Lou's Studio - Construction Phase

Morning fellow builders – I hope you’re all OK and looking forward to the festive season and time spent with your loved ones. :D :D So, what have I been up to since my last post? Well, mainly ploughing through the ‘mash’ of paid work I mentioned, coping with one frustration after another, and facing the fact that it’s just not possible to be in two places at once! :evil: As the end of the outer-leaf looked imminent, we ran out of stickpins and rockwool. I ordered some more which arrived promptly last week except that the stickpins turned out to be part of a bad batch and so basically don’t stick ! Great……………not. :evil: :evil: One of the three kitchen appliances that we didn’t replace was the washing machine. Chris made a predictably ‘top job’ of fitting it and then two days later, guess what? ………………………yup! It packed up. :evil: :evil: :evil: So, we decided to buy a new one since the cost of repair was uneconomical, but whilst it was the same width, it was slightly deeper front to back, and so I had to get Graham back to recess his mains sockets into the wall. OK, no big deal I know, but now Chris has to figure out how to get a door on the front that will open out and swing to the left so that we can still open the soap dish! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: One good thing that came out of this, is that it prompted me to finally ‘tee’ off the hot and cold feeds and runs the water supplies into the studio as you’ll see, and I’ve got some good progress to report on the air-con side. :wink: My main frustration though is that due to our three month delay in starting, the crap weather, the angry neighbours, and my busiest time of year, we are still way behind and realistically, Studio 4 will not be ready by mid January. I now have no alternative but to get some help from a pro studio builder, and Chris. :cry: :cry: I know that all of us have had frustrating times, but Man doesn’t it really grind you down? :roll: Anyway, here’s where we are, and a brief plan of what’s next. Enjoy! Superslab under front window. The nerdy accuracy of these edge cuts enabled us to get a nice fitting butt joint to the vertical from the pitched roof section, if you get my meaning. :? Some of the stickpins that did stick! Side view of Studio entrance. :shock: :shock: You never know what surprises you’re gonna’ find in the back of your car, but in this case it was six custom made silencers. 4 at 1.5m x 200mm x 200mm, 2 at 1m x 150mm x 150mm and a box of 20mm flanges! Result. :wink: :wink: They’ll obviously look better when they’re installed, but I’m real pleased they’re at last now in the studio and not in my dreams. They’re naturally directional with solid steel panels at the inlet end and perforated steel at the other. :? It was then time to get on with the one job I was really avoiding – the ‘tee-off’ The main reason for being so concerned about this was not only that the wall in question was now 13 ½ “ thick, but also that on the other side I now had to get through my plasterboard - MDF - plasterboard sandwich!! Here’s the step by step: Mark pipes, and turn off the water with the isolating valves you’ve already installed. Purchase evil drill bit! (SDS regular chuck adaptor). Cut pipework on the correct side of the valves and drill away, and then go real slow when you start to feel that you’re through the first layer of brick, crossed the cavity, gone through the second layer of brick, and reached the all important mark you pre-measured on the drill bit that tells you – you're now into plasterboard, Lou. :wink: Panic like hell on your journey to investigate, and then breath a sigh of relief as you’re greeted with exactly the result you wanted. This is of course only the first of two pilot holes, making it possible to get the ‘big bugger’ back through from the studio side! (Outside tap for size comparison). I had to do it this way around since the studio floor is a good two feet below the kitchen floor. Make necessary connections on the kitchen side. Then go back in the studio to make sure the two bits of pipe you’ve just plumbed in are long enough! :roll: Make all necessary connections on the studio side so that the water can be turned on again without flooding the studio! Take ‘arty’ shot to present to forum. The top valves will feed the studio toilet hand basin, and the bottom ones will connect down to the two pipes that are already laid in the screed to feed the studio kitchen. Voilâ! Then realising again the ludicrous expense of having crap removed, I decided to organise grab no 9! (£305.00 inc vat) and get the front of the house looking a little tidier! :evil: Yesterday (Sun) my air-con chap phoned and asked if he could drop some of my gear over to clear some space, “of course“ I said, Now this is what I call a van. The exterior condensers – yes guys, I’ve ordered all my air-con! :shock: And here’s the first lot of ducting to go with the silencers. The internal units are currently being modified and arrive later in the week along with the rest of the ducting. Now I know you all want far more info on this than I’m currently providing, but I truly don’t know what I’ve ordered! :oops: :oops: I’m relying on the people I trust who recommended this Guy, his reputation, past clients and the general impression I get etc. We’ve had three lengthly meetings, he’s well aware of my requirements, gear going in, lighting, no of people, room dimensions etc, he’s quoted a very sensible price, and he’s asked for 50% up front, and the balance to be paid when the system is fully installed and running as intended – SILENT! – EFFICIENT! And generally able to do what I want it to in a fully working situation. Naturally I’ll be documenting everything and posting the progress. Most of our weekend was spent getting our ‘field’ kichen out of the sitting room and into the chill-out area, so that we can at last get everything put away and our house properly cleaned up in time for Christmas. Arty shot to finish of chill-out area from kitchen opening. Also since my last post, I’ve got 14 tracks out for a Christmas show and done half of last years accounts. My accountant is screaming for them before the holidays, and as any UK’er will tell you, the end of Jan deadline for tax returns is a deadline you really don’t want to be missing! The air-con is being installed between Christmas and New Year, although the rest of the gear is arriving soon and maybe even a start on that is planned for later in the week! That’s it for the mo chaps, more to follow as it happens, Stay tuned, Regards as always good people, Lou. 8)

