November 29, 2007  Holiday Shopping Woes
 
Over the past few years I've developed a skill in online shopping for holiday and birthday gifts. I can find online reviews and price comparisons likity split. This fits my lifestyle since I only shop in a brick-and-mortar facility if there's lumber, hardware or tools involved. Otherwise, I hate shopping in stores because of the crowds and the fact that I seldom find just what I want for a price that's reasonable. So, most of my relatives are equally happy finding my wish list on sites like Amazon, while I am equally thrilled to find their wish lists online or in email notes with online links.
 
That's why I was somewhat dismayed to learn that my mother had her heart set on a jewelry armoire, several of which are in local stores and on sale. Although I first checked online, I was discouraged at the outrageous prices on some sites and the dishonest policies of commercial and catalog companies who get a link in google (under jewelry armoire, specifically) but carry no such items on their site. I knew I'd have to brave the shopping hordes in stores with jewelry and perfume counters where drill bits and saw blades ought to be! I was about to invade territory scent-marked by females.
 
The first stop was JC Penney because their flyer add stated there was $100 off on all jewelry armoires. I personally despise JC Penny because years ago I'd driven 60 miles to the nearest JCP store because an advert stated "25% off all men's slacks and shirts", period. JCP carried a favorite brand of slacks that I liked a lot. However, when I arrived and went through the process of trying on several pair of slacks and taking my choices to the counter, the checker informed me that my selected brand wasn't included in the sale! She pulled out a card that said the same in fine print. I whipped out my flyer where no mention was made regarding selected brands. I left the clothes on the counter and cut up my JCP card on the spot. Did I mention that I hate JC Penny?
 
So, we showed up at the special early morning sale that lasted only 5 hours. I was armed with tactical mace, just in case. We found a selection of jewelry armoires. They ranged in price from 129.95 to 399.95. Now, I've been a hobby cabinet maker and woodworker for over 40 years and have a good eye for quality, fit, finish and joinery. This stuff was mostly cr*p. But, at $100 off, one cabinet would be acceptable. The price was $229.95, less $100 would be $129.95 which fit within the combined budget between my sister and bro-in-law and myself. We called over a salesperson to verify the price. She wasn't 100% fluent in English and seemed flustered when I explained what the price should be $129.95...she kept putting her finger over the $229.95 floor price and pointing to a fine print that indicated the original price was $300.00 (when was the last time you saw any product listed at such an even number). The salesgal rushed off and brought back a supervisor. The supervisor pointed at the $300.00 number and stated that the sale was $100 off that...making it a $200 item instead of the standard $229.95! I whipped out my flyer and asked the supervisor to point out where the ad stated that the $100 off was based on the fictitious $300 number and not the floor price... she couldn't, but said that this was typical store policy. We walked out. JC Penny uses deceptive practices to get people into their stores. JC Penny sucks, bigtime.
 
We went to Walmart. They had two versions of psuedo-armoires evidently made by a staff of monkeys, finished with mouse dung and assembled by some throwback using a rock and an axe. We went to several other places that were as bad or worse. I could tell mom was getting discouraged. But then, mom spied an add for jewelry armoires in the Sunday flyer for the local Target. We headed over to Target... the selection was great and the quality was a bargain at floor prices. We spied one unit that matched her bedroom furniture and put a twinkle in her eye. That bugger was paid for and loaded in the back of GeoTruk quicker than you can say "JC Penny Sucks!"
 
On other fronts... My good friend Paul has decided to get out of the web hosting business. I don't blame him one bit. I've had pet projects that have required a lot of time and effort that ultimately lost their allure or became too problematic to continue. I think that's what's happened with Paul, and I know he has a full plate in other areas and interests. It's time that he gets out from under the time, money and labor intensive troubles web hosting has become in his life. It certainly won't change the many friendships he's made. However, his decision has resulted in tons of client emails wondering about the particulars involved in moving to other providers with a minimum of problems. I think that's understandable, although an aggrevating situation for Paul. I wish I could be of more help.... but then, I have a few questions of my own....
 
