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frost Safehome Inspection - Quality Home Inspections in Denver Colorado - Subscribe
Safehome Inspection - Quality Home Inspections in Denver Colorado
by FrosT

Introduction
Well we are in the midst of buying a house and with a contract in place it was time to do a Home Inspection to make sure there were no hidden hazards in the house that should be taken care of before we purchase the house. Well Tony Siegert of Safehome Inspections performed our home inspection, well the results were better than anticipated.

Initial Greeting
When Tony arrived he provided us with a packet including a survey to fill out after the inspection, candy, and mold/radon information packets. After the introductions had taken place Tony, Lyndsey and I ventured into the house to get started on the Home Inspection performed by Safehome Inspections. Tony took the time to explain the process he generally goes through when doing an inspection and gave us a detailed background of his experience and his love for the job of inspecting homes. Tony Siegert has 3 years of Home Inspections under his belt plus 8 or so years of doing remodeling/contract work on homes.

The 8 years of remodeling gives him more credibility as he can honestly tell you items that need to be fixed and the difficulty level/seriousness of the flaw in the house. While giving building tips throughout the inspection Tony did not hesitate to thoroughly explain and answer any and all questions we provided him with. Well after that initial discussion we started with the 2nd level floor.

2nd Level Floor
The 2nd level floor of our new house is very important as that is the main living space where our office and the master bedroom will reside. Tony first went through all the bedrooms briefly looking for cracks and other such hazards. On the good side no major cracking had happened on the upstairs floor. Although there was a fire hazard with a light fixture in the closets, he explained the hazard and told us three separate solutions that would solve that hazard, keeping our options open. After going through each bedroom briefly we ventured into the attic. I went up there with Tony and he pointed out that there was no mold, which means the roof is in good standing condition and is not leaking. Although we needed more insulation the attic looked great.

Now that we know the roof and attic are in good condition with no mold or signs of leak we went back to each bedroom to take pictures and do a more thorough examination. Next he inspected the window seals and vents in each bedroom. The windows were aluminum which can be undesirable as they do not keep the cold out or heat in but they were reinforced with a storm window which tells us there is no need to replace the window seals.

Now it is onto the bathrooms. The hall bathroom looked decent with the exception of needing caulking, the linoleum replaced and needing shutoff valves installed it looked fine. The master bathroom was another story. There was a lot of water damage due to the shower door not being closed, old gaskets for the toilet that need to be replaced, which is fine as those two bathrooms are back to back we are going to plan on tearing down the dividing wall and combining the two bathrooms to make one big master bathroom. Tony agreed that it would be best due to the extensive damage in the master bathroom from that shower. Well now that we thoroughly inspected the 2nd level of the home it was time to move to the main living area.

Main Living Area
Walking down the stairs it was noted that we needed to provide rail guards as there were spots without them above 36" tall. After that Tony walked around the living room inspecting the vents, windows and walls. The walls had minor cracking that are not of any real concern. One window had a small crack in it that will eventually need to be replaced. Other than those minor details the living area looked decent. Now it was onto the Main area bathroom.

This bathroom actually had a shutoff valve which was good, but needed to be tightened as it was leaking anytime it was touched. After replacing the linoleum and doing a few touchups this bathroom will be in a good working condition. Now onto the Kitchen!

The Kitchen needs quite a bit of work done. First of all it holds the washer and dryer, which is fine and up to code but Lyndsey and I would prefer them to be downstairs in an unfinished bedroom. The cabinets are in pretty bad shape and are broken, Tony suggested we go to a spot on Wadsworth and 70th (or 77th) where people give their old cabinets away and any profits made from that goes straight to habitat for humanity. I am glad he informed us about that as that may be able to save us a lot of money. Tony than inspected the sink and noted a few links and suggested a few changes that will make the sink work a lot better. The counter tops were good and are not in need of immediate action. The floor in the kitchen was tile which was broken up in a lot of places. We are planning on replacing that with hardwood floor anyhow and Tony noted that underneath the tiles the floor is very sturdy. Now onto the Patio!

The Patio
Tony inspected the Patio and pointed out a few changes that need to be made. First of all the swamp cooler (which we are going to get rid of) is blocking the power box which can be very dangerous. The next was the natural gas pipe that was put there for a grill/stove. It needs to be either mounted to the house or removed completely. I think we will just remove the pipe for now until we figure out what we want to do with the patio on the house. The fence looked in good working condition and the overhang looked structurally sound also. Although the dryer vent was very dirty everything else looked good.

The Basement
The basement will have the 2nd most work needed to be done aside from the kitchen. In the family room area the ceiling will need to be replaced as there was extensive water damage done at some point in time. That job should not be too much work just getting the drywall and cutting out the old drywall. Cables will need to be fished through the walls because I want them that way.

The next room was the water heater/furnace. The water heater is brand new but had a pipe that was slanted which should be sticking straight down going into the drain, a potential safety hazard. The furnace needed to be cleaned and someone to come and set the settings for proper use as there was some scorching going on. There were no gas leaks which is a huge plus. Also the current door needs to be replaced with a door that was better ventilation for the furnace to work better.

The bedroom in the basement was recently finished and looked great; there were no real flaws with this bedroom at all. The other "bedroom" is unfinished which is good because that will be the new laundry room. While in the furnace room Tony pointed out that the dryer vent was disconnected there, which needs to be replaced. The location of where the vent comes out is very ideal especially since Lyndsey and I want to move the washer and drying into that unfinished room. It will make that processes much easier. After showing us a few tips for when we move the washer and dryer down into the basement we moved onto the basement bathroom.

The shower will need some work. One wall has extensive water damage and will need to be replaced. The flooring is good, it just needs to be cleaned up and have some caulking done. The shower door needs to be raised a few inches instead of being level with the ground. The sink and toilet looked fine and worked fine with the same theme and fixes as the other bathrooms.

Ending Notes
Tony Siegert from Safehome Inspections did an awesome job for our home inspection of our first home. Should we buy another home I will definitely contact Tony from Safehome Inspections to be the man to inspect our home. I highly recommend Tony because he is very passionate about his job and it really shows in the quality of the inspection. Thanks Tony for helping us be re-assured about our new Townhome.

Safehome Inspection
Tony's information:
www.safehomeinspection.com
info [-at-] safehomeinspection [-dot-] com
Phone: (720) 939-8669
0 Comments
Mood: Safe
KeyWords: safe, safehome, inspection, inspections, quality, assurance, affordable, tony, siegert, inspector, home, buying, selling, denver, colorado, review

frost Buying Our First Home in Lakewood Colorado Sep 14th, 2006 - Subscribe
Buying Our First Home
by FrosT

Introduction
My wife and I are buying our first home. We wanted to purchase a home in January of 2007 but while at work a co-worker mentioned that they were selling a Town home for way under market value as she needed it sold by January of 2007. Well the deal was tremendous for the house. Here are the specifics on the house:

-2,344 SQ Ft
-4 Bed 3.5 Bath
-Partial Finished Basement
-3 Stories
-Patio
-3 Parking Slots

The price she was asking for is $135,500. Around $40,000 under market value! Basically just by buying it we are making around $40,000. Now the house is in pretty bad condition right now. It needs all new carpeting, paint, cabinets, and some drywall repairs. Figuring it out, if we put around $5,000-$8,000 into the house the value appreciates a lot more. Hopefully we can put that money into the house and live in it for a year or two and than turn around and sell the house and make $40,000-$60,000 to put towards another house that is a little better but needs similar work. Do the same thing to that house and have a goal within 15 years to have enough money to completely buy a house with no mortgage payments.

