Coachella Trading Company - recent posts on cotradeco.com

Nalgene Grip-N-Gulp for Kids

2009-06-29T16:39:47-11:00

This is a great cup for kids that are learning to drink from a cup, as well as for those that have plenty of experience. They don’t spill and are easy to clean. These bottles are also great to take to school and daycare. The schools don’t allow kids to bring standard bottled water anymore, and if they do allow it, you cannot refill it because of possible bacteria and chemical bisphenol A (BPA). This chemical is an endocrine (the body’s hormonal system) disruptor and is typically found in plastic bottles made of polycarbonate (which bear the number 7 and the letters “PC”). Bleach, harsh detergents, and high temperatures (like those found in the dishwasher) may increase the amount of BPA leaching. It is still unknown how much BPA people are actually exposed to when they use polycarbonate bottles and what level of exposure (if any) is safe.

Do you offer personalized Grip-N-Gulps for schools and groups?

Drink while you're on your feet to Beat the Heat(TM)

2009-06-26T11:08:02-11:00

Way too early this morning, we met with Phil Fischella of Atwood-Prior who introduced us to the Drink!Hydration line of Hydration Packs. For years Camelbak has been the big name when it comes to back pack Hydration systems but now we’re seeing a whole new crop of products that will be setting the standards for years to come. Lightweight, comfortable to wear and holding 100oz (3liters) the Drink! Hydration line offer good looks, freedom to do your job while keeping you hydrated. For years we have all just taken a break ever so often from what we are doing to go get a drink. Hydration packs let you constantly have a drink available keeping you thirst free longer. Weighing 6.5-7 lbs. when full they come in Hi-Viz Orange, Hi-Viz Yellow, Navy Blue, Grey, and Black. Check them out and pick one that fits your needs and personality. This line is very affordable and in stock and ready to go.

Why Drink? It’s a simple as 1,2,3…

1% loss of fluid will start to affect your performance.
2% loss can decrease your strength and performance by 15%
3% loss occurs before you begin to feel thirsty-by then it may be too late.

pop quiz

2009-06-23T14:05:35-11:00

Does anyone know what this is? It is by a road near Lake City Colorado.
Baddog

termites

2009-06-23T13:59:59-11:00

HI, The last time I talked about termites I suggested orange oil. Orange oil works but after about a year it evaporates and the termites are back. I have used some real nasty oil based products with very nasty poisons. But, the same problem exists the oil goes away and the termites come back. If one does not want to tent ones house the only choice is to spot treat or replace the wood. HOWEVER, I discovered something new. It is nontoxic easy to work with and water based. I built a kayak and had some “System Three” two part liquid epoxy glue left over. This stuff is great, it dries stronger than the wood one glues together. I mixed the System Three, drew it up into a disposable plastic syringe and injected it into the hole where termites were pushing out their waste. It killed the termites and filled the damaged wood. It has been nine months now and the termites have not come back. This System Three does the work! I buy mine from Pygmy Kayaks. Look it up on line if you wish to try it. Perhaps old Trader Dan could carry it
Baddog

A Silent Forest: The threat of Genetically Engineered Trees

2009-06-17T16:11:49-11:00

Hmmmm….I can hear it now…the kids of the future using the term “round up ready” to talk about any and all trees, just the way we use the terms Xerox or Kleenex. Mega-corporate owned forests! John Muir we need you now!

Easy and Fun Ice Cream!

2009-06-16T09:46:13-11:00

I am a huge fan of Ice Cream! I remember when I was young we had a hand crank ice cream maker, I wanted Ice cream all the time and my Dad would only bring it out about once a year! The truth is I cant blame him! It made a bit of a mess, and I would get tired of the whole process just a few cranks into it, and Mom and Dad would have to take over. Not there idea of fun!! But let me tell you the Ice Cream was like no other!

I finally tried the UCO Ice Cream ball this past weekend! And WOW! Talk about easy and fun! First off it only takes 3 ingredients to make the basic ice cream, I added some shaved Dark Chocolate which took mine up to a whopping 4 ingredients!! Check out the following link for recipe ideas:

http://cotradeco.com/pages/189-uco-ice-cream-ball-recipes

We live in a Complex Downtown and have a common area roof, we headed up there with are filled up ball some extra ice and some extra rock salt. It started out with just the two of us rolling it around and passing back and forth, which actually was fun (unlike the old crank). After a few minutes we had several people ask us what the heck we were doing? When we told them making ice cream no one believed us. When we explained the process we had lots of volunteers for help (all adults), if they could taste the ice cream when it was done!

About 15 Minutes when it was time to stir it up, we were all like a bunch of kids looking into the ball to see how close we were to having ice cream. After stirring adding more ice and rock salt we went about passing and rolling the ball for another 15 minutes. It was then time for the big reveal! I went downstairs and got some small plates and plastic spoons and we dug in! It was fabulous just like the old times when I was a child! I now realize that I will need to get the Mega Ball just to share with everybody! The small works good for 2 maybe 3 people!

My plan is to make dinner for my dad for Fathers Day and I am taking the ball with me to make up Ice Cream for dessert. I know he will be impressed with how times have changed and I am sure he will tell me that he wishes they had that when I was a kid! I can tell you for a fact I am glad they have it now when I am an adult!

Day 1.5 (Friends, family, & head clearing in 30 days or less): Stuck

2009-06-14T11:38:28-11:00

In my previous travelogue I relayed what started out as a fairly mundane first day of travel across the desert and ended in a harrowing “I’m stuck in the desert and I can’t get up” near tragedy. This post is an overly melodramatic and only mildly fictionalized accounting of those hours in Lordsburg, New Mexico.

As I neared the bottom of the valley I saw my opportunity, and none too soon, the sand on the last 20 yards or so had left my car with “no traction warnings” as I slid helplessly in the sand, but at the bottom there was my chance, a fairly wide open spot on what looked like decently packed stone in the wash next to where the road headed sharply back up the other side. I came to a stop. The ground was mostly solid. So far so good. But I was going to have to do a three point turn as quick as possible through that insanely thick sand. I got out plotted my course of action, got back in, breathed heavily and gunned it. I managed to get mostly turned around on the first move. Now all that remained was another 90 degrees as I pulled forward and headed as fast I could into the same 20 yards of loose sand.

I took another deep breath and hit it. Vrroooom, KRKKGGGKKK. I was stopped with a loud dragging scraping noise. I hadn’t moved two feet. I slowly attempted to back up hoping to not dig myself into the sand. Nothing. Forward. Nothing. What the $*x%x?

I chuckled to myself. The thought of getting stuck had repeatedly crossed my mind over the previous dark mile, but I kept telling myself that only happened in the movies. I was not going to get stuck. And there I sat, stuck, and laughing. Unable to move my car, I still refused to believe I was actually in any serious predicament, and casually took a swig of water and ate some potato chips I had picked up at the gas station at that first exit just inside Lordsburg.

In retrospect, I should have thought better of staying in Lordsburg because of that gas station stop. As I entered Lordsburg I needed to use the restroom and wanted to take a moment to review the directions to my “free” campsite. The attendant at the station couldn’t have been anymore displeased to see me. When I asked where the restroom was he just grunted and scowled. Welcome to Lordsburg. I try to not to be judgmental (well not really, but I try not to hold my judgments very long ;) but in this case I came to realize he might have been an accurate ambassador for the town.

I would have asked him for directions and advice on finding my campsite but he was so unpleasant I just paid for my chips and ignored him, looking forward to sitting down in front of my tent with my Smirnoff Ice and having a snack before getting some much needed sleep. While I sat in my car he drug wet floor signs in front of the entrance, locked the doors, and wedged a hand scrawled closed sign into the door that fell down as he turned his back to go run an illegal dog fight in the back room or something. Determined in my clouded haze of sleepiness to find my temporary home, I reread the directions, plotted my course on Google maps, and headed off into the wilds north of Lordsburg.

And a half hour later I found myself stuck 20+ miles out of town.

I stepped out of the car to assess the situation. At worst, I thought, I had scraped a rock, gotten stuck in the loose sand at the bottom of the valley, and would simply need to do a little digging, stick a couple of rocks behind my tire and continue turning around thus freeing myself from the valley.

Walking around the car I could see nothing apparently wrong in the moonlight. I cursed my friend who failed to return my flashlight, but simply pulled out the Pelican 9430 remote area lighting unit from my car. I fired up the LED powerhouse and laughed again. I continued to refuse that the situation was severe despite the fact that my car was grounded atop a boulder sticking out of the ground. No fluids were leaking out, the car appeared to be resting undamaged on the frame, and I had nearly three gallons of water and a carful of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

So in true pioneer spirit I determined to free myself. I quickly planned to jack the car up far enough that I could rock the car and tip the jack over landing my car just free of the rock. At this point I was still finding the whole situation quite humorous talking out loud to myself as if the whole thing were some sort of amusing narrative being shared on my reality show.

I would raise the car a few inches, hunt the surrounding area for largish flat rocks to place under the front and behind the driver side tire, occasionally telling myself with confidence that ‘I could do this’, and repeated the process until I managed to get the car nearly to the extent of the cheap OEM jack’s maximum height some 45 minutes or so later. I was awash in blue light as dawn appeared over the horizon. I concluded that I could probably get a few more inches out of the jack, but before I made even a couple more cranks, I could see the jack starting to move slightly, and not in the direction I wanted it to go. That was it, now or never.

Scrambling quickly to the front of the car, glancing quickly to ensure the car was out of gear and parking break off, I got as good a footing I could achieve in the loose sand, took yet another deep breath, gave the car one small nudge forward to start the car rocking, and then PUSHED with all my might.

The car lurched backwards with two unpleasant resulting sounds. One was a shorter KKGRK sound not unlike the one I heard in the first place, and the second a strange metallic sound. Stepping back to the driver side it was immediately evident that I had bent the jack into an unusable twisted hunk of metal. Damn.

I stared dumbfounded at my car. Despite the unpleasant appearance of the jack I held out hope. Kneeling down and readjusting the light, I discovered that the car had indeed moved a decent distance but had not entirely cleared the rock. However, it looked as though the car was no longer entirely resting on the rock but just touching it. Save the jack breaking one more attempt of the same maneuver would have likely set me free and been a great ego boost.

