June 2007 Issue
(Mid-Moving Trauma Edtion)

The Van Ripers
are on the move!!

After a year on the market and hundreds of house hunters poking through our stuff, we've finally sold our house in PA! With the collapsing housing market, it's no big surprise that we took a bath on the sale. But at least we're out from under an expense that we were struggling with.

Next step... downsize!

We are temporarily living in a rented, furnished apartment and have just put a contract on a nice little house on the 8th tee of a private golf course. The fact that neither Irene nor I have played golf in at least three decades is beside the point. Aside from our willingness to learn (probably at the expense of the patience of players behind us) there is also the fact that we'll never have to worry about someone whipping up a McMansion behind us to spoil the view.

We should be done with the carboard box shuffle sometime in August. New address, phone numbers, and other contact information will follow once we've closed the deal and actually made the move.

And, oh yes, the house is just a couple of miles from where we lived before moving to the Philadelphia area two years ago. We're coming home.

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Gotcha Comin' & Goin'!

I mentioned in the last newsletter that my BMW 740il decided to commit suicide while Irene was in the hospital. The BMW dealer gave me the bad news: engine DOA, and repair expenses would cost twice the value of the car. So, I cancelled the insurance and pulled the tag off to return to PA DMV.

Almost everything that has to do with government costs money in PA. But I never expected anything like THIS: I went to an auto license department, as instructed, and turned in the Bimmer's plate. As I turned to leave, the clerk said; "That'll be $5, please."

What?!? It seems they even charge you a fee to return the plate you originally paid for!

Holy Bureaucracy, Batman!! No wonder everyone I spoke to about it said, "Aw, I just toss 'em in a dumpster."

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Studio of the Month

In my very first newsletter I saluted Jay Howard Production Audio in Charlotte, NC. Two months later, he closed the doors forever.

The studio that has filled the huge void left by that passing is Charles Holloman Productions, and I've been fortunate to have had many VO sessions with them in the past year. Some were done in house, as we waited for Irene to heal from her surgery enough to travel back to PA. The CHP studios are absolutely beautiful and wonderfully functional.

Three generously sized studios comprize the facility, centered around a very large comfortable kitchen/lounge/pool hall! Yes... There is a pool table to pass the time during the inevitable waits for clients and such.

CHP is as good as it gets!!

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Temporary Numbers

Until we finish moving:
Apartment: 610-518-7107
ISDN: 610-269-6502
ISDN: 610-269-6527

The Bills I Love to Get!

That would be the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.

I've been fortunate to have been chosen to be the advertising voice for the Bills again, for the fourth consecutive year.

Here's an example of one of the TV spots I did recently. It is a Quicktime video, so it'll take a while to download. But I'm pretty proud of it.

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The Things You Learn In School These Days!

Irene was observing a 2nd grade class on it's last day of school this month, and the teacher asked each kid to make a drawing about something they enjoyed learning this year. One kid, who had had a blast learning about bugs, drew a bunch of creepy critters and labeled it: "Learning About Insex."