Looking great as always Lou! How about some more details on the HVAC silencers? Those look sweet, but I guess I am not understanding how they are constructed. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

hey lou looking good as always. any chance of giving us a ball park figure of the cost of the hvac plus installation. no worries if you dont want to say good xmas to you and family. joey

man Lou, this is one of the most thorough builds i've seen in the years i've been hangin around this forum. i'm really impressed, i hope this studio blesses you beyond measure. rock and roll.

Guys - this isn't a bump, I swear........... :shock: :shock: Will do proper update soon re silencers etc - promise, but it's 10 to midnight and barely an hour ago, I got a txt from my Air-Con guy to say "sorry for being so late......,But can we start in the morning?" Holy crap guys my Air-Con install starts in under 9 hrs time. :D :D :D I apologise, (that's wrong), for the outburst of, (quite simply), uncontainable excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most festive redgards, :shock: :D :lol: :roll: :oops: Lou. 8)

Don't hold it in, you'll hurt yourself Lou!

Lookin better and better Lou :) Damn,,I need to take a trip to the U.K. 8) MOSH ON DAVE

Hi there Lou (and to all nice forum people :D ) i think your construction-thread together with P.Woodblock's on studiotips are the best construction threads EVER!!! ...kind of a great on-line guide but with houmor and everyday "studio building" situations and how to deal with them!! Maybe when you finish you could print all these and publish them :D Thanks so much for sharing all these...RESPECT Nikodemos

Hey Lou, I've got to 2nd dynamike's comment on how incredibly thourough of a job your are doing! Your build really puts alot of us to shame and I also hope the final results bless your socks off man :D :D You deserve it. Dan

Aloha Lou, Looking good! :D Wishing you and yours a Mele Kalikimaka and Hau'oli Makahikihou! (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!) Aloha 8)

