HRB IV

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA!!
more HRB tomorrow.

note: All our 2009 pictures are archived. This is all I could come up with. :o(

HRB VI - The FOS

But first . . . the breakroom! An important part of any business. This one happen to also be the other half of our Manager's Office.




And (finally!) the Fortress of Solitude (aka The FOS). If you ignore all the wiring in the ceiling, not a bad place. There are two computers, a printer, pictures of children and grandchildren. We brought the phone network in to the office this week, carpet, even a table that some may recognize from my home office in Idaho.

We can access the Internet and HRB Network, monitor activity at workstations, receive calls and conference with the bee hive of activity upstairs. Soon there will be a wireless network to allow our laptop computers on to the World Wide Web.

We could even prepare taxes if we were so inclined!

Okay, that's it! Everyone who is interested has seen more than they ever wanted to see about our new franchise.

"At H&R Block, You've Got People" No, wait. That was last year's slogan. "Click, Call or Come Over" :o)

HRB V

This is our Office Manager's "office". Computers on the ground to the left in the picture are leaving. All new units have been installed to better serve the customer.

Here, 'Terry the Tech' works to upgrade our network. Operation REWIND took place this past weekend. We had the office re-imaged from a company owned unit to a franchise owned unit.

Another Tax Pro (Sara) comes in on her own time to adjust a filing for a client.

Coming up in HRB VI (the last of the series)? The long awaited Fortress of Solitude (aka Ken & Lynda's office)

HRB III

More 'action' shots.

Here a Tax Pro gives some valuable advise to some poor individual who bought some other tax software and thought he/she could do their taxes at home.

There is alot of paper involved in getting your taxes done right!

Of course, there is the glue that keeps it all together-LYNDA!

HRB II

Now we move inside.

This is one of our three receptionists (Erica). They greet the clients, take incoming calls, collect our fees and keep the office running. We refer to them as our CSPs (Customer Service Professionals)

Below is what the client sees as they are following a tax professional to their work station.

And here are two of our eleven tax professionals working through the tax interview process.

Actually, you can only see our most senior pro (Mary). She has been doing other folks taxes for HRB (and now us) for over 20 years. You can almost see Murry working further behind her with his client.

Can HRB III be far behind?

H&R Block welcomes YOU!

Jeff 'suggested' it was about time for Lynda and I to publish a few pictures of our new enterprise.



First a few views from the street.

Both this picture and above are what one would see heading west on Highway 395 (if you were to stand in the middle of the street like I was).

Next in the series we will take you inside! Stay tuned for HRB II

Below is the same (leased) building looking towards the east.

From 2010-02-26

Who is the best indian?

It is a rhetorical question. No voting please!

While we were having the Wrigley Wranch Washington Wreunion last August, I had the visitors pose in front of this Indian mural at a local museum.

Melissa actually had her picture taken while she was visiting in August of 2008 .

I am not sure what the blurred image is in Jeff's picture. Perhaps some spirit.

Jenny had already gone home so she missed out on all the fun!

I assume the Indian was either praying or yelling at the bird painted above him.

Katelyn is so small, I should have had her pose as the female (the word squaw is OUT), sitting on the beach.

Protecting the Slope Phase II

We have now doubled our coverage! That is placed the second one hundred feet of fabric. That should be it for this slope. We have five junipers ready to be put in place. Actually they are not junipers, they are Microbiota decussata (Russian Cypress) but they look like junipers to me.

Although we hope the rocks help, the fabric is also secured by staples/anchors. We will see how it holds up to the rain/snow.

I will be glad when tax season starts so I can take a break!

Protecting the Slope

Jeff will probably appreciate this more than most - he was instrumental in measuring/loading/hauling this fabric from Kyle's "junk yard" to our home.



We completed Phase one of installing it on our slope. The BIG question is if we will get it all anchored down before Mother Nature decides to kick up her wind machine and blow it all over Washington.



Lynda tells me the theory is to cut holes in the fabric and plant juniper plants. The junipers are suppose to thrive while weeds are choked off due to lack of sunshine. Slope is erosion free, weed free and a beauty to to behold by all. . .we shall see. :o)



Still to go...the other 100-200 feet of fabric. :o(

Our new home was sucked up by the earth!

Well, I guess actually the earth was pushed up against our house.

From Our new home was sucked up by the earth!

Click on the link. A few before and after shots follow. Plus the 'AW SHOOT!' event at the end.

"All BOXED Up..."

Just in case you think we have been laying around relaxing...here is what we would like to get taken care of before the WWWW (Wrigley Wranch Washington Wreunion):


Two week to go!