Also, I've encountered numerous difficulties with slower dialup down here in TX. Up north my dialup usually yields a 52.4 connection, and an occasional 48.6 connection. Down here, tapping into my Frontier Net local dialup number I get a consistant 26.4 connection. That's caused problems with getting large emails and administering my website because of server timeouts and such. Paul was a big help in rectifying this problem and I thank him profusely. But I made a huge effort to get faster internet service while down here. I contacted two dialup firms who set up temporary test accounts for me to try... in both cases I couldn't get speeds above 26.4 which leads me to believe that the local phone switchgear has this area choked down (I typically get 48+ speeds on the laptop modem up north. I first checked out wireless which has local coverage. One company charges $35/month but require purchase of their modem at $100 and a $55 setup service. The second company wants $25/month and a $100 modem charge. I'd invest in the modem price, but neither company covers my property out in Arrowhead Ranch Estates, and I balk at throwing away $100. Actually, I balk a lot sooner than that.
 
That will pretty much wrap up November in the Lone Star State
 

 
Until later.....DKHT

November 24, 2007  Apologies and Greetings...
 
First, my apologies for not notifying my devoted fan of my departure to Texas. Second, Greetings Y'all from the Lone Star State! And Third, my apologies for not getting a Thanksgiving page up or send my usual holiday greetings to my friends.
 
A lot has transpired in the past several days. I left the Northwoods on Tuesday at 7:00 am with Geotruk packed hastily to the hilt. One tote packed with non-perishables had been included the evening before, along with the cooler of stuff that had to remain frozen. However, just before I left I put in the cooler of stuff that had to be refrigerated but not frozen and the cooler of stuff that was shelf stable but could not be frozen. I had been running late trying to get all the necessities accomplished before departure. Like doing a load of laundry before I shut off the water and pump, drained the water heater and lines and toilets and poured RV antifreeze in all the traps.
 
Because of the heavy frost that covered every inch of Geotruk's glass, I fired up my trusted steed as well as the GPS laptop while I finished loading. I had managed to pack an overnight case and a separate bag for meds and bath accessories, and they went in the back seat with the camera and GPS handheld. Joining them were two flex mini-coolers that had a few sandwiches and tons of bottled water. In the pickup backend I tossed in a couple of empty collapsible suitcases and my laundry basket full of laundry (no time to pack properly).
 
I left my house as dawn began to penetrate the swamps. I had used my brand-new adjustable scraper/squeegee/brush to clear off the glass on the topper and the rearviews. It was mildly foggy on my departure. It got foggier. I stopped in Tomahawk to pick up a quick breakfast and a large black coffee to go. As I moved farther south the fog became wetter and colder. Just south of Wausau my AM-FM antenna, now heavily ice-encrusted, began whipping wildly in huge circles. The stainless CB antenna was wet and highly bent. The mag-mount cellular antenna flew off the roof and dangled alongside the rear left side...I could see it in the rear-view and it appeared as a small black spine encased in a 1/2 inch crystalline covering. Pretty, but totally non-functional. The first chance I had I pulled off and stripped the ice from the antennas and reinstalled the cellular. I had to repeat that procedure one more time before I got into warmer weather... and heavier fog! The fog followed the Wisconsin River down I-39 and other waterways in northern Illinois. The fog was still heavy until I approached Bloomington when things began to clear.
 
I'd lost time, what with the fog and frequent bathroom stops thanks to the meds my doc prescribed (Did you ever really have to go only to miss the turn-off sign for the rest area in the fog or rain yet spotted the sign that said "Next Rest Area 94 Miles"?) Ten years ago I-39 was pretty new and private services (food, gas, etc.) were few and far between. Fortunately there are many, many more exits that have services developed for the traveller.
 
Ultimately I was able to tie up with I-55 at Bloomington-Normal and zipped down to the I-255 bypass in St. Louis...I-255 joins I-270 on the east side of town. Traffic gets heavy near rush hour...and I hit St. Louis rush regardless if I'm heading south or heading north. But with diligence, awareness and a penchant to bear right you can actually exit onto I-44 south and the next 15 miles of traffic insanity. Beaters cross lanes with abandon... nobody wants to trash their vehicle on a beater. OTR truckers who know this route occupy the 2 or 3 left-hand lanes and locals zip on and off at assorted entries and exits.
 
Darkness fell as I rode into the Missouri Ozarks. There is no level grade in this region. The speed limit is a generous 75 mph on the interstate. The OTR truckers will, by necessity, gear down to 50 mph on the upward hills, but will scream by you at 85 on the downhill stretches. I know this and I adjust... I goosed Geotruk on the uphill runs so I get wayyyy ahead of the 18-wheel convoys. Even when they scream downhill they won't catch up with me unless they're dead-heading. But I had a decent run to Cuba, MO where I typically put up. This time I was behind schedule and arrived late at about 5:30 pm.
 
