Its been 10 years since I brought a new computer October 1997 and wired a Hour meter to it, 3 computers later this computer, I log every year how many hours I spend on the computer.

To date since Oct 1997 just rolled over 18,000 hours in 10 years, and thats not work time, just my home personal computer.

The photo shown is the hours meter sitting on my desk , usually hidden at the back or on the floor, at the bottom right of the box is a red/black wire thats connected to the 12v outlet supply from the back of the computer, used for the speakers, i use a double commection, 1 for the hour meter and the other for the speakers power supply.

Next to the red/black wire to the left is a Grey wire that supplies power to the HM box, on top of the box is the hour meter, and a power outlet, seen as the White wire, this white wire goes to a bank of 12 power outlets, from there I plug in the Monitor, printer, light, back up disk, A4 printer, A3 printer. Sacnne, modem, charger for cell phone, charger for camera, and 2 for spare.

From the mains power wall socket there is a surge proctection pluged in, then the Grey power wire to the HM, and 1 power supply to the computer, and 1 power supply to the fax phone. Now to operate the system you turn on the computer, that in turn will power up the 12v supply at the back of the computer the red/black wire leading to the HM box, that will activate the 12v relay to the on position inside the HM box, which will switch the 240v supply power outlet on, where the white wire is pluged into, supplying power to the 12 point outlets, works in reverse, click turn off the computer in windows, the computer shuts down turning off power to the 12v supply shutting everything down, so I can just walk away knowing every thing is turned off, except the fax/phone seperate supply, and not have to turn every thing off individually, or turn the phone off by mistake, Just one simple proceedure to turn every thing on and off,

The little things in life that makes life simple.

Hey AussieBoy, after reading your post I've decided that a large number of those 18,000 hours you state you've spent on your computer, was devoted to figuring out how to hook everything up.

'To date since Oct 1997 just rolled over 18,000 hours in 10 years, and thats not work time, just my home personal computer. '

That's about 5 hours a night, every night. Interesting social life you have there!!

Not necessary sitting behind the computer all that time, but close to it, usually turn on the comp at 5;30 when I get home and off about 9 30, check udon map about 40 minutes, answer emails , read safety reports, do internet banking, bill payments, all done over the net, on sundays its on for average 7 hours, no good movies on tv Ill surf the web for work and pleasure.

Next to come Washing machine hours, yes I have a hour meter on the washing maching to and after that TV hours from 1980 to 2000, the best TV ever had

you have way too much time on your hands, you really have to get a better hobby

I like to know fact, not fiction, so I know really how long in hours things really last, cost time factors against **** that most people think they know, So I know what my time is worth and how long it takes to do work,

As a Master Builder, I charge Baht 60,000 in Oz just to quote the estimate cost for the average home, it takes 6 weeks work in total to get the quotes, 70 hours labour, 80 phone calls, 65 emails, 15 faxs, 400klm use of vehicle, and 12hrs computer use, 120 printouts A4, 1 pen, 32 envelopes, 32 stamps, stationery cost $120, builders license cost and insurance per job average over a year $300.

SO my $2,000 fee just for getting the quotes for the average home, cost me $800, then I get $1200 left for 70 hours work = $17 a hour, thats half of what I make building the home on a per hour rate, average 60 hrs a week x $35 $2,100.

I take my detailed list with me, which is a lot more than above, and when a client complains that $2000 is expensive just to get the quotes, I am more than happy to say $30 a hour for quoting, and I log every phon call and time spent on the quote process. more than half of the work in quoting can be done at night or while doing other work or at suppliers shop doing other orders, Just like a Lawer every thing is charged for, so they see my time frame costing sheet taken over several years the $2000 sounds cheap to them, the hour meters usually takes then by surprise, so they know what the real labour time frame man hours it takes to quote a job.

Facts and figures is a great bargining tool, usually dont have to bargin much with my prices, so accountant says I am doing the quotes for half price, If all I did was quoting I would make half of what I could make doing the construction work.

99.99% of people DON'T know what a 1 ton pickup cost to run in Australia or the average car, Currently a standard ford GM car will cost you 37c a klm at $1,20 a lt for fuel to run over a year averaging 20,000klm,

SO my friend Jim, you want me to drive you so you can pick up some tools from you mates place on Saturday so you can fix you car, and we will be going to Toms place, lets see thats 10k from my place to yours, 25k to toms place and return thats 70k in total, my time is free, I only charge for the running cost of the vehicle, your offering me $10 to cover fuel, thats about 1/3 of the real cost, How about I give you $10 and you ask some one else, Just saved $15, 70k x 37c=$26.

SO it friendship verses socializing verses cost, as I am usually self sufficent, I have all the tools, vehicle, know how, Iam the one always doing the work for others, by 10 to 1, so most of my friends we barter the work between us, you want to go to toms, no problem, I need 3 hours of your time with a retaining wall, I have a bigggggggggggggggggggg book with all these favours people owe me, usually never see half of then again, My mate Bronson owes me $400 for all the little favours i do for him, he never complains, he just says put it on the books, like ringing me up in thailand and saying I need to borrow som tools for a job , I say no problem, I rate labour at $20 a hour for him, so for this year all the driving around lending tools, picking him up when drunk, he owes me 2 days work, .

Next time you go driving, it not just the fuel cost to consider, there the social event, being polite, keeping the GF/ wife happy, GF says lets go to Nong khai and pick up the family for a day of shopping in Udon, that 150k round trip @ 7baht a kl, plus 700b for lunch with the family, plus some extras not much change out of 2,000B just to see the realitives of the GF, now tell the family to get a bus to Udon and back, and I'll give them 1000b for the bus trip, and we will meet them after lunch for coffee, saved me a 1000b. sometimes I'll do the trip to pick then up sometimes I wont

There a fine line between keeping friendship family happy and being called a scrooge tight arse, the GF thinks better for family to get bus now, they gain, and we save, freedom of life you choose to live you way.

I'm speachless!!

What did my old friend Oscar Wilde say about "the price of everything, and the value of nothing"?