Now I banked on the rock runway I had built behind my tires where my car now rested to give me enough traction to back out. Though I feared that just my weight getting back in the car would be too much. Before I could do anything though I had to remove the broken jack now firmly wedged in place, which fortunately still turned enough for me to loose it. Now I guessed that the best thing I could do was start the car, put it in reverse, and gun it.

Deep breath, and VVVRROOM…nothing but the sound of spinning tires, flying sand, and the feeling of my car lowering itself back onto the rock.

The car hadn’t moved at all and my rock runway was now tossed out in front the car. At this point I began to finally consider that my situation might be slightly more than a casual inconvenience.

Considering my exertions thus far I took a break for water and a relaxing cigarette while calculating my next move. Perhaps now it was loose enough that I could rock it off. No luck. Checked my cell phone. No service. I couldn’t remember exactly when I had lost service on the way out, but I guessed that it couldn’t have been more than a mile. So now with the early morning light fully upon me I decided gearing up and heading out on my mountain bike to find cell service and locate help was the only realistic solution.

I packed a backpack with a couple of sandwiches, a notebook and pen for notes while calling for help, my wallet, and cellphone. I refilled my water bottles and headed out. On the drive to my current situation between asking myself if this was such a smart idea, I had fantasized about sleeping under the stars, waking up, having brisk ride, and then moving on. Little did I know that was all going to happen excepting the sleeping part.

So I headed out on my ride, marveling at the view, but mostly the condition of the roads. As I began, I felt strong and oblivious to my lack of sleep. With each hill I climbed, I would pull out my cell phone and check…no service. Next hill, no service, and more tired. Next bend, no service, more tired. My checks became fewer and less frequent and concern for my stamina increasing. Finally I made it to the first turn at the county road intersection convinced that this was it, I would call 411, get the number for the police, get a phone number for the local guy who is always pulling visitors out of the desert, and return to my car to sit in air conditioning and relax while help arrived.

No service.

It became evident I was going all the way back to the main road. The only saving grace being that the next road was much more level and consisted of fully solid ground if a little wind rutted. Four and a half miles later I arrived back at route 264, about 18 miles from where I started hours before, but now in a far more delirious state.

I pulled out the phone. No Service.

Here I found myself frustrated and exhausted. After a short break, and not feeling quite right, I decided to walk for a bit before getting back on the bike. Less than a mile and who knows how long later I heard a car coming up behind me. This was it. Help had arrived. I turned and began waving. The car didn’t even slow down. I wondered if I hadn’t waved seriously enough, frenetically enough, concerned enough. I was so tired I wondered if I just didn’t want to find help enough.

Now what? I was really beginning to hate Lordsburg. Committed to my cause I climbed back onto the bike with renewed determination imagining the Hallmark Channel true story made-for-tv movie that would be made describing my bravery in the face of death. I passed another mile marker. Check…no service. Another…check…and another…check…another…no service. Frustration at my stupidity growing with every mile marker. Why didn’t I just camp with the cattle on that nice flat spot? Why didn’t I just find a pay campground earlier? Why did I wait till the last minute to try and find hosts on CouchSurfing? Why did I leave on this entire trip with such haste?

A house. There it was, a house, some kind of ranch I hadn’t seen in the dark the night before. Six miles later, exhausted, and really not thinking clearly I sheepishly made my way to the driveway. What time is it? Would they be awake? Would they have a phone? Were they a crazed family of murderers from a Rob Zombie film?

I stopped to rest for a moment while I pondered somehow getting past their locked gate. They clearly weren’t expecting random visitors. I pulled out my phone.

SERVICE! Woohoo! I was saved.

Then I noticed for the first time I was down to one bar of battery, with memories of not charging the phone for the last couple hours of driving, and the painful realization that I must have left Google maps running on the phone constantly attempting to reconnect for data and had completely drained my batteries. It was a pleasant irony that I did not fully appreciate at the time, reaching cell coverage, running out battery, but right in front of a house.

Attempting to maximize whatever use my cell phone might offer before bothering the folks at the ranch I immediately dialed 411, wondering how much that would cost, beating myself up for not adding Google 411 to my contact list, unwilling to dial several guesses before I got it right. I asked for the non-emergency number to the Lordsburg police, wondering if my situation could be considered an emergency to speed things up. I dialed the police station to no avail, endless ringing. They were probably enjoying the dog fights at the gas station.

Yet I stood there dumbfounded and paranoid staring at the locked gate that stood between me and escaping the desert. By then the heat was rising, the sun more direct, and me aware that I wasn’t going to die out there, but beginning to get a sense of what it might feel like had I been a little less prepared.

Then a car appeared on the horizon. This time I wasn’t about to let them pass. I stood in the road waving both arms madly. A little old lady pulled up in a slightly rusted Oldsmobile from a previous decade. The woman nervously stopped a few yards before my position, clearly nervous, cracking her window open.

“Excuse me ma’am, I am a little embarrassed to say this, but I’ve gotten my car stuck over on the BLM land,” with a gesture back where I had come. As I spoke I realized I was far less coherent than I would have liked to deal with this situation, unsure if the words were coming out in complete sentences.

She wringed her hand s on the steering wheel, occasionally throwing them in the air. She spoke slow and nervous, “Well, I don’t know what…I’m late to get this car into the shop. I’m on my way there now. We’ve got to be there fifteen minutes ago. I don’t know what you want me to do.”

“I apologize ma’am but my car is stuck, I don’t know who to call. I tried the police and there was no answer.”

“I don’t know, I mean I’m on my way to the mechanic, and I’m late and I don’t know what I could do.

Seriously? Was she serious? Not exactly the small town helpful attitude I was hoping for. Where were Andy Griffen and Aunt Bea? Exhausted, it took an awkward moment for me to make sense of what was happening. “Mechanic…you are going to a garage? Can I give you my phone number and you can give it to the mechanic. Just tell him my car is stuck and I need him to call me.”

“I don’t know…I guess…” I couldn’t believe it, she was honestly hemming and hawing over something as basic as accepting a piece of paper and handing it to someone, “I’m late and I don’t know what I could do,” despite the fact that I just told her what she could do, ”...well alright, but you better hurry up I’m late.”

I scrambled for my backback and notebook like a cast away who discovered fresh water on a deserted island. She accepted the note through her cracked window as if it were a dead animal. “I don’t know what he’s going to do with this, but alright,” now she was having doubts about whether other people would want or care to help me, and as I thought we were done she started up again as if she weren’t going to deliver it, “I don’t know. Aren’t these people home,” pointing at the ranch behind the locked gate that I was beginning to have serious doubts about approaching after this unpleasant experience. But as she made that statement I turned to look at the ranch, and as if on cue an all terrain multi-wheeled vehicle crept down the long driveway with several people in the open cab. Well I’ll be damned.

As the driver unlocked the gate and pulled toward us the woman in the car thrust the piece of paper back at me through the window, “Here give this to them. They might know what to do with it. Them’s the Miller’s and they are good people, you tell ‘em Kate Cooperson says to help you. I don’t know what I’d do with this,” and she drove off obviously grateful to be free of the dirty stranger on the side of the road.

With no other choice I timidly approached the dune buggy like vehicle. In the bench seat sat a man in his mid-forties cowboy hat and casual ranch attire topped off with mirrored sunglasses, next to him a young boy dressed the same but with a bolo tie instead of the sunglasses and a slightly more formal western outfit, and a younger girl who sat in her mother’s lap. The family stared straight ahead avoiding eye contact except for the father.

I explained the situation just as I had to Kate who was pulling away and returning a curt nod and wave from the man with a pleasant smile I wouldn’t have guessed her capable. The man listened, saying nothing, his family staring forward deadpan, taking in every word with a grim seriousness.

He nodded his head slightly as his face contorted in a subtle grimace. “What were you doing out there?” Accusing and matter of fact.

“I was looking for a campsite in a book my sister gave me,” why did I say that? You were just looking for a campsite, regardless of how or why.

“When was that?” As if it somehow made a difference.

“Around 4 in the morning. A real dumb maneuver,” again with too much information, but I noticed I had begun speaking slowly with an accent on top of all else.

The man nodded again this time with a slight smile that could have meant anything. “Well…,” oh no, not again, “I’ve got some stuff to take care of right now,” seriously about to blow me off, “but I guess if you are around when I get back I could maybe help you out.”

“I don’t mean to put you all out. I just need an idea of who to call and my cellphone is dying and I haven’t slept in 24 hours,” rambling and aware of it I had begun to feel like the dirty hippy and possible pedophile the blank stares on the family face in front of me seemed to accuse.

“Well, I guess you could call Mark down at the Chevy place,” in a slow metered pace like there was a metronome clicking off at 60 beats per second in his head, “At least I think it’s still a Chevy dealer, things what they are who knows these days.”

He gave me the number that he knew off the top of his head and then offered his cell number just in case. I thanked them and they pulled away heading down the road in the direction of Kate, the town, and hopefully a tow truck.

As I began to dial the maybe Chevy dealer, I saw that my battery was flashing red and I began to panic. The phone rang several times, “Yep, Mark speaking,” extremely professional in the same slow drawl of Mr. Miller. I began spitting out the entirety of my story for the third time desperation in every broken phrase and description. “I am at mile marker ten…my car is stuck…between two hills out CRA0124 I think…battery running low…unsure of water supply…might be dinosaurs hunting me…”

“Woah, woah, slow down sir. So you say you are where?”

“Out route 264 I believe,” I honestly couldn’t remember exactly and my patience was wearing thin from the anxiety rising in me as fast as my batteries power was falling.

“So you were on your way to Duncan and your car broke down.”

“I don’t know where Dugan is, and no my car is fine, just stuck on a rock out CRA0127 and down CRA014 I think it is, the turnoff from 264 said Fuller road.”

“Woah, I’m trying to figure out exactly where you are so we can find you,” which I thought I was describing fairly accurately, “So you say you are on your way to Deacon?”

I was unsure what was happening, what the man was saying, or how knowing my proximity to Dover mattered, but with every passing second and every woah he said I became more and more stressed out.

“Alright, I’ve got to talk to the boss. I’ll call you back when we’ve figured something out.”

“Sir my phone is dying and I’m not sure how much longer the battery is going to last, I am at mile marker 10 on the 264…”

“Woah, alright, turn your phone off and I’ll call you back in ten minutes exactly.”

