Cottage Water Systems

For the most part I have addressed all the ‘major’ parts of building my cottage. The building plans and materials have been purchased. The septic system, foundation, and grading have been planned. I intend on heating the cottage with a wood stove and I will bring bottled water for drinking and cooking, but what about water for the toilet, shower, and sinks?

I’ve got to figure out how to draw the water from the lake to the cottage and I would prefer to have it available all year long. I’ve been searching on the Net for cottage water kits and surprisingly enough have not found much. Most places are selling individual parts. Separate pumps, separate pressure tanks and pipes. How do I know if I want a jet pump or a water pump? Should it be a submersible pump in the lake or a dry pump under the cottage? Do I need a pressure tank and do they work with all pumps? I still don’t have the answers to these questions, but while I was at the Spring Cottage Show I spoke with representative from Cottage Water Supply.

Cottage Water Supply offers an entire package that can provide water to your cottage year round. The product they offer is a self draining water system meaning you don’t have to burry the pipes below the frost line because the water does not sit in the pipes during the winter! There is a release valve that can be opened or closed depending on the season. If it is summer the valve can be closed which will keep water in the pipes for immediate use. In the winter the valve can be opened which will drain the pipes of all water after each request (opening taps at a sink). When the tap closes the water rushes out of the pipes, using gravity, and back into the lake. No water sits in the pipes so there is no chance of freezing and bursting. If you don’t have an elevated lot, like me, a pressure tank is added to the system to assist in pushing the water back out of the pipes.

If you would like to learn more go to www.cottagewatersupply.com

Posted in Cottage - Comments (1)

Boating Safety

Recently I’ve started looking at boats. Once I have my cottage built I will want to have a boat to do some fishing and touring around the lake. My lake is part of the Trent Severn waterway which makes it a high traffic area for boaters going up and down stream. Since I’ve never owned a boat I thought it would be a good idea to get some boating safety tips so that I know what I should be doing when I get on the water.

Here are some boating tips from www.boatsmartcanada.com

Proof of Competency
All operators of vessels fitted with a motor and less than four metres in length (including personal watercraft) are required to have an Operator Competency Card. It is recommended that all boaters take an accredited boating safety course.

Wear a Flotation Device
Every year more than 600 lives are lost due to drowning. 70 per cent of boaters who drowned were not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket.

Don’t Drink and Drive
All the same reasons for not drinking and driving apply to drinking and boating. At least 40 per cent of all power-boating fatality victims had a blood alcohol level above the legal driving limit.

Take the Boat Sober Quiz http://www.boatsmartcanada.com/article.asp?id=002556&tid=014

Respect Others on the Lake
If you jump waves or come unreasonably close to other vessels, disturb the peace, speed near swimmers, play chicken or weave through congested traffic at high speed, you risk receiving a hefty fine and possibly ending up in front of a judge.

Posted in Cottage - Comments (0)

Nintendo Wii – Excite Truck

Nintendo Wii - Excite Truck

The past weekend a friend of mine came home from Pennsylvania and he brought his Wii with him. I love video games, but have always felt the XBOX was the best system out there. Nintendo has gone in a different direction with the Wii, in that the graphics are not as good as XBOX and PS3, but their games are interactive and they appeal to a much larger audience that includes women. I have never seen any of my female friends so interested in playing a video game in my life. We played some tennis, boxing, bowling, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, and Excite Truck and we all had a great time.

Excite Truck is a great arcade style racing game! If you’re looking for the Grand Turismo or Fortza Motorsport or even Need for Speed type racing game you won’t find that here. It is much less about the handling of the car and more about simply beating your opponent to the finish line any way you can.

Holding the Wii’s unique stick type controller parallel to the ground with your hands out in front of you, you steer the vehicle by “turning” the controller left or right like you would a steering wheel. The only button pressing is when you want to give your truck a boost. Like its predecessor, Excite Bike, if anyone remembers that game, you can fly farther by raising the nose of the truck. To do this with the Wii you would twist the controller back towards yourself.

