Mary and I have lived in the same house in Willow Glen for 31 years. I can count on my hand the number of crimes we've ever had in this neighborhood. 20 years ago we lost a bike, 2 years ago people starting getting into unlocked cars looking for loose change, cell phones, or blue tooth devices. But it feels like things are changing for the worse. About a month ago a neighbor had the wheels stolen off his car, and a month after that, at 10AM on a Wednesday, burglars broke into a home at the end of the block. (By the way one of the thieves was caught and arrested in Yolo County.) Our neighbors have now scheduled a meeting to establish a Neighborhood Watch Program. Wow! I'm not ready for the big weapon or security system but now we have to start actually locking our doors. If it is happening here then I'm giving everyone a fair warning. It's no coincidence we are adding a deadbolt to one of our neighbor's home. Fact is, alarm systems do not automatically get a response from the police due to budget cuts. An ounce of prevention is worth it. Window locks, deadbolts, door brackets are all things we can help you with. Handyman things are certainly not our main line of business but then again, if you call G.L. Perry regarding anything about your home or business we always try to help you come up with a solution.
Sound Advice Bill and I recently attended a "lunch and learn" put on by NARI and the subject was about TVs and stereos. We heard all about the new fancy flatter TVs, and more versatile mounting brackets. They showed us samples of floating TVs and new receivers that can run multiple systems. Speakers made especially for the big screens and compact woofers that can be put out of sight and still be effective. The point was that not everyone has a home theater but most families have an area where they watch TV. I liked the fact components can now be hidden and controlled with a remote that can go through walls and 360° so you don't have to point at the components directly. They also talked about planning well when the walls are open and all the new wireless stuff that is available for when the walls are closed. Music systems can be set up differently in large multi room homes with an abundance of choices from Sirius, Pandora, almost every radio station, and many others. Many of the systems can be controlled from your I–Pad or smart phone. The prices are not for the meek however. If you are an enthusiast we're talking thousands but not 10's of thousands. A couple interesting questions arose about the placement of TVs too close to fireplaces and another about the problems that arise from building custom cabinetry for specific sizes of TVs and components and how every year sizes and styles change. Like most of life a little planning goes a long way, so if you are planning to listen or look at things a new way please give us a call so we can help steer you in the right direction.