So I did. I then realized I had no other time keeping device besides the phone, so I lit a cigarette to time out 5 to 7 minutes before powering the phone back up, hoping beyond hope that it would last. Instead of going back to the main screen the phone came up to an alert for a new voice message. Damnit, the guy had called back way before 10 minutes had elapsed.

His message indicated that it would cost $85 to pull me out and to call him to let him know I wanted to do it. As I dialed the number the phone went blank and I felt defeated. Great. That was it. I was going to die out there. Somewhere around mile marker 12 or 13 I had seen a complete cow skeleton bleached perfect white in the sun almost cartoonish in it’s dimensions and arrangement. I imagined my fate would be similar. The Miller’s driving by bare bones everyday for years to come as they headed out down the road to do whatever it was they did as a family in their 12 wheeled dune buggy tank thing.

I stared into space and then noticed a small stray herd of cattle had appeared across and down the road a hundred yards or so. I recall talking to them a bit, probably about dying or where the nearest wifi spot was when I spotted a vehicle returning up the road from where the Miller’s and Kate had vanished leaving me to die.

It was the Miller’s returned probably from checking up on the other stranded drivers they had found and keep in a shed somewhere. They cruised slowly into view, the boy now standing in the back of the vehicle hanging onto the roll bar and all I could think was how there was no way you could do that in California without getting a ticket. They pulled off the road before they reached me to visit the cattle I had just been talking with. I could hear them in friendly overjoyed voiced, “Hey Bessie. Hey Frankie. How are you? What are you doing,” with lilted tones like you would use with the family pet. Then they headed back towards their ranch. I met them in the road in case they decided to drive by without saying hello.

The family now stared forward, zombie cowboys that wanted to eat my brain, while the father looked at me only slightly less suspicious than before. “Well, did you get a hold of Mark?”

“Yes sir, I sure did, but unfortunately my phone died before we could make arrangements. He said it would be $85 and I should call him back,” attempting to keep the unintentionally affected drawl from my voice.

”$85,” incredulous. “You sure that’s what you want to do?”

What I wanted to do? What I wanted? None of this was what I wanted. What I wanted was to stumble upon the Miller ranch where they would invite me in, offer me a shower and I would step out to discover my very own cowboy outfit with cowboy boots and 10 gallon cowboy hat and they would invite me down to a massive cowboy breakfast and take me horseback riding and maybe do some shooting out on the far side of the ranch where the deer were plentiful and beautiful natives threw themselves at you begging for you to take them away to your steel teepee in the city.

What I wanted to do? What hell kind of question was that? As if Mr. Miller’s weak half offer to help me sounded like a serious one. If you want to help me, say so, and help me.

“Well sir, I’m sure you all have better things to do than worry someone like me. I don’t mind paying, but my phone died and I sure would appreciate it if you all could let me use your phone or if you could just call Mark and let him know that I would like to accept his offer.”

Stoic, Mr. Miller pulled a cellphone from his breast pocket and dialed. “Hey Mark, it’s Larry…Larry…out…yeah Larry. I’ve got that fella here that called you and he wants you to send a guy out. He’s right at the entrance where you turn in…to my place…”

I looked on helpless, the mom broke form and looked directly at me without smiling for at least half a second before Mr. Miller broke in, “They’re gonna send a man out. They’re good people and they will treat you right, well apart from charging you $85.”

Well thank you for making me feel like an idiot and making your offer to help me for me so clear and inviting. Not to mention based on the half of the conversation I could hear I wondered if anybody at the Chevy dealer even knew who this guy was.

“Thank you all very much. I much appreciate your help and hope you find your day well.” And with that they were off in the direction of CRA0127 and my car.

The sun was getting high now and it finally occurred to me that I hadn’t put sunscreen on since Yuma what seemed like a week before. I looked around for shade and headed for my best choice, a spindly bush 3 feet tall, and I plunked myself down like a refugee in the meager approximation of shade. I ate a sandwich and made sure to stay hydrated, wishing I had worn my hat.

Less than a half hour later I watched as a pickup truck zoomed by and then turned around a few hundred yards away. A Mexican fellow pulled up and said, “My boss said you had a dirt bike,” making revving gestures with his hands.

“If I had a dirt bike I would have rode all the way into town,” trying not to sound like a jerk mimicking the revving hand gesture as if that would prove that I was welcome in the local tribe. I threw my bike in the back of the truck and we were off.

Within no time we were down the first dirt road coming up on the storage tank acting as landmark to the crossroad onto CRA0124. The storage tank was actually part of the directions in the free camping book my sister had given me. An hour earlier when I had rolled by on my back I saw that someone had spray painted, ‘you will be missed,’ on the side of the tank. I relayed my thoughts of feeling as though I was in a horror movie when I saw that the first time on my bike. I’m not sure if he was amused or not.

The driver was friendly enough however, he kept telling me how beautiful it was out there, that there was a lake and I would have loved it. Making our way farther and farther out, riding in the pickup truck somehow made the road seem even more ridiculous and treacherous, every clang, crash, bang, and bumping jolt over rocks, divots, deep ruts, wash banks, and small canyons reinforcing how absurd my attempt to drive out there was. But the driver kept saying how I almost made it, you were probably almost there, if you hadn’t stopped there you would have made it, I’ve never seen a car come out this far, you would have loved the lake, we usually park the cars there by the cattle guard and everybody gets into the back of a pickup.

And as my car came into sight, even the massive pickup truck struggled and I wondered if it would even be able to pull me out. But the driver, though casual and mellow, hooked me up with a spanset and chain in no time flat like a real pro. He told me to get in the car start it up and have it in reverse ready to help him as soon it came off the rock.

Seconds and one last awful scraping noise later my car was free and part way up the opposite hill to give some runway before attempting the return trip. He unhooked and drove up to turn around. I gunned it and slipped and slid with my traction system blinking “no traction” off and on.

But I made it past the worst of it, to the top of the biggest hill I would have to contend with. From here it was just a question of whether my suspension could withstand the beating of the remainder of the road. I did my best to choose the best line down the road, better than I did on the way in, plants occasionally scraping down the side of my car as I avoided large ruts and rocks.

And ultimately we made it out and I followed the guy back to the Chevy dealer in town to pay and say thank you. I walked into the lobby of the dealership that appeared somewhat abandoned and pulled myself a glass of water from the dispenser into one of those nifty cone shaped cups when I saw a man smoking behind a parts counter farther back. No one greeted me or even looked at me as best I could tell.

I made my way to the counter and the smoking man, who still didn’t look at me, but mumbled out of the corner of his mouth not holding the dangling cigarette, “This the guy?”

He pushed a piece of paper across the counter toward me. I said hello with no response. I looked down at the paper. As I did so the man started mumbling something that was presumably directed at me.

“It was 11 miles. Yeah. Thought it was 10. Grunt grunt…”

The paper on the counter, the invoice, my bill, had a total of $141. “I’m sorry but you said it would be $85.”

“11 miles, both ways. You said 10.”

Like this guy doesn’t live around here and doesn’t know where route 264 is, that if I am at mile marker 10 I am over 10 miles out of town, that my car wasn’t where I was, that it was farther.

“It’s just that we agreed to $85,” though I began to remember that I never actually agreed to anything, Mr. Miller did it for me, but they could have been in collusion, speaking in code, conspiring to split the money. And he said these were good people. We hadn’t agreed to anything.

“Yeah well, the boss said I had to do this,” still mumbling indirectly and smoking a cigarette he never removed from his mouth. “You want to talk to the boss?”

I reviewed the invoice. Hookup fee $77. Mileage fee $99. Gas surcharge fee $999. Screw the non-local fee $1999. Plus tax. $5. The bill didn’t make any sense. I mean the numbers that were there added up, but I just saw very odd numbers that didn’t seem to apply to anything.

“I’m sorry but I don’t even see with a different mileage how this could have ever come to a total of $85.” The man pulled the paper back across the counter continuing to mumble while scribbling in tiny print more random numbers @ 11 with equal signs pointing at the stuff he had already written.

I was becoming more and more furious exacerbating my already exhausted frustrated frame of mind. I made some more incoherent and steadily more aggressive arguments that this bill made no sense, but never really connected that the number 11 was what made no sense. I know he said 11 miles both ways. But that is absurd. My car was more than 20 miles out. Just getting to me at mile marker 10 was probably 12 miles from the shop. There was no number 11 at any point in my entire escapade, and yet he kept mumbling it and did obscure math in Cuneiform on my invoice to back it up.

Reaching final exhaustion and fearful of what might happen to me in this town if I fully expressed what I thought about the situation I just handed over my credit card, scribbled my signature in violent swirls onto dotted lines the man indicated with shrugs of his cigarette and stormed angrily out the door. I didn’t say thank you. That would show him.

I got into my car furious, now resolved to get out of that town as quickly as possible. As I located a gas station to use the restroom and wash-up a bit, I came across many cheap motels, in fact every motel regardless of how nice or shabby appeared to be in the same $20 to $30 a night price range, but there was no way in hell I was spending another day in this town even if it were free. Finally just before the freeway entrance I found a gas station.

I washed up as best I could for quite some time and sort of stumbled out of the bathroom back through the store back to my car. The rational part of my brain warned me that I shouldn’t be driving. But I responded to myself, “I just need to brush my teeth and I will be fine.” So I pulled out my Sonicare, a water bottle and my toothpaste and proceeded to brush right there in the parking lot like a madman. While brushing I saw the broken jack sitting in my back seat sticking its broken foot out at me and laughing so I yanked it from the front seat and stumbled to the trash can at the entrance to the store and threw it away with a flourish, families staring on wide-eyed as I stumble back to my car spitting and rinsing as I made my back to the car.

All freshened up and unburdened from bad breath, a broken jack, or any new-found healthy relationships I might regret leaving behind, I pulled onto the interstate, turned on cruise control and spent the next two hours loathing everything about Lordsburg.

Flag Day

2009-06-13T18:02:10-11:00

Show your Patriotism. Fly the flag.
baddog

Happy Flag Day

2009-06-12T17:46:21-11:00

June 14th is flag day in the United States. Our friend here in the picture is all dressed up to celebrate with a day at the beach with friends. If you have a flag be sure to put it up this Sunday in celebration.

