be accepted" and "does not qualify" and randomly pick from the first pile. That would insure a diversity at the schools and the pictures on the brochures would match the personalities of those who attend. Instead, they painstake over details and include things like Legacy as criteria, which changes the playing field for attendants. Gladwell, in the book, suggests they give this additional test to get a truly gifted and well-rounded population.

Check out the article if you like, but if you don't want to, here's the brief info that I was going to pull off the book and send to you:

Mr. Florence has an IQ of 198, one of the highest recorded. Mr. Poole is in the average range. Here are their answers:

Florence:
(Brick). Building things, Throwing.
(Blanket.) Keeping warm, smothering fire, tying to trees and sleeping in (as a hammock), improvised stretcher.

Poole:
(Brick). To use in smash and grab raids. To help hold a house together. To use in a game of Russian roulette if you want to keep fit at the same time (bricks at ten paces, turn and throw- no evasive action allowed.) To hold the eiderdown on a bed tie a brick at each corner. As a breaker of empty Coca-Cola bottles.
(Blanket). To use on a bed. As a cover for illicit sex in the woods. As a tent. To make smoke signals with. As a sail for a boat, cart or sled. As a substitute for a towel. As a target for shooting practice for short sighted people. As a thing to catch people jumping out of burning skyscrapers.

Don't you feel smarter than a mega-genius?

Further, what do their answers say about them? Poole is funny. He's a quick thinker. He bounces from sex to violence to practicality, a complex thought process. What do your answers say about you? I'll share mine, which I think showed I am practical and a little more whimsical than I associate myself with:

Blanket:
Keep warm
Slide furniture on to move it
Hide presents under
Keep fur off the sofa
Build a fort for kids
Cover mirrors if sitting shivas (sp?)
Cover windows to sleep during the day
Insulate breakables for storage or moving
Cover tv to keep from scratching during move
Provide pet with comfort of your smell during absence
Provide puppies with warmth and softness

Brick:
Build a wall
Stabilize a short table leg
Build a fireplace
Break glass
Paperweight
Stacking contest
Weather device (if wet, raining, if frozen, snowing...)
Keep people from parking on the lawn by putting at grass edges
Enclose a flowerbed

Here are the answers of a few of my friends, with names removed.

Blanket:
cover to sleep
cover to protect plants from frost
sit on at a picnic or concert
keep winter born farm animals warm
wrap baby - swaddle style or papoose style
cover furniture where pets like to sit/sleep
Indian blankets hang like a tapestry
hang for window covering
stuffing for Santa Claus costume
wrap in a roll for neck wrest
wrap in a roll and set at bottom of door for drafts
use as upholstery/pillow covers
make a quick sack

Brick:
to make all types of buildings
make a brick oven for bread/pizza
fireplace
heat and use in winter to warm bed and boots
use as a lift for potted plants to drain
hold the door open
knock someone out
use for sidewalks
engrave for memorials, charity bricks, etc.
crush and use as filler for holes
build a fire pit ring
paper weight while working outside
use as a counter weight
break a window

***

Blanket:

to keep warm by wrapping yourself with it

to put out a fire

during a fire to stuff under the bedroom door

as a tourniquet

to set a place for a picnic

to cover yourself if indisposed

for comfort as a security blanket (Linus; Peanuts)

as a toga

to lure a cat to lay with you

Brick:

to build a house

as a heavy paper weight

as a weapon, (great blunt object)

to break into a house

to break into a car

to prop up a table

to hold open a door

to build a fireplace

to line up for an outdoor pathway (path stones)

***

Blanket:
warmth
carrying items
exercise to stretch
swaddling
putting out a fire
fanning a fire
smoke signals
as fuel for a fire
as a hammock
as a shelter
as camoflauge from the Dutch Oven Scoundrel (doesn't work)
as clothing
as art
as a cape, shawl
masturbatory aid in the closet
Michael Jackson's offspring

Brick:
weapon
weightlifting
cutting tool
stacking for wall
to write with on stone
a way to get attention by throwing
a road
a way to raise head when sleeping
a toy
a masturbatory tool (not recommended)
a weight
art
cage
kiln
fodder
cover
balance tool
leveler
ruler
pen holder
a song by Ben Folds Five

***

Blanket:
covering
send smoke signals
to carry things in
tie things off with

Brick:
building a house, walls, etc.
cooking
throwing
weapon
doorstop
way to stop vehicle from rolling