The location of the house is very close to where I work, which will also save us in gas money. Although the mortgage payment is quite high, we would rather live in this house than rent an apartment for another year. We hate apartments because the only people who live there are noisy college students who do not know what being courteous is.

For those of you who are wondering the process we took once we found the house for us I will line it out right now:

Step One
First things first, we had to make sure we qualified for the house. We contacted a Mortgage Broker and gave him the low-down and what we were doing and wanting to do. He told me what paperwork we had to get him so he could run the credit check and find out what type of loan we had to do. We qualified for an FHA (Federal Housing Accommodations) which is a typical loan for first time home buyers. Now that we are approved for a $140,000 loan he went over how much we had to pay at closing. Basically we are writing the contract for $4,500 over the asking amount so that I do not have to pay any closing costs. The seller will pay for all closing costs with that extra $5,000 attached to the loan. Now the FHA loan requires us to put 3% of the total loan down on the house from our own pocket. That part we were not expecting, but that is alright. Out of pocket to close and finalize the house we are only paying $4,500. Better than what it would have been if we had a Real Estate broker and agent involved.

Step Two
The next step was to write up the contract. The lady who is selling the house has a friend who does Real Estate on the side. He said he would write up the contract for us. Well we are not to keen on this part so after we have the contract written up we are going to hire our own lawyer to look it over basically to just make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed and make sure that there is not something in the contract that was over looked that will end up biting us in the butt. The contract is suppose to be done today and I am meeting with her friend who does Real Estate. Hopefully this goes over smooth without any confusion and minimal errors.

Step Three
We are not on this step, but after the contract has been signed I need to send it over to my mortgage broker so he can look over it and give it to the under-writers who will then qualify us officially for the loan. After this I am not sure where to go next other than the actual closing. If there are any extra steps I will be sure to create a new blog and link it here.

Anyhow thanks for reading, any questions feel free to comment and I will answer them as best as I can. I will also post an email address for my mortgage broker, who we are very happy with in hopes to generate a little more business for him in the Denver, Lakewood and Jefferson County area.

Rodney Shuster
rod [-@-] shusterinc [-dot-] com
Denver Colorado Mortgage Broker
0 Comments
Mood: Great.
KeyWords: real, estate, home, buy, FHA, first, time, buyer, mortgage, broker, denver, colorado, lakewood, shusterinc, steps, howto, tips

frost Back to PHP, Database and Web-based Programming Sep 7th, 2006 - Subscribe
Back to PHP and Web-based Programming
by FrosT

Introduction
Well due to certain circumstances I have decided to start programming again. If you or someone you know needs a program created please contact me at frost [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com or david [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com or using the Contact Form. Let's go into what I can do.

Programming Background
I started programming when I was 13 (currently 21). I am a self-taught individual who loves to think outside the box when it comes to a job. I have a 2-year associate's degree in computer programming. While taking all programming classes in college I received a 4.0 in every class, really I was smarter than the teacher so I opted out to just take online classes and never had to read any of the lessons.

I can currently program PHP, Java, JavaScript, AJAX, ASP, ASP .NET, VB .NET, C#, C++ and just about any other language that gets thrown at me. PHP and JavaScript are the ones I am most fluent in.

Database Integration
Ever wanted a website where users can login and be notified of new services, discounts or pay their balance due? Well with my knowledge of database programming and the use of PHP this can be a very real solution to you. I love working with MySQL databases and creating database schemes. All my databases are created in the 3NF (3rd Normal Form) and created for highest optimization.

Creating and working with a database has to be my favorite part about a project, if you get the database just right than everything else will fall into place.

Object Oriented Programming (OOP)
Object Oriented Programming can prove to be very efficient when coding to resolve errors and easily add/remove certain features that are wanted and needed. Coding in OOP or Object Oriented Programming has been very successful for me in creating fast and efficient websites, such as Aeonity.com and various other projects that I have done over the years. My standards for when I program are to make the code so if you decide to go with someone else to modify the code after the project is said and done anyone who knows OOP can easily step in and do whatever they need to do without having to shift through messy code.

PHP Programming
PHP Programming is definitely my favorite language to program in. With enough power and an open help directory at PHP.net it’s the most logical choice for programming on the web. I have created many different with PHP including web-fetching movie listings, blog websites, content management system, articles, and many others. Soon I will have an example of the movie listings web-fetched I created as it will be open source in a couple of days. Check back for a link on how to download that code, I guarantee it is worth a look.

JavaScript Programming
JavaScript programming ties right into AJAX. I love playing with AJAX as that idea came to me years ago and I could never figure out how to make a call back to the server without refreshing the page. AJAX has provided me with the functionality I have been wanting for a long time. Aeonity is currently using AJAX for certain parts of the website, such as the chatbox and online users. I am hoping to expand the AJAX functionality further for Latest Entries, Newest Users and hopefully in the aspect of creating a blog with automatically saving drafts in intervals for those little mis-haps that can happen.

AJAX is paving the path for the future of web based programming and is setting a high standard. Google.com has implemented AJAX and made its name popular to many with its GMail and Google Maps technology. For truly dynamic content and less page reloads for the end user AJAX is the key.

Ending Notes
If anyone is interested I will bill on a project to project basis. Contact me through email or the contact form and I will talk with you and get a feel for what needs to be done and quote you my price for creating that project. I always get half down up front and than the other half after the project has finished.

Come on; let's spruce up your website with database integration for your end-users. I guarantee that will love that functionality on your website.
0 Comments
Mood: happy-happy-joy-joy
KeyWords: php, program, programming, database, ajax, php, sql, mysql, javascript, asp, vb, .net, oop, object, oriented, scripts, custom, code

frost Form Real Time Data Checks Using AJAX Aug 31st, 2006 - Subscribe
Form Real Time Data Checks Using AJAX
by FrosT

Introduction
Filling out forms has always been a pain in the butt throughout the history of the internet. I always hated filling out a form to figure out when I hit the "submit" button I had an error and whoops! The form was erased. Than you beat your computer for 5 minutes and than go back to filling out the form hopefully right this time. Well I ask you this, why do a Postback to check data when you can check it as the user fills out the form.

In this article I will be describing ways to use AJAX for error checking purposes and putting this technology of Javascript and XML to good use.

What Needs to be Checked?
Before we go anywhere we need to ask ourselves, what form fields need to be checked? We may want to check all fields, including optional, or we may want to just check the required and do nothing with the optional fields. First you need to figure out what needs to be checked before being entered into a DB. For example, a date field would probably need to be checked for correct formatting and making sure it is a valid date.

Password Form Checking Logic
Alright here is an example, in words, on how to setup a data check using AJAX on a Password input box. First we need all the AJAX code, too bad I will not provide any. Do research. I will provide logic, you must do the code. Sorry folks. After that there are many different ways to setup the check. If JavaScript is powerful enough for you to verify a password than hey that works, simply use the onkeypress event to check it every step of the way. If that will not due for many reasons here is how AJAX would help you out.