Day 1 & 2 (Friends, family, & head clearing in 30 days or less): 3:10 to Yuma

2009-06-12T08:02:13-11:00

This is the first of many musings for this journey, affectionately dubbed (by necessity for my registration with CouchSurfing.org), “Friends, family, & head clearing in 30 days or less.” Many updates to my trip will be posted to various social networks throughout each day but every so often I will be posting these longer updates. I write this first installment from a dump of motel in Las Cruces, NM. As I am a day behind and in a hurry to get to White Sands this first update will be brief. You can follow the sporadic updates on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tumblr, BlogSpot, Bebo, Friendster, and other random socialized networks (need Jason to help get a custom URL setup so I can use ping.fm with CoTradeCo). I am beingzoe on all networks.

Key stops planned for my trip:

Santa Fe, NM to visit with Smick and Ily
Omaha, NE to visit with K
Dubuque, IA to visit with Dad and Step-mom

Planned in-between stops:

Mountain biking anywhere the opportunity strikes
White Sands, NM
LIberal, KS (location in my novel I may never finish)
Newton, KS (location in my novel)
Lucas, KS Grassroots Arts Center (location in my novel)

DAY 1 & 2

3:10 to Yuma

Left with much haste considering this is a vacation, albiet a working vacation. Though I had been “planning” the trip since my visit with Alan in San Francisco n April, I had not actually done any planning as it was unclear when I would realistically be able to get away from the theater long enough. Then the first week of June it became clear that if I didn’t simply decide to go it wasn’t going to happen. So in a flurry of activity on Tuesday I prepared myself to leave for a month long journey.

I left Wednesday morning heading out the 8, which turns into the 10, listening to the Dirty Three all the way through. The Dirty Three were perfect for the first leg of the journey. Brian had made me a disc with new music just before I left after whimsically complaining that since Alan had left I no longer learned about new music.

I basically drove straight through to Yuma where I was lulled in from the scene of a small river/creek below the freeway. I pulled off and explored a native museum for a bit (which was closed, but I enjoy abandonded buildings as much as thriving ones). Then headed down to the river to cool off walking in the shallow river. Pretty neat little spot actually. A few miles of trails along the river, public “beaches” for the locals to relax on a hot day. It looked like the river got deep enough in spots to almost swim. I bough a couple of cups of lemonade from a young man, maybe six years old, who had his operation setup with his mom near the water.

After the beach I decided I neede a bike rack. Though I don’t have that much stuff in my car, it isn’t easy to get my bike in and out normally. So I asked Google maps to find me a bike shop, thinking I could pick up a cheap bike rack and get directions to some good trails. Mr. B’s bike shop in Yuma didn’t have any cheap racks. I’m looking to eventually get a hitch style rack, so for now I just wanted a $40 trunk style which they didn’t have. Though I did get directions to some supposedly nice single track just North of town. Following the directions I found a Target and picked up a rack that awkwardly holds my odd shaped Specialized frame. Like a true nomad I repacked my entire car in the parking lot and headed on to the trail. Except the directions didn’t quite work and I ended up near Yuma Lakes where it looked like it was BLM land at least. I parked and rolled out, quite easily with new rack. Within minutes I came across a young boy at a make shift wooden table, dirty, shirtless and cutting up what looked like a rabbit. I asked him if this was public land and he responded wide eyed like he didn’t see folks very often, “Yeah, down here and over that way, but not over there.” I thanked him and headed on. I didn’t get much of a ride in though. Instead of exciting single track it was nothing but loose gravel fire roads most likely for hunters. After a maybe a mile of miserable riding I headed back to the car thinking I’d spent too long in Yuma.

Back on the 10 with tentative plans to camp somewhere between Tuscon and the border of Arizona and New Mexico I had apparently played through the entire discography of the Dirty Three, on came some more rock/punk/gypsy something that I will probably enjoy but not after hours of the lulling rock ambient Dirty Three. I restarted the Dirty Three and pondered my next move.

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not exactly a camper. I am an urban type who enjoys warm showers and espresso every morning. However, this trip is intended as a big routine breaker, a chance to branch out and prepare for a new phase in my life. To that end I came prepared with camping gear I borrowed from my sister, and fully intended to use it. Though for this first leg of my journey I had hoped to try out the CouchSurfing.org service. On Tuesday night I had sent out to CouchSurfing requests in Vail, AZ and Wilcox, AZ both putting me not too far from the New Mexico border and only a few hours from White Sands where I hoped to spend the next day before meeting up with Smick and Ily in Santa Fe.

Because of the short notice and the fact that even driving straight through (which I never do) I wouldn’t make Tuscon until later evening, I mentioned in my requests that I might camp near my CouchSurfing contacts and even just meeting for a conversation and some coffee as well as a chance to washup the following day would be nice.

However, as I made my way across Arizona I became a bit depressed that my CouchSurfing requests found no response. That is my fault for waiting until the last minute I am sure. Considering my situation I should have contacted people in Tuscon as well just to be sure, but this was my first time using CouchSurfing and wasn’t sure the protocols. In retrospect I really wish I had.

Somewhere past Tuscon I needed a break just to stand up and maybe grab some warm food. I had eaten only 1 1/2 PBJ’s that I had made that morning. Actually I had made about 10 PBJ’s thinking I could doubly hand out sandwiches to weary travelers or people down on their luck I might come across as part of the “Give A Sandwich” movement. Much later into the next day I would be glad I didn’t find anyone to hand them out to.

I stopped at a TA travel center and had a cheeseburger and salad. My server Della was a wonderful older lady who made me feel right at home, calling me Hon a lot. When I hemmed over whether to get a salad or fries she offered both, saying she was in charge right now. I ended up staying there for a while trying to login to CouchSurfing.org and/or find a campground online, but unfortunately I had to use my Storm since the TA only offers paid wifi. The CouchSurfing.org site was unusable due to limited javascript functionality (note to ask CS to look into some unobtrusive JS). I found a great website that lists many free camping areas, or at least I think it is great, as you can only search the database by latitude and longitude. This led to discovering other ridiculous limitations of the Storm and Google maps. I could find no way to simply look up my current coordinates. So the ideal campsite may have slipped through my tired fingers. In the end I decided to go old school and use the “Free Campgrounds” book my sister lent me. I mainly refrained from using it originally because it was published in 2002 and I wasn’t sure how accurate it would be.

I located a spot in Bowie, AZ which just felt right and headed back out on the road. Arriving in Bowie though, my fears of outdated information proved real. The Texaco I was to find for the first turn didn’t seem to exist and the town was long shut down for the night. I made one more pass down the main street just to be sure, and sure enough found an abandoned service station what looked like it may have once been a Texaco sometime in the 50’s. I am not sure which is more sad, the fact that I recognized the shape of the painted over sign as a Texaco or that I actually turned up the road unsure if this was even the right place. I attempted to follow the directions, but where I should have found a simple graded dirt county road I found houses and many graded dirt roads, none of which had any signs. I made my most intelligent guess using intuition and Google maps as my guide. From what I could see on Google maps the route being described to the free campsite was obfuscated by what must have been newer development and roads. That or the directions were just terrible. At any rate, after driving for a bit on what seemed like might be the right way, getting stuck in a mini cattle herd, and ultimately hittng a dead end, I stopped to evaluate my situation.

By now it was getting pretty late, but my spirits were still high. I was truly on an adventure now. Instead of just finding a pay campground (much discussion later on how absurd it is that is illegal to camp any old place in a place with as much open land as New Mexico or anywhere else for that matter) I decided to find the next logical stop in the book for a free campsite. I was determined to break my routine. I decided on Lordsburg, NM and moved on.

Arriving in Lordsburg and checking with Google maps I could actually see my route to the campsite on the map. I felt good. It was really late now, getting close to 4am but I felt alive, tired, but alive. The only part that concerned me was that the campsite was more than 20 miles N of Lordsburg and it was unclear the state of the roads. I could already see the next day hinting over the horizon and really wanted to be setup before daylight so I could get enough sleep before the heat of the day.

Heading out of town the road was fine and I made decent speed the first 16 miles of country roads. Then came the last two turns. First onto CRAO27. This was a classic graded dirt road with serious rutting from the weather which cut my speed in half. This went on for nearly 5 miles. Somewhere along here I lost data connection and had to follow the directions blindly. As I neared the next turn at the “storage tank” onto CRAO124 the road became practically one lane and hardly a road at all for the first mile or so. Then it became much worse.

I now found myself on what seemed like little more than a car wide stone and sand/gravel path, pushing my poor Saturn Ion’s suspension to the limit. There were brief spots, where it became smoother more firmly packed dirt again that I used to convince myself that this wasn’t crazy. But honestly at this point I was so excited about setting up a tent and watching the last of the stars before dawn, drinking the Smirnoff Ice I had purchased at my last gas stop, and then enjoying some coffee and a bike ride in the morning, that my judgment was probably a little off.

Despite the occasional reprieve in the ridiculous road conditions, overall the state of the road continued to decline as anything you would even call a road. Getting windier, hillier, and criss-crossing deeply rutted and sandy washes I began to seriously consider how wise this was. I asked myself if despite camping legality if I should just find a flat spot to park and setup camp. I did find a spot and was about to setup but I when I got up I realized there was a herd of cattle right there hiding in the darkness, so decided to move on. Continuing at my snails pace over the ever enlarging rocks and poor traction I only had another couple of miles to go to the “official” camp site, but I was seriously wondering if I was going to make it.

Then I came around a sharp bend which then begain a sharp switchbacking descent between two hills, winding like a helix in opposite directions back and forth across a deep wash. The rocks became looser, and the traction worse and worse. By now I was repeated scraping bottom over and over on mounds of earth and the occasional small boulder. I knew I needed to turn around, but now that was impossible I determined that I would turn around and refigure my plans at the next opportunity.

As I neared the bottom of the valley I saw my opportunity, and none too soon, the sand on the last 20 yards or so had left my car with “no taction warnings” as I slid helplessly in the sand, but at the bottom there was my chance, a fairly wide open spot on what looked like decently packed stone in the wash next to where the road headed sharply back up the other side. I came to a stop. The ground was mostly solid. So far so good. But I was going to have to do a three point turn as quick as possible through that insanely thick sand. I got out plotted my course of action, got back in, breathed heavily and gunned it. I managed to get mostly turned around on the first move. Now all that remained was another 90 degrees as I pulled forward and headed as fast I could into the same 20 yards of loose sand.