Different trucks have different capabilities. Some are faster, some have more handling and some can jump higher and longer. When I was playing I selected the dune buggy while my friend took the rugged pickup with lots of power. He took off right from the start, but lumbered over the jumps. I hit the jumps, twisted the controller back to get as much air as possible, and flew right by him. In the end I had just enough of a lead that he couldn’t catch me and won the race.

It’s a lot of fun, there are a ton of options to choose from, and the Wii’s unique user interface sure makes gamming interesting for everyone.

Posted in Games Corner - Comments (0)

Mother’s Day 2007

Given that it’s Mother’s Day this weekend I thought I would give our readers some gift ideas for Mom. Finding a gift for Mom is no easy task. Try searching on the internet for gift ideas and 90% of the stuff you find is crap. I’ve put together 5 gift ideas that will save you time and Mom is sure to enjoy.

Flowers, everyone loves flowers. They brighten up any room and last long into next week. With such an easy and affordable gift to give you don’t just have to wait for an occasion to give flowers. Check out www.ftd.com for all sorts of Mother’s Day arrangements.

Mother’s Day Flowers

Women love the spa. It makes them feel younger, relaxed, re-energized and special. Spa packages are often pricey, but if family members get together on a good package I guarantee Mom will love you for it. Here’s a site that you can purchase packages from numerous spas all over North America. www.wayspa.com

If your mother is anything like mine then you can’t go wrong with a round of golf. It’s a great way to spend the day with your mother and family members outdoors for a little friendly competition. Go for a morning round and stay at the club house for lunch.

If you and your mother have more refined tastes there is always jewellery. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. A pair of stud diamond earrings from www.zales.com can’t go wrong.

Finally if there is one thing that all women have in common it is the love of shopping for shoes. So why not give Mom a gift certificate to a shoe store like www.naturalizershoestore.com . Naturalizers are fashionable and comfortable.

Anyone of these ideas is sure to please and all of them would make Mom feel like she’s in heaven! The most important thing aside from all the materialistic stuff is to tell Mom how much she means to you.

Happy Mothers Day Everyone.

Posted in General - Comments (0)

Glass Bottom Boat – Your Transparent Canoe

Transparent Canoe

This kayak-canoe hybrid is made of the same durable material found in the cockpit canopies of supersonic fighter jets. It’s transparent hull offers paddlers an underwater view of aquatic wildlife and scenery.

The canoe seats two people, is easy to maneuver, and the width displaces a greater amount of water for more surface stability. The adjustable seats allow paddlers of different heights to personalize their leg room, which is a great advantage for tall and inflexible people. With a lightweight anodized aluminum frame, it can be easily stored or transported to and from the water. Includes two double-headed paddles, a water bailer, and two flotation devices.

This is a fantastic looking canoe/kayak that offers a see-through hull. The lake that my cottage will be on won’t be as clear blue as the picture so the advantages of the hull may not be of use to me. I do like the adjustable seating features since my legs normally cramp up on long trips and any canoe that is stable is a canoe I like. At $1500 US this is probably over priced, but if you have the money it would be a toy that would attract attention on the lake.

Posted in Cottage, Product Review - Comments (0)

This Weekend in Sports (11-May-2007)

Major League Baseball

AL

The Boston Red Sox are sitting on top of the American League standings after 43 games with a sparkling .697 winning percentage. Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield have been untouchable this summer. Add to that Curt “Bloody Sock” Schilling, Dice-K, and closer Jonathan Papelbon and you have the best pitching staff in the AL. Boston will be facing the surprising second place Baltimore Orioles for a 3 game set. Look for Boston to continue their winning ways against the O’s.

The Toronto Blue Jays are on a 9 game losing streak and given that their number 3 starter, their left fielder, catcher, setup man, and closer are all on the DL people are actually calling it a season in Toronto. B.J. Ryan is scheduled for Tommy John surgery and will not be available until spring training next year. The Jays depth is paper thin and they simply cannot compete with all these key players injured. As we’ve heard year after year around here, there’s always next year!

