She does, Dot! Chris, maybe send an email to Brooke...her husband is very knowledgeable and did a presentation at Lilyhemmer year before last. Because of his presentation, I got a new camera! After hearing it, my husband insisted I should have one (who was I to refuse??). I sill have my Canon A620 (which I thought was fine enough) but did get a Canon Rebel xti last May (I think there's an even newer one out now) and am now exploring the wonderful world of lenses. What a lot there is to learn! I think Brooke's husband recommended either Canon or Nikon...but, ask him (or her) to be sure...he will give you lots of technical information. It's a whole new world! I'm in the market for another lens, possibly two (which will bring my total to five...who knew about these things)...and then, so I'm told...I should be able to take anything and everything (famous last words). Jump in! Oh yes, maybe Julie C. will see this and post. She takes most excellent pictures and has been giving presentations on taking photos (I think she just did one at a Winter Meeting...the one Lee Pickles is famous for..I forget which region (sorry))...anyway, she would also be a very good source. One final thing...I ordered my camera online...which is fine...but bought two of my lenses at a camera store. I think I would recommend that...at least go to the store and pick someone's brains who is into cameras. And, know what questions to ask! I got great lenses, based on what I thought I needed...but I now know...a year later...better what I need...and it's a different lens! I just didn't know. Anyway, the opportunity to hold the cameras and play around a bit with them beats a picture, I think. Good luck! And...yippee!

Has your son ever tried these mice? They are terrific, espeically the side buttons, flipping back through websites is nothing for me. My scroll bar is so fast even at 800 DPI...its unubelievable...and when I forget to put it in the charger...do I ever hate using the corded mouse until it recharges...everthing is just so easy even for mundane everyday web-browsing. As far as the dents in the MX518...that's where your fingers go and it allows a plyable left and right clicking, its like a mylar type of thing...he doesn't want any dents or lights? Low battery indicator is out? I wish that other MX1000 owner was still here...I've never make a mistake with the side buttons. In the beginning, I hit them a few times by mistake...its called learning, but not once in the last year and a half. Every time my cousin comes over here to play a game, and I tell him to left click ...he always clicks the wheel...he keeps looking for lines to tell him where right and left are. Then he gets used to the idea there are no visible left or right clicking lines, its the entire left or entire right side of the mouse whereever your fingers are comfortable. As far as the lights...they are LED lights and barely noticeable. That one poster said on the MX610 you can turn off the mail indicator ... they are like pinpricks of light...I forget to look at my battery indicators They are not that visible.. The Diamondback Plasma they are more visible...its an art thing and because they are LED they don't use much, if any, extra electricity. Why is your son insisting on archaic mice? Have you watched the little movie presentation? On the link below click on "Product Tour". You can turn features on or off with the software. The hardest thing to get used to is the size. They are larger, they require a bigger mouse pad, and lasers do better on flat light colored surfaces...but lasers will track fairly accurately on any surface. Are they ever sensitive to the slightest movement...but you get used to it...real quick. Instead of wide swings its a flick of your wrist. And believe it or not you even get used to holding the mouse without ever touching the buttons. The only drawback is the 2.4Ghz frequency and wireless routing...the one poster said even with that there was no interference with the mouse's performance...If you don't have a wireless router ...it might be a blast to learn with. New Technology. marf Here is a link that might be useful: MX610 Product Page

Some other options that I've thought of-- Have the wood sill clad with metal--SS, Copper, Zinc--- Paint the sill (or clear finish with a penetrating tung oil finish) & build a 'tray' out of metal picture frame components to fit the sill. Use tile--(granite, slate...) to fit inside of the frame. Or frame a sheet of metal & fill with polished pebbles. Something I might do--I've a few old interesting cast iron register grills that I've collected over the years. (Very expensive if you buy reproductions, though.) I've cleaned them up & painted them. Those would look neat in a window sill w/ plants sitting on them & appropriate for an old house... Here is a link that might be useful: American Frame

Here is what I would likely try (assuming I understand correctly -- that there are only a few that are this bad; that under all that built up paint and mildew there is metal, not wood; and that you want to have the finished pain surface look even and neat and stay looking nice. I would not worry about tape/adhesive marks and would put away the WD40. I would make the time and space to have everyone out of my way and to have a good exhaust ventilation and tarps/drop clothes and shop vac set up along with proper eye, ear, possibly respirator (definitely some airway protection and disposable as well as heavy duty neoprene gloves. i would spend the time and effort to remove all of the built up crud -- so removing tape marks is a non issue. If I understand your gunk problem, you'll be removing the years of old paint and sludge underlying the tape adhesive marks. I'd first try to chip, chisel, dremel, grind and sand off anything that I could without damaging the steel underneath. Vacuum that all up, wire brush and try to remove more. Vacuum again. Then, following the manufacturer's direction and with proper ventilation and tools and protection as discussed above, I would begin applying the "best" (most effective, lowest VOH paint stripper remover I could get. What you use would depend upon a few factors and the types of paints in that cracked sludgy stack. You'll want to protect yourself floors and adjacent areas. You can use layer of rosen paper atop a tarp and and the paper gets messy, swap out. Have some chip brushes, steel scrapers and gougy tools and some disposable paint pail liners to toss the scraped off partially disolved old paint into. (Dispos of properly as it will be flammable. Just keep working on dissolving the old paint, scraping it free, repeat...until you get almost all if not all of it off. It's work and messy. Then, after what you cannot get off has dried and 'cured' a bit, you can try to sand and scrape the rest free. You may be able to do some of this outdoors. You may want to hire someone to do this part for you. I have removed old alkyd paint this way, then, in the case of a large, pick wick bead board back bookcase, washed it with TSP (Tri-sodium phosphate --- there may be restrictions on its use or availability from state to state). Let that remain a while, then rinse off with clear water. Allow to dry thoroughly. If only working indoors, you can use terry rags, pails and poly plastic drop clothes with "towel / rag dams" to protect your flooring. Allow the project to dry well. Shop AC dry, towel dry, dry nooks with hair dryer. You don't want to create rust and you will want to treat / remove any existing rust. I would do all of this way before even considering priming and painting or addressing the opportunity for condensation. A faster and less messy way to address all the gunk might be to pay someone with a sand abrasion set up. It may be costly. Perhaps you can barter. Ask around at some auto body shops or vocational schools. Best of luck. It will look so much better when you get it cleaned up. One trick to help with condensation is to consider a dehumidifier or a small fan. Always went cooking kettles and dishwashers with a kitchen exhaust fan. Always run your bath and shower exhaust fans for 15 or 20 minutes after shower use. In the winter or fall, we sometimes crack a window and let some of the very dry winter air (New England) come in and exchange with moist air. If in the fall or early winter and you have a lot of moisture in your house from a humid fall or late summer, be careful about keeping your rooms too cool until a lot of that moisture wicks out of porous walls and floors. We've got a tight house, so have to mind the level of condensation growing on cold Windows (we don't have the best windows). If you have a house full of large dogs, you're apt to get a lot of condensation.