I was beat...when you drive in heavy fog, heavy rain, heavy snow, heavy traffic you've got to consistently be on top of your game. This day I only missed the snow, but I did hit heavy ice. I checked into the motel and zipped down to the next-door pizza place. I had a custom-made take-out thin crust pizza that tasted awful in spite of it's $20.00 tab. I finished three pieces, out of total hunger before I gave up. I'm fairly certain that the cardboard box it came in would've been tastier. This is a product from a major pizza chain who shall remain nameless except it has a word that rhymes with "slut" in it's name.
 
Early Wednesday morning I awoke and peered out the motel room window to see what the weather was like. Obviously, it had rained significantly in the earlier morning hours, but was otherwise clear, as far as the darkness would tell. I threw stuff back in Geotruk and drove down to the motel office for my complimentary continental breakfast. I was greeted by the new motel owner, an East Indian who evidently went to the same almost-English classes that my Tracfone service rep attended. The breakfast had obviously downsized from previous years. There was a dominant sign that stated you could not fill your own travel mug with coffee...rather, you must use a 5 oz. styrofoam cup with an ill-fitting lid... probably reject overstock from those years back when McDonalds was sued for coffee burns by an elderly bumbling driver. The former bakery Danish offered in years past was now reduced to a 1-1/2 inch dried-out flat hockey puck of partially cooked dough from "Honey, I shrunk the Danish". Juice (?) was available to be poured into tiny plastic cups smaller than most specimin cups I've encountered.
 
I got back on I-44 West (really South) hoping to pick up a decent breakfast in Rolla. However, I soon hit thick fog, the kind that makes your eyes bug out and your lips roll back in a near-death grimace. After a bit over an hour of that 20 foot visability horror, the weather cleared... for about 5 minutes before the deluge of rain. This rain, if occurring back in Noah's time, would've taken only 20 days before the ark would have capsized. Unfortunately such blinding torrents would normally cause me to pull over and wait it out. But narrow shoulders, or worse, no shoulders due to construction prevented doing much beyond keeping one eye on the lane line and the other scanning for tail lights looming ahead. The areas under the few overpasses were occupied by flatbed trucks hauling drywall. The drivers were trying to save their uncovered loads from (further) damage, but the thought also struck me that drywall can absorb water like a sponge, and a safe load of drywall could become an axle-breaking load of wetwall.
 
The rain began petering out around Joplin and the trip through Tulsa was fast and uneventful. But the wind began picking up severely. It was out of the north, and I-44 runs westerly through most of Oklahoma. This fierce cold wind would try to push you all over the road. It was forceful enough to snap several of the large monopole billboards, which were now lying in tangles of twisted steel on the ground.
 
I finally arrived in Wichita Falls at close to 4:30 pm Wednesday. A total of 1209 miles and 20.5 drive hours. Day 1 consisted of 650 miles taking 10.5 hrs with pit stops. Day 2 consisted of 559 miles and took 10 hrs due to weather. I've been travelling this route (or prehistoric versions of this route) since I was an infant. In the early days most of the trip was on old Route 66, and that two-lane was downright scary through the Missouri Ozarks! It used to take my dad 24 hours to drive the 1000 miles in the 1949 Ford from our Illinois home. We've encountered snow and ice and rain in years past, but this is the first time I drove so much of the route with so much stress and hightened awareness. But I arrived safe and sound, and happy to see Mom and my relatives.
 
It's taken me awhile to unpack and get settled in. Cousin Sue had us over for Thanksgiving dinner which was WONDERFUL. Sue has eleven mature pecan trees in her yard and this year has produced a bumper crop in N TX pecans. Sue is a great and creative cook and included pecans in the sweet potatoes and again in the lettuce salad. The turkey was so tender it fell apart, and Cousin Steve baked up a delicious ham. I was well into second helpings when my Aunt said "Make sure you save lots of room for dessert". Everybody at the table moaned...dessert would have to wait!
 