NL

In the National League Barry Bonds is closing in on Hank Aaron’s home run record of 755 career home runs. Barry is just 10 home runs shy now. It will be interesting to see how many pitchers actually give him a chance to hit the ball. Nobody is going to want to be known as the pitcher that gave Barry Bonds the all time home run record. In a poll by ABC News and ESPN, 37 percent said they are rooting for Bonds to break Aaron’s record, while 52 percent said they hope he falls short and 11 percent had no opinion.

PGA

The Players Championship started Thursday and will run through the weekend. Looks like Phil Mickelson is enjoying his time at TPC Sawgrass in Florida. Phil carded a 5 under 67 in the first round to be tied for the lead. Defending champion Stephen Ames had a 5 over 77 which essentially puts him out of the tournament and he would be lucky just to make the cut. Tiger Woods also had a tough day with the swirling winds carding a 3 over 75, but everyone knows Tiger isn’t out of a tournament until the 18th hole on Sunday.

Posted in Sports - Comments (0)

Bosch PB10-CD Power Box

This is a fantastic outdoor stereo for your home or cottage. A friend of mine works for Bosch and brought one to the cottage a couple of years back. We couldn’t stop raving about it when we got back home after the weekend.

The Bosch is intended for construction sites so the batteries it uses are the same as you would use for you power tools. The roll bar cage protects the stereo from damage if it were dropped at a site. We actually threw the stereo across the lawn while a CD was playing and it didn’t skip a beat. If you have a mp3 player and a transmitter you really have the perfect outdoor stereo system. Just a great product.

Bosch PB10-CD Power Box

Here are the key features:

  • Radio/CD run off Bosch batteries or AC power – 12V, 14.4V, 18V, 24V
  • Integrated jobsite CD player with CD-R/RW and MP3 compatibility 40 second skip-free protection
  • 4-way GFCI protected outlet Power-up jobsite tools and equipment. Meets OSHA requirements
  • Best Reception – Upgraded Antenna and Advanced Digital Tuner
  • Best Sound – Premium Speakers, More Power, and separate Bass and Treble control
  • Exclusive Remote Control Stores on Power Box or on Key Ring
  • FM Stereo AM tuner with 20 FM and 10 AM station presets
  • Charges 12V – 24V Bosch batteries BAT025, BAT026, BAT040, BAT043, BAT045, BAT030, BAT031, BAT120, BAT140, BAT180, BAT181, BAT240
  • Four preset equalizer settings and enhanced “Bosch Sound”
  • Protective aluminum roll cage Protects unit from a 10 foot jobsite drop and is designed for increased durability on the job
  • Radio and CD Player operate on Bosch Battery Packs – 12V – 24V
  • Sealed Buttons, Speakers, Battery Chamber Protects Unit From Dust and Weather
Posted in Product Review - Comments (0)

CareerRamblings.com Review

CareerRamblings.com really is a great site with a ton of useful articles to improve your standard of living. It’s a superb mix of career tips for students looking to find jobs in the workforce, for seasoned professionals trying to climb the corporate ladder, and for entrepreneurs going out on their own.

It is obvious that John Anthony and Jane May know what they are talking about when writing these articles. They are focused and deliver the message they are trying to convey quickly and in a manner that can be easily understood by the reader. I can relate to many of the articles such as The Easiest Interview Question Can Be The Most Challenging since my wife is a Human Resource Generalist and conducts numerous interviews. I have also started two unsuccessful internet companies and had to ask the exact questions that are listed in Start Your Own Business In 9 Steps Part 1. My failing was always around the sales and marketing of the companies.

Offering the advice CareerRamblings.com does would not be nearly as effective if the site didn’t look as professional as it does. The shades of blue and clean lines of the site really make me take the information being provided to heart. I feel as though I have a professional advisor here whenever I need it. And given that John and Jane do respond to emailers that need advice, I guess I do!

