I grew up in a little town on the CA central coast - Cambria. My grandparents lived there, as well.  Every once in awhile for giggles, I look up the current estimated values of the properties.

My dad sold our little house (double size lot, 2 bed, 1 bath, 1 unfinished room-now a 3rd bedroom, 1,052 ft) approximately 20 years ago for I think $180,000.  The last time we drove by the house, approx. 6 years ago, it hadn't changed much from when he lived there, except it had had a paint job and a room off the back had been finished.  Current Estimated Value: $711,300.

My grandparents' house sits on 2 large lots, has a big 2-story garage, and the house is 1,437 sf, 3 bd/2 bath.  We sold it 15 (?) years ago for $250,000.  Current Estimated Value: $1,060,100.   HO-LY &*%$!!! 

All of this because Cambria turned into THE place to live.  Suffice to say, we could never afford to move back. 

I was having trouble with my relatively new laptop connecting to the internet. Been intermittent for a couple months now. I did some research and it was suggested to update the wifi driver. I found the most recent driver out on the Intel website. After installing it, my PC is running like a rocket ship.  We have 1 GB service but I never get anything close to that.  I downloaded a podcast and it took about half a second. A speed test shows 400+ mbs download and 40+ mbs upload.

 

Just Wow! Is all I can say.

 

I am thinking of setting up a booth out in front of my house and offering to update people's wifi drivers as a community service,

That reminded me to run ookla and check mine, I haven't done it recently.

https://www.speedtest.net/

726mbps down, 18mbps up. 9ms ping. About the same as it always is.

Xfinity/Comcast 800mbps service

Simple tip for faster wifi: unplug your modem/router for 10 seconds and plug it back it. The old reboot in the a$$ trick. It doesn't just for for computers, it works for modem/routers as well.

 

Karen - sounds like a great opportunity for your DD, but still, you are not wrong about the cost of living there.  I ready that the "poverty level" there is considered to be those who earn less than $112,000/year...

 

 

That sounds about right. I think the average rent is about $2000+ per bedroom in SF or the Peninsula. Other than housing, the costs are about the same as everywhere else. Gas is more expensive than most of the country, but not significantly more. Food's the same or cheaper, clothes, furniture and all the other things people buy are the same as anywhere. I recently refinanced after 10 years of trying, and my house appraised at $750k, but looking at what houses sell for nearby per square foot ($600) mine would sell for over a million. And keep in mind I'm in one of the cheapest areas of the Bay.

I don't know how regular people can afford to live here with these housing costs. But minimum starting wages seem to be $18-20/hr, or $36-40k a year. Probably higher over in SF.

Leslie - because, like last year's wonderfully dry summer, the reservoirs in the Cascades are already full enough to last through the rest of the year again, I was surprised that this morning's national news lead stories were about the "22 year drought in the West.". I wonder how many national listeners thought, as I initially did, they were including the PNW as part of "the West." Does "West" now just mean California?

Dave - I wish someone like you was out here to volunteer at the library's digital help desk and line instead of just the high school students they get and who might as well be speaking another language when they try to explain something, . . . oh, they are.

Is there a library or sr. housing where you could volunteer your talents. Lots out here if you're ever looking for something to do.

ps Henry - thanks. Keep us informed. I'm starting to worry about mine too.

pps - I like expos too but mostly for the freebies and give-away prices on the last day's afternoon, e.g. almost two dozen of different colored temple sunglasses probably headed for Goodwill when the weather warms up, if ever.

ppps same as rain is to those of us in rain vountry, what twocat thinks is cold would be warm to those who live in it.

I am thinking of setting up a booth out in front of my house and offering to update people's wifi drivers as a community service,

Hey y'all, drove home after work yesterday.  About an hour longer and traffic wasn't horrible....so it will only get worse or I'll have to adjust on the Fridays I drive home.  Did a hilly 5 miles on base yesterday (gonna quit saying that--all the miles in Marietta will likely be hilly).  This morning I did our big local 5k in Muscle Shoals (from "Sweet Home Alabama" "Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers...") Swampers.  Studio musicians and it has become a big local charity.  After 4 days of Marietta's hills, my legs were pretty cooked.  So my worst time ever at this race (which is pretty flat); 22:59.  No complaints, it's a fun event and I had a chance to catch up with a lot of friends.  Overcast and a bit of wind.  As usual, went out a bit too fast.  That was good enough for 28th OA (of 414) and first in my AG (of 6).  I also wore Fastwitches for the first time since hurting my foot over a year ago.  Looking ahead, I'm pretty optimistic.  The hills will only force me to get stronger and I'll have to get more disciplined about speed work.  Did the mile fun run also and even starting in the back (and having to run on grass) I did that in 7:10.  I think the overall mileage today was 8 or 9 miles.

Need to get ready for Mass.  Have a gr8 night everyone!