I took another deep breath and hit it. Vrroooom, KRKKGGGKKK. I was stopped with a loud dragging scraping noise. I hadn’t moved two feet. I slowly attempted to back up hoping to not dig myself into the sand. Nothing. Forward. Nothing. What the $*x%x?

I got out and couldn’t see anything. My good flashlight (the Pelican 7060) was back with a friend I had lent it to who had failed to return it to me before I left (I hope he see’s this and feels guilty ;)

Luckily I came prepared with various CoTradeCo products to demo if the chance arose. I got the 9430 out of the trunk, necessitating removing my bike. However with the Pelican 9430 (shameless plug: which can be found on my website at http://cotradeco.com/products/648-9430-remote-area-lighting) it was like daylight and it was painfully clear that my car was teeter-tottering on large boulder long buried in the sand with just an iceberg tip sticking out far enough to grab my car and laugh at me.

I did attempt to free myself to no avail and will be posting an entire separate post about how I saved myself after I arrive in Santa Fe. For now suffice it to say after a broken jack and an 11 mile bike ride back to cell phone coverage I did manage to escape Lordsburg around 1pm the next day.

By the time I was free I was so exhausted all I could think about was sleep. But I was so frustrated with Lordsburg I was determined to head farther down the road and find a motel to stay in. While not outrageously hot, something with air conditioning seemed necessary and a campground just wasn’t going to cut it. In the end I manged to make it as far as Las Cruces, putting me about an hour from White Sands. I considered posting to let everyone know I was alright, but I was so tired and poopy I just went straight to sleep.

I took a five or six hour nap, then woke up, biked around Las Cruces for a bit, got a sandwich and headed back to my room where I took a shower, channel surfed all 12 stations, drank my Smirnoff Ice, ate half my sandwich, and smoke lot’s of cigarettes in my underwear feeling a bit like Tom Waits in that song, “Going out West”:

Well I kno karate, voodoo too
Im gonna make myself available to you
I dont need no make up
I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt

Though I really just felt like a bloated slightly overweight dork.

Morning came, I showered again, just cause it seemed refreshing, and prudent considering the adventures I had so far. I walked down to the lobby for my requisite continental breakfast which consisted exclusively of coffee (with caffeine only thank you very much), chocolate chip cookies, and some kind of breakfast bar/cake like thing obviously baked by someone who worked there. As I fingered the cellophane wrapped breakfast cakes wondering if should, a large man, obviously part of the Coachlight Inn indigident population, bellowed out, “Those are good. One of those and you are set. You’ll love it.” Perhaps he was reading my mind, or he was more savvy than he appeared, and interpretted my poking at the stack of irregularly sized “bars” correctly. I replied, “What kind are they?” He responded less confidently, “Oh, carrot, and, uh, cocunut…well all sorts of good stuff.” Just then the matronly clerk who had checked me in the night before, poked her head out and said, “Those are breakfast bars. Oatmeal.” I said my thanks, grabbed a large one and headed back to my room with coffee and possibly breakfast.

I started this post, but quickly had to leave when I received a phone call asking if I was staying another night.

“I thought checkout was at 11.”
“It is. It’s about 5 after.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t realized I was in another time zone.”
“Oh that’s right, you are from California. Yup, you are definitely in another time zone. I’m originally from Minneapolis and I had to go through different time zones too.”
“Well I apologize for the inconvenience. I will be out in about 15 minutes.”
“Take your time.”

So I packed up and headed out to the closest Starbucks for my usual espresso, where I am finishing this post.

Heading to White Sands now, and then on to Santa Fe. My public apologies to Colleen and Nathan for not letting you know I was alive. I forgot that though you could see where I was on Google maps, it doesn’t tell you if I’ve been murdered and drug off somewhere. I will be more aware next time. I was just so tired.

Okay, you can get the rest of the updates throughout the day via the social networks. Take and find your day well. I sure will.

Read the amazing perilous and astoundingly hilarious next installment of my journey, Day 1.5 (Friends, family, & head clearing in 30 days or less): Stuck on a rock

Yermo Yacht Club

2009-06-09T09:37:19-11:00

The Yermo Yacht Club amongst its many good and charitable works includes serving and protecting orphans and widows, especially young widows.
baddog

race course

2009-06-09T09:32:28-11:00

The Most Exulted Grand High and Mighty Event Commissar of the Yermo Yacht Club plots out the next race course. All hail Emperor Norton!! Emperor of the United States and Protectorate of Mexico.

Paso Robles Real Estate Update-June 2009

2009-06-08T11:57:15-11:00

Is it really June already? The summer months are upon us, and in Paso Robles, that means hot days and cool nights, concerts in the park, the MidState fair, day trips to the beach, and usually, an increase in real estate activity. If you are not from Paso Robles and are considering a move here, learn more about the area on my website, or request a free DVD entitled”Come For The Weekend – Stay For A Lifetime.”

If you are looking for a place to retire, Sierra Bonita is a quiet, modest neighborhood in Paso Robles, and all residents are at least 55 years of age. The best value in Sierra Bonita today is 1168 square feet, which is larger than any other model, has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, an den/family room and is in pristine condition. At $199,000, it’s a fantastic investment.

Call or email for more information!

State Parks

2009-06-06T06:50:01-11:00

The weight lifter in the Governor’s office is going to close 220 out of 279 California State Parks. So for those of us who were looking for a cheap close to home vacation can forget it. I have a feeling that this is blackmail so He can raise taxes. Note the story in the L.A.Times where Arnold states He is seeking radical new ways to raise taxes.
Stand by, Prop 13 is the target.
baddog

Goethe's Totentanz- Dance of Death

2009-06-04T08:21:57-11:00

Goethe wants you to know that, “flower organs are modified leaves.” (1790)

new members

2009-05-26T10:28:34-11:00

The Yermo Yacht Club’s New member recruiter persuades most fortunate new recruits to join the YERMO YACHT CLUB. Join NOW. Do not be the last to Join.
Baddog

The Emperor

2009-05-26T10:20:26-11:00

The Yermoo Yacht Club’s most Exulted Grand Commodore sends all Club Members greetings!
The Exulted Grand Commodore is some where in the desert lands acting as the Ambassador
Plenipotentiary for our most August Emperor Norton the First.
Baddog

Memorial Day '09

2009-05-24T07:04:07-11:00

Having served in Viet Nam each memorial day has a special meaning for me and for all the families who lost someone in what was a needless war. While all of the attention is on those who returned and have continued to suffer I think we need to give pause and thank those who stayed at home and worried about their loved ones hoping and praying that they would come home ok. The same concerns exist today for the families of those who are currently deployed. The simple act of putting an American Flag up really means a lot. Enjoy the barbecue and family but most of all say hi to someone who served or to an aunt, uncle, friend or grandparent who supported their serviceman or woman who was in harms way.

Memorial Day

2009-05-23T14:51:52-11:00

No mater how out of the way, Remember those who served and gave so much.

yermo yacht club

2009-05-21T14:02:12-11:00

The Yermo Yacht Club Membership Committee would love to look over your application.
Appply today!
baddog

refuel

2009-05-21T13:56:03-11:00

Next time you are out and about and just messing around in boats, Be Sure to stop at the Yermo Yacht Club fuel dock. Fees slightly higher for non members.
Baddog

pop quiz

2009-05-13T12:08:50-11:00

This is a photo of the Yermo Yacht club June Race course. Can you guess where it is?
Baddog

Trader Dan

2009-05-13T11:49:54-11:00

I hate to admit it but Trader Dan was right about Fire Fox. It is much better than AOL.
As a reward the Yermo Yacht Club will provide free rides to Trader Dan for one week in our
Club member taxi.
Baddog

Yermo Yacht Club

2009-05-13T11:32:12-11:00

I have not been “On the air” for a long time. The Club members and I have been busy
cleaning up our Club H.Q. A picture of our palatial Club House and H.Q. is included.
Baddog

photo credt “Disaster log of Ships” James Gibbs_

Which would you choose?

2009-05-03T18:09:31-11:00

What would happen if the $2.00 hugger wanted a hug from the free hugger? Would $2.00 man demand payment? Would it be based on hug initiation? Would the free hugger still feel like he was giving something to someone if he hugged $2.00 man, but had to pay him for the return hug. I find this video fascinating in the social/economic questions it brings up.

You might also be interested in:

Paso Robles Real Estate Update-May 2009

2009-05-01T12:12:44-11:00

The California Association of REALTORS has announced a new plan for mortgage protection for first time homebuyers. If you are considering a real estate purchase, but a little wary of the current economy, this might ease your mind a bit:

“Through the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund’s Mortgage Protection Program, first-time home buyers who lose their jobs due to layoffs may be eligible to receive up to $1,500 per month, for six months, to help make their mortgage payments. A qualified co-buyer also can participate in the program, and receive a monthly benefit of $750 per month for up to six months. Program benefits also include coverage for accidental disability and a $10,000 death benefit. ” (CAR.org) For more information, contact me or visit www.car.org/aboutus/hafmainpage/carhafmortgageprotection/.

Start your home search!

The real estate inventory in Paso Robles has dropped in recent weeks, and this could be a sign of a changing market. The last several years have been a slow market, with many listings too few buyers. Now that interest rates are low, there are more buyers, and many sellers are able to refinance their home instead of sell it, which mean fewer homes for sale. This makes for a more active and competitive market! You need an agent will be constantly looking for homes for you, will notify you when there is a new listing, and will work hard to get you in to the home of your dreams, so visit KristinaWesley.com.

Injinji Socks-love these!

2009-04-17T10:53:35-11:00

My new injinji socks arrived and I can’t see why I would want to take these off!
I don’t know what the official use is for these, but I think they are going to make great gifts! If you are on my gift giving list this year, the cat’s out of the bag, look forward to some new socks!

LifeLights-frog and lizard flashlights

2009-04-17T10:51:44-11:00

Just ordered these great little lights and the kids love them! They put off enough light to get around the house “fort” in the dark and they are cute enough for the kids to really love them!