Create the form with the password fields. Next apply the AJAX connect code. Now create a file and call it something like ajax_passwordchk.php. Inside this file will be your logic for checking a password. Now on the input box's for the password field do an onBlur. When they leave the text field the onBlur event will call up the javascript ajax and send the field data to the PHP file. The PHP file will do the checks you define and return a string, a value or something that you can than use to either alert the user that their password is too weak, or does not match the check password field and than send them back to the password box.

Using this logic you can create a pretty cool little check. If you wanted to you could do the onkeypress that updates a label to the side of the password box that tells the user in real-time if the password is too weak, ok, strong, or very strong. If you really go out of your way you can even make suggestions right there given the password they entered. For instance if they used "toilet" you could suggest "t0!l3T" to beef up the password.

Ending Notes
There is the logic that can be used to create a real-time password check on a form using AJAX and PHP. I am sorry no code is provided, there are reasons I will not provide code on blogs, the main reason is my blog is not for showing off code that is what a website is for. Sorry folks, no free code from this blog. If you would like custom code feel free to contact me for a price at frost [-at-] aeonity [-dot-] com.
1 Comments
Mood: unknown
KeyWords: ajax, programming, javascript, password, code, php, technology, xml, submit, form, check, data, logic

frost Asynchronous Javascript and XML Introduction Aug 22nd, 2006 - Subscribe
Asynchronous Javascript and XML Introduction
by FrosT

Introduction
After thinking for a long time I have found a good topic to write about. AJAX or Asynchronous Javascript and XML. AJAX is a recently acknowledged language that combines Javascript and XML into one to provide us with truly dynamic content on a web page that was never though possible before. AJAX hit mainstream once Google.com the search engine giant and guru made use of AJAX inside of it's web applications. Well Aeonity.com has recently started using this technology to improve its website and allow users more ways for interaction with each other. Enough of that, lets go in to detail about how Aeonity.com uses AJAX, Asynchronous Javascript and XML.

Web based Chat
Web based chat has been an issue that many sites have wanted for a long time. It used to be you had to have Java, a Sun Microsystems program to run any type of chat. The Java chat would require the Java client and a connection to an IRC channel/server for the chat to be utilized by people. Well not everyone had the Java client and if they did their browser may not support the version they are using. This caused a problem with a lot of web masters wanting a chat that will work for almost anyone without having to download any extra software.

This is where AJAX comes into play. As you can tell on the index page of Aeonity.com AJAX makes it possible for a web page to connect to a database and provide us with a chat in real time without having a page refresh. How this works is there is a Javascript file with code on the back end. When someone hits the submit button, the button does not register on the page but it accesses this Javascript file. The Javascript file than sends a query string to a particular file which in return connects to a database and does error checking etc. Once that is done data is then sent back to the web page via an httprequest, this is where the XML comes into play, which is written to the page dynamically using javascript'swonderful features. Once that is done we format the data that was returned and than display it nicely and update the page to show us what was recently added to the chat.

Users Currently Online
AJAX is very versatile and powerful. In this sense we can show users currently online with little to no delay unlike before. When a user comes online we can send a signal to a file to retrieve the user information and display it on the page. This combined with session data and AJAX we can show users who are currently online. With a more in depth audit trail we can show more information about the user also if desired. Like the current web page they are viewing, how long they have been on the web page, and when they leave the page. Using this logic we can show when a user has logged off and update the current users online instead of having to time them out after a certain amount of time (usually 5 minutes). This can also be seen on Aeonity.com in the Web based chat area also.

Ending Notes
In short AJAX has brought on a new wave for the computer and Internet guru's. It allows for them to use fairly simple code and provide users with truly dynamic content that is generated at the click of a button without a refresh of a page, and is shown to an end user without any interaction at all. Keep in tune because there may be more AJAX tips and tricks to come of what I learn in my experience coding AJAX, Asynchronous Javascript and XML.
1 Comments
Mood: recumbent
KeyWords: AJAX, javascript, script, java, xml, tutorial, introduction, chat, web, based, software, coding, programming, program, application

frost Howto: Secure Your Wireless Network Jul 10th, 2006 - Subscribe
Howto: Secure Your Wireless Network
by FrosT

Introduction
Securing your wireless network is essential to businesses and for personal use. With how easy it is to secure your wireless network there should be no excuse for your network to go un-secured. Let's start off with the essentials for securing a wireless network.

Wireless Network Security Tools
First off you will need a router if you do not already have one. A wireless router plays multiple roles in securing your wireless network. First it provides a hardware firewall. Hardware firewalls are great because they work a ton better than software firewalls and your computer does not have to run the extra software; which in return means you get better performance from your computer. Next, wireless routers allow you to control your wireless settings, as for wireless access points I am not sure of. Having total control of the name, whether to broadcast the SSID, or having the wireless network encrypted is essential for your personal security.

If you chose to get a router or not you will need software to generate a WEP Encrypted 128-bit Key. I say to get the software because whether the router has the feature enabled or not, the WEP key generator software is very handy to have incase a friend says, "To get into my wireless simply use the passphrase 'duck124n0th3r0k!@'" you can gain access to his wireless network. If you want to use the passphrase download the Free WEP Key Passphrase Generator. If you need a quick WEP Key you can use this Free WEP Key Online Generator.

Now that we have certain security tools needed to secure our wireless network, let's get started.

Generating a WEP Encrypted Key
Generating a WEP Encrypted Key requires certain precautions. First of all do not use a weak WEP Passphrase, such as "Duck1". The weaker the passphrase the easier it is for someone to go through with a Dictionary cracker and gain access to your wireless network. The standard I use when generating any passphrase is to make it at least 15 characters, lower and uppercase letters, 3 different numbers, 5 different letters and at least 2 special characters. For instance I would say I have a dog named Hubert who is 14 and we go Hubert in the year 2001. HuB3rT@20!01mYd0G.10-02. Where there may be a slight chance that I would remember this if I ever lost my WEP Encrypted Key.

I would suggest before downloading any software check your router to see if the router offers a free WEP Encrypted Key Generator. If it does that generator will do just fine for encrypting our passphrase for us.

Allowing Certain MAC Addresses
For more security you can take another step to allow only certain MAC addresses. A Mac address is located on a modem, router, hub, Ethernet card, or wireless network card. Everyone has a different and unique MAC address that stays static. Most routers allow for you to Allow/Disallow certain MAC addresses. This step can be considered overkill. It just depends on how secure you want your Wireless Network to be. In order to only allow specified MAC Addresses you need to gather the MAC Address from any computer you want to access your Wireless Network.

To grab the MAC Address of the Wireless Network Card simply turn on that particular computer and go to Start than to Run type "CMD" (without quotes) and hit "Ok" than on the screen that pops-up type "ipconfig" (without the quotes). You should see a list of Local Area Connections; grab the one that looks like your wireless card. Write the number/letters down and enter into the Router. This will allow that Wireless Network Card with that MAC Address to gain access to your wireless network. Repeat this step for multiple cards/computer/laptops. Once you have the entire list of wireless network cards that you need on the list simply save it.