***

Blanket:
to keep warm
door/window covering
in a pinch: as a baby carrier
if cotton: cut up and used as a diaper
tied properly any piece of cloth can be used as a bag, I once used a blanket to carry a dead dog
as a drop cloth (to keep paint/dust off something)
as a temporary wall for privacy
left on a windshield overnight keeps frost off the glass

Brick:
as part of a structure (house, bookshelf, holding up an old carseat being used as a sofa)
as a weapon
as a bookend
to hold down an accelerator in a car (although I've only seen this on TV/Movies)
to prop a door/gate open

Rude People

Rude people can just "jog on" for all I care. Why would someone take the time to go out of their way to be rude? I have better things to do. Apparently I don't have better things to do than complain about it though, so enough said on the matter.

Have a wonderful day filled with the happiness you deserve and all the manners the world can offer you!

Weekend Away

My husband's company was voted the best place to work in the US in its size category. As a reward, the company invited the department my husband works for and another department (nearly everyone, it seemed) to hang out in Orlando for the weekend. What's fun is, my husband's team is half-remote, meaning they work out of state and so had to fly in, where we only had to drive up. So my husband got to meet the New Guy on his team and such. Kinda cool.

The company paid for 2 nights at the Portifino Bay hotel, which is all done in an Italian style. Their main central courtyard has fake Vespas sitting all over and lots of outdoor seating. There's a little marina, which is very quaint, and ducks therein, who come up to the "dock" to be fed in the evening. I wanted to slap the parents of the child who decided to run around chasing the ducks after a serene scene of lots of people feeding bunches of the ducks. Really, what's wrong with people? Is it so hard go say "Billy, no!" and take him somewhere more appropriate to run around? /Sigh. There were 3 pools, none of which we used, and one that showed movies on a screen in the evening for the kids. Very cool. I liked the hotel a lot, but the Royal Pacific is more to my liking as it has sentimental value and I think the decor is more my style. I think the Portifino is a "nicer" hotel, but is not my favorite of the two. We never got to have a gellato at the "gelloteria" downstairs, but we had some very nice pastries there.

Friday, the company gave everyone a half day and we drove up. We got there around 6, just as the dinner was starting, but went to our room to...relax a bit... and change clothes before going downstairs. We did the dinner reception, which was quite nice, better than I thought it would be. It had bunches of carving stations and the food was good: ceasar salad, roast turkey, roast beef, tortillini with either marinara or pesto, and a dessert and coffee bar with lots of fruits and marshmallows to dip in hot dark chocolate. Plus free drinks, of which I had several Baileys on the rocks. We spent about 2 hours there, just talking to people Dave worked with and making sure to say at least "hello" to everyone. It was nice, but hot. The weather was predicted to be in the 60s at night and 80s during the day. It was in the upper 70s or low 80s at night and 90s during the day. It was baking hot. There was a DJ and mostly just little kids danced. Same with the face painting - but I don't think adults are meant to engage in that.

Saturday we got tickets to the theme parks on the company for one day to both major parks. We've been to Universal and Islands lots of times. In fact, our passes just expired a couple of weeks ago. We could use our room key to "fast pass" the rides, meaning we never had to stand on line. There's a separate fast pass line, which includes people who used the little ticket booth to buy a fast pass to that particular ride. You get the ticket 2 hours in advance, do something else, then come back and get in the fast pass line. Its good but not nearly as convenient as using your room key instead. We did the parks super fast that way. We went over to Islands first and rode the Hulk (coaster) and Spiderman (an amazing ride), but then left there to go to the other park and ride a few things. We hit Shrek (which is a show, not a ride), then the Mummy ride (a coaster), the new Simpsons ride (which is pretty cool and in the style of Spiderman), and saw the T2 show to get in from the sun. We also had lunch in that park, which was hot dogs and chili fries, per Dave's tummy's request. We drank lots of water but it was mega hot and we both got a little sun, ruining my very even tan. :( It was still only 1pm by the time we left that park and went back to Islands. There, we rode Cat in the Hat (ride), and watched the fountain for awhile. The fountain is just a fountain, stone fountain, but it has a microphone inside and speakers. Kids will come up and the fountain will ask a question or squirt the kid with water and whatnot. Its the same things everytime, but different voices and levels of smart-alleck. We love to sit there and just chill, but they need an ice cream shop nearby. The kids always get soaked, complain they're cold or wet, then try to taunt the fountain into squirting them. the fountain refuses, of course, and goads the kids into trying again. Its good fun. We got turned around as there were walls where the walk through usually is because they're building a Harry Potter area (open in 2010). I don't think we rode anything else there, just walked a little and ate ice cream. The sun beat us both to death and we went back to the hotel to shower and cool off by watching some TV - Con Air was on.