New tutorial on adjusting the drawer configuration for the Pelican 0450 tool case

2009-04-14T10:11:10-11:00

Check out the new tutorial on How to adjust the drawer configuration height/spacing/quantity for the Pelican 0450 in our resources section.

If you aren’t familiar with the Pelican 0450 mobile tool case you should check it out and prepare to be wowed! This new mobile drawered tool chest from Pelican offers the quality and near indestructible quality of a Pelican with the Pelican lifetime warranty.

Must-have add-ons for Firefox…and why my browser looks like Google Chrome!

2009-04-10T10:02:30-11:00

I no longer spend a lot of time customizing my computer and applications. Sure when I first install a computer I will adjust some minor appearance items and do a few optimizations. Unlike my early computer days when I would spend hours (sometimes days of aggregate hours over the course of weeks) tweaking every little thing until no one else but me could use the computer. But over the years it actually started to feel more efficient to use as much standard with software as possible. After your 100th Windows install (that’s a whole other story), and countless other software upgrades and new applications, tweaking every menu and keyboard shortcut stops making sense.

Then, years ago now, add-ons for Firefox (back when it was still called Firebird) entered my life. The wonderfully utilitarian and functional Firefox could be tweaked and bent to my will, creating a browser beyond a browser, a browser that could wash your car, make pizza, and practically do your taxes; making everything so much easier and hassle-free. Like my first computer I tweaked and contorted Firefox until it was unrecognizable and sometimes wouldn’t even load. Over time the excitement waned and my Firefox add-ons were pared down to a minimal set of must-haves and I ceased even checking for new add-ons unless recommended by a friend or colleague.

While stumbling the internet (StumbleUpon being a must-have add-on) I came across an article that proclaimed Firefox already dead due to the release of Google’s Chrome and even IE 8’s new found stability and supposedly useful feature set. While I loved the layout and new features that Chrome offered I did not find it as marvelous and crash-proof as so many had claimed. But the real deal breaker was the lack of add-ons.

Thanks to Adblock Plus the internet is actually a pleasant useful tool and a joy to use. I often forget there is such a thing as flashing banner animations. Only recently was I reminded of how amazing Adblock Plus was when I debated a friend on why he would want to develop his own player and stream his own videos when he could just host them at YouTube and forget about the bandwidth. He argued some aesthetic and functional issues, but his primary argument were the ads. Like a noob I had no idea that YouTube and many other online video services were now serving in-video ads. Adblock is so good that it even blocks those.

If for this reason alone Firefox is far from dead. It could be threatened by Chrome if Google creates an add-on system, but I am sure they are suffering great consternation what to do about the Adblock Plus. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are ready for add-ons but don’t want anyone blocking their own ads so are debating in their awesome building what to do.

At any rate, one of the things I preferred about Chrome was it’s intelligent use of screen space. Chrome essentially kills the title bar, putting the tab bar in it’s place, and then has only one toolbar for navigation by default. With a whimsical hope that someone had created a ‘Chrome’ add-on for Firefox I headed over to the Mozilla Add-ons site. Long story short, my Firefox now basically looks like Chrome, and I have gained valuable screen real estate for the one thing that is most important in a browser: viewing web pages.

So having wasted several hours last night after again bending Firefox to my will and trying out so many add-ons (and even the new Firefox Beta 3.1b3) generally rendering my browser near useless in the futile attempt to make my online life more efficient, and then uninstalling most of them, I share with you my current list of must have add-ons (and some other add-ons I am trying out to see if they help me in anyway).

My must have add-ons for Firefox

Let me start by saying that a must-have add-on is generally utile. A must have add-on isn’t eye candy (though should look good if it has a UI beyond a context menu) and is something you pretty much need to do what you do efficiently with joy in your heart. These must-have add-ons fit fill that gaping hole in my digital life.

AdBlock Plus

As mentioned already, Adblock Plus actually makes the internet usable. Without it you might as well be walking through Times Square or downtown Tokyo with only one earbud in blaring random snippets of noise from your iPod, with a kaleidescope up to one eye with your right hand tied to your left with a very short rope while attempting to read Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. And that’s just when you are trying to read a news article.

AdBlock Plus is a painless add-on once installed essentially eliminates every trace of ads from the internet. With it’s subscription service you don’t even have to spend any time configuring it. With wildcard and regular expression support you can easily customize the functionality to suit your needs.

With AdBlock Plus the internet is information and entertainment. Without it you are in the Eighth Circle of Hell for sins involving conscious fraud and treachery. Of course I suppose I might feel different as my own company expands it’s marketing, but I’ll deal with that hypocrisy and schizophrenia as it comes up.

Without AdBlock Plus there is no other browser worth using. Say what you want about speed, stability, memory leaks, security holes (IE not Firefox), but if I am offered to ‘hit the monkey’ one more time I’m headed to the bell tower.

StumbleUpon

I am a stumbler. I have been stumbling for over 2 years, stumbled 6,720 items, liked 1,723 of them, and disliked 45. Everything else were simply shades of gray that do not exist in my world. In fact I love StumbleUpon so much because it fit my pre-existing pseudo-quantum rating system: So-Good, No-Good, and everything else is probably just fine but neither great or suck.

If you are unfamiliar with StumbleUpon, it is like a social bookmarking service meets TIVO. You view a web page. You click a button to say you ‘like it’ or ‘not for me’. If you are the first person to like/dislike a page you can write a review.

But the real joy and power of StumbleUpon comes from the ‘Stumble!’ button. Click the ‘Stumble!’ button and a web page (article, video, picture, news) is randomly selected based on interests you have indicated in your profile. With each stumble and each review you make, the ‘Stumble!’ button becomes less and less random matching sites you have liked/disliked with others who have liked/disliked similar items with similar interests, until you begin to wonder if you even need a search engine at all. Then you remember you have work to do.

StumbleUpon has replaced television in my life. There is a world of information and interest that just drops into your lap when you start using it. This is not necessarily a productive tool, but StumbleUpon is a utility for the enrichment of your soul, and as such, despite the hours that will vanish while stumbling, will enrich every part of your life and continued development as a happy healthy human being.

_While it is possible to use StumbleUpon without the add-on toolbar, that implementation is crude and not nearly as fun or seamless, making it less than viable for Chrome and other browsers.

Web Developer toolbar

Endless tools indispensable tools for the web developer. Selectively disable/modify/create/test styles, scripts, images, cookies, meta redirects, referrers, pop-up blockers, and more. Form tools. Acquire path, size, meta, and structure data. Create preset browser sizes. Validate. Show and hide content on demand.

This tool is exactly what it says it is. This is the swiss army knife of web developer tools (but no toothpick to lose!). Whether you are troubleshooting an existing site or testing new development, you need the Web Developer toolbar.

Chrome offers some useful web developer tools built-in but nothing that fulfills the functionality of the Web Developer toolbar.

Firebug

Where the Web Developer toolbar is a multi-tool for testing, Firebug is a surgical medkit for web development.

Dig in deep with Firebug. Inspect the DOM. Inspect source code with visual selection of elements. View styles and block level dimensions. See not just the styles in use, but the styles that have been ignored in precedence. Check status, size, and download time of page elements. Decent javascript console. Edit styles in real-time.

There are even add-ons for this add-on. Add coding reference materials. Manage cookies. Overlay design docs to compare pixel-perfect layout. Log PHP, JSON, and XML. Get more benchmarking for javascript. Use YSlow to test your site against Yahoo rules for high performance web sites. Drupal specific debugging and logging.

While there may be more tools out there that I would find useful, between the Web Developer toolbar and Firebug almost every development and troubleshooting need I have ever had had been covered.

Chrome admittedly has an amazing developer toolset ready-to-go. The built-in inspector is fabulous offering much of Firebugs functionality. But this also would be an example of a feature that maybe should be an add-on. Trust me, most people I know will never understand what the developer menu items are for, and would likely be happier (even if they don’t know it) if that little bit of menu clutter didn’t exist in their world. So despite an excellent implementation in Chrome, it could also be considered it’s own argument for add-ons.

SEOpen toolbar

I would describe myself as only mildly obsessed with SEO. Well, I am obsessed, but temper it with a commitment of making good content over gaming the system. As such the SEOpen toolbar suits my needs at this time just fine.

With the SEOpen toolbar I can quickly check backlinks, page rank, indexed pages, Alexa information, and other quicklinks for checking keyword density, analyzing links, robots.txt, waybackmachine archives, and quick Whois lookups.

There are many sites I use for other SEO and marketing research, but this is the only toolbar.

Chrome and other browsers lacking add-ons simply can’t compete with this kind of tailor made experience. This would be a great example of how I don’t want my browser to ship bloated with features I may never use, but I honestly don’t mind bloating my applications myself, sacrificing initial app load time, and even sometimes per page load time, if the convenience factor is increased by orders of magnitude with useful tools such as these.

Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer

Yeah I’m old school, but I kinda like just having an old fashioned bookmark file, but synced between all my computers. I’ve tried del.ico.us and even just signed up for Twine on a recommendation at Twitter from Mvellandi but I just haven’t gotten any of these into my workflow. Social bookmarking (besides StumbleUpon) has generally seemed like more work than it was worth. I mean really, how will it look professionally if I accidentally publicly share my midget transvestite porn links?

Foxmarks is simple and seamless. Create a Foxmarks account, install the toolbar on any Firefox install you want to sync your bookmarks with, and you now have all your bookmarks where you want them. You can even access them online from any browser at the Foxmarks site.

I’m going to give Twine a try, but the del.ico.us toolbar was so clunky and clumsy I probably won’t go back again. And unless a social bookmarking site is so easy and useful it doesn’t need an integrated toolbar/button I just won’t work in my daily routine.

With Chrome or Safari, browsers I enjoy using for aesthetics and some functionality, it is like going back 10 years in convenience features such as syncronizing bookmarks. I am big on being able to seamlessly integrate my digital life across platforms. Only Firefox and amazing add-on developers consistantly deliver that necessity on my desktop.

Google Gears

This is more of a utilitarian plug-in than an add-on feature, but if you want to use Google Apps offline it is a necessity. Open source synchronizing tool to let web applications interact naturally with your desktop, store web data locally, and run javascript in the background (among other things I’m sure).

While not just for Google apps, if you use gmail or google docs, this is a must have.

Of course this runs in Chrome (and Safari and so many others) but is nonetheless a must-have Firefox add-on.