Ending Notes
Securing your Wireless Network is a great idea no matter who you are. I highly suggest the WEP Key with MAC Address filtering. Just remember that hackers and crackers are out there and these steps provided are prone to be broken into. At least make them work for getting access to your wireless network. Trust me; taking these steps will eliminate 95% of people from breaking into your wireless network. Just remember I take no responsibility for any damages done or caused by these steps, use at your own risk and if the data is sensitive enough do it through a Hardwired network.
2 Comments
Mood: Wireless
KeyWords: wireless, wep, key, free, generator, passphrase, encrypted, security, tools, network, mac, address, filter

frost Backup Registry Using Windows NTBACKUP Jun 26th, 2006 - Subscribe
Backup Registry Using Windows NTBACKUP
by FrosT

Introduction
Backing up Windows Registry can prove very helpful well your system goes corrupt. The act of backing up data can be very wise and is an operation that is practiced by many. Today I will describe to you how to backup core files in a Windows XP system using programs that comes with Microsoft Windows. Particularly the software called NTBackup. Well let's dive right in to the world of Backups.

Installing NTBackup Windows XP Pro
NTBackup is an essential part of backing up important Window files such as Registry settings and boot settings. Since we need NTBackup let's make sure you have it. If you have Windows XP Pro, it should have been installed by default. In order to access NTBackup you must click Start > Programs (or All Programs) > Accessories > System Tools > Backup If the program loads up, great! We are one step closer. If nothing seems to happen, NTBackup does not work or NTBackup just hangs on the "Loading Devices" screen try these steps to fix the NTBackup hangs problem remember DO NOT open more instances!
  1. Navigate to %SystemRoot%/System32/NtmsData
  2. Rename the file NTMSDATA to NTMSDATA.back
  3. If you did not End Process on ntbackup, wait for a minute or two, something should happen.


If you are still having issues with NTBackup even after renaming the ntmsdata file, try to reboot the system and follow those instructions BEFORE running Backup from the start menu. If all else fails try to re-install NTBackup by downloading ntbackup.msi. This NTBackup should work for you if everything else fails.

Installing NTBackup on Windows XP Home
Windows XP Home does not come with NTBackup installed by default. If you still have the Windows XP Home CD you can get the NTBackup file off that under the ValueAdd directory or you can make it easy on yourself and just download the file above and use that for the NTBackup installation. I will leave that up for you to decide.

Using NTBackup on Windows XP
Now that you have installed NTBackup and have the problems of NTBackup hanging up on you fixed let's Backup our Windows State. Windows State backups all important system files including Registry. Basically what I would do is wait until you have all the programs you will need installed, installed and than run the backup of Windows State, as I do not know if NTBackup will mess up any new programs installed, USE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

Once the initial NTBackup screen comes up click "Advanced." Clicking Advanced should pull up a Backup Utility with 3 options. Backup Wizard, Restore Wizard, and Automated System Recovery. Click on the Backup Wizard option. A wizard screen should be viewable now, click next. Now chose the radio button to "Only back up the System State Data." Click the Browse button and find a suitable place to store the Backup of your Windows System State Data which include the Registry. When a suitable place has been selected click Next and than Finish. Now your Windows Registry and all important Windows files should start backing up. This process should only take about 5-10 minutes.

NTBackup Process has Completed
Now that the NTBackup process has completed I would highly suggest storing this information on a separate hard drive, CD, or USB Jump Drive. Incase you get any virus's or bugs on your computer system you have the important Windows files backed up! To restore the backed up Windows System State data simply open up the Backup Utility and click the Restore Wizard and follow the instructions.

Ending Notes
Now that we have our important windows files and registry backed up you can breathe easier that NTBackup helped you through this process. At least Windows provided you with a backup program. Remember that this may not be 100% fool proof. I would suggest backing up all data to a separate location before you go crazy modifying any Windows based files or Registry keys.

DISCLAIMER: I take no responsibility for any actions you take that may harm your own system due to this tutorial. You do this at your own risk knowing that anything can happen. Basically be careful when changing settings on your computer as I am not responsible for any actions you take.
3 Comments
Mood: perky
KeyWords: ntbackup, backup, windows, registry

frost Remove Automatic Restart After Windows Updates Jun 16th, 2006 - Subscribe
Remove Automatic Restart After Windows Updates
by FrosT

Introdcution
Windows has always been a pain in the butt. Today's story is no different. Everyone who has a Windows machine has Windows Update, which chances are is turned to on. In the past few months I noticed Windows added an extra annoyance to Windows Updates. Anytime you install a Windows Update that requires you to restart your computer, you must restart it or be annoyed with a pop-up message every 10 minutes that gives you 5 minutes to decline or have your Windows system reboot automatically. Well thanks to some careful internet searching I have found your solution!

Windows, Let Me Chose to Restart!
Well I for one have been fed up with Windows Updates automatic restart from day one. Once I found out that it will reboot my computer, even if I am not there, really ticked me off. Reason being is I like to convert AVI files to MPG for burning onto a DVD. Well the process for converting an AVI file to an MPG file can be time consuming, so it requires at least 1 hour for a 400 MB AVI file. What I do is start the conversion process in the morning and when I get home for work viola my AVI file has been successfully converted to an MPG file, or has it? Well Windows Update has screwed me many times, enough to where I disabled Windows Update completely. I do not like the fact that I will not ever receive any more updates because now I am potentially vulnerable.

After months of searching for maybe a registry hack to disable this automatic restart after Windows Update, updates I finally found the solution. Yes, I am going to be nice enough to share the information on how you can prevent Windows Update from automatically restarting your personal computer!

Removing the Automatic Restart After Windows Updates
Just a short disclaimer, I will take no responsibility for any action you chose to take regarding this article. After you read this article, you are liable for any adverse effects this may cause to yours or someone else's computer.

Alright, first off let's click the Start button. Once the menu pulls up we can click on "Run". Now you should have a field to type in, let's type "gpedit.msc" and hit enter. Once the screen comes up click the + next to "Local Group Policy" than "Computer Configuration" than "Administrative Template" than click on the "Windows Updates" folder. In here you will find a bunch of different variables. If you click on them in the right pane there should be some definitions of what each one does. I will not go in-depth on all of them because you can obviously read. The key we are looking for is "No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates Installations". Right click on that value and hit properties. Now click on Enabled, than hit "Apply" and "Ok". Now close the Console1 window. It will prompt you to save, choose "Yes" and than "Save". Now that you have saved the settings a reboot is necessary for the policy to take effect.

Ending Notes
Now you have successfully stopped Windows Updates from automatically restarting your computer after updates have been installed. If you have any contributions to make to this tutorial feel free to do so. Breathe easier as you can now have your computer fully updated all the time without having to re-boot!
44 Comments
Mood: remove
KeyWords: remove, automatic, updates, restart, windows

frost Checker Auto Parts Sucks May 25th, 2006 - Subscribe
Checker Auto Parts Sucks

Introduction
The Checker Auto Parts in Littleton, CO off of Bowles near Southwest Plaza sucks! As most of you, who keep up with my blog, know I had an issue with my truck's gas tank having a leak in it. Well there was also a bad fuel pump in my rear tank that we needed to replace. Little did I know I was not in a huge rush to get a new fuel pump for my Ford F-150 4.9L 2WD truck! I have heard rumors about Checker Auto Parts being bad, but never really had an experience of my own with Checkers Auto Parts until now. Here is my story.