Hey chaps – How you all doin’? Hopefully most of you have, by now, finished for the Christmas break and don’t have to do the Monday morning gag! (On Christmas Eve? – Heavens NO!) Anyway – comme d’habitude, loads to show and tell, but first the replies: DH – More detail on the silencers to follow, my friend and, although I’ve been too busy to tell you how great your windows are, can I just echo pretty much everyone’s sentiment by saying – “You’ve not built a hole in the ground, and you wouldn’t have been better off giving your shed (USA ‘Outhouse’, I think!) a lick of paint”. What you’ve actually built is a totally cool environment in which to work. Furthermore, you have enabled many of us to learn from your experiences, so many thanks bud. I will now be going for cat 5 for my headphone feeds thanks to you! There, I now stand you guilty as charged for being unnecessarily self-detrimental. Top build, Bro’. :twisted: Joey – Dude, I so knew you’d want to know the air-con price, and can only thank you for understanding if I couldn’t disclose it. The truth is, man, we in the UK actually pay way over the odds for so many things other than fuel, (quiet please John!) that our overseas cousins would be horrified! Take property prices, for a start. A real close U.K friend of mine bought a place in Maine (US) for £115,000.00 back in 2002, at that time, the same property in Kent would have been over £400,000.00! (If you could have found the three acres of forest land to put it in!). But, my friend, to answer your question as best I can, for what I’ve purchased, ie two full blown air conditioning systems, with all the bits, custom made ducting, lagging, pipework, extras, labour etc, you should be expecting to pay – wait for it my U.S. brethren - anywhere between £7,500.00 and £9,500.00 plus the silencers! That’s still less than the goon (remember him?) quoted, and I won’t have to turn the system off while I’m recording. :roll: Dynamike – What can I say, your craftsmanship is to be envied, and I thank you for the compliment and your terrific thread – I will be stealing loads of it – sorry, but imitation will always be considered as the sincerest form of flattery! Top job, my friend. :wink: X-Space – Mosh – Hey! Get this! You guys live in the title of my favourite D, Cadd9, G song and, more than that, Sarah wants to take me where she went on holiday a couple of times and loved it. :D http://www.pinkponypub.net/index.htm How cool is that? You really want to come to the UK, Mosh? Thanks guys for the comments - really uplifting. Nikodemos - Thank you buddy for that. Real nice, very flattering, but I think someone behind a curtain has already published such a book, and strangely not many of us ignore him. I understand it’s rather popular. (The book that is, not the curtain!) :wink: Dan – Steady man! Hey, you’re finished and I’m looking at starting inner framing! Don’t get me wrong Dude, great compliment, and thanks bud, but I’ve not yet put anyone to shame – Hell, my friend, I can’t think of a single project I’ve seen up here in nearly a year that hasn’t made me think “Oh God! Why am I doing this? I’ll never get to that!” Etc, etc, Everyone here is a star, for my money, and we all learn from each other! I love the internet! (Sometimes). Much respect my friend and yeah, if you could have flown over in Jan to help out that would have been great! :wink: Maybe I should just invite you all over together with Ken, Glenn, Ro, Eric, Keith, Johan and we just all knuckle in and nail the sod! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: So here it comes then my friends, the pre-Christmas update, ‘cos this is it now until next Thursday! Not a kitchen or cupboard or chill-out area or tap or other crap in sight, just studio stuff……………………at last! You might want to get the kettle on! :roll: :roll: You all know I’m the first to publicly praise people’s skill and efforts, you also know that I don’t mind sharing the odd person’s total incompetence. After my outrage at ‘Numbnuts’ and his plastering farce, I have to tell you of my total unprecedented, overwhelming delight at the coolness, knowledge, efficiency and skill of (thank God!) my Air-con guru! :D Not the best shot, but introducing one Mr Peter Farmery. He started bang on 8.00am Wed putting the brackets for the condensers on the back of the house above the live room window. Not to mention of course his father in law, John. Top bloke and might even give Bryan a run for his money! It's so nice when it's kept in the family! :wink: I, of course, am supposed to be working but can’t resist taking pics to share with you guys. Brackets are ‘Lou Level’ :wink: Now, I hope you’d all agree that this bit of kit looks pretty cool out of the box? And not bad on the scaffold either? But I know you’ll all agree this looks even better! Shot from inside to show fresh air intake hole (which will of course all be sealed up again later) as close to my ceiling as he could get - Awesome! Quick perspective shot – incidentally, we can hardly see these from the chill-out area. Now I, like you guys, love tools – check this baby! Oh no! He’s drilling another hole through my outer-leaf, and my new brickwork! This is what Pete cut out – I found it to be satisfactory in the neatness department!