Google Gears home

All-in-One Gestures

All-in-One Gestures allows you use mouse movements to control your browser. Hold down the right-click button and flick the mouse to the left and you go back a web page. Same thing but flick right and you go forward. Move the mouse up and down refreshes the page, up down up down forces a refresh from the server. So many other features, but you get the gist. Fully customizable to suit your needs.

This add-on comes and goes in my life. It so useful, but thanks to 100 button pointing devices, and generally improved website and browser navigation overall it is sometimes a superfluous feature. I only reinstalled it last night and asked myself immediately how I used the internet without it (I never remember what all 100 buttons on my mouse do).

From what I can tell there are various ways to implement mouse gestures in all the browsers, but they don’t have AdBlock Plus, so All-in-One Gestures it is! There are even many mouse gesture add-ons for Firefox alone, but All-in-One by Marc Boullet has always worked great and I believe in loyalty.

Nightly Tester Tools

As much of a Firefox evangelist as I am, I haven’t been much of a beta tester for them. While periodically checking out beta releases, I have contributed little to the project (again we’ll deal with those hypocrisy issues at a later date). Thus I really only have this add-on for the ability to override add-on compatibility between versions.

United States English Spellchecking Dictionary

It’s a dictionary. I like words. I like spell checking. Sometimes I even like prescriptive grammar. Not always do I use any of them well. Sometimes this add-on helps.

It is an open source word list created from the original word list by Keven Atkinson for Pspell and Aspell as well as the affix file modified from the original english.aff file as part of Geoff Kuenning’s Ispell.

New Firefox add-ons I’m already lovin’

Some of these I just installed last night, some I have been playing with a for a few months, but these are most likely going to make it to my must-have (or at least remain on the really lovin’) list.

Chromin Frame

Of course this add-on is what created this entire article. I wanted the increased screen space and tab style of Chrome with the convenience of Firefox. Chromin Frame is the only ‘Chrome-itizing’ add-on/theme that actually seemed to work and worked with my current version of Firefox (3.07).

Though I have installed the Firefox 3.1b3 to try out a new add-on theme called Chromifox Extreme which looks more like the real deal styling everything to get that Chromium look and increased viewable screen space. Even better Chromifox Extreme is already released in several colors and I can’t wait for Chromifox Extreme Carbon. I don’t really like the blue of Google Chrome. I want my apps to be some shade of gray and the content of my apps to provide the color. Anything else seems distracting.

Chromin Frame isn’t perfect but the default blue frame and tabs flow nicely with my native app color scheme. If you like the look of Chrome but want Firefox, get Chromin Frame. Oh wait, I just noticed the recommended complimentary add-ons to Chromin Frame to give Firefox near complete Google Chromiumized functionality. I just installed the Chromin Fox theme and AutoHideStatusBar. Now it is truly seamless in appearance I can finally hide the status bar without losing access to my status bar add-ons. Good golly this is a good day (geak alert).

Download Chromin Frame from Mozilla Add-ons

NoScript

Honestly without javascript the internet would be a useless pile of literary and visual detritus rendering the human experience as so much non-linear balderdash. With javascript the internet is a fluid application and interactive experience of human accomplishment and universal wonders that sometimes crashes your browser and is used to steal your life by the less than scrupulous.

I installed it in part to find out how it worked and what the internet was like without javascript, but mainly, despite not being an overly paranoid person, the thought of being clickjacked terrifies me far more than the thought of someone hacking my studio router and getting on my personal computers (perhaps not rational but true). NoScript is recommended as ideal perfection for clickjacking so I thought what the heck.

Clickjacking is a malicious technique of tricking web users into revealing confidential information or taking control of their computer while clicking on seemingly innocuous web pages. A vulnerability across a variety of browsers and platforms, a clickjacking takes the form of embedded code or script that can execute without the user’s knowledge, such as clicking on a button that appears to perform another function. -Wikipedia

Since installing it last night I both hate and love it already. Unlike AdBlock Plus it is much more time consuming to configure. Even now I am looking at the wikipedia page and see the NoScript yellow alert bar across the top of my newly increased screen space requesting my attention. Yes, allow wikipedia.org. Yes, allow wikimedia.org. And now I can “forever” browse wikipedia free of NoScript warnings, and reasonably safe from a clickjack attempt (because we know so many clickjack attempts happen at the wiki-actually that would be smart, as a lot of people probably use the same username/password authorization information across all their accounts, who would suspect?).

If NoScript had more built-in features and generally-trusted-included white list functionality like AdBlock Plus this just might have wowed me to no end. Where AdBlock Plus prevents me from seeing ads, NoScript allows me to at least put a small dent in the nefarious privacy exploits many companies utilize to destroy society with their shameless marketing techniques. NoScript allows you to easily subvert and block trackers from companies you may not prefer were keeping tabs on you.

Unfortunately I’ve already noticed that some sites I use regularly that were perfectly ad-free and rendered beautifully with AdBlock Plus alone appear less perfect with both running in tandem. Dictionary.com is a good example. Where I had dictionary.com dialed in as the cleanest slickest basic reference site, now half of sidebars are randomly appearing and some content that I thought was blocked might not be, and worse, there might be content that I actually want to see being blocked.

I will continue to sue NoScript for at least the next week before passing judgment. But as a regular Stumbler, the constant popping up of the NoScript alert bar might make me crazy as I might look at dozen’s of obscure sites a night, and I’m not sure having to hand approve all of them is going to fit my quiet seamless integration practices. But if I get rid of it will I be able to sleep at night wondering if I were clickjacked logging into my midget transvestite porn sites?

The other thing working against NoScript is their logo. That banned “S” looks like a Strong Bad Drawing for a detergent or something during the 80’s. Of course I don’t require as much style from a utilitarian product. And it’s free so who am I to complain?

TwitterFox

I’ve been using this for a couple of months now, but honestly until I got my Blackberry Storm a week or so ago, my participation on my various social networks was non-existent. Since then though, I have been posting semi-regularly and managed to get Trader Dan posting as well. However, I rarely post directly to the various sites I belong to. Typically I only visit Facebook or Twitter directly when I get an alert about something that requires me to go visit. Otherwise I’ve been using various tools to track and participate on many social networks at once. Admittedly I’m still getting into the swing of things, but I’m enjoying my intermittent social butterfly status around the internet. However, I use Ping.fm for most of postings and thus only use TwitterFox as one of my tools to keep up with the haps without having to invest too much time jumping from social network to social network.

I really like TwitterFox because I follow various politicians, the UN Secretary General, and NASA among others and it is fun to see the shenanigans pop up in my status bar periodically. But because of tools like TwitterFox I am able to still get in and get personal having discussions and exchanges with folks without it being too much a time waster, while still using Ping.fm for my general posts about me and my adventures.

TwitterFox sits in you FireFox status bar always ready for you to toss off a random thought (tweet) or two into the twittersphere. And when someone you are following tweets it pops up in a little box for a few seconds for you to read if you wish and then quietly and pleasantly vanishes. But you can always click the icon and bring up the entire public timeline to catchup. Twitterfox also allows two or more accounts to be setup and followed simultaneously so you can easily watch personal and professional twitter accounts at the same time and with one click you post to either instantly. Very cool and well executed.

I would call this a must-have add-on but unfortunately I’m not sure yet if social network activity is considered a must-do activity. But we’ll see. Thanks to my Blackberry and these social networks I’ve been interacting with folks I had lost touch with ages ago. Pretty neat, so let’s call it a must-probably-have-it.

What would be really swell is the same exact functionality of TwitterFox for the Facebook wall, MySpace comments and status updates, Bright Kite, Plurk, and so on. I have friends who swear by one social network and hate another. If I had some single (or near single interface like a personally bloated browser) to actively participate in all I would be a lot more inclined to get involved.

PingFire

I’ve been using Ping.fm for a while but just discovered PingFire yesterday.

Ping.fm is a web service for updating multiple social networks and blogs in a single interface. You setup an account at Ping.fm, configure all your social networks and blogs, and from a single text box you can submit blog entries, update status, and send micro-blogs. Very convenient, very well implemented. Ingenious really. This service alone, even without browser add-on, is completely functional.

Ping.fm let’s you post through their online interface or via SMS and email, and even through various devoted apps for your desktop, laptop, and mobile devices. I have my Ping.fm account in my Blackberry address book and instead of just tweeting or updating my wall, I can update them all with the more banal aspects of my life.

Now with PingFire I have the convenience of posting tweets like TwitterFox but to my entire Social Empire!

However I recognize the possibility of such power to be exploited by the nefarious, polluting dozens of sites and thousands of accounts with useless spam-filled garbage. In fact I am so aware of it that I have questioned even using the service as it does separate you somewhat from the actual communities you are posting to. This is exactly why I continue to use TwitterFox and am seeking out more tools to respond personally across many social networks. I mean really I have a ton of friends who use MySpace, which I loathe, but I would still like to interact with them. But I’m not going to login to MySpace every hour to see what is going on. But if I could post through Ping.fm and get direct alerts on my phone and in Firefox when someone responds I will happily participate directly in those communities.

Right now I try to login at least once a week in every social service I am “participating” in to mitigate the impersonal aspects of using Ping.fm.

That said, Ping.fm and PingFire get a tentative must-probably-have-and-I-currently-love-them rating if only because of the possiblity that this service could be exploited and ruin the quality of the communities they are contributing to. So get them and check them out. Just don’t be a dirty whore spammer!

Copy Link Name

How is this not part of the Firefox build? Right-click on a link, copy the anchor text (not the link location/uri or the entire anchor tag, just the anchor text).

Of the least dramatic and most mind-numbing things I do with CoTradeCo is enter products into the online store. Because CoTradeCo is committed to a higher level of service in all things, we do our best to provide more information in our store. You can buy a lot of the products we sell at competitive prices, but most sites offer the manufacturers stock bullet list of features and one or two pictures. Trader Dan insists that go farther whenever we can, offering a ton of high quality useful information and even supplemental related resources. And let me tell you that’s not as easy or fun as it sounds (oh wait that doesn’t sound easy or fun :).