Texans are football fanatics. We gathered around the big TV and watched the Green Bay - Detroit game. Early on GB was down, but rallied and began trouncing Detroit. But GB pulled through in the end... My TX family are sworn Cowboys fans... I think it's part of the oath you take to get a driver's license. The party broke up before the Cowboys - Jets game, which should've seen the Jets forfitting after the first quarter, just to save a little face. But these Texans are worried about those meat packers from Green Bay.....
 
I have lots more to share with you, but it'll have to wait until the next installment.
 
Until later.....DKHT

November 19, 2007  Gittin' Ready to Hit the Highways
 
Normally my preparation for departure to the southern climes is a bit involved but usually goes smoothly. This year it seems that packing and preparations have taken forever! I originally intended to leave early this am, but I wasn't able to put everything together. Maybe it's a good omen...when I awoke early this morning the fog was so thick it was like the proverbial sea poop. And, at 1:00 pm, the fog is even denser. I did a quick internet check and found that fog was the predominent factor over the entire midwest.
 
Many, many years ago I used to drive through heavy fog on the trip from my home to Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois where I was enrolled, following the occasional weekend I was able to visit my family. On one such occasion I wound up doing 15 mph on Hwy 116 until two huge red lights appeared out of the mist just yards off my front bumper. Those lights belonged to a box trailer being hauled by a semi tractor doing 12 mph. Those lights saved my behind and became my guiding lights to near my destination. Neither the trucker or myself had the option of pulling off...Hwy 116 ran through desolate farmland and had hardly any shoulders, so getting rammed in the backside by another driver was all to likely.
 
Unfortunately, I'll probably be driving through some early snow and later rain for the next couple of days. That doesn't normally bother me, but, as much as I respect professional truckers, the spray from their tires is downright hazardous to smaller vehicles. The truck driver's elevated position keeps them unaware of the blinding fallout they leave in their wake for lower vehicles. But that's OK... when I get my diesel pusher motorhome the poor four-wheelers wil probably not be one of my major concerns either.
 
I am more concerned about how I will be received as I travel south. The temperature today in Wichita Falls is in the high 70's. By the time I get there it will be in the low 50's. My relatives still hold the suspicion that my visit of last year was responsible for the coldest, most miserable winter in North Texas history.
 
On other fronts....
 
According to the New York Times....Homeland Security Adviser Resigns
By BRIAN KNOWLTON
Published: November 19, 2007
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 — Frances Fragos Townsend, the White House adviser on terrorism and homeland security, whose tough and aggressive approach had made her one of President George W. Bush’s most trusted aides, has resigned.
 
Even more rats are deserting a sinking ship.
 

 
Until later.....DKHT

November 17, 2007  Times Require Changes
 
I've been on the go for the past several days, prepping for the upcoming trip to Texas. I'd hoped to leave on the 19th and ride decent weather south, but I may have to postone until the 20th and battle the weather nasties all the way down. Geotruk has been prepped with an oil and filter change and then went in for a long overdue cooling system flush. I was getting the occasional nasty message from GeoTruk's message center that told me the cooling system was low on fluid. But, when I popped the hood, there was lots of fluid in the reservoir (the low-level sensor is in the bottom of the reservoir. The tech guy told me that either the sensor was bad or that the sensor was fouled. He added that they'd try do de-foul the sensor in the process of flushing the system...knock on wood...it seems to have worked!
 
The laptop has been programmed for the trip south. I reviewed the GPS log files from past trips because I couldn't remember where I put up after the first day's drive. I've stopped in a number of motels over the years on this trail and some have been way overpriced and offered little in ammenities. But I discovered a nice little Best Western in Cuba, MO, which is just over the half-way point. Unfortunately, the gal that I checked in with for the past three years retired shortly after my last visit. Good news is that they finally provide high-speed internet access. And there's a lot more restaurants in the area.
 
I'm almost packed and ready to travel. But my trip south can't escape what idiocy that exists in the White House.
 
Recently GW Bush was questioned about funding his war while vetoing measures that would provide aid to Americans in need...
 
(Source: International Herald Tribune) "President George W. Bush vetoed a major spending measure on Tuesday that would have funded education, health care and job training programs, saying it contained too many special projects, even as he signed a $459 billion bill to increase the Pentagon's non-war funding. The veto, of a measure providing $150.7 billion in discretionary spending for the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services, was announced as Bush was en route to southern Indiana to deliver an economics speech at which, his spokeswoman said, he would criticize Congress for its wasteful spending."
 