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wink: :wink: For those of you who are playing catch-up, from inside to out, you’re looking at 4” 45kg superslab, ½” Plasterboard, ½” MDF, ½” plasterboard, 4” thermalite block. 1” foam backed cavity closure, 1” air gap, 3” drytherm cavity wall batt, and finally 4” face brick. Then these babies turn up – two Daikin fan coil units which Pete spent all day yesterday modifying so that I can have my send and return air supplies coming parallel and perpendicular into the unit! Yeah, I knew that. :oops: A quick reminder of what we’ve all been working to, thanks to Ken, Glenn and John. Hey, that’s a point! How’s Ken? Haven’t seen him up here for ages! Your plan Dude: Ta-Daaaaa! Then, more custom-made ducting. That sounds so unbelievably pretentious but it isn’t meant to be I assure you. This stuff cannot be bought off the shelf in the U.K. (I’m told), but the real crazy thing is that the guy who made it for Pete on my behalf lives not more than 30 mins’ walk from me. Guess who’s gonna get a surprise drink in the new year? Now you can see why I knew Pete and I were going to get on so well – presenting his clutter box with no clutter. :wink: I just had to share this gadget with you. Forget any drywall lift you’ve ever seen up here, including the ones that we’ve all hired – try a Genie! A 500kg load capacity, compressed-air driven, hydraulic flat-bed which folds up to go on the back seat of the car when you’re done! By far the best gizmo on this build so far. Strap-hangers in place – no, they aren’t coupled to the joists above. :roll: And, then let Genie do the work! Push a button and 34kg of modified fan coils are majestically lifted into position ready for final fixing. Strap-hangers secured at the other end of the studio to support the unit which will supply the control room and iso booth. Fan coil #1 in its final location. Time to start assembling the ducting. Remember, good friends, everything you’re seeing in this department has been custom made by hand – how the hell do you make 0.8 gauge galvanised steel sheet look like this? 1st shot of main unit supply duct, including 1st silencer. This is the send side which Peter lagged (for potential condensation/heat-cooling loss) prior to final positioning. Especially for DH – proper shot of the inside of the silencers. This is the exhaust end. These babies are going to be located adjacent (yet perpendicular) to the inlet and outlet ports on each of the fan coils. Time now to assemble the return duct from the iso booth and join it into the return duct for the control room. Could you not get the ducting any closer to the wall and ceiling Pete? C’mon man! What am I paying you for?....................................! :wink: :wink: So for the moment, well, until after Christmas at least, here’s the return to the big unit (control room – iso booth) with the circular flange that will eventually house the ‘flexi’ down to the control room exhaust vent, and the purpose built tee-in on the other side from the iso booth return. If any of you were, have been, or know someone who is a sheet metalworker, I hope (like me) that they would be impressed with this. Three days ago it was just a flat rectangular 8’ x 4’ sheet. Damn clever. Finally Dudes – the live room fan coil in its newly found place of residence, nice and safe in the upper ceiling of Studio 4, Hampshire, U.K. I will confess chaps that I have been so nervous about this area of the build, that I was almost scared to even start it. I can only tell you that I will surely sleep well tonight knowing that I’ve got someone involved who’s skill and experience I truly, and rightly, trust That’s it for now folks, I know I’ll probably do the soppy stuff before the end of the week, but construction is now SHUTDOWN until 27th, so with that in mind if I don’t get a chance to post, can I wish you and your respective families a totally great Christmas, and say thanks again for everything I’ve been able to learn from you guys here, and ‘the man behind the curtain’. Stay tuned, Regards people, as always, Lou. 8)