So I often have a hundred tabs open across the internet, vendor sites, distributor logins, ftp sites, and even competitors sites all to write the best most useful production description and specs possible (of course this process takes so long that only 1 in 10 products typically gets that much love ;). In all that research there is a lot of copy/paste action happening getting product names and product numbers and so on. But selecting text in links can be a pain in the ass. Click to close and you’ve gone to the link instead of selecting the text. With this simple context menu add-on, no selecting required, just right-click, copy anchor text. Love it!

This is a must-have add-on for anybody who does a lot of online research.

FoxTab

Okay, this is mostly eye candy. Strangely functional, but eye candy nonetheless.

As you might have already read above I often use a lot of tabs while browsing. So many that they often don’t fit on the screen. The scroll tabs buttons work pretty well and are only mildly annoying. The show all open tabs drop down is pretty functional, but not all website titles are created equal making choosing the exact right tab from multiple on the same domain difficult at times.

Well FoxTab might be my answer. Hit CTRL-Q and all of your tabs appear in a full screen array of visual thumbnails. See the one you want, click it, and you’ve got your tab.

The array of visual layouts include several scrolling thumbnails and a couple of grid layouts. The scrolling thumbnails are fun to just twirl your mouse scroll wheel with and just watch the pages zoom by. But the scrolling thumbnails, while visually mesmerizing, are about as functional as just using the built-in tab scroll buttons.

The grid layouts on the other hand actually make this a visual appealing (though less exciting) way of switching tabs that is still strangely functional. One of the grid layouts at least bends the thumbnail grid in a shallow concave circle making it nicer to look at than a simple grid of colorful rectangles. The background is black and it’s all glossy web 2.0 so it has a pleasant slick look that will probably look outdated in the next year.

The best part is that is shows all tabs across all open windows. This is it’s big selling point for me as I will have a browser on screen for doing research along with my text editor and another on the other screen for making immediate changes to the admin on our sites along with Photoshop and some other tools. Now I can call up FoxTab and get to one of dozens of tabs in any browser I have open. Very nice.

The only problem with apps like this for me is building the proprioception and habit of hitting CTRL-Q when I want to switch tabs. Also since it doesn’t show the page titles at all (at least I couldn’t find the option) it becomes a purely visual scan and with too many tabs open the thumbnails could get pretty small (and even most Mac users will admit that sometimes the open doc icons can be pretty useless). However, the creators obviously thought this through as you can customize all the grid layouts to control how many get shown, whether the thumbnails should be a fixed size or scale based on quantity, and many other features that allow you to make it work for you.

So FoxTab is currently in the trying-it-out-want-to-love-it-but-might-never-use-it-but-it-looks-cool-and-you-should-try-it category.

Download FoxTab from Mozilla Add-ons

Menu Mod

When you are on the quest to eliminate every menu bar and maximize screen space it is pretty annoying that the menu bar cannot easily be hidden be default in Firefox. Menu Mod fixed all that.

Super simple: Hides the menu under a menu that reads ‘Menus’. Click it and the rest of the normal menu items (file, edit, view, etc…) flyout. Hit F2 and the whole menu appears like normal and again it is gone entirely. I have so compacted my menu with this whole Chromium obsession though that now every button and every toolbar I use are all contained within the menubar and hitting F2 actually makes my browser like a kiosk. Oh but the screen space I have gained, and it is how do I say, “Strangely functional.” I have one toolbar to rule them all!

Love it mostly. The only thing I miss is easy access to my bookmarks, but getting used to opening the bookmark sidebar has been no problem. Everything else I pretty much did through shortcuts, mouse gestures, or some other add-on already ;)

Sick of the menu eating up screen space? Get Menu Mod.

This is the one thing I love about Google Chrome and hopefully Firefox will take note and adapt some of the better features. But in the meantime I thank my lucky stars for add-ons. The creator of Chromin Frame recommended the Personal Menu add-on to accomplish something similar, but I found Menu Mod first and it’s working out just fine.

Update: I couldn’t help it and I tried the recommended Personal Menu add-on and it kicks butt. Menu Mod was utilitarian and fulfilled my minimum requirements, but Personal Menu blew me away with the ability for advanced customization with multiple menus, custom buttons with more custom menus, and so on. Besides Personal Menu has the cool icons, and cool icons win over boring text menu items any day (as long as you can tell what the icon is ;). However, Personal Menu could actually be overwhelming for the novice making Menu Mod a better choice in those instances. But now thanks to Personal Menu I actually have one toolbar with everything I need a click away (occasionally two or three but that is rare and so is my need for that damn button :).

AutoHideStatusBar

As I mentioned above I discovered this little gem of an add-on while researching this article. I wanted to maximize screen real estate, but many of my most useful add-ons run and are accessed through the status bar, so turning it off was unthinkable.

AutoHideStatusBar to the rescue. I don’t use the Windows autohide task bar feature, because, well, it blows. Try using Photoshop with autohide taskbar on and you’ll know what I mean. But I wish the autohide task bar worked as well as AutoHideStatusBar does (I love uncluttered screens if you hadn’t noticed).

AutoHideStatusBar is so simply and perfectly customizable that it appears exactly as I imagined it should within a 30 seconds a couple of minor settings changes.

In my case I want it to appear instantly any time I mouse over a link and within a split second of when my mouse gets within 30 or so pixels of the bottom of the browser. But most importantly not to pop up every time I move my mouse over, around, or near it on my way to click on something else. The best part is that it just quietly pops up without affecting the page rendering or rescrolling or any other garbage. Just up comes the informative and useful status bar and just as faithfully returns to hiding until I call upon it again.

Done, perfect. You must get this.

_I would also note and thank the developer of Chromin Frame for listing the other add-on mods, such as AutoHideStatusBar, that perfect my current Google Chromitosus addiction. _

Just installed and on the fence about

I literally installed dozens of add-ons that I immediately uninstalled. The following add-ons are getting a further try out but are currently on the short list, not because they don’t seem good but I’m questioning whether their bloat qualifies as a must-have, and in a world of so-good, no-good, there is no in between.

Colorzilla

This is fantastic. I have often wanted to use an eyedropper while I’m in Photoshop in one screen and sample a color in my browser on the other. Colorzilla offers that and a lot more (well not integrated with Photoshop or anything but still…).

Whip out the eyedropper and instantly get the RGB, HEX, HEX with the # sign, and more. Save it to a favorites palette. Heck, it will even let you open Firebug directly and take you to the element where that color was found (even if it is in a background image).

And of course you have the palette browser and color picker tool. But the coolest feature is the Web Dom Color Analyzer which searches the dom and builds a color palette of the current web page (though this does not include the option to analyze the images on the page, just the colors referenced in the DOM).

Absolutely amazing. Even playing with it while writing this I am wondering why this isn’t in my must-have list. But the fact is despite it’s amazing coolness, I may only need it a few times a month. Even I have limits on how bloated I will customize my browser. So the question will become in the next month whether this is more of a novelty than a standard tool I need? I suppose I could disable it if I don’t think I will need it for a while, but I’m not convinced that this offers too much benefit. There are online services for this kind of tool that might make more sense for my intermittent needs.

However, if you have color issues to work with everyday that even remotely involve web development, you probably must-have this. Works great, and it’s just fun as hell looking at the color palette for all sorts of websites. As for me, time will tell if Colorzilla gets a so-good AND a regularly needed vote to make it a must-have for me. A big selling point would have been if it could import and export Photoshop palettes, but those damned hippy open source people are all Gimp compatible :)

Dust-Me Selectors

Dust-Me Selectors claims to generate a list of unused CSS selectors to help with cleaning up your site and style sheets. I love the idea of this, but I question if I need it as a daily add-on. This definitely seems like a candidate for it’s own application (web or desktop doesn’t matter), maybe even a suite of tools for this kind of maintenance. CoTradeCo is barely a year old and already the site is so large, with some data coming from the database, some coming from the views, some coming from static html pages I hide where Scragz can yell at me later about (just kidding Scragz).

If this tool works it could be a godsend for cleaning up our small library of stylesheets. I have yet to actual get any conclusive evidence that this works (but more likely I haven’t figured out how it works). Though I’d kinda hoped it would be uber-intuitive and fast, but it seems like it needs some training.

However, it remains on the still-trying-it-out list.

Obtrusive Javascript Checker

My interest in this add-on is the same as the Dust-Me Selectors. Much to the chagrin of Scragz, I am guilty of lazy/hasty css throwing inline styles and javascript for the sake of moving quickly to other more serious matters. However that almost always comes back to haunt me when attempting more major stylistic or functional upgrades.

The Obtrusive Javascript Checker quickly (really is quick and it made me happy) will show you how many inline styles and javascript events you have, highlighting each one in the browser window. No complaints about this, in fact it is quite excellent in it’s presentation and functionality. But as a must-have I’m not sure. Since I don’t do regular third party design anymore, I just need this every month or so to check up on myself.

However, if Dust-Me Selectors and Obtrusive Javascript Checker ended up as a suite of web tools or a desktop application, I would be the happiest fellow ever.

If you on the other hand are working on client projects everday, this add-on probably should be on your must-have list.

Installed these add-ons but haven’t tried them yet

The following add-ons looked promising so I thought I would give them a try. But they are so specific in functionality, or involved, that I have yet to use them to give them a proper review. Though I thought I would share them in the spirit of the customizing frenzy my Chromitosus caused.

iMacros

Macros for Firefox. I’m really excited about this, though wondering if I might need a full desktop macro program once I try this out.

Every day I sit down to work I have a specific set of websites and applications I open depending on what I will be working on that day. Most commonly I open my Gmail, Google Analytics, and CoTradeCo at the bare minimum. I am hoping iMacros will enable me to create sets of pages to open and log me into so I can get straight to it. Or at least sit and marvel at my computer doing stuff without me doing anything while I drink my coffee and stare bleary eyed.

Dafizilla Table2Clipboard

In theory let’s you copy formatted tables from the browser and paste them either into a spreadsheet program or even directly into a text editor with predefined delimiters. Pretty handy if it works. I will get back to you.

Regular Expressions Tester

It’s a regular expression tester. It tests regular expressions. I am sure it will be great but unlikley this will become a must-have for me. I’m not a regular regular expression kind of guy, but it does come up. Mostly likely will stick to web based testers or the regular expression builder app I have for the desktop.

So what add-ons do you use? What do you think about the return of the browser wars? Drop a comment or visit/friend/follow/subscribe at my some of my social networks:

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