(Source: www.reason.com) "Bush's Medicare bill deserves special attention. It will cost at least $534 billion over the next decade, and probably more. And it doesn't even deliver on its liberal promises: It does much more to distribute new subsidies and tax breaks to doctors, HMOs, and the pharmaceutical industry than it does to help seniors. The Medicare bill is to Bush's domestic policy what the Iraq war is to its foreign policy: an enormous expense of dubious merit that's come under fire from both the left and the right."
 
I'm really amazed that this idiot has not been impeached! His response to the question of how his enormous war budget would be paid was "Americans will just have to pay more taxes". In his former private life GW has bankrupted three oil companies. Now he seems intent on bankrupting American citizens and America itself! He's lost his cabinet members several times over. He avoided serving his full military duties and now is Commander-in-Chief. Indeed, he is Moron-in-Control!

 
On other fronts...
 
I awoke earlier than usual this morning and looked out over the suspended porch (lanai) off the master bedroom. I guess I never noticed duck behavior at this early time in the morning. The 80 plus mallards were grouped closely on the shore. Suddenly the entire flock rose and headed for the water. My view had been screened by pines, but then I saw one of our bald eagles swooping in over the flock which was desperately diving. The eagle tried a few more attacks before giving up and heading back to the nest on the south side of the lake. A shore-bound duck would've made a wonderful breakfast for the eagle, but a sharp-eyed mallard alerted the flock in time to seek the safety of the water.
 
Fortunately I've seen such wonders in the country and animals of this area over the 35 years I've been able to explore it's riches. That possibility won't exist for long, with the new selfish people moving in and bringing their brand of civilization to a part of the country that really doesn't need civilization.
 
I am forced to repeat the lament of Ben Rumson in the movie "Paint Your Wagon".....
 
"God made the mountains,
God made the sky,
God made the people,
God knows why?
He fixed up the planet
As best as he could!
Then in come the people
To gum it up good!"
 

 
Until later.....DKHT

November 10, 2007  Winter Officially Arrives ~ And Some Memories
 
Winter officially arrived here in the Northwoods earlier this week. It began snowing lightly on Monday, and by Tuesday morning the ground was covered with snow. And the lake was covered with.... ducks!

 
I just had my LP gas supplier fill my 1000 gallon tank. They leave about 15 percent of the tank allowing for expansion, etc. so I needed 600 gallons. It seems that the price of LP is now $2.049 per gallon.
 
I think I was unconscious for only a brief time after reading my bill, but I did dream about the old days when I used to heat my old cabin with only $140 for hardwood for the year. I used to get two 100 pound LP tanks for $24.00 each to provide backup furnace heat and for cooking on my small 4 burner stove with oven.
 
Of course the hardwood was delivered in 108 inch logs, seasoned oak and maple. The logging truck would off load the equivalent of 10 full cord near the lean-to where I'd store the wood. That's roughly two trailer's worth of logs. (A full cord equals a stack of wood 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.) I'd use 5 to 6 full cord to heat my place. My folks used the remainder in their fireplace and airtight woodburner during their weekend visits to their cabin.
 
Over the next few weeks each log would have to be individually wrestled up onto the sawbuck, then divided up into roughly 20 inch lengths using a story stick. The big Husqvarna gas chain saw would be fired up to cut the large logs into 20 inch lengths. About four to five logs would but cut in sequence before the work area became too cluttered. The log pieces would then have to be split into quarters or sixths, depending on the size of the log. In those early days we didn't have the power splitters of today. It was all manual work with splitting mauls, wedges and sledge hammers.
 
Once the pieces were split, the splits could be stacked under the lean-to. Then the process would start all over again, until all ten cord were put up. Occasionally I'd take a brief break to watch one of our bald eagles soar just above the tops of the pines, searching for fresh game.
 
Although physically demanding, those days were very satisfying. But the work wasn't over when shadows fell. The day's work included cleaning the saw, sharpening the chain, and filling the gas and oil (gas and oil fillups were necessary several times through the course of the day). Also, the splitting maul and wedges had to be filed sharp and coated with oil to prevent rust. Clothes had to be dried and the cabin airtight woodstove stocked up for the evening.
 
Dinner could be heated or even slow-cooked on the woodstove and often consisted of a hearty homemade stew or soup, with fresh baked biscuits or bread. Dessert was optional and usually passed on because the dinner would be so filling in itself. After dinner it was time for a huge cup of freshly brewed coffee with maybe a shot or so of brandy for a bracer.
 