Filling Up my Rear Tank
I was putting some unleaded fuel into my rear gas tank; because of course it was empty after I started driving I noticed a pungent smell. It smelt an awful lot like gasoline. By golly it was gasoline, not just any gasoline unleaded fuel that I just barely put into my rear tank. The leak was not horrible when driving, but when my truck stopped the gasoline just dripped out of my rear tank. Well shoot I just spent a lot of time with Leif and Chancey fixing my gas tank, what could possibly be wrong now?

The Call to Leif
I called up Leif and informed him about the gas leak and what I thought the leak was. He told me that it sounded kind of fishy and he would stop by work tomorrow to help me look at the problem. After Leif got here, we dropped my rear gas tank, and found the source of the problem. The main hole where the fuel pump goes into your gas tank was not sealed tight. Luckily I kept the original gasket seal that went with the old fuel pump. Guess what happened, the new gasket that came with the fuel pump was too BIG.

Checker Auto Parts BIG Mistake
Checker Auto Parts sold me a fuel pump with only 1 gasket for my truck that was too big! Checker Auto Parts, although open late, made a big mistake by selling me only 1 gasket seal that was too big. Now I have to write this article on why Checker Auto Parts sucks. Anyhow we took the gasket seal to Advance Auto Parts and they showed me the same fuel pump for $30 less with a TON of gaskets! I could not believe it. I literally got ripped off by Checker Auto Parts. The guy at Advance Auto Parts was nice enough to let me have one from that fuel pump box, thank goodness! We put the new gasket seal on my tank and it works like a champ, no thanks to Checker Auto Parts.

Ending Notes of Checker Auto Parts Mistake
Well now that you know my story I hope you learn that Checker Auto Parts do not know what they are doing. First they attempted to sell me the wrong fuel pump and then they sold me a fuel pump with one rubber gasket seal that was too big. I will never shop at Checkers Auto Parts unless I have to. Thanks for the hassle Checker Auto Parts, Advance Auto Parts has Checker Auto Parts beat! Thanks for reading!
13 Comments
Mood: splendid
KeyWords: Checker Checkers Auto Parts Sucks Fuel Pump

frost How To: Plug Your Fuel Gas Line Hose May 17th, 2006 - Subscribe
How To: Plug Your Fuel Gas Line Hose
by FrosT

Introduction
After removing my rear tank from my Ford F-150 Pickup Truck and patching up the wholes with some J.B. Weld I had to let my rear gas tank sit for 24 hours. Driving home we had a little accident, my fuel was spilling all over. DOH! Well I will tell you how to plug your Fuel Gas Line Hose to prevent you from losing 10 gallons of gasoline fluid like I did.

Get a Stick and Plug Her
Amazingly enough the answer is simple rip off a branch from the nearest tree and than whittle the branch like you would to make a spear head. You want about 2-4 inches of stick. This way you can drive the stick deep into the fuel gas line hose and prevent any gasoline leakage. The stick can stay in there for as long as you want without the worry of corrosion or the making of napalm from certain plastics. The best part of plugging your fuel gas line hose with a stick is there is no messy cleanup once you remove the stick. Simply throw the stick away. If you are ever in a situation like I was in and you need to plug a gasoline leak fast, grab a stick and start whittling. Once the tip of your stick is small enough to fit into the fuel gas line hose than you are good, the best way to create the gasoline line plug is to whittle the stick like a cone shape. This way the stick can go deep into the line and get thicker which prevents the leaking of gasoline.

Ending Notes
This is a short entry and I only created it because I searched Google.com last night at 1:00 AM to find a solution on how to plug up my fuel gas line hose coming from my front tank to where my rear tank used to be. I ended up cutting a piece of rubber bungee cord that would hold and leak a little bit as appose to a lot of gas until I was able to find a better solution. The stick works a ton better than the bungee because the stick you can whittle to be round and slim and really drive the stick into the Fuel gas line hose. If you have any other tips for plugging a fuel gas line hose please let us know via a comment. Thanks!
5 Comments
Mood: Better
KeyWords: Fuel Gas Line Hose Plug Gasoline Howto

frost Ubuntu - Breezy Badger 5.10 - Wireless Problems May 14th, 2006 - Subscribe
Ubuntu - Breezy Badger 5.10 - Wireless Problems

Introduction
I am soo stoked! After 5 days I finally got my Dell 1370 Wireless MiniPCI Card to work on my Dell Inspiron 2200 with Linux Distribution Ubuntu - Breezy Badger 5.10 release!!!! Here are the instructions, note they were copied from HOW TO: Configure wirless cards with Broadcom chipsets

HOW TO: Configure wirless cards with Broadcom chipsets
by jonny
roadcom wireless cards are tricky to set up in ubuntu, and the forums are full of frustrated users seeking advice. Broadcom provide no Linux support (feel free to complain to your hardware vendor or choose a different card if you haven't yet shelled out your cash), but they can be made to work - and you're in the right place if you want to know how.

First, you need to find out if this How To is for you. Broadcom wireless cards come under many brand names and, in particular, are used in many Dell and Acer laptops. Look for the drivers supplied with your card (Dell usually store a copy in C:/DRIVERS/NETWORK/ADDON); if you have a file called bcmwl5.inf or bcmwl5a.inf then keep on reading. You won't succeed without following these instructions!

0. Before you start, clear out any mess from existing failed attempts to use ndiswrapper. Note that you shouldn't use a root terminal to execute the code in this how-to; use a normal terminal session instead.
Code:

sudo modprobe -r bcmwl5 sudo rmmod ndiswrapper sudo apt-get remove ndiswrapper-utils sudo rm -r /etc/ndiswrapper/ sudo rm -r /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper

Some of these steps may report errors; just ignore them.

1. Copy the bcmwl5.inf and bcmwl5.sys files to your desktop

2. Follow the advice given here under How to add extra repositories

3. Open a terminal session and enter this code. Note that you need an active network connection for this to work; I've assumed that if you have access to a wireless LAN, you also have access to a wired network as a fallback.
Code:

sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-utils sudo ndiswrapper -i ~/Desktop/bcmwl5.inf sudo ndiswrapper -m for conffile in /etc/ndiswrapper/bcmwl5/*.conf; do sudo cat $conffile | sed -e 's/RadioState|1/RadioState|0/' > $conffile done

4. Reboot your PC. On restarting, the light on your wireless card should come on. If not, try entering
Code:

sudo modprobe ndiswrapper

5. Your card is now working. Open the networking configuration tool System --> Administration --> Networking

6. Select your wireless network card (probably wlan0) and hit the properties button.

7. Tick the 'This device is configured' box, and enter your network name and connection settings. Ask your office network administrator for support if you don't know what this question means, or copy your settings from Windows.

8. BE CAREFUL entering your WEP key, if you're using one. You're expected to enter this in hexadecimal form; if you don't speak hex, prefix your key with s:

9. Click OK. The screen should close fairly quickly; if it hangs, you probably aren't connected properly.

10. Back in the Network Settings screen, select your wireless device as the default gateway device.

11. Click OK. Again, the screen should close fairly quickly.

12. Enjoy wireless nirvana. If everything works, you can delete the file from your desktop.

13. You might notice that the signal strength applet doesn't work properly. This is a known bug with these cards.

If you have trouble, try booting into Windows - if you dual boot - and checking that the card is enabled. Some laptops allow the wireless card to be switched off, usually with a special key combination, and I've not found a reliable way to make this work in Linux.