Wow Lou! Great, great, great!!! Every time I read one of your mega-update posts, I get depressed about my little hobbit hole! ;) hehe... Just kidding, my place is just fine, but obviously is not on the grand scale that your place is. It is so great that you keep finding such good help. What it difference it makes to know that things like this are in good hands. In my case, they are in my hands, and that is a bit of a disaster waiting to happen! You really should be blown away by what you are accomplishing, but I think when you are doing it, you are too close to appreciate it all. Be glad and proud of what you building. It is a masterpiece! Merry Christmas from the Hobbiton!!!

wow pricy. still thats for 2 units so 4.5k to 5k each dont sound so bad. see this is what living in london does to you. you start to think that £500k for a 3 bed house is a good deal or £8 a day congestion charge aint bad. crazy . looks so cool , professional springs to mind. thanks for sharing lou once againg merry christmas. joey. ps im planning on covering my roof tomorrow i must be crazy lol.

Aloha! Guess you missed the last post on page 14... It's looking very good, there sir! :D And again, wishing you and yours a Mele Kalikimaka and Hau'oli Makahikihou! (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!) Aloha 8)

Guys – many thanks again already. I’ve just got back from a couple of real nice Christmas type hours with Sarah and her Girls – (absolutely crackin’ kids). DH – Thanks man, and yeah, I’m starting to get the forum buzz at last, it’s been a long haul, but I honestly feel that with Pete now on the case, Christmas has come early for me. Don’t misunderstand, of course I’m paying him what we’ve agreed. But he’s just so professional, and now, I can’t believe the amount of kit that’s turning up, and the fact that it’s included in the price to alleviate the worry of such a potentially disastrous area from me! Masterpiece? Hmm? Not yet my friend, but we’re on our way now I hope. X Joey – I’ve just said to Sarah, “When we get back I’m gonna’ quickly let Joey know to not necessarily divide the figure in half” Here’s why dude, yeah your maths (that’s maths my American friends cos it’s plural, as in more than one calculation……………………………so it never will be, to us, in the U.K. at least, math) :wink: :lol: :lol: is (not are!) bang on but, as with anything, if you bulk buy the unit cost comes down. Put it another way, whilst I’m paying for the extra kit and sundries, Pete’s here anyway so I save on the labour, overall design, stuff we’ve blagged, blah, blah. If you wanted to do a similar system to mine with only one set of units so to speak, you’d probably be looking at nearer £5,500.00 all in, plus the silencers if you wished! But, as you rightly point out, how many times would you have to stay out of central London to pay for that? :lol: :lol: Guess we both gotta’ go figure Dude! Best wishes for your roof tomorrow! You’ll be fine bud. :wink: :wink: Ken - Man oh man where have you been? Just real stacked out busy, I hope. We’ve all really missed you up here, along with Keith and Steve etc. Yes mate I guess we must have posted at the same time. Anyway I googled your kind message as I had a hunch from last year! So, great to hear from you buddy and......... “Mele Kalikimaka” to you as well my friend – and Mrs Kendale of course! Please give her my best wishes and ask after the roses! Stay in touch Buddy! :wink: Kind Regards people, Lou. 8)

Hi Guys! How you all goin’? I hope you’ve all had a cracking Christmas, although it almost appears that some of you haven’t taken anytime off at all! DH and Tim in particular. :wink: Both projects looking typically fab guys. :D Tim – Your samples sound the biz, mate, many congrats! I’d put money on your drummer being a Thomas Lang fan, and can I also just say that, although not totally my bag, your guitar tones are huge, so ‘on the money’ for the style, Dude, and not mixed? - Just dialled in? - I’m sure like me you’re a ‘mic up the amp’ sort of chap, but were we all hearing something from Line 6, Vox, Native Instruments, or none of the above? Who cares man, - they were played really well and sound cooking! (English expression that indicates a musician appreciates another musician’s sense of feel and groove!) :wink: :wink: Well my friends, Santa didn’t bring me a fully finished studio, but then I didn’t leave a mince pie, glass of sherry and a carrot for the reindeer by the fireplace either! Bah Humbug! :cry: Sarah did, on the other hand, buy me something rather special for the chill-out area/studio which I know Ken would love, since he made the very good point months ago, that lighting says it all, if you want a ‘client puller’ in your studio. :D :wink: :D First off my friends, I’ve just realised that it’s my ‘forum birthday’ today! Yes folks it’s exactly a year ago since I first posted on the design pages. Man how time flies, and whilst I still don’t have a completed project to display, the end is now visible and I do have a couple of before and afters to give a gigle and recap before we get into the New Year, and the new gizmo! Here they come – nice and brief for anyone interested! Sitting room before, with ‘field kitchen’ :shock: Sitting room on Christmas Eve! – Ah! Merry Christmas again. :D Kitchen utility before. :shock: Kitchen utility after. (Minus the awkward door that Chris will sort). :D Kitchen ‘action end’ before. (Full of crap with nowhere to put anything!) :roll: ‘Action end’ after – excuse the laundry and rubbish sack but we were getting ready for Christmas!) :wink: :D Right then – the gizmo. Take your time people, I think you’ll love it! Imagine finished chill-out area main wall. Now I’ve always been one for the mandatory lava lamp in a studio, and like many of you guys, Trevor Horn himself once refused to work in a studio until one was purchased. Get one of these: A Laser Cosmos Projector! Position it carefully and turn it on! “Yeah Lou – so what?” :?: Well what you’re looking at in this device is two holographic projectors, one green and one blue. The blue one casts a rotating nebula on what ever it’s looking at – it will fill a warehouse! The green one casts thousands (and I mean thousands) of different stars of various size and luminance that meander across your sky (with the occasional shooting one) giving a truly sureal sense of depth and distance. See! “Well it’s ok Lou, but not what I’d call a client puller.” :roll: Ah, sorry guys here’s one with the lights off! :wink: :wink: What a view while you’re checking a mix – the photo doesn’t do it justice since it’s much brighter in reality, but I’m sure you get the idea. That’s it folks, as I said nice and brief, and wishing you all a great New Year. Warm regards, Lou. 8)

