Calvin's Games & HT construction thread - Page 35

Javry,

You and I think along the same lines. I had a job offer 3 months ago where I would be making more money then I could have imagined making and with a decent guy I have worked for in the past. I turned him down and he offered even more money and when I turned him down again explaining it wasn't about the money it was due to the fact I had a job at "home" vs taking his job which was "away" he just couldn't wrap his mind around it. Easy decision for me. I'll take less money as long as I can still keep a reasonable standard of living over any amount of money away from home. He on the other hand thinks cash is king and would do anything for more $$ I explained to him we were very different people. Don't get me wrong I like $ as much as the next guy more or less but you have to draw the line between how much is enough and when do you enjoy it.

I just spent 7+ years away from home working making the big bucks so I could build the new house and fill it full of all the wonderful stuff we have in it - now that it is done I don't need to anymore and I can actually stay home and enjoy it instead of saving for the next "big thing". For me the house is it - we built it to stay in it for 25 - 30 years! I plan on raising my kids and retiring in this house. (and more importantly I plan on been home to see those kids grow up)

Like you said, at the end of it all no one ever says " I wished I had worked more" or "I wished I spent more time away from home making more $".

Anyway don't worry about me folks I'm still doing fine. The wage drop isn't the end of the world, just cost of doing business at home (and I have some new investments in the works to make some of it back )

Cheers
Calvin

Thanks Josh for that post. That is pretty much exactly what I would have said

Bruiser as Josh as posted you would be fine with the 606 that is what I would suggest as well. Thanks for the posts and the kind words

We'll I'm off to the Calgary zoo to see the baby elephant with my 5 nieces and nephews .


More when it happens

Cheers
Calvin

Thanks for the supportive post Javry you bring up some fine points for bruiser to consider.

I'm living in Edmonton just a few hours north of Calgary.

The kids had a blast at the zoo and it was a great day for the all of us wandering around and spending some time in the finest zoo in western Canada (IMO of course).

Cheers
Calvin

Darren,

Thanks for the interest, the kind words and the post. I'll certainly add your name to the meet list (I'm not sure when it will happen but it still is something I want to do one day). I'm pretty busy these days as well with work and the back yard but hopefully things settle down in a month or two.

Congratulations on the upcoming wedding.

All the best,
Calvin

Beta Man,

Thanks for the post and the kind words
Congratulations on your recent home purchase and best of luck with your "build" (especially with the little one running around)

Are you planning on doing a build thread here at AVS?

All the best,
Calvin

Might have a long time reader & poster here on my thread swing by for an unexpected but delightful surprize visit this weekend...

Should be a post and some pictures to follow....

Cheers
Calvin

I had a surprise visitor last night. Javry stopped by been in the area and we spent some time in the HT after showing him the house. Was a pleasure to sit down and have a conversation with the man after all our back and forth's here on the forum.

I had my brother take a couple pics while we were chatting and I must apologize for the quality but I failed to notice that my brother didn't have the camera on auto and it didn't use the flash and what ever setting it was on, the pics ended up turning out poorly.

Anyway here is a couple of murky photos from last night's visit





Maybe if Javry ends up coming back we'll get together again and watch a full film and actually get a picture or two that turns out.

Was a pleasure to have met you Javry. I hope you enjoyed the tour and the multiple small clips we watched last night and hopefully we'll see you again one day.

Cheers
Calvin

Thanks Javry. Was great to have you over for the evening

I thought I'd post a quick picture to show the mini audio system I have for the back yard...it has no video and is attached to a hot tub

(click to enlarge photo)


You can see one of the two pop up speakers and the water proof MP3 player I have in the water. There are also 2 subs you can't see but you can certainly hear and feel when your in there. It is about perfect for what we want. When your in the tub it is as loud as you could want and loud enough for people on the deck with in 10 or 20 feet but not quite loud enough to disturb my neighbors which is exactly what I was hoping for.

Cheers
Calvin

Josh,

Thanks for the post. I think the new tub makes a great addition to our little back yard utopia.

smakovits,

Yes, they are built in at the manufacturers the only thing I've added is the MP3 player

The vendor I bought from didn't have a "TV" hot tub but they are supposed to be the best and I wanted the best hot tub experience - I already have plenty of "video" in the house just a few short steps away Heck I could likely see the 46" flat panel pretty easily in the living room from the tub location if I opened the blinds (I'll have to test that)

Oh, my little secret is I actually don't watch sports...nothing, nada, zilch no sports so I don't have a team either Edmonton or Calgary. Couldn't care less actually which isn't very home town like I know but I'm just to occupied with other stuff to spend hours watching the pros chase balls and pucks around for millions. I've been too busy trying to make my own millions instead

Cheers
Calvin

Jason,

My Rastergate days are over and my wild party days are long gone I'm a settled down and happily married fella now
I don't even want to think of my wife's reaction if Raster showed up with his bevy of beauties in their hot tub attire but I know it wouldn't be positive.

I'm going to stick with most of the other forum members and just view his thread in appreciation.

However if Raster does find his way over to my neck of the woods he is certainly welcome to swing by for a visit although from his photos he is usually headed for much warmer climates then mine.



Smakovits,

I stop watching professional sports when they go on strike so that leaves me with Golf, Bowling and a handful of other sports I couldn't be bothered to view. I used to be a big fan of hockey and football in my younger days but when they went on strike, we both walked away from the sport and the difference was that I never came back.

I'm still working on the personal millions, lol man has to have some goals however I seem much better at spending $$ then I am at making it for some reason

Cheers
Calvin

Ha-ha good one!

I heard they don't let people drink on the ice anymore so that sport should be going on strike soon as well!

Landscaping is almost complete and I should be heading in doors again to continue "tweaking" in a month or so.

So with winter coming and with it, some cabin fever. I'm preparing for the great white north's frosty months and I'm looking at doing an upgrade to the upper level HT. The current speakers in place are the oldest things I have in my equipment list and the easiest to upgrade so that is what I'm looking at this winter.

Currently I'm in talks with Dave over at Ascend and I'm looking quite seriously at the Sierra-1's in a piano black finish to replace the five mission and nuance speakers I have currently.

Any thoughts?

Cheers
Calvin

Thanks for the post Swithy. I've certainly read very good things about them and Dave is a heck of a guy I'm just a bit hesitant as I'm not sure they are going to be a real upgrade yet.... I have full size towers have excellent head room and they were about 4x the price (or more) then the Sierra's so I'm not sure if I'm expecting to much out of these little book shelf speakers despite their excellent reviews and reception.

Anyone in the Edmonton area have these in their HT's that wouldn't mind letting me come over and hear them in person I'd be very grateful before pulling the trigger... On the other hand if they don't surpass my current speakers I can always give my brother one of the best X-mas presents ever which would be a complete Sierra 1 five speaker set....

Still on the fence looking for some input.

Thanks folks
Calvin

Steve,

Good advice and something I'll likely follow. I sure hope they are an improvement they are going to be an early X-mas present to myself I think

Speaking of early X-mas presents I just picked up a new "chair" for my main level HT. This is the least used area of my home at the moment but this new addition may change that some I'm thinking.

Here is a link to the latest addition to the main level HT. It should be dropped off tomorrow or Wednesday night and I'll get a few pictures up after it's been set up and "tested" a bit. I bought the black leather version as they didn't have a dark brown to go with the rest of the room furniture and the "brown" they did have was far to reddish.

http://www.intertemp.ca/us_ht-1650.php

I'm pretty excited about this despite it not been a real HT item it sure will keep me in that room a lot more then anything else has to date!

Cheers,
Calvin