Ending Notes
I am very stoked that linux works finally with an internet connection! I plan on trying to code and learn a lot of what I can with this release! Questions feel free to ask, I am not linux expert but I would like to be one day!
4 Comments
Mood: frozen
KeyWords: Linux Wireless Breezy Dell Ubuntu

frost Ubuntu Linux Distribution- Installation May 11th, 2006 - Subscribe
Ubuntu Linux Distribution- Installation
by FrosT

Introduction
Linux, an open source Operating System software solution, has a newbie friendly version of Linux. Finally after waiting many years for an easy to install Linux Distribution one has arisen. Ubuntu, a completely free Linux Distribution, that has more than money on its mind. Ubuntu feels that no matter who you are you should not have to pay for an Operating System. Once I stumbled upon Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy Badger, I could not believe what I was reading. Ubuntu is a HUGE step for Linux. Well let's find out just how Easy Ubuntu Linux Distribution is to install.

Getting Ubuntu Linux Distribution
There is more than one way to skin a cat, same goes for getting your self a copy of the latest Ubuntu Linux Distribution. There are two ways to get Ubuntu Linux Distribtuion. First you can download the CD off of one of Ubuntu's many mirrors. Second you can actually place an order for a CD at no cost, not even a shipping & handling fee! Even you dial-up users can obtain a copy of Ubuntu relatively painless just as long as you can wait a few days for the CD to come in the mail. Now that you have your copy of Ubuntu Linux Distribution, let's get Ubuntu installed!

The Installation
Put the Unbuntu Linux Distribution CD into your CD-ROM drive and reboot your computer. Next a boot screen should appear, hit ENTER unless you know what you are doing. Now the installation process begins. You should get a total of 7-10 dialog boxes and that is it. The installation will roughly take 30-60 minutes. The biggest question you will be asked while installing the Ubuntu Linux Distribution is regarding the partition/formatting of the Hard-Drive. Do this at your own RISK! Make sure your data is backed up. After that huge question is out of the way the rest of the questions are mainly "Yes", "No", "FrosT", "password", etc.

Once the initial installation of Ubuntu Linux Distribution is complete, you must remove the CD-ROM and restart your system. If you opted to do a Dual Boot, you will be prompted of which Operating System you would like to start. Start Ubuntu and let the installation continue. Once everything is automatically setup and configured you are on your way to live without Windows.

Ending Notes
I have yet to really mess around with Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy Badger release as I am still trying to get my Dell 1370 Internal Mini-PCI Wireless card to be recognized. I will post a tutorial on how to get a Dell Inspiron 2200 1370 Internal Mini-PCI Wireless Network Controller. For now you will just have to wait, sucks huh?
1 Comments
Mood: alluring
KeyWords: Ubuntu Linux Distribution Install

frost Convert MPG MPEG to DVD Video Files May 10th, 2006 - Subscribe
Authoring/Converting MPG MPEG to DVD Video Files
by FrosT

Introduction
Please read Convert AVI to MPG MPEG for a DVD or VCD before continuing on.

Now that we have our AVI video file converted to an MPG/MPEG file, it is time to do one last conversion before our process of converting an AVI video file to a DVD video file format. Let's kick off with the required software to convert our newly created MPG/MPEG file.

Cucusoft DVD Author - MPEG to VOB Converter
Contrary to the Cucusoft AVI to VCD/DVD/SVCD/MPEG/MPG Converter software, the Cucusoft DVD Author - MPEG to VOB Converter is freeware. For being freeware, the Cucusoft DVD Author program works flawlessly. Personally, I have converted over 100 MPG/MPEG files to DVD Video Files and all worked great in my DVD Player. After you downloaded and installed the DVD Author software from Cucusoft start the program.

Converting AVI to DVD Video File VOB
Once Cucusoft's DVD Author program is opened and running let's first choose a drive to put the DVD Video Files. Usually my choice is the largest drive, but pick your poison. Next locate the MPG/MPEG file you wish to convert to DVD Video Files (VOB). After selecting the MPG/MPEG file to convert over to DVD Video Files (VOB) your next step is to click "Start to Author". The Authoring of DVD process usually takes about 3 minutes for a 1 GB file. Once the MPG/MPEG file has been Authored to a DVD Video File (VOB) you are ready to burn the newly created DVD Video Files (VOB) to a DVD with your favorite burner. I currently use Nero. Feel free to use any DVD Burning Software that allows you to burn DVD-Video Files (VOB).

Ending Notes
I will not create a tutorial on how to burn these files because I feel it is common knowledge and I would just be re-inventing the wheel. Feel free to comment, I welcome them as I am considered a newbie to video creation/edting. Thank you for reading.
13 Comments
Mood: authory
KeyWords: DVD VCD AVI MPG MPEG VOB Video Files Author

frost Convert AVI to MPG MPEG for a DVD or VCD May 10th, 2006 - Subscribe
Convert AVI to MPG MPEG for a DVD or VCD
by FrosT

Introduction
Creating a DVD from an AVI file is an adventure inside of itself. Throughout this guide we will go over the first process of converting an AVI file to a DVD plus the software needed. A lot of Video's come in an AVI file format due to the AVI compression rate and quality of the video AVI produces. Now the answer to the age old question, "How do I convert AVI to DVD?" Well listen closely because I am about to tell you.

The Right Software for the Job
Before we can convert an AVI to an MPG/MPEG file to DVD we need software that can convert AVI to MPG/MPEG. As luck has it I already found shareware software that converts AVI to MPG/MPEG for us. I am still seeking for an ad/spyware free freeware software to convert AVI to MPG/MPEG without paying. Cucusoft AVI to VCD/DVD/SVCD/MPEG/MPG Converter. Again Cucusoft is not free, you must pay for their product to use it. There is an evaluation version which is limited to file size. After you get your hands on the full version of this product, the next step is setting up Cucusoft software.

Converting AVI to MPG/MPEG Format
First let's open up Cucusoft AVI to MPG/MPEG converter. The default settings are extremely proficient. If you have no clue what you are doing, leave them at the default. If you do know what you are doing, have at it. Once you are in Cucusoft and your settings are setup let's find the file to add. I always select DVD than the Batch tab. This is because merging the files tends to have adverse affects on the 2nd video file. The adverse effects is a lag time between sound and video which bugs me beyond belief. Feel free to figure out how to remove the lag time. I would suggest using small video files first. Back to the Batch tab click "Open/Add" and locate your AVI video file to convert and add it.

You can add multiple video files at once. I would not do anymore than 3 AVI Video files at a time, as each one takes about 30 minutes to an hour for a 45 minute video depending on your processor and other variables. Once the video(s) are added to the batch, hit "Convert" and let your computer do the converting. I usually accompany this by taking a walk or going for a bike ride since your computer will be bogged down by the Cucusoft software process.

Ending Notes
After the converting process has been completed your newly created MPG/MPEG file should be a decent size. For a 350MB video file, your AVI file should end up around 1 GB. After your conversion is done let's move onto Convert MPG MPEG to DVD Video Files.
9 Comments
Mood: Converting
KeyWords: AVI MPG MPEG convert DVD VCD Cucusoft

frost Counter-Strike: Source - Gun Game Mod May 9th, 2006 - Subscribe
Counter-Strike: Source - Gun Game Mod
by FrosT

Introduction
Support Bahamut Zero for running 2 awesome GG Servers

David turned me on to Counter-Strike: Source's Gun Game. Currently I play on one main server 205.134.244.42:27015 - Bahamut Zero I CS:S :: 66 tick :: 4HM Gun Game. An awesome server with great admin's and players. Ivix, who is an admin is a good guy same with Skow although he burns me about every 4 rounds =P.