Review Career Ramblings For A Backlink was my pleasure.

Posted in General - Comments (0)

Poker Sunday: Week 1 – Win Money

The first week has gone well. My “investors” staked me $200 to play poker and they will split the winnings with me 50/50. I played more then I thought I would to try and become more familiar with Interpoker.com. This resulted in some sketchy play on my part and I saw my bank roll go up a little and down a little, then up a lot and down a lot, and finally up a lot.

Once I was able to make some money I played a little more conservative, picking my spots for raises.I’ve been playing mainly $3/$6 limit texas hold’em tables. This means that for the pre-flop and flop the minimum bet and the maximum raise is $3. On the turn and river the minimum bet and maximum raise is $6. As a general rule you should play tables where your bankroll is 100 times the minimum bet. This allows you to play through some of the bad beats and keeps you in the game for some big hands. In this case I was a little over my head with just $200, but I was aware of my situation and played accordingly.

Tip of the Week – Know what you want

I compare this rule to keeping your eye on the ball in sports. Before you call or make a bet pre-flop ask yourself what cards do I want to get on the flop. This is very important because it helps you focus on the style in which you will play the hand and sets the boundaries for your decisions as you play the hand. If you have a 7 and 8 of clubs you are going to want to just call other players so that you don’t scare anyone off and you are going to want to see clubs or anything that can make you a straight. If those cards don’t show up on the flop you are going to want to fold. If you have and Ace and King you want to raise to eliminate any players with weaker cards. When the Ace or King shows up on the flop you should bet at it to increase the pot size and eliminate your opponents.

Hand of the Week

This one I would love to have back. I got the card I wanted on the flop, but put my blinders were on and lost a bunch.

I was on the button, meaning I was last to play, and had a pair of 10’s in my hand. There were six people at the table and the 4th player made a raise. I re-raised him showing strength and hoping to make him question his original raise. He called. The flop came out 6, 10, 3, no chance of a flush. This was a perfect flop for me, I had the best hand and decided to play it strong hoping that the other player thought I had Ace King or something like that. So he checked, I bet, he raised trying to scare me out of the pot. I re-raised and he re-raised me. It was capped at four bets. The next card was a 4. Again nothing scary so I bet and he called. The final card was a 7, I didn’t see a flush, full house, or a three of a kind that could beat me. So I bet and then the raising began. We went back an forth until I finally called and saw him turn over an Ace Five off suite which gave him a straight and beat my three of a kind. I ended up losing 40% of my stack and spent the rest of my time just trying to get back to even.

Current Status
Beginning Balance: $200
Ending Balance: $951
Profit/Loss: +$751

Posted in Sports - Comments (0)

Cinco De Mayo

Saturday is the 5th of May and Cinco De Mayo is celebrated by many Spanish speaking countries. I wasn’t exposed to this celebration until I was older and met some Spanish speaking friends.

From an outsiders perspective Cinco De Mayo is a just like St. Patricks day with a little more flair. I thought I would do a little research to find out the history behind Cinco De Mayo.

Cinco De Mayo - US Stamp

On May 5 1862 the Mexican people held off the French army in the battle of Puebla and since then May 5th has been celebrated. The French army of 6000 men had agreed to withdraw to the coast, but left some of the sick soldiers behind. The Mexican people saw this as a breech of the agreement and talks to withdraw broke down. The Mexicans retreated to Puebla which was heavily fortified. The French attacked Puebla, but by the end of the day had run out of ammunition leaving the attacking forces unsupported. In the end the Mexican people had run the French army off having only 83 casualties to France’s 462. Eventually more French troops were sent to Mexico and overtook Puebla, but the legendary battle of the Mexican people defeating the French was held as a celebration and continues every 5th of May.

I hope everyone enjoys their Cinco De Mayo with friends and family.

Posted in General - Comments (0)