Saturday evening I had booked us massages, so we went down to the hotel's spa and did that. Good massages which were over too fast (they always are) and they put us in the same room, which surprised us. Then we changed and took the ferry boat over to City Walk (the little area for shopping and dining and clubbing outside Universal) and had dinner and many margaritas at Margaritaville. There was a live band playing and a DJ in between sets. It was fun and the food and drinks were good. I could have stayed longer but I think we were a little too close to the band and the music was quite loud, so Dave was ready to go. After 90 min there, not one Jimmy Buffett song, which was odd to me. Upon standing, the room pulled a tilt-a-whirl on me and I realized my tasty drinks were alcoholic and had an effect. I knew I had a buzz, but it didn't hit until I stood. A moment later, I had my bearings and we dipped back to the boat and the hotel.

Sunday we slept in and drove home. On the drive home, we encountered two amazing assholes on the Turnpike. Around mile marker 183 and about to the West Palm toll plaza, there were two cars being excessively reckless. I was stunned. When I tried to call highway patrol (*FHP from your cell phone), Dave discouraged me, stating we'd have to pull over and make a report and they'd get away. I disagreed, but did hang up, frustrated that this was just going to continue to occur without punishment. There were two cars: a green Honda Civic, license plate L813MA, and a black Nissan Maxima, license plate 547KAA. The two cars would pull up alongside one another on the 2 lane highway and slow down enough to be matching their speeds (thus slowing down everyone else too) and hand some piece of paper from the driver of one car to the passenger of another. This happened THREE times. If you know of how I can report this kind of bullshit, please do comment to my blog. Its dangerous and reckless and there's no reason for it.

Oh, and also on Saturday, I bought an awesome pair of sunglasses by Maui Jim. I'm generally an Oakley-only girl, but it was at the Oakley store that I bought them, so I think I'm alright on that front. They're amazing -the layers let in just the right amount of light indoors or out and you don't squint as you step outside as they seem to adjust for you. They're fantastic.

All in all, a very good weekend. I'm quite glad the company footed the bill and it allowed us some alone time to just have fun together. Thanks to my parents for watching the boy while we were away.

Back to the work week now, I suppose. /sigh

Hermit Crabs - the real deal

I've had my hermit crabs now for only 4 months. But in that time I've done tons of research and learned a lot about the lil guys through some trial and error, but mostly by being willing to take good advice when I heard/read it. At this time, I have 12 crabs ranging from Tiny (about the size of a nickel) to medium (about the size of a golf ball or slightly larger). They all coexist nicely and have great digs.

This article is meant to be a quick guide for anyone interested in owning hermit crabs, or improving the conditions of their own crabitat.

Cost:
The initial cost is fairly high, but the monthly cost is very low. Fairly minimal cost for a pet.

Maintenance:
Feeding will be every 2 days. Water will need to be refilled every 3-7 days depending on how deep your dishes are. Cleaning will need to be done monthly. Cleaning will probably take about 30 minutes. That's it! Very low maintenance.

Painted shells:
Just a quick word about painted shells. Never! That's the word. Never. Cool? Okay. Why? Oh, alright. Paint is toxic to animals who are adapted to breathe through gills on land and they nibble the edges and it wears off in the home and eventually kills them. Good enough, huh? Plus, pets aren't decorations. Shells are beautiful. Let them be. Further, the places that make the shells and the process to get them into them is inhumane. Remember the word for painted shells? Never. Good. Moving on.

Supplies:
I'll go into detail here as to what you REALLY need to save you the time and expense of doing it "wrong" and having to go back and re-buy or do again. Bleh to that! If you'd like to see my previous attempts, (lets call it progress) you can look HERE and HERE and HERE. To save you the trials of it all, I'm going to condense it and tell you what it cost me. I'll leave out what I spent that DIDN'T need to be bought so you can do it once and do it right.

I promise you that if you buy these things, and just this, you'll have a perfect crabitat out of the box and can get your lil hermies home and happy right away.