4HM's Gun Game
4HM's Gun Game is an awesome mod for Counter-Strike: Source. 4HM Gun Game is a game where you have to use every weapon in Counter-Strike: Source at least once. You start off with pistols and slowly upgrade. In order to get a level up or an upgrade you must shoot someone with the gun that is associated with the leve you are on. For example, the glock is level one. In order to advance to level 2 (the USP) you must shoot someone with a glock.

The 4HM Gun Game improves your skill and profiecency with every weapon, this way you can learn the tricks for each gun, if you do not well you have unlimited rounds to find out how to improve your skill.

Click Here for Gun Game Information

Ending Notes
Perhaps the best part about the Gun Game, and the Gun Game server I play on is that not many people know about it. This means a lot less hackers and a more personal connection with the players you are playing Counter-Strike: Source with. If you have a great Gun Game server, post it here as I will do the same.

By The Way: My favorite map has to be gg_funtimes. Great map.


List of Servers
To list your server here leave a comment!

  • 195.242.236.10:27055

  • 205.134.244.42:27015 66 tic

  • cs2.bahamutzero.com:27015 100 tic TURBO

  • hlsw://64.34.182.8:27015

  • 194.126.237.178:27015 100 tic

  • 208.100.11.90:27015 100 tic

  • 207.210.236.87:27015

  • 64.182.158.119:27016

  • 193.138.206.181:27065 **Gungame Turbo** S.C.W UK 100Tick Server

  • 216.223.3.11:27015

  • 8.9.6.164:27015 Ghosts GG Server
  • 63.209.32.19:27015 Target Dummies Gungame server 66 tic
    		•
    71 Comments
    Mood: Gun Game!
    KeyWords: Counter Strike Source Gun Game Mod 4HM

    frost Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner for MP3 Files May 9th, 2006 - Subscribe
    Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner for MP3 Files
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    Recently I have been listening to audio books on CD. I do not have a Portable CD Player, but I do have an MP3 Player. Recently I have been copying these books to my Hard Drive, than to my MP3 Player to enjoy through out the day. The only issue is the books on CD come in 12 different files per CD with an average of 6 CD's. Obviously it would be tough to keep track of which track number I am on and which disc. Well I found a solution, Join the MP3 Files together.

    Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner
    The solution, Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner. The Cool MP3 software worked great. Although Cool MP3's main focus is on splitting MP3 files, Cool MP3 does an awesome job at Joining the MP3 files. It took roughly 5 minutes to join 12 Tracks, which was equivelant to a whole CD. Here is a rough break down of the Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner features:

  • SPLIT,SPLIT,SPLIT MP3 file
  • Multi-thread technology is used
  • Low system requirements
  • Easy to use
  • All 32-bit Windows system compatiable
  • Works with 64Bit Windows XP
  • Easily Joins Multiple MP3 files.

    Get Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner
    Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner is not free unfortunately. Cool MP3 costs $10 per license, which 1 license is sufficient for home/personal use. You can visit http://www.yaosoft.com/ to purchase this software, if you have alot of files to split and join YaoSoft Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner is for you!

    Ending Notes
    Myself used the trial version before I bought Yaosoft Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner. Very impressed and was happy with the $10 I spent on my Yaosoft Cool MP3 Splitter and Joiner. This will save me at least $10 in Library late fees. Go on check out Yaosoft MP3 Splitter and Joiner, FrosT said so!
    • 1 Comments
    Mood: illuminated
    KeyWords: Yaosoft Cool MP3 Splitter Joiner

    frost Tips for Preparing for A Wedding/Marriage May 1st, 2006 - Subscribe
    Tips for Preparing for A Wedding/Marriage
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    As most of you know I am getting Married on May 28th, 2006 to my love Lyndsey. I was thinking today about some information it would be great to pass along to other people deciding/thinking to get married to each other. Hopefully you will not make the same mistakes we made (which were few I assure you).

    Saving for a Wedding
    Lyndsey and I started saving for our wedding last April by creating an account and putting around $50-$200 each month into the wedding savings account. This helped tremendously! I just wish we would of started October of 2004 instead of April of 2005. That would of helped soo much. We are doing alright on money, luckily I have a credit card which limit just got bumped up. I have about $500 on it related strictly to the wedding.

    If you are doing a "dream" wedding I suggest planning at least a year and a half away by starting a wedding saving's account. Put at least $50-200 in it a month from both sides. My whole philosphy is that I cannot ask someone for a lot of money when it should be my responsibility. Meaning that I would not ask her parents to fund our wedding, nor would I ask mine. I like to be independent. That and us funding our wedding ourselves gives us TOTAL control of where, what and how we want to setup our wedding.

    Remember that, do not rely on your parents to fund it for you. If you do create this wedding savings account and put that much money into it, than at the end your parents end up paying for almost everything, great. You have a nice down payment for a house, or some money to use for your honeymoon. That and maybe you can get your parents a nice gift for doing this for you. Appreciative of their help and support.

    Planning
    Remember that your site is top priority. Without a site you cannot get married. Plan ahead as you can save yourself alot of money and hassel. We found the perfect site and moved our original date back a week and saved $1500! Although the wedding is on a Sunday on Memorial Day Weekend it was worth it to us to save $1,500.

    Check out every spot before you decide. We looked at probably 12 wedding sites before we decided on Mt. Vernon Event Center, which Lyndsey and I both decided was the perfect wedding site for our marriage, which was also the cheapest wedding site out of all the ones we looked at. This process took about a month and felt good once we got the site booked. This was in August of 2005.

    Tux's and Dresses
    Bridesmaid dresses are very important. You want to get this out of the way about 3-6 months from the wedding. That way you are not cramming at the last minute to find someone to get 3-4 dresses to you in a week! Plus it allows time for alterations, which will most likely need to be done.

    Tuxedos for the groomsmen are just as important. Lyndsey and I made the mistake of waiting a little too long. We just recently got our tux's taken care of, which leaves my groomsmen about 2 weeks to get measured, not good. I feel bad that I did not take the intiative to get the tuxedo's for our wedding done sooner. Luckily we did have some leadway with about 2-3 weeks. I would not want to make this mistake again.

    Food Preperations
    This is perhaps one of the biggest part of the wedding. Food is expensive and necessary for almost any wedding. We were lucky enough to have Lyndsey's cousin cater for us! Which means we got our food for free. If this would not of happened we would of been out $1,500. Try to find a cheap place that offer's decent meals and book them and get it taken care of ASAP. Without food you will have alot of grumpy guests.

    The Minister
    We again waited a little long to book the minister. Despite what anyone tells you, book the minister ASAP. This way they can move their schedule, if they are with a church. It also provides you with the fisrt come first serve. They cannot book 2 weddings at the same time, this way you are assured your slot for a minister at your wedding.