Television reception was poor in this area back then, so evenings were spent reading and re-reading favorite books. The topics were typically about early trappers, loggers an mountain men, although I had some favorite humorists whose works always lifted my spirits. Good mysteries also were great reading, although they wouldn't come around as often for a re-read.
 
I miss those days dearly, but I'll be the first to admit that I can no longer do that sort of work. And, this area has lost much of the allure I felt in those days. For one, there were only about four or five year 'round residences on the entire lake back in the 70's. Now the area is crawling with morons and other such misfit folks that don't appreciate the naturalness that was so special back then. I used to see wild animals every day, up close and personal. Now people litter their yards with awful plywood cutouts of bears and deer and other creatures that once were special live visitors to my yard, shore and sky.
 
As I sit here in the office and look out to the lake, it's now twilight, and it's snowing again. A goodly wind is coming in out of the southeast. The ducks seem agitated, they're swimming back and forth along a several hundred yard stretch of shoreline out front. I feel their angst. Moron neighbor was on his roof with his gas-powered leaf blower cleaning out his gutters...for four hours. Trust me, you could clean those gutters with a toothbrush in under an hour and a half! Maybe I'll have to fire up the Husqvarna and cut some imaginary wood for four hours tomorrow....
 
Until later.....DKHT

November 3, 2007  Decisions and Economics
 
I was sitting at my desk in the office a few nights back, contemplating just how my house had become so messy. My office takes first place. I have a 12 inch pile of "Inbox" stuff on the turntable I use to convert my vinyl to cd or dvd. There's a 6 inch pile of motorhome and AARP magazines on the audio mixer next to the turntable. I've got all sorts of crap on my desk, from emails regarding my website from Paul to three sets of microphone headsets. And That's not to mention the folding door rail that comes from the hall closet and needs repair. There are empty cd covers and cd's without covers and a massive postal regulation guide that belongs on another desk with the postal scale.
 
I still have the danged three archived file boxes from doing my 2006 taxes which belong in the basement storage. I still have the window air conditioner I bought last summer just before the temperatures cooled off. There are boxes of research and photographs strewn about, and my four file cabinets overflow into a half dozen plastic milk crates.
 
Boxes await in the hallway to be moved into the garage, which itself, has to be brought to order. I've procrastinated and now pay the price. I need to do a rush job on moving toolstock and materials to the old workshop in the garage so that, when I return from Texas, I can go full bore on prepping this house for sale. I know that I will have to hire much work to be done by sub-contractors at considerable expense, mainly because I can no longer perform certain tasks, but I have a specific idea for finishing rooms and trim, which will complete my original vision for this home. I have to finally commit to these tasks and get my fat butt in gear.
 
A few evenings ago I received a phone call from the real estate agent I used when I bought the 10+ acre Texas property. We've been in touch several times over the past two years. I like this guy...he gives me the straight info providing I ask the right questions! Besides, he lives in the same community and knows just what's going on.
 
He said he was calling to see if I'd be interested in selling my Texas property. He had one developer and a couple of individuals interested in my property. We talked prices and conditions, and the developer would pay less than what I have invested...the developer would rezone the 10 acres into 5 two acre homesites and make a friggin fortune. Another client was looking for a place large enough to raise some animals, and ten Texas acres is about the minimum. This person might raise the ante.
 
This was tempting, in light of the fact that I really intended to sell the Wisconsin place two years ago, and cashflow is becoming increasingly important.

 
But then, I went back through the pictures of the property. The real estate broker had told me that most of the ten acre parcels were sold off to developers in the last year. Mine is one of the last intact tracts.
 
I recalled that the reason I bought the property was that I really liked its character. Also, it was out in a rural area and the ten acres provided a decent buffer from any moron neighbors who may move close. So it's not for sale, at least not for now. And it certainly won't go to some developer!
 
On Other Fronts
 
Hopefully this is the last word on the eBay debacle. I finally got my refund! The guy that stiffed me suddenly popped up with other stuff to sell, so he had to come up with the money before eBay would let him deal. Interestingly, he still has a 100% positive rating! That's because when a transaction goes into arbitration and investigation, both buyer and seller lose their ability to give a feedback rating!
 
Until later.....DKHT