• 20.00 20 gallon long tank - bigger is better, but this is a great size for up to medium crabs. Want it cheaper? Try FreeCycle or CraigsList or ask the pet store if they have any tanks that will not hold water. You're not putting water in, so a small crack is okay! You may get half price or even free.
• 20.00 4 hermit crabs - they are social. You need 3, get more depending on how big your tank is.
• 7.00 Instant Ocean from the aquarium section of the pet store - this is for salt water.
• 6.00 Hiding log, just taller inside than your largest hermit crab = Biggie.
• 10.00 Coco hut, textured for climbing, not the smooth ones, opening large enough for Biggie.
• 15.00 Coco mat, 10 gallon size, climbing surface on back wall of tank.
• 10.00 Flat glass lid (not mesh) to fit your tank.
• 6.00 Fluker's moss from the reptile section of the pet store.
• 25.00 Extra shells for the crabs - at least 2 each, more is better. The opening should be about the size of the current opening and some larger shells. Your crab should be able to duck inside without being lost in there, and have his big pincher cover the opening for protection from birds and such. Pet store, craft store, online sites, eBay. When you buy, ask for an extra "feeding clam shell" - a half clam shell that's fairly deep that you can give food in. Should be thrown in free.
• 8.00 Driftwood or Mopani wood or Cholla wood for climbing - Target, craft store, pet store.
• 4.00 Food dish from pet store - hamster/ferret/hermit/reptile bowls, just 1
• 20.00 Temperature and humidity gauge, digital is best, reptile section.
• 5.00 Calci-Sand, reptile section.
• 4.00 Playsand from the Home Depot - 50 pound bag. Get one from indoors, near cement.
• 2.00 Thin velcro strips with tape backs from the home improvement store.
• 4.00 Natural sea sponge - painting section of home improvement store. Not fake!
• 1.00 Gallon of distilled water from grocery store
• 3.00 Two Gladware containers at 2/3 cup each, kinda deep, deeper than Biggie.
• 5.00 Fake flowers from the craft store, include vines and whatever you think will look nice.
• 4.00 Two soap caddies from the bath section of Target with good suction cups on them.
• 1.00 Pebbles or glass marbles, just 1 small bag from craft or pet store.
• 10.00 The good food - order it online HERE - type in your species and get the "mix". If you're confused, email the site, they'll get right back to you and suggest something. They will also send you loads of free samples to try out and see what your lil guys like for next time.

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$190.00 Yeah, well...that's initial set up. After that, all you have to update is the food at $10 every 2 months or so. And if you feed them fresh stuff too, even less.

Ready to setup:
You got your supplies and you're ready to setup. Great!

• You cleaned the tank, right? You can use vinegar and a sponge if it's used. Let air dry. Crabs are sensitive to smells!
• Staple the strips of velcro to the coco mat all over the edges. Tape the other side to the tank. Adhere.
• Mix about 1 Tbsp Instant Ocean with 2 cups distilled water. I find this amount stores nicely in a used water bottle for easy pouring. Fill a second used water bottle with regular distilled water for easy carrying. Label the salt container.
• Pour enough sand in the tank to make it twice as deep as your largest crab is tall. Deeper is fine. Do think ahead to maybe you'll get bigger crabs at some point, just in case. Add salt water and mix by hand until it is sand castle consistency. You may need to make more salt water.
• Arrange your coco-hut, climbing wood, hiding log, moss pit (just kind of toss it all in a corner, or however you like), water dishes (Gladware) with the glass pebbles divided between them to coat the bottoms, food dish, feeding clam shell, sponge, and shell bins (soap caddies with suction cups) so they can get to everything. Drape your fake flowers into the water dishes so even the smallest crab can climb out should it fall in. This part takes the longest. I highly recommend that once you get it all how you like it, you leave it alone. So play all you want now. Create lots of shade (I use a hemp hammock from HERE for extra shade and climbing surface) and hiding places. Make sure they have easy access to food, water, and shells.
• Add the temperature and humidity gauge. Make sure you can see it with your decorations.
• In the feeding clam shell, put some Calci-Sand. Calcium deficiency is the number one reason for cannibalism - and you don't want any of that! Its also a necessary nutrient for molting, which is necessary as to not die - good stuff.
• In your food dish, at night time (they're nocturnal) give a pinch of your good food. If you also feed fresh, use a separate container to avoid spoiling. I replace the dried food (wiping out the bowl) every 2 nights. Fresh food must be taken out each morning. They like loads of fresh foods including fruits and veggies and plain meats - they're scavengers. Check THIS out for more information.
• Make more salt water. Fill one dish with salt water (pick which one you'll remember - I suggest the one closest to the wall or the one on the side of the hand you write with - can't mix em up) and one with distilled water. See, isn't pouring from the little bottles easier? I think so.
• Put shells in shell bins. I use a single layer, opening up. People do it all different ways. When your crabs need a shell, they'll figure it out.
• Add lid.
• Do all finishing touches.
• Add crabs, gently.