Happy new year to you as well old man! I love the light! You got yourself a "keeper" in Sarah there, don't let that one get away! You'll never find one like her again! The holidays are over now, so get back to work!!! ;)

I know buddy...................................thanks man! :wink: More soon, Regards, Lou. 8)

HAPPY HOLIDAY PEOPLE WOW!!!! Lou, the whole construction phase is coming out beautiful, keep it up,congrats...i dont talk so much in the forum, but i do keep up looking for updates in studio constructions, getting ideas for my upcoming construction, and yours is the most crazy construction, to me in the whole forum, the kitchen, the "chill area" which looks awsome, and the studio, keep it up and congrats, god bless to you, your family, and everyone here in the forum Take Care Ensonix Studios :P

Lou wrote:

Tim – Your samples sound the biz, mate, many congrats! I’d put money on your drummer being a Thomas Lang fan, and can I also just say that, although not totally my bag, your guitar tones are huge, so ‘on the money’ for the style, Dude, and not mixed? - Just dialled in? - I’m sure like me you’re a ‘mic up the amp’ sort of chap, but were we all hearing something from Line 6, Vox, Native Instruments, or none of the above? Who cares man, - they were played really well and sound cooking! (English expression that indicates a musician appreciates another musician’s sense of feel and groove!) :wink: :wink:

Actually, the tones are PODxt ran through Amplitube 2.1 for extra cabinet/mic simulation and then through multiband and tape emulation. I like a good mic'd up amp as much as the next guy but for the style we do, that sounds pretty convincing. We've had heaps of people ask what amps and mics we used for this sound (we used that on our last album). And you're right, no damn holiday is gonna slow this build down for me! HAHA! I have to say that I'm EXTREMELY jealous of your kitchen area! That looks fantastic! Merry belated Christmas to you! :)

I have to say that I'm EXTREMELY jealous of your kitchen area! That looks fantastic!

me too - when I'm not working on studios I'm cooking!! I love it. That stove looks fantastic - two ovens!! great. :D

Lou wrote:

X-Space – Mosh – Hey! Get this! You guys live in the title of my favourite D, Cadd9, G song and, more than that, Sarah wants to take me where she went on holiday a couple of times and loved it. :D http://www.pinkponypub.net/index.htm How cool is that? You really want to come to the UK, Mosh? Thanks guys for the comments - really uplifting.

Sup Lou? things looking great as usual :D Hey,,I've been to the pony a couple of times and it,,, IS,,,,fun down in the gulf 8),,, things to do all day and night,,(like my home town "Chicago"), but,,,,, i live at the other end of the state :cry: where they roll the streets up at 9:00 and for the most part view Ned Beatty's famous scene in Deliverance as a love story :roll: :twisted: Hell yeah, I'd LOVE to get to the UK bro,, one day :) keep it comin and happy new year ,,may it bring you great fortune and happiness MOSH ON DAVE

Ensonix - Tim - John - Mosh, many thanks for the comments guys! Major crap going on here re my build - I'll let you all know what's up when I've had the time to get my head around it! :roll: :evil: :evil: :roll: For now though: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced with the most enjoyable traditions of religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make our country great (not to imply that Great Britain is necessarily greater than any other country) and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the ‘wishee’. By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the ‘wisher’ to actually implement any of the wishes for him/herself or others and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher. MAY YOU HAVE (OR HAVE HAD), A FANTASTIC FESTIVE SEASON AND A TRULY GREAT 2008. Disclaimer: No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced. :twisted: In other words: HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! :lol: :wink: :lol: Regards, Lou. 8)

HAHAHA! That's gotta be the best "Happy New Year" message I've ever seen in my life! :lol:

:thu: good one Lou ;)