    Ending Notes
    Organization and Preperation are keys to any wedding/marriage. Do not make the same minor mistakes we made. Get on top of things to help with your fiance's frustration and your own. Planning out the wedding gives you the breathe easy feeling and that way you have time to make any changes necessary to your wedding. But remember all that really matters is the marriage to your loved one. If nothing goes as planned except the minister, than so be it. At least you can be together forever.

    Also remember you can go off and get married in Las Vegas, and have a "fake" ceremony after which would be a ton cheaper =)
    5 Comments
    Mood: tipsy
    KeyWords: Marriage Wedding Planing Organization Tips Tricks

    frost Life Re-Charged: Isagenix Final Day Apr 26th, 2006 - Subscribe
    Life Re-Charged: Isagenix Final Day
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    If you have not been keeping up with my Isagenix project please read the following blogs:

    Edit: Read my newest post Isagenix is a Complete Waste of Time and Money!

  • Life Re-Charged - Isagenix
  • Life Re-Charged with Isagenix: Day 2
  • Life Re-Charged: Isagenix Day 3 - Cleanse Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 4 Cleanse
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 5 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 6 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 7 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 8 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 9 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 10 Cleanse Day

    Questions EMail me at frost110 [-at-] gmail [-dot-] com or simply comment on any of my Isagenix Life Re-Charged Blogs.

    Final Day
    If anyone knows me I am as honest as I want to be. This blog is no exception. The final day I could not go any longer. Here is the story:
    I must of gotten some type of bug on Friday (Thus the crappy feeling and almost throwing up the whole day) Although I stuck to the plan all day on Friday, Saturday was a different story. I woke up with a sore throat, and wozzy stomache plus light headed/dizzyness. I ate very little that day, I think I had a slice of pizza and that was really it. Reasoning I stopped was I was too drained I could barely get out of bed and than being sick with a fever and sore throat just made everything wrose.

    I do not know why I got sick, whether it was the toxins coming out or what. All I know is that I got sick, which really contradicted everything I heard/read about Isagenix. I had been keeping up with Isagenix to a T except for the exercising, which I did do 2 or 3 of the days. This was one of the hardest trials I have been through, and I have proven to myself that food is low-priority in my life. I can survive without food. I have noticied (maybe it is because I am sick) but I do not crave food as much as I used to. I drank a soda today, not enjoying it at all because I could just taste the sticky sugar.

    Whether this is due to the fact of Isagenix or because I am sick I do not know. Like I said I can go longer periods of time without eating or eating very little. I now limit to what I intake. For instance today I bought some pizza bites, that I did not even touch. I had some tuna and crackers for lunch and a powerbar for breakfast. Around 2 I had a snack of ChexMix which I only ate maybe 1/6th of the bag, which normally the whole bag would of been devoured.

    As for candy, I ate 1 hershey's kisses and that is all I wanted. It tasted alright but I just had no need for anymore candy. Whether this was a result of Isagenix again I do not know.

    Ending Notes
    I do know one thing that I have learned from the whole Isagenix Expierence, I control my body. I have full control on what I eat, and when I eat. A great feeling to know. I will inform you of how this progress keeps up after I am over being sick. My fiance is going to start her Isagenix Cleanse here in a day or two. She is skipping the pre-cleanse (I think that as way too much) and just starting out with the cleanse. I will try and get her to do a blog on it too.

    Now if this works for her I will probably buy another 9-day program and see if I cannot make more progress on getting these "Toxins" out of my system.

    Thanks for reading, sorry I had to cut short on my last day.
    • 11 Comments
    Mood: sensual
    KeyWords: Isagenix Liferecharged 9 day cleanse

    frost International Airplane Trip Delta Name Change Apr 21st, 2006 - Subscribe
    International Airplane Trip Delta Name Change
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    For the past week I have been talking with Delta Airlines trying to get a name changed on an International Flight to Cancun for Lyndsey. The Delta Flight to Cancun is for our honeymoon. My dad accidently reserved the tickets under Lyndsey Worthen, instead of her maiden name which is Cunningham. The first response I received from Delta was that International Flight's cannot be renamed period. We had to provide a valid Marriage Certifcate to get her on. Well we would not have our Marriage Certificate back in-time. Here is the story.

    Call after Call to Delta
    After my 3rd time calling regarding the exact same issue I finally got through. A nice lady called up their customer support, and I guess did a super override for us. That is the happy ending. We were able to finally get Lyndsey's last name changed to Cunningham, for $100. That is a great price to know that she will be able to return home from Cancun. Delta Reps. were nice, but come on now. I know you can change the name of the ticket so just do it! Why is changing the name of a ticket, which is 2 months off such a big deal. I understand the international part, kind of but really, what is the big deal with changing a last name?

    It is not like I am transfering the ticket to someone else, the first and middle name are exactly the same, just a mistake with her maiden name. All in all if this happens to you, remember Delta can do you just need a valid argument and a sympathetic one.

    Ending Notes
    If you ever get your ticket issued in the wrong name and are willing to pay the money to get it changed pursue this angle. Just tell them the truth and if that does not work say, "Well this lady who just transfered me told me I could do it, please confirm this because I hate being lied to." and chances are they will change your ticket for a fee.
    4 Comments
    Mood: overjoyed
    KeyWords: Delta International Flying Wrong Name

    frost Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 10 Cleanse Day Apr 21st, 2006 - Subscribe
    Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 9 Shake Day
    by FrosT

    Introduction
    If you have not been keeping up with my Isagenix project please read the following blogs:

    Edit: Read my newest post Isagenix is a Complete Waste of Time and Money!

  • Life Re-Charged - Isagenix
  • Life Re-Charged with Isagenix: Day 2
  • Life Re-Charged: Isagenix Day 3 - Cleanse Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 4 Cleanse
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 5 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 6 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 7 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 8 Shake Day
  • Life Re-Charged Isagenix: Day 9 Shake Day

    Questions EMail me at frost110 [-at-] gmail [-dot-] com or simply comment on any of my Isagenix Life Re-Charged Blogs.

    Day 10 - Cleanse Day
    Today is about the opposite day of Day 9. I feel horrible. I drank the Isagenix Cleanse Drink today, tropical flavor and immediatley after drinking it I about threw up. These drinks taste horrible to me. I have 7 more 4oz glasses to drink. My stomache is totally messed up today. I feel horrible, with a few dizzy spells. I do not want water at all, but I am forcing my-self to drink it. I do not even want the Isagenix Snacks. I do feel that I have not stuck to the program completely. I only exercised 2 days of the 11 when I needed it to be at least 11 days 20 minutes a day. Could be partialy why I am not seeing the results I thought I would. That is my own fault either way.

    I cannot figure out why the Isagenix Cleanse Drinks taste so nasty to me and make me just wanna throw up. I may mix 4oz of water into the next batch I choke down, maybe that will soften the blow of the horrible taste. I am dreading these last 2 days. I just want the Isagenix 9-Day Cleanse to be over for me. 1 Day left and I am about to break because of my stomache feeling like crap. I am debating whether I am seeing results or not. I guess I will find out tommorow or Sunday, when I take measurements and step on the scale. I will be very upset if I do not see results, but I do feel it will of been my own fault for not doing the exercise part of the Isagenix 9-Day Cleanse.

    Ending Notes
    1 Day left and I feel like crap.
    • 12 Comments
    Mood: sick
    KeyWords: Isagenix Cleanse 9 Day Liferecharged