Subj : Note from Daryl Stout
To   : All
From : Barry Martin
Date : Sat Dec 14 2019 20:52:00


General note from Daryl Stout with the subject "Possibly Back Up For The
New Year"

This is Daryl Stout, WX4QZ, Sysop of The Thunderbolt BBS, in Little 
Rock, Arkansas...aka Ebenezer Scrooge McHam this time of year (they had 
the Christmas stuff in the stores in July...I need to get my Easter 
shopping done soon!! Anyway, I wanted to give everyone a progress report
on the difficult times I've been having.

First, the bad news. As you know, my Mom passed away 4 months ago. She 
had a ton of old clothes, jewelery, videos, DVD's, records, and books. 
Unfortunately, two months after she died, rodents (field rats) found 
their way into the house...the first time I've had to deal with them 
since moving in here just over 42 years ago, when my late father's job 
transferred the family here from the Miami, Florida area. Well, with the
rodents, and the abundance of stuff which I obviously didn't need, I had
to call Terminix, and set up a deal where they'd haul off the soiled 
stuff (from rat droppings), box up the salvageable items, then install 
metal vents to keep the rodents from getting under the house...and 
gutters to keep them from entering via the roof. They were looking for a
warm place to spend the winter, but I sure didn't have the welcome mat 
out for them!!

It cost $7200 for the cleanup and rodent proofing, which came with a 6 
year guarantee...so, anytime through 2025, if I have rodents (they are 
still trapped inside), they come out to add more traps, etc. However, 
I'm having a heck of a time getting them out here, to set out stronger 
measures, as the rats (cautious and smart) are bypassing the traps. I'm 
keeping the doors closed to slow their movement from room to room, and 
leaving the lights on (they're more brave in the dark). Thank goodness 
for levelized billing on the electric bill. I have no place to go, if 
they can't get rid of the rodents, and they destroy the place.

It's not much consolation that I'm not the only one dealing with rodents
right now...but I don't have the strength and the resources to do stuff.
However, I met a gentleman locally who came to haul off the majority of 
the items, which gets that out of my hair. I told him "if you make any 
money off of them, the cash is yours". He's also coming by in the coming
days to finish hauling off the rest of the clothes, and then get the 
vinyl LP records and books...I understand there is a market for 
these...so if he can benefit, that works for me.

Now, for the good news. As for the BBS, the other day, I found a 
portable table I used to use for ham radio license exams, or portable 
operations to demo "internet radio". Finding that it fit in my bedroom, 
and that the electrical outlets in there don't have a ground wiring 
fault, I was able to plug up the 2 BackUPS 1500 units from American 
Power Conversion.

Next, I hooked up the laptop and the BBS desktop computer, plus the 
router. I have to run a 25 foot ethernet cable from what was my Mom's 
bedroom (where the cable modem is) to my bedroom, to where the LinkSys 
EA7300 Router is. Then, I had to get a new 25 foot ethernet cable back 
to a network switch, so that my late Mom's desktop computer can be on 
the LAN.

I still have the Verizon Mi-Fi as a backup...but will keep the ham radio
stuff on the laptop. The cables had to be "elevated" to avoid being 
tripped over, and to avoid the rats getting to them. So they get a minor
kink in the closed doors (done that way to try to restrict the rodents 
moving about), but if I don't need new ethernet cables for awhile, 
that's fine with me.

The next project, computer wise, since all 3 computers are now back on 
the Xfinity LAN...but, with the 2 desktop computers having been offline 
for 2 to 4 months, is the ton of Windows Updates and Software Updates. 
Once that is done, I have to go into the BBS computer, to update a bunch
of files. Unfortunately, with thunderstorms forecast Sunday through 
Monday (plus some medical procedures before the end of the year) the 
majority of that work may have to wait. No amount of surge protection 
will keep you safe from a direct or very close lightning strike.

But, I am now hoping to bring the BBS back up by the first of the year. 
I likely will do a reset on the message areas and doors, and do fresh 
areafixes once I come back online. However, I am so physically, 
emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and financially spent, I can only do
so much in a day anymore. But, at least I may be able to be back to some
sense of normalcy (getting rid of the rodents is another matter), in the
next few weeks. I'll keep everyone posted.

Daryl Stout, WX4QZ, Sysop, The Thunderbolt BBS, Little Rock, Arkansas


                        ¯                          ®
                        ¯   Barry_Martin_3@        ®
                        ¯                 @Q.COM   ®
                        ¯                          ®


.... Keep your boss's boss off your boss's back.
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