Sounds like a lot of work, but if you like decorating / arranging, its not, not really.

And that's it. You're done. All you have to do is maintain now. Simple, huh? Yep!

You'll see them wander around for awhile then settle in for a good hide. At night they'll be up and roaming again. Some scratch the glass with their feet, so they may not be good in a bedroom. Mine live in the office of our house.

Some people will say you need a heater and lights. Lights are not necessary. A heater is necessary only when it is cold - and then depending on where you live. In South Florida I'll never need a heater.

My crabs love walnuts, honey, and plain popcorn. Its fun to try different things on them and see what they're drawn to. Remember not to give them preservatives or spices; go easy on their digestive tracts.

Here's my crabitat at present:Left side: shell bin, hiding log, shell big for large shells behind hiding log, digital gauge, substrate: Eco earth mixed with dry sand - tank is very humid.

Center: moss pit in plastic bath bin (to keep the moss out of the water dishes), mopani wood in the back, sea sponge, coco hut, hemp net held up by aquarium suction cups

Right: water dishes near front, fake flowers to climb out of the water, two cholla logs, coco hut, shell bin, food dish in back, two shell food dish in front corner attached to driftwood (worm casings in one side, calci-sand in the other)

Movies with Numbers in the Title

Someone at work was telling me she and her boyfriend were waiting for a table at a restaurant and started compiling a list of movies with numbers in the title. Dave and I tried last night and got a pretty good list going.

Ordinals (first, second, last) do not count. Sequels do not count.

How many can you think of?

NeoPets

I play this time-waster site called NeoPets. Its a virtual pet, but it never dies so upkeep is low. There's loads of games to play in all types of categories. Its free and addictive. If you're interested, check it out by clicking on my brown Ixi below.

Best Movies to Impact Our Generation

I'm a Gen Xer. My friend Greybarr and I were talking about the must see movies of our generation and I was looking for a place to compile a list for a few days before I remembered I had a blog. Duh. Alrighty then.

Must see movies are not necessarily the best movies. Some things that make a movie must-see are the content and some things are the parody and quotes from it. For instance, some old must-see movies include: Soylent Green, Psycho, West Side Story, and Citizen Kane.

The parameters are still under construction, but here is part of the list:

Idiocracy - 2007
Holy Grail - 1975
Usual Suspects - 1995
Pulp Fiction - 1994
Reservoir Dogs - 1992
Pump Up the Volume - 1990 (hawkke)
Princess Bride - 1987 (hawkke)
Heathers - 1989
Clerks - 1994 Proof that we cannot eliminate black and white films from the list
Dogma - 1999
Chasing Amy - 1997
Matrix - 1999
Interview with a Vampire - 1994
Silence of the Lambs - 1994
Lost Boys - 1987
Face Off - 1997 (dave)
True Romance - 1993 (dave)
Breakfast Club - 1985
Memento - 2000 (hawkke)
Good Will Hunting - 1997 (hawkke)
Eternal Sunshine on a Spotless Mind - 2004 (hawkke)
Goodfellas - 1990
With Honors - 1994 (hawkke)
Empire Strikes Back - 1980 (hawkke)
Aliens - 1986 (hawkke)
Terminator 2 - 1991(hawkke) - wait, T2 but not T1 - 1984? That's not right.
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - 1989 hawkke
Wayne's World - 1992
Austin Powers - 1997
28 Days Later - 2002
Shaun of the Dead - 2004
Kung Fu Hustle - 2004
Indiana Jones & the Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981(dave)
Remo Williams - 1988
Fargo - 1996
Goonies - 1985
Jerry Maguire - 1996
Pay it Forward - 2000
Kill Bill - 2003
Being John Malkovich - 1999
Lord of the Rings - 2001
Die Hard - 1988(dave)
Office Space - 1999
The World According to Garp - 1982
Dead Poet's Society - 1989
Forrest Gump - 1994
Dazed and Confused - 1993