“TO BED, OR NOT TO BED: THAT IS THE QUESTION:”

or “The BED-laid schemes o' mice an' men…” I couldn’t decide which title to go with. The bottom line is that there is a problem with the SELECT COMFORT Beds. The air chambers you sleep on need a remote control device to inflate! If you forgot about that when you were packing to move, and your ‘stuff’ stays in storage for two or three years, AND you cannot find the controller when you unpack, this is what you end up with:

To BED, or not to Bed:

Since half of our 'stuff' is still in storage, somewhere in there is a controller (as well as another 'traditional' bed). And, just to keep things interesting, it rained, thundered and lightening like crazy all night so we are sitting in a mud pile. Needless to say, we are still 'camping out' in the trailer. :o)

BeFLOOR & After

Although I am running way behind, here are some shots (9) of the flooring in the new home. Pre/during/post installation.

BeFLOOR & After

We have actually moved about ½ of the furniture in to the home. Well, ½ the boxes. We are still in the trailer, or in between trailer and house more accurately. Furniture/box moving got delayed due to a conflict with our two helpers.

This Tue/Wed (July 14/15) will be dirt moving around the house, exterior drain systems and entry steps construction. Not sure when remaining furniture/boxes start moving again.

Annual Pork Festival

Turns out I did not hear the proposal exactly right. What I thought was an invitation to attend a Pork Festival here on our road was actually a request to FEED some pigs here on our road! :o(

Next year we will know better!

Note: This blog presented you via High Speed! Heaven help you all. :o)

4th of July Block Party

A short pictorial of the blocking of the house (I am quite a bit behind as this phase ended last week and we are now on the internal flooring phase).

4th of July Block Party

Taking you from when we were still on wheels and hitches, to current exterior.

Note: Blocks have nothing to do with supporting structure. House sits on about 97 of the stands pictured in the next to last picture. All Pictures are of the same side. Access to the 'crawl space' is currently covered by a board and secured by rocks. Final covering still coming.

Happy Forth of July Americans!

The "END" is near

Shots of the end of the house being sided. This is actually Last Thur/Fri. I am a bit behind! The two end windows to your left would be in the master bedroom. The one you can see to your right is in the master bath (over the tub).


They also began unwrapping the front porch.

Next the interior and the blocking (skirting).

The Kiss!

The two halves are joined together.

(This time I am trying it with a three shot 'Slideshow')

Monday, inside detailing begins (they have up to 14 business days to complete

that phase).

The Wedding

The merging begins. Yesterday they got wheels -32- off both halves and 8 of the 16 axels off. A crew of two. Today we have four working and they 'hope' to complete by day end. If not, they will be back tomorrow.

2009-06-18

We have our pirated keys so should be able to tour (photo) the newly wedded couple tonight!

House/Home II

Starred Photos

I am still poking around with this photo software in the early am while all are asleep. Above should be two pictures (perhaps one behind the other?) of Phase II of our house. When I think about it, it is probably more like phase XVIII with many more phases to go, but atleast it is the delivery of the second half of the actual home is complete. :o)

When is a house not a home?

When it is half a house!

It took about three hours from when the first pilot truck (there were three) arrived at our driveway to when all four truck left. However that included me riding back down to the lake with the first truck and back up with the transport truck to aid them in finding us.

Here are two of the ten pictures I took.

Fortunately, about an hour after they left we had a two hour thunder and lightning storm that POURED! However, by then the deed was done. The half house is totally sealed so we can’t get inside. Well, we can look in the windows. Second half is due Wednesday and assembly starts Thursday!

A more complete picture show will be put on flickr or something once this ordeal is over.

PopPop & GrandMa movin' dirt!

In order to contain cost, Lynda and I worked the bulldozer to move dirt in anticipation of the new home.

The Stand II

Seven photo slide show of the progress on our 'park like setting' next to our home site. Excavation starts June 1. House due June 15. Occupance July 1!

Bar-B-Q 2009

Bar-B-Q Days at the Wrigley Wranch have started for 2009. The ole Barbie was put back in to service this past Sunday with a couple steaks. Accented with some steamed brown rice (well, instant) and fresh garden vegetables (well, frozen and microwaved), it was a meal fit for Kings (well, two retired people). The swallows have not returned to reclaim their nest…yet. So cooking was not hampered by . . .bird droppings.

(Pictures taken last year, the swallow nest is still above the barbie, but unoccupied)

Spring is indeed here. Can teriyaki be far away?